Merlin

Laurel 4 star o-lineman Tyler Miller that signed with LSU was recruited from west jones. He played junior high ball at WJ but his parents split, with his dad moving to Laurel. He used his dad’s address but lives with his mom in Soso. They threw the whole “we have black coaches and we get you. They can’t get us. We win titles here”. So he went, did not win a title while WJ did. He wanted to transfer back to WJ his senior year and told a whole bunch of people about the toxic atmosphere at Laurel in the locker room. Actively kept several WJ kids that Laurel was recruiting hard from a community that is in the WJ district but is up against the Laurel city limits from even considering moving over. South Jones had their best wr and probably best returning player recruited away by petal.

smoke and mirrors from recruiters. If they are after Tristan, and multiple schools trying to out bid each other with NIL for him, they could “offer” younger bro in an effort to earn favor with Tristan and the family. Then the school that gets him will take away the offer after they have had Tristan a few years and little bro has either proven unworthy or Tristan leaves via portal or draft.

I can think of 1 year they lost over 12 and still made it to state the next year. But I don’t follow them close enough to know exactly for sure. Regardless, Hattiesburg does not have the pedigree of West Point.

I havnt seen many teams that lost 16+ starters, almost all of which were 2+ year starters, and the following season be as good as the prior couple years. And I expect the same from Hattiesburg. Plus they lost the coach. They will have some growing pains this season.

What!? Tiburon!?

5A south will be between Laurel (still so much talent they can just beat the rest of 5A south with that alone. Despite the issues that everyone not from laurel can see), Northeast Jones, South Jones and Wayne County this season. Brookhaven may have been the favorite if not for the coach retiring. Let that sink in. 5A South Bay be worse off this season than last.

Not really.

I won’t pretend to know the stadium names around d Jackson. But that concrete one behind the big concrete nothing looking building I am thinking is the one bear Murrah??? Is that Newell?? If so, why do they not use it?

it was them, or Jim hill I don’t remember, last year that had 16 at west jones

It honestly would not surprise me if laurel, northeast jones, south jones and Wayne county are the 4 best 5A south teams this year. I had thought Brookhaven would be the favorite till their coach left/retired. However I also would not be surprised if laurel and Wayne county only win 4 or less games. I don’t know a thing about north pike.

West Jones: Laurel Northeast Jones @ South Jones North Pike @ Wayne county @ Petal @ George county Terry Forrest Hill @ Hattiesburg Jim Hill

Wasnt going to matter. Poplarville returns almost the entire team. They had a bunch of 10th graders starting all over the field. If they don’t get too full of themselves they should dominate 4A south for a bit.

Poplarville still going back to state probably the next 2 years

2 starter. 4 total seniors I was told.

Interesting. I half expected Brookhaven to win 5A south this season. Did Peavy finally retire or is he going elsewhere?

I can’t lie. Late One night while feeling goofy I thought of starting a couple more accounts and carrying on a conversation with myself and let yall see it the next morning thinking it was something serious going on.

I said he was not there when Vance arrived that’s how Vance got to build the program. but who knows now how much building the new coach will be allowed to do if he can.

Man was walking the sidelines during games talking to kids up till he was incarcerated.

Y’all forget that Hattiesburg was plagued by outside influence intruding into every facet of the program to an extent not seen anywhere else in the state. Namely in the form of, as slick mentioned, Kenneth Fairley and friends. He was in jail and most of that influence was out of the program by the time Vance was hired. So he had a chance to build. Fairley was released not long ago so remains to be seen if he tries to do it all over again.

No one wants any of the Laurel coaches. Not even of their own fans.

I used to go to church with Kelly when he was an assistant at Laurel then northeast jones. Good dude. Not surprised to see him wanting to come back south.

Laurel won’t make it to south state. They will be bad again.

Not as bad as at Laurel. Which is exactly why they have fallen the last couple years. And it won’t get better any time soon. Their fans won’t admit it. But players that transferred there from other schools say the practices are easier. They aren’t made to run as much nor pushed as hard in the weight room. Go watch their games on YouTube and Facebook last year and the year before. Look how their physically massive lines were bullied around by everyone. Except the one guard who signed with LSU.

Good ole boy network at its finest. Great way to ruin a program for a long time

I think everyone outside of Oktibbeha county would agree with that.