Local athletes had a tremendous effect on the local and national stage. Athletes from all sports made for a memorable athletic season in and around Warren County.

Some of the top sports stories involving local athletes and teams:

* Ole Miss baseball player Jordan Henry burst onto the college scene, earning the Southeastern Conference’s Freshman of the Year honors.

He played alongside his older brother, Justin, and the brothers hit 1-2 in the lineup as the Rebels reached an NCAA Super Regional for the third straight year, falling at Arizona State. The Rebels are still seeking their first trip to Omaha under coach Mike Bianco.

While Justin will not be around — he signed a professional contract with the Detroit Tigers after being drafted in the 9th round — Jordan will return to a team that earned a preseason No. 4 ranking by Collegiate Baseball magazine.

Jordan finished second on the team with a .376 batting average — five points behind his brother. He had 99 hits, four doubles and stole 12 bases.

* Throughout his brilliant golf career, Chase Smith led St. Aloysius to three state championships, and three individual titles.

As lofty as his high school accomplishments were, his victory at the Warren County Championships distanced them all.

Smith shot a two-day 133 for a 13-shot victory over Mike Hurley, who said during the tournament that if it was a prize fight, it would have been called on the 10th hole.

The 11-under par 133 is a record for the tournament, as was the 13-stroke victory. Smith, 18, is believed to be the youngest county champion in the history of the event.

Smith will take his golf game to Delta State next year.

* For nearly two months, hype for the Red Carpet Classic built and built. Nationally ranked South Panola, which was carrying a 60-game winning streak, played Warren Central to a close 31-18 victory in front of a huge Viking Stadium crowd.

South Panola went on to win its next 14 games, including a fifth straight state championship over George County. The win streak now stands at 75 games and the Tigers’ quest for No. 76 will come through Vicksburg.

Panola is scheduled to play Vicksburg High at Memorial Stadium in August.

Clarksdale, one of the most respected Class 4A teams in the state, will play Warren Central in the other game of the upcoming RCB. Clarksdale defeated Vicksburg in the second game of the 2007 RCB.

* St. Aloysius found itself with a bona fide coaching carousel during the fall athletic season.

Former Vicksburg High soccer standout Kristin Gough was hired in the summer to take over for Karen Carroll with the girls soccer team. Without coaching a game, Gough resigned and left the reins to Will Vollor, who also acted as the boys’ assistant coach to Brian Gray.

Following an early-season game, Gray stepped down leaving Vollor to coach both the boys and girls teams.

Basketball was even stranger. Last season, Kyt Bonner coached the girls and Penn Majors the boys. Both were hired as para-professionals, holding other full-time jobs. Those two did not return, but the Mississippi High School Activities Association made another exception after school officials could not find a coach.

Carla Koestler was hired to coach the girls, but left early when her daughter fell ill. Former Delta State coach Lloyd Clark, ex-Porters Chapel coach Mitchell Willis and ex-PCA player Brady Willis all filled in for a time for Koestler. Eventually, Carolyn Bradley assumed the reins of the girls team.

Former NBA player Larry Smith coached the boys team through most of November, then resigned to take a position in the NBA. Veteran coach Gary Miller was then hired to lead the Flashes.

* E.J. Creel is one of the most decorated players in Porters Chapel basketball history, having the school’s scoring record and her jersey retired.

The former E.J. Willis also made history as a coach becoming the only woman in the state to coach a boys basketball team. She leads both the PCA boys and girls.

* Vicksburg High, which went more than two decades without beating Warren Central in football at Viking Stadium, sneaked away with a 7-0 victory in September, the second straight VHS win at Viking Stadium.

Les Lemons returned a long interception for a touchdown for the only score of the game as Vicksburg won 7-0.

* Brutal heat forced Vicksburg Warren School District officials to mandate county football teams practice at night. Temperatures soared above 100 degrees in early August, coinciding with the start of football season.

* Warren Central’s Lady Vikes basketball team won the Division 6-5A championship and advanced to the state tournament for the fourth time in five years. At the Big House, WC was beaten by former St. Aloysius basketball coach Paul Hayden and the Brandon Lady Bulldogs. WC’s best player, Sha’Kayla Caples, finished the year by capturing her second Vicksburg Post Girls Basketball Player of the Year honor, even though she just completed her sophomore season when WC lost to Brandon.

* D.J. Jones, who went by Devin in high school, burst onto the scene as a Mississippi College senior to win American Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors. Jones led Vicksburg to its second state basketball championship in 2003.

* The popularity of youth baseball in the River City was never more evident then the two-weekend Governor’s Cup that saw a record 96 teams enter the all-ages, end-of-the-year bonanza.