Oral Histories

We are pleased to present hours of individual interviews that, together, comprise an oral history of Moss Point athletics and the personal human-interest stories that form a rich backdrop to athletic achievements. We’re glad to have captured stories before some would have been lost forever.

Some of the stories you will find collected here provide answers to questions like: Who did people play with on the sandlot, and where were the “sandlots” of old? What games did they play? What life lessons were learned on the field of play? Who were the influential coaches and teammates of our community?

We hope you will spend time watching these interviews and share them with your friends and relatives. And we hope you enjoy the great stories of the history of Moss Point athletics.

Schools & Athletics

Moss Point’s “Central” High School opened in 1908 on the site of the current Moss Point High School, which replaced Central High in 1943. Moss Point High School was the community’s all-white high school until five Black students joined the Graduating Class of 1966. The Graduating Class of 1971 was the first of the combined Magnolia High School and Moss Point High School.

Magnolia High School

Est. 1902

Magnolia Schools began in 1902 at a building on the current site of St. Paul United Methodist Church on Magnolia Street in Moss Point, Mississippi. The first high school graduating class was in 1912. A second facility was added in 1942 on Magnolia Street at the site of the current tennis courts. Magnolia High School was built in 1956 and operated as the community’s all-black alma mater until desegregation, when it became Magnolia Junior High School. The Graduating Class of 1970 was the last for Magnolia High School. The 1942 building burned in the early 1970s. The original Magnolia High School building was flooded by Hurricane Katrina and subsequently demolished and replaced by a new building, Magnolia Middle School, which has a meeting and memorabilia room operated by the Magnolia High School Alumni Association.

Moss Point Central High School

Est. 1908

Moss Point’s Central High School opened as an all-white public school in 1908 on the site of the current Moss Point High School. Private schools preceded Central High and there is an 1899 news report about what might have been Moss Point’s first high school football team. It was coached by Hubert F. Fisher (1877-1941), who would go on to be the third head football coach at the University of Tennessee. The cedar tree on Weems Street in front of today’s Moss Point High School was planted in about 1933 and was one of two cedars that once framed the old Central High School front entrance walkway.

Current Moss Point High School

Est. 1943

The current Moss Point High School building replaced Central High and was dedicated on Sunday, February 21, 1943. E. A. (Eddie) Khayat was the first principal. Moss Point High School was the community’s all-white high school until five Black students from Magnolia High School joined the graduating Class of 1966. The Class of 1971 was the first of the combined Magnolia High School and Moss Point High School.