These all-stars can play!

The Mississippi Association of Coaches Coca-Cola High SchoolAll-Star Softball and Soccer Games are this weekend at Raymond.Representing Brookhaven in the sweat-soaked Saturday afternoonslow-pitch softball games are pitcher Peyton Smithand Coach Lisa Covington. Outfielder JodiMoak of Bogue Chitto will join Smith and Covington on theSouth dream team.

The best-of-three series begins at 1 p.m., on the Raymond HighSchool Field. The location has been moved from Hinds CommunityCollege because the field dimensions at Hinds have been changed tofast-pitch.

It should be a little cooler Saturday night when the MAC’ssoccer games kick off at Joe Renfroe Stadium on the Hinds campus.The girls game, featuring Brookhaven forwardDeAnna Caston, starts at 6 p.m.,followed by the boys game at 8.

Moak, an outstanding hitter and fielder, has signed ascholarship with Copiah-Lincoln Community College to playfast-pitch. She was chosen The Daily Leader’s Player of theYear on the All-Lincoln County Softball Team.

Smith was instrumental in Brookhaven’s march to the FinalFour in the Class 4A State Tournament. She led the way withpitching and hitting. In three varsity seasons she pitched over 60victories.

Caston scored a school-record 29 goals her senior year.Blessed with exceptional speed and quickness, Caston also excelledin track this spring as a sprinter and hurdler.

Coaching the South all-star girls is MontgomeryHinton of Northwest Rankin. The South boys coach isChris Gardner, also of Northwest Rankin.

Covington and Bruce Thornton of GeorgeCounty will coach the South girls Saturday. Softball and soccerplayers report for practice today.

You can mark your calendar for July 28-29 if you enjoyall-star basketball and football games. The Bernard BlackwellMississippi All-Star Football Classic is Friday, July 28, atMadison Central High School. Playing for the South squad will betailback Marcus Shannon of Loyd Star and linebackerKendrick Bournes of Lawrence County.

The July 29 All-Star Basketball Games will be played atHolmes Community College in Goodman. Representing this are areforward Vanessa Andrews of Bogue Chitto in thegirls game and guard Tony Thompson of Brookhavenin the boys game.

Congratulations to the District Seven Baseball All-Stars fortheir strong showing in the State Games of Mississippi at Meridian.They rebounded from an 11-0 opening round loss to District Six andwon three games before being eliminated. Coached by RandySpring of Brookhaven and Stephen Cookseyof McComb Parklane Academy, the District Seven crew brought homethe bronze medal.

Representing District Seven were AaronOberschmidt, Miguel Banks, Cayce Wallace and FredPerkins of Brookhaven; Chase Coley and Cass Brister of Loyd Star;Cole Zumbro, Franklin County; Michael Clements, North Pike; DooleySimmons, Kyle Ginn and Joey Lindsey, Parklane; Damien Givens, VinceGraves, and Charles Pittman of McComb; John David McCay, AmiteSchool Center; Chris Rayborn, Adams County Christian School; andRichie Kyzar and Dustin Aultman of Columbia.

Consider it the best-ever finish for a District Sevensquad.

Turn back the clock to eight years ago when the State Gamesfeatured just four teams from different regions chasing the title.Lea Milton of McComb coached the 1992 Southwest team andAnthony Hart, then of Brookhaven and now of Loyd Star, coached the1993 squad. They both brought home gold medals.

Before it was broken down into seven districts, the fourregional teams packed an exceptional amount of talent. TheSouthwest squad included players from Brookhaven to the Gulf Coast.Catcher Mark Jones of Brookhaven was among thestandouts on those championship teams.

Football approaches. Coach Doug Clanton andhis Brookhaven Academy Cougars officially begin preseason footballpractice July 26. The Cougars are in the Parklane Jamboree Aug. 11,at 7 p.m. Their first game is Aug. 18, at Copiah Academy inGallman.