Local chess squads take top honors in team championships

RIDGELAND — Students from the Franklin County School District successfully competed in four sections of the Mississippi Scholastic Chess Team Championships in March, and earned three first-place showings and one second-place finish against participants from across the Magnolia State.

Dr. Jeff Bulington, who heads the Franklin Chess Center and serves as program coach, reported the local K-3, K-6 and K-8 squads all took first in their respective competitions while the K-12 group claimed second-place overall in their division.
The event was held at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School and FC was represented by 29 chess players.

Bulington said Franklin County’s final showings were within the range of his expectations — especially with his youngest participants.

“None of our kids in K-3 lost or drew a game,” he noted. “There were three teams in that section, and it came down to beating both teams — 4 to 0 each time — to win the championship.”

The Franklin County Upper Elementary A team students split the first round with a team from Northwest Rankin.

“In the end, Franklin County and Northwest Rankin took part in a ‘speed playoff’ to determine first place, and we won that 3-1,” Bulington said.

FC also had a B team participating in the K-6 ranks, with that squad finishing fifth overall.

When it came to K-8 players, Bulington noted “there was no school we played that our middle school A team did not beat, but they wound up in a draw with our middle school B team.”

Bulington pointed out that result highlights the depth of the current middle school chess squad.

“Our A and B teams went after each other,” he went on to say. “There are people who don’t like it when players from the same school meet each other in these situations, but I encourage our kids to fight whoever is across the board from them — no matter who it is.”

In another tightly contested battle, FC’s high school, in the K-12 division, came in second behind a well-rounded Madison Central squad. Jackson Preparatory School finished in third place in the high school division.

“It was simply a very good tournament — perhaps the finest team tournament that I have been involved with through the years in Mississippi” Bulington added.

Local elementary students taking part in the state team championship included Bailey Cupit, Makayla Davis, Corbin Duncan, Timothy Gray, Kay’l Jones, Braylen Marshall, Braxton McGehee, Paris O’Quinn, Jackson Perry, Tolbert Perry, Ellis Smithhart, Landry Smithhart, Jecoree Walker and Miley Walker.

Middle school participants were Younes Abuhakmeh, Cade Cupit, Will Hutchins, Austen Johnson, Kaleigh King, Jaylen Marshall, Parker Myers, Shane Oglesby, Genesis Richardson and James Woodard.

Those playing at the high school level from Franklin County were Savannah Cothren, Riley Middleton, Seth Powell, Benson Schexnaydre and Parker Wilkinson.