Tapley optimistic about Hebron Christian’s potential

Cass Tapley never really was “away” from the Hebron Christian fast-pitch softball team.

As the father of two girls who played softball at the school and with a son who was a multi-sport standout completing his high school career in 2016, Tapley always seemed to be at an event supporting the Eagles, whether it was as a parent, as a fan, as a photographer, or as an assistant coach.

Oak HIll Academy ready to take next step in softball

WEST POINT — Mitch Bohon appears to be in an ideal situation entering his second season as the Oak Hill Academy fast-pitch softball coach.

Central Academy looks to build on standout season

MACON — The T-shirts have a two-part message: “DON’T QUIT. DO IT.”

Starkville Academy soccer searches for leadership

STARKVILLE — Music is a great way to bring people together.

Heritage Academy softball continues to build

McKenzie Bumgarner has grown up with the Heritage Academy fast-pitch softball program.

Stevens’ work in summer pays off in college offers

Thomas Stevens has a new appreciation of the word “busy.”

Following a standout junior season for the New Hope High School baseball team, Stevens set out to raise his profile in hopes of attracting an offer to play baseball in college. Despite hitting a team-best .381 and smacking seven home runs, Stevens entered the offseason without any college offers.

Allen set to bring energy to MSU women

STARKVILLE — Alicia Mardis refuses to take the blame.

After all, she was merely playing basketball as an eighth-grader at Coconut Creek High School in Florida when she noticed her sister, Jacaira Allen, watching her. She didn’t realize she was making an impression on a younger sister whose only athletic claim to fame to that point was playing football in the street with the local boys.

Senior Sisk will shift to point for Ole Miss women

OXFORD — Erika Sisk usually is too quick to take a hip check in practice.

Whether it’s the Ole Miss senior’s track and field background or the boundless energy she brings to the basketball court, Sisk can zig and zap and push tempo with the best guards in the Southeastern Conference.

East Coast Baseball team wins title

It’s difficult to fathom the lengths a team has to go to win a championship when it has to compete against 343 others from across the country.

But Eric Dubose, Joe Caruso, Thomas Wilson, and their East Coast Sox Diamond 16-and-under baseball team didn’t focus on the enormity of the challenge they faced earlier this month.

MSU soccer nearly ready to move into new $1.8-million home

STARKVILLE — Aaron Gordon already has started to take stock of his stuff.

From books, to furniture, to paperwork, to mementos, Gordon has accumulated plenty of things since he was hired as Mississippi State women’s soccer coach on Nov. 27, 2012.

If the start of the 2016 season didn’t provide enough reasons to be excited, Gordon is anxiously awaiting another announcement: the date he and his team will move into their new home.

All-Area Baseball: Griffin elevates Hebron Christian program

Todd Griffin doesn’t recall how he came to be the baseball coach at Hebron Christian.

Pitch counts on minds of area coaches

Travis Garner was shocked when he returned to the state of Mississippi in 2013.

Ole Miss women preparing for trip to Costa Rica

OXFORD — Together. Toughness. Forty minutes.

Crawford resigns from positions at West Lowndes High

Danny Crawford appreciates the opportunity he had to work at West Lowndes High School for the 2015-16 school year.

In one of the school’s most successful seasons, Crawford led the boys basketball team to the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 1A State title game and the girls basketball team to the quarterfinals of the state tournament.

Velek excited about work to be done at Heritage Academy

Tom Velek has faced plenty of challenges in 12 years of coaching soccer in the state of Mississippi.

Velek’s decision last month to accept the job as girls soccer coach at Heritage Academy created an opportunity to face a new challenge: coaching the game in the summer heat of Mississippi.

Potts says no to CHS coaching gig

Alfrico “Chico” Potts can finally sleep a little better.

Williams will provide depth in post for MSU women

STARKVILLE — Ameshya Williams would like to forget the events of March 11, 2016.

As a senior, Williams hoped that Friday night would be special. After all of the points, rebounds, and blocked shots earlier in the season, Williams was one victory away from leading the Gulfport West Harrison girls basketball team to a state title.

But all it took was one layup attempt to derail all of that hard work.

Time to get engaged in athletics at The W

The 5-inch by 7-inch picture says a lot about Jason Trufant.

You might miss the black-and-white canvas on first glance around the otherwise spartan office tucked away behind a corner on the first floor of the Cromwell Communications Center. Trufant has been at Mississippi University for Women only a month, so he hasn’t had a lot of time to plaster the back brick wall with pictures or to pack the bookcase along the right wall with books. On Tuesday, the shelves of that bookcase were armed with NCAA manuals and had plenty of room for additions, as did a back area, where a Carolina blue MUW T-shirt from the school’s tobacco-free campaign sat folded on a bureau as if left over from a previous occupant.

MUW athletic director reports on month of progress

Jason Trufant has had plenty of opportunities to do a wide variety of things in his athletic career.

From player to coach to administrator, Trufant has seen the inner workings of teams, programs and athletic departments from numerous perspectives.

Sykes’ faith leads him to coach at Starkville Academy

Matt Sykes is a man of faith.

A year ago, faced with an uncertain future in soccer, Sykes contemplated his options and listened to God. After a lot of prayer and patience, Sykes said God told him to go William Carey University in Hattiesburg to play soccer.

Earlier this year, Sykes faced more uncertainty and was called to return home to Columbus. Although he wasn’t sure why God wanted him to leave William Carey and end his soccer career, he believed something would work out.