Players of the Pine Belt: Bay Springs senior right tackle James Wilson

BAY SPRINGS, Miss. (WDAM) - James Wilson has a simple, but honest answer for why he loves playing football at Bay Springs.”

“Getting down and dirty,” Wilson said.

It’s also a reason why he’s one of Dan Brady’s favorite players to coach.

“He’s just got that ‘it’ factor I guess you would say,” Brady said. “He can be pushed. I know I can get after James’ tail and just get the best out of James. That’s what makes him fun to coach.”

The right tackle of course just one piece of the Bulldogs’ ground assault last season – rushing for over 3,600 yards en route to the school’s first state championship.

Wilson has a simple explanation for his role, too.

“Open up the hole and let ‘em through,” Wilson said. “That’s all I gotta do. One hard step.”

Of course, there’s much more to it than that – the energy he brings every snap, not to mention his size.

Wilson shot up to 6-foot-5 so fast, coach Corey Mackey tried his best to recruit him to the basketball court.

“His body started to fill out,” Brady said. “That’s what I tell every guy that comes by here. Don’t judge him by what he is now. You get him on campus one year, 240′s going to turn into 270 and then all of a sudden you got a monster of a man playing for you.”

Coach Brady’s glad to have that beast around for one more season.

Bay Springs returns all five interior linemen – whom Brady calls “Earth-movers.”

And with two of the top running backs back – Ty Jones and Malaki Page – the Bulldogs believe they can make another run at a state title.

“Being in high school for almost four years and getting to play your last year, it’s just exciting,” Wilson said. “As a team, we’re ready to do it again.”

“During spring training I just felt like some complacency had crept in,” Brady said. “And the kids were kind of just saying to themselves, ‘We won a state championship.’ We kind of had a reset there and changed it. Ended up having a great spring, had a great summer. The thing I’ve always loved about these kids and it will always be the same here – the work ethic. That mentality of just getting after it every day, overcoming any obstacle that gets in their way. That’s what’s going to make us good and you wrap a bunch of great athletes around that, we’re going to be a hard team to beat.”

Here’s a look at Bay Springs’ 2022 schedule:

8/26 – at Raleigh – 7:30 p.m.
9/2 – at Philadelphia – 7:30 p.m.
9/9 – vs. Heidelberg – 7:30 p.m.
9/16 – vs. Scott Central – 7:30 p.m.
9/23 – at Richton* – 7:30 p.m.
9/30 – at Enterprise-Lincoln* – 7:30 p.m.
10/7 – vs. Resurrection Catholic* – 7 p.m.
10/14 – vs. Mount Olive* – 7 p.m.
10/20 – at Salem* – 7 p.m.
10/28 – at Taylorsville* – 7 p.m.
11/3 – vs. Lumberton* – 7 p.m.

*Indicates Region 4-1A opponent

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