Page 54 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2019

SPORTS & OUTDOORS coast golf update
TEE-OFF
wi Tommy
COMING TO A COURSE NEAR YOU: HIGH SCHOOL GOLF story by Tommy Snell
Oxford, Germantown, Corinth, Baldwyn and Booneville will begin their quest this month for back-to- back state championships in their respective golf classifications, but Stone County and several other Coast
high schools will hit the links in February hoping to knock those champions off the tee.
Coast juniors will dot
courses in February when
practice begins according
to Mississippi High School Activities Association rules,
with matches and tournaments beginning in March.
Vancleave, East Central,
Picayune, Pearl River Central, Stone County, D’Iberville and George County all finished
in the Top 10 of their respective state championships in 2018.
They hope to hoist a trophy in 2019.
George County’s Cy Smith finished 11th in the 2018 6A Championship
as a sophomore. The junior hopes to make an impact as one of the top golf jocks in the state in 2019. Like many youngsters who are looking to enter the collegiate ranks, Smith played regularly on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour and recently competed in the Southeast Collegiate at Lost Key.
Brad Thornton has taken over the coaching duties at Stone High School
and is hoping to improve on the school’s 7th place finish in 5A. “We are going to focus on the short game, mainly chipping and putting,” said the former MGCCC All-American and George County standout.
St. Martin’s Brandon Laird exudes cautious optimism about his girls’ chances and is quick to point out that Ocean Springs will be the team to beat next year. “With Avery Weed and Jolie Hughes, Ocean Springs should win state easily,” said the former Meridian Community College and
William Carey University golfer. “My girls are freshmen and sophomores. We are young.”
Coast women’s golf has advanced “light years” from where it was ten years ago. A sprinkling of girls moved on to play collegiate golf in the past few years, Laura Durbin (Millsays), Emily Ross (USM), Sydney Cato and Maddy Seay
(WCU), but now numerous girls
are carrying or pushing collegiate bags. Former D’Iberville golfer Hannah Levi fired a team low 67 at
the Schooner Fall Classic and made an impact as a freshman — 73.64 scoring average — at Mississippi State. Callie Breland expects to make a difference at Loyola New Orleans next year.
Their bags may be as tall as they are, but their impact looms large on the hearts of those who love to see them on the course. High school golf is alive and well.
54 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • February 2019
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Matt Viglianco, Anna Wilson, Avery Weed, Jolie Hughes and Blake Miller.