Jack

RHS Baseball ‘25

[⚾RHS Baseball⚾ @ripleybaseball]

Mrs. Brenda’s last pregame meal. Thank you for all years of support! GO TIGERS!

[Jack @Jack_Fort2]

@Cooper22D @NEMCCBASEBALL @willbrand14 @richharrelson @CRichardson2938 @RyanWesson_32 Man those are some nice stats!

[Jack @Jack_Fort2]

@RipleyHS @ripleybaseball

[Jack @Jack_Fort2]

@ripleybaseball

[Jack @Jack_Fort2]

@LetsGoICC @LetsGoICC_BSB

[Jack @Jack_Fort2]

@ripleybaseball

[Jack @Jack_Fort2]

@ripleybaseball Lip🤪

[Pete Hegseth @PeteHegseth]

Well done, good and faithful servant.

[Mississippi Sports @SocialSportsMs]

To a few generations of baseball loving boys in Ripley, Joel Gafford hung the moon. The next generation, kids just about to enter junior high or a little younger, they had “play for Gafford” on their bucket list.

Joel Gafford is the winningest baseball coach in Tippah County history. He was at Ripley for 15 years and there are students playing for the Tigers who have never known anything but the nicknames, quotes and program that Coach Gafford built.

There were more than a few times that Gafford and I talked about how the Tigers would graduate a big, successful class and everyone would write them off in the preseason the next year only for his Ripley squad to win a bunch of games, make the playoffs, win a district title. He would always credit that to the program that was in place more so than anything.

The sudden loss of someone who became synonymous with Ripley baseball gives the current Tigers returning next season a unique opportunity. You heartbreakingly won’t get to play for Coach Gafford next season but you will get to play FOR Coach Gafford. Meaning: you get to carry forward the program as a standard bearer for the next generation, a lofty expectation for high school students but one I know your coach prepared you for.

Excuses are for those who need them.

Eat breakfast. Go Tigers.

[Jack @Jack_Fort2]

True legend. Protect the “R”.

[Mississippi Sports @SocialSportsMs]

I’ve covered a lot of coaches over the years. It’s extremely rare that a coach stays in one place for more than a decade nowadays. It’s even more rare that those long time coaches have the universal respect and love from all of their former players.

Joel Gafford was one of those coaches.

He became synonymous with Ripley baseball.

He demanded the best from his guys but one thing was clear…those were HIS guys.

A prime example of that: the media swarmed Ty Long after his masterful pitching performances at the state championship final game, a tough loss for the Tigers. Gafford came up to Ty, put his arm around him, and was right there with him the whole time.

Me and Gafford would text and talk occasionally, about sports mostly. Over a decade+ of covering him, we became friendly. He thanked me for covering his Tigers, never wanted any credit for anything, and always said the program was bigger than him.

Thanks for all the baseball banquet invites and signing day heads up over the years Coach. I’ll miss the “eat breakfast. Go Tigers” Tweets and I’ll miss you.

[Southern Miss Baseball @SouthernMissBSB]

𝐓.𝐘., 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐆𝐮𝐲🔒

Freshman Ty Long will start on the mound against Southeastern tomorrow night!

#EverythingMatters | #SMTTT

[⚾RHS Baseball⚾ @ripleybaseball]

“Yeah prolly”

[Prep Baseball Mississippi @PrepBaseballMS]

#MSHSPreview25: 𝐑𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬

⚾️: @RipleyBaseball
👤: Joel Gafford
📋: MHSAA Class 4A
📍: Ripley, MS

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖: https://t.co/2BO6I2uRPj

[Jaylen Brooks @JaylenBrooks3]

🐶!!! #commited #noplacelikeholmes @CoachCJ_Johnson @CoachWood_HCC @ripley_tiger @MSJUCOREPORT @MacCorleone74

[⚾RHS Baseball⚾ @ripleybaseball]

Baseball Weather

[⚾RHS Baseball⚾ @ripleybaseball]

1st Place: Timmy & Judy

[Jack @Jack_Fort2]

@JackRei51643545 @rebetapp Nah

[⚾RHS Baseball⚾ @ripleybaseball]

Thank you to everyone who supported our annual fundraiser. A program will never be more successful than the stakeholders that invest in it. Thank you for supporting our boys. See you this Spring. Eat Breakfast. GO TIGERS!

[Jack Reid @JackRei51643545]

@AB84 #CTESPN

[⚾RHS Baseball⚾ @ripleybaseball]

We have 12 autographed baseballs from our trip to Pearl this past season. Friday from 11:00am-12:00pm we will auction them off on the Ripley High School Facebook page. Place your bid there during that time to win one. (Please share this post.)