Starkville boys share wealth in playoff victory

STARKVILLE — Dylan Howard knows he isn’t the biggest player any time he is on the field.

But Howard plays with a confidence that ignores the fact that, as he says, he “doesn’t have any size on me.” That confidence helps him maneuver through the midfield with a fluidity that maximizes every movement and enables him to control the most important part of the field.

Schaefer, Blair will be on opposite sidelines tonight

Here’s the deal: Gary Blair will dip into his bag of 500 or so offensive plays tonight and challenge his opponent to react. Vic Schaefer will counter by trying to devise a defense that will confound, frustrate, and outhustle his opponent.

Velek: From reluctance to renown

Tom Velek remembers the letter well.

His oldest son, Avery, had decided to get involved in soccer after a few years away from the sport, so the decision was made to sign him up with the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority.

That’s when the waiting began.

Starkville girls soccer opens playoffs with 4-0 win

STARKVILLE — Carolina Berryhill and Hannah Laird made sure the Starkville High School girls soccer danced its way into the second round.

Moore, seniors help brand ‘Falcon Soccer’

The term “Falcon Soccer” is beginning to carry some weight.

Back-to-back playoff appearances will do that for a team’s reputation, especially one that won only one game two years ago.

In that time, coach Ben Moore and a group of 11 seniors have helped transform the Columbus High School boys soccer program into a team that no longer considers a three- or four-goal loss satisfying.

New Hope girls hope to have fire in their bellies for opener

Mary Nagy could tell something was wrong.

The New Hope High School girls soccer coach looked in her players’ eyes prior to the team’s game against Starkville High on Jan. 11 and knew something was missing. Despite taking a 1-0 lead, Nagy watched as the Lady Yellow Jackets stole the momentum and beat the Lady Trojans to nearly all of the 50-50 balls en route to a 4-1 victory.

Caledonia seniors help soccer team return to playoffs

CALEDONIA — A one-year absence from the postseason might not sound like a big deal.

But for a program like the Caledonia High School girls soccer team, which has been accustomed to winning district titles and advancing the playoffs, even the shortest hiatus can seem like an eternity.

Columbus girls win, while boys fall short

The T-shirt says it all.

A year ago, the Columbus High School girls basketball team had its title dreams end in a loss to Horn Lake in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A North State semifinals.

Caledonia’s Hopper will play softball at ICC

CALEDONIA — Fear is a wonderful motivator, even for accomplished student-athletes.

When you have had as much success as Cara Hopper, you can wonder if anyone is watching and you’re doing enough to give yourself a chance to play the sport you love in college. For Hopper, that apprehension gave her the push she needed to work to improve.

Mitchell builds defensive juggernaut at Kentucky

Matthew Mitchell knew who to call when he wanted to talk abut defense.

Mitchell spent time as an assistant coach at the University of Florida and the University of Kentucky before becoming the head coach at Morehead State University in 2005. When Mitchell returned to the Southeastern Conference in 2007 to take over at Kentucky, he wanted to find a way to design an aggressive player-to-player pressure defense that was going to maximize the talents of his players. It was natural for him to reach out to Vic Schaefer, who was then associate head coach to Gary Blair at Texas A&M University.

Kendrick resigns as football coach at Caledonia

Ricky Kendrick always has considered teaching and coaching to be his callings.

His work in the past three seasons helped put the Caledonia High School football program on solid ground, and positioned it to make strides to become more competitive in district play.

Unfortunately, another coach will have to help the Confederates take that next step.

Boyd wants to build potential at NEMCC

Landon Boyd doesn’t look like a 180-pounder.

A year ago, the New Hope High School standout wouldn’t have been able to keep a straight face and tell people that’s how much he weighed. Even his brother, Lee, would have laughed at him if he tried to say that. In fact, Lee Boyd probably would challenge his brother’s latest weighty claim.

Holifield will take next step at JCJC

Lauren Holifield has entertained thoughts of playing softball in college ever since she started playing the sport. Holifield isn’t sure why, but something clicked with softball at an early age. As she got older, Holifield never considered staying late to practice her skills or going to Lady Trojan Field on a Friday night as a chore.

Soccer tournament expected to be boon for city

Tom Velek hoped last week he could return from a trip to Vicksburg with something to invigorate the city of Columbus.

What happened at the Mississippi Soccer Association’s annual meeting exceeded Velek’s wildest dreams.

Starkville girls make splash in return with win

Inexperience and a saturated field aren’t stumbling blocks for the Starkville High School girls soccer team.

The fact that the Lady Yellow Jackets have only five seniors on their roster might explain why early deficits and soaked playing surfaces don’t faze them.

Starkville boys shut out New Hope

Pace is an essential ingredient for the 2012-13 Starkville High School boys soccer team.

One might think that tempo would slow down a little bit after the school’s first state championship team lost eight seniors to graduation.

Dylan Howard wants you to think again.

Starkville’s Carr realizing potential

STARKVILLE — Sometimes you have to pinch yourself to remember Khris Carr is only a sophomore.

There are times when the 5-foot-8 Starkville High School volleyball standout will rise up and deliver a rousing kill or make a dig on an angled attack that makes you think she is more experienced. As a result, it’s easy to expect Carr to do more than many sophomores and to be a team leader.

MSU women want to take one trip at a time

STARKVILLE — A year ago, Sharon Fanning-Otis emphasized the importance of doing the little things to make sure the Mississippi State University women’s basketball team had success on as many possessions as possible.

TOPSoccer program gearing up for second year

Between John Longmire and Tom Velek, Melissa Dunaway really didn’t have a choice.

Truth be told, though, Dunaway didn’t have problem being encouraged to help lead the TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) in Columbus. Even though she is new to organizing a program of this magnitude, Dunaway’s two sons, Eric and Colin, were involved last season in the inaugural year Columbus United Soccer Club partnered with the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority and the Greater Columbus Civitan Club to bring the U.S. Youth Soccer program to the Golden Triangle.

Spirited effort for MSU women falls short

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State women’s basketball team experienced a different degree of disappointment Thursday night.

One week after suffering its worst loss in a Southeastern Conference opener, MSU showed tangible signs it is making progress.