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Prep Rally

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#436: 7A baseball is brutal; big basketball coaching news – 04/29/26

Brad and Brendan are back, and they've got plenty to talk about what with the baseball and softball playoffs going on. Class 7A baseball continues to be a gauntlet, with more than a third of the first-round games decided by one run (1:23). In 1A, Tupelo Christian took down Biggersville in three games (3:27). And looking ahead to the quarterfinals, the East Union-Hamilton softball series will feature some elite pitching (4:25). The Miss Softball and Mr. Baseball awards were announced earlier in the week, with six area players being honored (6:27). And we've got some big coaching news: Robert Green has stepped down as Tupelo boys basketball coach (7:29).

#435: Tupelo, TCPS baseball looking to make playoff runs – 04/22/26

Brad and Brendan are here with a brand new episode as the baseball and softball playoffs get going. Tupelo opens the Class 7A baseball playoffs against Starkville (1:16), which won't be an easy out. In 1A, Tupelo Christian looks to be a contender with players like Jax Coker and Jack Decker (3:33). And in softball, Amory and Ripley will tangle in 4A this week (4:52). The tennis championships were held earlier this week, with both Pontotoc and New Albany taking home titles (5:58). In football news, Thrasher is hitting the pause button on its football program (6:35).

#434: West Union softball 'poised' for a run in 1A – 04/08/26

Brad and James are back after a brief hiatus, and there's plenty to discuss. On area diamonds, we're in the final stretch of the regular season, with region titles and playoff seedings on the line. In softball, West Union clobbered Potts Camp on Tuesday to claim the Region 2-1A title (1:29), and James believes the Eagles are "poised" to make a big run in the playoffs. Lafayette, meanwhile, has work to do if it wants to claim the 1-5A crown after a mistake-filled loss to Caledonia (3:23). On the baseball front, Region 1-7A is crowded at the top, and Tupelo is looking to pull out a good playoff seed (4:50). In coaching news, Ryan Finch has stepped down as Saltillo's head football coach (6:19). The Daily Journal released its annual All-Area basketball honors last weekend (7:22). In other hoops news, Tishomingo County's girls finished No. 4 in the MaxPreps Small Town Top 25 rankings (8:04).

#433: Tupelo softball, Mooreville baseball notch impressive wins – 03/16/26

Brad is joined by Brendan for this week's episode, and they've got some updates from the diamond. Tupelo softball, which has Katherine Gillon back in the fold, took down county rival Mooreville last week (1:35). West Union softball, a Class 1A team, took down Lafayette, which reached the 5A finals last year (2:50). And Mooreville's baseball team rolled past Tishomingo County (4:09). Also today, Tishomingo County's Meg Moore was named the Mississippi Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year (6:15). Be sure to vote for Athletes of the Week (7:46) by visiting us on Twitter, @djournalsports.

#432: Seven area basketball teams win state titles – 03/10/26

Brad and James are back after a week in Jackson, where seven area teams won basketball state championships. Ingomar's girls won a fourth straight title behind the play of Daylen Grisham (2:04). Calhoun City's boys, meanwhile, gave 26th-year head coach Daren Coffey his first gold ball (3:51). East Union's girls won it all for the first time (5:30), while Booneville's girls won for the fourth time in five years (6:24). Tishomingo County's girls took their second crown in three years (8:21), and Starkville swept the 7A titles (9:40). Be sure to vote for Athletes of the Week (11:18) by visiting us on Twitter, @djournalsports.

#431: Three teams win soccer titles; basketball playoffs roll on – 02/23/26

Yes, it's a Monday, which is now the day Prep Rally will drop each week. Hurray! Brad and Brendan have plenty to recap from a busy weekend. Three area teams won soccer state championships on Saturday: Tupelo's girls broke a 20-year drought (2:54), Saltillo's girls won their fourth in a row (5:14), and New Albany's boys claimed their first title (5:40). The basketball playoffs are ongoing. Tupelo's girls and boys both won their first-round games (6:52). The quarterfinal round begins later this week for all classes, and there are some mighty attractive matchups (9:36). Also, several area players won Mr. and Miss Basketball awards (12:11). In some big coaching news, Brett Morgan is the new head football coach at Starkville, and he was replaced by longtime assistant Roger Burton (13:11). Be sure to vote for Athletes of the Week (14:09) by visiting our Twitter page, @djournalsports.

#430: Talking soccer playoffs, Tupelo baseball and hoops – 02/11/26

It's crossover season, which means Brad and James have a diverse set of topics to discuss. The soccer playoffs are in full swing. Tupelo's girls won their first-round matchup against Germantown thanks to the O'Rear sisters (1:42). In boys action, Parker Pounders led Booneville past a tough Pisgah team (3:13). Baseball season, believe it or not, has begun. Tupelo opened the 2026 campaign on Tuesday with a 5-1 win against Corinth (4:50). And on the basketball court, it's region tournament time. New Site and Walnut will meet up in the Region 1-2A title game on Friday (6:42). And then next week, the playoffs get started (8:35). Be sure to vote for Athletes of the Week (9:18) by visiting our Twitter page, @djournalsports.

#429: Ingomar, Houston clinch region titles – 02/04/26

Basketball has finally returned after several days off due to Winter Storm Fern. Brad and Brendan are here to discuss a couple of key games. Ingomar's girls won the Region 3-1A regular-season title with a blowout win over Okolona on Monday (1:40). On Tuesday, Houston's girls beat Itawamba AHS to claim the 2-4A top seed (2:53). The season was supposed to end this week, but due to the number of games being postponed, teams will be allowed to play through Tuesday of next week (4:21) – and then they'll jump into region tournament play. On the football front, Tupelo has released its 2026 schedule (5:43). Be sure to vote for Athletes of the Week (7:26) by visiting our Twitter page, @djournalsports.

#428: New Albany, Wheeler pick up critical basketball wins – 01/21/26

Brad is joined by James on this week's episode, with plenty of hoops to talk about. New Albany's boys clinched the Region 1-4A top seed with a win over Corinth (1:33), while Wheeler's girls got some revenge against Thrasher (3:13). And Ingomar's boys picked up a last-second win against Tupelo Christian (4:56). With inclement weather headed our way, several games scheduled for this weekend have been rescheduled or canceled, including the Hotbed Classic (6:09). Also, seven area players were selected to the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Basketball Games (6:51). Be sure to vote for Athletes of the Week (7:34) by visiting our Twitter page, @djournalsports.

#427: Tupelo girls, New Site boys excel on hardwood – 01/14/26

Brad and James have some important basketball updates for you this week. Tupelo's girls remained unbeaten in region play with a dominant win over Horn Lake (1:25). New Site's boys, meanwhile, pulled off a pair of upsets to claim the Prentiss County Tournament title (3:23). And Peyton Wray has been very productive for Ingomar's girls (5:22). On the soccer front, Tupelo Christian clinched a region title by beating Booneville (6:40). Be sure to vote for Athletes of the Week (7:53) by visiting our Twitter page, @djournalsports.

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