Calling them like I see them...............

The Clarion-Ledger published an article a few days ago entitled "Southaven, Magnolia Heights start, end at top" which I found interesting. I eagerly scanned through the long portion written about Southaven and located at the bottom of the article were SIX lines about the amazing season Magnolia Heights had. Nowhere in the Southhaven piece did it mention that Magnolia Heights had beaten Southaven during the season. The Clarion-Ledger touts in the article that Southaven featured three "Dandy Dozen" members on their squad but absent from the piece was the fact that the Clarion-Ledger's Baseball Dandy Dozen had no MAIS players on it. It's amusing that some in the MAIS still have a slobbering love affair with the Clarion-Ledger.

The Southern Sports & Travel Baseball Player of the Year

Magnolia Heights senior Jacob Billingsley is the 2013 Southern Sports & Travel Baseball Player of the Year. 

The 6’1” senior led Magnolia Heights to a perfect 37-0 record and its’ second consecutive Class AAA Division-II State Championship. 

Billingsley put together a stellar season that included dominant performances both on the mound and at the plate. “I can't say enough good things about Jacob,” said Magnolia Heights head coach Chris McMinn. “He overcame a severe knee injury to become one of the top pitchers in the state. Last year I could see a determined young man who was never satisfied. He stayed in the weight room this off-season and became a leader on and off the field for our younger players, and he is a great role model for our underclassmen. I think that Jacob will arrive at Mississippi State and be ready to contribute on the mound. He is now able to throw four pitches for a strike, and he is getting better every day. He has been a pleasure to coach, and I look forward to seeing him at the next level.” 

Billingsley, who first pitched at the age of 9, went 10-0 on the mound in 2013 with an MAIS best 0.54 ERA, only allowed four earned runs and 18 hits all season while handing out 82 strikeouts. 

At the plate Billingsley hit .398 with a team best 33 RBI. The senior scored 26 runs, had a slugging percentage of .723, on base percentage of .490 and was second on the squad with 6 home runs. Billingsley credits his father in shaping who he is and his biggest influence with regards to athletics. “He has always done the right thing the right way every time,” said Billingsley. “He never halfway does anything and teaching me that was a huge part of my success so far. He taught me the love of the game and how special this game is. He taught me not to show emotion during the games and to never get too low or too high.” 

Billingsley, who likes to hunt, fish, play golf and cook said if he could choose one athlete to sit down and have a conversation with it would be Major Leaguer Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox. “All of his life people have told him he was too small or too slow, but he chose not to listen to them and to work and achieve what nobody thought he was able to do. He is a great role model for every ball player and is a hard nosed ball player.” 

Billingsley, who has attended Magnolia Heights every year expect his freshman year, loved his study of Algebra because it enabled him to figure out problems. He signed with Mississippi State University to play baseball for the Bulldogs and will major in Kinesiology.” 

His best memory while at Magnolia Heights is no surprise. “Winning our second straight state championship to clinch a perfect 37-0 season.” 

Billingsley credits head baseball coach Chris McMinn for the success of the Chief’s program. “I have known coach Mac for several years. We go to the same church. He has been my coach since I was in 8th grade. He has done a tremendous job as head coach at Magnolia Heights. You can't achieve a perfect season and back-to-back state championships without the right coaching and coach Mac was definitely the right coach for our team.” 

When asked what he sees himself doing in ten years Billingsley said, “I hope to still be playing ball and if not then to be coaching and teaching the love of the game just like my father taught me.” 

Billingsley credits his father in another area also. “My father is the best athlete in our family. He can throw a tight spiral, a great knuckleball, and shoot the lights out in the gym. He also plays tennis with my mom who played at Delta State.” 

The future Mississippi State Bulldog reflected on the season and the pressure associated with trying to remain undefeated . “It was amazing. There is no better feeling in the world that what we experienced this year. This is the closest team I've ever been on in my life. It was great that we got to finish off a perfect season on our own field. Several times we were in jams or behind a few runs but we didn't lay down and we got out of every single one of them. Good teams find a way to win and we managed to do it 37 times this year.” 

Billingsley has left a permanent mark on the Magnolia Heights baseball program and his tenacity was never more evident than it was during big games. He allowed just one hit in a 5-1 win over Class AAA Division-I State Champion Jackson Prep earlier in the season and helped Magnolia Heights garner statewide attention by allowing just one run, three hits and striking out 11 in a 2-1 road win over MHSAA 6-A State Champion Southaven during the regular season. 

Billingsley, who also considered Alabama, Ole Miss, Southern Mississippi and Delta State before inking with Mississippi State, is the 2013 Southern Sports & Travel Baseball Player of the Year.

.

Photos courtesy of Nathan Dixon, Dixon Photography

Posey recipient of Don Souder Award

Brookhaven Academy senior Gage Posey is the 2013 male recipient of the prestigious Don Souder Award given to the top MAIS student-athlete amongst its’ 115 member schools. Posey is Brookhaven Academy's fourth recipient of the award.

In athletics Posey participated in football, basketball and baseball for the Cougars.

The 6’2” southpaw led the Cougar football team to the Class AA State Championship and displayed his mental toughness when his squad needed him most. Posey accounted for 4,011 total yards and 46 touchdowns, 7 in the state championship win over Marshall Academy.

Brookhaven head football coach Tripp McCarty said, "Gage was an absolute joy to coach. Even with all his stats and achievements he is still a humble competitor. I consider it a privilege to have coached him. He is everything we preach in our programs to our athletes."

In basketball the senior led his team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds a game.

Posey excelled in baseball as well, hitting at a .420 clip and earning himself a baseball scholarship at Hinds Community College. "Gage is the hardest working kid I've ever coached. Anything I ever asked him to do he did it without hesitation. To excel in 3 major sports for 4 straight years shows how great of an athlete he truly is. He's the guy you want to have the ball when the game is on the line. Leadership for him came naturally. He not only wanted to win but he wanted to win the right way. Brookhaven Academy will truly miss Gage's character, his competitiveness, and his leadership," said Brookhaven head baseball coach Casey Edwards.

In his senior year he was voted onto the MAIS All-Star football squad as well as an All-MAIS second team selection.

Posey was also selected as the Southern Sports & Travel Player of the Year.

He was selected as an MAIS All-Star and second team All-MAIS and Southern Sports & Travel All-MAIS team in basketball.

In baseball Posey was an MAIS All-Star selection.

Gage Posey is the son of Kevin and Rhonda Posey and maintained a 3.91 GPA while participating in English, Math and Science honors courses at Brookhaven Academy his senior year.

.

Photo by Johnny Smith, Johnny Smith Photography

From the Notebook.......................

”The older you get the faster time goes by”  is an old saying that I had heard for years and honestly never put much thought into until now and yes, it’s true. The 2012/13 MAIS athletic season is remarkably almost complete and it has been one of great stories and achievements.

August 17^th seems to have been just yesterday but that was Southern Sports & Travel’s kickoff to the 2012 football season with coverage of defending Class AA champion Simpson traveling to Madden to battle Leake. A mini capsule of the 2012/13 season will be posted soon.

>>The official countdown to the 2013 MAIS football season has officially been launched and fans can expect to see changes in the Class AA & Class A playoff formats. The MAIS has approved a 16 team system that eliminates the north and south formats and puts into place a seeding based on powerpoints system.

>>Coaching changes are an expected event each year but this has been one of many. Some go unnoticed but others are an exception such as Hall of Fame basketball coach Dale Watts, Simpson football coach Billy Wayne Hankins and Silliman track coach Sharon Kline. One of the strangest was that of Central Private head basketball coach Henry Gantz who guided his boys’ team to the schools’ first ever Overall Championship. Central Private and Gantz quietly parted ways without any explanation.

>>The Southern Sports & Travel Baseball Player of the Year is expected to be announced next week unless a delay occurs in gathering much needed information.

>>Re-alignment kicks in beginning in the fall and some traditional Class AA mainstays are moving. Columbia makes its’ way to Class AAA Division-II while Marshall moves to Class A.

Questions accompanied some of the changes with concerns that Southern Sports & Travel would no longer provide coverage of those two schools but the recent two year trend has demonstrated a wider coverage of MAIS schools that encompassed all three classifications. The wider coverage has been fruitful as web traffic and sponsors have both increased.

>>As Southern Sports & Travel continues to grow each year so too does the news and announcements that come by way of school representatives to the site. This has been a useful tool for many different parties who have been frustrated for many years in the area of information gathering. In the age of social media all areas can serve a useful purpose, hence the use of Facebook and Twitter in providing information as quickly as possible.

>>In the fall Southern Sports & Travel will begin its’ sixth year of providing MAIS athletic coverage and I’m pleased to say that each year has shown growth, even the brief hiccup that was the shortened 2011 year. This past year I was pleased to go out of the box and do an automobile seat belt series that included the stories of three young people who each had eye-opening experiences.

>>Summer provides a time to perform a necessary task and while it is one I don’t enjoy it is a vital necessity to the continued growth of Southern Sports & Travel and the coverage it offers. Renewing sponsorships and seeking out new supporters interesting in contributing is a must and that endeavor will begin soon so as to not infringe on the start of the 2013 MAIS football season. If your school doesn’t support Southern Sports & Travel through a sponsorship ad please encouragement them to do so by contacting me at aafandaman@yahoo.com or phone/text 985-750-3455.

Mabry recipient of Don Souder Award

Lamar School senior Olivia Mabry is the 2013 female recipient of the prestigious Don Souder Award given to the top MAIS student-athlete amongst its’ 115 member schools. Mabry is Lamar's first ever recipient of the award.

In athletics Mabry participated in basketball, soccer, tennis and cheerleading for the Lady Raiders.

During her senior season she led Lamar to the MAIS Division-II Soccer Championship and was named to the MAIS All-Star team and the Clarion-Ledger All-State squad.

Mabry also helped guide the Lady Raider basketball program to one of their best seasons in recent history. She was named to the MAIS-All Star team and was a second team All-MAIS selection.

Outside of her athletic achievements Mabry was Senior Class President and her school’s National Honor Society President and Fellowship of Christian Athletes President.

Mabry did all this while maintaining a 4.06 GPA.

Lamar girls’ head basketball coach Russell Cruise said, “Olivia Mabry is a well-rounded, well-respected young woman whom we will all miss next year.  I know that her journey is just beginning as she will be attending Mississippi College next year.  I am glad to have had the chance to be a small part of her and her wonderful family’s life all be it for a short period.  I will never forget the impact she has made on my family as well as the younger girls she has been in contact with and set an example for everywhere.”

Mabry will be attending Mississippi College in the fall where she will not only continue her education but also her basketball career as a member of the Lady Choctaw’s team.

Olivia is the daughter of Joey and Melissa Mabry.

.

Photo by Mark Whiddon, Whiddon Photography

Cougar to play baseball at Copiah-Lincoln

Brookhaven senior Matthew Evans has signed to play baseball at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

Shown above: Back row is coach Bryan Noble (Co-Lin), Coach Casey Edwards (BA), Coach Clay Smith (Co-Lin Head Coach)

Front row is dad Jerry Evans, Matthew Evans and mom Sherylyn Evans

Watson signs with Copiah-Lincoln

Brookhaven senior Graham Watson has signed to play tennis at Copiah-Lincoln Community College

Shown above: Back row is coach Brenda Smith

Front Row is dad Ronnie Watson, Graham Watson and mom Lynn Watson

Young signs to play for Lions

Presbyterian senior Tyler Young has signed to play baseball at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba.

Chelette signs with Bishop

Blake Chelette, senior (pitcher/outfielder) at Central Private, signed with Bishop State Community College to continue his baseball career.

Lamar wins Class AA Golf State Championship

Lamar School - 2013 Class AA State Champions

Lady Warriors win Class A Championship

The Deer Creek Lady Warriors recently captured the Class A Tennis Championship. Deer Creek is coached by Sherry Ballinger.

Central Private wins 12th state championship

Central Private School - 2013 Class AA State Champions

Central Private swept Marshall to win the school's twelfth state title in baseball. Senior Chase Martin pitched a complete game in leading the Rebels to a 14-2 win on Friday. Central Private, under the direction of head coach Jason Kinchen, finishes the 2013 season at 29-4.