Articles by Ben Wait
Better focus at practice helps Ross have breakout season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Fred Ross wasn’t happy with his performance in the Mississippi State football team’s season opener.
Although the junior wide receiver led his team in catches (five) and receiving yards (75) in a 34-16 victory against Southern Mississippi on Sept. 5 in Hattiesburg Sept. 5, he knew he had potential for more, so he looked back on how he prepared for the game and had a revelation.
MSU hits practice field in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It had been a week since Dan Mullen had seen his team.
A,J. Brown has record-breaking season for Starkville
STARKVILLE — A.J. Brown didn’t know what his senior year held for him.
After a big junior season, the Starkville High School wide receiver knew defenses were going to focus on him as a senior. He felt he could handle the pressure, but he knew his quarterback would look other places with so much attention around him.
Columbus boys win round one against New Hope
Luther Riley is no stranger to good high school basketball rivalries.
Riley, who is in his first year as Columbus High School boys basketball coach, spent 12 seasons at Provine High in Jackson. Provine and Lanier High have one of the best basketball rivalries in the state of Mississippi. Players like Monta Ellis (Lanier), who plays for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, and Scottie Haralson (Provine), who played at Connecticut and Tulsa, have played in the rivalry.
Small Schools All-Area Coach of Year: Nicholson keeps Starkville Academy winning
STARKVILLE — Chase Nicholson is a busy man.
New Hope boys open Horne Classic with victory
New Hope boys coach Drew McBrayer didn’t have to really use a timeout Friday.
Brown ready to close career on high note at bowl game
STARKVILLE — Ryan Brown has put his heart and soul into the Mississippi State football program the last four years.
Bulldogs hope to have Daniels back for Tulane
STARKVILLE — It took some adjusting for Travis Daniels.
Wilson comes into own in MSU passing game
STARKVILLE — De’Runnya Wilson grew up watching Keyshawn Johnson,
MSU will look at quarterbacks during prep for bowl game
STARKVILLE — Dan Mullen hasn’t had to worry about who was going to play quarterback or who was going to lead the Mississippi State football team the last two seasons.
Decision awaits MSU DL Jones
STARKVILLE — Chris Jones knew the importance of his junior season.
The junior defensive lineman knew 2015 might be his last year with the Mississippi State football program. He didn’t think about professional football all the time, but he knew he would be draft eligible once the season ended, so it was natural for the thought to slip into his mind.
MSU men searching for ways to finish
STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State men’s basketball team had chances to secure a victory down the stretch in three of its four losses.
Longtime assistant coach Hughes named head coach at Jackson State
STARKVILLE — Tony Hughes will be missed at Mississippi State.
Hughes, who spent seven years as an assistant football coach in Starkville, was introduced Monday as the head football coach at Jackson State.
Starkville’s Brown helps Mississippi beat Alabama in All-Star game
STARKVILLE — A.J. Brown expected a victory Saturday.
As one of the leaders for the Mississippi team against Alabama in the 29th-annual All-Star Football Classic, the Starkville High School senior wide receiver knew his team had talented players and the right recipe for a victory. But the early practices didn’t indicate a win was going to happen.
“It was kind of rough with the practices and stuff,” Brown said. “We weren’t really just confident like that, but we progressed. It showed in the game because they couldn’t stop us, we just stopped ourselves.”
Calhoun has been leader on, off field for Bulldogs
STARKVILLE — Taveze Calhoun didn’t know what his future held for him when he graduated from Morton High School.
He arrived at Mississippi State as an underrated cornerback, but that never affected his
attitude or his work ethic on or off the field.
MSU begins preparations for Belk Bowl
STARKVILLE — There’s no doubt Chris Jones loves football.
Even after a grueling regular season, the Mississippi State defensive lineman didn’t want to be away from the sport he loves for too long. MSU finished the regular season with a 38-27 loss to Ole Miss on Nov. 28. After the loss, the Bulldogs were off for 12 days to take final exams. In that stretch, Jones and his teammates learned MSU (8-4) will take on North Carolina State (7-5) in the Belk Bowl at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30 (ESPN), in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Volunteers lead locals at MAIS All-Star game
STARKVILLE — Chase Nicholson was blessed with some good players in his first year.
The Starkville Academy coach took over for Jeff Terrill this season and he knew he had some talented players. The Volunteers finished 10-2 for the second-straight season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing to Simpson Academy. As an assistant coach, he saw players compete in All-Star games, but the thrill was bigger as a head coach.
Former MSU standout McDonald gets closer to LPGA
STARKVILLE — Golf was just something Ally McDonald did in high school.
She was better than most with a golf club in her hand, but as a teenager she didn’t think much about a
future in golf. It wasn’t until she was a junior at Itawamba Agricultural High School that she started to think she might be able to play golf professionally. A third-place finish in the 2010 U.S. Girls Junior Championship in North Carolina was a revelation for McDonald.
