The Mitchell ReportIt was cold out there Monday night, but there was plenty of action going on between Benton and Manchester.
The Mavericks wound up winning 6-2, however, four of those runs were practically given to them though. There were plenty of things to like from watching just one game, but also some things that should cause some concern.
Generally, left-handed pitchers find success in high school baseball and, for the most part, Berry did find success with a game-high seven strikeouts. But it was the four wild pitches (and there were more than just four in the dirt) that allowed Manchester’s base runner at third base to cross over home plate.
If those four pitches are either in the strike zone or stopped by the catcher, Benton would be leading 2-0 headed into the fifth inning.
Other than those pitches that reached the backstop, it was a great night for the pitchers. Sure, there were a couple of hits that made the “ping” sound resonate all across the campus.  In all, there were 19 strikeouts and 10 hits.
There were three hits that stood out to me. The first was by Powell McCaleb in his first at bat of the second inning. McCaleb sent a blast to straightaway centerfield that needed just another foot or two to go over the fence. Later in the game, Mahone hit a shot to right centerfield that bounced off the wall a foot below going over the fence.
However, it was Bearden who had the most interesting hit of the night. Bearden, in the third inning, hit what he thought was a home run. It looked that way to him, to me and a few of the fans in the stands. But then I saw Benton’s left fielder throw a laser to the cut off man. Bearden was doing the home run trot in between first and second when he noticed it wasn’t a home run and dove into second base safely.
People say baseball is a game filled with boredom and sprinkled with a few high-intensity moments. That must have been what people were talking about.
Overall, it was a good game to watch to begin the 2012 season. I would’ve said it was a great game, but it was too cold for that.

Head coach Grant Andrews talks with his team during a game.By TAYLOR MITCHELL
Sports Editor

The Yazoo County softball team will host the annual Yazoo County Classic this Saturday. The Lady Panthers will face Ethel at 12 p.m. and Greenville St. Joe’s at 4 p.m.
“St. Joe’s will be younger this year than they were last year because they lost several key players,” Yazoo County head coach Grant Andrews said. “But they’ll be well coached. Ethel will be better than they were a year ago with everybody back. That’ll be a pretty good ball game.”
The Lady Panthers will get their first live action this Saturday when they face Ethel after last weekend’s Kosciusko Jamboree was rained out. Yazoo County did, however, play a practice game Monday night against Kosciusko, in which they lost 8-5.
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The Woolfolk Indians finished the 2011-2012 regular season with a record of 12-7.By JOFFRE WASHINGTON
For The Herald

The Woolfolk Middle School Indians recently concluded their 2011-2012 season in the Big Black Conference tournament held at Ridgeland High School. The Indians fell in overtime by a score of 27-19 to Olde Towne in the tournament semifinals. Woolfolk, last year's conference champion, advanced to the semifinals with a 31-19 win over Germantown in the opening round of the tournament. They finished with a 12-7 overall record and a 5-5 conference record.
"We had an up and down season with some highs and lows, but overall it was a good season," said head coach Joffre Washington. "We only had two returning players with any experience so this was definitely a rebuilding year. Most of the guys came in knowing how to play sandlot, but they quickly realized that there is a huge difference between sandlot and organized basketball. It took a while, but in the end several of them made some improvements and hopefully they will continue to build on those improvements so they will carry over into next season."
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Senior Joshua Gelston and junior Jason Berry provide a unique advantage to the Raiders’ pitching staff with their powerful left arms.Panthers’ senior second baseman Brent Pigg takes some batting practice during an afternoon practice this past week.Manchester seniors (left to right) Ben Fouche, Will Bearden, David Coody and Demarcus Mahone will be vital to the success of the Mavericks’ season. The rainy weather hasn’t kept Dontarious Brown and the rest of the Indian baseball team from preparing for the upcoming 2012 baseball season.Rivalry game to lead off 2012 season
By TAYLOR MITCHELL
Sports Editor

As a player trains during the off season, with hours and hours of work in the gym and on the field, it’s that first game on the schedule that makes the player work harder. If that first game just so happens to be against your biggest rival, it’s just more motivation to work harder in the weeks leading up.
Benton and Manchester Academies fall into that exact category this baseball season. The two schools, separated by roughly 11 miles of highway, will lead off the 2012 baseball season this week when they meet on the diamond Monday evening.
“We look at this game like it’s one of the biggest of the year,” Benton head coach Brent Woods said. “There’s bragging rights on the line with the kids. It means a lot more to the community, fans and players than it does to how long our season lasts.”
“It’s intense,” Manchester head coach A.J. Downs said. “It’s a rivalry game, the first game of the season. We’re just going to have to throw strikes and make plays. We try to take each game one at a time because it doesn’t matter who you play.”
The last meeting between the two schools ended in a 12-11 victory for Manchester, despite the Raiders scoring two runs in the top of the seventh inning. This year’s game, however, is just one of several rivalry match ups between local schools in Yazoo County.
Along with Manchester on its schedule, Benton will also face Yazoo County. The first ever meeting between the two schools was an instant success and the match up is being looked at with heavy anticipation.
“That game was a lot of fun,” Woods said. “The coaches were really coaching hard against us. They wanted that game badly and so did we. It felt like a new rivalry. It was a good turnout. It turned out to be really big.”
“That’s the one they get excited for,” Yazoo County head coach Corbin Ellis Jr. said. “That and Yazoo City. Last year, the fans turned out. The Benton Academy game was probably our biggest crowd.”
As always there is the other biggest rivalry in Yazoo County between the Indians of Yazoo City and Yazoo County. Last season saw a complete sweep of the Panthers by the Indians and it is a trend that has continued over into every other sport (with the exception of one girls basketball game). On March 6, when the Panthers host Yazoo City, revenge will be on the menu.