Calling out the MAIS

Southern Sports & Travel

In December I received two calls within a one week period from basketball coaches informing me of tragedies involving automobile accidents and deaths as a result of the accidents. Those events along with similar ones in my community involving young people driving while not wearing a seat belt served notice that this is a huge problem with teens and it needs attention.

What I’ve learned over the past month is that it is reaching an epidemic proportion that parents, school administrators and coaches may not fully understand.

The following is the second of a three part series of stories that all have different outcomes but the common theme in all three is the usage or non-usage of the seat belt.

I wrote and posted the article, “Katie’s Story” on January 9^th and I received a large volume of positive comments via text messages, emails and at basketball games from people I had never met.

This particular story doesn’t come from me, it comes from a mother who makes a personal plea to teens and explains in detail the risks associated with not wearing a seat belt. Her story goes even further, it tells of what everyday life after the accident is like.

Over the past four weeks I have met with three accident victims and while one has fully recovered the road is more difficult for the others.

I’ve been fortunate over the past five years to build some great relationships within the MAIS family. Countless coaches, headmasters, athletic directors and parents have been very supportive in my efforts but I issue a challenge, a “call out” if you will, to start a program at your school to increase seat belt awareness amongst our teens. Get your students involved and teach them the results and reality associated with not wearing a seat belt. Create checkpoints entering your school before and after school to check drivers and be proactive. How many more teens will have to suffer before we all finally begin to take steps to prevent such a serious and catastrophic problem? The “call out” has been issued, will you respond?

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Adam’s Story

By Haylie Dufour

On May 18, 2010, Adam Stafford was involved in a head on collision. Adam was on his way to school at Central Private with friends Hailey and Loyd Ussery to take final exams. The accident left Adam with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Upon arrival at the hospital Adam immediately underwent emergency brain surgery. The neurosurgeon explained that it was the most aggressive brain surgery he had ever performed. The neurosurgeon performed a craniotomy and removed two parts on the left frontal lobe of Adam’s brain. A craniotomy is when part of the skull is removed to allow for the brain to swell out instead of down into the brain stem. The skull is left off for a lengthy period of time. Adam’s skull was removed on May 18, 2010 and replaced in January of 2011.
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Read more..................

 Carroll's Peyton Clanton signs with Northwest

Carroll Academy senior Peyton Clanton has signed a letter of intent to play softball at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia.

Oak Hill stifles Lamar in road win

Southern Sports & Travel

The third ranked Oak Hill Lady Raiders forced 12 first half turnovers and got balanced scoring en-route to a 65-49 win over seventh ranked Lamar last night in Meridian.

Using a 13-1 second quarter run to bust open what had been a tight contest Oak Hill clearly established themselves as one of the premier Class AA girls teams this season as they improved to 24-5. Four Lady Raiders hit double digits in scoring and a stifling man defense forced 22 Lamar turnovers in the game.

(Above) Anna Ready (#22) of Oak Hill goes up for 2 of her 6 points

Lamar head coach Russell Cruise got the start he had hoped for as his squad looked primed to give Oak Hill all they wanted early on.

The lead would change hands nine times in the first quarter but after Lamar took a 13-11 lead on an Allison Justus inbounds play with 27 seconds left in the quarter Oak Hill got two critical baskets to close the quarter strong.

Rachel Herndon drained a 3-pointer from the wing with 19 seconds left to give Oak Hill a 14-13 lead and freshman Sarah Dill’s driving basket, plus one, with 2 seconds left closed the opening quarter with the third ranked Lady Raiders holding a 17-13 advantage.

The momentum clearly carried over into the second quarter as Oak Hill exploded with a 13-1 run.

Sarah Dill went glass from 10 feet out and followed with a steal and lay-in twenty seconds into the second quarter.

After Sydney Holton hit two free throws Dill drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to push Oak Hill’s lead to 26-13 at the 6:56 mark of the quarter.

After Lamar’s Olivia Mabry converted on one of two free throws Oak Hill capped their 13-1 run as Maegan Ellis hit from 17 feet and then canned two free throws to give the Lady Raiders their biggest lead at 30-14 with 4:05 left in the half.

(Above) Oak Hill freshman Sarah Dill (#14) scores 2 of her 12 points off the bench

Lamar’s first basket of the quarter came at the 3:54 mark when Allie Shirley hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key but six turnovers in the quarter had already done the damage as Oak Hill went into intermission holding a 35-23 lead.

Rachel Herndon’s offensive rebound and put back quickly pushed the Oak Hill lead to 37-23 seven seconds into the third quarter but Lamar avoided getting too far behind as senior Olivia Mabry started heating up.

Mabry would convert on a lay-in, plus one, and nail a 3-pointer from the wing at the 3:39 mark to give Lamar hope down eleven points at 41-30 but they would get no closer in the quarter.

Shay Atkins converted two free throws and Sarah Dill’s bucket in the paint extended the Oak Hill lead to 45-30 with 3:11 to play in the quarter and the Lady Raiders would take a 50-35 lead into the final eight minutes of play.

Oak Hill produced a 6-1 opening fourth quarter run to take their biggest lead of the night at 56-36 with 6:12 left in regulation.

Lamar would make a late run of their own as Olivia Mabry sparked a 10-3 run with back to back 3-pointers to close the gap to 60-47 with 1:34 remaining but Oak Hill would finish the game down the stretch by canning 5/6 at the free throw line to take a 65-49 road win over Lamar.

Maegan Ellis (Photo left) and Shay Atkins led Oak Hill with 14 points each, Rachel Herndon and Sarah Dill added 12 each, Anna Ready had 6 and Sydney Holton 4.

Olivia Mabry led Lamar (22-6) with a game high 25 points, Natalie Williams added 10, Allie Shirley 6, Lallie Bennett 4 and Alison Justus 2.

Oak Hill will host Carroll on Friday while Lamar travels to Leake as the regular season closes.

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Post Game with Oak Hill Head Coach Stan Hughey

Cougar standout signs to play baseball at Hinds

Brookhaven senior standout Gage Posey has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Hinds Community College in Raymond.

Standing: Sam Temple head baseball coach Hinds Community College, Casey Edwards Brookhaven baseball coach, Dan Rives Hinds assitant coach. Seated: Rhonda Posey, Gage Posey, Kevin Posey.

Chambley inks with Itawamba to play baseball

Winona Christian senior Brady Chambley has signed to play baseball with Itawamba Community College for the 2013-2014 season. With Brady are (front row left to right) ICC coach Alex Williamson, Brady, and Mrs. Stephanie Chambley. (Second row left to right) Lynn Chambley, father, Wyatt Chambley, brother, and WCS coach Joe Boyette.

Savage of Magnolia Heights signs with Hinds

Leila Savage, a senior at Magnolia Heights School, signed a letter of intent to play softball with Hinds Community College. Pictured with Leila are members of her family: grandfather, Dayton Williams, mother, Debbie Savage, father, Eddie Savage, and sister, Katherine Savage. Standing in the back are MHS Athletic Director, Jim Patterson, Hinds Community College Head Softball Coach, Mike Greanich, and MHS Headmsater, Dr. Marvin Lishman.

Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week

Central Private senior Liam Thomas is the Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week.

The 6'10" center averaged 20 points, 16 rebounds and 8 blocked shots in three wins for the Class AA top ranked Rebels.

Thomas recorded two triple-doubles in district wins over Oak Forest and Centreville.

Against Oak Forest Thomas scored 20 points, pulled down 24 rebounds and had 10 blocked shots and scored 17 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and had 10 blocked shots against Centreville.

In a 59-43 district win over third ranked Bowling Green Thomas scored 23 points along with 13 rebounds, 6 blocked shots and 5 steals.

"I've enjoyed coaching Liam, the kid has an extremely bright future," said Central Private head coach Henry Gantz. "He has grown almost an inch this season and I still think he's still growing. I hope he gets to 7'0 tall because he would be an even bigger recruit for colleges. He does so many things right that its hard to say what his biggest strengths are. Friday night he had 24 rebounds and those numbers have become routine. He has had several triple-doubles this year, before halftime. Liam has also created open shots for Anderson and Cohen that neither one of those shooters have ever experienced. Liam is also a great teammate, student, and he has been a great addition to the diverse student body at Central Private. He is a great person and I'm glad he is a part of our program and I am excited about watching him in the playoffs and in college."

On the season the Central Private senior is ever so close to averaging a triple-double each game. Thomas is averaging 16 points, 11 rebounds and 9 blocked shots a game for the 18-3 Rebels. The center has recorded 166 blocked shots and is shooting 63% from the field.

Central Private handed defending Overall Champion Jackson Prep their only MAIS loss on the season on January 4th at Prep. In that 78-73 win Thomas came up big again, scoring 15 points and recording 9 blocked shots.

Raiders overpower Chiefs with strong second half

Southern Sports & Travel
Second ranked Jackson Academy overcame a 32-29 halftime deficit to defeat third ranked Magnolia Heights 58-50 last night in Jackson.

Senior Matthew McMullan scored a game high 18 points and fellow senior Matt Jones added 10 points as the Raiders avenged an early season conference loss to Magnolia Heights in Senatobia.

Nine different Raiders scored in the win as Jackson Academy improved to 20-4 and 7-2 in conference play.

It was Magnolia Heights’ (20-3 & 8-1) first conference loss of the season and the difference in the game was evident as the Chiefs were outscored 21-11 in bench points.

(Above) Matthew McMullan (#23) of Jackson Academy goes baseline for 2 of his 18 points

Jackson Academy looked to push the pace early on as the Raiders got out to a 12-3 lead fueled by strong inside play and two transition baskets from Matthew McMullan that came off of Magnolia Heights turnovers.

Magnolia Heights wouldn’t score from the field until the 2:34 mark of the opening quarter when Fernando Van Hook served up an assist to Wesley Bolton but the Chiefs soon overcame their slow start and began chipping into the Raiders lead.

Jackson Academy would see their lead hold at 15-9 as the first quarter closed and the Raiders would match their biggest lead of nine points at 18-9 one minute into the second quarter after Kevin Anthony converted on one of two free throws and Wade Higgins connected from the elbow but Magnolia Heights was about to heat up in a big way.

Consecutive 3-pointers from Fernando Van Hook and Hayes Carr pulled the Chiefs to within three points at 18-15 but Jackson Academy would manage to hold off the Chief’s rally as they would answer baskets and with 5:22 remaining in the half a Matthew McMullan offensive rebound and put back gave the Raiders a 25-20 advantage but the home crowd was about to grow silent.

Jackson Pitts nailed a 3-pointer from the wing after a Jackson Academy turnover to pull the Chiefs to 25-23 and after a Raider basket in the paint Pitts would drain a 3-pointer from the deep corner to bring the Chiefs to within one point at 27-26 with 3:27 left in the half.

Hayes Carr would give third ranked Magnolia Heights their first lead of the night at 29-27 with a 3-pointer from the wing.

Jackson Academy’s Evans Wilkerson knotted the game at 29-29 with a lay-in at the 1:11 mark but Magnolia Heights would take the momentum into intermission as Hayes Carr nailed another 3-pointer to close out a 12-4 run and give the Chiefs a 32-29 edge at intermission.

Jackson Academy opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run to regain the lead at 37-34 as Kevin Anthony converted twice in the paint and both Matthew McMullan and Carter Holmes hit two free throws apiece.

Jackson Academy would limit the Chiefs to just four points in the quarter and with 9 seconds remaining Kevin Anthony’s baseline jumper from 10’ out pushed the Raider lead to 43-36 entering the final quarter.

Matthew McMullan extended the Raider’s cushion to 47-36 as the senior drove baseline for a basket and converted two free throws just over one minute into the quarter.

Magnolia Heights pulled to within six points at 52-46 on a Hayes Carr 3-pointer from the wing with 2:06 remaining in regulation but the Chiefs would see the deficit grow back to nine points at 58-49 following two Matt Jones free throws with just 29 seconds remaining.

“This was a huge conference game for us,” said Jackson Academy senior Matthew McMullan. “Although we were down at the half there was no panic, we knew our offense was running fine, we just needed to make corrections on defense and we did. They gave us our first loss of the season and on top of that it was a conference game so for us to come out tonight and get the win is huge for us.”

McMullan scored a game high 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, Matt Jones added 10 points and 5 rebounds, Kevin Anthony 9 points and 8 rebounds, Wade Higgins and Evans Wilkerson had 5 points each, Carter Holmes 4, Will Parrish 3 and Will McDowell and Colby Walter 2 apiece.

Fernando Van Hook led Magnolia Heights with 15 points, Hayes Carr added 12, Jackson Pitts 10, Wesley Bolton 8, Trey Skelton 4 and Michael Murphree 1.

Jackson Academy will visit rival and top ranked Jackson Prep this evening while Magnolia Heights hosts Strayhorn.

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Post Game with Jackson Academy Head Coach Bill Ball

Five decades and the hunger still exists for Watts

Southern Sports & Travel, by Darron Thomas

Master craftsman, there are a handful of interpretations of what one is but I prefer to offer up my own after exploring the term. “An aspiring person would have to pass through the career chain from apprentice to journeyman before he could be looked upon as a master craftsman. He would then have to produce results and a masterpiece before he could actually join the guild. If the masterpiece was not produced, he would not be allowed to join the guild, possibly remaining a journeyman for the rest of his life.”

In 2011 Dale Watts was inducted into the MAIS Hall of Fame but he achieved master craftsman status many years before.

At the age of 59 Brookhaven head coach Dale Watts has no intention of retiring soon. Now in his fifth decade of coaching Watts admits he has changed his outlook on particular aspects of teaching the game of basketball since his first coaching job at Centreville Academy in 1975 when he would never second guess anything with regards to his coaching. Now in his 20^th season at Brookhaven he readily admits there are times he wishes he had done things differently with respect to strategy after a game and he is quick to state that he is still learning the game he has been a part of since early childhood.

The product and 1971 graduate of Columbia Academy, Watts was a member of the Cougar state championship squad his senior season.

Widely known in the MAIS arena Watts achieved great success during his tenure at Parklane Academy from 1977-1993. Until his arrival Parklane had never won a boys state championship in basketball but in just five seasons the Pioneers would hoist both a State and Overall Championship trophy.

Parklane would win another Overall Championship in 1990 but he would leave the McComb school and head north in 1994 to Brookhaven Academy.

Brookhaven had achieved success on the court prior to Watts’ hiring, winning one Overall and three State Championships and while the Cougar program advanced to the brink of the state title on a few occasions after Watt’s arrival it wasn’t until the 2002-03 season that the most dominant stretch of Class AA boys basketball would begin.

Brookhaven would capture their first state championship in thirteen seasons that year with a 92-60 win over Leake.

Two seasons later Brookhaven would run off six consecutive state championships before Marshall Academy broke the string in 2011.

There have been some wins more memorable than others for Watts and some of those weren’t for state championships but for the master craftsman teaching the game and seeing the fruits of his labor is most gratifying.

For many the only side of Watts they see is the basketball version, one that opposing fans love to talk about and sometimes not in the most flattering way. The coach is well aware of that fact but he loves to dispel the image that some portray of him.

The correlation between disciplined coaching and success in life go hand in hand to Watts and seeing or hearing from former players who have gone on to become successful in life brings him much satisfaction.

I had the privilege of sitting down with Coach Dale Watts for over an hour this week talking about portions of his five decades of coaching, my hope is you’ll enjoy a different insight as to who the man is.

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Brookhaven Head Coach Dale Watts
(Part One)

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(Part Two)

 Davidson signs with LSU at Eunice

Kayla Davidson, a senior at Silliman Institute, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball for Louisiana State University at Eunice. During her career as a Lady Wildcat, Kayla pitched 53 shutouts, 5 no hitters, and had 933 strike-outs. In addition, she had a career .398 batting average. She received the District MVP award her 11^th and 12^th grade years, and was a member of the AA South State Championship team her 10^th through 12^th grade years. She was a member of the state runner-up team her 10^th and 12^th grade years, and was selected to the All-tournament team both years. Kayla was also selected to the MAIS Softball Fab 15 Senior team. In October, 2012, she participated in the AA/AAA All-Star game and was selected MVP of the South. She was also selected “Class AA Pitcher of the Year.” Kayla has played travel softball for the Louisiana Patriots since she was 9 years old. In 2011, she led her team to win the IFA Elite National Championship, and received the National MVP Award. 
Shown above: Front row - Jessica Davidson (sister), Nicole Davidson (Mother), Kayla Davidson, Michael Davidson (Father), Michael Davidson, (brother)

Back row - Ann Kent (Administrator), Trae Weaver (Head softball coach), Rick Hurst (Assistant coach), Sharon Kline (Athletic Director)

Leake duo sign scholarships

Anna Kat Nowell and Hannah Peoples of Leake Academy recently signed to play softball at East Central Community College in Decatur.

Shown above is: Back, L-R Greg and Lisa Nowell, Leake Coach Doug Jones and Linda and Shelly Peoples.

Front, L-R ECCC assistant Coach Courtney, Anna Kat Nowell, Hannah Peoples and ECCC Head Coach Kristin Chaney.

Bayou grabs district lead with blowout win

Southern Sports & Travel

It was billed as a District 2-A heavyweight battle between sixth ranked Bayou and perennial power Greenville Christian but the knock-out blow was delivered quickly as Bayou pummeled GCS 50-23 in Cleveland last night to take control of the district race.
Seniors Caleb Pilgrim and Michael Portner each scored 12 points to lead a balanced Bayou attack and the Colts dominated the paint from the opening tip.

Grey Clark’s bucket two minutes into the contest gave Bayou a 2-0 lead but Greenville Christian answered with a Turner McGaugh 3-pointer from the wing at the 5:45 mark to give the Saints what would be their only lead of the contest at 3-2.

(Above) Bayou's Tyler Kitchings (#2) goes up strong against two GCS defenders in the 2nd half

Bayou’s dominance in the paint helped produce a 10-0 run to finish out the opening quarter and gave the Colts a 12-3 advantage.

The second quarter didn’t get any easier for Greenville Christian.

Grey Clark’s fast break basket off a GCS turnover pushed the lead to 14-3 followed by a Michael Portner 15 foot jumper at the 5:26 mark.

Chantz Arbuckle’s transition basket and a Portner 3-pointer from the deep corner extended the lead to 21-3 and forced a Greenville Christian time-out with 4:34 left in the half.

Portner would serve up an assist to Caleb Pilgrim on a fast break lay-in off of a GCS turnover and Portner’s offensive rebound and put back at the 2:19 mark capped a 13-0 run to give Bayou their biggest lead at 25-3.

Greenville Christian’s lone score of the quarter came at the 1:10 mark on Turner McGaugh’s second 3-pointer of the night.

Bayou went into the half holding a commanding 25-6 lead in which 16 points came in the paint.

The closest Greenville Christian would get in the second half was at 27-10 following Devonte McPherson’s offensive rebound and lay-in three minutes into the third quarter.

(Above) Michael Portner (#4) nails a 3-pointer as Bayou head coach Winn Scott looks on

Bayou promptly answered with a 12-5 run that was capped on a Peyton Aldridge 3-pointer from the wing as the quarter expired to give Bayou a commanding 39-15 lead.

Bayou opened the final eight minute quarter with a Tyler Kitchings bucket in the paint and the Colts grabbed their biggest lead of the game at 50-18 on a Michael Portner 3-pointer from the corner with 2:08 remaining.

With the win Bayou improves to 16-2 but more importantly 8-1 in district play. Caleb Pilgrim led Bayou with 12 points and 11 rebounds, Michael Portner also had 12 points and 5 boards, Grey Clark added 10 and 5 rebounds, Tyler Kitchings had 8 points and 7 rebounds, Peyton Aldridge 6 and Chantz Arbuckle 2.

Greenville Christian (10-10 & 8-1) was led by Turner McGaugh with 9 points, Devonte McPherson added 6, Caleb Jenkins and Tevin Taylor 3 apiece and Hayden Burford 2.

Bayou stopped Greenville Christian’s 43 game district winning streak and the Colts hold the tie-breaker advantage should both squads close out district play tied.

Bayou will hit the road to take on Tunica on Thursday.

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Post Game with Bayou Head Coach Winn Scott

30 Good Minutes

I had the opportunity this morning to talk with East Rankin head coach Michael McAnally about Class AAA basketball and a some Class AA girls.

Hope you enjoy!

Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week

Starkville Academy senior Maggie Proffitt is the Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week.

The Lady Vol's guard averaged 20 points and 6 rebounds in leading the defending Overall Champions to three wins this past week.

In a win over Pillow, Proffitt scored a game high 27 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and had 4 steals. The senior went 5/7 in 3-point shooting and 6/6 from the free throw line.

Proffitt finished the week by producing 22 points and 9 rebounds in Saturday's 57-25 win over Oak Hill. In that game she went 4/5 from beyond the 3-point line.

"Maggie has been a wonderful addition to our team and program," said Starkville head coach Glenn Schmidt.  "We haven't done anything special to accommodate Maggie, she just stepped into everything we do, obviously a tribute to her ability and desire to win.  People just characterize her as an offensive player, she makes a lot of her shots but a lot of her points are offensive rebound baskets and transition baskets from steals.  She played solid games this week, her stats indicate she had a big rebounding week with 19 boards  and played a solid floor game with 7 steals, 6 assists and 4 blocked shots."

On the season Proffitt is averaging 17 ppg but also impressive is her 55% shooting from the field, 50% 3-point shooting and 84% from the free throw line.

The Lady Vols, currently 26-0, own the state's longest winning streak which currently stands at 35 games.

LSU coaching legend makes plea to teens

I was asked by Darron Thomas to write an article for his website, Southern Sports & Travel, on bringing attention to all teenagers about wearing seat belts and not texting while driving.  I was most eager to accept because I have seen far too many mangled bodies or teenagers that had to spend the rest of their lives in a wheelchair because they failed to follow the rules of the road.

It has become an epidemic and to witness it first-hand is heart-breaking.  Young people in a coffin, paralyzed for life, disfigured, limbs amputated, and some in a vegetarian state makes me weep for them and their loved ones.

All of us when we are young think we are bullet proof or try to act cute to impress our so-called friends.  I plead with all young people to use your seat belts, do not drink and drive, or text while you are driving.  Those that truly follow this advice have a far better chance to live a productive life than those who defy doing something sensible and life-saving.

The easiest thing in the world is to make a commitment and the hardest thing in the world is to keep them.  Make a commitment now to live a long and happy life.

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Dale Brown

LSU Basketball Coach 1972-97

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**Note: Dale Brown is a coaching legend in the state of Louisiana and made the LSU basketball program a national power for many years. Brown coached greats Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Jackson, Rudy Macklin and others and made two final four appearances.
As a youngster growing up in Baton Rouge Brown was one of my heroes and I was honored that he offered, without hesitation, to lend his support to a tragic growing trend amongst our teens.

Centreville's Gaulden signs with LSU-Alexandria

 

On Tuesday January 15, 2013, Centreville Academy pitcher Corey Gaulden signed a scholarship to play baseball for Louisiana State University at Alexandria.  Gaulden a senior at Centreville Academy has played travel baseball since he was 9 years old and played varsity baseball for Centreville since 9^th grade.  This past summer and fall he played for Pitch by Pitch Mizuno (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) and Mississippi Stars (Jackson, Mississippi).  He is the son of Mike and Natalie Gaulden of Ethel, Louisiana.  Seated from left to right are Mike Gaulden (Dad), Natalie Gaulden (Mom), Corey Gaulden, Brandon Bravata (LSUA Assistant Coach).  Standing is Jason Horne (Centreville’s Head Coach) and Bill Hurst (Centreville’s Headmaster).

 

Top Ranked Patriots slam Pioneers

Southern Sports & Travel

It was a post season tournament style atmosphere last night in McComb as the defending Overall Champion and top ranked Jackson Prep Patriots battled fourth ranked Parklane before a large crowd and a raucous Pioneer student section.Jackson Prep senior Josh Williams scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in leading the Patriots to a 53-43 hard fought and at times physical road win to improve to 19-3 overall and 6-0 in district play.While Parklane never led in the contest the Pioneers did solidify their top five ranking in Class AAA and proved to be a team to be reckoned with when tourney time approaches next month.
Prep drew first blood last night as Cade Noble drilled a 3-pointer from the deep corner thirty seconds into the contest and the Patriots would stretch out to a 9-4 advantage when Josh Williams canned a 3-pointer from the wing at the 5:12 mark of the quarter.

Richard Baird’s fast break lay-in with 1:55 remaining in the opening quarter would give Prep their biggest lead at 17-8 but Parklane avoided getting into a hole it couldn’t climb out of.

John Gray would provide the Pioneers with a much needed basket as the sophomore converted on a fast break opportunity, plus one, to trim the deficit to 17-11 with 39 seconds left in the quarter but the Pioneers would put Prep on the free throw line with 1 second left and Patriot Michael Lewis made the most of it as the senior sank two free throws to close the opening quarter with the defending champions holding a 19-11 lead.

Parklane’s inside game proved to be a problem for Prep and kept the Pioneers in the contest over the eight minute second quarter.

(Above) Ryan Buchanan (#24) of Prep drives on Parklane's Brady Lea (#33)

Brady Lea’s offensive rebound and put back would pull Parklane to within six points at 19-13 to start the second stanza but Prep quickly responded as Gene Wood canned a 3-pointer from the top of the key and followed that with a 17 foot jumper  to extend the lead to 24-13 just over two minutes into the quarter.

Zach Stutzman’s bucket in the paint at the 5:13 mark halted what looked to be the beginning of a Prep run and kept Parklane’s deficit to single digits at 24-15 but a Josh Williams steal and slam dunk quickly pushed to the lead back to eleven points at 26-15.

Fourth ranked Parklane produced a 6-2 run over the next two minutes and got the home crowd on their feet as the Pioneers pulled to 28-21 but Prep would capitalize on a late quarter turnover and Kyle Thigpen would drain two free throws to send both teams into intermission with Jackson Prep maintaining a 30-21 lead.

Jackson Prep would take their biggest lead of the night to start the second half as Josh Williams converted on an offensive rebound and Michael Lewis would hit on one of two free throw attempts to push the lead to 33-21 with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter.

(Above) Josh Williams of Jackson Prep (#23) gets a piece of a shot by Parklane's Tyler Stutzman

Parklane drew to within seven points at 36-29 on a Brady Lea transition basket at the 1:16 mark but Prep would once again close a quarter capitalizing on Pioneer turnovers.

Josh Williams hit two free throws at the 1:04 mark and Richard Baird did the same following a Pioneer turnover with 39 seconds left in the quarter to extend the margin back to eleven points at 40-29 to close out the third quarter.

Consecutive Parklane baskets from Zach Stutzman and Brady Lea opened the fourth quarter and quickly trimmed the deficit to seven points at 40-33 but the Pioneers would get no closer the rest of the way.

Spencer Remley’s 18 foot jumper with 1:54 left once again pulled the Pioneers to within eight points at 47-39 but Prep would close out the contest hitting on 6 of 7 from the charity stripe to preserve a hard fought 53-43 win.

“It was a great atmosphere to play in tonight,” said Jackson Prep senior Josh Williams. “It’s a great feeling when the opposing crowd is getting on you and you get a steal and a slam to quite the crowd, that can be a momentum changer and I think it got us going.”

Jackson Prep improves to 19-3 and the Patriots know they have a target on their backs each time they hit the court.

“We’re not the same team we were last season, but we feel the pressure when it comes to repeating,” said Williams. “Some of our guys didn’t join the team until the end of football season and it took us a few weeks to gel but we have worked extremely hard.”

Williams led Prep with 19 points and 10 rebounds, Gene Wood added 9, Cade Noble 7, Ryan Buchanan 6, Michael Lewis and Richard Baird had 4 apiece and Kyle Thigpen and James Young each had 2.

Parklane (13-5 & 5-3) was led by Brady Lea with 12 points, Zach Stutzman and Tyler Stutzman each had 10 points, Phillip Strawn 4, John Gray 3 and Spencer Remley and Justin Brent 2 each.

Parklane dominated the contest in the paint scoring 34 of their 43 points inside but couldn’t match the depth of Jackson Prep who produced 17 bench points to Parklane’s 7.

Next up for Jackson Prep will be a road trip to Hattiesburg on Saturday to take on Presbyterian while Parklane will travel to Silliman that same day.

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Post Game with Jackson Prep Head Coach David Horner

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Photo at top of page courtesy of Chuck Barnes of Barnes Enterprises

Columbia shocks sixth ranked Simpson

Southern Sports & Travel

Columbia head coach Reid McCay grinned last night following his Lady Cougar’s 36-33 come from behind upset win over sixth ranked Simpson in Mendenhall. His squad didn’t score a basket until the 6:30 mark of the second quarter in a game that both he and Simpson head coach David Granville acknowledged wasn’t the best played between the two squads. McCay did what most good coaches do when their team is struggling to score points, he kept working until his squad figured out what was successful and that came from the inside play of sophomore center Dianna Hobgood who led Columbia with a game high 18 points.

(Above) Columbia's Anna Wilks (#5) shoots in the lane for 2 of her 6 second half points 

Hobgood had scored the game tying bucket with 1:43 remaining in regulation but the winning basket came from an unlikely source, freshman Alex Anthony, who came off the bench to record her only two points of the night, a 10 foot jumper from the baseline with 23 seconds left.

“During the last timeout Coach McCay told us to draw the defender, drive and try and draw a foul,” said Anthony. “When I got the ball on the baseline I waited for the defender and then drove and went up for the jumper.”

Anthony’s jumper (Photo right) rattled home and the freshman was relieved. “I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest,” she said.

It was rough going for both squads early on in the contest.

Simpson scored on a Brittany Gardner offensive rebound and put back less than one into the game but would not score again until 51 seconds remaining in the quarter when Gardner converted in the paint to give Simpson a 4-0 lead.

Maegan Griffith gave Simpson a 6-0 lead on a fast break transition basket at the horn to close out a first quarter that was laden with turnovers.

Columbia scored the first two buckets of the second quarter as Dianna Hobgood worked the paint for a lay-in and at the 5:13 mark pulled down an offensive rebound and converted to pull Columbia to 6-4.

Simpson looked ready to pull away after a Lauren Griffin free throw and a Brittany Gardner basket off the glass stretched the lead to 9-4 with 2:27 left in the half but Columbia kept finding ways to stay close.

Jacklyn Wilkes connected on three of four free throws over the next 33 seconds to pull the Lady Cougars to within two points at 9-7 and the two point margin would hold as both squads exchanged baskets the remaining 1:29 of the half to close out the quarter with Simpson holding on to a precarious 13-11 lead.

Columbia knotted the contest at 13-13 to start the third quarter as Anna Wilks converted on a fast break bucket thirty seconds in and the Lady Cougars would take their first lead of the game at 16-15 at the 5:07 mark when Dianna Hobgood hit on one of two free throws.

That lead would be short-lived as Simpson responded with a 7-1 run to close out the third quarter holding a 22-17 advantage and some much needed momentum heading into the final eight minutes of play.

A Lauren Griffin 12 foot jumper from the baseline gave Simpson their biggest lead of the night at 24-17 less than forty seconds into the final quarter and while Columbia managed to pull to within three points at 29-26 on a Dianna Hobgood basket (Photo left) Simpson appeared to be in control as fouls started mounting with 4:49 left in the contest.

Brittany Garner’s soft shot off the glass from close range gave Simpson a 31-26 advantage but with just over three minutes left the tide started changing.

With Simpson in control of the basketball and in the spread the momentum changed quickly.

Anna Wilks converted a Simpson turnover into a fast break lay-in to cut the deficit to 31-28 and while Simpson countered with a Brittany Gardner bucket with 2:49 remaining in regulation to once again stretch the lead to five points at 33-28 Columbia completely controlled the remaining two minutes of the contest.

After Jacklyn Wilkes hit on one of two free throws Columbia pulled to within two points at 33-31 on an Anna Wilks driving lay-in.

Wilks would then serve up the game-tying assist to Dianna Hobgood to knot the game at 33-33 with 1:43 remaining in regulation.

Following a Simpson turnover and Columbia time-out Alex Anthony would drain a 10 foot jumper from the baseline with 23 seconds left to give Columbia only their second lead of the night at 35-33.

Lauren Griffin’s 3-point attempt looked on line with 4 seconds remaining but rimmed out and Dianna Hobgood of Columbia secured the rebound and drew an immediate foul with .5 seconds left.

The sophomore hit one of two free throws to secure a 36-33 road win and a season split with Simpson.

“This win felt good,” said Dianna Hobgood. “It feels good beating them on their court after they beat us at our place earlier in the year and we had lots of fun in the locker-room after the game.”

Hobgood led all scorers with 18 points, Anna Wilks added 6, Jacklyn Wilkes and Julie Bullock had 5 each and Alex Anthony 2.

Brittany Gardner led Simpson (18-8) with 14 points, Lauren Griffin had 11, Melanie Griffith 6 and Gracie Knight 2.

Columbia improves to 14-6 and will host second ranked Bowling Green on Friday while Simpson entertains Copiah on Thursday.

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Post Game with Columbia Head Coach Reid McCay