Webster Progress-Times

One of the ways your local newspaper is looking to improve its sports coverage is through the addition of the sports notebook.

The sports notebook will include brief stories from the world of sports.

Among the items we are looking to include are those of local interest. That's where you come in.

If you have interesting tidbits of information about local high school, junior college or recreation teams, then please feel free to submit those story ideas to us. Also if you have any announcements of upcoming sports-related invents, send those to us as well.

We are also interested in story ideas about local athletes who may be competing on the college professional or amateur level.

You can participate by calling Austin Bishop at 601-938-2471 or e-mailing BrotherA4him@hotmail.com.

Ole Miss Lady Rebels on big roll in SEC play

It appears that the Ole Miss women's basketball team is for real.

The Lady Rebels took a 67-65 overtime road win over the University of Kentucky to go with a 77-74 win over nationally ranked LSU earlier in the week to move to 15-4 overall and 4-0 in Southeastern Conference action.

Carlee Bartee scored six points in overtime to lead the Lady Rebels, while Ashle Awkward delivered with four key free throws.

Armantie Price led Ole Miss with 15 points and 11 rebounds. It was the 45th double-double of her career. Awkward and Alllesha Easley had 12 points each for the winners, while Bartee ended with 10.

The Mississippi State Lady Bulldgos fell to No. 5 LSU 77-50 on Sunday. The loss dropped Mississippi State to 10-7 overall and 1-2 in SEC play.

Lauren Roberts scored 10 points to lead the Lady Bulldgos in the contest.

Saints have

legitimate

shot at Super Bowl

Is the world coming to an end?

That's what some longtime professional football watchers must be thinking as the New Orleans Saints climb closer to a possible berth in the Super Bowl.

But don't freak out just yet, the Saints have a huge obstacle standing in their way.

New Orleans pays a visit to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 4 in Miami.

Chicago advanced to the NFL title game by knocking off Seattle 27-24 thanks to an overtime field goal on Sunday. The Saints also won 27-24, winning at home against Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Mississippian gives edge to New

England Patriots

It will be a new chapter to an old story on Sunday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. when the New England Patriots pay a visit to the Indianapolis Colts.

The Pats have been a consistent thorn in the side of the Colts and quarterback Peyton Manning, especially when it comes to the playoffs.

The Patriots earned a spot in the AFC title game thanks to the leg of Stephen Gostkowski, who booted a 31-yard field goal with 1:10 left in the game.

Gostkowski played his college ball at the University of Memphis, but was a prep standout at Madison Central near Jackson. He went to Memphis as a place-kicker and a pitcher for the baseball team.

Interestingly enough, Gostkowski struggled early in his senior season at Madison Central, temporarily losing his job as the team's field goal kicker. He bounced back to have a strong year and earned a scholarship and is now getting paid to kick a football.

Veteran hoops coach let go at Meridian High School

The only boys basketball coach to lead three different schools to the MHSAA Class 5A State Basketball Tournament was relieved of his duties last week.

Late last week Meridian High School officials reported that Ernie Watson was 'released' from the Meridian Public School District. As of Monday, no reason for the firing has been publicly reported.

Watson was in his eighth season at MHS and had led the Wildcats to a 172-82 record and four trips to the Class 5A Tournament. MHS finished as runner-up in 2005.

Watson also led Jackson Provine and Starkville High School to the MHSAA Class 5A Boys State Tournament. Meridian High School announced that assistant Sherror Miller would be the interim coach for the ret of the season.

Meridian is now 14-5 on the year.

Mississippi has an

impact on pro hoops

While the state of Mississippi may not have an NBA team to call its own, it certainly has plenty of players to lay claim too.

In fact there are 15 players with Mississippi ties currently playing in the NBA. Three of those are currently averaging in double figures.

Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors and Maurice Williams of the Milwaukee Bucks are averaging 17.3 points per game, while Al Jefferson of the Boston Celtics is hitting at a 13.0 clip.

Other major contributers are Erick Dampier, who is averaging 8.0 points and 7.9 rebounds a game for the Dallas Mavericks and Travis Outlaw of the Portland TrailBlazers who is hitting for 9.3 points an outing.

Other Mississippians who are averaging playing 20 minutes or more a game in the NBA are Ronald Murray and Antonio McDyess of the Pistons. Former Mississippi State star Lawrene Roberts is playing 19.9 minutes a game for the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Detroit Pistons have the most player with Mississippi ties on their roster with Ronald Dupree and Lindsey Hunter joining McDyess and Murray. The other NBA players with Mississippi ties are Jackie Butler (Spurs), Othella Harrington (Bobcats), Justin Reed (Timberwolves), James Singleton (Clippers) and Lorenzen Wright (Hawks).

Thompson set to join

Ole Miss football staff

Former University of Southern Mississippi defensive coordinator has agreed to take over the reigns of the Ole Miss defensive unit. He attended Ole Miss' 74-72 basketball win over Arkansas in Oxford on Saturday and apparently decided on Monday to accept an offer from Rebel head coach Ed Orgeron.

Thompson has also coordinated defenses at South Carolina, Memphis, LSU and Arkansas. Last season Thompson was the athletic director at the University of Central Arkansas and is the former head coach at East Carolina University.

Orgeron has been the defensive coordinator, as well as head coach, of the Rebels the past two seasons.

It's time to send in

spring sports

schedule

Local schools, coaches and team boosters are asked to fax and e-mail their springs sports schedules to the Webster Progress-Times at 662-258-6474. E-mail can be sent to BrotherA4him@hotmail.com

All sports schedules, whether it be baseball, softball, golf, tennis, track or whatever, are being sought. Even partial schedules are encouraged.

Rebels hand Kennedy first SEC win

It took a whole lot of sweat and some key dodging of bullets down the stretch, but the Rebels handed first-year Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy his first Southeastern Conference victory on Saturday afternoon.

Dwayne Curtis sank a pair of free throws with 19.9 seconds left to lead the Rebels to a 74-72 win over visiting Arkansas. The win snapped a three-game losing steak for the 12-5 Rebels. Ole Miss, which visits LSU on Wednesday, is now 1-2 in league action.

Ole Miss had a 14-point lead with eight minutes remaining, but the Razorbacks rallied to go up 72-71 with 30 seconds left to play in the game.

Curtis, who was 8-of-15 from the field, finished the night with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Guards Clarence Sanders and Todd Abernethy chipped in 13 points each for the Rebels, while Bam Doyned scored 11.

Charles Thomas, who had a strong game on the inside, finished with 23 points for Arkansas, which fell to 12-5 overall and 1-2 in the league.

After the LSU game, the Rebels stay on the road to tackle defending National Champion Florida at noon on Saturday.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

The Bulldogs, who beat Ole Miss 77-67 on Wednesday, came close to taking a rare road win over the University of Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Saturday. However, the Wildcats held on to take a 64-60 win.

State, now 10-6 overall and 1-2 in the Southeastern Conference, used an 8-2 run to take a 53-50 lead on a three-pointer by Reginald Delk with 5:25 let in the game.

But the Wildcats retaliated with a 7-0 run that gave UK the lead for good.

State managed to cut Kentucky's lead to 61-60 with 13 seconds left on a three-pointer by freshman sharp-shooter Barry Stewart. Kentucky responded with clutch free throws.

It was the 10th consecutive SEC road loss for the Bulldogs, who begin a three-game homestand on Wednesday when Auburn pays a visit to Humphrey Coliseum for a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday. Sate then hosts Florda on Jan. 24 and South Carolina on Jan. 27.

Jamont Gordon led Sate against Ketucky with 13 points and eight rebounds.

It was Charles Rhodes and Dietric Slater who led the charge last Wednesday in MSU's 10-point home win over arch-rival Ole Miss.

Rhodes scored 17 points, while Slater had 16 and Stewart knocked down 12 points.

Curtis had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Rebels in the game.