PEARL - East Webster's players got a straightforward suggestion from their coach before the baseball playoffs began last month.
"You've got to turn it up," Wes Johnson advised his team.
Nine games - and nine victories - later, it's obvious the Wolverines embraced the message.
Brad Norman scattered six hits and benefited from sparkling glove work in the outfield Monday as East Webster beat Greenville St. Joseph 5-2 to win the Class 1A state championship with a two-game sweep of the best-of-three series.
The victory before an estimated 450 at Trustmark Park was the 16th straight for the Wolverines (30-5), whose only in-state losses were to Mooreville, Ethel and West Lowndes.
To Johnson, the foundation of the streak - which started April 8 - was confidence.
"You don't have to be that good," he said. "You just have to get the kids believing they can win. That goes a long way. These kids believed in themselves and believed in their coach.
"We won 15 in a row last year until we got put out (of the 1A playoffs) by DeSoto Central, which was a larger school."
Like senior classmate Joseph Morris in Game 1, Norman went the distance, striking out 10 and walking four.
Meanwhile, Zach Williams, another senior, came up big at the plate and in the field. Williams went 3-for-4, including an RBI triple in the first.
Williams also made a pair of slick catches in center, the first coming two batters after Preston Sullivan's running backhanded stab near the left-field line robbed St. Joe's Cayne Boykin of an extra-base hit in the fourth inning.
"We knew we could win state at the beginning of the season," said Williams, who plans to continue his football - and possibly baseball - career at Holmes Community College.
"We had chances last year and the year before last to win it - and we had pretty much the same starters back. The talent was there; it was just a matter of whether we did it or not."
Johnson agreed.
"We knew we had some good players," said. "We lost a couple hitters, but we had all of our pitching coming back. This group of seniors really stepped up for us."
Sweet Victory
For Johnson, Monday's championship-clinching victory was especially sweet. A pitcher for Cumberland (which consolidated with county rival Mathiston in 1986 to form East Webster), Johnson was a part of state runner-up teams as a freshman, sophomore and senior.
"East Webster and Cumberland have made it to the championship series several times before, and to finally win a state championship, makes it very special," said Johnson.
"Again I want to thank all the fans and especially the coaching staff, including Jason Taylor (hitting) and Jimmy Carden, head football coach.
"We swung the bat really well down the stretch run," said Johnson.
Boykin (7-2) took the loss for the Irish (19-7), who ended two wins shy of a 1A repeat.
Game 1 Recap
Morris pitched a complete game and went 3-for-3 at the plate to key a 7-5 victory over St. Joe in Game 1 last Friday.
Johnson expected nothing less from Morris, a lefty who was one of The Clarion-Ledger's top performers for the week of May 8-14.
"Joseph's done it all year," Johnson said. "No matter what the score, he goes out there and competes, and gives you a chance to win. He's also hitting right at .400."
Morris delivered an RBI single in the first, a two-run triple in the second and a single that led to his team's seventh and final run in the fourth.
On the mound, he scattered nine hits and allowed just one earned run while striking out eight and walking four. When St. Joe got the potential tying run on base with one out in the top of the seventh, Johnson insisted he never thought about a switch.
Morris had been looking forward to playing in the 7,400-capacity home of the Double-A Mississippi Braves ever since the Wolverines clinched their spot in the 1A finals by eliminating Natchez Cathedral on May 9.
"You want to show out in front of people who don't normally see you," Morris said. "It's not every day you get to play on a field this good. We wanted to stay focused on the game and not get awestruck."
Morris also managed to keep his poise when East Webster's defense faltered. The Wolverines committed six errors, although center fielder Williams made a sparkling catch in the third inning to end a threat by the Fighting Irish.
The Wolverines' infield has been anchored by outstanding young catcher Reginald O'Briant with Christopher Gordon at first, Ryan Spencer at second, Bart Stewart (who had a triple) at shortstop and Jason Smith at third.
Editor's Note: This report is compiled from articles previously published in The Clarion-Ledger and Starkville Daily News. Those articles were written by Todd Kelly of The C-L and Don Foster of the SDN.
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