ATHLETICS

Championship Year for Tennis; Girls Win Seventh Straight Title

Jackson Academy had a new head girls tennis coach in the 2021-22 season – former JA tennis state champion Mary Rebecca Barry Jeffries ’01 – but the results were the same.

Another state championship.

The JA girls won their seventh consecutive state championship this season.

JA won in No. 1 girls singles (junior Emily Buchanan), No. 1 girls doubles (sophomore Lucy Lee and freshman Ellie Hogue), No. 2 girls doubles (sophomore Mary Hampton Walker and sophomore Landry Lester) and mixed doubles (senior Annalee Willson and Drake Lester) and Carolina Walker finished second at No. 2 girls singles in the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Class 6A state tournament. Emily won her fifth state title, two singles and three doubles. Ellie won her second doubles title.

JA finished with an 11-2 overall record with losses only to Mississippi High School Athletic Association Class 6A state team champion Madison Central and MHSAA Class 6A Tupelo. JA went 5-0 in Class 6A conference play, winning four matches 9-0 and defeating Jackson Prep 5-4.

JA’s 2021-22 team may remind longtime Raider tennis fans of Jeffries’ success when she was playing for JA. She won three consecutive MAIS Overall No. 1 girls singles championships and didn’t lose a match in her final three years of high school from 1999 to 2001. Jeffries, who

was in the Top 100 in the girls 18s division rankings in the country, went on to have a successful career at the University of Missouri.

Jeffries replaced Colleen Roberts, who is now coaching basketball at Starkville Academy. Roberts guided the Lady Raiders to six consecutive state titles and coached the team for the previous 13 seasons.

“This past year was truly a blast,” said Jeffries, who is also a teaching pro at Parham Bridges Tennis Center. “I am just grateful I had the opportunity to coach such a great group of boys and girls this past year. I am thankful I had Coach Ronnie Rogers and Chicho Chaves there to help me throughout the season.”

2021-22 MAIS Athletic Highlights

Accents

STATE CHAMPIONS (Kick Division) STATE CHAMPIONS (Pom Division)

Boys Soccer

STATE CHAMPIONS

Boys Tennis

STATE RUNNER UP

Cheer

STATE RUNNER UP (Tumbling Division)

Girls Soccer

STATE CHAMPIONS

Girls Tennis

STATE CHAMPIONS

Golf

STATE RUNNER UP

Volleyball

STATE CHAMPIONS

2021-22 Athletic Signings Top JA Records

Jackson Academy celebrated the athletic and artistic accomplishments and collegiate commitments of 20 students in 202122, marking the largest known number of signings in an academic year. Each signing is celebrated on campus with friends, teammates, family, and coaches. Athletes and a recent alumnus were honored with Gatorade Player of the Year recognition.

Tate Collins, Football Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Cha’Myrean Ellis, Basketball Mississippi Delta Community College

Chandler Anderson, Baseball MUW (Miss. Univ. for Women)

Sarah Carnathan, Volleyball Austin Peay State University

Jordan Bertschler, Soccer Holmes Community College

Joseph Ciaccio, Baseball Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Samuel Hadley, Soccer Jones College

Remy Jones, Volleyball Mississippi College

Grayson Lee, Baseball Coahoma Community College

Lani Roberts, Soccer Holmes Community College Marcus Harris, Football Alabama State

Dakota Jordan, Baseball and Football Mississippi State University

Banks McNair, Soccer Jones College

Kris Robinson, Football East Central Community College

Anna Claire Sheffield, Volleyball Mississippi College

Garrett Smith, Baseball Coahoma Community College

JT Thigpen, Baseball Southwest Mississippi Community College

Max Walenta, Football East Central Community College

Emery Thigpen ’21 Returns for Gatorade Player of the Year Honor

Emery Thigpen made school history by earning JA’s first Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year in boys soccer at the end of his senior year. Emery rounded out his senior season with 14 goals, 18 assists, and a state championship. After an impressive resume of academic achievement, community involvement, and volunteer work at Jackson Academy, Emery attended The University of Mississippi, where he finished his freshman year there. He returned to JA during the final signing of the 202122 school year to be recognized for his Gatorade POY soccer honor.

JESSE TAYLOR HEAD BASKETBALL COACH

NEW COACHING STAFFJesse Taylor has been named head coach for varsity boys basketball at Jackson Academy. As assistant varsity coach and head coach for the junior high and junior varsity teams, he has coached seventh through twelfth-grade boys for the last three seasons. “Jesse is a talented basketball coach who has been very successful with our JV program. But more than that, he is a builder of young men,” said Associate Head of School for Student Life Jimmy Messer. “He lives out our mission statement every day as he nurtures, inspires, and equips our student-athletes to be the best basketball players they can be, and as a spiritual leader, he helps them discover their purpose.” Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mississippi College, where he led the conference three-point percentage and served as captain of the MC basketball team. The Chattanooga, Tennessee native has led JA’s JV team to a 54-14 record, with two consecutive JV state championship appearances and a 2020-21 JA state championship win. “My chief aim is to carry on the Raider tradition of passion, dedication, and leadership in the basketball program for years to come,” said Taylor. “It is an honor to be a Raider.” AUBREY BLACKWELL HEAD FOOTBALL COACH Aubrey Blackwell was hired in May as the head football coach. Blackwell was previously coaching at Benjamin Russell High School. Before Benjamin Russell, he built the program at Montgomery Catholic in Montgomery, Alabama, into a championship contender. Coach Blackwell led Catholic to a 54-19 record over six seasons, including appearing in the state championship game in 2020. Associate Head of School for Student Life Jimmy Messer shared his thoughts on Blackwell: “He is not only an outstanding coach but a great human being. Our team will benefit from his influence on the field, in the weight room, in the classroom, and in the halls,” said Messer. “He will be focused not only on coaching athletes in the game of football but also on preparing them for the game of life.” Blackwell said he is honored and excited to be with the Jackson Academy family. “I look forward to working diligently with our faculty, coaches, and community to help build a strong family atmosphere,” said Blackwell. “I will strive daily to do all the small things necessary to develop young men of character, integrity, toughness, and faith. Together as one, we will develop a life-giving culture that we all will be very proud of and want for years to come.” MICHAEL BRINSON HEAD STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH Associate Head of School for Student Life Jimmy Messer announced this spring the addition of Michael Brinson as head strength and conditioning coach. Brinson played high school football at University Christian. He is a Jackson native and University of Southern Mississippi alumni, where he later served as a graduate assistant strength coach at USM. Brinson has served on strength staffs such as the University of Kansas, Liberty University, and most recently at the University of Missouri. Although he has no coaching responsibilities, he oversees the strength and conditioning program for all athletes. TRUE BLUE 31

Dakota Jordan ’22 First Gatorade POY in Baseball

In 2021-22, senior outfielder Dakota Jordan was named Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, a first team outfielder on the Priority One Bank/ Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team, and to the MAIS Class 6A AllState team. In June, he was named to the Collegiate Baseball All-American Team. He put up numbers his senior year never seen before in a Jackson Academy baseball uniform.

The Mississippi State baseball signee set school records with 16 home runs (third highest in the nation, two behind the leader, according to MaxPreps), a .524 batting average, a .635 on-base percentage, a 1.180 slugging percentage, and 57 runs batted in. He tied the school record with 55 runs. Jordan was four short of tying the MAIS home run record, set by Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Hunter Renfroe of Copiah Academy in 2010.

Jordan broke records of Matt Denny ’12 (12 home runs, 56 RBIs, and .938 slugging percentage in 2011), David Mooney ’06 (.512 batting average in 2005), Trent Tyre ’18 (.589 on-base percentage in 2018), and tied the 2018 run record of Edwin Smith ’18.

Jordan led JA to a 21-14 record and a MAIS Class 6A semifinal finish. The Raiders were the only team to defeat 6A state champion and 6A state runner-up Madison-Ridgeland Academy in the regular season.

Jordan was also a pitcher and had a 3-0 record with three saves this season. He threw out multiple runners and made many outstanding catches from his right-field position.

“I knew what kind of baseball player we were getting (Jordan transferred from Canton Academy), but we were getting a much better person,” JA Head Coach Parker Harris said. “Dakota is a player that all the other players fed off. I think the most impressive part of the season was that Dakota didn’t have a home run until spring break (mid-March). He showed so much growth as a player toward the end of the season. Dakota took what other teams gave him instead of pressing for a hit. His ceiling as a player is very high. I can’t wait to see what his future holds.”

In football, the 6-foot, 215-pound wide receiver set a school record with 877 receiving yards this season. Jordan broke Langston Anderson’s mark of 765 yards in 2016 despite missing the first game last season. Jordan was in San Diego playing baseball in the Perfect Game Showcase.

Jordan made the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Team and the MAIS Class 6A All-State team. He was the only player to make both the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football and Baseball Teams this season.

Gatorade POY Distinguishes Lakin Laurendine as State’s Best High School Volleyball Player

For the third year in a row, the Jackson Academy Lady Raider volleyball program boasts the top player in the state. Senior Lakin Laurendine was named the 2021-22 Gatorade Mississippi Volleyball Player of the Year.

This is the eighth time in the last nine years that a JA athlete has received the Gatorade Mississippi Player of The Year distinction. Lady Raiders have claimed the coveted Gatorade state award in volleyball four times. Lakin is an Auburn University commit who helped lead JA to its third straight state championship as she collected 509 kills, 378 digs, 111 aces, and 46 total blocks in her first year as a Lady Raider. Lakin led the state of Mississippi in kills, which puts her fourth in school history in that category. She helped lead JA to a 38-8 record, with the team earning its seventh state championship overall.

“I can’t thank JA enough, and all my teammates and coaches who supported me this whole way, because I wouldn’t be here without any of them,” Lakin said.

Gatorade says the award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Lakin as Mississippi’s best high school volleyball player. Since the program’s inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners, and educators.

This summer, Lakin was selected to attend the Under Armour All-American Camp in Orlando, Florida. This camp features elite athletes from across the nation. During the camp, athletes are coached to improve their skills with drills and games. While at the camp, athletes compete for a spot on the Under Armour All-American Team.

Signature Sojourner

School Names Raider Dome Court After Girls Basketball Coach

Jackson Academy longtime girls basketball coach Jan Sojourner now has her signature ingrained into the court of the Raider Dome.

“I was stunned when the school told me they were going to do this,” Sojourner said. “There are so many people who have touched my heart, spent time and effort, and worked hard for this to be possible. It’s not just me. There are a lot more people who deserve to have their names on the court who have helped build this program. There are the players, assistant coaches, administrators, and parents who are the reasons why this is happening. God has placed many individuals in my path over the years who have invested in this program. It’s an honor to represent them with my name on this court.”

“ God has placed many individuals in my path over the years who have invested in this program. It’s an honor to represent them with my name on this court.”

Sojourner became the third coach in Mississippi history to win 1,000 girls basketball games this past season. She has won 1,009 games in 42 seasons, with 907 wins and a Midsouth Association of Independent Schools record six Overall Tournament championships in 37 seasons at JA.

Sojourner graduated from Copiah Academy, played point guard, and helped Mississippi College to a national runner-up finish in 1974. She won 102 games in five seasons at Canton Academy before coming to JA.

“We felt it only fitting that Coach Sojourner begins this season with this special designation,” JA Chair of Board of Trustees Robert Hederman said. “We celebrated with our students, alums, parents, friends, and the athletic community at large at a formal dedication of the ‘Sojourner Court.’ “Jan certainly deserves this honor,” said JA Assistant Coach Ronnie Rogers, who has helped Sojourner for the past 17 seasons. “She lives and breathes Lady Raider basketball. It is only fitting that the court is named after her.”

Former JA player Conley Chinn ’18, who just finished her college career playing for Division I Belmont in Nashville, said, “What she has brought to Jackson Academy and to all the young women who have had the privilege of playing for her is unbelievable. Her name on the court symbolizes the hard work, the grit, the perseverance, the mental toughness, and the ‘team first’ attitude Coach Sojourner brings to Jackson Academy every day. Every athlete that plays for Coach Sojourner leaves not only a better athlete but a better person.”

Praise From 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee Conley Chinn

Shortly after completing her athletic career at Belmont University, one of the best players in Jan Sojourner’s 37 years at Jackson Academy spoke about the Raider Dome court being named in honor of her former coach and mentor.

“It means the world to me that Jackson Academy is honoring her with this court because she absolutely deserves it,” said Conley Chinn ’18, the MAIS Player of the Year her junior and senior seasons. “She never likes to take the moment or credit away from her teams and their successes, but we all know who is the real reason why we win championships and leave Jackson Academy as stronger and more determined women.” Chinn led JA to a 78-3 record and Overall Tournament championships in 2016 and 2017.

“She was with me every step of my recruiting process throughout high school, and during five years of playing college ball, she texted me after almost every game,” Chinn said. “To this day, every time I’m home, we get breakfast together. Not many people get to experience a coach who will always keep up with you and be in your corner.”

Chinn had an outstanding career at Belmont. She was named Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a second-team Academic All-American for two consecutive years. She was one of only four women’s basketball players in the country with a 4.0 cumulative grade point average in undergraduate studies. Chinn was a captain on two NCAA Tournament teams. After graduation, she received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and was a nominee for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Jan Sojourner said that Chinn is an incredible ambassador for JA. “She is proud to have graduated from JA and always willing to give back to any program,” said Sojourner. “Everything Conley has accomplished, she had to make a sacrifice. We who are fortunate to coach, play, or just be around her benefit greatly from her sacrifice.”