Year in Review: Pine Belt 2024 high school sports recap

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – The Pine Belt saw a whole lot of gold in 2024.

The journey began in March. Lumberton and Laurel high school repped the Pine Belt in the Girls Basketball State Championship.

The Lady Panthers suffered heartbreak, losing by two points to Blue Mountain in Class 1A.

But Class 5A belonged to the cardinal and gold. Sherry Cooley and Laurel took down the Pontotoc, taking home the program’s second gold ball in three years.

“We came here last year and got upset by Callaway,” Laurel High guard Marrisa Ulmer said. “And we just came with a chip on our shoulder. We had to win. It’s a moment you’ll cherish for the rest of your life.”

As the heat turned up in May, so did the action on the baseball diamond.

West Marion High School made a run to remember to get to Pearl. The Trojans fell just short of the gold in two games against East Webster High School.

Presbyterian Christian School looked to make magic, fighting for an Midsouth Association of Independent Schools state championship. The Bobcats made it a fight against Jackson Prep, but the Patriots outlasted PCS, winning the series in three games.

In Class 4A, Sumrall High School survived a 12-round fight, taking the title in three games against Ripley High School. The win was the Bobcats’ second title in three years and their seventh in program history.

“I think it’ll hit me,” Sumrall baseball coach Andy Davis said. “It’ll hit me on the school bus. Pretty emotional getting to see my son win. You know, it was just a tough group.

“And they battled all year. And I am proud to be their head coach.”

And in Class 1A, Taylorsville became Winnersville.

The Tartars knocked out Pine Grove High School in two games, helping Taylorsville win the eighth baseball championship in school history.

“t’s a better feeling than last time, man,” Taylorsville pitcher Ford Matthews said. “It’s awesome, especially with the team surrounding you.

You can do anything. We’re proud of you, Dad! We’re proud of you, Dad!”

The dog days of summer got the Pine Belt ready for the magic of Friday nights in the fall, and 2024 saw the Hattiesburg High School Tigers make history.

The Purple-and-Gold fought for a state championship in their backyard at M.M. Roberts Stadium after running the table unbeaten during the regular season.

It felt like the entire Hub City was in attendance, with more than 15,000 jam-packed, cheering on the Tigers.

Hattiesburg ended up falling short against Grenada, suffering a 43-14 defeat.

It wasn’t the ending they were hoping for, but they believe this year was still a season to remember.

“For the juniors and for the sophomores and the freshmen, they know when you get up, you can’t ride too high because anything can happen in a football game, and they got that feeling tonight, and they got the experience playing in the game tonight, so they’ll know what comes with playing in the state championship game,” Hattiesburg quarterback Deuce Vance said.

Weeks later, HHS’ legendary head coach Tony Vance announced his retirement from high school coaching.

After spending 12 years in Hattiesburg, Vance left the program as its all-time winningest coach.

“I won’t forget, you know, special times,” Tony Vance said. “Not everybody gets the opportunity to do what I do for a living. Not everybody gets the opportunity to coach their son.”

Up to the north in Jasper County, the buzz this fall was all around Big Heidelberg High School.

No respect, we ain’t playing nobody still, the word went.

The Oilers returned to the Class 2A state championship for a second consecutive season after their first appearance in 2023.

Coach Darryl Carter got his rematch against Charleston High School, this time rewriting the story. The Oilers took care of business with a 38-6 victory.

It brought Heidelberg its first state championship in program history.

“Big Heidelberg’s a small place, man, but they come big and they show out, and I mean, I’m just happy for the community, man,” Carter said. “Getting their first one, I guess I’m the one that the good Lord put in place to be the one to lead them.”

The Year 2024 made things clear. The Pine Belt loves winning state championships.

And, there’s no doubt that our area teams plan to win a whole lot more in 2025.

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