The 2010 Men’s Church League Softball County Champions, Shiloh Baptist Church, finished the season with a 19-3 record. Back row from left, Drake Graham, Eric Thornhill, Ryan Davis, Daniel Graham, Perry Graham, Derek Jones. Front row from left, Colby Stewart, Derek Morgan, Eric Magee, Hoyt Jones- Coach, Brandon Hudson, and Chris Brumfield. Not pictured, D.J. May, Dillon Reid, and Cindy Graham-Scorekeeper.
The Columbia Dixie Youth American League 9-year-old Allstars will participate in District play in Richton starting on July 2. Front row from left, Andrew Prats, Zach Caston, Jacob Brown, Gary Hibley, Zack Farr. Back row from left, Noel Parrett, Chance Forbes, Jase Scarborough, Holden Smith, Dalton Raynes, Shelby Terrell, Parker Mattox. Coaches Vernon Farr - Manager, David Brown, Harold Forbes, D J May (not pictured).
Back row from left, CA Headmaster Tom Porter, Cross Country Coach Duane Powell, Track Coach Dan Fails, Kenny Stringer (Channing's father); Front row from left, William Carey Cross Country Coach Ben Smith, Channing Stringer, and Patty Stringer.
Columbia Academy senior Channing Stringer made history this morning as he became the first person to sign as a member of the William Carey University Cross Country Team.
Channing accepted a scholarship with William Carey, which has just started a cross country program.
Stringer has set several school records at CA in track and cross country. He was the state champion in cross country last season for the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools. CA has won the state championship in cross country three years in a row, said coach Duane Powell. Stringer was “the fastest in the state by far,” said Powell, noting that he was undefeated last season and holds the school record in cross country.
CA also won the state track championship last Saturday with
The Columbia Academy Boys Track team won the MAIA state championship in Clinton last Saturday.
Stringer winning the 1600 and 3200 meter run. The CA track team broke the school’s previous record by seven seconds in the 1600 meter relay, and Stringer broke the school record in the 3200 meter run. Dan Fails is the head track coach at CA.
Ben Berry
This weekend a golf tournament will be held in memory of former Columbia resident Ben Berry, who died in a July 2004 vehicle accident in Hattiesburg.
The 5th Annual Ben Berry Buddy-Ball 2-Person Golf Tournament will be held at the Columbia Country Club on Saturday and Sunday.
Berry’s friends, Michael Griffith, Reggie Williamson and Russ Foxworth, started the tournament as a way to remember their friend, who loved golf.
The entry fee is $75, and in the past $10 of it has been given to a cause of Berry’s family’s choosing, which has been Cavalry Baptist Church.
If you want to enter the tournament, contact Williamson at (601) 441-4634 or Foxworth at (601) 441-9466 by Friday at noon. If you are not a golfer, you can make a donation in his honor to Calvary Baptist Church.
Columbia High School singles player Stancey Collins hits a shot in her match last Friday against North Pike. Collins lost her match 6-2, 6-1.
By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
The Breland family of columbia at the Super Bowl. From left, Camille, Camille (mom), Martha Claire Hollis and Quin.
Going to the Super Bowl is not cheap, but it was worth every penny, said Camille Breland of Columbia, who was in the stadium in Miami when the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Tommy McDaniel of Columbia also attended the Super Bowl and said it was “fantastic.”
“It was one of the best ever,” McDaniel said.
When the Saints were losing in the first quarter, Breland heard some obnoxious Colts fans saying, “The Saints don’t know what they’ve gotten into.”
Things finally turned around, and the Saints closed the game out with the interception in the fourth quarter. At that point, the Colts fans got up and left, and Saints fans began singing, “Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye!”
Quin and Camille Breland at the Super Bowl.
After the game, the Saints fans descended on South Beach, which Breland described as the Bourbon Street of South Florida.
McDaniel has been to some big sporting events in his life such as Muhammad Ali’s last fight, but the Saints winning the Super Bowl was the best. “This beat it,” he said.
McDaniel was also treated with a pleasant surprise when his seats were upgraded when he arrived at the game. He was walking into Sunlight Stadium and a representative from the NFL’s Web site offered him seats on the first row of the upper level on the 15-yard line.
Other than the game itself, the halftime show with the Who was “electric,” said McDaniel.
Leading up to the game, McDaniel was giving live radio broadcasts for his local Columbia station WJDR. He interviewed fans and players’ wives.
McDaniel said Saints fans outnumbered the Colts fans two to one. Breland agreed that black and gold dominated the stadium. “South Florida got tired of hearing ‘Who Dat1!’” said Breland.
McDaniel guesses that more Saints fans were there because they were more excited about being in the Super Bowl. Going to the Super Bowl is “old hat” for the Colts, while it was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for the Saints, said McDaniel. Another observation McDaniel made from the Super Bowl was that it was not as loud as games played in the Super Dome in New Orleans.
Former Columbia Academy student Devin Darr is on the Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcat softball team this year. Darr is a sophomore outfielder on the team, which opens the 2010 season Feb. 12-13 in the Northwest Florida State Tournament in Niceville, Fla.
Tiffany Bond, Peggy Johnson, Sarah Bond, Cliff Bond, Elizabeth Morris and Sandy Johnson... The party was hosted by Edwin "Bulldog" Johnson and Sandy Johnson.
Jackie Stovall, Carol Fortenberry, Sarah Bond, Tiffany Bond, & Sandy Johnson. The party was hosted by Edwin "Bulldog" And Sandy Johnson
Throughout Columbia and Marion County today you will see “Who Dats” everywhere as New Orleans Saints fans gear up for the Super Bowl this Sunday. Many employees wore their Saints shirts to work today to show their support. The Marion County Informer caught up with some of the loyal fans at the Marion County Courthouse, Columbia City Hall and Song Health & Rehab.
Courthouse employees front row from left, Joy Baughman, Julie Nibert, Jackie Aaron; second row, Dana Ellzey, Teresa Terrell, Charlett Smith; third row, Reshea Huhn, Martha Mcdermit; back row, Maxine Foxworth, Tawanda Ball, Sherry McGowan and Diana Crawford.
From left, city workers Lonnie Stringer, Shana Forbes, Nichole Slocum and Faye Thompson.
Marion County Constables Eugene Ryals (left) and Paul Barber stand with Deputy Justice Court Clerk Renee Brown.
Song Health & Rehab employees are Tracey Gill, Ruth Cephus, Jodie Staton, John McDaniel, Mia Luter, Wanda Pittman, Belinda Scoggins, Jonella Lowe, James Crumbley, Kenny Jefferson, Nelvis Franklin, Sandra Smith, Brandi Jefferson, Linda Pittman, Donald Breeland and Julia McLaurin.
By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
Tommy McDaniel and Charlene Smith at a Saints game.
Just like this is the New Orleans Saints’ first trip to the Super Bowl, it is also Tommy McDaniel’s.
McDaniel of Columbia has been attending Saints games for at least 40 years and said he never thought they would make it to the Super Bowl.
“There’s that old saying, ‘Hell will freeze over before the Saints go to the Super Bowl,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel will not only be going to the game, but he will broadcast live reports from Miami on Columbia radio station WJDR 98.3 FM beginning Friday and running through Sunday.
McDaniel, the owner of the radio station, will do about eight broadcasts a day and include things such as interviews with fans and the latest news reports from the Super Bowl. Click to continue »
By Josh Mitchell/Publisher
West Marion's Alex Pittman goes up for a shot. Pittman had 18 points.
The Columbia High School boys and girls basketball teams rolled over West Marion on Saturday night.
The Columbia boys won 100-76 and the girls 83-67.
The boys game ended in a thrilling fashion with Columbia’s Tory Lee hitting a near half-court three-pointer at the buzzer to give Columbia 100 points in the game.
The West Marion girls were leading their game throughout the first half, with the half time score West Marion 40, Columbia 33, but that lead quickly dissipated in the third quarter.
The girls game moved at a slow pace due to their being 63 fouls.
The big point makers for West Marion were Keena Simmons with 17, Anita Pittman with 15 and Laneshia Gatlin with 14.
Columbia's Libby Aikens dribbles past West Marion.
For Columbia, Zana Bridges had 17 points, Canders Lee 15 and Libby Aikens 13.
At the end of the first half of the boys’ game Columbia was leading 46-43. Columbia had a more substantial lead at the end of the third quarter with the score 74-56.
The big point makers for Columbia were Donovan Newton with 19, Domnique Tovell with 32 and Jaboris Luter with 16. West Marion’s Bryant Magee had 28 points, Alex Pittman 18 and Drew Stringer 21.
By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
Keena Simmons takes a shot against collins.
The West Marion girls basketball team lost a thrilling game to Collins 50-49 tonight.
Throughout the game West Marion was winning, but Collins started turning up the heat in the fourth quarter, especially in the last two minutes. At the end of the third quarter West Marion, which was playing at home, was leading 36-29.
With less than two minutes to go in the game Collins had mounted a comeback to take the lead 44-43.
With 45 seconds left to go in the game the score was tied again at 47-47, and then West Marion took the lead after Keena Simmons made two free throws.
Leneshia Gatlin drives the ball past Collins.
Collins scored another two-point shot and drew a foul, and made one of the free throws to bring the final score to 50-49.
The West Marion junior varsity boys won their game 34-28. The West Marion boys and girls play again at home tomorrow (Saturday) against Columbia at 4:30 p.m.
