Coaches, current and former, from Copiah-Lincoln Community College are dealing with the hardest part of their job, as the college recently lost two young alums that were great players and leaders on the campus as student-athletes.

Back on June 7, former CLCC men’s basketball player Cameron Woodall, 26, lost his life in an ATV accident on Midway Road in Hinds County.

Woodall had been a star on the court during his prep days at Raymond High School. He was a highly sought-after recruit that was swayed to attend Co-Lin by former head coach Kenny Bizot and his former assistant, Jake Reed.

A physical presence in the paint with his 6-foot-6 frame and leaping ability, Woodall averaged 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game during two seasons in Wesson.

A high school state champion at Raymond, Woodall signed with Grambling State after Co-Lin and then finished his career with a season playing for Tougaloo College.

Less than a week later on June 13, former Co-Lin softball player Josie Meggs. 22, passed away in a single-car accident in Attala County.

Like Woodall, Meggs was a state champion in her high school days, leading the Kosciusko Whippets to a title as a senior.

Meggs then played her first year of softball at Itawamba CC, before transferring to play at Co-Lin for coach Meleah Howard and her assistant Amber Beall.

Meggs was a smooth fielding infielder, the type that every pitcher loves. She initially signed to leave Wesson after one season, signing to play at Delta State University in 2022.

Meggs loved her coaches, loved her teammates, and loved Co-Lin softball so much that she ended up coming back for the 2023 season.

What a great decision that was for everyone involved, as Meggs returned to hit for a .382 average on a Co-Lin team that won the first national championship in school history.

Meggs signed with Belhaven after that but ended up focusing on a career in emergency medical care, something she felt called to pursue.

She was still rooting for Co-Lin softball, as she was in the stands last month as her alma mater took on Jones College in a postseason game that precluded the Wolves winning a second national championship in the last three years.