Yellowjackets survive Hornets, keep season alive

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February 7, 2012

By Marty Stamper / Special to The Star The Meridian Star The Meridian Star Tue Feb 07, 2012, 06:00 AM CST

UNION —      Rarely does a team commit 46 turnovers and not get run out of the gym, but the Union girls overcame their ballhandling woes to knock off Lake 41-38 in overtime of the MHSAA Division 6-2A Tournament Monday night.

   “Other teams we’ve played have pressed us way worse than Lake did,” said Union coach Alphaka Moore. “I think it was a mental thing that Lake is quick and they psyched themselves out before they actually played.

   “But they held it out. A win is a win no matter how you get it and now I’m just focused on Thursday (against top-seeded and defending Class 2A state champion Scott Central).”

   Tied at 34 at the end of regulation, Union got four points from Delaina Wilson and three from Kia Rogers in the extra period to keep its season alive.

   It didn’t hurt that Lake had 31 turnovers and was just 6-of-18 at the free-throw line over the final 12 minutes.

   Wilson led Union (11-14) with 18 points. Rogers scored eight. Tasha McCune and Jalisa Holley both had five.

   Lake finished 8-15. Bryanna McClendon led the Lady Hornets with 15 points.

   Cassie Body and Jasmine Culpepper both had seven.

   Union led 10-6 after one quarter and went up 17-6 before taking a 17-13 lead into halftime.

Clarkdale    49

Leake County    39

   The Bulldogs (11-14) advanced to Thursday’s semifinals with a relatively easy win over the Gators.

   “We talked before the game and the guys knew that if we didn’t win, the season was over,” said Clarkdale coach Robert Holladay. “This is one of those games where you don’t have to say a lot to motivate them. They motivate themselves.

   “They came out and played a really good game tonight. We played good team ball and hustled all night.”

   Clarkdale was up 15-14 after one quarter and took a 24-17 lead into halftime behind nine point from Gabe Shelby and eight from Henry Scott.

   Clarkdale took a 36-26 lead into the fourth quarter, then opened the final period with an 11-0 run to go up 47-26. The Bulldogs led by as many as 22 points before the Gators closed the game with a 12-0 run.

   Shelby led Clarkdale with 18 points. Scott had 14, Derias Croft had nine, and D.J. Emerson added five.

   Leake County (7-15) got 11 points each from Trey Townsend, Jeremy Johnson, and DeCedric Hoye.

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Sports

Neel leaving champion War Eagles for Panthers
    Eric Neel spent three seasons coach at East Central. The Hornets played in three state championship games.
   Neel then coached the past three years at Wayne County, leading the War Eagles to three straight Class 5A fast-pitch state crowns.
   And now, he doesn’t see why the same can’t occur at Quitman. After guiding Wayne County to its third straight championship Saturday, Neel resigned his position in Waynesboro on Thursday to replace Kacie Roberson at Quitman.

May 26, 2012
Unexpected Honor
Winning a state championship, that Blake McMullen expected.
To be named the Player of the Year in Class 3A by the Mississippi Association of Coaches, that caught the Southeast Lauderdale senior off guard.

May 26, 2012 3 Photos
RCA’s Lee and pair of Generals chosen for All-Star tilt
Russell Christian Academy senior Camryn Lee and Newton County Academy duo Clay Upton and Dillon Williams will wrap up their senior seasons today.
The local trio will play in the MAIS All-Star Class A game at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson at 2 p.m. The Class AA-AAA game will follow.

May 25, 2012
McFarland named first-team All-American for Jones County
The honors continue to come in for the Jones County Junior College softball program.
Pitcher Ginger Lonergan and centerfielder Relanda McFarland were both named to the NJCAA Division II All-American first-team on Thursday.

May 25, 2012
A Family Affair
Five days. Two state titles. One family.
It’d be hard to find a family that had a better week than the one Robbi and Shay Cooper just experienced.

May 25, 2012 2 Photos
Roundup — Stephens receives Sekul Award
Adding to his impressive collection of coaching hardware, East Mississippi Community College head football coach Buddy Stephens was presented with the 2011 George Sekul Award during the All-American Football Foundation’s Banquet of Champions held earlier this month at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

May 24, 2012
The Drought Is Over
All Mason Irby was hoping for was to find a way on base.
The Southeast Lauderdale sophomore did that and so much more. Irby's single with two outs in the seventh inning broke a tie, lifting the Tigers to a 6-3 MHSAA Class 3A state championship win at Smith-Wills Stadium on Wednesday, and handing Southeast (32-7) its first title since 1966.

May 24, 2012 2 Photos 1 Slideshow
Ramey shines again, hurls Tigers to MHSAA Class 3A crown
    The bar was set pretty high.
   After all, Southeast Lauderdale senior right-hander Colby Ramey needed just 65 pitches to beat Kossuth in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game Thursday.
   However, according to fellow senior Blake McMullen, Ramey cleared the hurdle Wednesday when he scattered eight hits on 104 pitches to finish off the Aggies in a 6-3 state championship-clinching win at Smith-Wills Stadium on Wednesday.

May 24, 2012 2 Photos
Southeast wins MHSAA Class 3A Championsip Slideshow from the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game between Southeast Lauderdale and Kossuth.
May 23, 2012 1 Photo
Briarwood to host Emerald Coast Golf Tour in June
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May 23, 2012
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