By Staff
From staff reports
April 23, 2002
Newton County fast-pitch softball coach Mack Fanning recorded his 100th victory in that sport on April 1 with a 20-2 rout of Morton.
Fanning's son, Mark, who coaches at St. Andrew's, recorded his 100th baseball victory Friday with an 8-3 win over Newton in the Class 2A state playoffs.
The elder Fanning picked up his 300th slow-pitch win back in the fall.
Marty Stamper
Cougars fill open date
The Newton County Cougars filled their second playing date of the 2002 football season with Ridgeland High School, a Class 4A independent that will open its doors for the first time this fall.
The Ridgeland Titans will come to Decatur with the two splitting a gate that could easily be in the $20,000 range with tickets going up to $5 this fall.
Ridgeland will make its debut on Aug. 30 against Mound Bayou at Madison Central where the Titans will play their home games this fall. Also on Ridgeland's schedule are Biloxi, Byhalia, Canton, Carthage, East Webster, Perry Central, and Terry.
The Byhalia game could be quite interesting as it will also be a first-year program.
Newton County got the open date when its school board voted to drop Newton from its athletic schedules back in December.
Newton coach Brad Peterson said the Tigers have an opponent for that week, but the contract has not yet been signed.
Marty Stamper
No mas, no mas
In sweeping Thomastown on April 13, Union's Jeremy Hamm tossed a no-hitter in the first game, striking out 11 Bulldogs. Wes Henry and Jacob Casey combined for a no-hitter in the second game. Henry threw the first inning, striking out all three batters with Casey tossing the final four frames and fanning eight.
Thomastown was previously no-hit in both games of a doubleheader with Lake.
Marty Stamper
Bradley leaves Mooreville
After taking the Mooreville Troopers to the Class 2A state football playoffs the last two years, Michael Bradley has resigned to take the head football job at Pearl River Central.
PRC, a Class 4A school located in Carriere, went 2-8 last fall. Prior to Bradley, Mooreville had not been to the state playoffs in 14 years. The Troopers went 9-3 in 2000 and 7-4 in 2001.
Marty Stamper
Jones coaching at CA
Neshoba Central grad Jonathan Jones is in his first year coaching the Canton Academy Panthers baseball team. He was an assistant coach at Canton High School last year and was 28-28 in two years at Sebastopol. Jones played college ball at East Central Community College and Belhaven College.
Marty Stamper
Hillcrest needs coaches
Hillcrest Christian School in Jackson is looking for a new football coach and boys' basketball coach. Dennis Thompson resigned as football coach after three seasons resulted in an 11-18 record.
Boys' basketball coach Kenny Bizot was recently named assistant men's basketball coach at Mississippi College. In five seasons at Hillcrest, Bizot had a 122-58 mark with two Academy Overall championships (2000 and 2001). The Cougars also won AAAA state championships in 2000 and 2001.
Marty Stamper
Gray interested in DSU
Tupelo girls' basketball coach Nanci Gray is one of several people who have applied for the Delta State University women's basketball job.
The Lady Statemen job became available following the retirement of 19-year veteran Lloyd Clark.
Gray has a 339-85 record which includes a 156-20 showing in five years at Tupelo. The Lady Waves won the 2001 Class 5A state championship and reached the semifinals this year en route to a 34-2 season.
A new coach is expected to be named at DSU by late May or early June.
Others interested in the DSU job include UAB assistant Amy Champion, Henderson State head coach Sandra Rushing, Mississippi Delta Community College head coach Burnadette McDonald, former Texas Southern head coach and DSU legend Lusia Harris-Stewart, and former East Side head coach Lucy Seaberry-Moore.
Champion played on two of DSU's national champion teams. McDonald played under Clark at DSU and was a full-time assistant there for nine years. Harris-Stewart is the most prolific athlete in Lady Statesmen history, while Seaberry-Moore is DSU's first black gradate. Seaberry-Moore currently is the second-winnningest girls' basketball coach in Mississippi high school history.
Marty Stamper
Natchez honors ex-coach
Natchez High School recently had a ceremony at its football stadium which has been named for the late Tom F. Williams, a longtime coach in Natchez.
Williams spent 20 years at Natchez as both coach and administrator. He started out in 1964 as an assistant coach at S.V. Thompson High School before taking an assistant's job at South Natchez.
He was named head coach at North Natchez in 1974 and head coach at Natchez High School in 1992 after North Natchez and South Natchez were consolidated. Williams was a member of the Mississippi coaching staff in the 1989 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game.
Williams passed away in 1997.
Marty Stamper
Cathedral revives track
After nearly a 20-year layoff, Natchez Cathedral is running track this spring. Cathedral has eight boys and one girl participating.
Marty Stamper
Dirks shows his stuff
Hernando left-hander Clay Dirks is considered to be the top high school baseball player in the state this year by many. He has already signed with LSU.
In a recent game with Tishomingo County, Dirks struck out 17 batters and allowed only two hits and two walks in a 5-0 win. He struck out the side in the second, third, sixth, and seventh frames.
Marty Stamper
Natchez snaps skid
The Natchez Bulldogs dropped their first 16 games of the 2002 baseball season before taking wins over Vidalia, La. (12-8) and Block, La., (12-2).
The modest winning streak ended with a 13-3 Division 5-5A loss at Meridian on April 2.
Marty Stamper
Carthage, Murrah tops
The Carthage boys and Murrah girls are the top-ranked track teams so far in the 2002 season, according to iHigh.com.
Following Carthage in the boys' poll are Oxford, Tupelo, Madison Central, and Pearl. Meridian is No. 15.
Behind the Lady Mustangs are Natchez, Amite County, Tupelo, and Madison Central. The Meridian Lady Wildcats are No. 13.
Marty Stamper
Williams heads to MC
Former Wayne County, Simpson Academy, and East Central Community College football coach Jon Williams has been named offensive line and strength coach at Mississippi College.
Marty Stamper
They may be smart
The baseball team at Mississippi School for Math and Science may have the highest IQ in the state, but it won't be sending any players to the pro ranks any time soon if recent 26-3 and 19-1 doubleheader losses at Ackerman are any indication of their baseball skills.
Marty Stamper