More with Gore

I just recieved a text from Coach Richard Russo asking that everyone pray for Junior Cornerback Zach Person of Water Valley.  He suffered a severe knee injury today during practice and was rushed to Jackson for artery surgery.

I will have more updates as they become available, but until then we ask that you lift Zach and his family up in prayer.

After five seasons with the Houston Lady Hilltoppers, Coach Dana Buchanan steps down as girls basketball coach.

Spring practice Q & A session with Bruce head coach James Ray.

WTVA Reports: Nashedra Barry of Columbus High School has signed a national letter of intent to play softball at East Mississippi Community College.

WTVA Reports: Former ICC standout Jonathan Van Every hit his first major league home run in the 10th inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a 6-5 comeback win over the Cleveland Indians.

Will Kollmeyer updates us on ICC Softball News: Smithville Signing and All-Region 23 selections.

Blue Mountain College becomes a tobacco-free campus.

WTVA Reports: Jackson State University officials say the school will appeal a $10,000 fine levied by the Southwestern Athletic Conference for its involvement in a fight with Southern University at the 2009 men’s indoor track and field championships.

Region 1-1A Baseball All-Division Team

Ole Miss reacts to NCAA Men’s tennis decision

Thursday on the links

Star Herald: Ackerman baseball playoff report.

Monroe360: Speck and Adam vs Michele Hester of Nettleton

Here is a list of stories I am working on for Friday.

The next Spring practice Q & A session will be with Water Valley defensive coordinator Coach Richard Russo.  I will have an updates on the teen injured in the wreck at Talladega, USM McKee joining the Jets, news on the Saints status in New Orleans, how the Swine Flu has caused havoc in high school sports, 1-5A track, and much much more.

Also, look for updates from the road as Brandon Speck and I head down to Ridgeland for the MHSAA Softball State Championship Weekend at Freedom Park.

HOUSTON — The 2008-2009 Daily Journal Girls Coach of the Year Dana Buchanan of Houston told her players that she will not be returning as the Lady Hilltoppers’ head coach next season on Wednesday.

“It was a very difficult decision, but I haven’t been as happy with basketball as I feel like I should be… I feel like my hearts not in it right now and that’s not fair to the kids that I would be coaching for me to stay,” said an emotional Dana Buchanan.

Buchanan took over a struggling Lady Hilltopper basketball program five years ago and turned it into a contender as Houston finished 21-11 and before losing to her former high school Southeast Lauderdale in the second round of the Class 3A State Tournament in Jackson this season.

Her time and dedication to the program established a family-like bound with all of the players that had been with her through the good time and the bad.

“I told the girls that I love every one of them.  I spent more time with them than I do my own family and that made it real difficult to make a final decision because of the kids… if you are about the kids then you should have never become a coach,” Buchanan.

Buchanan not only credit’s the hard work and dedication of the players to her successful tenure in Chickasaw County, but also credit’s the support of the community as another cornerstone to their success.

“I love this town and want to thank everyone that has ever had anything to do with our program… I want to encourage everyone to keep supporting the girls because a large part of our success came from the support we had from everyone in the community,” Buchanan.

Buchanan has no plans to continue coaching next season, but will not rule out a return to coaching in the future.

story originally appeared at wtva.com

Nashedra Barry of Columbus High School has signed a national letter of intent to play softball at East Mississippi Community College.

The 6’1″ Barry also signed earlier this month to play basketball for head coach Sharon Thompson’s EMCC Lady Lions.

A right-handed pitcher, Barry earned team MVP and best offensive player honors during her fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball career for Columbus head softball coach Macy Wilbanks.

On the basketball court for head coach Yvonne Hairston’s CHS Lady Falcons, Barry averaged 12 points and a team-leading 10 rebounds per game as a senior forward.

story originally appeared at wtva.com

Former ICC standout Jonathan Van Every hit his first major league home run in the 10th inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a 6-5 comeback win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night.

Van Every, who played in the Indians’ minor league system from 2000-07, hit a 1-1 pitch from Jensen Lewis (2-3) to dead center.

Van Every got his first hit of the season during the Red Sox’s three-run rally in the eighth.

Hideki Okajima (2-0) worked the ninth for the win.

Former Mississippi State standout Jonathan Papelbon pitched the 10th for his sixth save in six opportunities.

The Red Sox have won 12 of 13.

Austin Bishop/starherald.net

If you don’t believe Ackerman plays in a good baseball district, just take a close look at the four remaining teams in the north half of the MHSAA Class 2A playoffs.

Region 2-2A teams joining Ackerman in the hunt for the North State Championship are Hamilton and Water Valley, who will be facing each other in a best-of-three series beginning Friday.

The Indians of AHS have their own mission to take care of when they face Belmont in a best-of-three series beginning at Ackerman at 6 p.m. on Friday. Game two is Saturday at 2 p.m. in Belmont with the if-necessary game set for Monday in Ackerman at 6 p.m.

“I see them as being dangerous,” AHS head coach Brad Mitchell said of the Belmont Cardinals. “They are going to >>> click here to read more from Austin Bishop and the Star-Herald.

Intimidating. Michele Hester has only hit three batters this season with one resulting in a broken wrist - photo by Brandon Speck/Monroe County Journal

The Odysseys (aka Follies) of Speck and Gore contine as the not-so-dynamic duo traveled to Nettleton in hopes to reclaim a little bit of the pride lost in Smithville against Kami Roberts earlier in the week.

Like Smithville, there is a reason Nettleton is playing for a State Championship this weekend… part of that reason goes by the name of Michele Hester.

Click here to watch: Speck and Gore vs Michele Heston

Will Kollmeyer/ICC

ICC signs Smithville standout

Itawamba Community College’s softball program leaves tomorrow (Thursday) for the Region 23 Tournament, but this (Wednesday) afternoon, head coach Chad Case signed a future Lady Indian, Lakin Wigginton of Smithville High School.

Wigginton and her Lady ‘Noles teammates are getting set to play in the State Championship on Friday and the outfielder Is one of the reasons why.  Smithville’s leadoff hitter starts this weekend’s action with a .473 batting average, an on-base percentage of .486 and a perfect fielding percentage on the spring.

ICC’s current squad has set a school record with 30 wins this spring and will take its 30-14 mark into tomorrow afternoon’s contest against LSU-Eunice at the regional in Clinton.

Pair of Lady Indians make All-Region 23

CeCee Austin and Melissa Russell of Itawamba Community College have made the NJCAA All-Region 23 squad.

Austin, a former all-area selection out of South Pontotoc, is among the national leaders in home runs (15) and runs batted in (70).  Both of those marks are school records and the middle infielder takes a team best .465 batting average into this week’s regional in Clinton.

Russell, a right handed pitcher from Phil Campbell, Ala., set a school record for wins in a season as she has won 17, lost just three and sports a 1.96 ERA.

Austin, Russell and the rest of the ICC squad are making their first regional appearance since 2004.  The Lady Indians face LSU-Eunice in the first round of the double elimination event tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.

Danny McKenzie/Blue Mountain College

BLUE MOUNTAIN – Dr. Bettye Rogers Coward announced today that Blue Mountain College would become a tobacco-free campus effective May 1.

“Blue Mountain College is acting upon what we know to be in the best interests of all who enter the campus,” Coward, president of BMC, said. “Being tobacco-free is just one of the manifestations of the care we have for one another and our interest in the well-being of those we serve.”

BMC will celebrate the completion of its 136th year as a Christian liberal arts college on May 9 when U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran speaks at its commencement.

story originally appeared at wtva.com

Jackson State University officials say the school will appeal a $10,000 fine levied by the Southwestern Athletic Conference for its involvement in a fight with Southern University at the 2009 men’s indoor track and field championships.

Athletic director Bob Braddy said Tuesday in a statement that the fine was “extremely out of proportion for the crime that was committed.”

SWAC officials say any appeal would be reviewed at the conference spring meetings June 2-5.