Yours truly was in a local grocery store at lunch time, browsingthrough the frozen food display, looking for a microwaveableproduct which would satisfy my hunger. A middle-aged gentlemanapproached.

Was he looking for a quick-cook lunch, too?

“I want to thank you for writing about Piney Woods,” said theman. “It’s up to the media to let people know about those things.What they’re doing isn’t fair to schools like Loyd Star andWesson.”

For the unknowing reader, Piney Woods is a boarding school insoutheastern Rankin County which caters to disadvantaged youth.Certainly, that is a noble cause in itself.

Somewhere along the way, the noble cause became a littletainted. Ambitious coaches at Piney Woods began using the boardingschool as a recruiting tool.

This basketball season has revealed a blatant abuse of the term,boarding school. Indeed, the Piney Woods boys basketball team is asight to behold. The Tornados boast an international roster, loadedwith outstanding players from Africa and France, plus California,Louisiana and New York. Add a few “disadvantaged” standouts fromMississippi who can jump through the roof and you have a highschool team composed of globetrotters.

Yes, Piney Woods can play with the big boys like Lanier, Murrah,Provine and Memphis-Raleigh Egypt. No, the Tornados don’t belong inDivision 6-2A with the likes of Loyd Star, Wesson, McLaurin,Madison St. Joe, St. Andrew’s and Hinds AHS. It’s like men versusboys.

From a basketball viewpoint, Piney Woods is fun to watch. Sixnewcomers have played major roles in the team’s success. AllenAragbaye, a 6-3 sophomore guard from Moreno Valley, Calif., alreadyis a Division I prospect. Dean Haley, a 6-5 senior from LosAngeles, is outstanding. George Fotso, a 6-8 junior from Cameroon,Africa, looks like an NBA prospect.

Obviously, a loud scream arose, especially in Division 6-2A. TheMississippi High School Activities Association received numerouscomplaints about this instant superpower. After close inspection,it was determined that Chris Sims, a sophomore transfer from ForestHill, was ineligible.

The MHSAA executive committee met and decided that Piney Woodsmust forfeit all games that Sims played in. Division coachesrejoiced. PW coaches scowled and planned revenge.

Last Friday night, Piney Woods whipped Loyd Star 101-39, atPiney Woods. PW coach Wayne Brent maintained a full-court press onthe Hornets the entire game.

Certainly, sportsmanship was considered a dirty word.

MHSAA adding new rule to handbook

According to MHSAA executive secretary Dr. Ennis Proctor, theMHSAA council is looking at a new rule for the handbook, startingnext season. Pending final approval, the new rule states if anathlete comes from another country, they must follow the in-statedistrict transfer rules, already in effect. They must sit out ayear. If there is athletic recruiting involved, it would keeprecruiting down.

Piney Woods is a good school for academics. However, theathletic program has been abused by ambitious coaches attempting tobuild a dynasty. A similar situation took place with the basketballteam a few years ago when highly talented in-state players weremoving to the boarding school. The Tornados wound up having toforfeit some games.

Go back several more years. Piney Woods had a brilliant pitcherfrom Venezuela who had been drafted by the Major League Baseball inthe 1980s. Few high school batters could hit him, much less see hisblazing fastball and curve.

Brent, a former head coach at Provine, had a 6-year stint as anassistant coach at Ole Miss. He has a lot of connections with highschool coaches across the nation. He also has coached summer AAUteams.

If Piney Woods continues to stack its roster with talentedplayers, then the Tornados should move up to Class 4A or 5A.Alabama and Louisiana require boarding schools to play in a higherclassification.

Better yet, play an independent schedule.

As one coach put it, “They are in a league of their own.”

Write to sports editor Tom Goetz, c/o The DAILY LEADER, P.O.BOX 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602, or e-mailsports@dailyleader.com