Prep Rally covers Northeast Mississippi high school sports and is brought to you by the Daily Journal and DJournal.com, the area’s leader in prep sports coverage. Hosts Brad Locke and Gene Phelps, along with others in our reporting lineup, take a look at the big games and happenings in a coverage ar…
Tupelo, Mississippi
Brad is joined by James on this week's episode, and they have some updates from the diamond. Saltillo's baseball team was doomed by mistakes in a Region 1-6A loss to Grenada (1:25). Mantachie softball rode ace Ramsey Montgomery to a win against Saltillo (3:28). On the basketball front, Brad breaks down his ranking of the...
Brad and Brendan have a fairly packed episode this week. On the diamond, Brendan recaps South Pontotoc's close loss to MUS (2:30), while Brad looks at the blazing start by Biggersville's Tre Gunn (4:47). Layla Owens of Itawamba AHS softball has also started the season strong (7:45). The coaching carousel is beginning to turn a...
Brad is back from Jackson, where area basketball teams did quite well. Eight area squads brought home a gold ball (3:50), many of them doing so in dramatic fashion. There were also a pair of first-time champs: Blue Mountain's girls and Tishomingo County's girls (7:31). Also on this episode, James has some baseball and softball...
Welcome to crossover season! Where everything seems to be happening everywhere all at once. Brad and James put a wrap on soccer season, which ended last week. Saltillo's girls won a second straight state title (1:14), while several other area teams made the finals. On the hardwood, the playoffs resume this week with the quarterfinal...
It's postseason time! Brad is joined by Brendan, and they've got some updates on the soccer playoffs (2:15), including a tough loss for Itawamba AHS and a crazy win for North Pontotoc. They also look ahead to the quarterfinal matchups (6:20). On the basketball court, region tournaments are being played this week (9:24). Also, Brad...
Brad is joined by Brendan on this week's episode. On the basketball court, Calhoun City's boys edged Shannon on Tuesday thanks in part to Jonathan Armstrong's strong second half (1:39). Looking ahead, several region races are coming down to the wire (3:46), including in 1-3A and 2-7A. Brendan has a recap of Oxford's win over...
Brad is back from Mexico, and it looks like he didn't miss a whole lot. Winter weather wreaked havoc with the area basketball schedule. One of the casualties is the annual Robertson's Sportswear Lady Challenge, which was first postponed and ultimately canceled (4:05). On a brighter note, the Hotbed Classic will still be played this...
Brad and James have a fun (non-murdery) episode for you this week. On the coaching front, West Point has promoted offensive coordinator Brett Morgan to lead the football program (2:03). He replaces Chris Chambless, who won seven state titles in 18 years with the Green Wave. On the hardwood, Booneville's girls opened region play with...
It's the first episode of 2024, with Brad being joined by James this week. There's plenty of basketball to talk about. Brad recaps the Tupelo girls' tough loss to Bob Jones (2:01), one of the best teams from Alabama. He also has an update on Meg and Reese Moore, sisters who lead Tishomingo County's strong...
It's just Brad and Pod Gator on a brief holiday-week episode. Brad has a recap of area football players who signed college scholarships last week (1:56). Ten Northeast Mississippi standouts are headed to the FBS level. Also on the football front, the Daily Journal's All-Area honors were revealed on Saturday (4:21). You can find all...
Brad is joined by Brendan for a jam-packed show this week. Wednesday marked the beginning of the early signing period for high school football players, and several local kids set ink to paper (8:22). Among them are Shamaar Darden of Tupelo, William Echoles of Houston and Kobe Williams of Amory. The guys have some basketball...
Brad is joined by James this week for an efficiently run episode. In football news, Chris Chambless is retiring after 18 years at the helm of West Point's program (1:01). He exits with more than 200 wins and seven state titles. On the recruiting front, the early signing period begins next week, and a lot...
Brad is joined this week by James to put a bow on the 2023 football season. Two area teams won titles in Oxford last week. Biggersville topped Velma Jackson in a shootout to win Class 1A (1:50), a game Brad says was the most entertaining he's seen all year. In 5A, West Point claimed championship...
Brad is joined by Brendan today, and they're talking football state championships. Three area teams won last week in the North finals (2:27) and will be at Ole Miss this week. In Class 1A, Biggersville takes on Velma Jackson (5:50), a game featuring two explosive offenses and stingy defenses. In 5A, West Point is making...
Brad is joined by James this week to talk turkey … erm, football. They recap a few of last week's key games. Tupelo came up short against Madison Central (4:58), while Vardaman edged Baldwyn (6:31). This week brings us to the North finals, with four games involving area teams. In 7A, Starkville will look to...
Brad and Brendan have a ton to discuss this week, including Mooreville's unlikely playoff run. More on that in a moment. First up is a look back at Ingomar's win over Tishomingo County in a top-10 girls basketball showdown (2:58). On the boys side, South Pontotoc is off to a good start with wins against...
Hard to believe, but the high school basketball season has begun. On this episode, Brad and James take a look at the Daily Journal preseason rankings (1:33), and they both got out to games on Tuesday. The Itawamba AHS girls ran past Lafayette (2:55), while the Mooreville boys edged Shannon (4:34). Turning to football, Tupelo...
Brad is joined by James on this week's episode, and there's a lot of football to discuss. Looking back at Week 10, East Webster went into Nettleton and pulled out a win (1:36), which gave the Wolverines a home playoff game for the first round. In 1-1A, Tupelo Christian edged out Baldwyn (2:42) to earn...
Brad is joined by Brendan on this episode, and the former might or might not have accidentally told everyone where the latter lives. Anyway, on the volleyball front, three area teams came home with state championships last week (1:47). The guys recap a couple of last week's football games: Biggersville over Baldwyn (5:13) and Ripley...
Big games abound this week. Brad and James preview the MHSAA volleyball championships (1:32), which will be held Thursday and Friday at Ole Miss. Area teams Lafayette, Pine Grove, Ingomar and Alcorn Central will all be vying for titles. On the football front, the Week 8 rewind looks at Tupelo's dominant win over Germantown (5:27),...
Brad is joined by Brendan this week to talk about the volleyball playoffs and region play in football. Mooreville beat Booneville in the second round of the 3A playoffs Tuesday (1:45), and Brad explains why it was an extra-special win for the Troopers. The guys look at some other notable results and preview the quarterfinals...
Brad is joined by James on this week's football-heavy episode. But first, some volleyball updates: Alcorn Central won the Region 1-3A title (1:37), and the playoffs crank up this weekend (2:44). On the gridiron, the guys recap West Point's comeback win over Tupelo (3:45), as well as Tupelo Christian's victory against Hatley (7:10). Looking ahead,...
Brad is joined by Brendan today, and they break down a lot of the intrigue that's emerged halfway through the football season. For starters, Calhoun City beat East Webster on the road last week and vaulted to the No. 1 spot in the Small School rankings (6:36). Mooreville continued is impressive start to the season...
Brad and James are here to provide you with a whole lot of football and volleyball talk. Regarding the latter, Alcorn Central got revenge Tuesday night by rallying past Belmont in a big Region 1-3A match (1:24). And Tupelo Christian kept rolling with a sweep of Smithville (3:50). On the gridiron, Tupelo's defense turned in...
Brad has a jam-packed episode this week. He leads off with Belmont's win over Alcorn Central in volleyball (2:02). It was extra impressive considering the Cardinals lost star player Kerstin Moody to a knee injury early in the match. And in another Region 1-3A contest, Mantachie rolled past Booneville (6:05). On the gridiron, a couple...
Brad is joined this week by the other new guy, Brendan. They take a look at some of Tuesday's volleyball action, including Tupelo Christian's sweep of Hamilton (2:21). Also, Saltillo fell to Lake Cormorant (3:38), while Tishomingo County beat Itawamba AHS (5:16). On the gridiron, a look back at Week 2 includes a recap of...
It's not just Brad and Podgator in the studio today. New guy James Murphy joins them for a jam-packed episode. The high school football season opened last week, and the guys recap some notable games. Biggersville, led by Jathan Hatch, rolled past Hamilton (2:00); Kossuth pitched a shutout against Baldwyn (3:24); and Tupelo whitewashed Whitehaven...
The high school football season has finally returned. Week 1 kicks off this weekend, and Brad gets you up to speed on what to look for. He goes over the Daily Journal preseason rankings (6:55) before diving into a few game previews. Baldwyn is visiting Kossuth (9:28) for what should be an evenly matched game....
There's a nip in the air, which has bolstered Brad's anticipation of football season. But first up on this week's episode are a couple of volleyball recaps. Lafayette knocked off No. 1-ranked Oxford on Tuesday (1:31), while Belmont swept past Hickory Flat behind the play of Addyson Liles (2:32). Now, on to football. Aberdeen is...
The 2023-24 sports year has officially begun with the start of volleyball season. Today, Brad has a couple of v-ball updates from Tuesday night. Led by “Lil Shan-Shan,” New Albany powered past rival Pontotoc (1:33). And Kossuth won an epic five-set battle against Tishomingo County (3:57). On the football front, preseason camps continue for area...
Brad is back just as things are picking up. Area football teams opened preseason camp this week (7:39), and Brad has an update on Tupelo, which is expecting to have another big season. Also starting this week is the volleyball season (10:15). The Daily Journal preseason rankings have expanded from five teams to 10 (11:04)....
Brad is back from vacation and ready to talk football. He'll get you caught up on his weekly football position rankings. He goes over the top five safeties (1:52) as well as the top five multi-position players (4:27). Also today, Brad talks about a new book that features some of the area's historic high school...
Brad's computer issues have been resolved, which means he's back for another episode. He's got a recruiting update, as Houston lineman William Echoles has committed to Ole Miss (1:42). One of his teammates, running back Jalen Washington, is in need of help after his family's home was destroyed by a fire (3:00). Also on the...
Brad is back to report on what's been a busy past few days. Several big coaching moves have happened in the past week, including Mitch Howell taking the Saltillo boys basketball job (1:32). On the football front, Thrasher has hired Taylor McCutchen (3:21), and Nettleton has brought in alum Brian Rea to lead its baseball...
Brad keeps it short and sweet on this week's episode. He first has an update on New Site basketball player Chloe Chism (1:15), who is returning to form after a knee injury that limited her last season. On the basketball coaching front, there have been some more moves: Amanda Morrow is taking over Mooreville's girls...
Brad is back after a week in Pearl, where he covered the baseball state championships. East Union won the 2A title for a second straight year (1:56), blowing past Pisgah in a two-game sweep. In 3A, Amory also went back-to-back (3:25), capping a remarkable run after a tornado destroyed the Panthers' facilities in March. West...
Brad is back in town with a new episode. He was in Hattiesburg last week covering the softball state championships and has a full recap (1:56). Three area teams won titles – Booneville, East Union and Hamilton. On the baseball front, Saltillo finished off a sweep of Ridgeland in the Class 5A North finals on...
Brad is back with plenty of playoff updates from the diamond. Area softball teams recently completed the third round. On Monday, East Union rallied past East Webster to claim a 2A series (2:27), setting up a North half matchup against Myrtle. Brad looks at the other series that start Thursday (4:04). On the baseball front,...
Playoffs are in full swing for baseball and softball. On this episode, Brad recaps Alcorn Central's win against Hatley in Game 1 of their second-round Class 3A series (1:51). In 5A, Drake Douglas tossed a one-hitter as Saltillo took a 1-0 series lead on Neshoba Central (3:32). On the softball diamond, Pontotoc was eliminated by...
The baseball and softball playoffs are both underway, and Brad has plenty of updates. On the baseball front, Tupelo dropped its Class 6A series opener against DeSoto Central on Tuesday (2:24). In 1A, Hamilton blew past Smithville (4:02). The Itawamba AHS softball team won its 4A series against Choctaw Central in three games thanks in...
News and drama on this week's episode! Brad recaps some softball division races, including 2-4A, where the No. 1 seed is coming down to the wire (1:58). West Union, meanwhile, clinched the 2-1A crown on Saturday by rallying past Ingomar (4:35). On the baseball diamond, Vardaman won a wild one against Winona, 25-24 (5:29), and...
Brad is back and has a plethora of topics to discuss today. The big news this week is Tupelo being voted back into the Lee County Basketball Tournament (8:51). The Golden Wave teams haven't participated in the event since 2005. On the baseball diamond, Oxford clinched the Division 1-6A title by handling business against Tupelo...
On this week's episode, Brad puts a bow on the basketball season by recapping the Daily Journal All-Area honors (1:31). On the diamond, division races are getting serious. Itawamba AHS blew past Corinth, 13-5, on Tuesday in a 1-4A baseball game (3:44), essentially locking the teams in a tie for first place. In 1-6A, Oxford...
Brad is back with some updates from the diamond. Booneville's No. 1-ranked softball team edged No. 2 Mantachie on Tuesday in the Division 1-3A opener for both squads (1:07). Booneville ace Hallie Burns struck out 16 batters. On the baseball front, Tupelo is off to a 3-1 start in 1-6A and got a no-hitter from...
Brad is back from vacation and has plenty of updates for you on this episode. There have been a couple of big coaching hires recently. Katie Bates is leaving Pine Grove after 10 years to be head girls basketball coach at Ripley (1:49), where she won a state championship in 2011. Lafayette has also found...
The 2022-23 basketball season wrapped up last week in Jackson with the state championships, and Brad is here with a full report. Booneville's boys and girls made history by both winning the 3A titles for a second-straight season (1:12). Ingomar's girls also won, taking the 1A crown behind the play of freshman Daylen Grisham (4:15)....
Brad is back from his NOLA trip and previews some of this week's basketball quarterfinal playoff matchups. Tishomingo County's girls, fresh off a win over Choctaw Central, will face Pontotoc on Thursday in Class 4A (1:27). Tonight will see Biggersville and H.W. Byers meet in a rematch of last season's 1A boys state championship game...
Brad is back with a tidy little episode. The soccer season wrapped up last weekend, with Saltillo's girls bringing home the Class 5A state championship (1:24). Three other area teams lost in their respective title games. On the basketball court, Saltillo's boys edged West Point in the Division 1-5A Tournament (3:40), just one of several...
Brad is back with some soccer, basketball and football updates. The soccer state championships are this weekend, with four area teams vying for a gold ball (4:24). One of those teams is Saltillo's girls, who broke the Lafayette curse in the semifinals on Monday (1:42). On the basketball front, Brad notes a couple of Tuesday's...
Soccer playoffs have begun, and the basketball regular season is starting to wind down. Brad has an update on Tupelo's girls soccer team, which fell to Clinton in the Class 6A playoffs on Monday (1:33). As for hoops, Tupelo's boys rallied past Oxford on Tuesday thanks to the play of Dayveun Anderson (4:00). In other...
Brad has a little bit of everything on this week's episode. For starters, there are a lot of important basketball games being played this week. One of them occurred Tuesday, when No. 1 Starkville beat No. 2 Tupelo in a Division 1-6A boys showdown (1:45). Going back to the weekend, Chris Carter led New Albany...