About a year after Boone Newspapers, Inc. purchased The Vicksburg Post in May 2013, it bought another small Mississippi newspaper, The Oxford Eagle.

These days, there doesn’t seem to be a day that goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars for that.

By a strange coincidence, Vicksburg High has found a way to play Oxford in the playoffs of almost every sport this school year. They met in football, boys and girls soccer, and this Friday the girls basketball teams will play in the second round of the Class 5A state tournament.

By a weird quirk, every single one of those games has been in Oxford. The MHSAA playoff brackets change the matchups each year, and this year the divisions containing Oxford and Vicksburg have been paired in every first round. Oxford has had a good year and won the division more often than not, while Vicksburg has often finished fourth and had to travel to play the No. 1-seeded Chargers or Lady Chargers.

Still, it’s weird. It’s like there’s some sort of vortex that keeps pulling the Gators and Missy Gators there.

I’m a completist when it comes to the playoffs. I like for us to cover every game we can get to. Sometimes, when games are here in Vicksburg or over in Jackson, that’s easy. Other times, when games are far away — like the 3 ½-hour drive to Oxford — that’s not so easy.

When we can’t get to games, sports writers often enlist other papers to help by sending a story and photos. It’s usually a trade. You send me one this time, I’ll send ours the next time your guys play here.

The way this year has gone, though, I’ve felt like a deadbeat. The opportunity hasn’t presented itself to hold up our end of the quid pro quo.

Oxford Eagle sports editor Davis Potter and photographer Bruce Newman have helped out with numerous requests for coverage without hesitation. In addition to the Vicksburg vs. Oxford games, almost all of the Ole Miss photos you see in The Post come from our associates in Oxford. I can’t thank them enough for the help they’ve given us.

Maybe one of these days Oxford will have to come here. It’ll be nice for Vicksburg not to have to make the trip. It’ll be just as nice for me to pay back a life debt that just keeps building.

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Ernest Bowker is a sports writer for The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com