The Times from Hattiesburg, Mississippi • 14

Sports The Times Sports Desk: (601) 268-2331 Fax: (601)268-2965 e-mail: timesportstecinfo.com Web address: www.thetimeswire.com Warriors tab Hattiesburg assistant as hoops coach High Flying (OTD) i By JIM COLL "The only difference between the classifications is the size of some of the athletes," Stallings said. "You see more 6-foot-8, 6-foot-9 guys. But I expect us to be competitive. "It's going to be a challenge. But I've met with some of the athletes, and they are ready to meet the challenge.

I think they're happy they've moved up to 5A" Stallings departure leaves a hole on the Hattiesburg staff which Jones said would be filled quickly. "I feel like it speaks highly of our program that an outside school district would offer a head coaching position to one of our assistants." signed with William Carey College last month. "We'll be very young," Stallings said. "It will be a rebuilding year for us. We hoping to have some junior varsity and ninth-grade players move to the varsity level." The new coach said the Warriors would bypass summer ball, instead focusing on the basics in the coming months.

"We're going to work on fundamentals and our competitiveness," he said. "Every time we walk into the gym I expect to be competitive." The coaching change comes at a time when the Warriors make the jump from Class 4A to 5A New Sumrall coach has a familiar name For the second time in two years, Sumrall High School was faced with the challenge of finding a new boys basketball coach. Last summer, Wade Burke was handed the reigns, and he led the Bobcats to the Class 2A South State Tournament. But it was one season and out for Burke, who left to pursue other job opportunities. This year, Sumrall did not look far for its new coach.

After assessing applications and interviewing three candidates, the selection committee recommended former Sumrall Head Basketball Coach and current Junior High Coach C. Gary Nobles for the position. On Tuesday, the Lamar County School Board approved him for the post. TIMES PHOTO BY DAVID MASSING The Canebrake Challenge was held Saturday at Hattlesburg's Canebrake Lake. Wake board and knee board events were held In 10 different divisions from the Novice to Outlaw levels.

Above, Clark Dudley competes In the Outlaw level. Dudley, a Hattiesburg resident, took first place In the division. See stary; Page School Board proposes funds for athletic director positions Writer for THE TIMES This season was a memorable one for the Hattiesburg High School basketball program. The Tigers returned to the Class 5A State Tournament in Jackson for the first time in two decades, and were within one quarter of a state title before falling to Biloxi. With the success came college scholarships for players Keesler Johnson and Phillip Hill.

Add to the list a head coaching position for assistant coach Anthony Stallings. The Lamar County School Board approved the hiring of Stallings as the Oak Grove High School Boys Basketball Coach on Monday. Stallings replaces David Bush, who served at Oak Grove for two seasons. Last season, Oak Grove finished 21-12, and was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Division 7-4A Tournament by Hancock. "I'm ready to go," Stallings said.

"It is going to be a challenge, but I'm happy to have the opportunity at Oak Grove." Stallings was an assistant under Hattiesburg Coach Yama Jones for two seasons. The position is the first as a head coach for the former Pearl River Community College player. "I hate to lose him," Jones said. "Coach Stallings is a tremendous coach and a wonderful person, I think he'll do well. I knew he wanted to be a head coach, but I'm definitely sorry he's leaving." Stallings takes over an Oak Grove program which lost seven seniors, including leading scorer M.J.

Mayfield, a forward who Youth baseball league crowns 2001 queens The Hattiesburg Dixie Youth Baseball Queens for the 2001 season were crowned Friday at Jaycee Memorial Park. Dixie Youth players collected money through fundraisers this year to support the program, and the team that collected the most money had their queens crowned. Queens were crowned in each league 5 and 6-year-olds, 7 and 8-year-olds, 9 and 10-year-olds, and 11 and 12-year-olds. The team that collected the most money overall had their queen named the overall queen. Each team's queen received a crown and a bouquet of flowers.

The League queens received a $50 savings bond, a trophy and a ribbon. The overall queen received a $100 savings bond, a trophy and a ribbon. The Dixie Youth teams also had kings crowned Friday. The king for each age group was the player who collected the most money through fundraisers, including the Opening Day fish fry and auction, program sales, sales of advertising from the programs and a golf tournament The overall king for all leagues received a $100 savings bond and a $100 gift certificate. allows for the collection of thoughts, or regrouping after an errant tee ball.

I'm among this group. Given a course without unreasonable elevation changes or extreme distances between greens and tees, I'll walk. I subscribe to the theory of author Michael Murphy, who said a good walk could be as good for the soul as a day in church. Casey Martin says he would walk if he could. But coming down the 18th fairway on a hot, summer day, I know my swing just is not the same.

A dehydrated Ken Venturi nearly fell over from exhaustion moments after he holed a putt to win the U.S. Open. On a sizzling day like that one, when competitors had to play 36 holes, would Martin be fresher at the end? Jack Nicklaus says walking is part of the game, and that is plenty good enough for me. I'm not about to argue with 18 or 20 majors, or a man who has spent his life in golf. I do not have a ics.

"The duty of the principal should be as the instructional leader of the school, not the extracurricular leader." Under the proposal, the part-time athletic director would have a if 1 i Area players bypassed on baseball draft's first day "Everyone's tickled to death coaching again," Sumrall Attendance Center Principal Larry East-erling said. "He's worked the last few years with the junior high program, and the kids really respond well to him." Nobles last coached the Bobcats a decade ago. Since then, Greg Bullock coached Sumrall for nine seasons, followed by Burke's single year. "He's a very fine teacher and person," Easterling said of Nobles. "He's pumped up about it and ready to get the kids working in the summer." Sumrall loses two starters, Patrick Preston and Lionel Oatis, from last season's team.

The PGA Tour has never beenf more popular than it is today. Tiger Woods may very well bed the most recognizable athlete inr the world. But the tour still has its problems. Golf is still viewed as a game reserved for the elite, and the Casey Martin court case did not help. The tour could have handled the issue long ago, but choose not to.

Casey Martin is a rarity, not because he has circulatory disease, but because he is a person with a handicap-, who has comparable ability athletes. He is also-a compassionate figure becauset of his disease. The PGA Tour-gave the cart fight a face in Mar-! tin, and it will in the future each time it deals with the issue on an, individual basis, as Commission er Tim Finchem says it will. Andj each time, the tour will look like-the bad guy until it changes its policy. i It's time for a change to PGA Tour.

And never has it been! more evident. portion of each day set aside for athletic director duties. The primary cost of the proposal would come from replacing the directors in the classroom during that time. The director would also receive a SliETBoARDnAGir6B named the Gatorade State Player of the Year for Mississippi. Tatum had scouts calling his house almost daily, with many of them telling of how good his chances were at being drafted high in the 2001 Major League First Year Player Draft.

He flew to Cleveland last week for a tryout, and again was told that he would be one of the higher draftees. The Indians told him that they would be giving him a call. See draft, Page6B TIMES PHOTO BY DAVID MASSINQo The Hattiesburg Dixie Youth Baseball Kings and Queens for the 2001 season were crowned Friday. Above, James Alan Williamson (left) and Gus Yeager (right) point the finger at each other during the ceremony as Katlyn Yeager looks on. By JIM COLL Writer for THE TIMES As Hattiesburg High School restructures its Athletic Director post, the Lamar County School Board has proposed establishing similar part-time positions at all three county high schools.

By a vote of 4-1, the board approved new expenditure proposals for the 2001-02 budget which included approximately $33,000 for the positions of part-time athletic director at Oak Grove, Purvis and Sumrall High Schools. Currently, principals at all three schools coordinate athletics. Following a public hearing on June 18, board members will vote on the budget June 25. "We're recommending the positions because a lot more is required in the area of athletics than in the past," School Superintendent Glenn Swan said. "At times, principals are spending a large portion of the day on athlet jvifcit1 iumiitj Ben Willoughby Youth Baseball 5B USM Roundup 6B PRCC Baseball Coach players ride would even the playing field; By MIKE MARTINEZ Writer for THE TIMES Craig Tatum has always had to prove he was better than advertised, and underrated is a word he knows very well.

Playing on a team with an array of college baseball signees, Tatum had to prove that he wasn't just the best player on the squad, but also one of the best players in the state. He did that this season as he was Letting all It is time for a change on the PGA Tour, and never has it been more evident than during the Casey Martin cart debate. Martin, who suffers from a rare circulatory disorder which disrupts blood flow to his right leg, won a long battle with the tour for the right to use a cart. While the Supreme Court voted 7-2 in favor of Martin, the decision has done little to cool arguments. Already, the Supreme Court has thrown out a lower court's ruling against Ford Olinger, who unsuccessfully sued the United States Golf Association for the right to use a cart in U.S.

Open qualifying. The court sent the case back to a Chicago appellate court with orders to resolve it in light of the Martin case. More cases are expected, and other questions have been raised. What about players with injuries? What about other players who suffer from diseases, such as Scott Verplank, who has deeper understanding of the game than Nicklaus, and I do not think any of the justices on the Supreme Court do either. But my question is not if walking is part of tournament golf, but why is it a necessary part of tournament golf? Carts are available to senior tour players, and that does not seem to bother anyone.

Competitive golfers are not playing for the serenity, they are playing to make a buck or a living. Fans come to see shot making, not walking. The way I see it, the walking part adds very little to the competitive game. I've seen Casey Martin play golf, and it did not seem to bother his playing partners or the fans following the group. I say, if a player any player wants to ride, let him.

If they perform better while walking, then let them walk. Walking is a part of golf, yes, but it seems to me to be a rule that no one wants to change simply because it has been in the books forever. THE WAY I SEE IT Jim Coll But there is one question everyone is asking: "Is walking an integral part of the golf?" The reason being, if walking has an affect on ability to get the ball in the cup, then a player riding a cart would have an advantage over a walker. Martin's court victory was certainly a win for compassion and human decency, but was it just? Most players, tour or recreational, will tell you carts do affect competitive balance. Some players say they play better while walking.

The time between shots i.