Mississippi
Vote: Mississippi high school football player of the year (12/13/24)
After another exciting season of football here in the Magnolia State, it is time to see who was the best high school football player in Mississippi this season. These phenomenal players led their teams to great seasons, and many will look to continue their career at the collegiate ranks. With that being said, we have nominated 16 players to be voted on for the player of the year. We ask you, the fans, to vote on who you think is the high school football player of the year in Mississippi.
Here are the nominees. Voting ends Dec. 31 at 11: 59 p.m.
The highly rated four-star prospect proved to not only be one of the top quarterbacks in the state, but was the best player to come through Noxubee County since former five-star defensive tackle, Jeffery Simmons, played for Noxubee from 2012-2015. Taylor had the numbers to back up his rating as a recruit too. He led the Tigers to the Class 3A state championship game where they fell to Choctaw County 34-27, but that does not take away from the season Taylor had. He completed 56 percent of his passes for 2,903 yards with 40 touchdowns. He also rushed the ball 124 times for 1,205 yards and 16 touchdowns.
If you are signed to play for an SEC school for football while playing in Class 1A, you better have some monster stats. Thankfully for Willis, that is exactly what he had. He had over 1,000 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns this season. He also had almost 500 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, but Willis was being recruited as a edge rusher which is where he did most of his damage this season. The composite four-star prospect that is committed to Mississippi State recorded 70 total tackles, 46 tackles for loss and 18 sacks.
Hill was the workhorse for the Golden Wave as he helped win them their first state title since 1992. Hill rushed for 2,289 yards and recorded 35 rushing touchdowns. The Mississippi State commit averaged over nine yards a carry this season which is absurd for a running back at any level.
Davis seemed to quietly put together one of the better seasons in Mississippi this season. The senior completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,518 yards and 41 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Also, you will notice a theme throughout that many of these quarterbacks are pure dual-threat quarterbacks, or they have some elusiveness to extend the play. Davis rushed for 305 yards and five touchdowns while averaging just over six yards a carry.
Nowell had arguably the best season at the receiver position in the state of Mississippi this year. He hauled in 74 receptions for 1,436 yards while averaging 19 yards per reception. He averaged 110 yards per game, but the most astonishing thing about his season is that he caught 27 passes for a touchdown.
Flowers had an outstanding season helping lead Charleston to the state championship where they eventually fell to Heidelberg. Prior to the state championship games, the junior rushed for 1,618 yards and 30 touchdowns. He averaged just over six yards per rush, and Flowers averaged over 110 rushing yards per game.
Wilcox had a fantastic season as one of the leaders for the Rebels. As the signal caller for their electric passing attack, Wilcox completed 58 percent of his passes for 3,623 yards with 41 passing touchdowns. He also showed some elusiveness rushing for 320 yards and nine touchdowns on 87 attempts.
The Mustangs number one target was the senior athlete who caught 61 passes for 1,171 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. Forbes averaged 19 yards per reception, and he averaged just over 106 yards per game. His big play ability helped the Mustangs win nine games this season.
Not only was Toler one of the top players in the MAIS, but he proved to be one of the top players in the entire state this season with his rushing numbers. The senior eclipsed the 2,000 yard mark by the skin of his teeth by gaining 2,001 rushing yards this season. He rushed for 35 touchdowns, and he averaged over 7 yards per carry this season.
According to On3 Sports, Womack is a four-star safety who is soon to become a five-star here in the coming months. He holds offers from Ohio State, Alabama, Texas A&M along with countless other schools, but he has also proven to be a reliable wide receiver. In the state championship winning season, Womack caught 54 passes for 1,045 yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 19 yards per reception while averaging 80 yards per game from the receiver position. Womack does play both sides of the ball, and what he is able to defensively is why he is a highly rated recruit. He recorded 39 total tackles with eight interceptions. He took back four of his interceptions for touchdowns, and he also one punt return and one kickoff return go back for six.
Ausmer proved to be a pivotal piece for the Greyhounds’ defense throughout the season. His pass rushing ability helped them make a deep run into the playoffs before they lost to Brandon. On the season, he recorded 65 solo tackles and 83 total tackles. Ausmer found it easy to get into the backfield by recording 41 tackles for loss and getting to the quarterback for 23 sacks.
Miller elevated his game by proving he was one of the best shutdown corners in Mississippi. He recorded nine interceptions, and he took one back for a touchdown. Miller also showed he is not afraid to step up in support of the run game. He recorded 62 total tackles with 57 of those tackles being solo tackles. He also forced one fumble.
Harper also proved himself as one of the top shutdown defensive backs in 2024 in Mississippi. He picked off the quarterback eight times, and he took two of them back for a touchdown. Harper also proved to be physical as he recorded 21 solo tackles and 40 total tackles.
Like Willis, Pace also showed exceptional pass rushing ability this season. He managed to get to the quarterback 16 times, and he had 11 quarterback hurries on top of that. His tackling stats were also otherworldly. Pace recorded 75 solo tackles, 125 total tackles and 34 tackles for a loss this season.
Gilmore wrecked havoc from the safety position all season. He recorded 55 total tackles and 52 of those were solo tackles. He also recorded 23 tackles for a loss. Gilmore recovered two fumbles, and he managed to get 14 sacks to cap a spectacular season.
Wilson proved to be a dynamic playmaker no matter where he played on the defensive line. He recorded 111 total tackles, 47 solo tackles and 15 sacks on the year. When he did not record a sack, he did manage to disrupt the opposing quarterback by forcing 38 hurries on the season. Lastly, he recovered one fumble, forced two fumbles and blocked one kick.
Mississippi
Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for July 16, 2026
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 16, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from July 16 drawing
02-09-28-33-35
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from July 16 drawing
Midday: 8-1-2, FB: 5
Evening: 8-7-4, FB: 5
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from July 16 drawing
Midday: 2-0-5-6, FB: 5
Evening: 5-3-9-0, FB: 5
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 16 drawing
Midday: 14
Evening: 10
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Mississippi
Mississippi homeowners blame a noisy data center plant for sleepless nights. The mayor’s advice? “Consider selling.”
It was 4 a.m. on a Sunday and 46-year-old Jason Haley was once again wide awake.
The suburban silence that Haley had grown used to in his two decades as a resident of Southaven, Mississippi, had, for the last few months, been replaced by a constant whirring, like an airplane hovering over his home, he said.
The noise keeping Haley awake was coming from a plant powering Elon Musk’s xAI data centers in the area, according to a lawsuit filed in June against the company and its subsidiary, MZX Tech. Haley and two other Southaven residents, who live within a mile of the plant, allege in the suit that “near-constant” noise and vibrations are causing negative physical and psychological health effects.
The filing comes amid growing resistance toward data center development, with the majority of Americans opposing local construction of a data center, according to a Gallup poll published earlier this year.
Similar disputes are playing out across the country, like in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, where a lawsuit this month filed by residents alleges a data center emits “unreasonable and excessive noise” onto residents’ properties and in Lowell, Massachusetts, where noise from a data center’s cooling center “disrupts neighbors’ sleep,” according to an April suit.
There are more than 4,000 data centers in the U.S., according to a recent United Nations report. To power the data centers, developers are building their own plants, sometimes with little warning to residents like Haley.
Haley reached out to Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite about the noise in emails he shared with CBS News. In one last November, he urged Musselwhite to drive through the neighborhood “and take a listen to the constant high pitch noises.”
“I am aware of the noise and working on a solution with xAI officials,” Musselwhite had responded to Haley an hour later. “It is a problem,” he said in another email later in the day.
But soon, another sleepless night rolled around and Haley was emailing the mayor again.
“Anyone else I can reach out to?” Haley wrote to Musselwhite. “It’s almost 4 am and I can hear it from my bed. The high pitch and roaring combined is full force at this time. My ears are ringing. I can’t live in this. How was this ever approved?”
“I don’t care that this is Elon’s project”
Just north of Southaven, which sits on the Mississippi-Tennessee border, xAI’s data center Colossus went online in Memphis in September 2024. The company dubbed it “the world’s largest AI supercomputer.”
By late July 2025, Musk was announcing that another data center, Colossus 2, was set to begin operation in the area within weeks.
Days later, an announcement popped into the Facebook feeds of Southaven residents: An energy facility that had been dormant for decades will be revived to support xAI’s expanding data center operations in the area, Musselwhite said.
The post was met by a flood of comments, with some lauding the development and others expressing concern about the plant’s impact on the environment and strain on local resources.
Meanwhile, Haley started hearing sounds.
“My first thought was somebody’s got a leaf blower going all the time,” he said.
By December, the noise had become a fixture. He started getting headaches, stopped getting sleep and slipped into feelings of hopelessness and depression. The noise was inescapable, he said, and despite his best efforts to drown it out (sleeping with earplugs, getting a box fan for white noise), it continued to drone on.
So Haley began speaking up — at city government meetings, on Facebook and through TikTok, where he posts videos of himself measuring the noise with a sound meter. He later became involved in a grassroots coalition called Safe and Sound, drawing awareness to concerns surrounding xAI’s undertakings in the region.
The “activist” label is one he’s reluctantly accepted.
“I’ve never been into any kind of activism, never really kept up with politics a whole lot,” he said. “I’m just a guy that has a problem with this noise, and started speaking out and trying to raise awareness.”
When he emailed Musselwhite about the noise again in December, his message came with a disclosure: “I am not a republican or democrat, I don’t care that this is Elon’s project. I didn’t know whose it was when I started complaining about the noise that started in August.”
Musselwhite responded a few days later.
“As I mentioned to you in the public meeting, you seem to be a reasonable person,” he said. “I will give you some unsolicited advice from an older man, be careful with whom you associate so you don’t damage your credibility.”
By January, xAI was expanding its footprint with a third data center in Southaven, MACROHARDDR. As residents like Haley continued pushing back online and in city meetings, Musselwhite had a new message.
Southaven, he said in a Facebook post, was “under attack by all who choose to oppose Elon Musk because of his high-profile political stances.” He warned residents to “beware of the smokescreen of radical politics.”
In his emails to Haley, Musselwhite continued to acknowledge the noise as a problem.
“The noise issue is one of my highest priorities and I have been in detailed discussions with xAI and many independent professionals to resolve this,” he wrote in March.
But in the same email, he offered Haley more advice: “I know they want houses for employees, so you may want to consider selling your home.”
CBS News made multiple attempts to speak with Musselwhite and did not receive a reply.
Migraines, ringing ears and sleepless nights
Moving isn’t Haley’s preference, but he said he is in the financial position to do so if he chooses.
That’s not the case for everyone.
A little over a decade ago, 31-year-old Taylor Logsdon bought a home for her growing family in Southaven and began building her life around it.
“We loved it here,” she said. “It was peaceful, it was quiet, didn’t have to worry about nothing.”
But that was before the noise, so loud, she said, that it sometimes shakes her home. Logsdon, who is also involved in the Safe and Sound coalition and is suing xAI with Haley and one other Southaven resident, said she has experienced migraines and anxiety as a result of the noise.
She said she has persistent ringing in her ears and so do her children. A full night of sleep has become rare for the family.
“I would move tomorrow if I could,” she said, adding that she needs to save money before she can afford to move.
Her children, all under the age of 13, are having trouble staying awake at school.
“One of them is extra angry all the time — never, never has been that way, but he’s just irritable like all the time,” she said. “I feel like I’m snappier too.”
xAI spent millions of dollars trying to mitigate the sound with a sound wall, a berm and evergreen trees, Musselwhite said in a February Facebook post.
“It still hasn’t helped. It hasn’t even put a dent in it,” Logsdon said.
People living in areas where there is “constant humming or buzzing” report headaches, stress and sleep disturbance, said Dr. Samoon Ahmad, a clinical professor of psychiatry at New York University.
A 2023 study found that environmental noise exposure can lead to adverse associations for cardiovascular disease and mortality, diabetes, hearing impairment, neurological disorders and adverse reproductive outcomes.
“People think of annoyance as an abstract term,” Ahmad said. “It’s not an abstract term because it has real physiological ramifications.”
The World Health Organization recommends less than 40 decibels of annual average nighttime noise outside of bedrooms to prevent adverse health effects. Haley has recorded noise levels over 60 decibels as late as 10:15 p.m. from his Southaven backyard.
Musk’s Memphis
Even before Logsdon and Haley decided to take action against xAI, Musk’s growing presence in the Memphis area garnered attention from advocacy groups over health and environmental concerns.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People filed a lawsuit in April against xAI claiming the Southaven plant emits “significant” amounts of harmful pollutants from its 27 gas turbines, which has since increased to 59, according to a court filing reviewed by CBS News. The NAACP has also filed an appeal to challenge the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s decision to issue an air permit allowing the Southaven plant to operate 41 permanent methane gas turbines. An independent study found their operation would increase air pollution in an area already grappling with a disproportionate number of asthma-related emergency room visits.
CBS News has reached out to xAI for comment.
Musk’s investment in the latest Southaven data center brings his company’s contribution to the area to $20 billion, according to the office of Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves. The governor called it “the largest economic development project in Mississippi’s history.”
Musk’s financial footprint has also extended beyond the data centers — MZX Tech donated over $1.3 million to the Southaven Police Department in February, according to the donation agreement obtained by CBS News, and has offered half-priced Starlink for those in the Memphis region.
But Logsdon says the cost to her and her family’s health has her wondering why it feels like her city is willing to “hurt the few to get the benefits.”
“We were not a failure town before,” Logsdon said. “It’s not like our economics were terrible here.”
Southaven had a median household income of over $70,000 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — $20,000 more than the state average.
Logsdon, currently a stay-at-home mom, will be searching for work this fall so she and her husband can start saving up to move away from the plant. For now, her goal is a full night’s sleep.
“I hope that my family can go back to having our normal,” she said. “Being able to sleep at night, being able to enjoy my backyard, being able to go swimming.”
Mississippi
GPS data tracks boat Mississippi teen Nolan Wells was on before he went missing
GPS data from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, obtained by CBS News, tracks the movements of the boat that carried Nolan Wells to Horn Island on July 4. Wells was found dead after going missing following an outing on the island.
The vessel left a dock at approximately 9:56 a.m. that morning and arrived at Horn Island at 11:14 a.m. CBS News has previously reported that Wells was not on the boat when it departed the island.
According to the GPS data, the boat left Horn Island at 4:31 p.m. and returned to its original departure dock. It then traveled into Fort Bayou around 5:52 p.m. before returning to the dock at 6:06 p.m.
Later that evening, the boat went to the Fort Bayou boat launch at 7:19 p.m., according to the MSDMR report. From there, it traveled over land — presumably towed by a vehicle — to the Biloxi, Mississippi, residence of the boat’s owners.
The MSDMR report indicates that the boat’s owner, his mother and one other individual who was reportedly with Wells on the day of the incident have cooperated with the investigation.
The department’s report ends on July 5, following notification that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office would take over as the lead investigative agency.
Wells, 18, was last seen on July 4 on Horn Island, where he had taken a boat trip with friends to celebrate the holiday, officials said. Wells traveled to the island with his friends but did not return to the mainland with them that afternoon, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said.
He was last seen on the island at 3 p.m., according to attorney Ben Crump’s office. His mother reported him missing later that night and a search began.
His body was discovered July 6 off the coast of the island, which is about 10 miles south of the Mississippi mainland, following a search that involved the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the National Park Service.
Dental records confirmed the body was Wells, Jackson County coroner Bruce Lynd told CBS News. An autopsy took place on July 7, Lynd said, but the results were not immediately made public. Wells’ body was flown to Washington, D.C., for an independent autopsy, according to Crump.
Wells’ parents have said they don’t believe their son would’ve stayed behind on the island by choice when his friends left by boat.
“No, he wouldn’t. Nolan always stays with the group,” Elmore Wonsley, Nolan’s father, told “CBS Mornings” last week. “If you be with me, you come back with me. So that I don’t understand, and with me being a parent, if I was in that situation, I would have told them, ‘You’re going to get back on this boat with me because I don’t want to answer to your parents if something happens to you.’”
When directly asked if he believed Nolan was left behind on the island, his father responded, “Yes. I don’t believe he decided to stay on the island by himself. It just doesn’t — that’s not his character.”
Wells went to Ocean Springs High School and was a rising sophomore on Southwest Mississippi Community College’s football team. Crump said Wells was a good swimmer.
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