By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
June 16, 2002
When it comes to sports dynasties, there were the UCLA Bruins in basketball, the New York Yankees in baseball, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in football.
When it comes to State Games dynasties, Stephen Gore and Keith Haney can hold their ground with any of the above. The two have won the two-man volleyball tournament gold medal every year it has been a part of the State Games. Just how long that's been is the only question left unanswered.
State Games two-man volleyball commissioner Scott Gray thought it was the fourth or fifth year, but all he's sure of is that he and Kenneth Turner are the only team to ever beat the Starkville duo since the State Games two-man competition began.
Allen Stokes and Shane Bradford of Columbus took the silver medal after losing 15-11 to Gore and Haney in the A division gold medal game. Stokes and Bradford beat team BIGG, Patrick Cook and Jeff Hahn, 16-14 in the semifinals.
Gore and Haney beat Hidatoo, Doug Everett and Eric Shirley, 15-2 in the other A division semifinal.
Hidatoo took the bronze medal by forfeit over BIGG.
Teams played pool games from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Northwest Junior High before medal round games began.
In the C division, Neshoba (Scott Hines and Kevin Briscoe) defeated Laurel and Hardy (Jim Cegielski and Ken Dupre') 18-16 for the gold medal. The third team in that class dropped out, leaving no bronze medal awarded.
In the B division, Ace and Speedy (Latham Williams and Christopher Lewis) took the gold medal with a 15-5 victory over Slappy, David Smith and Brian King.
The bronze medal went to B-B, Beau Phillips and Bryant Perkins, with a 15-13 win over BSR, Jason Harrison and Derrick McEwen.
Ace and Speedy defeated BSR 15-11 in one semifinal with Slappy spanking B-B 15-7 in the other semifinal.
A total of 13 teams competed in the three divisions.