Almost exactly seven years ago, I wrote a column for my hometown newspaper in Brookhaven, announcing that I’d be the new sports editor.

As someone who grew up loving the sports scene in this part of the state, it was like a dream come true. 

I started college as a journalism major and once hoped to have a career in media, but somewhere along the way my plans changed.

I could write 700,000 words about the games, players, teams, and stories I’ve seen play out on the fields and courts of the schools I’ve covered in these seven years.


Those schools – Brookhaven Academy, Brookhaven High, Bogue Chitto, Enterprise, Loyd Star, West Lincoln, Lawrence County, and Wesson – have all provided memorable moments to write about. 

When I announced a week ago that my time with the newspaper was coming to an end, I had friends and supporters wishing me well and telling me they’d miss seeing my coverage of our local schools and student athletes.

Here’s the deal, I’m not going anywhere, in fact, it feels like I’m just getting started.

Today, I’m hitting publish on a dream that I’ve had for the last few years.


It’s a website dedicated to covering high school athletics in Southwest Mississippi. 

Today, I’m launching Y’all Sports.

Our initial coverage area will consist of Copiah, Franklin, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Pike Counties. 

Over the last couple years, I’ve tried to keep up with what you as consumers are seeking in your local coverage.

You hate paywalls and thus you’ll find none on Y’all Sports.

You love photo galleries of your athletes that can be shared on social media, you love videos that aren’t too long and have interviews with the players and coaches you follow, and you want human-interest stories that go beyond the lines of a field or a court.

That’s what you’ll get with Y’all Sports.

You folks that don’t know me at Franklin County, North Pike, McComb High, Parklane Academy, South Pike, Hazlehurst High, Copiah Academy, and Crystal Springs – I can’t wait to win you over.

Seven years ago, I listed out my bonafides as a Lincoln County sports fan and I could do the same for many of your schools.

The very first game I covered as sports editor was between Lawrence County and a North Pike squad quarterbacked by future NBA draft pick Alijah Martin.


I can vividly remember what it was like to watch Jamie Collins run around and through defenses during his legendary time at Franklin County.

Jackie Butler at McComb High, TC Taylor at South Pike, Shaun Holtz at Crystal Springs, Gabriel Gray at Hazlehurst, Hunter Renfroe at Copiah Academy – I can tell you stories about seeing them all play over the years.

I’ve lost count of the athletic events I’ve seen Parklane compete in. 


The one that stands out the most was when I was in junior high, about to play in a basketball game against the Pioneers. Someone came over and pointed to a girl shooting layups during halftime of the first game.


“That girl was on a show on the Disney Channel,” they said.

“We only get four channels at my house and Disney isn’t one of them,” was my reply. 

About 18 months later, I’d see that same girl in a picture wearing the same uniform via a big spread in Rolling Stone magazine, as “Hit Me Baby One More Time” had made Britney Spears one of the biggest exports to ever come from this part of the world. 

I don’t expect Y’all Sports to be a worldwide hit like Brit, but I intend to have fun with this thing.

What I plan to do is use the same principles that have been guiding me over the last seven years.


Number one is to make it about the kids.

Yes, you are going to hear a lot of my voice and see a lot of my extremely large head as I conduct interviews with coaches and players, but I can assure you, I’m not trying to be an influencer.

It’s kind of in vogue right now to sit down in front of a camera and tell everyone about who the top running backs in the state are or what teams you’re picking to win a football championship. 

Mix in a couple hot takes and watch your follower count explode.

It gets clicks, but that’s not what Y’all Sports is going to be about. 

That’s part of why I’m so jacked about this whole thing; I have not seen a site that combines all the things I want to bring to the table. 

In a week, we’ll debut our preseason football team of players to watch in 2025, called “The Y’all 22.”

There’s a weekly column on Thursday planned called “Talking Ball, Y’all.”


I’m also writing a weekly feature that’s not about sports. 

The stories there will be positive and light and will start later this month. When I focus on finding good things to write about, it makes me feel better, even if no one reads it.

Enough about what I’m going to do, I hope you can feel my excitement.

When you read a novel, the acknowledgements are most often placed at the end.

I however can’t start the story of this website without first acknowledging some friends who’ve so willingly pledged their support for this endeavor. They know who they are and without them, this might still just be a dream in my head.

Chief among the believers is my wife, Angela.

I also have some great folks that I work for in my career as an educator. They understand that I don’t want to tell stories that make Cliff Furr look good, I want to tell stories that make us all look good, in Lincoln County and Brookhaven and all the places I’ve mentioned already.

I’m 43 years old. I’ve had a million dreams floating through my head in a lifetime. 

Most of them drift up and out and into the ether.

This one wouldn’t let me shake it. It kept calling me back, asking me why I wasn’t working toward making it a reality.

This summer, with the help of my cousin Ryan (a pro in the world of online marketing and design), I started moving.


It’s all fallen into place better than I could have hoped, and it has all felt inevitable once again.