Who was the Mississippi Coast’s top athlete of 2025-2026? Vote now
The academic year has come to a close across South Mississippi.
It’s time to honor some of the best high school athletes who shined throughout the year on the field, diamond and court in our Athlete of the Year poll.
Nominees are each Sun Herald and Fans’ Vote Player of the Year winner from the last 12 months.
You can vote as many times as you like until the poll closes at noon on Monday, June 22. The poll is not scientific, and you can vote again by simply refreshing the page.
Here are the nominees.
Nominees
Bradyn Havard, George County baseball (Sun Herald POY/Fan Vote POY): The Pearl River C.C. signee set a school record for strikeouts with 134 as a senior.
Addison Davis, Pearl River Central softball (Sun Herald POY/Fan Vote POY): Davis obliterated the school’s single-season home run record as a sophomore with 18. She batted .556 with 72 RBIs.
Lani McDonial, George County flag football (Sun Herald POY): McDonial threw for 650 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for another 350 yards and a score. She also intercepted three passes on defense for the state champion Rebels.
Whitney Matthews, Pascagoula flag football (Fan Vote POY): Matthews led the team in tackles for loss and was a dynamic slot receiver who impacted the game as a pass-catcher, blocker and a runner.
Saniyah Murray, Harrison Central girls basketball (Sun Herald POY): The junior averaged a double-double with 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds a game and has become one of the top recruits in her class.
Trinity Magee, Moss Point girls basketball (Fan Vote POY): Magee enjoyed a breakout freshman season where she scored 12.8 points with 4.3 rebounds grabbed a game.
Blake Nettles, Pascagoula boys basketball (Sun Herald POY): The Jackson State signee averaged 18.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in leading the Panthers to the school’s first state title.
Keyshawn Nesbitt, Resurrection boys basketball (Fan Vote POY): Nesbitt helped guide Resurrection to the final four with 15.1 points scored per game along with 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 steals.
Kamryn Lafontaine, Bay High girls soccer (Sun Herald POY): The sophomore was third in the state in goals with 48 and her 16 assists helped her finish second in total points.
Lucy Myrick, East Central girls soccer (Fan Vote POY): Just a freshman, Myrick found the back of the net 31 times and assisted on another 17 goals.
Lucas Kurihara, St. Patrick boys soccer (Sun Herald POY): Kurihara helped lead the Irish to a state championship with 26 goals, 19 assists and a Coast-high 71 total points.
Owen Hughes, Ocean Springs boys soccer (Fan Vote POY): The PRCC signee contributed to six shutouts at center back and then scored 10 goals with 13 assists while at striker.
Cooper Crosby, Gulfport football (Sun Herald POY): Crosby led Gulfport to its first class-era state championship with a 42-touchdown season where the Mississippi State signee obtained over 2,400 all-purpose yards.
Kaison Koenenn, Hancock football (Fan Vote POY): The senior quarterback was responsible for 40 total touchdowns. Koenenn threw for 2,326 yards and rushed for another 1,540.
Myah Favre, Our Lady Academy volleyball (Sun Herald POY): The four-time SH Player of the Year had 626 kills and her .593 hit percentage was top-two in the country.
Nicole Miles, Biloxi volleyball (Fan Vote POY): Miles led her team in kills and her .303 hit percentage was top-15 in the state.
