Prep, Juco season is winding down this week

By By Marty Stamper / sports writer
May 7, 2004
This week is the last really big week of the 2003-04 school year when it comes to local high school/junior college sports.
Already this week, the MHSAA has crowned five state champions in golf with West Lauderdale earning its first state title in that sport Wednesday at Forest Country Club. Shane Parker's 36-hole 146 led the Knights to the Class 3A crown.
Union placed third in the Class 1A State Tournament at Beau Pre' Country Club at Natchez. Jonathan Winstead of Union took medalist honors after finishing runner-up a year ago.
Philadelphia was fifth in the Class 2A Tournament at Windance Country Club on the coast. Dane Deweese led the Tornadoes with a 36-hole 159. Clarkdale finished sixth in 2A. Andrew Riley led the Bulldogs with a 159.
In MPSA golf this week, Lamar came in second to Jackson Prep in the Academy Overall Tournament at Timberton Golf Club at Hattiesburg. Prep shot a 307, while Lamar turned in a 309. Reid Kennedy's 75 led the Raiders. In that same tournament, Winston Academy came in eighth and Newton County Academy placed ninth.
Out at Scaggs Field on the Meridian Community College campus, the host Eagles and East Mississippi Community College Lions are battling Mississippi
Gulf Coast, Delgado, Mississippi Delta, and Northeast Mississippi for the Region 23 Division I championship.
This is the next-to-last year for some schools in the state to still play
Division I baseball before they all go Division II in 2006.
Don't expect Division II to be a cakewalk. Pearl River, a Division II
member, won the MACJC state title last week by beating MCC in the finals. In fact, four of the six teams in the state tournament were Division II members.
And apparently LSU-Eunice isn't bad either as the Louisiana school knocked off Pearl River 3-2 on Wednesday in the opening round of the Region 23 Division II South Tournament at Raymond.
On the high school level, West Lauderdale has advanced to the Class 3A state semifinal round. The 28-6 Knights will take on Purvis, 28-4, for the 3A South State title. Game 1 is set for Saturday at Purvis.
That series winner will then face either Cleveland (26-9) or the North
Pontotoc (24-9) vs. Nettleton (19-13) winner for the 3A state championship.
North Pontotoc and Nettleton were to settle their series last night at Nettleton. Cleveland has already advanced to the 3A North State title series with a sweep of Corinth.
The only other public school team in the area still left in the baseball
playoffs are the Enterprise Bulldogs, who knocked off Mercy Cross in
Biloxi Thursday night to advance to the third round of the Class 2A
playoffs. That winner will face the Seminary-North Forrest winner.
Clarkdale's Lady Bulldogs close out the fast-pitch season today when they host DeSoto Central for the Class 1A/2A state championship. The other three divisions were decided earlier in the week with Oak Grove taking the title in Class 5A, East Central sweeping Neshoba Central in Class 4A, and Caledonia taking Our Lady Academy to the cleaners in two straight.
Also in the world of fast-pitch softball, Meridian Community College and East Central Community College are competing in the MACJC State/Region 23 Tournament up at Booneville.
The MHSAA state track meets are also on tap for this week at Pearl.
MCC's women's tennis team is participating in the NJCAA National Tournament at College Station, Texas, this week with the Eagle men's team to compete next week at Plano, Texas.
Some other key events remain. For example, unbeaten Heidelberg Academy is still chasing an Academy Class A state baseball championship. The 27-0 Rebels will likely face Porter's Chapel in a rematch of last year's series which PC captured two games to one. PC, 26-1, is set to go for the sweep in its series with Franklin, La., today at Vicksburg.
Heidelberg crushed East Holmes 17-1 and 11-1 to advance to the championship series.
The Rebels were the 2002 Class A state champions before coming in second last spring.
And both the juco baseball and softball region winners will advance to their
respective national tournaments later this month.