AUSTIN BISHOP: Where have all the high schools gone?

Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, August 31, 2022

The older you get, the faster time flies.

That’s a fact.

And, of course, there will be changes: some good, some bad; some significant, others barely noticeable. But they are changes none-the-less.

This football season marks my 48th consecutive year covering the sport on the high school level in some form or fashion, beginning with the 1975 season when I was tasked with the assignment of covering Louisville High School for the local newspaper.

There have been many changes over the years –– there were only four public school classification (AA,A,BB,B), no playoff system, the teams played in conferences regardless of school size for the most part, and the games most certainly weren’t streamed on the internet.

But perhaps the most surprising to me is how many high schools that were competing in sports in the 1975 in Mississippi either no longer exist or have become junior highs or elementary schools for a bigger consolidated school.

I haven’t done extensive enough research to tell you the exact number, but I’m comfortable that it’s at least 100 and more than likely 150. If you go back into the 1950s before both the consolidation movement and integration began that number would likely top 300.

But for today our focus will be on the high schools that were in existence in 1975 that I have actually written stories about or visited. There are at least 67 of those that came to my mind late Tuesday afternoon as this column idea shot rapidly through my brain. I solicited the help of fellow “older” sportswriters Rocky Higginbotham, Robbie Robertson, (those two won’t appreciate that older comment one little bit), Marty Stamper, and Dale McKee, along with sports photographer Jeff Parks.

On Wednesday morning, as I was writing this, I gave my longtime partner in sportswriting crime Steve Swogetinsky a call and he confirmed that my list of 67 was pretty solid.

There will be several closed schools that you won’t read about in today’s column, but remember this is the list of schools that I actually RECALL covering on some level.

We will go through it alphabetically.

— ABC: Alexander, Anguilla, Bentonia, Benton, Beulah Hubbard, B.L. Moore, Beat Four, Brandon Academy, Buckatunna, Beeson Academy, Clara, Calvary Christian, Carthage, Central Academy, Chamberlain-Hunt, Clarke Academy, Cleveland High School, Columbus Lee, Columbus Caldwell, and Cumberland.

Beat Four, Buckatunna, and Clara joined with Waynesboro-Central to form Wayne County, while Beulah Hubbard, Decatur, and Hickory formed Newton County High School.

— DEFGHI: Decatur, Durant, East Kemper, East Holmes, Eastside, Edinburg, East Oktibbeha, East Flora, Glenn Allen, Heidelberg Academy, Hickory, Hattiesburg Prep, Hinds AHS, and Holly Bluff.

Durant merged with Williams-Sullivan, J.J. McClain in Lexington, and S.V. Marshall in Tchula to form Holmes Central.

— JKLMNOP: Jeff Davis Academy, J.J. McClain, Livingston (Ala.), Maben, Magnolia Academy, Mississippi Baptist, Motley, McCall (La.), McClure Academy, Old Dominion, and Pine Hills Academy.

— QRST: Rankin Academy, Ray Brooks, Rolling Fork, Sumter County (Ala.), South Leake, S.V. Marshall, Sturgis, Scott Academy, State Line, Thomastown, and Trinity Episcopal Day School.

— UVWXYZ: University Christian, Utica, Vaiden, Veritas School, Waynesboro-Central, Weir, West Kemper, Williams-Sullivan, West Oktibbeha, and Woodland Hills.

These schools were closed or consolidated mostly for financial reasons. The fact they no longer exist has nothing to do with the athletic prowess of their students.

I counted at least 20 schools that have won at least one State Championship in athletics and a few were perennial champions. There are football, basketball, baseball, and track powerhouses on the list.

There have also been five two-year schools that I have covered since 1975 that have closed: Clarke, Wood, Utica, Prentiss Institute, and Mary Holmes.

And despite all of this change, time just keeps moving on. Enjoy your today because it will likely be different tomorrow.

Austin Bishop, AKA The Old Sports Dude, has been covering high school, college, amateur, and professional sports since 1975 and is an ordained Assemblies of God minister. He may be contacted by email at starsportsboss@yahoo.com or by phone at 601-938-2471.