Following big wins Saturday, it appears Southern Miss and Ole Miss have both secured post-season college football bowl berths. But fans of the Black & Gold and Hotty Toddy are dreaming much bigger than playing in just any bowl game. No, they want a lot more; something like playing in January instead of December. How well they perform in their respective regular season finales Saturday will determine how elite the bowl game will be.
If the Golden Eagles (7-4, 5-2) go to Greenville, N.C., Saturday and knockoff Conference USA East Division leader East Carolina, Southern Miss will earn an automatic berth in the C-USA championship game. They haven’t played in the C-USA title game since 2006 and it won’t be easy to get back there. East Carolina (7-4, 5-2) is the defending conference champions and are coming off a 37-21 win over Alabama-Birmingham.
Claiming the conference crown would mean a berth in the Jan. 2, 2010 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., against an SEC foe. A loss, and it may mean another trip to the Big Easy for the New Orleans Bowl.
The Rebels (8-3, 4-3), meanwhile, can likely secure a berth in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on New Year’s Day if they defeat rival Mississippi State in Saturday’s Battle for the Golden Egg in Starkville. Rebel fans are giddy with the prospect of playing in such an elite game, a far cry from how things looked in Rebel Nation following an embarrassing Halloween loss to Auburn. Since then, the Rebels have won three straight in Oxford, including two big wins over Tennessee and then-No. 10 ranked LSU.
High school bowl games?
And speaking of bowls, what ever happened to all the high school bowl games that were prominent in Mississippi just a few years ago? The Oil Bowl, Shrimp Bowl, and Magnolia Bowl were always a great way to reward a team who either didn’t make the playoffs or got knocked out on the way to Jackson.
Up until this decade, it seemed every community had some kind of high school bowl game.
Wouldn’t it be great to see a Meridian take on West Jones in a Saturday afternoon matchup at Jones County Junior College before championship weekend in Jackson? Just a thought.
Prep All-Star games
In high school all-star games, the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic will be played Dec. 12 in Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., and will be nationally televised by the Versus network. Kickoff is 12:30 p.m.
Local players chosen for the Mississippi team include linebacker Corvell Harrison of Northeast Jones, Perry Central running back Nick Griffin, and Taylorsville quarterback Dominique Sullivan.
A week later, the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic pitting the best players from North Mississippi against those from South Mississippi will be played in Gulfport’s Milner Stadium. A change from the traditional Jackson venue when the game was played in July.
The game will certainly have a Pine Belt feel. Among the local players selected to represent the South, include offensive lineman Brett Saul and linebacker Desmond McCullum, both of West Jones, defensive linemen Jer’Tysen Myers of Perry Central, linebacker L’Terrio Robertson and defensive lineman Michael Ross, both of Taylorsville, and Laurel linebacker Walter Smith.
Head coach of the South squad is West Jones’ Scott Pierson, who will be assisted by Mustangs defensive coordinator Wayne Graves, Taylorsville head coach Bud Blackledge, South Jones head coach Cecil Hicks, and Bay Springs head coach Gird Warren.
Kickoff is 1 p.m.
Rob Sigler is editor of the Laurel Leader-Call. Contact him at editor@laurelleadercall.com or 601-428-0551 ext. 26.
Local Sports
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No. 20 Mississippi State beats Mississippi 70-60
Mississippi's hope of sweeping the season series from rival Mississippi State for the first time since 1998 didn't last long.
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Lady Bobcats rally past Miss. Gulf Coast, 72-70
The Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats overcame a 16-point, first half deficit and then held on at the end to defeat Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, 72-70, here Thursday night at the Weathers-Wentzell Center.
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Local prep soccer players to compete in All-Star game Saturday
Two soccer players from Northeast Jones High school and four from West Jones High School are on South State All-Star team, with games scheduled to be played Saturday.
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South Jones stuns Stone County in OT
The South Jones Braves stunned Stone County 64-63 in overtime here Tuesday night in the Region 5-5A basketball tournament.
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Lady Red Devils win
The Stringer girls advanced to the championship game of their division tournament with a 66-36 victory over Sacred Heart.
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Young hunter bags a buffalo
A local boy had three unparalleled hunting experiences recently which left him with three unique stories to tell.
Nine-year-old Logan McLelland spent several days during the month of January testing his hunting and marksmanship skills. -
Stringer teams advance in tourney
The Stringer Red Devils had three players in double figures to advance to the championship game of their division tournament Tuesday night.
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Lady Braves in title game
The South Jones Lady Braves will meet their old nemesis Wayne County here Friday night at 6 p.m. in the finals of the Region 5-5A basketball tournament. South Jones downed county rival West Jones while Wayne County came away with an impressive win over Stone County here Tuesday night.
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STATE CHAMPIONS
The Laurel Knight Hawks captured the Mississippi Christian Home Educators (MCHE) state basketball championship Monday in Jackson. In the final game of the double elimination tournament, the Knight Hawks defeated the two year reigning state champions, Jackson Victors, with a final score of 67-64.
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