Mississippi
Mississippi High School Girls Basketball 2026 Playoff Brackets, Schedule (MHSAA) – February 17, 2026
The 2026 Mississippi high school girls basketball state championships continue on Tueday, February 17.
High School On SI has brackets for every classification in the Mississippi high school girls basketball playoffs. The playoffs culminate with the championship games on March 6.
2026 Mississippi (MHSAA) Class 1A Girls Basketball State Championship Bracket (select to view full bracket details)
First Round Matchups
Ashland at Wheeler – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Wheeler 47, Ashland 11)
Calhoun City at Okolona – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Okolona 60, Calhoun City 28)
Pine Grove at Blue Mountain – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Blue Mountain 51, Pine Grove 48)
Smithville at West Tallahatchie – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: West Tallahatchie 32, Smithville 29)
Riverside at Sebastopol – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Sebastopol 54, Riverside 31)
Taylorsville at Bogue Chitto – Monday, February 16, 5:30pm CST (Final: Bogue Chitto 56, Taylorsville 45)
Ethel at Simmons – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Simmons 66, Ethel 29)
Mount Olive at Lumberton – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Lumberton 51, Mount Olive 12)
Coffeeville at Ingomar – Tuesday, February 17, 6:00pm CST
Byers at Thrasher – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Thrasher 51, Byers 45)
West Lowndes at Vardaman – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Vardaman 42, West Lowndes 31)
Biggersville at Hickory Flat – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Biggersville 67, Hickory Flat 43)
Stringer at West Lincoln – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: West Lincoln 60, Stringer 15)
South Delta at McAdams – Monday, February 16, 5:00pm CST (Final: McAdams 55, South Delta 30)
Mississippi School for the Deaf at Richton – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Richton 12, Mississippi School for the Deaf 0)
Leake County at Shaw – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Leake County 42, Shaw 33)
Second Round Matchups
Okolona at Wheeler – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
West Tallahatchie at Blue Mountain – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Bogue Chitto at Sebastopol – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Lumberton at Simmons – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Thrasher at Ingomar/Coffeeville winner – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Biggersville at Vardaman – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
McAdams at West Lincoln – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Leake County at Richton – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
2026 Mississippi (MHSAA) Class 2A Girls Basketball State Championship Bracket
First Round Matchups
Bruce at Walnut – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Walnut 73, Bruce 21)
Philadelphia at Charleston – Tuesday, February 17, 6:00pm CST
Hatley at East Union – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: East Union 68, Hatley 33)
J.Z. George at Velma Jackson – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Velma Jackson 61, J.Z. George 23)
Mize at Newton – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Newton 67, Mize 10)
Perry Central at Enterprise (Brookhaven) – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Enterprise 29, Perry Central 27)
Pelahatchie at Heidelberg – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Heidelberg 55, Pelahatchie 24)
Wesson at Collins – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Collins 55, Wesson 36)
East Webster at North Side – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: North Side 41, East Webster 32)
Water Valley at New Site – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: New Site 85, Water Valley 36)
Leland at Kemper County – Tuesday, February 17, 6:00pm CST
Baldwyn at Myrtle – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Baldwyn 48, Myrtle 40)
East Marion at Loyd Star – Tuesday, February 17, 6:00pm CST
Enterprise Clarke at Lake – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Lake 41, Enterprise Clarke 34)
Wilkinson County at North Forrest – Tuesday, February 17, 6:00pm CST
Scott Central at Bay Springs – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Scott Central 48, Bay Springs 46)
Second Round Matchups
Philadelphia/Charleston winner at Walnut – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Velma Jackson at East Union – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Enterprise (Brookhaven) at Newton – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Collins at Heidelberg – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
New Site at North Side – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Baldwyn at Leland/Kemper County winner – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Lake at East Marion/Loyd Star winner – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Scott Central at Wilkinson County/North Forrest winner – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
2026 Mississippi (MHSAA) Class 3A Girls Basketball State Championship Bracket
First Round Matchups
Coahoma County at Booneville – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Booneville 57, Coahoma County 15)
Nettleton at Yazoo County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Yazoo County 47, Nettleton 21)
Alcorn Central at Independence – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Independence 60, Alcorn Central 46)
Humphreys County at Noxubee County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Humphreys County 51, Noxubee County 29)
Seminary at Pisgah – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Pisgah 61, Seminary 16)
Presbyterian Christian at Franklin County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Franklin County 44, Presbyterian Christian 41)
St. Andrew’s Episcopal at Jefferson Davis County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Jefferson Davis County 51, St. Andrew’s Episcopal 45)
Crystal Springs at St. Patrick – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: St. Patrick 43, Crystal Springs 34)
Aberdeen at Thomas E. Edwards – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Thomas E. Edwards 59, Aberdeen 21)
North Panola at Belmont – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Belmont 64, North Panola 38)
O’Bannon at Choctaw County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Choctaw County 48, O’Bannon 20)
Kossuth at Holly Springs – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Kossuth 58, Holly Springs 55)
West Marion at Jefferson County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Jefferson County 53, West Marion 32)
McLaurin at Southeast Lauderdale – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Southeast Lauderdale 46, McLaurin 12)
Hazlehurst at Our Lady Academy – Monday, February 16, 7:00pm CST (Final: Our Lady Academy 61, Hazlehurst 23)
Quitman at Magee – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Quitman 64, Magee 24)
Second Round Matchups
Yazoo County at Booneville – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Humphreys County at Independence – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Franklin County at Pisgah – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
St. Patrick at Jefferson Davis County – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Belmont at Thomas E. Edwards – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Kossuth at Choctaw County – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Southeast Lauderdale at Jefferson County – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Quitman at Our Lady Academy – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
2026 Mississippi (MHSAA) Class 4A Girls Basketball State Championship Bracket
First Round Matchups
Shannon at Tishomingo County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Tishomingo County 61, Shannon 18)
Yazoo City at Ripley – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Ripley 52, Yazoo City 45)
Corinth at Itawamba Agricultural – Wednesday, February 18, 6:00pm CST
Clarksdale at Kosciusko – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Clarksdale 37, Kosciusko 34)
Mendenhall at Choctaw Central – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Choctaw Central 75, Mendenhall 20)
Forrest County Agricultural at Lawrence County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Lawrence County 56, Forrest County Agricultural 42)
West Lauderdale at Morton – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Morton 67, West Lauderdale 35)
South Pike at Greene County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Greene County 49, South Pike 38)
Greenwood at Senatobia – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Senatobia 55, Greenwood 45)
Mooreville at South Pontotoc – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Mooreville 58, South Pontotoc 43)
Rosa Fort at Louisville – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Louisville 72, Rosa Fort 19)
New Albany at Houston – Monday, February 16, 7:00pm CST (Final: Houston 75, New Albany 45)
Bay High at Columbia – Wednesday, February 18, 6:00pm CST
Raymond at Newton County – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Newton County 56, Raymond 28)
McComb at Moss Point – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Moss Point 54, McComb 29)
Northeast Lauderdale at Forest – Monday, February 16, 6:00pm CST (Final: Northeast Lauderdale 41, Forest 35)
Second Round Matchups
Ripley at Tishomingo County – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Clarksdale at Corinth/Itawamba Agricultural winner – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Lawrence County at Choctaw Central – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Greene County at Morton – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Mooreville at Senatobia – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Houston at Louisville – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Newton County at Bay High/Columbia winner – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Northeast Lauderdale at Moss Point – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
2026 Mississippi (MHSAA) Class 5A Girls Basketball State Championship Bracket
First Round Matchups
Cleveland Central at Pontotoc – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Columbus at Florence – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
East Central at Laurel – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
North Pike at Northeast Jones – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Caledonia at Holmes County Central – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Lanier at New Hope – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Sumrall at Wayne County – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Purvis at Brookhaven – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
2026 Mississippi (MHSAA) Class 6A Girls Basketball State Championship Bracket
First Round Matchups
Callaway at Olive Branch – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Grenada at Canton – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Pearl River Central at West Jones – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Terry at Picayune – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Lake Cormorant at Neshoba Central – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Ridgeland at South Panola – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Hattiesburg at Hancock – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Pascagoula at Forest Hill – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
2026 Mississippi (MHSAA) Class 7A Girls Basketball State Championship Bracket
First Round Matchups
Oxford at Tupelo – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Horn Lake at Madison Central – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Gulfport at Northwest Rankin – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Meridian at Harrison Central – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Hernando at Starkville – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Clinton at DeSoto Central – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
Pearl at Biloxi – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
West Harrison at Brandon – Friday, February 20, 6:00pm CST
More from High School On SI
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.
Permanent daylight saving time in New Jersey
House approves permanent DST: NJ gets later sunsets year-round but darker winter mornings; sunrise could be ~8:25 a.m.
Are Americans finally done changing the clocks twice a year? Congress moved a step closer to ending the ritual after the U.S. House passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.
It hasn’t been approved by the Senate yet, but it did pass the House with broad support (308-117). If it passes the Senate, it could be signed by President Donald Trump or become law without his signature, unless he vetoes it.
Trump has previously backed ending twice-a-year time changes.
“I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’” he wrote in a May Truth Social post.
A few versions of the Sunshine Protection Act were introduced in Congress. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, introduced the one that’s gaining ground last year.
Here’s what to know about daylight saving time and the move to change it.
What is daylight saving time and why do we use it?
Daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks forward an hour from March until November in an effort to gain more sunlight during the summer months.
According to the Library of Congress, it was first enacted in 1918 as a fuel cost-saving measure during World War I.
Daylight saving time became federal law under the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Under the law, some states can opt to exempt themselves from daylight saving time.
Would Mississippi keep daylight saving time year-round?
In 2021, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law saying the state plans to stick with daylight saving time year-round. But that only takes effect if Congress changes the federal law to let states adopt it all the time. A bill updating the effective date died in committee in the 2026 session.
Nineteen states, including Mississippi, are ready to make daylight saving time permanent if Congress changes the law to make the twice-a-year time shift optional, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
How later sunrises would affect Mississippi
Sunrise and sunset times in summer would look the same.
But the period from November to March would be different. The amount of daylight would be the same, just shifted an hour later than usual.
Mississippi could expect the latest winter sunrises around 7:59 a.m. in mid-January. The earliest sunsets would shift from about 4:46 p.m. in early December to 5:46 p.m., according to timeanddate.com.
Why permanent daylight saving time failed before
Yes. Congress did drop Daylight Saving Time before.
The move failed in 1974 after parents worried about kids going to school before dawn, risking more vehicle crashes.
Some parts of the country, like Michigan or Indiana, don’t see sunrise until after 9 a.m. with the permanent daylight saving time.
When clocks fall back in 2026
Clocks will “fall back” from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, unless Congress changes the law.
Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November each year, under current law. That’s when we get back that missing hour of sleep from the spring time change.
Does Mississippi change clocks twice a year?
Yes. Mississippi, which is in the Central time zone, observes daylight saving time.
What time is it in Mississippi?
Visit timeanddate.com to see the current time in Jackson.
Which states don’t observe daylight saving time?
Most of the U.S. participates in daylight saving time except for Hawaii and most of Arizona. The Navajo Nation in the northeast corner of the state does participate.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@usatodayco.com.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
Mississippi
Mississippi teen accused of killing elderly couple had worked for them before shooting: family
A teenager in Mississippi knew the elderly couple he’s accused of killing before sparking a standoff with law enforcement, according to new testimony in court.
Cordarius Hobbs, 17, is charged with killing 74-year-old Billy Blair and his 71-year-old wife Virginia Carol Blair during a home break-in on June 3 in Mendenhall, Mississippi.
Family members of Hobbs testified during the Thursday preliminary hearing that he knew the couple.
Family members testified that Hobbs did work for the Blairs for things like cleaning around the house before the alleged shooting, according to WAPT.
Billy Newsome, Hobbs’ grandfather, said he believes his grandson was called to work on the day of the alleged shooting but believes he’s innocent.
“My grandson used to work for the man, why you gone rob a man that you work for,” Newsome said. “Why you gone stay there that long and you know the police out there, and then you gone wait until everybody gets there to run, it just ain’t adding up, something just ain’t right here.”
On June 3, three contractors installing a generator at the Blairs’ home discovered Carol Blair’s car door open with several guns on the seats around 10 a.m., prompting them to call the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department for a welfare check at 11:30 a.m, according to a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigator.
By noon, the investigator said that officers arrived and were met with shots fired at them, starting a nearly two-hour-long standoff.
Hobbs was captured after trying to run away from officers, the official said, adding that the teen was unarmed when he was caught.
Carol Blair was found in a bedroom curled in the fetal position and had three gunshots to the back of her head. Bill Blair was found lying on his back in the kitchen with three gunshot wounds to his face.
The state investigator said three firearms were found inside the home as well as 280 shell casings, all owned by Bill Blair.
Hobbs’ defense attorney, Zachary Vaugh, argued that there’s a lack of direct forensic evidence connecting the teenager to the shooting.
“There was nothing to say he’s a principal, he’s the one that pulled the trigger on these things,” Vaugh said. “One of the things alone was, one of the victims was shot twice on one side of the head and once on the other. I think that’s pretty compelling that somebody else may have been in there. There’s a lot of things that are possible, just a tremendous amount of things.”
“When you have an officer say there’s no one that can identify him at the time of the shooting, I just don’t see how that adds up,” he said.
Hobbs is charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of burglary, in addition to 10 other charges. He was denied bond.
In a statement on Facebook, the couple’s family previously said, “We are crushed in spirit, bruised, and brokenhearted, but we are not alone.”
Jason Busby, who was friends with the couple, remembered them as being extremely selfless when speaking with WLBT.
“The man would’ve given you the shirt off his back, his wife is the same, and they’re just great people. It’s just a tragedy,” Busby said. “Everybody around here is still in shock. They were just good people.”
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