East Mississippi Community College received national attention for its football program and the Netflix docuseries “Last Chance U,” but it’s still about providing opportunities to local young people.
Four of them — Tony and Brad Montgomery of New Hope, Alan Page of Starkville and Yvonne Hairston of Columbus — will be honored tonight as inductees into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame at halftime of the Lions’ football game against Holmes Community College. Their stories reveal the value not only of education but in giving students the tools to grow into leaders.
Yvonne Hairston has been the girls’ basketball coach at Columbus High School for 14 years. She credits her experience for the development of her passion for education and working with kids as well as the development of her relationship with basketball.
“EMCC opened so many doors for me,” Hairston said. “ It’s a great thing for me to have played the game and know the game, but now to coach the game is very special.”
Hairston led the Falcons to their only state championship in 2020.
“It was just a great opportunity to be at EMCC with all the things they’ve done, and it’s great to see how it’s grown and developed over the years,” Hairston said. “It’s a great honor to have had the opportunity to play there. It opened a lot of doors for me academically as well as athletically.”
Alan Page also drove home the importance of EMCC in providing these opportunities to local Mississippians and their communities. Page, who played baseball on one of EMCC’s most successful teams in 1986, has since gone on to serve four years in the US Air Force and founded his own construction company.
He credits his time in Scooba for helping to shape his values and work ethic and for giving him the opportunity to succeed on the baseball diamond and in life.
“They play such an important role,” Page said. “They’re community driven and prepare kids to go and make a living not just in academia, and do so in areas that are really suffering. They give people the skills to help drive the economy. (The Hall of Fame) is an honor for me because of the value that community college organizations have.”
Tony Montgomery not only was given the opportunity to continue playing baseball at EMCC, he has since devoted his career to coaching and educating students in Scooba. After completing his undergraduate and postgraduate education at Delta State, Tony took a job teaching and coaching baseball at EMCC under his old baseball coach.
He spent over a decade in the roles before eventually becoming an administrator on the Scooba campus, where he serves today as dean of students.
“I knew even as a 19-year-old that Scooba was a place I wanted to be,” he said said. “One of the best decisions of my life. From the time I got here … I could tell this was my home away from home.”
In his early days as an assistant coach at EMCC, Montgomery got to coach another EMCC Hall of Fame inductee, his brother, Brad Montgomery.
Brad spent much of high school living up to the standard set by his older brother, most notably when he broke Tony’s single-season home run record set as a senior. The record still stands today, as does Brad’s home run record at EMCC.
But for Brad, the greatest value in his baseball career was the life lessons and the bonds with family. From time spent learning the game with his father, playing with and learning from his older brother, to now coaching his son in Little League, baseball has continued to be a big part of Brad’s life.
“I coach my son, and I want him to get the best out of baseball just like I did,” Brad said. “It’s so special coaching him, and my father did the same thing for us. When we came along and loved baseball he learned more about the game through us, and he coached me every single year. My dad only missed two games when I was at EMCC.”
The Hall of Fame inductees not only got an opportunity to keep playing their sports at EMCC, they received an education and professional development that has made them invaluable members of their communities. Not just athletes, they became a business owner, a championship coach, an auto worker and a teacher/administrator.
They became people who have returned the trust and effort shown to them and became leaders, shaping their communities in positive and meaningful ways. They became Hall of Famers off the field as well.
NEWEST LIONS HALL OF FAMERS
TONY MONTGOMERY
A career .340 hitter and a two-time all-state pick for the Lions … hit 9 home runs with 62 RBIs in 1992-93 … Served as assistant baseball coach for EMCC for eight years and head coach for four … currently the dean of students at Scooba campus ,,, a member of New Hope High School’s 1991 state championship baseball team.
BRAD MONTGOMERY
A 2000 all-Region 23 selection after hitting .479, slugging .882 and finishing with 15 home runs, 13 doubles, 59 RBIs and 127 total bases for the Lions … finished his collegiate career at Southern Miss and Delta State … broke older brother Tony’s single-season New Hope record for home runs with 14 in 1998.
YVONNE (DAVIS) HAIRSTON
A two-year team captain and starting point guard who averaged 12 points, 6 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds for the Lions. … Led Columbus High School girls basketball team to its only state championship in 2020 and owns a career record of 364-71 as Falcons coach … went on to Mississippi State, where she competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4×100 meters.
ALAN PAGE
A standout outfielder for the Lions, Page recorded a career batting average of .375 with 24 extra-base hits, 81 runs, 70 RBIs and 27 stolen bases … played for EMCC’s 1986 NJCAA Region 23 championship team before continuing his education at Mississippi State … an all-state selection as a Starkville High School senior and named MVP for the North team in the Mississippi High School All-Star Game.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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Related Photos
Columbus High School girls basketball coach Yvonne Hairston is one of the newest members of the EMCC Sports Hall of Fame. Courtesy of EMCC Athletics
One of the newest members of the EMCC Sports Hall of Fame, Alan Page poses with his family in Starkville. Courtesy of EMCC Athletics
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