By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

While one girls athletic program is preparing to replace its head coach in the “Southern Six” yet another is welcoming a new leader for one of its sports.
George County head softball coach Kasey McCann is departing Lucedale after a very successful career at the helm of the Lady Rebels and heading for Brandon High School to take over the Lady Bulldogs program.
McCann led George County to the Class 5A state championship in 2023 and the Lady Rebels fell just short of a return trip this past season after getting eliminated in the Class 6A South State championship series in three games by Hancock.

“She was very well organized and had a plan and was successful,” George County baseball head coach Brandon Davis, who just led his Rebels to the Class 6A state championship last week, said.
The Lady Rebels went 30-4 during their state title run and set all types of school records in capturing the first fast-pitch state title in program history as McCann was named Class 5A Coach of the Year.
The 2023 Lady Rebels set school records at the time for wins (30), runs scored (285), hits (347), doubles (79), triples (36) and overall team batting average (.364) as well as run differential (+194). George County went a perfect 8-0 in the playoffs, including sweeping Saltillo in the state finals and did so by out-scoring all four foes 51-20.

And although the Lady Rebels returned the bulk of their starters this season, George County didn’t quite make it back to the state finals but still finished a solid 24-7 and won Region 4-6A.
An immediate search for McCann’s successor is underway.
Meanwhile, in Vancleave, the search for a new head girls’ basketball coach is over as longtime Hancock Middle School head coach Ginger Duease has been hired to take over the Lady Bulldogs hoops squad.
Vancleave Athletics Director Dino Lepoma confirmed the new hire Wednesday.
“Coach Duease is a go-getter,” Lepoma said. “She has hit the ground running and we are very excited to have her at Vancleave High School.”

Duease is already in place at Vancleave High and has started summer workouts with her team.