West Jones upset top sports story

By John Blackledge, sports@laurelleadercall.com

December 31, 2008 10:03 am

— Its finally here! The story you have all been waiting on: the Top 10 local sports stories of the year.
The number one sports story of the year goes to Scott Pierson, and the West Jones Mustangs for upsetting the 12-0 Wayne County War Eagles in the Class 4A South State football playoffs. The previous year, Wayne County was just hoping for a playoff berth and victory against the Mustangs, but were beaten on Adam Herrington’s field goal. Herrington remembered the previous year to give the Mustangs once again a 10-7 victory over the visitors from Waynesboro sending the Mustangs to the South State Championship against the Warriors of D’Iberville.
Coming in at second place is the City of Laurel for gaining the top bid for hosting the Dixie Youth World Series this upcoming summer which will boost the economy here in the city and will feature teams from all over the country.
No. 3 goes to the new head baseball coach at Jones County Junior College, Christian Ostrander who became only the fourth head coach in Bobcat baseball history.
Coming in at the fourth spot, we learned on Nov. 28 that there will be a new classification system here in Mississippi from 1A to 6A. Wayne County along with West Jones will no longer be in the same division as Northeast Jones, Laurel, and South Jones.
On Jan. 29, both West Jones soccer teams qualified for the South State Championship Games earning them the fifth most interesting sports story.
Claiming the sixth spot is the Northeast Jones Lady Tigers for once again claiming the Region 5-4A girls basketball crown.
On Jan. 29, the Northeast Jones soccer program made school history, as both teams qualified for the playoffs making the number seven slot.
At No. 8, Chris Glaze earned the right to go to St. Louis, for the chance to receive the Lea Plarski Award, which is given to athletes in all areas of sports who show character, and who make right moral decisions in life.
Earning the ninth best story is the Laurel tennis team, who earned the 4A South State championship. They fell short of earning the 4A State Championship, falling to the Chargers of Oxford back during the month of May.
Closing out the top stories of the year is the West Jones Mustangs for winning the Class 4A Golf State Championship on May 14.