Patterson helps her AAU basketball team reach Nationals

Kiki Patterson is working toward a dream.

There already have been plenty of stops on that road, and there will be plenty more in the next three years.

But the length of that journey isn’t going to affect Patterson.

Instead, it is going to encourage her to work even harder so she accomplish her goal of earning a scholarship to play basketball at a Division I school.

Patterson’s play with Team Memphis Elite, an Amateur Athletic Union team out of Tennessee, is helping her get noticed.

Togetherness gives Caledonia hope in 10-year old South State Tournament

There is something to be said for togetherness.

The way Johnny Suggs sees it, this just might be the year for the Caledonia 10-year-old All-Stars to compete for a title.

Caledonia will be one of 16 teams that will begin play Friday at Propst Park in Columbus in the Dizzy Dean Baseball South State Tournament.

The five- to six-day event also will feature teams from Columbus (Americans, Nationals), Starkville, Louisville, West Point, and Hamilton.

Dizzy Dean teams will compete for crown

Baseball fans will have their share of entertainment this weekend.

The Dizzy Dean High School World Series will hold its annual pre-tournament banquet at 6 p.m. today at the Trotter Convention Center.

Heat index on mind of high school football coaches

The heat index is a number on the mind of more and more high school football coaches.

With temperatures and heat indices in the state reaching into the upper 90s and 100s, respectively, in the past two weeks, football coaches around the state are trying to identify the best times and ways to get their players in condition for the start of the season.

When state schools and football teams reconvene Aug. 3 for the 2009-10 school year, coaches might have another item to consider.

Passes bring high school football teams closer together

Each pass brings teams closer to the start of the 2009 high school football season.

That’s why more and more teams are trying to get as many repetitions as they can in the next two months before school reconvenes in August.

Columbus High School football coach Bubba Davis is going to do his best to make sure his team and others in the area are busy.

Davis and the Falcons played host Tuesday to the first of what he hopes are several evenings of 7-on-7 passing competition.

New Hope softball players play in all-star games

The school colors have been worn for the final time.

But New Hope High School graduates Victoria Culpepper, Kristen Harvey, and DeShuni Sanders wouldn’t have closed their careers any other way.

The former Lady Trojans closed their high school careers last weekend with a host of other local players at the Mississippi Association of Coaches All-Star games at Newton County High School in Decatur.

Randolph ignites Buford Majic in second half to beat Tupelo Rock-n-Rollers

Professional basketball dreams don’t have size requirements.

If they did, Javon Randolph still would find a way to make an impression.

The former men’s basketball standout at Savannah State did just that Saturday night at Columbus High School.

Randolph scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half to help the Buford Majic defeat the Tupelo Rock-n-Rollers 99-94 in a World Basketball Association Exposure League game.

Hester will appeal firing as New Hope baseball coach

Stacy Hester said Thursday he plans to appeal the recommendation of Lowndes County School District Superintendent Mike Halford and the vote of the county’s school board that he not be retained as New Hope High School baseball coach.

“I want them to man up and tell me why,” Hester said. “It is just amazing (this has happened after) all of the things I have done and have been a part of out in that program. (It is a shame that after) one little incident all of this stuff kind of blows up and you’re gone. I think they are hiding the fact that I had an at-will contract and they don’t have to tell me a thing.”

MSU’s Fanning gets an extension to her contract

Sharon Fanning feels blessed to be a part of the Mississippi State women’s basketball program.

In 14 years as head coach, Fanning has won 233 games and has led the Lady Bulldogs to the postseason 10 times.

This past season was one of the program’s best. MSU went 23-10 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Fanning was rewarded Thursday for the program’s success.

Fox, Smith still rockin’ with Tupelo Rock-n-Rollers

Basketball continues to nag at Kendrick Fox and Jason Smith.

Even after successful careers at the University of Mississippi, Fox, 25, and Smith, 31, aren’t ready to put their sneakers away for good.

That’s why Fox and Smith are keeping their games alive with the Tupelo Rock-n-Rollers in the World Basketball Association Exposure League.

Their objective is to make an impression on the basketball court so they can secure an opportunity to play professional basketball overseas or with another league in the United States.

Lee, Durrah help teams split doubleheader

Davis Lee and Nick Durrah are changing before their coaches eyes.

This past season, Lee and Durrah played key roles for the New Hope High and Columbus High baseball teams, respectively.

Those roles figure to be even bigger next year when Lee and Durrah dress out for their senior and junior baseball seasons, respectively.

Lee and Durrah showed Thursday that the work they’re doing this month with their Dizzy Dean team is helping them prepare for their new roles.

Tice returns home from playing in Junior Sunbelt Classic

Philip Tice was back on his home turf Thursday night.

But the New Hope High School rising senior is showing more and more people that he is at home whenever and wherever there is a baseball diamond.

Tice arrived home about 4 a.m. Thursday with the rest of his teammates who represented the state of Mississippi at the Junior Sunbelt Classic in McAlester, Okla.

Bivens named new girls basketball coach at Aberdeen High

Latorrence Bivens is an easy-going guy.

But don’t confuse Bivens’ quiet demeanor with an inability to set high expectations and an unwillingness to push his players to reach those goals.

Bivens hopes that mix of qualities can be part of what will help him transition to coaching girls basketball.

Wilson still has touch for Tupelo Rock-n-Rollers

Darryl Wilson isn’t as quick and can’t jump as high as he did 13 years ago.

But the stroke that made him a three-time All-Southeastern Conference shooting guard at Mississippi State is still there.

And, like most shooters, when you challenge him that stroke becomes red hot.

Wilson, 35, is rekindling his scoring touch with the Tupelo Rock-n-Rollers in the World Basketball Exposure League.

Hester doesn’t seem to get a fair shake

Politics and coaching don’t mix.

Stacy Hester followed that credo in his dealings with parents, administrators, and players.

Sometimes it got him into trouble. Players left his program because they didn’t like playing for him. Parents thought Hester to be arrogant or unyielding in how he dealt with them or with their children.

But through it all Hester established a standard of excellence. His teams won 551 games and three state titles his 18 years as New Hope High School’s baseball coach.

Former New Hope players hne skills in Cotton States Baseball League

Baseball players never stop growing.

For Ben Fleming, Brent Hallmark, and Garrett Harris, there is no better place to learn more about the game they love than close to home.

The three former New Hope High School standouts are teammates on the Golden Triangle Jets in the Cotton States Baseball North Division. The former Trojans have helped the Jets get off to a 2-3 start in the inaugural season for the four-team wood bat league.

Taylor has chance to raise his golf game

STARKVILLE — Chase Taylor knows he can be better.

If the past two months are any indication, Taylor could start hitting the scores he’s looking for any time now.

On May 2, the New Hope High School golfer won the 14- to 15-year-old group at the Optimist Club tournament at the Mississippi State Golf Course.

The victory earned him a chance to play today and Tuesday in the district tournament in Meridian. The winner will go to West Palm Beach, Fla., to play in the International tournament in July

Hester out as New Hope baseball coach

Stacy Hester is still confused, and now he apparently is out of a job he loves.

On Friday, Lowndes County School District Superintendent Mike Halford recommended Hester not be retained as New Hope High School’s baseball coach.

None of the five school board members asked to have the issue of Hester’s status pulled from the consent agenda, where it could have been up for an open vote.

The board then voted 5-0 to accept Halford’s recommendation.

New Hope’s future in baseball uncertain

The blank Web page might be an omen for the New Hope High School baseball program.

At 3 p.m. Saturday, the www.newhopebaseball.com page on the New Hope High sports and school booster site carried a message “Nothing to See Here Move Along.”

The absence of any information on the baseball program’s page comes after Lowndes County School District Superintendent Mike Halford recommended Friday that New Hope High baseball coach Stacy Hester not be retained after his at-will agreement ends June 30.

Boykin returns to Caledonia to be football coach

David Boykin is back at Caledonia High School to see if he can complete some unfinished business.

The Lowndes County School Board approved Boykin’s hiring Friday as the football coach at Caledonia High School.

Boykin, who coached Caledonia to 3-7 records in 2006 and 2007, replaced Jason Forrester, who resigned his position last month.

Boykin served as a volunteer offensive line coach last season under Mark Hudspeth at the University of North Alabama.