The year 2006 featured many highs and lows for Miss-Lou teams, players, coaches and fans.

From three state championships to a plane crash that claimed the lives of two of the Miss-Lou’s greatest sports advocates, the past year was an eventful one.

As the year comes to a close, we rank the top 10 stories and moments that made 2006 so special.

No. 1: Trinity and Franklin County claim state titles in football.

In a three-day span, the Trinity Episcopal Saints and Franklin County Bulldogs brought home state championships. The Saints needed a two-point conversion stop to beat Briarfield 28-27, while the Bulldogs dominated Nettleton 23-13 in a game that was nowhere near that close.

Trinity steamrolled through much of its competition on the season, and star back Stevan Ridley put an exclamation point on his career by becoming only the third player in the history of the state of Mississippi to rush for 3,000 yards in a single season.

Franklin County’s path to the state title was a bit less clear. Coming off a disappointing 6-4 season in his first campaign, Coach Grady McCluskey and the Bulldogs won six games decided by a touchdown or less, and won 11 in a row after a classic loss at Natchez in their fourth game of the season.

No. 2: Cathedral head coach Ken Beesley steps down after 29 seasons.

Ken Beesley came to Cathedral in 1969 looking to teach math. He would do so over the next 38 school years, but also managed to win 203 football games in the process.

While Beesley never brought home a state championship, his lasting legacy will be the imprint he left on his players. Those who knew him best spoke of his ability as a teacher and a motivator far moreso than his ability to win football games, which he did with frequency since assuming the head coaching role in 1978.

No. 3: A plane crash in Waco, Texas claims the lives of Barr Brown and Jerry Roberts, along with pilot Justin Cardneaux.

While their names may not be among the best known in the annals of Miss-Lou sports, few had the influence of Barr Brown and Jerry Roberts on their schools of choice.

Brown, a graduate of Cathedral, switched his allegiances to Trinity Episcopal when he sent his children to school, and he gave generously to the school and the athletic program.

He also served as a volunteer assistant coach for several years under current head coach David King, including 2001, when the Saints won their first title under King (and second overall).

Roberts was not a native to the Miss-Lou, but his commitment to Vidalia High School was evident. He also served as a volunteer coach under Dee Faircloth, and eventually was elected to the Concordia Parish School Board, where he fought for, and eventually won, a new athletic facility for the Viking football program.

Roberts also served as an official in the Mississippi Private School Association.

No. 4: Scheduling drama erupts between Trinity Episcopal and ACCS.

Two cross-town rivals found getting together to be somewhat difficult in 2006, as the Trinity Episcopal Saints and Adams County Christian School Rebels did not face off in football.

Problems arose in other sports as well, as the two were unable to meet last season in basketball before meeting twice in the MPSA Class AA playoffs.

Trinity is headed back to AA and ACCS’s district next season, so those problems should cease, for now.

No. 5: Cathedral claims second straight MHSAA Class A golf championship.

Led by seniors Mary Kate Byrne, Jordan Farmer and Matthew Hall, the Green Wave golf team rolled to a 38-stroke win over second place Mercy Cross at the Class A golf championship in Vicksburg.

The win was the second straight championship for Cathedral, and seventh in the last 11 years.

No. 6: The rise of Huntington.

No matter the sport, you could rest assured that the Huntington Hounds were rolling in 2006.

The arrivals of Chad Harkins and David Boydstun paid big dividends for Huntington in the last year, as Harkins’ football team rolled out to an 8-0 start and a No. 1 ranking before losing three of its last four, and Boydstun’s basketball Hounds finished 28-3 after a deep run in the playoffs. The Hounds were also ranked No. 1 in the most recent poll for this season.

Huntington baseball also had a strong year, as they finished just an out away from continuing their state championship hopes on a play at the plate that would have tied the championship game.

The Lady Hounds softball team also made an appearance in the Class A playoffs in October.

No. 7: Alcorn State takes fourth straight win over Jackson State.

In a game for the ages, the Alcorn State Braves came back from a 14-point halftime deficit to claim their fourth straight win over the Jackson State Tigers.

After trailing 28-14 due to a series of miscues and questionable calls, the Braves’ special teams stepped up, netting a punt return for a touchdown by Nate Hughes and a blocked field goal as time expired to win the game.

Quarterback Chris Walker led the Braves on a 94-yard, game-winning drive with a touchdown pass with 1:55 remaining.

No. 8: John Gray steps down at ACCS

After years on the sidelines, John Gray called it quits at ACCS in 2006.

The coach who paced the sidelines at ACCS for years and led them to two state title games and four overall tournament appearances even was able to pick his successor, plucking Chuck Bauerle away from Tensas Academy.

No. 9: ACCS and Cathedral meet in JV football.

While only a junior varsity game, October’s meeting between the ACCS Rebels and Cathedral Green Wave in a JV football game could have signaled something much bigger for the future of sports in the Miss-Lou: meetings between MHSAA and MPSA teams.

Talks have reportedly been on the table, but no official word has come.

The Rebels took a 26-12 win in the game.

No. 10: Je”Kel Foster leads Ohio State to NCAA Tournament appearance.

Former Natchez High star Je’Kel Foster helped lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to a Big 10 championship and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament from the point guard position.

While things ended poorly with an upset loss to Georgetown in the second round, Foster spent much of the summer competing in NBA summer leagues, and his name could still pop up in the NBA at any time.