hail call to all you boys who grew up playing academy ball..

[farmerc83]

How has JA faired against the public schools? Which ones do they even play?

[ScottyLee]

i sat on the sidelines and watched prep kick our tails (parklane academy) from one goal line to the other evrytime we stepped on the field. the closest we ever got while i played was a 0-0 tie.... in 7th grade

we couldn't ever compete with those guys.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

I played at Indianola Academy in 1978-79 and 1979-80 school years. AAA ---which was highest classification back then.

Most years, back then, the AAA title was a battle between Prep, IA, and Washington School.

In 78 season, we lost to Washington School (only AAA loss), but upset Prep at Prep to take second place, knocking Prep out of the title in the process. Washington School backed into the title with our upset win over Prep.

In 79 season, we beat Washington and went into the final game of the season against Prep undefeated in AAA play ---winner take all for the AAA title. The game was played on our home field in Nola. Everything was set up for us to take the title ---except that we got outplayed...in the rain. Prep got their revenge, beating us by a couple of TDs, and winning the state title.

[BeastMaster]

I grew going to a public school.. I've been to many academy games and to be perfectly honest, i felt like i was watching a JR high team run in slow motion.. there were always a few standouts but i have no doubt in my mind, at no point in time does JA or prep or any of the other academies you guys have named, ever, want to step on the field with some of the South Panola's or Clarksdales... you mentioned yazoo and pearl.. wowee, lets pick a little bit better team to compare.. not exactly apples to apples there guys.. perhaps you would have a better chance of saying something like "the academies are competitive with the public schools in baseball" your top 3 academies in the state in any given year could compete in most all the public school divisions... compete... not dominate.. your top 3 public schools in the state would dominate any division in the academies.. stop fooling yourselves guys..

i remember hearing all this smack talk about Simpson academy and how alot of the players and parents were wanting to play south panola... i guess this was back when SA was on top... what a joke... go sit down..

[Deltamud77]

Beastmaster your point is well taken and it is not an apples to apples comparison when comparing Prep to South Panola or Clarksdale because SP and C-dale are much larger schools. Prep has been playing schools that would be in their division if they were public (actually I believe Pearl would have been a division above them).

The numbers speak for themselves...so far when matching public and private schools of comparable size, the academies have come out on top.

The academies do not produce as many college players but the college players they have produced have been quite good. Will Overstreet (Prep - All-SEC and All-American), Will Arnold (I think Centreville - LSU - All-SEC, All-American), Jeff Walker (Kirk - MSU-All SEC), Stevan Ridley (Trinity - LSU - Likely starting tailback next year), Todd Wade (Prep - All American - 1st Round Pick), Justin Wade (Prep - Ole Miss - Solid two year starter at LB). There are not near as many academies and frankly the athletes, per athlete, are not comparable man to man, but when the academies put someone in college, they tend to do pretty well.

I am not arguing that the top academy is going to beat the top public school because the man power does not add up, but you have to give credit were it is due and the last three years have been pretty one sided towards the academies....I admit it has suprised me too.

[tdog]

I am a public school coach an yes the academies have repesented themselves well. Heres the question that I have, could prep withstand the grind of weekly going against better competion? Right now they play about 3 good teams the rest are terrible. Also prep has the best coach in the state, cant forget that factor.

[Deltamud77]

That is a good question tdog. I have not idea. I hope at some point that the separation between the academies and the public schools will go away. Obviously, in most states like Louisiana, many of the private schools, or at least parochial schools, play with the public schools. When I lived in Baton Rouge we used to go watch Catholic High School many Fridays. It is a high dollar private school and like many of the Mississippi academies is mostly white. They are probably 15 to 20% black on the team. They are really good year in and year out though and play in the public school league.

Sidenote: Warrick Dunn went to Catholic High in Baton Rouge. Brandon Harrison that plays safety for the Texans was at Catholic when we used to go to games. He also had the highest ACT on the team with a 35!

[farmerc83]

I am a public school coach an yes the academies have repesented themselves well. Heres the question that I have, could prep withstand the grind of weekly going against better competion? Right now they play about 3 good teams the rest are terrible. Also prep has the best coach in the state, cant forget that factor.

I see what you're saying and no Prep probably couldn't compete playing teams like Clinton and Provine every week. Like others have said tho, Prep has done very well against public schools that would be in their division and even one division above. Remember before Madison Central split they were graduating something like 500 kids a year, thats roughly the total number of kids in grades 10-12 at Prep. Prep also does have a steady diet of strong competition when the other schools have talent. When I was at Prep we played Memphis University School, Brentwood Academy (private school in Brentwood, TN that can give scholarships), and had to play a stacked Pillow team twice that sent several guys to UM/MSU. Anyone remember Jonathan Nichols, Josh Waylen or Scott Goldberg? As for speed, Goldberg was the fastest kid on State's team running the 40 in 4.29 sec. Also played Starkville Academy that year with Will Prosser at QB who went on to play WR at State.

You hit the nail on the head with coaching tho, Ricky Black is one of the best around in any league. I would bet that coaching and coachability have a good bit to do with why these private/public games have been so interesting. Its not all about physical ability.

[drako]

i do agree that ricky black is a great coach but IMO i think will crosby is just as smart.

[tdaggett]

My son is playing at a private school down here in Mobile. His school and a couple others play in the AHSAA with all the public schools and do really well. Dillon, is at St. Pauls and they play 5A and won the state championship in '07 and are perennial playoff contenders. Their biggest rival, at least locally, is UMS Wright, also private, right down the street, who has won several 4A championshps in the last 10 yrs, but moved up to 5A for a couple years and still fared pretty well. I think it's not always pure physical talent, but "smart" play and exceptional coaching. It may sound elitist, but both these schools have phenomenal coaching staffs and and a lot of very intelligent kids, and seem to do pretty well despite having a very small number of "blue chip" players. You know what they say "work SMARTER, not harder"

On the other hand, SP opens the season tonight against Fairhope, one of the preseason 6A favorites. Also very well coached and slap full of smarts and physical skill...... Hope it goes our way, but I guess we'll see tonight.

[riverat]

I am a public school coach an yes the academies have repesented themselves well. Heres the question that I have, could prep withstand the grind of weekly going against better competion? Right now they play about 3 good teams the rest are terrible. Also prep has the best coach in the state, cant forget that factor.

+1

what division student wise would prep be in?

[rebelduckaholic]

Clarksdale is not near as big a school as you think. Probably 700 in 10-12 when I went there. There was only like 40 of us on the team. Acadamies do always have a few players that stand out but like others said don't kid yourselves thinking they can compete year in year out. And like other people have said the black white ratio was pretty high. When I graduated there was me and one other white boy that played football. All the other white kids quit usually because of the lack of playing time. It was pretty funny, I started on the offensive line and the other white kid was the starting linebacker

[donia]

I played at Indianola Academy in 1978-79 and 1979-80 school years. AAA ---which was highest classification back then.

Most years, back then, the AAA title was a battle between Prep, IA, and Washington School.

In 78 season, we lost to Washington School (only AAA loss), but upset Prep at Prep to take second place, knocking Prep out of the title in the process. Washington School backed into the title with our upset win over Prep.

In 79 season, we beat Washington and went into the final game of the season against Prep undefeated in AAA play ---winner take all for the AAA title. The game was played on our home field in Nola. Everything was set up for us to take the title ---except that we got outplayed...in the rain. Prep got their revenge, beating us by a couple of TDs, and winning the state title.

i was only 9 or 10, but i remember those pep rallies back then!! i don't really ever remember future years' pep rallies being as "electric" as those used to be. that was back when coach henderson & thompson were coaches (jkb - you know him as mr. henderson - a lot of people looked at me funny when i called him coach henderson when i went to see them play oak hill, before he went back to inda'nola).

[sadie1]

The MPSA (nowMAIS) is 4-5 this year against MHSAA schools. Over the last three years the record is 13- 6, and lifetime is 13-7. Several more games to be played this year between the two leagues.

[riverat]

That is a good question tdog. I have not idea. I hope at some point that the separation between the academies and the public schools will go away. Obviously, in most states like Louisiana, many of the private schools, or at least parochial schools, play with the public schools. When I lived in Baton Rouge we used to go watch Catholic High School many Fridays. It is a high dollar private school and like many of the Mississippi academies is mostly white. They are probably 15 to 20% black on the team. They are really good year in and year out though and play in the public school league.

Sidenote: Warrick Dunn went to Catholic High in Baton Rouge. Brandon Harrison that plays safety for the Texans was at Catholic when we used to go to games. He also had the highest ACT on the team with a 35!

only catholic parochial schools play mhsaa in ms i.e, cathedral, both st. joes, st. al, etc. i believe the only reason is they are totally governed by the diocese they are in and not by a school board, thus the mhsaa can police their funding to make sure it stays legal. i know most mpsa schools this way say they hold a tie to a church but they can't claim to be parochial if they have a board, i think? i think st andrew's is episcopal though so that would make them the only non catholic parochial school in the state.