Date of Event: 05/01/2026
Location: Mississippi Gulf Coastg Community College – George County Center, P.O. Box 77, Lucedale, MS 39452
Number of Attendees: Approximately 80 attendees – Students, faculty, and industrial partners included.
Presenter/Notable Guest(s): Joshua Pierce (Welding Instructor and Department Chair), Anthony D. Blakeney (District 9 Director), American Tank & Vessel, Benchmark Abrasives, Bollinger Shipyards, Boilermakers Local 110, Complete Welding Solutions, Cooley Customs, ENVIVA Biomass, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Lincoln Electric, , Miller Electric, MGCC College Foundation, Southern Gas & Supply, and Wesco Gas & Supply
Event Summary: The 5th Annual South Mississippi High School Welding Competition was held on May 1, 2026, at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) – George County Center. High school welding technology programs were allowed to enter up to four competitors, classified as either first-year or second-year students. Schools participating included George County High School, Greene County High School, Poplarville High School, Long Beach Senior High
School, Hancock Career & Technical Center, and East Central High School.
First-year competitors completed multiple welds in the 3F and 4F positions using SMAW electrodes. Second-year competitors SMAW open-root V-groove welds in the 3G and 4G positions and a pipe-to-plate FCAW weld.
Top performers were recognized at the conclusion of the competition. In the first-year category, first place – JT Raine of Poplarville High School, second place – Bentley Levins of George County High School, and third – Keaton Lowery of Greene County High School. In the second-year category, Hayden Young of Greene County High School earned first place, Samson Fryfogle of George County High School in second place, and Jett Hughes of Long Beach
Senior High School in third place.
In a strong demonstration of workforce engagement, Ingalls Shipbuilding offered employment opportunities to the first-, second-, and third-place winners in both the first-year and second-year divisions, underscoring the industry’s demand for skilled welders and its commitment to recruiting local talent. Additional recognition was awarded through scholarships. Hayden Young, first-place winner in the second-year category, received a $1,000 scholarship from AWS District 9, presented by Director Anthony Blakeney. Samson Fryfogle, second-place winner in the same category, received a $250 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Foundation scholarship, presented by MGCCC Associate Vice President of Student Services & Enrollment Strategies, Dr. Zachary Moulds.
