CHASIN' FOUL BALLS  (Oct 1st)

by Robbie Hamilton

We'll take a look at what is happening in sports as we chase a few foul balls. We look at it this way---. 

           What's Good----not so Bad, and Ugly

Good—

What a community college match-up this Thursday night. The # 3 team in the country, Pearl River,

travels to Raymond to take on the # 7 team in the country, Hinds. The winner has a leg up on the

South Division Championship. If you haven't seen a community college football game, you are

missing some great talent that you will be seeing on Saturdays soon.

Have you seen the field for the 2004 Southern Farm Bureau Classic being played this week at

Annandale country club in Madison ? Paul Azinger, David Duval, Fred Funk, Corey Pavin, Shaun

Michael, Steve Lowery, Kirk Triplett and more. Two hundred eight (208) PGA Tour combined

wins in the field playing for $3 million. When you get your football fix for the weekend, you may

want a golf fix. Or better yet, go to the golf tournament Thursday and then swing over to Raymond

and watch Pearl River and Hinds.

Good to see our neighbors in Louisiana work out their problems with the LHSAA. It looked like a

split was brewing between the public and private schools. Rules compliance, academic accountability,

and financial aid continue to be the sticking points. Tons of money and the good of the kids hang in the

balance. You better watch out, before it is over it could be under our ugly section.

It was great to see that Pearl River Central's Head Coach Michael Bradley got a chance to see his Blue

Devils beat FCAHS 26-20 Friday night. Bradley is on leave from Iraq where he is serving with the

298th Support Battalion of the Mississippi National Guard.

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles easily handled Tulane 32 to 14. Could the Golden Eagles be the

“BCS Buster” for 2004? It would be a fun ride to hop on. Stay tuned!!!

And finally, look at the Maroon Tide work their way up the polls. Now # 8 in the Clarion Ledger

Super 10, up one spot from last week. And Picayune holds down the # 5 spot in the 5A rankings.

The Not So Bad---

Congratulations to South Panola and Seminary by continuing the longest winning streak in Mississippi

high school football. The University of South Panola and Seminary College have won 20 in a row.

Pearl River Central's Seth Hayden has broken the 1,000 yard rushing milestone in only 5 games---not so bad

Did you see the new rules for NCAA players being studied. NCAA football players could have five (5)

seasons of eligibility and would be allowed to transfer once without penalty. Also, the one (1) game

exemption for football would be awarded each year for a team to play 12 games. Not so bad---but makes

too much sense for the NCAA to approve.

The offenses in the Delta State and Henderson State game combined for 13 touchdowns---not so bad. You

knew that would work its way in here.

Finally, with Provine's 47 to 0 shut out of Lanier last Friday night, Coach Willie coats and his Rams are

the only team in the state to not allow a point this season

Ugly----

LSU 51--- Mississippi State 0---largest margin of defeat since 2001---sorry, but that's ugly.

Ole Miss…1 win and 3 losses---the worst start for the Rebels in 16 years

The defenses in the Delta State and Henderson State game--- see above

Seattle 34--- San Francisco 0---the first time in 420 games that the 49ers were shut out

And finally---did you see the story in the USA today where George Mason High School in Falls Church,

Virginia , has sold the naming rights to its high school football stadium to a car dealership. It will be called

Moore Cadillac Stadium. The naming rights went for $60,000. For six years. schools in Illinois , Colorado

and New Jersey have sold naming rights. I can just hear it now---“…Good evening sports fan, this is Carey

Meitzler along with Gator Pigott—high above Joe's Used Car Stadium for tonight's Maroon Tide match-up”.

That would be just ugly!!!!!!

I want to close with part of a column written by Richard Lucas in The Mississippi Press . It's about how it

was with high school football a few years ago. He writes---

“ What really sticks out to me, though, is the way the community was transformed during the season. If there

was a home game, ( Pascagoula 's) War Memorial was packed to the limit every Friday night. If there was

an away game, half the town hit the road and followed the panthers, and most the other half went down and

parked behind brumfield's department store, where the games were broadcast over a loudspeaker by the

local radio station ( which did not have the normal broadcast capabilities at night back then)”

As Ray Price put it---for the good times!!!!