Porters Chapel’s Ryan Hoben, left, and Vicksburg’s Justin Henry, right, earned Co-Player of the Year honors for the 2003 All-County team. PCA’s Randy Wright, center, was honored as Coach of the Year. (Chad ApplebaumThe Vicksburg Post)

[6/1/03]Ole Miss baseball coach Mike Bianco snagged the 2002 Vicksburg Post Player of the Year in the early signing period, and Brian Pettway has solidified himself as one of the Rebels’ leaders.

Bianco needed only look across the county for another Vicksburg Post Player of the Year, and he snagged this one early as well.

Justin Henry, the fleet-footed, slick-fielding shortstop for Vicksburg High, snagged the co-Player of the Year award this season, and in the process became the fourth straight player of the year to play in the Southeastern Conference.

“He’s a very talented shortstop and a great hitter,” Bianco said. “We were really pleased to get him to Ole Miss.”

Henry, who also starred as Vicksburg High’s quarterback, made his decision early to play baseball only. He verbally committed to the Rebels in the middle of football season, ending any thought that he would try to play both.

Seth Smith, who plays center field for Ole Miss, is one of the backup quarterbacks on the team, but Henry said that is not in the cards.

“I never want to say never, but football is over,” said Henry, who was second in the county with a .456 batting average. “I am 99.9 percent sure that it is.”

Henry said he plans on playing summer baseball, although he doesn’t know who with yet. In August, well after the Rebels have finished a run through the NCAA Regionals, he will report to the Oxford campus.

“I think I have a shot,” said Henry when asked if he thought he could make an immediate impact on Ole Miss, like Pettway has this season. “I hope to go in and get an opportunity. That’s all you can ask for.”

Opportunities at Vicksburg were certainly not hard to come by. A four-year starter, Henry played shortstop, but also saw time on the mound.

He was a key component in a senior-dominated infield that led the Gators to the school’s first playoff series win in a sweep of Starkville.

“The toughest one is the first one,” Henry said of the playoff win. “We got that out of the way, so hopefully this program will get closer and closer.”

A devastating two-game sweep by Southaven the worst two games played by Vicksburg all season put a small damper on a record season.

Even worse for Henry was following the Class 5A state championship series. Oak Grove beat Northwest Rankin in three games, but neither of those squads handled Vicksburg.

“If we kept playing the way I knew we could, we had a shot,” Henry said. “We just had two bad games at the wrong time.

“It was a little frustrating knowing that we beat both Oak Grove and Northwest Rankin on their fields.”

But Henry, who led the Gators to their first football win over rival Warren Central in more than a decade, leaves Vicksburg High, doesn’t dwell on the end of this baseball season.

He is too busy focusing on next year’s.

He will be the fifth straight player of the year to play Division I baseball. Shea Douglas (Southern Miss), Robby Goodson (Mississippi State), Taylor Tankersley (Alabama) and Pettway (Ole Miss) preceded Henry as Warren County solidifies itself as a baseball powerhouse.

“They have some tremendous athletes coming out of there,” Bianco said. “We feel good about getting Justin up here.”

Henry, who said he will need to put on muscle weight, is as excited as Bianco.

“I’m ready to go and play baseball,” Henry said. “It’s the SEC. It’s the best in the country. You couldn’t ask for anything better.”

2003 Vicksburg Post Baseball All-County team

P – Justin Boler, Vicksburg High, Sr.

P – Jason Brown, St. Aloysius, Sr.

P – Andrew Embry, Porters Chapel, Sr.

C – Rob Jones, St. Aloysius, So.

IF – Humphrey Barlow, Porters Chapel, IF, Jr.

IF – Aaron Curry, Porters Chapel, IF, Sr.

IF – Paul Gorney, Vicksburg High, Sr.

IF – Josh McBride, Vicksburg High, Sr.

OF – Charlie Amborn, St. Aloysius, Sr.

OF – Greg Carroll, Warren Central, OF, Sr.

OF – Chase Towne, Porters Chapel, Sr.

UT – James Jackson, Vicksburg High, Jr.