Choctaw County closes out the regular season Friday at Hatley in what has all the makings of the proverbial trap game. The Chargers will be coming off a big win to clinch the region title and the MHSAA 3A playoffs begin a week later.
“We want to keep the momentum going,” CCHS head coach Roberts said. “That's what I told them (his players) at the end of the game. We have the district championship out of the way so let’s finish out the district undefeated. I think they understand that.”
Hatley is 4-6 and 1-2 in region play coming off a 56-7 loss to Houston, but Roberts said the Tigers are “a scrappy bunch” who led Noxubee 14-0 early before losing 48-21. “They're going to come ready to play ball.”
— Laurence Hilliard
STATE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPS CROWNED
Clinton, Center Hill, Vancleave and Our Lady Academy were the winners when the MHSAA state volleyball championships were contested at Mississippi State on Saturday..
In the closest final, Clinton edged Lewisburg 21-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-27, 15-11 for the 6A championship despite 19 kills by Lewisburg's Micah Swift.vCenter Hill defeated Long Beach for the 5A title 25-11, 25-14, 20-25, 25-18. Center Hill began the playoffs with a 12-16 record, then defeated Saltillo, Cleveland Central, East Central, and Long Beach.
In 4A, Vancleave defeated New Albany 25-10, 25-20, 25-15. Vancleave finished the season on a 21-match winning streak, the last 11 by 3-0. OLA won an eighth straight state title in Class I for 1A, 2A and 3A schools with a 25-21, 25-21, 25-14 victory over St. Andrew's. Rebecca Walk had 27 kills for the Crescents. OLA defeated all four playoff opponents 3-0.
— Laurence Hilliard
REGION 4-3A SEEDINGS SET
There is no mystery in Region 4-3A as to which teams will make the playoffs or where they will be seeded. Choctaw County’s win over Noxubee County on Friday put the Chargers at No. 1 and the Tigers at No. 2. The Hilltoppers of Houston are No. 3, while Hatley, Choctaw County’s foe this week, is the fourth seed.
That means the first round of the playoffs on Nov. 8 are set for both Region 4-3A and Region 3-3A.
Choctaw County will host Ruleville, Coahoma AHS will travel to Noxubee County, Houston visits Winona and Amanda Elzy — the top seed in Region 3-3A — plays host to Hatley.
— Austin Bishop
BEARD’S FOOT AIDS CCHS
Trace Beard, a sophomore at Choctaw County High School, was four for four on PATs in a 28-18 victory over Noxubee County. He also handles the punting and kickoff duties for the Chargers.
“He smoked one (punt) 53 yards and flipped the field,” said coach Jeff Roberts.
For the season, Beard is 34 of 36 on PATs and three of four on field goal attempts. He is averaging about 42 yards a punt and in a 38-0 victory over Ripley put two kickoffs in the end zone.
“He's a weapon,” Roberts said.
— Laurence Hilliard
MHSAA SANCTIONS BASS FISHING
The Mississippi High School Activities Association has approved bass fishing as an activity for a two-year pilot program. The pilot program will involve approximately 20 schools, including Louisville, that have bass fishing clubs.
The MHSAA will hold an invitational tournament for the schools in the pilot program at the Ross Barnett Reservoir March 28, 2020.
“You have to have a certain number of schools to have a valid state championship,” said MHSAA executive director Don Hinton. “Hopefully in two years we can move to some type of state championship.”
MHSAA classifies bass fishing as an activity, like cheerleading and band, rather than as a sport like football. There can be participation in an activity at any time during the school year, but a sport must be confined to a season like fall for football and winter for basketball.]
The Louisville Municipal School District recently help a tournament that was won by LHS senior act Halford when he landed a 6 pound, 15 ounce bass.
— Laurence Hilliard
