MHSAA announces 2002-03 schedule

By Staff
From staff reports
March 5, 2002
The Mississippi High School Activities Association has released information on the number of games athletes will be allowed to play in the 2002-03 school year.
Baseball In baseball there will be 20 playing dates, plus three tournaments that will be allowed. No more than 28 games plus one Classic Game can be played. The Classic Game can be played the weekend prior to the season opener, or at anytime during the season.
This will give baseball teams a total of 29 games.  Baseball teams may play one game per school week (Monday through Friday).
Basketball Schools that participate in football will have 20 regular season games, plus three tournaments. A total of 28 games can be played, plus one Classic Game.  The Classic Game may not be played until the weekend before the regular season begins.
This gives football-playing schools a total of 29 games.
No division games should be played until after the first weekend in December for the year 2002. This would be December 9, 2002. Basketball season for football playing schools will not begin until the regular football season is complete.
Non-football playing schools will have 23 regular games, plus three tournaments. This will give them a total of 31 games, plus one Classic Game, which cannot be played until the weekend prior to their regular season.
No division games should be played until after the first weekend in December for the year 2002. This would be December 9, 2002.
A team may play one game per school week. The only exception would be in the month of November, after the season has started: whereby a school may play two games per week. (This is an old rule and has not changed.)
Friday and Saturday games may be played if need be.  However, it must be approved by the school administration. (Some Saturday games may be necessary for schools that have a double round robin division schedule. This may not be necessary in some cases.)
If a team plays in a tournament which allows each team to play only one game, this will not count as one of the three tournaments that they participate in, however: it will count on the total number of games allowed. Any school that sponsors a one-game tournament must fill out a request form and send in a financial report to the MHSAA office.
Soccer – Soccer teams will be allowed a total of 24 matches including tournament games played throughout the season. Soccer will be allowed three tournaments, however, they are reminded again of the 24 total game count. Soccer teams may play one game per school week. The season may not begin until after the regular football season is over.
Fast Pitch and Slow Pitch Softball Will adhere to the same rules as baseball. Slow pitch may play two dates per school week.
Miss. High School Activities Association
MPSA on the www
Followers of the Mississippi Private School Association could follow last week's Overall Tournament on the world wide web at www.mpsa.org.
During each of the 22 games, students from East Holmes Academy provided real-time Internet updates that included both scores and digital pictures. Game stats were provided at the conclusion of each game.
The EHA students are members of their school's Computer Science Department.
Marty Stamper
Comparison shopping
Tickets for the Mississippi High School Activities Association state tournament at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson are $7 for general admission and $9 for floor seats for each two-game session. Parking is $4 per game.
Tickets for the Mississippi Private School Association's Overall Tournament at Mississippi College were $6 per day which on two days meant five games and six on another. Parking at MC is free.
Tickets for the Alabama High School Athletic Association's state tournament at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center were $8 per session.
Marty Stamper
Still watching out for Nedra
Among the fans in attendance for the Heidelberg-New Albany girls' state tournament basketball game Thursday afternoon was R.E. Lopez.
Lopez coached Heidelberg coach Nedra Hosey-Jones when she played at Bay Springs.
They were a vital part of the Lady Bulldogs' state championship teams of 1992 and 1993, along with Muriel Page.
How good was the 93 Bay Springs team? The Lady Bulldogs pummeled Charleston 91-39 in the state semifinals behind 31 points from Hosey-Jones and then flogged Kossuth 86-54 in the championship game with Hosey-Jones tossing in 40 points.
She wound up her prep career with what was then a state-record 3,529 points.
Marty Stamper
Forest alumni baseball game
Forest High School held a nine-inning alumni baseball game prior to the start of the 2002 season with the Cats taking a 5-3 win over the Bears.
One of the participants was East Central Community College public relations director Bubby Johnston, a member of the FHS Class of 71.
The oldest participant was Chuck Wade, a member of the Class of 65.
Philadelphia head baseball coach Scott Hill, known as Mr. February during his playing days at East Central Community College, hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Along with a Hit-a-Thon, home run derby, and concessions, $5,900 was raised.
Marty Stamper
It's about time
When John F. Kennedy defeated Newton 60-40 in the Class 2A girls' state basketball tournament on Feb. 26, it marked the first state tournament victory ever for the girls from Mound Bayou.
Kennedy was eliminated by East Marion 48-46 Saturday night.
Marty Stamper
Class A Central Regional picks
Nine area girls were selected to the Academy Class A Central Region Tournament team. They are Jessica Harpole, Megan Whitaker, Blair Johnson, and Kayla Mosley of tournament champion Kemper Academy; Kristian Davidson, Christen Palmer, and Erin Stanley of tournament runner-up Wayne Academy; and Carrie Coker and Meagan Stokes of third-place finisher Central Academy.
Marty Stamper