After four games in a day, Benton Academy’s Lady Raiders were somehow still standing at around 1:30 a.m. for the presentation of the Class A Softball State Title Thursday. Pictured from left are (front) Ellie Ryan Upshaw, Lexie Guion, Nora Grace Davis, Brittany McCausley, Jordan Langford, coach Chelsea Raines, (center) Sierra Robles, Caitlyn Guion, Tristen Beith, Kristian Crimm, Emily Moore,Cassidy Scott, coach Steve Carr, (back) head coach Vince Davis and Jenny Reynolds.Benton battles into the early morning hours to win Class A State title

Lady Raiders beat six-time defending champ Bayou and Tri-County to advance to title game showdown

By ALEX LAKE
Sports Editor

Benton Academy won the  Fast-Pitch Softball State A championship early Thursday morning defeating Heidelberg Academy in the championship game 3-2.
The Lady Raiders defeated Bayou Academy in the game that was postponed from Saturday due to weather Wednesday morning 7-5 after a 2-run home-run from Nora Grace Davis.
Head coach Vince Davis said the four day break where they were tied in the sixth inning helped his team realize how good they couldd be.
"It helped us tremendously, it proved to us we know we were just as good as they were," Davis said.
The Lady Raiders then defeated their rival Tri-County 2-1 to move into the championships series.
After losing to Heidelberg in the first game of the championship series 3-0, junior pitcher Jenny Reynolds came back strong giving up only five hits and one walk while striking out six and holding the Lady Rebels to only two runs.
Davis gives all the credit to his girls for never quitting and always believing they could win the tournament even when certain plays didn't go their way.  
"Going in to a ballgame, you always have to believe you can win that ballgame," Davis said. "Those girls believed they could win that tournament, and it started with believing they could and would beat Bayou."

Jason Patterson Editor & PublisherNo one who wasn’t on the field that day will truly understand what it took for Benton Academy to bring home the state title this week.
Many spectators had a hard time staying up just to watch the final game that wrapped up at 1:30 a.m. Imagine what it was like for that to be your fourth game of the day.
And these weren’t just any games.
Benton had to beat Bayou  first. The Lady Colts won the last six state titles. Bayou defeated the Lady Raiders on the way to a North Half title this year.
But in the end, Benton proved to be the better team.  Kristian Crimm was on second base when Nora Grace Davis hit a home run to score the winning runs.
After that the Lady Raiders had to take on backyard rival Tri-County. Games between Benton and TCA are going to be tough no matter what the circumstances. TCA a very talented team, and they gave it their all in the final meeting of this season.
The first game with Heidelberg didn’t start until after 10 p.m. The first game was a setback, and there was just a 10 minute break before the second game began.
After a thrilling 3-2 victory in the final showdown, the Lady Raiders were finally able to celebrate  while most people were sleeping.
In over a decade of covering high school athletics I’ve never been more impressed with a team effort. This team will go down in history as Benton Academy’s best.

Pictured from left are Jason Patterson, Steve Hunt, Richard Reynolds, Mayor McArthur Straughter, Henry Cote, Manager Belinda Poe, State Sen. Briggs Hopson, Carson Hughes and Jimmy Creekmore.The Yazoo Herald

Step inside Yazoo City’s newly renovated C Spire store, and it’s immediately evident that a new era has begun.
But while the upgraded appearance may be the first thing catching attention when customers walk in the door, the most significant developments have been taking place behind the scenes.
Yazoo County is among the first areas in the state to receive 4G (fourth generation) technology, the fastest and most advanced service available in the world. Over $3 million was invested to upgrade Yazoo County’s service that will offer individuals and businesses faster data speeds and advanced capabilities.
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The 31st Infantry Dixie Division group of Korean War veterans meet once a month at Howell’s restaurant in Yazoo. Pictured from left are (seated) Bob Edwards, Vernon Martin and Marion Griffin, (back) Emory Gregory, Sonny Peaster, John W. Emory Jr. and Charles “Blackie” Fulgham.By JAMIE PATTERSON
Managing Editor

They sit alone, keeping to themselves as they eat their breakfast.
Laughter can be heard from time to time. And they seem to understand each other without even speaking.
They gather together once or twice a month to talk about the weather, sports or politics. But every now and then, the conversation may drift to what brings them together.
They are veterans of the Korean War. They are members of the 31st Infantry “Dixie” Division. They are Yazooans.
The group of men meet for breakfast at Howell’s Restaurant on the last Friday of each month. At one time, the group was composed of about 25 men. But with the passing of time, about seven of them continue to meet regularly.
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