2005_fav_memory

We are compiling a list of favorite memories of Picayune Maroon Tide sports from members of the Maroon Tide

Nation. We want to hear from fans and players in all sports. We plan to post all we receive to allow everyone to

I was hanging out with Natalie last Friday when I saw I had missed a call from my mom. So I called my house back, and my

PRC did WHAT? PRC, the number four seed in our region, a team we had beaten by 27 in the regular season, had just

beaten the number one team in all of class 5A? A team that Picayune never could beat? And at Wayne County nonetheless?

And then it hit me - PRC played Long Beach next. PRC had beaten Long Beach in the regular season. We played Pascagoula

next. We had beaten them by 28. It was then I realized - the road to the only rematch I care about (with apologies to the

And then, last week, Picayune won. And PRC won. Picayune vs. PRC. South State championship. The winner plays in the

biggest game of their life. The loser goes home. Picayune and PRC have played many times. Picayune and PRC have never

If you take Highway 11, Picayune and PRC are separated by 10.8 miles. It is your classic high school football rivalry - the city

school vs. the county school. As a Picayune graduate, it's a rivalry in which I've always taken pride. Picayune has never lost to

PRC since Dodd Lee became head coach. Dodd is 14-0 against PRC, or something like that. One year when I was in high

school, Picayune played PRC for homecoming. Picayune won 63-0. But that was back when PRC's program was nowhere

The rivalry has largely been a friendly one, to my knowledge. I do remember a goat or pig showing up on campus during game

week. There may have been some "minor" acts of vandalism. And a lot of trash talk. Our youth group at church was divided

between Picayune students and PRC students. Fellowships were planned around who had a home game that week. The matchups

were always emotional - you know how people get about football rivalries. Granted, the matchups were never really close.

Picayune has always been the big brother. But no more. PRC is on a tear. PRC is an incredible football team. And it's scary.

It's been eight years since Picayune has been this close to a state championship. It's been 25 years since Picayune has won one.

I was born the year Picayune won their last one. This year, the game is on my birthday...

High school football is what matters in Pearl River County, Mississippi. Alabama is college football mecca. Never have I seen

so much rejoicing over a team in Oklahoma losing a game. But Mississippi's college teams are medicore at best - and have pretty

much always been. So high school football is what matters. And for about two and a half hours on Friday night, one football

The real "game of the century." Who knows? Maybe someone will score a touchdown this time.

Reid Dossett Class 1986 PMHS
I have so many great memories from my years of playing football at Picayune high school. Thinking back it was a very

critical time in my life when growing up was not an option. A time when everything and every person that you came in

contact with could and usually would have some kind of influence on the decisions we all have to make while growing up.

I would like to tell everyone about a man that had a great positive influence on my life as a young man his name was coach

Calvin Triplett. Coach Triplett not only taught the game of football he taught the game of life. He had the ability to make

the laziest player on the team give 100 percent with just a few words. He taught respect and he got it from every player

as well as every coach and I never heard him say a curse word. He held us accountable for our grades , our behavior

off the field as well as our jobs on the field. I am now 43 years old and I still go back in my mind to lessons learned

while playing football under coach Triplett. Those who played for and coached under him were truly blessed with a leader.

I've carried this pain for a long time. So it's good to write about it and get it off my chest. 2003 South State Championship

game. A game in the stat column that our boys dominated. To watch these boys from pee-wee to their senior year just

absolutely dominate games was almost biblical. That night it all came to a sudden stop for a team that many fans of the

Maroon Tide including myself thought “these guys have it! That special core to win it all”..and for them to come so far

and yet to come up so short..it almost seems like if I watch it again on replay there will be a different outcome. That night

I saw something special when the clock hit double zeros. I saw teammates picking each other up with tears in their eyes

still refusing to quit, still refusing to show any weakness whatsoever. I was more proud in that moment than any victory.

These guys were winners and they didn't back down from no one. They were not the fastest, strongest, or the biggest

team we had ever saw. They were just winners that brought their lunch pail every night and got the job done and did it

the right way. It also shows how special that 1986 team was and that going to the big dance is hard enough but to go

there and win it all..well, that's just a god thing! Cheers to the 1986 state champs! You guys were the best!

But..here is a salute to that 2003 teams core members. You guys are all scholarship players in book.

Larry Pigott (Class of 1980)
Out of so many great memories, one presently shines. In 2006, the emotional 3rd round match between both unbeaten

Picayune and Wayne County. This game in itself has numerous memories, the close competition and talent on the field,

the controversial call(s), Coach Lee standing up for his players, those that were there all remember....But the thing that

I will carry forever from this game is this: As I left the stands, from this adrenalin and emotionally charged game, I passed

right in front of the band and Pride of the Tide. Everyone of these kids had tears streaming down their faces...yet they

stood at attention with PRIDE, and then proceeded to march diagonally across the field amist the mob of celebrating fans

and team of Wayne county, as this was their only way out. They played their drums and marched out in perfect order

with PRIDE just like they marched in. We may have lost the game but I have never been more proud to be a parent

One of my most memorable experiences came when I was a freshman in high school back in 2002. We played PRC at home

that year and soundly whipped the Blue Devils by a score of 63-0. The Maroon Tide of the 'YUNE controlled and dominated

the entire game. Sometimes I wonder if PRC ever wanted to take the field again after such a draining and demoralizing loss.

This was just one of those good ol' Maroon Tide whippins that a Maroon Tide fan won't ever forget.

I cannot believe I'm getting so old. How can the 1986 South State Football game not be mentioned on this site?

Moss Point vs. Picayune - triple overtime and we win by a blocked extra point. I know this actually happened because

I was on the field. Does anyone remember that? We went on to win the State Championship.

MaroonTide.com response: Sorry Charlie. Michael Guidry mentioned it earlier, but you are right; how soon we forget.

Charlie is #81 (back row). The roster we found has his name, along with others, spelled wrong.

Since my Dad wrote his favorite Maroon Tide memory, I have to write mine also. It is impossible to narrow it down to just

one game,so I have chosen a few. The two games versus Laurel "between the bricks" in 2001 were two of the best games ever.

Playing in their stadium was supposed to be soooo intimidating, but our players didn't seem to mind it. Both of the games were

very close and very exciting. My memory is a little hazy, but the playoff game came down to the very last seconds. Laurel was

within field goal range, and it looked as though they would beat us in the last seconds. Chick (Donovan Quinn) blocked the field

goal and we won the game. After the game was over, Chick ran to the top of the stadium and stood on the top of the bricks in

The Oak Grove football rivalry really fired up in 2003, the year of Garry Pack, but in the South State game Picayune used a

special defense and put a stop to that. Even my brother, Scott Hillery, who normally played only on offense, was used on

defense and tackled him. The game came down to the last seconds and we weren't able to score and Oak Grove won, but
nevertheless it was a great game. The next year the rivalry was still fierce. Oak Grove was the last regular season game and it was

to decide whether or not Picayune went to the play-offs. Knowing the importance of the game and it could possibly be Scott's last

game, my roommate and I drove down from Michigan to see the game. We were not disappointed. The game was very close once

again, and Oak Grove kicked a last minute field goal to win the game. Even though we lost, the boys, particularly the seniors,
gave a great effort. After the game there were tears and laughter. Long after the game was over, Jeffrey Stewart, Ryan Detillier, and

Scott stood at midfield discussing their maroon tide football experience. That was one of the best and yet most bittersweet Maroon

In my own personal opinion, I think the 2005 South State Championship was more memorable than the one before. We, the Lady

Tide Softball team had to come back from being down one game in the best of three series, with the first loss to Petal 8-3. But the

Tide would leave no doubt in game 2 as we put up 21 runs holding Petal to only 7. Game 3, I will never forget, it might as well

been a home-run derby, I can't even tell you how many home-runs were hit that game. Petal put up 8 runs in the first inning against

us. But we would fight back as Chanel Willis hit a Grand-Slam over the left field fence, bringing the score 8-4. The score would

later be Picayune 17, Petal 16, with Petal coming to bat in the top of the seventh, we intentionally walk Judy Barber 'cause the girl

can flat out hit the softball, that would bring up Petal's 3rd baseman, Morgan, and she hit a two run home-run over the center field

fence to make the score 17-18, that would be all the runs Petal would get in that inning. Picayune had the top of the line-up

coming up, Courtney flied out to right field, Breonne would get on with a double, I (Cassie Rabion) would be intentionally

walked to put the winning run on first base, Kellye Bolar would hit a sac-fly to move Breonne Spikes (Bulldawg) to Third.

With two outs Chanel Wills, who hit the grand-slam earlier in the game, was intentionally walked to load the bases. Tara Dunn,

would step in the box ready to hit, but she was walked so Petal walks in the tying run, that would bring up my hero Allison Bynum

(Dink) who a couple of pitches into her at bat would hit in the game winning run for Picayune to win their back to back South State

Championship on their home field.

The 2003 Maroon Tide football team was a great team with many great moments. There was the overtime win against Meridian

and the 7-0 win at Hattiesburg. But my personal favorite Maroon Tide moment was the first round playoff game against Ocean

Springs. The Gee right Gee left offense came out throwing with senior QB Chris Stewart hitting junior wide receiver Scott Hillery

on an 87 yard touchdown pass. Everyone expected a continuation of the Justin Magee show. Man, were the Greyhounds fooled!

Chris threw for two touchdowns that night and 168 yards. What made it even more memorable was that right before the game

started, Chuck Stewart (Chris' father) came by and told me the play. He said Chris told him what the first play would be that

morning at breakfast. Chuck said he had been so nervous all day and he was glad to share the misery with me. While Chuck

had suffered all day, I had to only make it through the National Anthem and kick off, but that was bad enough. Well, Chris threw

a great pass, Scott made the catch, and it was off to the races. As WRJW 1320 AM color analyst Jason "Gator" Pigott would say

on his description after the play “...forget about it. You're not gonna catch him.”

The Tide went on to win that game and continue their playoff run. That season ended in one of the best games ever as Picayune

and Oak Grove slugged it out for the South State title. Unfortunately, Picayune came up 5 yards short of making it to Jackson.

Mine on the other hand, has to be the baseball team coming back from losing to Pearl in 2001 and making it back just to the

State finals. What a year. Also, I think I don't know how many of you remember this blooper, but it sticks out...

When Brett Harris was pitching on the mound and he went to pitch and threw it over the fence and hit the roof of the

I have been reading all of the responses and have enjoyed them all. I have been thinking about some of my memories and it was

hard to narrow them down.. I have too many to mention. I'll try to narrow it down to a few:
1. Jeremy (my younger brother) hitting a baseball off the wall in Picayune his junior year to beat Petal for the district championship.

Mr. Sam (Adkins) and Grubby (Geri Grubbs) were going crazy on the radio as they thought it was a homerun.
2. Jeremy and the Tide beating Oak Grove at Oak Grove to win the south state baseball championship in 2001. Oak Grove

had beaten them twice in the regular season.
3. Duck Taylor--too many memories here..I'll give you two: Duck T. having the shortest stint being a color commentator in the

history of broadcasting, and Duck telling an umpire that "he must need a braille baseball because he couldn't see a strike, maybe

he could feel one".
4. Picayune football 1986--I was in the third grade and I have seen a lot of great football games, but none better that the

Picayune/Moss Point game for the South State that year. And, of course, the state championship game.
5. Dean Shaw--way too many to mention--just pick a game. This year, what Coach Shaw and Coach Peterson accomplished

was pretty remarkable. I also remember Picayune beating St Stanislaus a few years ago for the district championship. The only

emotion that I ever saw from Coach Shaw was when he buried his face in his hands constantly on the bench. However, after

this game, he was running all of the court!
6. Getting to meet Coach Triplett before he passed and listening to him tell stories about coaching football.
7. Mr. Sam Adkins--especially the first time that I heard him call a strike!!!
8. Getting past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in school history my junior year in baseball...playing with a bunch

of great guys, especially the seniors: Ernie Landrum, Cory Tate, Brian Lumpkin, Cayne Stockstill, Steven Morrison (hope I didn't

leave anyone out)
9. Maroon Tide football...once again hard to narrow it down--Watching Picayune leave it all on the field twice at Oak Grove a

couple of years ago was pretty special.
10. Picayune baseball...Naturally, the state championship and also "the Homerun From Heaven"
I told you I had too many to mention!!!!! I really enjoyed typing all of these and reliving all of these things. Some of them are

about people and not sports, but I have great memories of them too. Maroon Tide sports has been very special to me
and my family. My dad (Nicky) always took me to as many of the games as he could for as far back as I can remember. I have

tons of special memories and I could have typed a bunch more but I started developing carpel tunnel syndrome. Hopefully, I can

Tim Hoffman: (Class of 2004)
(2002-2003) The first was my junior year during football season. We were in the playoffs and we were playing Laurel and we

were down but not out as a lot of people would always say about our team. And then we ran our infamous half back pass.

Justin Magee through a bomb and then with everything he had Richard Imhoff caught the ball with his well; finger tips.
(2003-2004) Also my second and probably one of the funniest memories was my senior year first round of the state playoffs we

were playing Ocean Springs and I was put in at middle linebacker and we caused a fumble and I picked the ball up and in my

adrenaline didn't pay attention to where I was running and flattened one of the referees.

Jason Pigott: (Class of 1993)
Favorite Maroon Tide Moment: “ The Homerun From Heaven”
By far my favorite Maroon Tide moment occurred during the 2002 Baseball Season. It was Game 3 of the 4-A South State

Championship series between Picayune and Terry. The series couldn’t get any closer: tied at one game apiece with the deciding

Game 3 tied in extra innings 4-4 in front of an overflow crowd in Picayune. The table was set in the 8th as Chris Stewart led off

with a single up the middle. Stewart would advance to second base after Richard Imhoff was intentionally walked bringing Cody

Stogner to the plate. Playing with a heavy heart due to the tragic loss of his sister just days prior to the game, the senior catcher

completed a silent prayer and stepped toward the batter’s box. It was at that moment I realized something special was about to

happen. “A base hit here would win it for the home team…” it was almost like we were all extras in a movie script…the game

would soon end like one. Just like the star of a Kevin Costner baseball film, with the season on the line, Stogner delivered a

three-run walk-off game-winning homerun high over the wall in left field sending Picayune to the State Championship Series.

That moment along with the celebration that followed is what makes high school athletics special; the games are not played

for money or individual gain, but for moments like this one and like those listed below. The Maroon Tide would go on to

defeat New Hope and claim the school’s first ever Baseball State Championship.

I don't do it that much but I have to toot my own horn here. Even though I was involved in many historical Maroon Tide baseball

games, from losing for the first time in school history to PRC, to beating Oak Grove and Petal for the first time in a season, the

memory I cherish the most occured in 1999 in Bay St.Louis on a crystal clear Tuesday night. With the first ever Picayune baseball

7-4A division on the line, a highly underated baseball player, but well known athlete, by the name of Dustin Clement came up big

with a 4 for 4 performance: 1 homer and 3 singles, 6 rbi's and 2 stolen bases to give Picayune their first ever division championship

by beating Bay High 10 to 5. Finishing the season 26-4 and 12-1 in the division, the often forgotten season of 1999 was great

Jennifer (Burke) Taggard: (Class of 1991) Assistant Director/Choreographer Pride of the Tide

I am a huge Maroon Tide Football fan. I believe I have only missed 2 football games in the last 12 years. Anyway, it is hard to

pick one, but one that stands out in my mind is the Picayune-Laurel game. We played them twice that year "between the bricks".

I don't know if it was the first or second game we played them, but we were 4th and long and before the play I told Mr.

Cumberland and my husband Pete that we were going to fake the punt. They did not believe me, but boy was I right. We

ended up scoring after faking the punt. Both of those games were very exciting. Another memory from the same game is when

Laurel had the ball and they were going for a touchdown and we (the band & Pride) made so much noise they could not hear

and the boys ended up stopping them. Just thinking of this makes me ready for fall. I love Tide football season!

Jeff Robbins: (Class of 1979)
My favorite Tide memory was in June 2002. Scottie Robbins was a active member in the Mississippi High School Rodeo Association.

He believed he could take his school and himself to the next level in rodeo. It was at the Mississippi State High School Rodeo finals

at Jackson, when Scottie had to catch all three of his calves to qualify for the National or International Rodeo finals. In the first

go-round, he came out and roped a 17 second run. He tripped coming off his horse. But with some good luck for him and some

bad luck for others, he was able to stay in the top 10 the first go-round. In the second go-round the calf roping was getting tough.

Scottie came out and roped a 13 second run in the second go-round and was able to place third in this round giving him the points

he needed to make the short go, the last and final round. He was the number 2 man to rope in this round. He was a flat 10 seconds

on his last calf. This run secured Scottie a trip to the International High School Rodeo finals in Fallon, Nevada and finished fifth in

the state and second in the average for the Mississippi State High School Rodeo Association. Way to go Maroon Tide Cowboy!

Every practice and game spent with the Lady Tide Softball Team provides a memory and to pick one as a favorite is hard.

Although,Cassie Rabion's walk off home run in game one of the South State Championship over Moss Point this past slow pitch

season is one I will never forget. Cassie had reached first base on an error by the Moss Point pitcher attempting to catch a fly

ball in front of home plate. The home plate umpire ruled her safe after the ball was touched and rolled into foul territory. The

MP coaching staff and umpires had a brief discussion and sent her back to the batter's box to continue her at bat. I remember

standing in the first base coaches box thinking "big mistake". I instructed Cassie to relax, take a deep breath and make that hurt.

A couple pitches later she launched the game winner with Amanda Feeley on first base, who singled to lead off the inning.

That hit sparked the Lady Tide to a 12 -5 victory in the second game to claim their first ever South State Championship.

http://www.maroontide.com/sp_2004_SouthState_vs_MossPoint.htm

Jeffrey Stewart (Class of 2005):

I don't know if it is fair to have two, but I do, so here they are. My two favorite Maroon Tide memories are the 2002 State

Championship baseball series and the 2003 Football South State game. My favorite play of the baseball series is when my older

brother, Chris Stewart hit a two run homer in the sixth (I'm going off of memory here, so I may be wrong) to tie the game. Later,

in the top of the seventh inning with runners at second and third, he ripped one up the middle to score the go ahead run plus one.

The one play that I will never forget in the football game has to be the halfback pass from Magee to Detillier. Even though we lost

the game, it is definitely one of the best games I have ever been a part of. Chris Stewart pitched the ball out to Justin Magee, who

pulled up and hit a sliding, wide-open Ryan Detillier in the end zone for six. Okay, so I told a little fib, I have a third unforgettable

Tide memory. I witnessed one of the best catches at any level of football on the football field in Picayune in 2002 in a playoff game

against Laurel. Yet again, it was a pass from Justin Magee, who led Richard Imhoff by what seemed to be too much. Imhoff layed

out parallel to the ground, tipped it towards him with his finger tips, and tucked it into his body. Simply known as "The Catch" to

Tide fans, it is another sports memory I will never forget. I believe I am through now, before it sounds like Justin, and not Chris,

was Picayune's quarterback from 02-03. (This play is known to the radio crew as the "3 handed Richard Imhoff catch" as

Geri Grubbs (Class of 1979): My favorite Tide memory was in 95 or 96 when Ryan Carroll was a senior and Picayune beat

Laurel in Laurel for the consolation game to go to the State Tournament in Jackson for the first time in many years. The game was

won in double overtime by the Tide. I have never seen so many people packed into one place, they were 5 rows deep behind the

base lines. Sam Adkins and I had the best seats in the house, in a crows nest press box above the locker room entrance. We were

broadcasting the game on WRJW and I can still hear Sam's call of "I CANT BELIEVE IT WE'RE GOING TO THE BIG HOUSE,

Carey Meitzler (Class of 1978): The performance Justin Magee turned in against NW Rankin in the playoffs in 2003. Fullback

Tim Gaff and the offensive line (Steven Whitfield, Tim Hoffman, Scott Southern (in for injured Donel Smith), Scotty Dunn, Kevin

Parker, Mit Cole) gave him a lot seams to run in and once he got loose, he just out ran 'em all night. The play I can still see is the

pass Chris Stewart threw to Magee. Stewart rolled right and threw back to the left sideline hitting Magee in full stride around midfield.

Magee made about 4-5 Cougars miss on his way to the endzone. A perfect pass and great run. I can still see it unfolding.