By Blake Brannon
Published: Sep. 19, 2024
MOSS POINT, Miss. (WLOX) -Thursday the Moss Point Sports Hall of Fame inducted 18 new members into its second-ever class.
This years class sees members from the two pre-1970s schools Magnolia High School and Moss Point High School, otherwise known as Central, as well as the combined Moss Point high school we know today.
Officials with the Hall of Fame say they’re not only honoring the athletes themselves, but all the history that comes with it.
“We’re certainly honoring our sports heroes but also capturing and immortalizing this history that we think is important and will be around long after we’re gone,” said Moss Point Sports Hall of Fame executive committee member Steve Renfroe. “It’s really gratifying to know the end is not in sight. We encourage people to get our nomination form and nominate their favorite sports stars from the past.”
Here is a full list of the inductees (an asterisk* indicates a posthumous award):
*Jay Adams — 1956 Moss Point High graduate—Undefeated as a high school pitcher, Tiger baseball star Jay Adams had to choose between playing for Ole Miss and turning pro. Jay signed with the Chicago Cubs and pitched a shutout and hit a home run his first game. Unfortunately, an arm injury ended his career prematurely.
Jerry D. Alexander — 1975-2008 Moss Point High coach—Coach Alexander is the winningest football coach in the history of Moss Point high school athletics, with a career record of 167-55. His teams won the 5A State Championship five times (1983, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2000).
Damaris Bilbo — 2001 Moss Point High graduate—Gatorade Player of the Year, Damaris Bilbo led the Tigers to the 2000 state championship in football, passing for four touchdowns and 316 yards to defeat Clinton High School. His career stats as a Tiger include 46 touchdowns and 4412 yards passing. Bilbo went on to play football at Georgia Tech and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys.
Houston Cunningham — 1968 Magnolia High graduate—Houston Cunningham was a star basketball player for the Monarchs, averaging 20 points per game for three years. Houston was team captain his junior and senior years, and he was named to all-conference teams three years in a row. He led the Monarchs to the 1967-1968 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship. He played on two state championship Perkinston Junior College teams and was team captain his sophomore year. After Perkinston, Houston played for Southern Miss and led the team in assists.
*Robert “Honeyman” Evans, Jr. — 1957 Magnolia High graduate—Honeyman Evans started for three years as the Monarch’s football quarterback and the point guard on Magnolia’s basketball team. Honeyman was twice named all conference quarterback and was the leading scorer on his junior and senior year basketball teams, averaging over 20 points per game both years.
*Hubert “Guts” Frederick Fisher — circa 1895 Moss Point Academy graduate (precursor to Moss Point Central High School)—Guts Fisher excelled at football and went on to play three years at Ole Miss. In 1901, Guts was named Third Team AllAmerican as the center on Princeton University’s football team. Fisher was also the University of Tennessee’s third head football coach.
Barry Gibson — 1972 Moss Point High graduate—Barry Gibson was a multi-sports star in high school leading the football team in receiving, hitting over .500 in baseball, and anchoring the 440-yard relay team that won the South State championship. Barry lettered four years in football at the University of Southern Mississippi before signing with the Washington Redskins.
Annie Laura Betts Seawright Jimmerson — 1951 Magnolia High graduate—Monarch star Annie Jimmerson excelled in basketball, track and field, and softball. Annie led the Monarchs basketball team to the 1952 Gulf Coast Conference championship.
Alcender Jackson — 1996 Moss Point High graduate—Alcender Jackson was an award-winning offensive lineman for the Tigers. He was featured in Sports Illustrated and named to the 1995 USA Today All-USA High School Football Team. Jackson was a four-year letterman for the LSU Tigers and went on to play three years in the NFL for the Cowboys and the Packers.
*Samuel Andrew Leslie — circa 1923 Moss Point High— Sam Leslie was a baseball star who went on to play as a first baseman for the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers from 1929 to 1938. Leslie played for the Giants in the 1936 and 1937 World Series.
Brenda Lewis — 1977-2010 Moss Point High coach—Coach Lewis won seven state championships as coach of the Moss Point High Girls Softball Team (1988, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002). With over 700 career wins, she was named Coach of the Year by the Mississippi Association of Coaches in 1988, 1989 and 1992. Brenda also coached track and soccer and was the head coach of the Tiger girls’ basketball team that won the Big-8 championship in 1989.
*Claude William Passeau — circa 1928 Moss Point High graduate—Claude Passeau was a three-sport star who went to Millsaps College where he played baseball, basketball and football. He played in the major leagues from 1935 through 1947, posting a 162–150 record, 1,104 strikeouts and a 3.32 ERA. He threw a one-hitter in Game 3 of the 1945 World Series.
Ashelia McCovery — 2000 Moss Point High graduate—Ashelia McCovery was a track and field star who won the 1998 state championship in the discus and the 1999 and 2000 state championships in the shot put and discus. At Alcorn State University Ashelia won the 2003 and 2004 SWAC Championships in the shot put and discus.
*James William (Jimmy) Shields — 1963 Moss Point High graduate—Three-sport athlete and All Big-8 Conference basketball player Jimmy Shields led the Tigers in scoring and rebounding for multiple years. Jimmy went on to play basketball and baseball at Perkinston Junior College and football at Delta State University.
Tony Marcel Sipp — 2001Moss Point High graduate—Tony Sipp was an all-state defensive back on the 2000 Tiger football team that won a state championship. Tony also excelled at baseball and was selected in the MLB 2004 draft by Cleveland. He played for the Astros from 2014-2018 and was on the 2017 team that won the World Series.
*Edgar Roosevelt Tanner — 1955 Magnolia High graduate—Basketball and football star Edgar Tanner was team captain for the Monarch basketball team, averaging over 24 points per game. Tanner was also Magnolia’s starting quarterback and free safety.
Pamela Taylor-Jacobs — 1987 Moss Point High School graduate—A three sport standout, Pamela Taylor-Jacobs was a Tiger basketball star with 1425 career points, 615 rebounds, 325 assists and 208 steals. Pamela chose to play basketball for Delta State University where her teams won NCAA Division II national championships in 1989 and 1990.
*Delores Judy Washington — 1962 Magnolia High graduate—Delores Washington excelled in basketball and track. She is remembered as one of the fastest sprinters of the 1960s, clocking a 5.8 second 50-yard dash and an 8.2 second 75-yard dash.
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