By Staff
From Staff Reports
Jan. 9, 2002
A few years ago, Walter Wilson emerged from the stairway to the locker room at Choctaw Central wearing a pair of very sporty black-and-white shoes that drew quite a reaction from the fans at CCHS on senior night.
He failed to don the shoes at the division tournament that year and his boys were eliminated in the semifinals.
When reminded about that the following season, he wore the shoes to the division tournament and all the way to a state championship in Jackson.
The shoes came back out the next year as the Warriors won another state crown.
While the likes of James Denson, Ivan Billie, Jason Grisham, Demondo Mingo, Keith Bell, and others probably had more effect on the games' outcome than Wilson's fancy footwear, the shoes still have their place in Choctaw lore.
Wilson is in his first year as coach of the Choctaw Central girls and they're off to a 17-1 start after winning the Central Mississippi Classic at Forest this past weekend.
Wilson would like to wear the shoes at least once more in the state tournament before he closes out his career in the next few years.
Marty Stamper
CMC all-tourney team named
Two dozen area players were selected to the all-tournament team at the Central Mississippi Classic at Forest Saturday night.
Making the girls' team are tournament MVP Deaundrea Johnson and teammates Willamae Thomas and Chantay Frazier of tournament champion Choctaw Central; Sheena Evans, Ebone'e Leverette, and Photasha Derrick of runner-up Forest; Kimyatta Viverette and Kim Cox of Lake, Britney Burks and Kattie Nickson of Scott Central, Lenora Gray of Newton, LaSaundra Harrison of Union, and Valencia Hairston of Meridian.
Forest's Charles Rhodes was the boys' MVP. Also named to the boys' all-tournament team are Pierre Barlow and James Dixon of tournament champion Forest; Tyler Williamson, Andrew McMillian, and Anslem Henry of runner-up Choctaw Central; Cedric Gray of Scott Central, Derrick Harris of Union, Bobby Lindsey and Ladarrian Blaylock of Newton, and Danny Towner of Lake.
Marty Stamper
Benoit now known as Ray Brooks
A glance at the basketball schedules for Nanih Waiya and Noxapater finds Ray Brooks among their opponents.
Ray Brooks School is actually an old school making a comeback under a new name.
Ray Brooks is in its second academic year with students in grades 9-12 after a 14-year hiatus as a high school. Ray Brooks was formerly known as Benoit High School.
From 1986-2000, the district's high school students traveled 15 miles to West Bolivar High School in Rosedale.
This is the first season back in sports for Ray Brooks, which is the second smallest high school in the state.
The basketball program debuted in a tournament at Class 5A South Panola of all places.
The Tigers won three of their first seven games, knocking off West Helena, Ark., Cleveland, and Drew.
The Lady Tigers won just one of their first seven games. Superintendent Suzanne Hawley has announced Ray Brooks will play high school football this fall. "We think we can afford football, but it will take a total effort," Hawley said.
Plans are to add baseball on an abbreviated basis this spring along with fielding track teams. Slow-pitch softball will be added in the fall of 2002.
Marty Stamper
Harber closing in on 500
Forest boys' basketball coach Steve Harber joins several area coaches looking for a milestone win this year.
In going 3-0 to win the Central Mississippi Classic at Forest last week, Harber upped his boys' career mark to 491 wins.
Harber coached at Union for 16 years with his boys' teams there winning 350 games.
Ironically, his only team to reach state has been the Union girls' squad in 1993 when the Lady Jackets capped a 29-8 season by reaching the Class 2A state semifinals where they lost 70-42 to Hollandale Simmons after beating Yazoo County 76-62 in the opening round.
Marty Stamper
The absolute best no longer determined on the floor
The Mississippi High School Activities Association held an Overall State Championship from 1951 through 1982. The winners of each of the state's classes would come back the week after their respective state tournaments and play for the overall title.
During that time span the classifications were AA, A, BB and B, with AA being the largest and B being the smallest.
Harrison Central (AA) beat Mendenhall (A), 40-39 to take the 1982 boys title, while the Harrison Central Red Rebelettes edged Lafayette (A), 48-45 for the girls crown.
It was not always the biggest schools that won, although they did hold an edge, especially in the latter stages of the event.
Duck Hill (B) won the 1979 title and it beat the Class BB school (Scott Central), 74-70 in overtime to do it.
Class B Ingomar won the 1978 boys championship with a 66-62 win over Class BB Utica.
Austin Bishop
Wildcats back at home
Following two long trips to tournaments in Lake Charles, La., and Popular Bluff, Mo., the Meridian Wildcats will return to face Mississippi foes on Jan. 8 when they visit Hattiesburg.
Meridian finished the first half of its schedule at 10-7 after going 1-4 combined in the out of state tourneys. The Wildcats were 1-2 in Missouri beating McClellan High 57-49 but falling to Columbia 64-51 and Antioch 66-60.
Meridian will bounce back into division play on Jan. 11 when it hosts top-five ranked Columbus.
Jeff Byrd
Somebody had to be first
The first ever football champion to be recognized by the Mississippi Private School Association was Indianola which took a 21-7 win over Fayette for the Class AA crown in 1970.
No Class A champions were recognized until 1972 and Jackson Prep won the first AAA title without the benefit of a playoff in 1971. Play did not begin in Class AAAA u until 1986.
The first Class A champion was Strider, which defeated Heidelberg Academy 34-6 in 1972.
Austin Bishop
West Lauderdale, MHS ranked
The Meridian High School Lady Wildcats are ranked No. 5 in the state in the latest Jackson Clarion-Ledger prep soccer poll, while the West Lauderdale boys were chosen No. 10
Brandon, at 10-1, is the No. 1 ranked team, while Madison Central (13-1-1) is No. 2, Tupelo is No. 3 and Vicksburg is No. 4. The Lady Wildcats pay a visit to Florence on Saturday.
Madison Central (13-0) is the NO. 1 ranked boys team, while Brandon is No. 2 and St. Stanislaus is No. 3.
The 8-4 Knights of WL return to action on Saturday when they take on 4-0 Lamar School at the Northeast Soccer Complex at noon.
Austin Bishop