There were several top performers across the state in girls high school sports, but only one can be voted as the Clarion Ledger athlete of the week for March 30-April 4.

Fans may vote in the poll BELOW one time per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Friday.

To nominate a future athlete of the week, email mchavez@gannett.com or message him on X, formerly Twitter, @MikeSChavez.

To submit high school scores, statistics, records, leaders and other items at any time, email mchavez@gannett.com.

Nominations

Marlie Bishop, Ethel: Bishop recorded three home runs and 10 RBIs during Ethel’s games against Leake County, Noxapater and Houston.

Presley Merkich, Germantown: Merkich recorded two hits, a home run and six RBIs in Germantown’s 17-16 win against Madison Central.

Sydnee Norman, Alcorn Central: Norman pitched seven innings with 14 strikeouts and two RBIs at the plate in Alcorn Central’s 10-4 win against Mantachie.

Asher Pickle, Smithville: Pickle produced a home run and eight RBIs, including pitching nine innings with 12 strikeouts in Smithville’s games against Tremont, Ingomar and Tishomingo County.

Kennedy Trotter, Caledonia: Trotter pitched 14 innings with 17 strikeouts in Caledonia’s two wins against New Hope.

Michael Chavez covers high school sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.

A Jackson, Mississippi, icon has been named the best burger in Mississippi.

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The house was initially built as a one-story residence with an “English” basement and a carriage house; a two-story annex was added later, according to the listing with Douglas Adams of Crescent Sotheby’s International Realty, informed by the Historic Natchez Foundation. 

“The location is what is superb because it is one of the highest points in Natchez overlooking the Mississippi River,” said Adams, who posted the listing Thursday.

In 1893, the Parsonage changed hands for the last time when it was purchased by James and Agnes Metcalfe, and has been in the Metcalfe family ever since. 

Known as the Parsonage, the residence is considered a classic example of Greek Revival architecture from the pre-Civil War South, with a wide portico, raised porch and sash windows. It is located on South Broadway Street, in a commanding position that overlooks Bluff Park, the Mississippi and downtown Natchez. It spans 6,500 square feet with five bedrooms, two formal parlors flanking a central hall and richly detailed interiors that include original exposed-brick walls, fireplaces and stained-glass windows. 

In addition to a front porch, the property includes several outdoor terraces and balconies, including a second-floor wraparound deck and a balustraded rooftop—which has the best vantage point from which to see the wide views. 

The home was occupied for many years by the late Albert and Gay Metcalfe, who married at the Parsonage in 1959, and would host events for friends. “It became something of a social hub,” Adams said. “They’d host families to celebrate someone’s life; there may have been some weddings that occurred there.” 

Gay Metcalfe died in 2023 and the heirs are her three children, Adams said. The family couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Hardie, the architect, was a Scottish immigrant who built several other notable buildings in Natchez, including most prominently St. Mary Basilica, a Gothic Revival structure on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Homewood plantation, a Greek Revival mansion. 

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According to local lore, the Parsonage was commissioned by Little because his wife, Eliza’s religious devotion led her to welcome every passing minister into their home, according to “Natchez,” a 1940s history of the city. Displeased with the “long siege of such guests,” Little decided to build a separate home for his wife’s visitors. 

Little’s own mansion at Rosalie still stands today near the site of the 1729 massacre of the Natchez Native Americans, from whom the city takes its name.