Falcons bringing in NFL players for local football camp

Camps are an annual endeavor for the Columbus Falcons youth football organization.

Heritage product a finalist for D2 baseball award

Doubt doesn’t come easily for Austin Braddock.

Former New Hope standout Baudoin earns honors, heads to Central Arkansas

Taylor Baudoin’s dream wasn’t to be an OK player.

Columbus Christian baseball team loses playoff opener

STEENS — History sometimes has its fair share of potholes that make navigating the road to success a little tricky.

The Columbus Christian Academy baseball team encountered one of those obstacles Tuesday night in a 15-0 loss to Benton Academy in Game 1 of its Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class A playoff series.

The record will show that Dawson Shaw, LaQuinston Sharp, RJ Deloach, and BJ Shirley had hits for the Rams (11-6), who will try to keep their season alive at 5 p.m. Thursday in Game 2 of the best-of-three series in Benton. If needed, Game 3 would follow approximately 30 minutes after Game 2.

Three the hard way for New Hope baseball

The numbers had been cleared from the scoreboard at Trojan Field, but they were still fresh in Lee Boyd’s mind.

The New Hope High School baseball coach didn’t need to be reminded that his team committed four errors or that it had only three hits Monday night in its final regular-season home game.

Youth isn’t stopping New Hope softball team

The number has been something for Tabitha Beard to fear.

Whether it has been wrists, ankles, backs, or a litany of other injuries, Jason Miller has found plenty of reasons to call Beard to update her on the latest malady to happen to a member of the New Hope High School fast-pitch softball team. That’s why Beard is almost to the point where she doesn’t want to take a cell phone call from Miller, a certified athletic trainer who works with Rehab at Work in Columbus.

Extra plate work pays off for Caledonia’s Burton

CALEDONIA — Don’t dismiss the benefit of a little extra work.

Hope Burton knew she wasn’t hitting like she wanted to, so she took Caledonia High School fast-pitch softball coach Robin Elmore up on her offer to stay after the game against Noxubee County High and take some more swings.

Burton wanted to capitalize on the opportunity because she knew a game against Houston, one of the team’s biggest rivals and one of the contenders in Class 4A, Region 4, was next on the schedule, so she wanted to be at her best.

MSU women land top recruit McCowan, Oklahoma St. transfer Johnson

Super Bulldog Weekend was memorable for the Mississippi State women’s basketball team even though it didn’t see any action.

While MSU didn’t take the court, coach Vic Schaefer and his coaches and players were busy playing host to recruits they hoped to add to another nationally ranked recruiting class.

MSU received the news it wanted to hear Sunday, when 6-foot-7 Teaira McCowan and Oklahoma State transfer Roshunda Johnson, a 5-7 guard, signed on to join Schaefer’s program.

Local jiu jitsu students find success

Claude Long has made an impact in Columbus in less than three months.

Magnolia Tennis Club to host 65-and-Over championships

Looking at the copious hand-written and typed notes piled on Emily Jones’ kitchen table, it’s easy to believe Robert S. “Bobby” Jones was a “perfectionist.”

MSU’s Alwal, Grant eager to pursue professional careers

STARKVILLE — Martha Alwal still can’t grasp the enormity of her situation.

Four years ago, Alwal was a shy, 6-foot-4 center then-Mississippi State women’s basketball coach Sharon Fanning-Otis “found” and offered a scholarship to leave Worthington, Minnesota, to come to Starkville to play basketball in the Southeastern Conference.

Magnolia Tennis Club eager to play host to championship

Vanilla is OK with Billy Clark.

In Clark’s time as teaching professional at Twin Rivers Recreation Center in Greenwood and at Cleveland Country Club, he played integral roles in helping the facilities to play host to events.

Things have been a little more involved — and tasty — in Clark’s three and a half years in Columbus.

Small School Girls Basketball Player of Year: EMCC signee Clemons leaves mark on West Lowndes program

Basketball has had a special place in La’Quesha Clemons’ life for as long as she can remember.

Mississippi State looks to build on historical season in women’s basketball

STARKVILLE — Legacy.

Years from now, Vic Schaefer hopes historians will be able to look back on the 2014-15 season and call it the year the Mississippi State women’s basketball team re-established itself on the national scene.

New Hope’s Stillman excelling in role of ace

Josh Stillman didn’t need an adjustment period.

Most pitchers would need several games to settle their nerves and to learn how to maintain their composure after being asked to move from the middle of the rotation to the front of the line. There’s more pressure as a team’s No. 1 starter. That title also earns a pitcher first crack at the best teams on a squad’s schedule.

Harris returns to coaching at Heritage Academy

Yandell Harris wasn’t thinking about coaching basketball three weeks ago.

Columbus duo named to USA Junior Nationals All-State team

Zaria Jenkins was scared.

Jay Jay Swanigan was nervous.

Aberdeen standouts headed to Holmes

Jason Flanigan needed a piece of the puzzle that was going to help the Holmes Community College men’s basketball team stay on its title track.

West Lowndes’ Clemons signs with EMCC

Infectious is a great way to describe La’Quesha Clemons’ game.

At 6-foot, Clemons wasn’t always the tallest player on the court. The West Lowndes High School senior forward also didn’t have the usual girth to bang bodies with other post players in the paint.

But Clemons never let what she didn’t have slow her down. Instead, she approached every minute on the basketball court as a challenge and a chance to let her love for the game shine in her performance. Although she might not have realized it, Clemons’ energy and enthusiasm for the sport rubbed off on her teammates and helped push them to bigger things.

On Wednesday, Clemons’ high-energy style of play paid dividends for her, as she signed a letter of intent to play basketball at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba.

Hanleys will run in Columbus Pilgrimage Half Marathon/5-K

Neal Hanley used to run in the Frostbite Half Marathon in Starkville, so he is well accustomed to all of the activities available to Golden Triangle residents.

Hanley also used to be an early morning running partner of Brad Atkins when he lived in Columbus. Hanley fondly remembers the five- to seven-mile runs he and Atkins used to do probably three times a week about a year ago.