Starting with football and slowpitch softball in early August, coaches, players and fans enthusiastically pursued district/division championships. They tried hard to succeed and received lots of community support.
      In slowpitch, West Lincoln's Lady Bears made a strong showing as they advanced to the Class 1A state championship series in Jackson before being eliminated. Coach Andrew Redd's Lady Bears should be strong contenders again this fall.
      In football, where people live and die with the outcome of Friday night games, there was plenty to cheer about. Brookhaven Academy won a third straight District 4-AA championship under new head coach Herbert Davis.
      That success helped BA claim a third consecutive Class AA All-Sports Trophy for the 2008-09 school year.
      Brookhaven, Bogue Chitto, Loyd Star and Wesson advanced to the state football playoffs in their respective classifications. The BHS Panthers exited in the second round.
      Lawrence County, coached by Mike Davis, flexed its football muscles and went undefeated in the Region 6-4A football race. Franklin County made another strong run in the Class 3A state playoffs, reaching the South State title game where the Bulldogs lost to Tylertown.
      In basketball, excellence rose to the top as Brookhaven Academy's Cougars, coached by Dale Watts, captured a fifth consecutive Class AA state title. The Lady Cougars finished third in state after winning their district crown.
      Hazlehurst's boys made a remarkable run in Class 3A, reaching the state championship game under coach Robert McDaniel Jr.
      Loyd Star's girls advanced to the Class 2A state playoffs and the South Mississippi quarterfinals Neighboring Wesson won the Division 6-2A Tournament and the Lady Cobras were fourth in South State, just one win shy of the state tournament.
      In soccer, the Franklin County and Brookhaven Academy boys and the Brookhaven and Wesson girls advanced to the state playoffs.
      In fastpitch softball, Loyd Star's Lady Hornets set a high standard and made history in winning the Class 2A state championship. Coach Jan Delaughter's team went 31-1-1 and swept Hamilton in the title series.
      Neighboring North Pike, coached by Bogue Chitto native Sonya Wallace, also enjoyed an outstanding fastpitch campaign. The Lady Jags reached the Class 3A state championship series before being swept by Nettleton.
      Baseball saw the Loyd Star Hornets reaching the third round of the state playoffs and going 20-10. Lawrence County captured the 4A division title and Brookhaven was runner-up. Lawrence County, coached by Cory Keyes, reached the South state semifinals.
      At Gallman, the Copiah Academy Colonels made a remarkable run under head coach Scooter Prince. They lost a best-of-three series to Clarksdale Lee in the MPSA Class AA state champinship finals.
      Overall, area baseball was much improved. Wesson, Enterprise, West Lincoln, Brookhaven Academy, Bogue Chitto, Franklin County and North Pike all made the state playoffs. Franklin County advanced to the second round.
      In tennis, Brookhaven Academy's boys and girls, under the direction of David Misner, captured the Class AA state championships. Ole Brook, coached by Terri Hall, made a strong showing in Class 4A, reaching the finals of the team championship before losing to Oxford.
      In golf, Loyd Star debuted its girls team that participated in the state tournament. Senior Samantha Guidry was state runner-up.
      Lawrence County captured the Division 6-4A golf crown. Brookhaven Academy sophomore Jennings Mills marched to the Class AA state crown and won medalist honors in a playoff.
      Overall, it was a good year for high school athletics. While some teams whined and underachieved, others stepped up and overachieved.
      At Copiah-Lincoln Community College, basketball achieved exceptional success. Both the Wolves and Lady Wolves were state tournament runners-up to Jones County Junior College.
      The Lady Wolves reached the Region 23 Tournament title game before losing to East Mississippi.
      In softball, Co-Lin's Lady Wolves authored another exceptional campaign. Coached by Allen Kent, they won the state tournament and finished fourth in the region.
      In golf, Co-Lin captured the MACJC Division II state tournament. In tennis, the Co-Lin men's team tied Hinds for the state title.

      Feels like summertime in the Deep South.
      Judging from the amount of sweat soaking my T-shirt and bluejeans, the thermometer is pushing 90 degrees and the humidity is approaching 100 percent. Mississippians can begin wishing for those crisp autumn days of late October that seems to be a million miles away.
      Thank God for air-conditioning.
      This is the time of year when folks begin dreaming of vacations in the mountains. Why someone searching for rest and recreation would venture south of the Mason-Dixon Line in the summer befuddles me.
      Personally, I'm partial to the mountains when it comes to vacations, or as the Europeans say, "Holiday." Give me the Rocky Mountains, the Smokey Mountains and the Adirondacks for a holiday.
      Many vacations or holidays are put on hold because families are involved in youth baseball and softball leagues. Most of the regular season activity will conclude by the middle of June. Then come the tournaments and the all-star tournaments. Many of them won't begin until after Independence Day, July 4th.
      As early as school begins in Mississippi, many World Series-level summer tournaments are going strong in mid August. This makes us wonder aloud, "Whatever happened to school beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day?"
      
      Write to sports editor Tom Goetz, c/o The DAILY LEADER, P.O. BOX 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602 or e-mail sports@dailyleader.com