Ten seniors will play regular-season finale for Hebron Christian

PHEBA — Landon Hill and Channing Tapley have known each other and been playing sports for so long together that they have become like brothers.

At Hebron Christian, that’s not really that unique considering Hill and Tapley have eight other “brothers” who have been playing football with them ever since they can remember.

New mind-set will help Schaefer earn playing time

STARKVILLE — Blair Schaefer is developing a shooter’s mentality.

If you’re thinking Schaefer already is one of the best shooters on the Mississippi State women’s basketball team, you’re right. The 5-foot-7 guard has one of the quickest releases on the team and can challenge Victoria Vivians or Kayla Nevitt in a shooting contest from any spot on the floor.

Oak Hill Academy will face Tri-County Academy in playoff opener

WEST POINT — You get the sense the Oak Hill Academy football team is going to be fine tonight without reinforcements.

After all, first-year head coach Chris Craven and the Raiders have found ways to re-invent themselves every week through a series of injuries that has forced the team to play one game — its first game — with its original starting lineup.

That’s why it shouldn’t be anything new at 7 tonight when No. 10 seed Oak Hill Academy (7-3) travels to Flora to face No. 7 seed Tri-County Academy (8-2) in the first round of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class A-AA playoffs.

Minichino column: Fans encouraged to watch MSU women’s team play

History will be made this season.

Heritage Academy turns attention to Class AAA playoffs

Coaches always hope their teams peak at the right time.

Noxubee County looks to complete perfect season in region play

MACON — It’s not easy to stump Tyrone Shorter.

New Hope enjoys first region win

Payday finally came Friday for the New Hope High School football team.

Bulldogs look to give new center Campbell chance to shine

STARKVILLE — Vic Schaefer believes in giving players chances to make an impression.

Pieces come together for Mott, Ole Miss

OXFORD — Matthew Mott has coached long enough to know the old adage “a year older, a year more mature” doesn’t always translate into success.

But the likelihood for positive results increases exponentially when you add a talented class of newcomers and have a redshirt goalkeeper step in to replace the program’s all-time leader in wins and saves.

That’s the combination Mott has shuffled this season to produce what is shaping up to be the best season in the Ole Miss women’s soccer team’s history.

Barker helps Heritage Academy extend season

Coaches always take pride in seeing their players deliver when it counts the most.

The Heritage Academy football team showed Friday night in an ultimate win-or-go-home moment it didn’t want to see its season end.

Ole Miss will look to Moody to set faster pace

OXFORD — Stefan Moody doesn’t care what outsiders think about him or the Ole Miss men’s basketball team.

Moody’s attitude stems from the fact he flew under the radar early in his career and played on smaller stages like Florida Atlantic and Kilgore College (Texas).

But Moody worked hard last season to change opinions about his game and to raise the Rebels’ profile on the national scene. The 5-foot-10 guard from Kissimmee, Florida, was largely successful, earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from The Associated Press and league coaches and winning the Howell Trophy as the best men’s college basketball player in the state of Mississippi.

Fair settling in as Panthers’ leader at QB

HAMILTON — Don’t underestimate the importance of accessorizing.

After all, if you look good, you feel good, so don’t give Lemerrius Fair a hard time if he appears to have every accoutrement for his football ensemble.

The junior quarterback has a white sleeve on his left arm and wristbands of the same color in just the right spots. Tucked behind his back, a white towel complements the white sleeve, even if it doesn’t go with the pink towels many of his teammates chose to wear Friday night.

Heritage Academy faces must-win game vs. Leake Academy

This is it.

Heritage Academy football coach Barrett Donahoe knows no other way to put it than to say his team has to beat Leake Academy in its regular-season finale to have a chance to qualify for the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA playoffs.

Heritage Academy (4-5) lost to Indianola Academy 38-7 last week. The loss left the Patriots in 17th place among Class AAA teams entering the final week of the regular season. The top 16 teams advance to the postseason, so Donahoe and his players know the only way to have a chance to join that group is to win at 7 p.m. Friday in a Class AAA, District 2 game in Madden.

Spears trying to find footing at MSU

STARKVILLE — Jazmine Spears likes to think her game includes a little piece of everything.

From shooting, to rebounding, to dribbling, the 6-foot forward used those skills to be a scoring sensation at New Albany High School. After committing to play for Mississippi State and women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer, Spears failed to qualify academically and spent two years at Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College, where she played an integral role in one national championship.

Noxubee County looking to clinch Class 4A, Region 4 title

MACON — Playoff time brings out something special in the Noxubee County High School football team.

Coach Tyrone Shorter doesn’t know what it is, but the Tigers have been through enough championship runs to know region play is when they have to raise their level in practice and adjust their focus in games.

A four-game losing streak forced Shorter to question whether this year’s group had the will to do that and live up the preseason goal of becoming the school’s first football team to win back-to-back state titles.

New Hope softball season ends in North State championship series

It’s hard to imagine anyone would doubt the capabilities of a three-time champion.

Vivians wants to do more for MSU women’s team

STARKVILLE — The rest of the Southeastern Conference shall be warned: Victoria Vivians has said goodbye to long fingernails.

McDavid, Columbus show off new energy at Purple Madness

A year ago, Javontae McDavid was a soft-spoken point guard on a Columbus High School boys basketball team packed with size, athleticism, and front-court punch.

Listed at 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, McDavid played a key role in averaging 7.2 points per game and helping to lead the Falcons (22-6) to the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A tournament.

But “Deuce Mac” has bigger plans for his senior season. That’s why he wanted to make a statement that he and the rest of the Falcons are primed to make a run at a state title.

Taylor enjoys learning about New Hope softball tradition

Fifteen steps.

With the chain-link fence along the right-field line at Trojan Field down last week, that’s how far it was if you wanted to walk from one of the state’s biggest stages in high school sports to another.

There have been countless times in the past 20 years when the lights have burned bright at Trojan Field, home of the New Hope High School baseball program, and Lady Trojan Field, home of the school’s softball teams, at the same time. The number of championship signs on the outfield walls of both fields is a testament to the hard work the coaches, players, and parents have invested in all three programs.

Noxubee County’s Simmons receives All-America jersey

MACON — Great defensive players always make sure all angles are covered.

Whether it’s from the left, right, or middle, the Noxubee County High School senior defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons has found a way to wreak havoc on offensive players of all shapes and sizes for the past three seasons.

His challenge Monday morning had nothing to do with stopping a running back or sacking a quarterback. This one meant he had to represent his community, his school, and his team in style, so he had to make sure he took the time to look good.

But one question vexed him: Black or yellow?