To say Ricky Black and Roy Oswalt are local sports legends would be an understatement.
Black, currently 70 years old and the head football coach at Jackson Prep, had one of the strongest runs as a head coach in Kosciusko High School football history, while Oswalt began his baseball career at Weir High School and took it all the way to the Major Leagues.
They are among six athletes who are to be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night in Jackson.
During his run as head coach of the Whippets, Kosy posted an 49-6 mark including a 32-1 record over his last three seasons. After leaving Kosy, Black was head coach at Tupelo for 11 years and after a stint at Mississippi State, has coached Jackson Prep for the past 22 seasons, claiming 10 state championships.
Oswalt was a standout on the mound for Weir and Holmes Community College before being drafted by the Houston Astros in 1196.
Oswalt twice won 20 games in a season for the Astros and picked up 19 victories in another season. He finished his career with a 163-102 record and an ERA of 3.96.
He was runner-up to Albert Pujols for the NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2001, while finishing in the top six in Cy Young voting six times.
PRACTICE TIME HAS BEGUN
Four MHSAA sanctioned sports can begin official practice in July. Slow-Pitch softball was actually able to begin practice on July 22, while Volleyball, Swimming and Cross-Country were allowed to begin on July 29.
Classic games for Softball are Aug. 5-6, with the regular season beginning on Aug. 10 and coming to an end on Oct. 1. For Volleyball, the classics are Aug. 9-10 with the first match on Aug. 13 and the final regular season match on Oct. 15.
The first cross country meet can be held on Aug. 10.
Football practice begins on Aug. 5 with scrimmages allowed on Aug. 16 and Classic games set for Aug. 22 or 23. Classic games for all sports do count on the regular season record.
