Good news!

The Brakemen are returning to Brookhaven and Lincoln County.After a one-year absence, the Cotton State League baseball team,composed of high school seniors and college age players will bringtheir talents to the Homeseekers Paradise.

This time the Brookhaven Academy Booster Club is serving as themain sponsor. BA high school principal Ray Ishee will work as theteam’s general manager and Copiah-Lincoln Community Collegepitching coach Pete Young will manage the team.

Tim Winborne is the BA Booster Club president. Gene Buckles isvice president and Betty Buckles is treasurer. Winborne said the BABoard of Trustees placed its stamp of approval on the project at arecent meeting.

The Cotton State season is supposed to start in early June. Mostof the games will be doubleheaders. The concession stand and ticketsales are the main source of revenue.

Two summers ago, the Brookhaven High School Diamond Clubshouldered the team’s first year of existence. Last year, theCotton State League came under new management after a failure topay its bills. The Diamond Club decided not to provide sponsorshiplast summer but the team kept its Brookhaven name and was based inJackson.

It was a strange feeling to turn on the television and see clipsof the Brakemen playing the Rankin Rednecks, the Clinton Cannon andother Jackson-area squads, even though there were noBrookhaven-area players on the roster. The linescores regularly ranin the Jackson newspaper.

Looking back to the summer of 2000, several Co-Lin players wereon the Brakemen’s roster. Also on the squad were players fromState, Ole Miss and Tulane. They used wooden bats with a plasticcoating. Those sticks were more like the Major League variety butthey severely limited the home run and extra-base hitproduction.

It was good baseball. Pitching and defense were important.Hopefully, the Brakemen will be welcomed with open arms by localfans and advertisers.

A gospel singing benefit for Karen Myers will be held Saturday,May 4, in the Bogue Chitto High School Gymnasium, starting at 7p.m. The wife of Bogue Chitto girls basketball coach Mickey Myerswas diagnosed with a rare form of esophagus cancer in October. Sheunderwent surgery in January and her stomach was removed. Sincethen she has under gone numerous chemo and radium treatments in NewOrleans.

The Providentials will provide most of the entertainmentSaturday night. There will be an auction and the concession standwill be open. Tickets are $5. Children under 12 are admitted freeof charge. Tickets are available at area county schools and at thedoor.

Spring football practice is under way at most area schools andthe weather couldn’t be more summer-like. Temperatures have climbedinto the low 90s, giving us a preview of June, July and August.

At Brookhaven, Andrew Hickman and his staff are directing 45players through spring drills. A proposed spring game with Clintonwas canceled and the Panthers will conclude spring practice May10.

Hickman’s contract was not renewed when the school board voted3-2 last month, as recommended by Brookhaven Superintendent ofEducation Dr. Sam Bounds. His future at BHS as head football coachand athletic director remains up in the air. A hearing, scheduledfor May 14, should make the final determination.

BHS athletes in six spring sports will be honored tonight at theBrookhaven/Lincoln County Multi-Purpose Building. The marathonathletic banquet schedule has begun. Wesson and Enterprise heldtheirs last Friday and Monday respectively. Bogue Chitto’s isMonday night, Brookhaven Academy’s is Tuesday night and Loyd Star’sis next Friday, May 10.

We’re not sure what the Richter Scale reading was last week whenit was announced that Anthony Hart was leaving Loyd Star to coachthe Franklin County Bulldogs. Hart, a 1983 Loyd Star graduate, hadcoached the Hornets to their most successful season in 2001,reaching the South State 2A championship game. Hart inherits a goodfootball program at Franklin County, replacing Michael Goff whostepped down as head coach but will remain as athleticdirector.

Speaking of football jamborees, Loyd Star and Franklin Countyare both scheduled to host events on May 17. Enterprise willentertain Dexter and Stringer on Thursday, May 16 in anotherjamboree.

At Lawrence County, Trent Hammond is coaching the Cougarsthrough spring practice. They will participate in a jamboree onSaturday, May 18, at Southwest Community College in Summit. McCombis the host school. Also in the event are teams from South Pike,Picayune, Magee, Mendenhall, Tylertown and Florence.

Lawrence County is expected to play Florence and Mendenhall,starting at 1:45, in the afternoon session. The junior varsityteams also will play a half of football.