CHASIN' FOUL BALLS

by Robbie Hamilton

Boy, what a time to be a sports fans---the baseball play-offs have begun, football is in full swing with high school, college,

community college, and the pros, high school softball play-offs are underway, you can hear the round balls bouncing in the gym

in anticipation of the start of their season, Sea Wolves hockey is skating with the opening of training camp, soccer practice is

ready to roll and what great weather for golf. With all that, let's chase a few foul balls!

We look at it this way---. 

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

Good—

The Pearl River-Hinds match-up was everything one could want. Congratulations to the PRCC Wildcats for a thrilling 37-30

victory and top spot in the South Division. Next up for the Wildcats is Jones Junior College Saturday in Poplarville. It's a 3:00pm

kick off for Homecoming. My only advice for PRCC after my Saturday visit to Ellisville is HOLD ON TO THE BALL.

See ugly for details!!!

The “If you snooze, you lose” game this week is the high school shoot out between Picayune and Meridian . The Tide is # 8 in

the Clarion Ledger Super 10 poll while Meridian is # 6. In the Class Five A poll, Meridian is # 4 and Picayune is # 5.

It's a division game so guys pack up the little lady and the kids and join the Maroon and White caravan to Ray Stadium. If you

need directions, they are on this web site. IF for some reason you can't make it, make sure to listen to the game on WRJW and

let me know who wins the excitement trophy for the broadcast---Gator Pigott or Mr. Smooth, Carey Meitzler.

A salute to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles---Just the third team in 27 games to beat South Florida at home. USM is home for

the first time this season Thursday night hosting Houston . A Golden Eagle victory would be their first 4 and 0 start since 1981.

I'm telling you, Southern Miss could be the “BCS BUSTER” this year!

Congratulations to Coach Kristi Mitchell and the Picayune Lady Tide softball squad. They finished number one and undefeated

in Division 8-5A.The playoffs are ready to get underway, so make sure you get out and support the Lady Tide.

We did a segment on Chasin' Foul Balls with a cheerleader sponsor. I found out all the work it takes to be a cheerleader from

practice to training, to meetings and games. THAT”S A FULL TIME JOB. My hat is off to all the cheerleaders. When you see

them Friday Night at the game, stop and think of all the work those students have done to make it look so easy on game night.

Congratulations to Picayune Alum Amanda Mathis. She was medalist at the Kentucky Wildcat Fall Invitational and led her

Mississippi State Lady Dogs to their first win of the fall golf season.  Ms. Mathis shot a two day 144, even par on the 6,150

yard Kentucky Big Blue Course. Keep dreaming guys, one day we will shoot even par.

Last week we talked about the new football guidelines for the NCAA. Included in that same package was the new baseball

guidelines. If approved, teams would not be permitted to start spring practice until February 1 st and games could not begin

until March 1st . Currently, there is no practice date set for the spring season. Talked with a Community College baseball

coach and he emphatically said I don't care when we start and when we finish, just don't take any playing dates away from

us. Another one of those good ideas but let's wait and see.

Not So Bad—

OLE MISS running back Vashon Pearson rushed for 129 yards in the win over Arkansas State making him the first Rebel

running back since Deuce Mc Allister to rush for 100 yards in three straight games---Not Bad

Also, Ole Miss kicker Jonathan Nichols booted two more field goals against the Indians giving him a SEC leading total

of 12. Nichols has booted 10 field goals in the last three weeks. Somebody needs to show the Rebel offense the goal line.

Now, let's see how honest the folks reading this really are! Everybody that was sick and couldn't go to work last Friday

but recovered in time to get to the woods for the opening of bow season raise your hands. NOT BAD.

Roy Oswalt became the first National League pitcher to win 20 games leading his Houston Astros to the play-offs as

the wild card. Not bad for a guy from Holmes Community College and Weir, Mississippi .

The offenses from Delta State and Valdosta State combined for 99 points and 1,192 total yards in the Valdosta 51-48 Gulf

South Conference win. IN case you haven't read about it, there was a robbery in Valdosta and the fellas in the stripped shirts

did the damage to this years Okra crop. Now, I feel better that I have got that off my chest.

Poplarville native Glen Day finished tied for fourth at the Southern Farm Bureau Golf Classic. Day shot a 9 under 63 on

Sunday to take home a check for $144,000. Not bad

Mumme ball at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond gave Mississippi Valley State a 33 to 17 whipping last

Saturday. For the SLU Lions, Martin Hankins, a former Hattiesburg High star, completed 30 of 49 passes for 368 yards

and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Southeastern is now (3-2)---Not bad for a football program only in its

second year back under Head Coach Hal Mumme.

In case you're keeping up with “THE STREAK”---the University of South Panola and Seminary College both won last

Friday night to run their Mississippi High School winning streak to 21 games.

Ugly—

Georgia 45---LSU 16.---Who would have ever though that Georgia would rush for 221 yards and throw for another

209 on the Tiger defense.

I've been to several Goat Ropings and a couple of County Fairs in my time, but I saw something Saturday night in the

Southwest Community College and Jones Junior College game I had never seen in my 25+ years of broadcasting football.

The Jones' defense scored four---count them 4---touchdowns in the Jones 35 to 7 win over Southwest. They ran fumbles

in from 18, 43 and 43 yards and had an interception return for 36 yards and a touchdown. Even harder to believe, three

of the defensive scores came on back to back to back possessions. That's ugly

Did you see the announced attendance for the Jackson State-Valley game a couple of weeks back. Only 15,500 showed

up at Veteran's Memorial Stadium. I know the Farish Street Festival was going on but Tiger and Devil fans have got to

do better than that.

Speaking of attendance, only 4,093 people attended the highest scoring regulation game in NCAA Division 1-A history

when San Jose State defeated Rice 70 to 63. There were 19 touchdowns, the teams combined for 1,089 yards, Rice ran

a record 100 plays for 634 yards and San Jose scored 10 touchdowns despite having the ball for less than 18 minutes.

Is that ugly???

Did you see where the Smithville slow-pitch softball coach was suspended for the rest of the season by the Mississippi

High School Activities Association after his team used an illegal bat? Smithville was also fined $500 but remains eligible

for the 2A playoffs.

You knew it had to be here---Vandy 31 and Miss. State 13.

The best way to put it is a headline I saw in The Greenwood

Commonwealth newspaper-----CROOM HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD BE THIS BAD---Enough said.

 In closing, we did a Chasin' Foul Balls segment on high school nicknames. Here are a few of my favorites. You can get

the entire list of high schools in Mississippi , public and private, and their nicknames at http://www. MaxPreps.com.

Alright, come on cheerleaders and let's hear you make a cheer for some of those teams. And you just thought it was

hard to find something to rhyme with Maroon Tide.