By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PEARL — Brandon Davis won’t be in the pulpit at Vernal Full Gospel Church on Wednesday night.

But it’s ok, he has a good reason why. 

Davis, in his 13th season as the head baseball coach at George County High, leads his Rebels on to the playing surface here at Trustmark Park in the Class 6A state championship match-up against Warren Central. He’s also been the pastor at that church for his entire tenure with the Rebels.

“Well, we did omit service Wednesday night but I was preaching last Sunday and I will be this Sunday whether we are state champions or not,” Davis said. “It’s always special when you play for a state title, unbelievable experience for the players, coaches and community. I am familiar with the process.”

Indeed he is. This is Davis’ seventh trip to the state finals as a head coach and he was a part of the only state championship squad in George County history to date in 1997 as a senor standout catcher.

He stands 3-3 overall as a head coach in the final, after winning three at Richton in 2007, 2008 and 2010. This is his fourth trip to the overall state finals in the past decade at the helm of his alma mater.

Home of the Braves

Trustmark Park has been the home of the overall baseball state finals for most of the past two decades, since 2007.

The stadium opened in 2005, and then began to host the prep state finals two years later. For 16 of the past 18 seasons, there have been almost 90 state titles in six different classifications handed out here to wrap up the sports school year for the Mississippi High School Activities Association.

Eight of those aforementioned state crowns doled out at Trustmark Park have come home to the “Southern Six” with six different squads.

Beginning with the Class 4A state title in 2008, East Central leads the way in that winning parade with three titles. Also, that season, Ocean Springs won the Class 6A state crown.

In 2017, Pearl River Central took home the Class 5A hardware, while the next year Vancleave won the Class 4A state title.

Jackson County has brought home a pair of state crowns in the same season three different times, including that 2008 campaign as well as the past two seasons when both East Central in Class 5A and Resurrection in Class 1A won back-to-back state titles.

 This season could mark three straight for the “Southern Six” that two teams wear state title rings, with both George County and Vancleave vying for the titles.

Adding to the hardware

For the first time in the history of the Mississippi High School Activities Association, seven state baseball championship trophies will be handed out this week.

A new Class 7A was added to the mix after expansion by the MHSAA before the current school year began. Play started on Tuesday and will continue through Saturday in seven classifications here at the home of the Class AA Mississippi Braves.

Here’s the scoop

If you can’t make it to Pearl for all of the action this week, there’s other ways to keep up with the results.

All games will be on radio in the Jackson area on ESPN 105.9 FM.

George County’s games can be heard on WRBE 106.9 FM.

Also, all Game 2’s will be aired live on TV and here is how to watch:

• Jackson – ME TV – WAPT Channel 16.2

• Gulf Coast – WLOX – Bounce 13.2

• Northeast MS – WCBI-MY MS – Channel 4.2

• Meridian – WTOK – myTok 11.2

• Hattiesburg – WDAM – BOUNCE 7.3

• Delta – WHCQ – Channel 8.1

• Water Valley/Oxford – WEBU Channel 22.1 Cozi TV.

In addition, the NFHS Network will be streaming all games live. There is a subscription fee involved.