By Staff
From Staff Reports
Dec. 6, 2001
After much discussion the Philadelphia High School Invitational Tournament will be played on Friday and Saturday.
There was some talk of playing it on Thursday and Friday, but in the end, the weekend dates prevailed.
The four-team tournament features three area schools, including arch-rivals Philadelphia High School and Neshoba Central High School.
The action tips off at 4:30 p.m. on Friday with the Neshoba Central girls taking on the Bay Springs girls.
The 5:45 p.m. contest has the Bay Springs and Neshoba boys hooking up, while the 7 p.m. game features the Philadelphia girls facing Edinburg.
The nightcap is at 8:15 p.m. with Philly hosting Edinburg. The consolation games on Saturday are at 4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., while the girls title game is at 7 p.m. and the boys championship is set for 8:15 p.m.
Austin Bishop
Get in those softball nominations
Nominations for The Meridian Star's All-Area softball team will be taken through Friday. Nominations should be faxed to the Star sports department at 485-1275 and should include as much statistical information as possible.
Austin Bishop
Casper still playing for St. John
St. John linebacker Benny Casper was able to play in Friday's Class 2A state playoff game with Loyd Star as the temporary restraining order against the Mississippi High School Activities Association was extended through the state championship game with Ackerman by Harrison County judge Margaret Alfonso.
A final ruling on his eligibility will be made on Dec. 14 by Alfonso.
Casper transferred from Gulfport High School early in the season. St. John could be forced to forfeit all its games for using an ineligible player if Alfonso rules against Casper.
The MHSAA says Casper never received a hardship ruling and St. John has yet to present the necessary paperwork.
It will be interesting to see if all the schools St. John eliminated with Casper then sue that school for the amount of playoff money they lost should Casper ultimately be declared ineligible.
That list would include Enterprise, Bassfield, Taylorsville and Loyd Star, who lost to St. John in the playoffs, and Mercy Cross which would have made the playoffs from Region 8-2A had the Eagles been forced to forfeit regular season games in which Casper played.
Marty Stamper
Don't mess with MHS
Former Meridian High School teammates Sammie Cole, Derrick Houston and Joey Wade collectively quieted an opposing trash talker during MCC's 77-63 win over Lawson (Ala.) State earlier this week.
During Tuesday night's game at the Ivy Sports Center, Cole got an ear full from Lawson State's Armad Rucker after he blocked Cole's three-point attempt early in the second half.
Cole then took the ensuing in-bounds pass and drilled a trey in Rucker's face. On MCC's next trip down the court, he nailed another long jumper and the war of words was on.
Two of Cole's former teammates at MHS, Derrick Houston and Joey Wade, chipped in after that. Houston stole the ball from Rucker on Lawson's next possession. Houston then dribbled the full-length of the court and dished a nifty no-look pass to the 5-foot-11 Wade who rose above the taller Rucker and flushed home a one handed jam right over him.
Rucker didn't have much to say after those sequence of plays and the former Wildcats enjoyed telling him about it.
Fredie Carmichael
Casey replaces Scott at Shannon
Offensive line coach Porter Casey was promoted to head football coach at Shannon High School last week, replacing Mike Scott, who resigned on Nov. 26.
Scott is in his 16th year with the Red Raiders, who were eliminated from the Class 4A playoffs with a 44-38 loss to Louisville after blowing a 38-20 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Casey has been an assistant for six years at Shannon.
He spent two years at Baldwyn and two years at Houston before that.
Scott was 134-54 in his 16 seasons with the Red Raiders. His 1996 team won the Class 3A state championship, beating Prentiss 43-30 in the finals. His 1999 team lost in the 3A championship game to Forest.
Marty Stamper
Sumter Academy hosts tourney
The Sumter Academy Invitational Basketball Tournament tips off on Friday with four boys teams, but just three girls squads.
On the boys side of the bracket Pickens Academy and Marion Military Institute face off at 4:30 p.m., while South Choctaw Academy faces Sumter Academy at 7:30 p.m.
The boys consolation game is set for 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the title game tipping off at 7:30.
The girls bracket is a little more complex, with at least two teams, and possible three, playing twice in the same day.
The event starts off as a round-robin tourney, with Pickens facing South Choctaw at 3 p.m. on Friday, then SCA turning around and taking on Sumter at 6 p.m. Saturday's 3 p.m. game has Pickens facing Sumter Academy.
The title game is set for 6 p.m. and will feature the two teams with the best records in the three-team event.
In the case of ties a points scored vs. points against format will be used to determine the two teams who will vie for the title.
Austin Bishop