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Being a High School head Football Coach is a 24/7 365 day a year job. The pressure to win in a lot of places isn't as important as winning with the right kids on the field. Parents and boosters in some places can dictate all the way down to what kind of offense and defense you run all the way down to play calling. Admins will listen bc the parents with the political stroke also control their jobs. You don't have to just build great young men and win games Wich is hard enough. You also have to do it while swimming in shark infested waters for not a lot of money for the hours you spend and stress you put on your family and loved ones. No coach's wife and children should be hurt by the decisions of such boosters and political crap but it happens every day. This is why young great coaches who could pore into the lives of their players for decades are getting out. sad but true

To build on the Meridian blue turf thread I thought about starting one for all schools. I got the idea from seeing Choctaw County’s new stomping grounds. They did big things this off-season. Very impressive for a 3A school. Feel free to add any changes your school has made this summer.

It got announced in another in another thread so I am sure not a lot seen it. Tib passed away suddenly back in December right after I last talked to him. This was a shock to the few that just found out. I will just put what I did in the other thread . I want to see where this one goes for my own reasons. I am not ashamed to say i wept when I found out . I just figured he was busy and waiting on August to start communicating . He busted his tail for his family and would give you the shirt off his back. He was my friend and I already miss Patrick. Every time I look that way where he was always parked my mind will always drift to times he was still here. Save me a seat and we will catch up when I see you again Tib.

Oh yeah I bet Choctaw County, Noxubee County, Raleigh, JDC, Magee, Seminary, Winona are all extremely glad they don’t have to worry about Enterprise.

West Point brings back the 4 of the 5 offensive lineman. And TE's. Running backs won't be Daniels, Tillman, and Ewing but you kno we stay loaded in that area. Defense only losing 3 starters. Best defensive player missed the entire season and he's a Jr. Yeah the rumor is that Cham is retiring but he mainly let the OC and DC have free range to do what they do. I'm pretty sure they'll hire from within so nothing will change. Talented 9th grade group coming up.

The food and drink is good but the older I get the more it rings true. The kids running around screaming, climbing on me with dirty feet and hands all sticky from god knows what. Family cooking, cleaning and having ten different conversations at one time. We all are here . That is something you can’t cook in the oven or pour in a dam cup. Happy Thanksgiving boys

I’ve been on MST since the glory days of this site (2006ish) seen all of the changes it has gone through. There are still some familiar names here that have been around since that time as well that I recognize every year that have been loyal to their schools since day one. This site isn’t as active as it once was when there was less social media presence but the loyal few along with myself keep the train running every season.

Congratulations to Picayune!

What I've seen is that administrators kowtow to the squeaky wheel parents because they are afraid to lose their own jobs and will not take anything like a stand to support a coach for doing what is right to build team and individual character. In a word, it's cowardice. And in three: failure of leadership. And it's endemic in both public and private schools.

It definitely allows more schools in the playoffs, but it certainly doesn't make schools more competitive.

i have had two grand kids since states last conference win, congrats

I've went back and forth the last few months on what to do to at least keep the memory of my friend alive on here. If it wasn't for this site I would have never known Patrick along with many more over the years. I have been half catch myself waiting to get word from him on how this or that would play out as the season has gotten ready to be kicked off. Tib, myself and a core of about 20-30 people kept this site from being thrown in the trash heap of failed message boards as the years progressed through the 2000s. He butted heads with some but he was a fair person and could let things go in order to move forward. Not a word from certain people has been put in recognition of him by some that have been on here as long as we were and some that haven't been here as long but have acted like they built this site. Hell oldtiger was pinned to the top and grieved there for I don't remember how many years. I'm not lessening his presence on here either but Tib cast just as big a shadow as that. I will even be more frank I think there is a certain one that still holds a grudge against him because Tib proved him wrong in front of us all and he couldn't take it. When I tried to make the peace and get said "person" to meet him halfway to get Tib back on here they flat out refused. Tib was absent from here for a long time behind that but he finally came back at the behest of several of us and this place was better off for it. Tib always resented that situation and honestly so do I with the way it was handled. It was as wrong then as it is now. This site has gotten less and less traffic in the last fifteen years. We are not a family anymore. I will leave everyone to come up with their own reason for why. I know why and no one will convince me otherwise. I don't know how long this will stay up because of what I said above but I really don't care. He would have said it for me. I feel like I could look over my shoulder right now and he would be nodding his head yes. I miss you on this Friday old friend. I know you would be bugging me this morning about going to stand in the rain with you tonight.

Vance forced his son into being the main focus of their offense from the first series and didn’t really try to involve their skill players . His ego envisioned making him MVP and multiple highlight reels. He deserves every bit of the criticism coming his way. He can’t get over the hump because he is not a good coach. He had no answer when Grenada figured them out halfway through the first quarter.. Ever since he came on the scene down here I couldn’t stand him. Hell, nobody outside of there does He’s the perfect Hattiesburg Tiger. this is mst tonight

Pending isn’t winning a championship. You invalidated your whole topic

Winona going to turf

So I am confused it this thread about Shelton Gandy to Meridian or Petal? May need to rename the post!

I get that people in some parts of the state have to drive more for the championship. But... it's the championship. You can't make a long drive once a year to support your kids? Keep the UM, MSU, USM rotation and be done with it. If folks don't go to the game because it's "too far," then that's on them. If going to the state championship is such a burden on you, watch it online. There is no centrally located stadium that is big enough AND that is in a place desirable to go.

The irony:

The one game I was looking forward to seeing and because of you guys I missed the first half. Thanks a lot for absolutely nothing!!!!

I think everyone has already expressed my sentiments on the WJ 2nd half play calls. Let me give a big thumbs up though to the tide broadcast on the NFHS stream. Although I missed most of their halftime, came back to it they were talking family praying together, mentoring young men, and dad’s being real dads. We need a lot more of that and I admire them for not being ashamed to express it publicly. I plan to go back an listen to the parts I missed.

Congratulations to Bray Hubbard, with a shout out to all of the other deserving players in consideration. Bray might be the first two time 6A winner, and he’s worked hard for this honor. Great player, good kid, wonderful back story including honoring his Mother in receiving this award after losing her to cancer five years ago. He and his family make Ocean Springs proud.

All of you are acting like expected fathers in the waiting room waiting for your child to be born with the release of the classification numbers. LOL. This is not really a big deal.

North Forrest is going to beat mize watch what I tell y’all

Clarkdale 16 Enterprise 13 Final Injuries and mistakes led to another Enterprise loss, let's get healed up and get ready for Hazlehurst or Raleigh; Enterprise can still win 3a.

I’ll play along. I really can’t understand the meaning of what you wrote. Maybe this will help . Ryan Earnest can’t coach defense. Has never had one in 2A or at Ridgeland.. That one y’all had last season was running on fumes from when Breland was there. Laura’s gotten as close to a championship as they ever will with him as head coach in class 5A. You will score points early in the season but as it drags on and weather turns skill people get dinged up . That’s the time defense has to tote the weight and the point where Laurel gets bounced. At that point you will run away from the board never to be heard from again. Defense wins championships. Unless you get lucky and the other teams best players are hurt, y’all know all about that.

Mississippi Schools High Association Schools Schools

As a teacher/coach...I can tell you first-hand that it is 100% due to 3 things: 1. Lack of support from administration 2. Lack of supportive and realistic parents 3. Availability to make more money for the same hours at a less stressful job. Coaches are just NOT appreciated like they were in the past for the sacrifices they make on a daily basis for OTHER PEOPLES CHILDREN! If admin, parents, government, and society does not wake up and recognize the importance of this profession...you will see "WE'RE HIRING" signs on your local schools.

I’m willing to bet if your school wins a state title you won’t feel this way.

I’m no expert, but John Perry & Prep seem like oil & water to me.

Most likely coincidence. Calpreps runs a computer based algorithm to make these projections. Pretty sure the page isn’t populated by a person but by that algorithm

The “top tier” (largest classification of schools) will always feature a huge disparity. The schools at the bottom of that heap (currently 7A) will statistically fit better and compete more strongly with the classification under them. But, I don’t know that there is a good solution. MS is not large enough for 7 classifications.

I look for OG to come out and play as if they were 2-0. If you cant get fired up about playing your crosstown opponent, then something is for sure wrong. If I dont see a packed visitors side that tells me the fans have already given up on them. Despite 0-2 the main goal is still in front of them.

From all accounts it was supposed to have good attendance being planned for so I guess it went well I haven't really heard anything. As some here know I have been limited in moving about as I once had . This was pretty much most of last year . So much so i had only been to Waynesboro two times max during that time period, Those trips consisted of me taking care of the business of keeping property up to date and not putting boots on the ground so to speak. . Outside of coming across the so called Supt briefly ( I still consider him to be a self serving bum ), I didn't have any contact with anyone stirring the sauce so to speak. These next thoughts are not easy for a someone with as much pride as I have been cursed or blessed with, take your pick, to make known. Nevertheless when a power greater than yourself reveals something to you , only a fool would not see the direction this was steering them down. Being wrong is something everyone is faced with frequently. To truly move forward you have to be willing to admit it at least internally . Very recently I spent an extended time up there and without going into specifics I was hit in the face by this very thing. It's true that Wayne County has not had success on the field . While wins would have been nice those need to be as a result of the progress . Coach Jack Hankins has been out front taking the arrows for theses kids . Arrows shot by people like myself. Man was I ever wrong . I called good , bad, and from ancient times we have been told to refrain from this. I will be judged for it one day. The man laid his guts out for me to see. There is no doubt that his selflessness is evident in the kind of young man he is putting out. I seen it first hand. He is the only anchor a lot of these kids have. He puts that first. Above on how he is viewed by the vast majority. Wayne County and Waynesboro are both crime infested traps for the young men there right now. He's the only way out for many that have the deck stacked against them from day one. Without going too long I do apologize to Coach Hankins. I hope he doesn't leave anytime soon. It may shock some but if he doesn't win another game I don't care. My point of view has changed rapidly .He's doing the dirty work that most men or coaches wouldn't touch and bailed out a long time ago. Really an almost thankless job. Wanting to hoist titles is a bridge too far right now as I see it. A lot of dirty hands in my hometown as to the overall state of things but the man that has the HC position isn't one of them. As was said to me there may not be an answer but all you can do is try to keep dipping water out of the boat as it spills in or it will rapidly sink to the bottom. It may wind up there anyway.

I give hattiesburg fans the award evacuating the stadium for the largest crowd ever in the shortest amount of time.

Shannon blew a 16-0 halftime lead. A 17 point lead with 5 mins left in the 3rd. Was outscored 14-0 in 4Q. Failed to convert on 4th down late in 4Q that would’ve sealed the game. Let West Lauderdale march down the field 92 yards in 1:20 and failed to defend a 45 yard Hail Mary as time expired. Prob need to look at someone else at fault instead of the refs.

I am the smartest poster on here I know which teams are Dark Horses.

I hate to pat myself on the back but maybe I will. This game was over before halftime with as much the Brandon defense stayed on the field. Brandon scores beyond the first one were the result of prevent defense and Picayune letting them burn clock. Not as close as score indicates. Picayune is the best team in the state at managing clock.

I honestly believe Hankins is the right guy for the job. Last night wasn’t pretty in any capacity. A lot of that can be contributed to inexperience, a lot of it was just flat out not executing the play that was called, a lot of it was OG was just better. But I’ve seen the progress he’s made in his 3 years… I’ve seen the culture change from the previous regime.. I want the kids to be upset with a loss, I want them frustrated.. that is part of the process of building character.. losses like that happen.. it’s how you respond that will determine how you rise or fall from it.. Hankins cares about these kids… I see his vision.. and for what it’s worth he has my support lol

Then you have no idea what you’re talking about. Before Pierson they were poorly coached. That’s why they weren’t very good. Too many players went both ways. They would get tired and teams would get them late in game. The 96 taylorsville game was prime example. As far as SEC caliber guys: Britt Barefoot, class of 04. Went to Usm because no one else offered full scholarship. Could have went to any sec school but most of them do not offer scholarships to kickers back then. Archie Sims, class of 05. Recruited by MSU. Scholarship pulled when Sylvester croom was fired. Went to JCJC then to West Virginia (which is power 5 school) Ira Lee Keyes, class of 05. Recruited by MSU. Didn’t have the grades and went to jcjc. I forget the qb name in 2012 that went to Minnesota as a WR (still power 5) then transferred to Usm after MN had coaching change. I forget the kickers name from 2018 that went to ole miss. And you probably know of Byron young that went to Bama. West should have played in at least 2 more state title games than they did (and as many as 5 more) and they would have for sure won one of those.

If you think you need a bunch of SEC guys to win a 5a title in Mississippi then you have no clue what you’re talking about.

As a parent in OS of a football player I am pretty upset. I am upset that the coaches that have already decided to leave are still allowed to be around players. Talking to my son last night he said yeah, Coach Green was in the weight room yesterday talking to players. Also, my son just texted me and said that his friend has had daily calls from Coach Pennock TO HIS MOTHER asking him to go to Gulfport. He also said that Will Smith the running back said the same thing about Pennock reaching out to his dad. I have reached out to a couple of parents and we are making a complaint with MHSAA today.

Well we can agree to disagree on that. imho Picayune had the much better defense and it was obvious. Laurel gave up 298 pts in 12 games (24.8 points/g) HHS gave up 239 pts in 12 games (19.9 points / g) Picayune gave up 175 in 15 games (11.6 points/g) Not a lot of common opponents, but HHS gave up 41 to Vancleave who Picayune allowed 7, and Laurel gave up 42 to D'Iberville who Picayune also allowed 7 to. seems fairly obvious. You are entitled to your opinion, but to me it's like everyone else we beat. It was never our defense but their coach or their "offensive issues". To me WJ offensive issue = Picayune's defense. Exactly the same offensive issue West Point had.

I give the Picayune staff major props defensively. You think the were dropping 8, but they were in 2-Man with a spy in the middle. This to me caught the Gautier coaches off guard. Yes, most teams tried a drop 8 to no avail against Gautier. Irving caught them in what looked like Man Free and hit long TD pass in the 1st Qt. Again hats off to the Picayune coaches for the gameplan. Also, what Stogner has continued with the program is a thing of beauty. Think about how stubborn coaches can be and want to put their imprint on a program. We see it all the time with mixed results. Good luck Tide tomorrow night.

I am excited to watch the machine in Picayune in person. I have a little cousin on Gautier’s team so I’ve had a chance to watch them in every game this year. I’ll admit after that performance against Provine I didn’t think they would be in this position, but I guess that’s why they play the games week to week. There are a few things that worry me about this game from a non biased standpoint. 1. Coaching: against PRC, Gautier had a chance to get the ball back before halftime by getting 3 stops and calling 3 timeouts. They let so much time run off the clock and never called a timeout. You can’t be calling yourself all gas and no brakes and don’t press the gas. Need to maximize those chances for points this week. Also, stop passing on 4th and 3 or less when you got a QB who can fall forward for 3 yards. The inability to run the ball cost them an upset last year against West Jones. 2. mental mistakes/ dropsies: As talented as they are, sometimes Gautier still makes that bonehead head scratching penalty, usually in the form of taunting nature or extra curricular activity after the whistle. They’ve cut down on them a lot since about mid season but one is too many especially in a game like this. As good as the receiving core is, they get bad cases of the dropsies. Against Provine, I’ve never saw anything like it. Almost wanted to check the ball for crisco grease . Numbers are already great but they’d be astronomical if they cut down on the drops. 3. Defense particularly the run defense: The East Central game was one to circle because they gashed Gautier all night. Final score doesn’t indicate it but you would have to be there to see what I mean. 42-35 with 7 minutes in the game and EC fumbles on a toss play on the 1/2 inch yard line. Gautier scores after that and goes up two scores and that EC offense ain’t built for comebacks of course. Gautier got some timely stops when needed. However, If any of these backs from Picayune get daylight , you’re not catching them like you did those EC backs. I can’t wait to head over to Picayune tomorrow. Praying for a safe trip and NO traffic on I-10

We got four buses going to all points of Wayne County tomorrow picking up War Eagles and transporting them to game. Everyone you talk to is planning to be in the stadium . The tailgate area is starting to get cranked back up(thanks to Coach Hankins for making it happen) and the grills will be smoking. Most all of our former players are going to be there and the ones that have passed on will,be looking on too. Big Jerell Powe is already back and forth out of the stadium and field house tidying things up. Someone told me he still has the door off of Brookhavens field house and uses it as the door on his utility shed. Ced Jones our great defensive end from our first title team is the father of #12 our great sophomore receiver. I heard he’s pacing back and forth like a caged jungle cat. I pretty sure Brett Hyatt from that great West Jones we battled with at that time just peed down his leg a little when I typed big Ceds name. . The band is getting back together tomorrow evening because of the importance of this game. Everyone senses it’s time for our team to take the next step. I really wish I could be there to see and fellowship with my old friends and lift up our team. I am thankful that I can watch the spectacle on the pay per view provided by Ms WABO 1. I can feel the electricity brewing from this far away. So come on down to the cow pasture Florence and take in the environment. If you leave undefeated you will have earned it but I don’t that you can. This place won’t look like when you played at Magee

Yeah they do need a culture change, back to what it was before Turner. Football team isn’t hot garbage, it just reflected the leadership at the top.

I hear and see all your saying. But the game is to played on Friday. We are slow and don't stand a chance. Nothing you said in the above statements gets you a win. Saturday morning, you'll be going through you realization mode. Asking yourself was Friday night results just a bad dream.. Your gonna be surprised at what Neshoba Central brings to Clay county.. 27-20 Neshoba