BY CURTIS ROCKWELL/SPORTS DIRECTOR

LUCEDALE — George County veteran head coach Brandon Davis has experienced a lot in his 20 years leading two different teams on the baseball diamond in South Mississippi.

After all, he’s won almost 400 games, played for six state championships winning three, and sent numerous players on to the collegiate level and even several into the Major League Baseball ranks.

However, until recently, Davis had never gotten the chance to be the head coach of one of his children on the prep baseball level. And now, his middle son Ben, is making the wait well worth it.

The junior second baseman came up with two of the biggest hits of the season for the Rebels last week on back-to-back nights, as he smacked a solo home run on both Thursday and Friday at key moments against Hancock in Region 4-6A play.

The timely round-trippers were each a big boost as George County came from behind to capture each contest and secure its first region title in eight years.

“He handles the player-daddy thing as well as a 17-year-old kid can in his situation,” the elder Davis, who is also an ordained minister and has pastored the Vernal Full Gospel Church for the past 13 years, said. “He is also a preacher’s kid so he gets a double whammy on those fronts. He is not perfect but he works hard, he makes mistakes and it’s hard to be his daddy and coach too but we have a great team, community and coaching staff and that helps the situation greatly.”

The younger Davis was struggling a bit when he came to the plate Thursday night in game two of the all-important series against the Hawks. So much so that his dad said he thought about replacing him in the line-up as the game moved into extra innings.

But, thankfully, he didn’t, and Ben Davis picked just the right time to smash his second round-tripper of the season as he pulled the trigger on a full count pitch from Hancock reliever Gavin Necaise to lead off the top of the ninth who was facing his first batter.

“He was not playing very well until the at bat before the home run,” coach Davis said, of his son. “He had made an error and it had crossed my mind to take him out. I’m glad I didn’t because I saw how disgusted he was. But I also knew as his coach that he could put it out of his mind and have a good at bat later if needed.”

His homer that night broke a 2-2 tie and sent the Rebels on to a 4-2 win. In his next at bat, to lead off the home half of the first on Friday night, he again blasted the all over the right field fence to help the Rebels to a 3-2 win that clinched their first league title since 2017.

“I can’t imagine the pressure he is under,” the elder Davis, who won a state title at GCHS as a standout player for the Rebels in 1997, added. “He makes mistakes and isn’t perfect, but I’m proud of how he handles himself and the young man he is becoming. 

“We don’t talk about much at home I just try to be daddy. It’s very difficult at times to be dad and not coach and as an added bonus be his pastor.”

The younger Davis worked his way into the starting line-up for the Rebels last season as a sophomore and quickly established himself as a steady force on what has been one of the most tradition-rich programs in South Mississippi as he led GCHS in hitting with a .398 batting average and on-base percentage.

“Last year I was just hoping he could prove himself, but after he hit as well as he did last year I knew he would be ok.” Coach Davis said. “This season I moved him to lead off and Gage (Reeves) to the three hole. Ben sees a lot of pitches, sometimes more than I would like, but that works well in the leadoff spot.”

This season, the younger Davis has continued his steady work hitting .362 at the plate with a team-high 22 RBIs. He also once again tops the Rebels in OBP.

Two of his biggest games came to end the regular season as GCHS prepares to host Jackson Jim Hill Friday night to open the Class 6A South State playoffs.

 “No doubt, as a dad I am proud to see him be successful and know how relieved he was,” the elder Davis, who has guided George County to the state championship series three times in two different classifications over the past decade, concluded. “But as his coach, I am just proud of him for performing like i know he can. That’s the most rewarding thing as a coach in my opinion, to watch them develop and do it in practice then do it in a game when it matters.”

Which is exactly what the younger Davis has done recently in what is a bit of a new situation for both father and son.