25 Teams in 25 Todays: Bay High Tigers
Three different head coaches in a span of three years isn’t typically a recipe for success, but Bay High appears to have all the right ingredients for a breakthrough season in year one of the Jeremy Turcotte era.
“Better Me, Better We,” is the motto at stop number 16 on News 25’s 25 Teams in 25 Days.
“These kids, I post on Facebook about them all the time because coaches and people talk about hard work, these guys are working harder than any group I’ve ever seen in my career.” There’s no substitute for hard work at a program like Bay High and no one knows that better than class of 1996 Bay High alum, now first year head coach of the Tigers Jeremy Turcotte. “To be honest, the history around here has been up and down. We have not tasted a district championship here in the Bay since 1987. We have not been to the playoffs here – they have not been to the playoffs here – since 2012.”
Recent history aside, Coach Turcotte has worn just about every hat there is to wear at Bay High, including player, making the coaching change from Eric Collins and before him Benji Foreman, a seamless transition. Wide Receiver/ Free Safety Hosea Singleton said, “Yeah, he’s a player’s coach. Really funny, just a great guy to be around.”
Quarterback Joshua Peters said, “With Coach Collins last year, he focused on laying the foundation for a good program, and he’s coming in just building off of that and just buying in and everybody else is, too.”
Despite Bay High’s seven year post-season drought, the Tigers are coming off their first winning season since 2012, actually getting off to a 5-0 start in 2019 following a one-win season in 2018. “Last year, they were off to a great start and didn’t finish it as good as they wanted to, so hopefully this year we have that same great start and just keep building on from that.”
History repeated itself, once district play rolled around as the Tigers fell victim to a four-game losing streak in region 8 class 4A. However, two of those losses were one-possession games, leaving Bay High with all the motivation necessary to change its reputation for good. Nose Guard/ Offensive Lineman Seth Russo said, “Every time I get beat, I want to do better. I want to beat them. I want to come back harder and more physical and I believe we’re all going to do that this year.”
“We finished 0-4. That’s a big thing for us that it was all in district. We’ve got to go prove to those district teams that we’re not just old Bay High.”
If winning more games in one season than the last three combined is any indication, old Bay High seems to be a thing of the past. The new Bay High is led by 16 seniors including third year starting quarterback Josh Peters, two-way lineman Seth Russo, who’s been playing varsity since the eighth grade and the electrifying Bay Springs transfer Hosea Singleton. All of them ready to go to war with a coach that’s been an assistant at five different Coast schools, but never a head coach until now at his alma mater. “Yeah, we expect to go to the playoffs this year.”
“I think they’re going to expect us to be the same as we were last year, but we’re going to have a lot more intensity this year.”
“When I was a freshman and sophomore – even junior – we didn’t have many leaders. No one wanted to lead the team and lead us to greatness, and this year I believe we have a lot of them.”
“I’d do this for free. I love being out here with these guys, and it’s just what I love to do.”
As a result of the coronavirus, Bay High lost West Harrison at home on August 21st and Purvis on the road on August 28th.
The Tigers also replaced a road game at Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy on September 11th with a home game against St. Patrick.
Bay High picked up a road game at McComb on September 25th. The Tigers open up the season on September 4th against Forrest County Agricultural High School.
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