By Myra Bean

Sports Writer

This is an exciting week for Oxford High School powerlifting as 19 lifters are headed to Jackson for the 2025 State Championships. The 12 girls compete on Friday, March 28 and the seven boys compete Saturday, March 29.

The teams are coached by Issac Boose, who has been the powerlifting coach for the last eight years and an assistant football coach. He is assisted by Chris Moore, Zay Herod and Lamarcus Faulkner. 

Boose is an alumnus of University of Southern Mississippi and got his master’s from William Carey College. Boose is from Hattiesburg and did his student coaching at Hattiesburg High. Then he spent five years at M.S. Palmer in Marks before coming to Oxford.

The girls’ powerlifting team is returning for back-to-back state championships as they won the first-ever 7A state championship in 2024. They won the North Half Championship on March 1.

Members of the team include Ly’Niyah Smith, Keiona Perry, Kayden Boose, Cianna Davis, Alyssa Hilliard, Alexis Wilks, Mary Kay Booker-Wilks, Alexis Kee, Brooklyn Haynes, Lauren Morris, Jelayah Hair and Trinity Bridges.

Last year was the first time in team history that Oxford girls have won the state championship. “The previous year was the first time the girls had won regionals and north half. We are doing a lot of firsts,” Boose said.

“Accountability” is what Boose asks of the girl’s and boy’s teams. Boose also asks them to have the personal drive to be a success. “As well as me standing over you encouraging you to do what you need to do to be successful,” he said.

Just like most teams, the coaches employ different activities for the team to become closer as a team, especially sports which lean toward more individuality.

“We pride ourselves on being family,” Boose said. “I think that’s one of those things that drive us. Powerlifting is an individual as well as a team sport. There’s a lot of those things hopefully, now they are doing mostly for the team more than their own individual game. We are just trying to win back-to-back.”

The boys’ team only had four players go to state the last few years, but this year won the North Half and seven of the 12 will make the trip to Jackson.

Boys team members include Jaiden Gipson, Chris Perez Za-Nijen Hickinbottom, Tykevious Patrick, BJ Mix, Kamar Houston and Jaden Evans.

“This year is probably one of the best boy’s teams I’ve had since I have been coaching,” said Boose. “We are a very strong team this year. We have seven boys out of the 12 to the state championship, which is huge because in the last few years we have only had four. So to take seven is really huge. This is the first year we have won the north half as the boys. The last few years we have been runner-up. So, the boys have been able to win their regional and their north half this year. We hope to turn that over and try to win the state championship as well.”