Blocked extra point propels Panthers

AMORY — The Noxubee County High School defense and the Amory High offense were the hot topics of conversation leading up to the matchup between the teams Friday night in the second round of the Class 4A North State playoffs.

Noxubee County coach Tyrone Shorter injected his team’s offense into the discussion, saying that unit felt slighted because the team’s defense was getting all of the attention.

Hollivay learned to follow her heart to Rutgers

Follow your heart.

Rachel Hollivay spent days contemplating where she would take the next step in her life. She knew when she entered the recruiting process she would receive a lot of attention, but she never imagined she would face so much pressure making a decision that affected so many people.

Noxubee County will contend with Amory’s passing game

Tyrone Shorter knows about aerial wizardry.

As a cornerback Austin Peay, Shorter’s job was to prevent big plays and make life difficult for quarterbacks and wide receivers.

Shorter’s role hasn’t changed now that he is a coach. In his second season as coach at Noxubee County High School, Shorter still takes an active role with the Tigers’ defense.

Former Hamilton standout Earnest signs with Samford

Things didn’t happen the way Dylan Earnest planned, but he is going to get an opportunity to play Division I baseball sooner rather than later.

The former Hamilton High School standout, who missed most of his freshman season at Itawamba Community College due to injury, gave a verbal commitment Monday to play baseball for Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. He made it official Wednesday when he signed a National Letter-of-Intent.

Grant ready to play key role for MSU women

STARKVILLE — Kendra Grant is ready to go.

The Richland High School standout selected Mississippi State because she knew she would have a chance to make key contributions as a freshman.

Williams part of recruiting class for MSU women

Dan Olson considers Sherise Williams to be “a sleeper.”

The Mississippi State women’s basketball team hopes Williams lives up to that potential.

Hern leads New Hope past Columbus

Good goal scorers know where they get their passes.

It took Sarah Hern a split second to mention teammate Ashley Martian when she was asked about her goal in stoppage time that helped the New Hope High School girls soccer team edge Columbus 3-2.

Costly move for Ole Miss to move on without Nutt

The University of Mississippi will move forward together without Houston Nutt.

It remains to be seen if any of Nutt’s assistant coaches will stay in Oxford at the end of a season that has the Rebels 2-7 with three games remaining, but Ole Miss will pay a hefty price to end its association with Nutt after only four years.

Starkville cross country runners earn All-State honors

STARKVILLE — Cross country coaches dream for teams filled with rabbits.

To take a term from track and field, rabbits refer to athletes who take the lead and set the pace for the rest of the field before dropping out.

Spirit helps push Alabama back to NCAA tournament

In seven years as women’s soccer coach at Clemson University, Todd Bramble never located a mole in the NCAA who would tip him off with inside information.

Hollivay feels Rutgers is best fit

It’s over.

Now Rachel Hollivay has to wrap her mind around the idea she will be leaving home for a school that is a more than 1,000 miles away.

Porter’s smile could be good sign for MSU women

STARKVILLE — Porsha Porter’s smile could be a deadly weapon for the Mississippi State women’s basketball team this season.

Like anyone who has had braces, the senior guard is getting used to a smile that lights up a room.

The comfort level Porter feels in her second season with the Lady Bulldogs could give her even more reasons to flash her new look.

Hollivay picks Rutgers

Rachel Hollivay is going to Rutgers University.

According to a text message at 11:49 a.m. Monday from her father, Ray Sr., and a subsequent conversation with him early this afternoon, the Heritage Academy 6-foot-5 senior center has decided to play basketball for veteran coach C. Vivian Stringer in Piscataway, N.J.

MSU women show strong one-two punch, looking for more

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State women’s basketball team showed Sunday it has the potential to have a potent one-two punch.

Now the Lady Bulldogs will work on finding more weapons to add to their go-to arsenal.

MSU women will look for options to emerge

“Be the One” is a rallying cry for the Mississippi State women’s basketball team this season.

On paper, senior point guard Diamber Johnson figures to be the first option for the Lady Bulldogs.

From there, though, the pecking order becomes unclear. It isn’t because coach Sharon Fanning-Otis’ team doesn’t have choices.

Ole Miss women have new attitude, hope for better health

HOOVER, Ala. — Everything is new this season for the University of Mississippi women’s basketball team.

A new attitude, a new group of players, a new hunger to play. Coach Renee Ladner sees all of those elements on display.

More importantly, Ladner hopes her team has a clean bill of health.

Alabama women will play numbers game

HOOVER, Ala. — Wendell Hudson likes the numbers dilemma he will face this season.

With six or seven “starters” to fill five spots on the floor, Hudson feels the 2011-12 University of Alabama women’s basketball team will be able to score more points and to play at a faster tempo than it did a year ago.

Carroll Academy hires Hester as baseball coach

Stacy Hester is back in high school baseball. More than two years after not being retained as New Hope High School baseball coach, Hester was hired as baseball coach at Carroll Academy, a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AA school in Carrollton, about an hour and a half away from Columbus.

Columbus has ways to make playoffs

It starts with a victory

That’s the easiest way the Columbus High School football team can take the first step to earning a playoff bid.

Noxubee County focused for title run

The Noxubee County High School football team had to fight the urge to look ahead to its game against Spain Park (Ala.).

The Tigers and all of Noxubee County had to resist the temptation of thinking about their C Spire Wireless “Bright Lights Football” regionally televised game against Louisville.