Former Noxapater Attendance Center head football coach Justin Hunter was named the new head football coach at Kosciusko High School on Monday night.
Hunter was head coach for two seasons at Noxapater after Tyler Peterson stepped down, going 18-7 during that span. He resigned at Noxapater to join the staff of Coach John Perry at Pearl High School. Currently Noxapater head coach Casey Orr, followed hunter as the Tigers’ head man.
Hunter, 33, spent the last six seasons at Pearl as offensive coordinator before accepted the head job at Kosy.
He also spent two years as a volunteer assistant at Louisville High School under coach Brad Peterson.
— Austin Bishop
MID-MISSISSIPPI CHALLENGE
SATURDAY
Basketballs will be dribbling all day long at the Ty Cobb Gymnasium on the campus of Choctaw County High School Saturday for the 2020 Mid Mississippi Challenge, with nine games.
It will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a girls game between East Webster and defending 4A state champion Louisville. That will be followed in order by East Webster-Winona boys, New Site-Holmes Central girls, Choctaw Central-Ripley boys, Choctaw Central-Meridian girls, Pontotoc-Germantown girls, Pontotoc-Southeast Lauderdale boys, Choctaw County-Tupelo Christian girls and Choctaw County-Louisville boys.
Tickets are sold as a day-long pass and are $10 each. The full breakdown of the games can be found in the local sports schedule elsewhere in this week’s paper.
— Laurence Hilliard
HOOPS COMING UP SHORT
The three biggest NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams are having a hard time in conference play. Southern Miss is 0-4 in Conference USA while Ole Miss is 0-2 and MSU is 0-3 in SEC play. Ole Miss and MSU are both 9-6 overall while Southern Miss is 4-13.
Ole Miss will play at home on Saturday night hosting LSU after traveling to Florida on Tuesday. Southern Miss has home games against North Texas on Thursday and Rice on Saturday while MSU begins a three-game home stand that began on Tuesday against Missouri.
— Dale McKee
POGUE NAMED JA HEAD COACH
Eupora native and former Eupora and South Panola High School head football coach Lance Pogue has been named the new leader for the Jackson Academy football team.
Pogue, was named the 2010 USA Today National Coach of the Year while guiding South Panola, had been serving as JA’s defensive coordinator under then head coach Larry Weems.
“In my three years at JA, I have come to know the quality and dedication of these young men, and I very much look forward to working alongside them to achieve great things and help them be a part of a program they will proudly carry with them throughout their lives,” Pogue said in a press release.
— Austin Bishop
OTHER STATEWIDE HOOPS
Jackson State took care of Alcorn this past weekend. The Tigers are now 5-11 overall while the Braves are now 5-9 entering the week. Mississippi College’s record stands at 6-8, Belhaven's at 6-7 and Delta State's at 7-8 while William Carey is off to another typical Crusader season at 13-5 overall.
— Dale McKee
NHSACA FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Seven Mississippi Coaches have been announced as finalists for 2020 NHSACA (National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors.
Lamar High School and former Meridian High School legendary coach and player Mac Barnes made the National list for football, while former Mississippi State University basketball standout and current Starkville High School head coach Greg Carter made the list for boys basketball.
Other finalists for Mississippi are as follows: Jeff McCleskey, Northwest Rankin, baseball; Jimmy Murphrey, Lafayette County, boys basketball assistant; Chris Gardner, Northwest Rankin, soccer; Philly Hicks, DeSoto Central, Softball; and Robert Gonzalez, Oxford, Swimming.
— Austin Bishop
MSU WOMEN STILL ROLLING
The Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs won their 14th straight road game and stand at 15-2 overall and 3-0 in SEC play. They will host LSU this Thursday. Ole Miss is 0-4 in league play and 7-10 overall while Southern Miss is off to a 10-4 mark and 2-1 in C-USA play.
— Dale McKee
ECCC HOSTING HOOPS CLASSIC
The East Central Community College basketball programs are hosting the annual MLK High School Basketball Classic Saturday, Jan., 18, and Monday, Jan. 20, to commemorate the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.
All MLK Classic games will be held in Brackeen-Wood Gym on the Decatur campus. Admission is $10 per person.
The schedule for the games on Saturday, Jan. 18, includes Quitman vs. Laurel at 11 a.m. in a girls matchup, followed by four boys games featuring Quitman vs. Laurel at 12:30 p.m., Mendenhall vs. Delhi, La., at 2 p.m., Yazoo County vs. Coahoma at 3:30 p.m., and Taylorsville vs. Presbyterian at 5 p.m.
The schedule for Monday, Jan. 20, features all girls matchups, including Choctaw Central vs. Harrison Central at 2:30 p.m., Neshoba Central vs. Starkville at 4 p.m., and Meridian vs .Holmes County at 5:30 p.m.
— Bill Wagnon
COFFEY WEIGHING OPTIONS
Winona all-state quarterback AnDarius Coffey has scholarship offers from Duke, Liberty University, and Central Arkansas and plans to visit all three prior to the February signing period.
Coffey committed to the University of Mississippi last summer, but did not sign with the Rebels during the February signing period. “I don't have any interest in Ole Miss at the moment,” he said.
Coffey played quarterback the last two years, but was recruited by Ole Miss as a defensive back, the position he played for the Tigers as a sophomore. He said Duke and Central Arkansas have recruited him for offense or defense, Liberty just for defense. Missouri and Memphis have also shown interest, but have not yet made an offer.
— Laurence Hilliard
Sports Schedules
THURSDAY, JAN. 16
Prep Basketball
6 p.m. — Choctaw County at Aberdeen
Prep Soccer
5:30 p.m. — Louisville at Choctaw Central
Junior College Basketball
5:30 p.m— Jones at ECCC
5:30 p.m. — Itawamba at Miss. Delta
5:30 p.m. — Holmes at Coahoma
Women’s College Basketball
7 p.m. — LSU at MSU
FRIDAY, JAN. 17
Prep Basketball
6 p.m. — McAdams at FCA
6 p.m. — J.Z. George at Eupora
6 p.m. — Victory Christian-New Albany at Grace Christian
6 p.m. — Winston at Lamar School
6 p.m. — Nanih Waiya at Noxapater
6 p.m. — Louisville at Leake Central
Prep Soccer
5:30 p.m.— Philadelphia at Louisville
SATURDAY, JAN. 18
Prep Basketball
Mid-Mississippi Challenge at Choctaw County High School (9:30 a.m. — East Webster girls vs. Louisville; 11 a.m. — East Webster boys vs. Winona; 12:20 p.m. — Holmes Central girls vs. New Site; 1:40 p.m. — Choctaw Central boys vs. Ripley; 3 p.m. — Choctaw Central girls vs. Meridian; 4:20 p.m. — Pontotoc girls vs. Germantown; 5:40 p.m. — Pontotoc boys vs. Southeast Lauderdale; 7 p.m. — Choctaw County girls vs. Tupelo Christian; 8:40 p.m. — Choctaw County boys vs. Louisville)
MLK High School Classic at East Central CC (11 a.m. — Quitman vs. Laurel girls; 12:30 p.m. —Quitman boys vs. Laurel at 12:30 p.m.; 2 p.m. — Mendenhall boys vs. Delhi, La.; 3:30 p.m. Yazoo County boys vs. Coahoma; 5 p.m. — Presbyterian boys vs. Taylorsville)
3 p.m. — Hartfield at Winston Academy
Junior College Basketball
1 p.m. — Southern-Shreveport at Coahoma
Men’s College Basketball
7 p.m. — LSU at Ole Miss
7:30 p.m. — Georgia at MSU
SUNDAY, JAN. 19
Women’s College Basketball
2 p.m. — LSU at Ole Miss
MONDAY, JAN. 20
Prep Basketball
MLK High School Classic at East Central CC (2:30 pm. — Choctaw Central girls vs. Harrison Central; 4 p.m. — Neshoba Central girls vs. Starkville; 5:30 p.m. — Holmes County Central girls vs. Meridian)
Women’s College Basketball
6 p.m. — MSU at South Carolina
TUESDAY, JAN. 21
Prep Basketball
6 p.m. — FCA at Nanih Waiya
6 p.m. — East Webster at Choctaw County
6 p.m. — Houston at Eupora
6 p.m. — Grace Christian at Victory Christian-New Albany
6 p.m. — Winston Academy at Starkville Academy
6 p.m. — West Lowndes at Noxapater
6 p.m. — Choctaw Central at Louisville
Junior College Basketball
5:30 p.m— ECCC at Meridian
5:30 p.m. — Coahoma at Itawamba
5:30 p.m. — Northeast Miss. at Holmes
Men’s College Basketball
8 p.m. — Ole Miss at Tennessee
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22
Men’s College Basketball
6 p.m. — Arkansas at MSU
THURSDAY, JAN. 23
Prep Basketball
6 p.m. — Winston at Kemper Academy
Junior College Basketball
5:30 p.m— Hinds at ECCC
5:30 p.m. — Itawamba at EMCC
5:30 p.m. — Northwest Miss. at Holmes
5:30 p.m. — Northeast Miss. at Miss. Delta
Women’s College Basketball
6 p.m. — Ole Miss at Auburn
8 p.m. — MSU at Vanderbilt
FRIDAY, JAN. 24
Prep Basketball
6 p.m. — Noxapater at FCA
6 p.m. — Hatley at Choctaw County
6 p.m. — East Webster at Mantachie
6 p.m. — Winona at Eupora
6 p.m. — Hebron Christian at Grace Christian
6 p.m. — East Rankin at Winston Academy
6 p.m. — Noxapater at French Camp
6 p.m. — Northeast Lauderdale at Louisville
6 p.m. — Ethel at Nanih Waiya
SATURDAY, JAN. 25
Prep Basketball
TBA — Philadelphia Shootout (11 a.m. — East Webster girls vs. McAdams; 12:30 p.m. — East Webster boys vs. McAdams; 2 p.m. — Leake Central girls vs. Caledonia; 3:30 p.m. — Leake Central boys vs. Caledonia; 5 p.m. — Philadelphia girls vs. Newton County; 6:30 p.m. — Philadelphia boys vs. Newton County)
Men’s College Basketball
1 p.m. — MSU at Oklahoma in Oklahoma City
4:30 p.m. — Ole Miss at Georgia
SUNDAY, JAN. 26
Women’s College Basketball
4 p.m. — Ole Miss at MSU
