2010 dispatch sports review

SPORTSSPORTSREVIEWREVIEW

Players of the YearPlayers of the Year West Point’s Michael CarrWest Point’s Michael Carr

Aberdeen’s Jameika HoskinsAberdeen’s Jameika Hoskins

The DispatchThe DispatchAll -Area TeamsAll -Area Teams

Success, change andSuccess, change and determination characterizedetermination characterize Golden Triangle sportsGolden Triangle sports

2009-20102009-2010 Players of the WeekPlayers of the Week

School Spirit: Band,School Spirit: Band, cheerleading squadscheerleading squads

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SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 1

2 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Players of the YearMichael Carr and Jameika Hoskins earn top honors.4

Making their MarkColumbus athletes reap benefits of hard work, determination.8

The PayoffHeritage Academy’s Ford does a littlebit of everything in final year.

12

SUCCESSNew Hope highlights 2009-10 withchampionships and eye to the future.

14

MultitaskingImmanuel athletes show versatility in competition.

20

VictoryWinning becoming the norm at Victory Christian Academy.

22

PerseveranceDespite facilities, Caledonia trackone of the best in the state.

24

Realizing PotentialWest Lowdnes’ Hill uses KefferMcGee as motivation for success.

26

Goal Goal GoalSoccer reigns supreme at MSMS.28

ReinventionStarkville High fighting its way back to the top.

30

The Turning PointOne game set tone for EastOktibbeha success.

36

DominanceStarkville Academy showsits strength in soccer.

33

DISPATCH ALL-AREAA breakdown of The Dispatch’s All Areateams and Players of the Year.

VolleyballJameika Hoskins dominates with a humble attitude.

51

SoftballHaynes, Atkins and Tutor leadtheir softball teams.

52

SoccerHuddleston, Day, andShoemaker shine as top players.

54

FootballWest Alabama, Small School, andLarge School athletes honored

56

BasketballWest Alabama, Small School, andLarge School athletes honored

66

MOTIVATIONWest Point looks to defend state title in 2010.

38

ChangePlaying in a new division breathesnew life into Oak Hill Academy.

40

Writing on the WallTradition inspires HebronChristian’s district title dynasty.

42

Players of the Week2009-10 Players of the Weekrevisited.

44

ActivitiesArea bands and cheerleadingsquads featured.

47

FaithFaith turned West Oktibbehaaround.

37

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SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010A publication of The Dispatch

Dispatch staff photographerKelly Tippett took this photoof West Point football playerMichael Carr, the Boys Playerof the Year, and Aberdeen’sJameika Hoskins, the multi-sport athlete named GirlsPlayer of the Year.

ABOUT THE COVER


PLAYER OF THE YEAR2010 BOYS

story by ADAM MINICHINO photo by KELLY TIPPETT

MICHAEL CARRSo while teammates, coaches, and

friends and family let loose at VeteransMemorial Stadium in Jackson, Carr stayedhumble.

After all he had been through, Carrgave thanks to God because without Hishelp he wouldn’t have been able to realizethe goal so many members of the GreenWave program before him had attained.

“It wasn’t difficult,” Carr said of not get-ting caught up in all of the hype after thegame. “He has humbled me. It felt like Ihad already won (a state championship)when I won it. I celebrated, I was happy forit, I was thankful for it, I was grateful for it,but I knew there was more to do to stayhumble and go to the next level.”

The championship helped Carr solidifyhis position as one of the state’s elite ath-lete. He showcased his game-changingability against Wayne County by scoringon a 64-yard reception and on a 78-yardkickoff return. He finished the game withfour catches for 128 yards.

For his efforts, Carr is The CommercialDispatch’s Boys Player of the Year.

“It has been a great year,” Carr said. “Itwas hard work and dedication to the team.I am still dedicated. Family is the mainthing that brought me through.”

Carr signed a national letter of intentearlier this year to make official the verbalcommitment he made to Mississippi Stateas a junior. The No. 5 prospect in the stateregardless of position by Rivals.com wasrecruited as an athlete, and he figures tohelp the Bulldogs in the secondary or atwide receiver.

The Mississippi Association of CoachesClass 5A All-State first-team pick helped

lead West Point to a 14-1 record. Carr wasthe X-factor on a run-dominated team,making 38 catches for 832 yards and 16total touchdowns. He also intercepted onepass and had a 35-yard return, andreturned 15 punts for 415 yards, with alongest return of 84 yards.

All of those achievements helped pre-pare Carr for the pageantry of winning astate title. He said he was ready to cele-brate beating Wayne County after thegame, but he said he heard a voice fromGod deep down inside him that said toexercise restraint.

“He said, ‘It isn’t over yet.’ He told meto stay humble,” Carr said. “I know I haveto get ready for the next level and enhancethe talent He has given me.”

Carr hasn’t always had the patience tostep back and look at the bigger picture.He said Jesus Christ changed his life whenHe touched him when he was 17. He saidGod keeps him at peace and he is gratefulfor all of the doors He has opened for him.

“I always saw myself playing sports, butI never saw myself giving Him the glory atthe end,” Carr said. “But when I had thatencounter with Jesus Christ, it changedmy whole lifestyle, the way I think, the wayI move, and my inner self.”

Carr attends church and thanks Godfor all of the things He has given him,which allow him to affect the sports worldand the people in it. He joked that heencouraged his teammates “to stay hum-ble” so many times this season they grewtired of hearing him say it.

But that doesn’t prevent Carr from pro-claiming how important his faith is to him.

“I give the glory to Him and I celebrate

it and celebrate telling Him I am verythankful for winning a state champi-onship,” Carr said.

Carr believes that mind-set will drivehim to even higher goals at MSU. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder feels he has somethingto prove, even though he was a highlyregarded recruit who chose the Bulldogsover the University of Mississippi Rebels.

“People think I am just going for thefame, but if I am going to give God theglory I have to shine,” Carr said. “I see bigdreams and goals ahead. I just plan tokeep working hard like I have been inhigh school, but I am going to multiply itand enhance it and do it better when I goto college.

“I have a lot to prove because you havegreat athletes who worship God. But a lotof them are taking His name in vain by notliving the lifestyle. I want to live thelifestyle, put His name first, and win. I wantto show them God is still alive.”

Carr knows how God guided himthrough his final season and allowed himto realize the fruits of his labor. He alsorealizes this season was the last step ofone journey and the first step of anotherone. Carr knows how important it will befor him to stay humble as he prepares forthose next steps, and he will celebrate Godwith every move he makes.

“You have to stay humble and workhard, no matter how many touchdownsyou have in a game,” Carr said. “You haveto push yourself harder than what you didthe last practice. You also have to stayhumble and keep God first. As long as youdo that, you will go far in everything youdo.”n

AMIDST ALL OF THE FESTIVITIES, MICHAEL CARR REMAINED CALM. The WestPoint High School senior welcomed the hoopla surrounding a 35-14 victory againstWayne County that helped the football program win its sixth state title.


PLAYER OF THE YEAR2010 GIRLS

But the more Hoskins considered herchoice she realized she wasn’t comfortablegoing that far from home to go to schooland to play basketball.

It’s not that Hoskins didn’t believe shecouldn’t play at the Division I level. In fact,she would like to attract more attentionfrom bigger Division I schools, includingthe ones in this state.

Those aspirations are part of the reasonHoskins changed her mind last month andsigned a national letter of intent to go toItawamba Community College in Fulton.

The short ride up Highway 45 Northshould help Hoskins find the fit she is look-ing for after a standout senior season inwhich she was named The CommercialDispatch’s All-Area Volleyball and SmallSchools Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

For her accomplishments, Hoskins isThe Commercial Dispatch’s Girls Player ofthe Year.

Hoskins intends to improve on her 21.7points per game scoring average as a sen-ior with the Lady Indians. She might haveeven continued to play volleyball, but ICCdoesn’t offer the sport.

That’s fine with ICC women’s basketballcoach Nanci Gray, who is excited to havethe Monroe County standout join her pro-gram.

Gray said she watched Hoskins this sea-son and listened as fans and people whofollowed the Aberdeen High girls basket-ball program said Hoskins wanted to stayclose to home. It was only natural for her toinquire about the possibility of gettingHoskins to come to ICC.

It turns out the both parties found whatthey needed.

“She thought this is where she wantedto go to play to take her game to anotherlevel,” Gray said. “She has very high aspira-tions. She wants to develop a couple ofmore skills to contend for a scholarshipfrom maybe a Southeastern Conferenceschool in our area.”

Hoskins said she “felt at home” with thecoaches, players, and everything when shewent to ICC. She feels her stay at theschool will be just like an extended recruit-ing period in which she can play againsttougher competition and prove to coachesat four-year schools she has what it takes toplay at an even higher level in Division I.

She said it will help that her family andfriends will be close by to support her.

“My friends and family have alwaysbeen there since I started playing basket-ball,” Hoskins said. “It is not only thembeing there to watch me play. I think it is agood move for me. Alcorn State is too farout there for me. If I go to ICC and doeverything I can and work on all my skills,I feel I can be at a better Division I schoolplaying basketball.”

To make that happen, Hoskins feels sheneeds to improve on her defense. She alsosaid she will work hard to enhance her ball-handling skills, especially with her lefthand, and her mid-range game.

She said hopes to attract interest fromMississippi State or the University ofMississippi, but she isn’t limiting herself tothose two.

“I have a lot of confidence,” Hoskinssaid. “I am getting a new start, and I amgoing to work as hard as I can to do thebest I can.”

Hoskins thanked Aberdeen High girls

basketball coach Latorrence Bivens,Aberdeen High boys basketball coach RoyHazzle and her youth coaches for helpingher get to this point. She especially praisedcoach Kim Clarett, a youth coach whocoached her when she was 8-12, and whostill coaches a youth team in Aberdeen.

Bivens said Hoskins’ decision to go toICC will help “bring her out of her shell.”He feels confident Hoskins will be able torise to the challenge and take her game toanother level.

“I think she will go to ICC and play rightoff the bat,” Bivens said. “If she stays injuryfree it will happen because I know she isgoing to work. I think she is going to get atop Division I offer when she leavesbecause academically she is set and shehas a strong mind.”

Gray believes that will be the case, too.She said she is anxious to see Hoskinsmature into a player who is consistent forlonger stretches. She said there were timesin her high school career Hoskins didn’t goall out for a whole game. That will changein college.

“The kids are going to follow her andpick up on her enthusiasm for the gameand her desire to be a better player,” Graysaid. “That is huge for a coach anytime youbring that into a program.

“I think (getting a scholarship from aSEC school) can be a reality. It will dependon how hard she is going to work and whatshe brings to the game.”

That shouldn’t be a problem becauseHoskins knows ICC is the right fit forher.n


JAMEIKA HOSKINS BELIEVED SHE HAD FOUND THE RIGHT FIT. Earlier this schoolyear, the Aberdeen High School senior thought Alcorn State was going to be her collegedestination.

JAMEIKA HOSKINS


On one end, senior Danté Oliver real-ized a career’s worth of hard work andcame into his own as one of the state’stop 400-meter performers.

Justin Verner showed you don’t have

to be experienced to push to the front ofthe line and become one of the state’stop powerlifters.

On the basketball court, freshmenKiKi Patterson and Maggie Proffitt

MAKINGTHEIR MARKCOLUMBUS ATHLETES REAP BENEFITS

OF HARD WORK, DETERMINATION

story by ADAM MINICHINO photos by KELLY TIPPET and ADAM MINICHINO

COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETESmade their mark at both ends of the spectrum in the

2009-10 school year.

TOP OF PAGE: Columbus High girls basketball players, front row, from left, Maggie Proffittand KiKi Patterson and track and field standout Danté Oliver and Justin Verner, back row,

represent the promise and the potential of the Falcons’ athletic program. OPPOSITE: Top: CHS quarterback Cedric Jackson delivers a pass as the Tupelo High rush

closes in. Upper right: Stefan Hairston delivers a pitch, while, lower left, Ebony Rossattempts a kill in volleyball. Lower right: CHS boys tennis players Nick Missel and Houston

Walker advanced to the semifinals of the Class 6A No. 2 doubles state tournament.

10 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

Columbus School District2630 McArthur Drive • Columbus, Mississippi 39705 • 662.241.7400

www.columbuscityschools.org

It’s A Great Day To Be A Falcon!

Aug 20 Aberdeen AwayAug 20 Aberdeen AwayAug 27 Noxubee Co. HomeAug 27 Noxubee Co. HomeSept 3 West Point HomeSept 3 West Point HomeSept 10 OpenSept 10 OpenSept 17 Louisville AwaySept 17 Louisville AwaySept 24 Tupelo* AwaySept 24 Tupelo* AwayOct. 1 Southaven* HomeOct. 1 Southaven* HomeOct 8 South Panola* AwayOct 8 South Panola* AwayOct 15 Desoto Central* HomeOct 15 Desoto Central* HomeOct 22 Horn Lake * AwayOct 22 Horn Lake * AwayOct 29 Olive Branch* HomeOct 29 Olive Branch* HomeNov 5 Starkville* AwayNov 5 Starkville* Away

* District Games * Homecoming • Head Coach Bubba Davis* District Games * Homecoming • Head Coach Bubba Davis

2010 Falcon Football2010 Falcon Football

flashed the potential they hope willhelp them lead the Columbus girls tochampionship contender status.

The performances of all four stu-dent-athletes were just a handful ofmany in a solid year for the ColumbusHigh athletic program.

Verner’s accomplishment stood outbecause the football player/powerlifteris only a sophomore. He made peopledoubt that statement when he lifted acombined 1,505 pounds to win theClass 6A 242-pound weight class lastmonth at the Mississippi High SchoolActivities Association State meet atMississippi Coliseum in Jackson.

“It was exciting to bring a state titleto the school,” Verner said. “I expectedto do well because I worked so hardthrough the summer and after footballseason was over.”

Verner, a starting right guard onColumbus High’s football team, recent-ly turned 16 and has come a long wayfrom his freshman year, when he saidhe messed up a lot trying to master thetechnique required to record officiallifts.

But Verner said he remainedfocused and made his biggest gainsthis season after the North Half Statemeet, adding 50 pounds on squat, 25

pounds to his bench press, and a littlebit on dead lift.

“I just wanted to go in every day andwork as hard as I can,” Verner said. “Ibelieved I could do it. I think I made ahuge impression on everybody (at thestate meet).”

Columbus High powerlifting coachGrady McCluskey thought Vernerwould do well at the state meet, but hedidn’t think the only sophomore in thegroup would make such a splash.

“His potential in that sport is unlimit-ed,” McCluskey said. “He should setsome records next year.”

McCluskey said Verner squats 600pounds and attempted 635 at the statemeet but missed it. He said Vernercould have done a lot more than 315 onthe bench press and just did what heneeded to win on the dead lift.

“He is a great kid,” McCluskey said.“He does everything we ask, he is realconscientious, and he just has a specialtalent, in football, too. He did a greatjob. We’re looking for a lot of positivethings in football and in powerlifting inthe next couple of years.”

Oliver’s maturation into a college-bound sprinter came quickly. Last year,he recorded a time of 49.26 seconds inthe 400. This year, He delivered a first-

place time of 47.99 at the Region 1meet and followed that up with a per-sonal-best time of 47.05 at the NorthHalf State meet. South Panola’s MontezGriffin (47.01) edged Oliver for first.

Oliver’s finish at the Class 6A statemeet wasn’t available at press time.

Oliver hoped to push into the 46-sec-ond range at that meet.

“It has been an amazing season,”Oliver said. “Two seconds is a lot intrack, and I am happy I have gotten(his time in the 400) down that low. Ithas been through hard work, andcoach (Jim) Hamilton is a good coachand he has helped a lot.”

Oliver said he realized early this sea-son he could reach his latest plateau.He said he sliced his time into the 48-second range pretty quickly and real-ized he had plenty more in him to goeven faster.

That improvement has sent collegesscurrying to get close to Oliver. TheUniversity of Mississippi is believed tobe the leader in the recruiting processat press time, but Mississippi State,Florida, Tennessee, and LSU are justsome of the suitors that are trying toconvince Oliver to showcase his speedat their schools.

“I didn’t think I would be running

track on a collegiate level,”Oliver said. “A lot of peopletell me I can run, but I guessI really didn’t see it. Thisyear has opened my eyes. Iknew I had potential, but Ididn’t know I can do what Iam doing now. I didn’texpect any of this. I am gladit has happened.”

Oliver said slipping intothe 46-second range willserve as motivation the restof the offseason as he pre-pares for his next step. Hesaid it is still hard to believehe has progressed this far,especially since many sprint-ers who are competing incollege ran the same times inhigh school he is runningnow.

“That just drives me to domore and to achieve morewhen I get to college,” Oliversaid. “I know my time isgoing to go down when youget to college and get on acollege training plan.”

Oliver admits the road hasbeen long and included plen-ty of changes (four coachessince his eighth-grade year).In that time, the work, thepassion, and the supportfrom his teammates made iteven more satisfying.

“It was a nice journey,”Oliver said. “I love it. It is agood experience doing track,especially if you have thepeople around you. I reallyenjoyed my four years atColumbus High School run-ning track.”

Columbus High girls bas-ketball coach YvonneHairston hopes Pattersonand Proffitt can help theLady Falcons have similarresults.

Patterson earned first-team honors on TheCommercial Dispatch’s LargeSchools All-Area GirlsBasketball team after averag-ing 15 points and 4.3

rebounds per game this sea-son.

Proffitt earned honorablemention accolades afterpouring in 14.9 points andgrabbing 3.7 rebounds pergame.

The freshman guardswere asked to play such keyroles because the LadyFalcons didn’t have a lot ofsize or experience in thepost. The team also had toadjust in the middle of theseason to the transfer of ChyCunningham to Tupelo HighSchool.

The challenge didn’t fazePatterson or Proffitt, whoused their experience on theAmateur Athletic Union cir-cuit to help take control ofthe team.

Patterson knew Hairstonexpected her to take on sucha big role. As one of theteam’s point guards,Patterson helped set the tonewith aggressive play and afine shooting touch from theperimeter.

Patterson tore ligamentsin her right ankle andmissed the final six games.She said she is fine now andis looking forward to honingher skills and taking on aneven bigger role.

“I learned how to be aleader on and off the courtand how to encourage girlswho are older and youngerthan me,” Patterson said. “Ilearned a lot how to be ateam player and how to workhard.”

Proffitt also showed a deftshooting stroke, albeit froma little deeper. WhilePatterson might be moreadept at breaking defensesdown and driving into gaps,Proffitt showed consistencyfrom 3-point range.

Proffitt said she didn’tknow what to expect or whatrole she was going to play. In

her first season after trans-ferring from HeritageAcademy, Proffitt showedshe was capable of playingthe game against some ofthe state’s toughest competi-tion.

“The first day I came inthey were all so welcoming,”Proffitt said. “It was just soeasy because I just came inand played. They all accept-ed me from the start.

“I think I did OK for afreshman. I know I have toget better and work harder.”

Patterson and Proffittshowed how well their skillscomplement each other.They believe their friendshipwill be just one thing thatgrows stronger as they learnhow to be better teammatesand how to strive to help

Hairston get a championshipring before she retires, or atleast before they graduate.

“The standards are sethigh (by Hairston) and theschool and (Columbus HighPrincipal) Mr. (Craig)Shannon,” Patterson said. n

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“I just wanted to go in every day and work as hard as I can. I believed I could do it. I think I made a huge impression on everybody (at the state meet).”

Columbus powerlifter Justin Verner

Sykes soon discovered Ford didn’t wantjust to compete, she wanted to be the best.

“She puts the extra time in and shemakes the effort to be better than therest,” said Sykes, who coaches HeritageAcademy’s track and field teams. “In bas-ketball, she was up there in the gym allsummer, even when the team wasn’t. Sheis the same way in the shot put and thediscus. She is always coming to practiceearlier and staying longer than anybodyelse. She is such a great kid.”

Heritage Academy rewarded Ford andthe rest of its seniors May 13 at its annualClass Day program. Ford received a hostof athletic and academic awards in additionto a host of scholarships. She then joinedher classmates in recapping the history ofthe Class of 2010 by reading summaries ofwhat each class accomplished every yearsince kindergarten.

“It has been a very positive experi-ence,” Ford said. “All of my academics andathletics have made me grow into a strongperson. I feel I have a good base to takewith me to college.”

Ford will attend Mississippi State in thefall. She said she never looked at a smallerschool in part because her mother and her


T H E P A Y O F F

GREG SYKES KNEW EARLY ON MADISON FORD wasgoing to make her mark. Sykes first started to workwith Ford in the shot put when she was a seventh-

grader at Heritage Academy.

Zach Taylor, left, Madison Ford,Jessee Mims, and Tyler White

helped Heritage Academy have asuccessful 2009-10 sports season.

HERITAGE ACADEMY’S FORD DOES A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING IN FINAL YEAR

story and photo by ADAM MINICHINO

father went to school at MSU. She said a possible trip to medicalschool likely will keep her from continuing her days of varsityteam sports, but she will stay involved in intramural athletics.

Ford easily could have gone on to play basketball at a four-yearschool. She received the team’s Yandell Harris Award, was thesquad’s MVP, a member of the North AAA All-Conference team,and a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools All-Star.

In addition to her prowess on the basketball court, Ford alsowas a member of the fast-pitch softball team and the track andfield team. She was the MVP of field events on the track team. Shealso logged the most hours as a bat girl for the school’s baseballteam.

Ford said the teachers and coaches at Heritage Academyhelped her learn the value of good study habits, how to beresponsible, and how to get things done, especially with such abusy schedule.

“There were never enough hours in the day, but, when it camedown to it, I just had to put first what had to be done,” Ford said.“My dad (Norman) always told me you never can quit somethingyou start, so if I am going to do something I am going to do it tothe best of my ability.”

Heritage Academy girls basketball coach Bruce Allsup, whoalso is the school’s athletic director, said Ford’s enthusiasm anddetermination carry over to her peers and to her teammates.

“Whether it be at school or in athletics, she wants to be suc-cessful in everything she does,” Allsup said. “She is a winner. Shehas that kind of fire about her, and I think her mother and fatherhave instilled that in her over the years.”

Ford showed at the school’s Class Day program just how muchof an impact she made at Heritage Academy. Not only did Fordreceive the Spirit Award, but she also won the school’s prestigiousBo Simpson Award.

In addition, Ford joined Buck Bateman, Boyd Hardy, AnnMarie Chilcutt, and Carolina Borland in earning Hall of Famehonors.

Sykes said Ford, who won a state title in the discus (106 feet,3 inches) as a sophomore, never allowed her focus to waver andremained a positive example for her peers and teammates.Ford’s mettle was put to the test at the meet. After sub-parthrows on the discus in her first two attempts, Ford, whoentered the event as the top seed, regained her form and deliv-ered the winning throw.

Sykes said Ford might have been nervous as the top seed,but he said she put the anxiousness aside and allowed her hardwork to take over. He said Ford continued to excel in everysport, even if her marks in the shot put (32-4, fourth) and in thediscus (1005, third) didn’t earn her another title in her final season.■


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SUCCESS

New Hope High School football playersgather for a practice early in the 2009season. The Trojans had a program-best11-2 season and advanced to the Class5A North Half State title game.

Titles highlight 2009-10 season at New Hope High,provide plenty of optimism for future



THE 2009-10 SCHOOL YEAR WAS FILLED WITH HIGHLIGHTS FOR NEW HOPE HIGHSCHOOL. The fall season began with a program-best effort by the football team andanother state championship for the slow-pitch softball team.

Coach Tabitha Beard’s Lady Trojansbeat Brookhaven 10-0 and 7-5 to win theMississippi High School ActivitiesAssociation Class 5A state title series.

Buoyed by a six-run fifth inning, astrong relief job by pitcher RachelRhoades, and a balanced team attack,New Hope rallied in game two and thenheld on to claim the title at the V.A.Fields.

The title was the third in a row forNew Hope (22-7), and 12th overall. TheLady Trojans won the Class 4A state title

in 2007 and ’08 before moving up to Class5A in the state’s latest reclassification.

New Hope had 17 hits in the mercy-rule victory in game one. Haley Tutorhad three hits and an RBI, LaurenHolifield had three hits, including a dou-ble and a triple, and three RBIs, andAshley Boyle (RBI), Anna McCrary, andAnna Holley (RBI) had two hits as 10 ofthe 11 Lady Trojans who batted had hits.

New Hope loses just two seniors —Morgan Hardin and Empress Shirley —from the slow-pitch team.

In football, coach Michael Bradley’steam went 11-2 and lost to eventual statechampion West Point 41-21 in the Class5A North Half State title game.

West Point (14-1) was the only team tobeat New Hope.

The finish marked another step in thedevelopment of a program that lost nineof 10 games in Bradley’s first season ascoach.

A group of 13 seniors served as theguiding force for the program’s success.

“We started believing we can wininstead of thinking, ‘We are just NewHope. We are never going to win,’ ”Justin Flye said. “We started to believethat we are a good team and we start-ed winning.”

Bradley said the change in attitudeis a key reason why New Hope hasbecome a title contender. When hefirst arrived, Bradley said there were30 guys on the team who thought theyshould be the starting running back,and that the players who weren’t thestarter weren’t going to go hardunless they were the starting runningback.

He said seniors like Eddie Prestonhelped change that and have pavedthe way for future classes to remem-ber only winning teams at the school.

n In the winter, the boys and girlsbasketball teams won district champi-onships. The title for the girls was thefirst in 18 years.

Both teams had their success withfirst-year coaches.

Drew McBrayer took over for veter-an coach Robert Byrd and guided theTrojans to a 25-4 season.

The end came in controversial fash-ion, as an official’s decision helpedgive Callaway a 78-75 victory in doubleovertime in the Class 5A North HalfState semifinals.

Deville Smith, who later committedto play at Mississippi State, scored 48points, including all 12 of his team’spoints in the second OT to help endNew Hope’s season.

“I thought it was an extremely well-played ballgame at both ends of thefloor by both teams,” McBrayer said.“It is one of those games these kidsare going to remember forever. It isgoing to hurt for a long time because Ithought we had it.”

McBrayer believed the Trojanswere going to pull the upset thanks tothe heroics of Raymond Walters (27points), who scored only three pointsin the first half and shook off a stom-ach virus to have a monster secondhalf. The senior guard apparentlycapped the game with a fallaway 3-pointer at the top of the key with 4.7seconds remaining that gave NewHope a 55-53 lead.

But the officials put 2.2 secondsback on the clock after New Hopecalled a timeout. The added timeenabled Smith to work his magic. Thespeedy junior guard took the inboundspass and looked to create a shot onthe left wing. Johnathan Brandon

blocked his path and appeared to havehim contained just outside the 3-pointarc. With the clock winding down,Smith lost the ball, regained control,and went up for a shot. Brandon kepthis arms straight up and looked toavoid contact. His defense appeared togood enough, as Smith’s shot missedat the buzzer.

But the officials didn’t agree.Brandon was whistled for the foul,

which sent Smith to the free-throwline with no time left on the clock.Smith made the first, missed the sec-ond, and swished the third to send thegame to overtime.

The call didn’t sit well with Brandonor McBrayer.

“My hand was straight up,”Brandon said. “I hate for the officialsto decide the game. This was for it all,and it means everything for us to go toJackson. ... Let us go out and play ball.He is a (member of The Clarion-Ledger’s) Dandy Dozen. If he makes aclutch three, let him make a clutchthree.”

Said McBrayer, “Most of the time itis a non-call, especially with as littlecontact as was actually there. When agame comes down to those three guysin the black and white stripes it is outof our hands. You just hope they makethe right decision and don’t cheat thekids, but the majority of the time thewhistle is not blown.”

The New Hope girls beat Oxford


Johnathan Brandon (34) had a standout senior season for the Trojans.

48-46 in its district tournament opener,but the true test of how far the teamhad come came against West Point inthe district final.

Having lost to the Lady Wave twiceduring the regular season, coach LauraLee Holman knew it would take a grittyperformance to shut down KelseiEwings, The Commercial Dispatch’sLarge Schools Player of the Year.

Ewings had 21 and West Point hadan eight-point lead at halftime, butKelli Petty and Kia Edmonds combinedto score 26 points, which helped propelthe Lady Trojans to a 42-40 win.

“Those first five minutes in the lock-er room, just to see that joy on theirfaces was incredible,” coach Laura LeeHolman said. “When we got in thelocker room, the first thing they saidwas, ‘Coach, you said we’d be havingfun in February.’ That was a specialfeeling to know they accomplishedsomething that hadn’t been done in 18years.”

The Lady Trojans moved on to theNorth Half State playoffs, where theylost to Canton 57-52 to finish 16-10.

In boys soccer, first-year coachJerry Byrd led the team back to theplayoffs for the first time since 2004 or2005, but the run ended with a 2-1 lossto Callaway in the first round of theClass 5A North Half State playoffs atTrojan Field.

Tanner Ryals scored on a penaltykick in the second half, but Callawayanswered with the game-winner late inthe game to end the Trojans’ season at6-6-1.

“Effort wise I can’t complain,” Byrdsaid. “That’s one thing I like aboutthese kids, they’re going to give youtheir best effort. We may be deficientin other areas, but our effort hasalways been there.

“I am pleased (with the first sea-son). I had hoped (we would make theplayoffs). My expectations at thebeginning of the season were to win, toput a good product on the field, to putgood kids on the field. If you can dothat, good things will happen. I wishwe could have won a few more games,but it didn’t work out for these guys.”

n In the spring, senior Kelli Pettyshowed she was deserving of a trackand field scholarship to MississippiState with a strong season.

Petty won the 100 meters (12.52 sec-onds), the 200 (25.93), and the highjump (5 feet, 1 inch) at the regionalmeet to qualify for the Class 5A Statemeet. She closed her high school track

and field career by finishing second inthe 100 (12.09), third in the 200(25.49), and fourth in the high jump (5feet).

The baseball team reaped the bene-fits of experience to win its first districttitle in a number of years en route to a23-8 record.

First-year coach Lee Boyd, a NewHope High School graduate, thoughtthe team came together and picked upon his style of managing. The onlyproblem was he felt the team peakedtoo soon, especially at the plate.

After a streak of hot hitting in themiddle to late in the regular season,New Hope scored nine runs in itsthree-game series victory againstNeshoba Central in the first round. It

lost game one to Hernando 6-5 in 11innings on a walkoff home run by JonVernon. The Tigers then completedthe sweep with a 5-3 victory inColumbus.

Still, there was a lot for the team tosavor. Boyd said the program shouldtake pride in its first district champi-onship in five years. He credited theleadership of seniors Mitch Elkin,Gabe Franks, Davis Lee, BlakeRoberts, Jake Smith, Seth Stillman,Philip Tice, Jake Upton, and BrentYounger.

“They always played as a team,”Boyd said. “These guys have beentogether since they were 13 years old,and as far as adjusting to me theyalways adjusted and made me proud.


New Hope slow- and fast-pitch softball player Anna Holley (16).

“We’re going to beextremely young next year.We probably will only havethree guys with any playingexperience coming back.But you have some youngkids who have worked hardand it is kind of hard to seehow those kids will workand develop. But I amextremely proud of our guysthis year.”

Hernando also put thefast-pitch softball team outon the same day. The LadyTrojans lost game one 3-0 atHernando, rallied for a 9-3victory in game two inColumbus, and then droppeda 2-1 decision in eightinnings in game three. TheLady Tigers capitalized onthe international tiebreakerrule that puts a runner on

second base to start theinning once the game reach-es extra innings.

Hernando scored a run inthe top of the eighth thanksto a bunt, while New Hopepushed a runner to thirdbase and then saw its seasonend when Lauren Holifield’sline drive hit Kaitlin Bradley.The umpire ruled Bradleywas in fair territory andcalled her out.

After the game, NewHope coach Tabitha Beardhonored designated playerEmpress Shirley, the team’sonly senior, and credited herfor persevering and not giv-ing up on the team or her-self.

Beard said her team,which featured several fresh-men (Holifield and catcher

Kasey Stanfield) and eighth-graders (D.J. Sanders andBradley) in key roles,matured as a group through-out the season.

Still, she said it was disap-pointing to see the seasonend because she had seenthe players execute in thefield and deliver at the plate.She said everyone will haveto learn from the experienceand the younger players willhave to continue to improveif the Lady Trojans are goingto take the next step.

“Softball is a team sport,”Beard said. “We win as ateam, we lose as a team, andwe have to progress as ateam. It can’t be about indi-viduals. It is like that oldadage, ‘You’re only as strongas your weaker links,’ and

our weaker links are goingto have to work. All we cando is keep playing and working.”n

Staf f Writer David Millercontributed to this report.


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Front row, left to right, Silvia Carr, Holona Yarber, Felicia Bowen, Birney Imes, Connie Harris; second row, Steve Mullen, Terri Collums, Celsie Staggers, Tammie Honeycutt, Tina Perry, Debbie Foster, Adrian Turner; third row; Adrian Bohannon, Beth Proffitt, Buster Wolfe, Peter Imes, Elbert Ellis, Jackie Taylor, Patsy Bowen, Jan Swoope, Linda Massey; forth row, Jerry Hayes, Vernon Hedgeman, Henry Matuszak, Tyson Wilson, Jamie Morrison, Ronald Gore, Carol Talley, Sid Lee, Canyon Boykin, Jason Browne, Matt Garner, Jeff Lipsey and Lonnie Shinn.

Immanuel Christian’s Wesley Lake is aperfect example of how busy a student-athlete can be practicing and playing onesport and trying to prepare for anothersport in the next season.

Lake, who played football, basketball,and baseball, knew the plan for him intrack and field season was to move fromthe 800 meters to the 1,600.

To prepare for the step up to the mile,Lake realized he had to train on his ownso he would be ready once it came timeto run.

The work paid off as Lake finished sec-ond in the 1,600 with a time of 4 minutes,58.47 seconds at the MississippiAssociation of Independent Schools

Overall State meet.“It was a lot harder because when I ran

the mile I didn’t get to slow down any. Itwas just another two laps of pushinghard,” Lake said. “I did pretty good withthe transition.”

The performance was one of plentystandout efforts this season from student-athletes at Immanuel Christian.

Lake also was part of the 3,200-meterrelay team that finished seventh.

Lake, who last year became theschool’s first state champion when hewon the 800 (2:12.44), teamed with JustinPerkins, who was sixth in the 800, RossMoore, and Reed Williams to finish with atime of (10:06.81).

n Ray Campbell was pleased withthe girls soccer team’s 4-6 record in thedistrict (4-8 overall). Senior NykiBaudoin, one of three seniors on theteam, was selected to participate in theMAIS Senior All-Star game and wasnamed All-District.

MULTITASKINGImmanuel athletes showversatility in competition

story by ADAM MINICHINO photos by KELLY TIPPETT and ADAM MINICHINO

STUDENT-ATHLETES AT SMALL SCHOOLS don’t havemany opportunities to specialize in sports.


Meghan Cooper, top, dribbles the ballagainst Heritage Academy, while QBRoss Moore makes a handoff.

Senior Elizabeth Cook, a defender, also was named All-District.

Campbell said he has had 22 players sign up for the 2010 sea-son, which adds to the excitement. He said many of the teamsImmanuel Christian competes against don’t have junior varsityteams, so he will try to get the players as much playing time aspossible in varsity games.

“I thought we did pretty good for a young team,” Campbellsaid. “We will get everybody back this year, so I am looking forgood things.”

Baudoin also competed in cheerleading, basketball, and trackand field. She said it was exciting to be a part of the first girlsbasketball team at the school to advance to the state tourna-ment. The Lady Rams beat Kemper Academy for the first timeand defeated Hebron Christian for the first time in five years.

“It was an amazing year for me to end on my senior year,”Baudoin said.

Things were equally amazing for Mary Katherine Good,Lake, and Moore.

Good, a freshman in her second year competing on the trackand field team, finished third in the 3,200.

Good said her goal was to advance past the North Half Statemeet and to place at the overall state meet. She accomplishedher goal and ran a personal-best time of 13 minutes, 58.73 sec-onds in the process.

“It is going to push me more and I am going to practicethroughout the year rather than just wait for track practice,”said Good, who also was a member of the basketball and soccerteams. “It is going to push me to get first place.”

■ Daniel Merchant, who works as an assistant coach toShawn Gates on the football team, led the baseball team to fourvictories and a 3-7 mark in the district this season.

Like Campbell, Merchant had a young team, with two All-Conference selections — Jeremy Davidson and Christian Good.Brandon Westover, Dustin White, and Justin James were namedhonorable mention All-Conference.

“We were better offensively. We scored 111 runs this yearand only 82 last year, and we don’t lose anybody,” Merchantsaid. “I think we have a chance to be real good next year. I haveseen progress in each and every year, so I am looking forwardto it.”

■ Moore, who also played football, basketball, baseball andtrack and field, said the boys basketball team had an up-and-down season. The team won the district title before it went on to

lose two games at the state tournament.As quarterback on the football team, Moore said he learned

plenty of “life lessons.” He learned how not to get too frustratedand to enjoy what he was doing. The Rams’ youth and lack ofdepth sometimes made that tough at times, but he is confidentthe Rams can regroup from last season’s 1-9 finish.

“We’re going to continue to get better and better,” Mooresaid. “The hard thing is to get guys to come here so we can getthe numbers. It is hard to get people excited about football.

“But we have the chance to win a lot more games this yearthan we did last year.”■


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Left, football coaches Shawn Gates and Daniel Merchant led the football team in 2009, while at right student-athletes NykiBaudoin, Wesley Lake, front row, from left, and Ross Moore and Mary Katherine Good, back row, from left, were just some ofthe standout performers in the 2009-10 school year.


“It has been a really successful year,”Victory Christian Academy AthleticDirector Chris Hamm said. “We madethe state tournament in everythingexcept softball. Two years ago, we did-n’t have a softball team.”

The softball team, which opened anew field this year, showed signs ofprogress, winning three games aftergoing winless in its first year. Hammadmits it might take a few more yearsfor that program to reach a champi-onship level, but he is encouraged byhow quickly the program is growing.

Softball isn’t the only program at theschool that is gaining momentum. Asignup sheet on the window of the frontoffice for the 2010 volleyball team wasnearly filled with more than 20 signa-tures in the middle of May. Those girlswill try to help the program improve onfirst trip to the state tournament in sev-eral years.

Dale Latham got a late start to theseason as coach of the volleyball team,but the Lady Eagles recovered andclicked at the right time.

“He did really good. He listened tous and we listened to him, and we hadto work together to grow,” seniorCaitlin Osterman said of Latham. “Itworked. We got a lot farther than Iexpected to get with all of the thingsthat were stacked against us. Hopefullynext season they will go farther.”

Osterman, Erin Williams, KathrynScarbrough, Sarah Simpson, Heather

Wells, and newcomer Nicky Crofthelped the team work hard through theslow start and assisted Latham, a volun-teer coach who replaced DavidJohnson, as he acclimated himself tothe sport and to being a head coach.

In February, the girls basketballteam rallied to beat defending champi-on Eastwood 25-20 in the AlabamaChristian Education AthleticAssociation Division I StateTournament at Shelton StateCommunity College in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Hamm, who also is the principal,coached the football and girls basket-

ball teams. While he thought the foot-ball team had a good chance to repeatas champions, he joked he used hisuncertainty about the girls basketballteam’s chances to motivate the squad.

It worked.The girls basketball team’s champi-

onship came on the heels of the title theboys basketball team won in 2008-09.

Williams, who also played on thevolleyball and softball teams, said thesoftball team should be on the risequickly because a lot of the youngerplayers have experience playing thesport.

story by ADAM MINICHINO photos by ADAM MINICHINO and KELLY TIPPETT

T HE DYNASTY CONTINUES TO GROW. WHETHER IT WAS WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPSin football and girls basketball or having state-level success in volleyball, boys basketball, baseball, and cheerleading, the 2009-10 school year was one to remember at

Victory Christian Academy.

W I N N I N G B E C O M I N G T H E N O R M A T

V I C T O R Y

From left: Victory Christian Academy’s Erin Williams, Caitlin Osterman, C.J. Bell,and Parker Eaves played key roles in helping most all of the school’s sports havechampionship seasons.

She also put pressure on the 2010-11girls basketball team.

“Next year is probably going to bejust as good,” Williams said. “There area lot of juniors who are seniors who arereally, really good basketball playersWe’ll probably have another (title) nextyear.”

Osterman agreed the victory was alittle sweeter because it was unexpect-ed, and with Williams that the futurefor the program is extremely bright.

The same is true for the baseballteam.

Led by first-year head coach BrentHarris and assistant coach Wes Jones,the Eagles advanced to the ACEAAFinal Four at Northside MethodistAcademy in Dothan, Ala.

“I was real pleased with the progressthe baseball team made this season,”Hamm said.

Senior C.J. Bell said the teamclicked early, regrouped after a loss,and “shocked” itself advancing to thestate tournament.

“We pretty much played our heartsout no matter what,” Bell said. “Nextyear, they’re probably going to have towork a little bit harder to be better, but I know with thecoach they have they’re going to work hard.”

Led by Parker Eaves’ 320-yard, four-touchdown effort,Victory Christian defeated Tuscaloosa Christian 49-6 in theChristian Football Association title game in Cottondale, Ala.

The victory helped the Eagles (10-0) win their secondCFA title in a row, and third in four years.

“We played as one this year and brought the thing homeagain,” Eaves said.

Running back/defensive Landon Ellis didn’t practice theweek of the title game after suffering an injury in the semi-final-round game.

Just when the team was ready to leave to go toCottondale, Ala., for the title game, its charter bus died.

The Eagles scrambled to find enough parents and pickuptrucks to get everyone to the game on time.

Victory Christian also received contributions from newplaces, as sophomore Kaleb Holliness stepped in for Ellis atdefensive back. The Eagles needed someone to emergebecause Tuscaloosa Christian came out in VictoryChristian’s offense with two split ends, two slot backs, and aquarterback in the shotgun.

Holliness, who is 5-foot-7, was matched up with a 6-2receiver. Hamm said Holliness overcame the height disad-vantage to intercept a pass and break up several others.One of those pass breakups came early in the game whenHolliness was in great position to break up a fourth-downpass in the end zone.

But Victory Christian’s sports teams weren’t done.The cheerleading team also won the ACEAA competi-

tion.“Cheerleading has been a strong sport at our school,”

Hamm said. “They go to summer camps every year and doa good job.”

Like Williams, Eaves put pressure on his former football

teammates. He said the team, which islosing six players, has a chance tomake it three titles in a row if it comestogether.

Hamm said the enthusiasm and par-ticipation from student-athletes, par-ents, volunteers, and everyone else hasbecome contagious, just like winning,and he hopes it translates into morechampionships next season.

“As a small school, we want to beable to provide the best possible athlet-ic program,” Hamm said. “We have alot of people who volunteer and help ussimply for the reward of doing it.Without them, we wouldn’t be in theposition we are. We have a tremendoussupport staff.”

Eaves agrees. The senior quarter-back hopes he helped set an examplefor his younger teammates and theother students in the school. He saidhard work in the offseason helped setthe tone for what proved to be a seasonfilled with championships.

“We just worked together and reallyhelped each other a lot,” Eaves said.“Whenever you do that, the wins just

come and you start a dynasty. I hope they can keep it going,and I know they can, if they work hard like we did. It takesunity and knowing each other.”■


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Victory Christian Academy AthleticDirector Chris Hamm guided the Eaglesto their second consecutive ChristianFootball Association title in 2009. Thechampionship was the program’s thirdin four years.


The Caledonia girls and boystrack and field teams have a bor-rowed pole vault pit, a set ofshiny, new hurdles obtained thisyear, a netted area for discusthrowers, and makeshift runninglanes around what is set up to be

the school’s soccer field.Other than that, you will have

to look hard to find any signs oneof the state’s top track and fieldprograms in Class 4A exists.

But once you get to a meet it’seasy to see Caledonia High’s ath-

letes more than make up for whatthey don’t have.

Caledonia girls track and fieldcoach James Reed, who alsocoaches the school’s cross coun-try teams, said both teams are socompetitive because the athletes


PERSEVERANCEDESPITE FACILITIES, CALEDONIA

TRACK ONE OF STATE’S BEST

THE WARMUP TO THE BIGGEST SPORTS SUCCESS AT CALEDONIAHIGH SCHOOL in 2009-10 came on a “facility” that doesn’t resemble anything else in the state.

Front row, from left: Caledonia HighSchool’s Sarah Guess and JessicaComer and, back row from left,Chris Warren and Zach Senneff arefour reasons the school’s track andfield program is one of the state’sbest despite not having a trackfacility at the school.

are motivated. He said their drive to be the best helps themovercome the limitations they face with facilities and equip-ment.

“It is not the NFL. We can’t trade them or change cities,”Reed said. “We’re here and we’re going to make do with whatwe have. The kids have bought into that.”

Reed said the programs have been fortunate to get hand-outs from other schools and to receive support from theCaledonia High booster club, which has purchased equip-ment, and from the school, which has paid transportationcosts so they can compete at better facilities.

Both teams have made the most of their opportunities. Thegirls team used individual victories by Jessica Comer (800,1,600, and 3,200 meters), Jelisha Hackman (triple jump, 400),Glenda Rhone (long jump), Carlee Gurley (pole vault), andNellie Miller (100 hurdles) to win the Class 4A, Division 4,District 4 title last month at Kosciusko High School.

Caledonia scored 164 points to beat Noxubee County (sec-ond, 118 points), and Amory (third, 113). Louisville wasfourth with 42 points.

Comer repeated with victories in all three of her races,while Hackman won the triple jump and 400 to help lead theCaledonia girls to a Region 2 title.

Zach Senneff, who won the 3,200 (10 minutes, 59 seconds),and Chris Warren, who won the 1,600 (4:55), helped theCaledonia boys take second at the Region 2 meet.

At the North State meet, Comer won the 800 and the 3,200and finished second in the 1,600, Hackman won the 400 andfinished second in the triple jump, and Sarah Guess was sec-ond in the discus to qualify for the Class 4A meet.

Senneff (third in the 3,200), Chris Warren (third in the1,600), and Curtis Fluker (fourth in the triple jump) also qual-ified.

Guess has exceeded the goals she set for herself at thebeginning of the season. She thought she would be able tomake the North Half State meet, but a throw of 89 feet, 6inches helped her take the next step.

“We don’t have as much as other people do, but we haveenough to get us there,” Guess said. “We take pride in ourschool no matter what the condition. I guess the reason wetake so much pride is we have spirit and that ounce of pride.We have come together as a team to motivate everybody togo farther than their limits.”

Senneff said the teams don’t allow what they don’t have todistract them. He said running is running, regardless ofwhether it is on a track or on a grassy surface.

“Making excuses is not going to make you better,” Senneffsaid. “If you want to win you’re going to run like we are.

“We work hard because we want to. We want to be thebest, and we try to strive to do what needs to be done to bethe best.”

While other student-athletes profess to be “invested” intheir programs, members of the Caledonia High track andfield team pay to be on the team. Reed said the money fromthe athletes goes to defray costs of travel.

In addition, Reed said the team does fundraisers to help itpay its expenses.

“The kids we have are kids who want to excel,” Reed said.“We get them early. I probably had the best middle schooltrack program in the state, but they had to move up to com-pete on the varsity team.

“They know we’re different. ... Most of our budget comesfrom picking up other peoples’ trash. We work the footballgames and after the football games they pick up this stadium.

I have to have good kids because they pick up this stadiumFriday night before they leave to get up and leave Saturdaymorning. I don’t have to look for them.”

Reed said the athletes on both teams know they are invest-ed in their sport and expect to get something out of it.

Warren said Reed and boys coach Jason Forrester encour-age the athletes every day in practice but make sure they arechallenged to do what is expected.

“I think we all have some grudge or determination(because of what they don’t have),” Warren said. “It reallyhelps to have someone like coach Reed push us in practice,and our boys coach (Forrester) pushes us harder than theboys coach we had before.”

Some might consider Reed’s approach a little “old school,”but he is honest with his kids in that track and field is a sportthat doesn’t lie. If you put in the work, the results and thetimes will come.

“In other sports, and I am not picking on other sportsbecause I have coached a little bit of all of it, it is easy tomake a team and to sit there and to watch other people,”Reed said. “If you get your shot you might not do real wellbut you can say, ‘Well, the umpires, the weather, the coaches,or whatever.’ In track and field and cross country, you shootthe gun and you run. I get them to the meet. We preparethem as best we can and we get them to the meet and theyexpect to do well.”

The results speak for themselves, despite the state of the“facilities.”

“They’re representing themselves and the school well,”Reed said.■


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Situated above the doorway to theschool’s main office, an artist’s renderingof the former prep and college footballstandout looks out into the hallway thatleads to the gym and to the rest of theschool.

McGee’s image is an enduring symbolfor a school and a community thatremembers one of its greatest student-ath-letes.

Brandon Hill has seen that pictureevery day the past four years. It has moti-vated him to realize his potential on thefootball field. It has driven him to be thebest he can be in the classroom. It hashelped him secure an opportunity to playfootball at Mississippi State.

Only months before he will report forhis freshman season with the Bulldogs,Hill said he is ready to take the lessons hehas learned from McGee and to set thesame example.

“I consider myself as the other half tothe story of Keffer McGee,” Hill said. “Iwant to carry his memory as well as hissuccess. I want to try to move that for-ward. ... I want to rise any way I can andmake a success story out of it.”

McGee died Aug. 5, 1997, in a swim-ming accident. He graduated from WestLowndes High in 1993 and went on to bea three-time member of the All-Southeastern Conference AcademicHonor Roll as a member of the MSU foot-ball team.

As a sophomore, McGee rushed for1,072 yards. He led the SEC in rushingand ranked third nationally with 481 yardswhen he suffered torn knee ligaments ina Sept. 28, 1996, game against SouthCarolina. He had surgery in October, par-ticipated in spring drills, and was expect-ed to be at full speed for the first time thefollowing season. He was 22 and a gradu-ate student when he died.

An autopsy later revealed McGee hadan undetected heart problem that likelycontributed to his death. McGee’s left

main coronary artery was 90 percentblocked and there was other evidence ofhardening of the arteries, OktibbehaCounty Coroner Michael Hunt told theAssociated Press.

Former MSU coach Jackie Sherrillsaid McGee was more than just anotherfootball player.

“Keffer was a very special, special per-son,” Sherrill told Paul Jones in an articlefor BullDawgJunction.com. “He wasrespected by his teammates, his friendson campus, his coaches, and his profes-sors. I don’t know of another student thathad the presence that he had on campus.”

Hill said McGee is an inspiration tohim and to the rest of the West LowndesHigh community because he was “gettingit done academically and athletically.” Hesaid he will do his best to live up to thosestandards at MSU.

“I want to carry that and take that onmy shoulders and move it forward,” Hillsaid.

Hill said his mother, LaTanya Fenster,was pregnant with him when she was inhigh school. He said his mother was olderthan McGee, and that McGee used tocarry his mother’s books.

Years later, McGee’s and Hill’s livesintersected again when WCBI usedimages of McGee to introduce a highlightpackage of Hill on their National SigningDay special broadcast. Hill, a 6-foot-2, 215-

pound linebacker/wide receiver, didn’tknow how the television station was goingto use pictures of McGee, but he said theimages were powerful.

“I felt like that was the biggest honor Icould receive at the moment,” Hill said.“It was almost like a tear-jerker situation. Istill had to remember I had an interviewto do.”

Hill isn’t shying away from the respon-sibility he feels to carry on McGee’s lega-cy. He understands he will go to MSUshouldering his expectations, his family’sexpectations, and the expectations ofthose at West Lowndes High, and in thecommunity. That’s a huge burden to bearfor any individual, but Hill already is fol-lowing McGee’s example.

“I consider myself an icon for WestLowndes,” Hill said. “I consider myself arole model, also. Any way I can encouragethe young people. I speak to elementaryand middle schoolers, even high school-ers who are up and coming. I speak withthem to try to encourage them any way Ican because I really care about my school.I want everyone to be successful. I lead byexample. I don’t expect anything to cometoward me, and I try to go get it any way Ican. Anytime somebody asks of me, I tryto do more than what is asked of me.”

Hill plans to live up to that credo in thenext few months. He already is doingplenty of individual conditioning, like

REALIZING POTENTIALWest Lowndes’ Hill uses Keffer McGee as motivation for success

K EFFER McGEEWATCHES OVEREVERYONE who visits

West Lowndes High School.

West Lowndes High School football player Brandon Hill stands in front of an artist’s rendering of Keffer McGee.



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jumping rope and running stadium steps,and working out three or four times aweek at the YMCA. Initially, the work wasdesigned to prepare him to play line-backer. But Hill said MSU coach DanMullen recently told him he plans to usehim at wide receiver, so Hill said he is try-ing to shed a few pounds so he can helpadd depth to that position.

Hill had 23 catches for 269 yards andtwo touchdowns as a senior. He also had64 tackles, made one interception, hadone sack, recovered three fumbles, brokeup three passes, and tallied three tacklesfor loss. He returned one of the intercep-tions for a touchdown. ESPN.com gaveHill a four-star ranking and listed him theNo. 24 athlete in the nation. Scout.comlisted him as the No. 22 prospect in thestate regardless of position.

Still, some area coaches wonderedwhether Hill made enough plays to meritthose rankings. Hill also has faced ques-tions about how he will stack up against

higher-rated prospects. He doesn’t mindthe questions or the doubters because heknows it will be up to him to earn playingtime.

“Everyone has something to prove,”Hill said. “You can’t just go out there andexpect it just because you walk out there.Everyone has a grind they have to gothrough. I understand if someone isranked higher than me because they get alittle more attention than me or they wentto a bigger school than I did. It is just amind-set. I understand I have got to workto be successful. If he can outwork me, hedeserves it. I doubt I am going to allowanybody to outwork me because I have itin my mind that I got to work hard to getwhere I need to get.”

Hill also said his spirituality will guidehim. He knows the Lord gave him theopportunity to play football at MSU andthat he is eager to take on that challenge.He said the key to success will be stayinghumble and having a mind-set that noth-

ing will be given to him.Hill said that attitude will help him real-

ize the goals he will set for himself. Heknows, too, that everyone at WestLowndes High and in the community willbe watching him and pulling for him, sohe has to work even harder to satisfy allof those people.

McGee faced similar expectations andshowed what hard work can help some-one accomplish. Hill wants to do evenmore to make McGee and everyone elseproud.

“I have to work for myself and mycommunity,” Hill said. “The thing withWest Lowndes is we get a lot of backlashand negativity. I want to be the one toshow the community, the state, to showwhoever needs to know, that WestLowndes, we have pride and we have iconstudents, marquee students, who can dowell in any challenge we receive. I want tobe that example.”n

“I consider myself as the other half to the story of Keffer McGee. I want to carry his memory as well as his success.”

West Lowndes football player Brandon Hill


Even though MSMS lost its next game to Corinth, the program took pride in the fact it earned its first postseasonvictory in a number of years.

Seniors Josh “Brody” Rester and Ryan Mackay and juniorTaylor Potter helped lead the team

“We didn’t really know what to expect from Forest,”Mackay said. “We have been playing mostly in our district(against Aberdeen and Winona), but we played well. It was

very satisfying.”Chad Hickman and Mo Weems scored goals for MSMS

against Forest. MSMS beat Class 5A New Hope in the regularseason and tied Class 6A Columbus in a preseason tourna-ment.

The victory and tie were especially satisfying for Mackayand Rester, who are from Columbus. They admit they haveheard the whispers from opponents doubting the ability of the

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SOCCER REIGNS SUPREME AT MSMS

Mississippi School for Math and Science boys soccer team, top, from left, are Ryan S., Joseph N., John W., Tyler C., JoshRester, Ryan M., William Maddox, Arslan Arshad, and James Johnson; bottom, from left, are Eric Brisco, Chase T., Josh Stone,Joey, Chad Hickman, Morgan W., Taylor Potter, and Nam Pham.

story by ADAM MINICHINO

THE MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL FOR MATH AND SCIENCE BOYS SOCCER TEAM deliveredthe biggest highlight for the school’s sports teams this season. The Blues (6-2) defeatedForest 2-1 in the opening round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association

Class 1A/2A/3A North Half State tournament.

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players because they attend an academic school. They alsoare used to having teams overlook them and count MSMS asa victory on their schedule.

“We got really lucky this year because of how many peoplewere interested,” Mackay said. “We just have a lot of talent.”

The team expects to return 13 juniors from this season’steam.

n The cross country teams competed Nov. 7 at the statemeet at Choctaw Trails in Clinton. The girls team placed sev-enth in its division. Eighty-six boys and eighty-one girls ran inDivision 3A.

Senior Lanie King paced the team on the 4-kilometercourse with a time of 19 minutes, 40.8 seconds. Senior FloOsbourne (19:43.1), senior Katherine Timm (19:56.5), juniorLeena El-Sadek (21:55.7), senior Hillary Hardwick (22:02.1),and junior Reanna Bierig (24:13) also competed.

Senior Tony Green (21:42.3) paced the boys on the 5-Kcourse. Junior Joshua Stone (21:49.9), junior Darrien Kelly(25:01.4), senior Alan Wells (25:59.9), and junior FrankMcDonald (28:24.9) also competed.

n The MSMS swimming team sent five to the state meetin Biloxi.

Bowen Han, of Starkville, Wilton Liana, of Starkville, RyanMackay, of Columbus, Adam Grant, of Biloxi, and SamanthaNanayakkara, of Oxford, competed.

n The tennis team was the runner-up in its district, andsent five to the state tournament: Mackay and Grant compet-ed in boys doubles, Sindhu Shivaji, of Starkville, and EricBriscoe competed in mixed doubles. They won their first-round match and lost in the second round.

Rebecca Kim, of Ridgeland, also qualified for the state tour-nament.

n In its first year with a track and field team, CourtlandtPerkins was fifth in the 200 (23.09 seconds) and JamariusWaller was eighth in the discus (111 feet, 11 inches at theClass 1A State meet.

“We’re real proud of our athletes,” MSMS ExecutiveDirector Charles Brown said. “Here it is truly student firstand athlete second. The kids work real hard to keep them-selves in playing shape, and have a real desire to do well.”

MSMS offers 10 sports. Brown said the school will try tokeep as many sports as it can as it prepares for the 2010-11school year. The school, which is on the campus of theMississippi University for Women in downtown Columbus,and focuses on academics. It offers cross country, track andfield, swimming, soccer, and tennis.

“As always, we are academics first,” Brown said. “We reallywant to be able to have our kid to be able to compete. It helpswith sprit and good, life-long habits.” n

“We got really lucky this year because of how many people were interested. We just have a lot of talent.”

MSMS senior soccer player Ryan Mackay


But when standards are far higherthan current results, a new plan needs tobe mapped out.

Back-to-back losing seasons and dimin-ishing interest in the program producedsparse crowds at Yellow Jacket Stadium inthe last two years of the Bill Lee era, whichincludes the team’s last of its four statetitles (2001).

When Lee announced his retirement, itleft Starkville High with vacancies at thetop of the athletic department and footballprogram.

A familiar face in former principal Dr.Stan Miller was named athletic director,and his choice to lead Starkville footballback to a championship level was JamieMitchell, a noted program-rejuvenator.

Mitchell turned Itawamba AgriculturalHigh and Olive Branch High into consis-tent playoff teams. He arrives in Starkvillewith a 40-10 record in four seasons at the

Fulton school.Mitchell’s move to Starkville might

have seemed mistimed considering thestate of the SHS program and the roll hewas on at IAHS, but Class 6A jobs are cov-eted.

In his time at Olive Branch, Mitchellfaced Tupelo, South Panola and Starkvillein division play.

Since he left the Conquistadors to takeover in Fulton, the Jackets are 3-15 againstOlive Branch, Tupelo, and South Panola,the programs that are considered the bestin the region.

Title aspirations in Starkville havebecome simple talk as the “Big 3” havecontrolled the region and faced a Starkvilleteam that usually has earned the last play-off spot.

Mitchell’s approach is energetic andauspicious, and he enters at a burgeoningtime for SHS athletics. The boys basketball

team won the 6A state title this season,and girls basketball, volleyball, and thegirls and boys soccer and baseball hadplayoff seasons. The boys track team hasproduced All-Americans and a two statetitles in the past three years.

Football, though, is the big ticket.Missing out on a healthy gate at thebiggest venue on campus can put a strainon an athletic department.

To regain interest in Starkville Highfootball, Mitchell has vowed to be an inte-gral figure in fundraising and communityrelations.

As he sees it, he has no choice.“It’s how you build championship pro-

grams,” Mitchell said. “The communityhas to have pride in its team, but this teamhas to win ballgames. My job is to hit thepavement and get out in the Starkvillecommunity. We need them.”

Mitchell’s first day of spring practicesaw 89 players on hand. The YellowJackets finished the fall with less than 50on their roster. Low numbers, at least forthe spring, won’t be an issue.

Part of the reason Starkville’s numberswere low in recent years centered aroundeligibility. With proof that 3A or 4A rostercounts can happen at a 6A school, Mitchellis taking a hard-nosed approached to keep-ing his players on the field.

“It’s at the top of our chart,” Mitchellsaid. “We cannot afford to lose playersbecause they’re not academically eligible.I’m a little bit behind the eight ball comingin at the end of the school year. This timenext year, we’ll have a whole lot bettergrasp on kids’ grades. That’s somethingwe will monitor, probably by-weekly withall of our kids.

“We understand you can’t force a kid topass, but we’re going to strongly encour-age them and they are going to under-stand the importance of grades. We justcan’t lose kids, and that’s going to bestressed very heavily.”

Mitchell has a list of needs and to-dosfor the program on and off the field. Hestressed the importance of identifying theteam’s specialists. He has Alvaro Pichardo

REINVENTIONYellow Jackets fighting their way back to top

story by DAVID MILLER photos by DAVID MILLER and KELLY TIPPETT

CHANGE IS IN THE AIR FOR A FOOTBALL PROGRAMthat has fallen on hard times. Usually, a team coming off apostseason berth doesn’t need major renovation.

Starkville High quarterback JaquezJohnson (12) looks for throwing roomagainst Columbus High.


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and Daniel Fumo from the SHS soccerteam to work with, but he must replacelast year’s snapper and holder.

The offensive line is a key spot, too, asJarrod Atterberry and Chris Prater are thetop returners. Size along the offensive anddefensive lines is lacking, especially com-pared to division rivals.

“There’s no question that’s where ourshortage is,” Mitchell said of the line size.“I’ve seen that in the couple weeks I’vebeen there, but we’re going to have to takewhat we’ve got and develop those guys.We’d love to have 6-5, 285 type guys butwe don’t. What we’re going to do is takethe ones we have and coach them. “

Off the field, Mitchell and Miller havecampaigned for a new field house, thoughthe odds of getting Starkville SchoolDistrict funding is highly unlikely.Improving the playing surface at YellowJacket Stadium is in Mitchell’s futureplans, too. He also wants to improve teamstrength and cohesion with structuredweight lifting periods during school hoursfor freshmen.

Mitchell met some of those futurefreshmen in the two weeks prior to thestart of varsity spring practice.

“We finished up with our junior highspring with next year’s eighth and ninth

graders and there’s no value you can puton that time,” Mitchell said. “For us to getover there and get our hands on thosekids was critically important.

“We had a very good week, and thoseare classes that are going to be good forus. It’s also important to build relation-ships with kids of that age group.”

■ Starkville High basketball finally cap-tured the state title, but how they did itmade for an even better story.

At 31-2, the Yellow Jackets turned intheir most dominant season with the 6Aand Grand Slam crowns. Rashad Perkinswas named The Commercial DispatchLarge Schools Player of the Year and TheClarion-Ledger’s Mr. Basketball, which isawarded to the state’s top player.

Starkville posted a thrilling win againstJackson Lanier and shut down RodneyHood in the 6A title win against Meridian.

Perkins, a senior power forward, ledthe Yellow Jackets with 22.3 points pergame and 13.3 rebounds, while pointguard Edward Townsel averaged 18.8points, 7.9 assists, and 4.5 steals per game.

The Yellow Jackets had the state’s bestguard-forward combination and receivedmajor contributions from sophomoresGavin Ware, Mike Brand, and CalvinYoung.

Starkville High’s Chuck Tillery, left, andBilly Shed were two of the team leaderson offense. Their efforts helped theYellow Jackets qualify for the Class 6ANorth Half State playoffs.

■ The SHS girls basketball team exitedthe playoffs early, but Kristie Williams’squad finished 16-9 and the runner-up inthe Class 6A Region 2.

Expectations were high entering theseason coming off a region championshipafter a North State run. The team, led byversatile seniors Kala Williams (18 points,5.5 rebounds) and Shay Bonner (13 points,4.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals), started the sea-son 12-1 before dropping four of six.

The Lady Jackets dropped a pair of one-point games to Kosciusko and SouthPanola at the end of the regular seasonand lost by four to Northwest Rankin intheir satellite playoff game.

Still, the Lady Jackets posted their thirdwinning season in the past four years.Bonner signed with Itawamba CommunityCollege to give the Lady Jackets five col-lege signees in the past two seasons.

■ Starkville High enjoyed another sea-son of playoff baseball after a 14-9 season.

The Yellow Jackets, though, had themisfortune of facing defending state cham-pion in Madison Central in the openinground of the Class 6A postseason. TheJaguars swept the Yellow Jackets in thebest-of-three series, but there were plentyof highlights in the team’s second straightplayoff season.

SHS finished second in Class 6A,

Region 2 and led the region 205 runs.R.J. Johnson led the team with a .492

batting average and 12 home runs, whileoutfielder Chuck Tillery batted .408 andhad a team-high 38 runs.

Johnson also led the team on themound with a 2.72 ERA and 83 strikeouts.

“There’s guys on this team, like Chuckand R.J and Cody (Berryhill) who’ve start-ed for three or four years,” SHS baseballcoach Danny Carlisle said. “Then you takeReggie (Campbell), who worked hard toget where he is. Those guys have given alot to this program, and I hate to see theyear come to an end for them.”

■ Brian Bennett knew his boys soccerteam was loaded and ready for a breakoutyear roughly three years ago.

So when SHS started the season with400-plus minutes of clean sheet soccer,Bennett wasn’t surprised.

“Guys just had to get experience,”Bennett said. “We knew we were going tohave the talent watching these kids playSelect soccer.”

Starkville had just one senior on itssquad and built around its defensive soph-omore trio in goalkeeper Addison Watson,center back J.R. Tomlinson, and TheCommercial Dispatch Player of the Year,defender Price Day.

SHS finished 9-2-2 and pitched sevenshutouts. The team also posted its firstshutout of state power Tupelo beforefalling to Northwest Rankin in the openinground of the playoffs.

The Yellow Jackets had four players(Alvaro Pichardo, Tomlinson, KaseKingery and Watson) make TheCommercial Dispatch All-Area First Team.Pichardo led the team with 11 goals.Kingery scored five and had five assists.

■ Lady Jacket soccer battled scoringwoes in 2009-10 but still made the playoffsand finished 9-5.

SHS lost to Madison Central in the firstround of the playoffs but had MorganMiller, Mariah Duck, Ida Knox, ChristineMazzola, and Bailey Clark make TheCommercial Dispatch All-Area SoccerTeam.

Goalkeeper Raevonne Shoemaker fin-ished with an 84-percent save rate and a60-percent shutout clip. She was namedThe Commercial Dispatch Player of theYear, an honor Shoemaker took homeafter saving eight of 13 penalty kicks thisseason.

“The second you see those hips turn,that’s where you go. I took pride in everyPK I stopped,” Shoemaker said.

Miller scored six goals and Duck hadfive.

■ Starkville High’s senior volleyballers

played one extra game this season, but itwas a special way to end a career on thecourt.

Six upperclassmen got the chance toplay in the postseason, taking second inClass 3, Division 2 with a 12-18 overallrecord and a 4-2 division mark.

Starkville lost to Clinton in the openinground of the state playoffs, but it was thefirst block in first-year coach Lauren Love’smaster plan.

“We grew a little bit every time we wereon the court,” Love said. “It was importantfor us to have that communication, bothverbal and non-verbal.”

Team leaders were Janae Poe (119kills), Deanna Rieves (38 blocks),Elizabeth Scott (63 aces), McKayRichardson (190 digs), and WheelerRichardson (359 assists).

■ Year 2 of the Mimi Milling era ofStarkville softball showed movement in thewin column.

The Lady Jackets (5-14, 2-4 Class 6ARegion 2) finished third in their region,but Milling’s squad managed four morewins than it did in 2009.

Jonissa Buchanan had a breakout sea-son with a .395 batting average, 15 RBIs,and 20 runs. Donnasha Hubbard hit .340with 11 RBIs, while East Mississippi C.C.signee Tamara Bell hit .270 with 11RBIs.■


Starkville High’s Nick Brooks (1) arrivesat third base safely as Columbus High’sAvery Ford (5) covers.

Starkville High’s DeAnna Rieves getsinto position to make a pass in a matchagainst Columbus.

DOMINANCE

The former Mississippi State kickerhad been involved with Starkville youthsoccer leagues and was aware of the talented players he’d lead.

An undefeated regular season andNo. 1 seed in the playoffs made the2009-10 boys soccer team the biggeststory in Starkville Academy athleticsthis year.

The Volunteers wiped out HeritageAcademy and Clarksdale Lee, posting astring of eight-plus goal games. It also

STARKVILLE ACADEMY SOCCER SHOWS

StarkvilleAcademy midfielder RoyMiles, right,and JacksonPrep’s TramelReeves converge on aball in theirMississippiAssociation ofIndependentSchools playoff matchon Feb. 10 atthe StarkvilleSportsplex.Jackson Prepwon 5-0.

story by DAVID MILLER photos by KERRY SMITH and KELLY TIPPETT

A RTIE COSBY INHERITED A FULLCUPBOARD when he

took over Starkville Academysoccer. He knew it, too.

showed the ability to finish games withone-goal wins against Lamar School andPillow Academy.

Cosby takes little credit for the suc-cess, instead pointing to a dominant sen-ior class that produced three collegesignees. But there’s no denying the archi-

tect of a team that displayed incrediblebalance on both ends of the field.

Starkville Academy allowed 14 goalsin 11 games, with five coming in its play-off loss to Jackson Prep.

Right winger Frankie Jones endedhis senior season with 10 goals and 10assists, while central midfielder RoyMiles had four goals and seven assists.

“Coming into the season, I knew Roy,Will (Goodwin) and Frankie,” Cosbysaid. “I had seen these guys growing upand remember seeing them at a UABcamp several years back, so I knew wehad some talent coming into the season.But I was surprised by some of the guyswho I didn’t know.

“Then I had no idea what the compe-tition would be like with my first time inthis league. Some games we’d win bigand I’d think, ‘We look good but gosh,there’s got to be better teams.’ I knewthere were teams from Greenville andGreenwood who would always have tal-ent in Rec and Challenge.”

Washington and Pillow put up chal-lenges, but Starkville Academy’s rosterwas loaded with experience and drive to

avoid the sub.-500 record in 08-09.Miles, the team’s midfield anchor,

was one of five Starkville Academy play-ers named to The Dispatch All-AreaSoccer Team. Jones, center forward WillGoodwin, goalkeeper HerstonWilliamson and center back Jake Readjoined Miles on the list.

With the exception of Williamson,who joined the team this season, theVolunteers’ seniors had played togetherat Starkville Academy since the eighthgrade. That year, they went undefeatedand tied Jackson Academy twice.

Miles knew it could be done again.“We all played together and took the

game serious then,” Miles said. “We hada great chemistry then, and ever sincewe were in the ninth grade we knew oursenior year was going to be special. Ithonestly set in at the first practice (thisyear) when we were all there. The start-ing team worked the ball great, and wejust felt it from that point.”

Miles role with the team was crucial,as he formed a strong link with Read onthe backline and Goodwin and Jones uptop. Miles was a facilitator and ball-hawk

Lyndsey Haynes led the StarkvilleAcademy fast-pitch softball team toa 23-8 record.


for Cosby.“That’s part of what made him such a good midfielder, just

having the attitude of always wanting the ball,” Cosby said.“To want the ball, you’ve got to be in position to get the ball.He always tried to make himself available, and he’s a verysmart player.”

For every great team, certain things have to “go their way”throughout the course of the season. A stroke of luck for aball to bounce in your favor or a feared injury just turn into atweak is needed, but for the Volunteers they had a position toworry about from the start of camp.

Josh Senter graduated and the team was faced with thethought of moving Read in goal to replace the MississippiGulf Coast signee. In came that stroke of luck.

Williamson, who’d played tackle for the football team andfirst base for the baseball team, joined fall camp and quicklyestablished himself as the team’s No. 1 goalkeeper.

“It was obvious Herston had quick reflexes and goodhands,” Cosby said. “He got in goal and immediately startedstopping shots. With that, all we had to do was teach him thegame.”

Williamson shed 20 pounds getting into soccer shape andfinished the season 104 saves and just 14 goals allowed.

“That was crucial for us, especially early when we werethinking about putting Jake in goal,” Cosby said. “We justcouldn’t afford to put him in goal and leave too big of a gap inour defense. We had Jake out there kind of coaching Herstonthrough the game. Sometimes Herston didn’t know when hecould touch it. A lot of that was trial by fire for him.”

The memorable season included a 2-2 comeback drawagainst Starkville High and Goodwin and Miles signing withICC. Defender Heath Walker signed with East Mississippi.

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Starkville Academy’s Bailey Wofford (5) slides in safely ahead ofthe tag by Bayou Academy’s Laken Wilson (15).


“We’ll take this experience andalways remember it,” Miles said. “Youcouldn’t ask for a better season and howwe came together. Now I get to go do itat the college level.”

n Confidence was in the air prior toStarkville Academy’s season-openingfootball game against Ackerman.

Lifted by their positive outings in jam-boree season, the Volunteers were readyto shock opening weekend.

It didn’t happen. Ackerman, eventualMHSAA Class 2A state runner up, leftjam-packed J.E. Logan Field with a 55-2win. The Volunteers never recovered.

Year 2 of Brian Sims’ tenure turnedinto an 0-11 season in which theVolunteers gave up 40 or more points insix games.

Injuries along the line came beforequarterback Will Goodwin was shelvedwith a knee injury. Inexperience took tothe field and Sims’ spread offense nevertook off.

With 15 straight losses dating back to2008, Sims resigned amid pressure andgrowing negative energy outside of theprogram.

“I don’t worry about the parents somuch as I do the kids,” Sims said. “Idon’t listen to parents much becausethey seldom know what they are talkingabout. I just felt like everybody waspulling in different directions and obvi-ously it was time for a change.”

In steps Jeff Terrill, whom no onecould have put on Starkville Academy’sshortlist to replace Sims. The formerItawamba Community College headcoach became SA’s third coach in fouryears when he was introduced Dec. 17.

Terrill’s experience alone — 38-36record at ICC — should give the pro-gram a boost. The Vols hope thetimetable for competing at a level com-parable to the 2005 state title team is ashort span.

“This is probably as low a situation asI’ve been involved in,” Terrill acknowl-edges. “When we inherited ICC, theywere coming off a 3-6 season. In highschool football, though, the turnaroundcan be quicker than expected. Whenyou’ve got a younger players (sopho-mores) that year of experience makes alot of difference.”

n Randy Haynes couldn’t have had abetter swan song as StarkvilleAcademy’s head softball coach.

After three years at the helm andthree more as an assistant, Haynes guid-ed the Lady Volunteers to a 23-8 recordand third place in the MAIS Class AAANorth Tournament.

Though the team narrowly missedout on the playoffs, the Lady Vols hadthree infielders and two outfielders toreplace from the previous year. Therewas no depth in the circle, either.

Starkville Academy beat rival PillowAcademy three out of four times thisseason and won the StarkvilleInvitational to cap an 8-1 start.

“If they had told me we’d be 23-8 atthe end of the season, I would have justtook it right then,” Haynes joked. “Icouldn’t have ever dreamed, percentage-wise, that we’d have that kind of arecord. I mean, we had girls who werestarting for us that we had to teach tothrow a ball.”

Pitcher Lyndsey Haynes was namedMAIS All-Star.

Catcher Bailey Wofford led the teamin batting and runs scored.

n Glenn Schmidt leaned on a trio ofseniors and a freshman in the LadyVolunteers solid season on the basket-ball court.

Senior forward Maggie Gladney (9ppg., 4.5 rpg.), along with fellow upper-classmen Anne Claire Craig and KylieLockhart, helped guide the LadyVolunteers to a 19-15 record and a first-round playoff berth.

Freshman guard/forward TiffanyHuddleston, a member of The DispatchLarge Schools All-Area Second Team,led the team with 11.6 points, 5.9rebounds and 3.3 steals per game.

As much of a key as Huddleston wasto the Lady Vols’ success, transfer pointguard Anna Prestridge (6.5 ppg., 3.1apg., 2.2 spg.) added stability and wasoften praised by Schmidt for her positiveassist to turnover ration.

n Artie Cosby’s first year at theschool covered both soccer programs,and his start in the fall with the LadyVolunteers produced a playoff berth.

The girls finished 7-7 and 7-4 inNorth AAA contests. The team played

with youth, but fielded talented fresh-men in leading scorers Sallie KateRichardson and Tiffany Huddleston andgoalkeeper Garland Willcutt.

The team will lose three seniors, twoof whom — defender Michelle Padgettand midfielder Anne Claire Craig —were named MAIS All-Stars.

n After a dominant 2008-09 basket-ball campaign, Clay Stringer probablydidn’t foresee the struggles theVolunteers faced this season.

Starkville Academy lost the likes ofJohnathan McKenzie, James Blair,Brandon Sharp — starters the previousseason — Will Goodwin and Jake Readfrom the previous year.

Juniors Patrick Jones and J.R.Gerhart became the elders of the team,but with so many new pieces theVolunteers were behind the curve in2009-10. The Volunteers finished 1-23.Their lone win on the road against OakHill brought a refreshing moment to aseason filled with frustration.

Five juniors return next year, whenStringer is confident the acceleratedminutes will have his players ready tohave complete-game performances.

n Three coaches in the span of twomonths, including one gone incrediblywrong, highlighted the baseball team’soffseason.

The Volunteers’ season ended below.500 and without a postseason place.

Former head coach Justin Breweraccepted a job at Copiah-LincolnCommunity College, and the Volunteershired former New Hope High All-American and former minor leaguerShane Bazzell.

At his introduction, Bazzell spoke ofrunning a tight ship and having a disci-plined ball club. On Jan. 15, his eracame to an end when he was arrestedfor having a stolen four-wheeler in hisfront yard. Then, the Mississippi Bureauof Narcotics completed a two-year druginvestigation and a grand jury indictedBazzell on four felony counts of obtain-ing Adderall by fraud.

Bazzell wasn’t retained and interimcoach Neal Henry took over. Henry ledthe team to a 14-16 record, as it strug-gled down the stretch after reaching 9-7overall and 4-5 in district play.n

“We’ll take this experience and always remember it. You couldn’t ask for a better season and how we came together.”Starkville Academy midfielder Roy Miles


After winning a division tournament title in2008-09, much was expected of a Titans squadthat returned one of the area’s top scorers inDoug Chandler. And after sitting out most ofthe previous season, forward Kirby Shermanwas available to give Robinson the post pres-ence the team lacked last season.

When the Titans went to the WestLowndes Tournament on Nov. 27, no onecould have imagined how one win wouldspark a breakout season and an undefeateddivision record.

That night, the Titans beat Ethel 71-60,starting an 11-game winning streak that laidthe foundation for a Class 1A South Statefinal berth, where the Titans were one quar-ter away from punching their ticket toJackson.

Robinson called the game “the turningpoint” in the team’s season, not because itwas the first of 23 wins but because of howthe team played.

“I worked them pretty hard that week inpractice, and I think they saw that with hardwork they could continue to win,” Robinsonsaid. “There’s not really much else than that.The guys just kept working from that point.”

Chandler, who led the Titans with 18.7points per game and 2.7 assists, could pin-point the team’s deficiencies early on andmade it a point to help reinforce whatRobinson was preaching.

“We had to start focusing on our defenseand using our big men,” Chandler said. “Welost four straight, and I told the guys we hadto do better, practice harder, run the floor,

and get back on D.“I knew we would have a good season

because we had a good team, even last yearwhen we were struggling. When we broughtsome more boys in this year, we had a feelingwe would have a good season. We just couldn’tkeep losing games like we were.”

Chandler formed an explosive backcourtcombination with junior Casey Neal, whoaveraged 10.4 points per game and a team-high 3.1 steals per game.

New to the starting lineup this seasonwas 6-foot-3 small forward GeonteRichardson, who averaged 8.5 points and7.5 rebounds and gave the Titans a topperimeter threat on the team.

Robinson felt he had a more completelineup and multiple scoring options to getthe team through nights when opponentsentered the gym to stop Chandler.

“You can have a lot of talent, but gettingplayers to put their egos aside and play teamball is the biggest thing,” Robinson said. “Younever know what type of offense you aregoing to rely on each night. One night, youmight have to feed it inside to Kirby. The nextyou may have to rely on Geonte shooting theball from the outside. Then you might have torely on Doug or Casey driving to the basketand pushing the ball.

“We had choices this year, and the guysrecognized that anybody on the team couldcarry us.”

Finishing 23-7 (10-0 in Class 1A, Region5), the Titans beat Nanih Waiya for theregion tournament title. McAdams eliminat-

ed East Oktibbeha in the South State tour-nament.

Despite losing Chandler, Sherman, andRichardson, Robinson is confident the teamcan continue the year-to-year improvementhe has seen in his three years at the helm.

■ The 2009 football season could havehad a much different ending if not for a playhere or a play there.

Second-year coach Anthony King’sTitans raced to a 4-3 record after back-to-back 50-point wins against Thomastown andEdinburg, only to see a pair of four-pointlosses and a pair of six-point losses close thedoor on their playoff hopes.

The Titans (4-7, 3-6 Class 1A Region 3)also dropped a heartbreaking 26-24 matchat rival West Oktibbeha.

■ Randy Brooks’ return to the sidelineproduced a winning record for the EastOktibbeha Lady Titans, who reboundedfrom a shaky start to earn a division runner-up finish.

The Lady Titans lost their first fivegames before going 4-2 before theChristmas Break.

The team had to overcome the uncer-tainty of Alexius Selvie being available afterthe point guard suffered a preseason injury.

Then there was the adjustment periodwith Brooks taking over for CynthiaDavenport, who guided the team to the2007 Class 1A state title.

However, the team found stride and fin-ished with an improved record after a downseason in 2008-09.■


TheTurning PointOne game set tone for

East Oktibbeha success

East Oktibbeha High School boys basketball coach Barnett Robinson, right,and leading scorer Doug Chandler helped the Titans to a 23-7 record and aregion title this season.

FOUR GAMES INTOTHE 2009-10 BOYS BASKETBALL SEASON,

the East Oktibbeha Titanswere falling well short ofcoach Barnett Robinson’sexpectations.

story and photo by DAVID MILLER


story by DAVID MILLER photo by KELLY TIPPETT

Both feelings came with winning foot-ball, but faith came well before the teamwent into the final week of the 2009 regularseason fighting for a playoff spot.

In ’08, Adam Lowrey took over aTimberwolves program that was strugglingin every way. The team hadn’t had a win-ning season in two years, as the rigors ofplaying in a stacked division and dwindlingsupport left a mountainous task for theyoung head coach.

His arrival during the fall semester thatyear was met with 15 players ready to diveinto what turned into a 1-9 season.

In six games that season, theTimberwolves were held to eight points orless.

Faith is hard to maintain when yourteam is smaller than every opponent andlosses become more lopsided by the week.

And when no one cares, why bother?That’s where the Timberwolves were

entering 2009 with virtually the same skele-ton crew from ’08.

One constant, even as the team saw kidsjoin the team and flake out days or weekslater, was Lowrey’s belief that the happi-ness they wanted from football would comeas long as the team worked hard andbelieved in Christ.

“Faith without works is dead. And whenyou have no faith at all, there will be noworks,” Lowrey said. “If you believe insomething greater than yourself, you canfail and still rise up and have somethingpull you up. The same goes for the team asa whole. That camaraderie and faith in eachother can pull you out of tough spots.”

The ’09 season would be much like theroller coaster of the previous year, but the

second ride provided more highs than lowsand saw the team finish 5-6 record and fifthin the re-worked Class 1A, Region 3.

But after opening the season with back-to-back losses to old division rivals EastWebster and West Lowndes by a combinedmargin of 70-6, Lowrey’s faith came close tofaltering.

“I wondered if it would turn around, butI didn’t know what would happen,” Lowreysaid. “It’s like pulling down that one-armedbandit, waiting to see what comes up. Butwe hit it big. We hit all cherries.

“Can’t do nothing but thank the Lord.”It was a breaking point, one that had to

come with application and extra worktoward team progress. Again, the idea of“works and faith” prompted Lowrey and hisstaff to make major changes.

He owed it to his kids, who had faith inhim that he could lead them to wins.

Lowrey’s “best athlete” would ultimatelycarry the responsibility of leading theTimberwolves out of the offensivequandary that marred an entire season andshowed every sign of scarring yet another.

Junior Dwight Quinn opened the seasonas the team’s starting quarterback, but theoffense wasn’t built for the inexperiencedoffensive line that still lacked size.

A different approach was needed, andLowrey brought the idea of starting fresh-man wideout Von Smith at quarterback andQuinn at receiver.

Quinn didn’t need much persuasionfrom Lowrey; he knew Smith could exceland that a drastic change had to be made.

“I always knew it would work becauseVon is going to make it work,” Quinn said.“If one thing doesn’t go right, he’s going tofind a way to get around it. He likes tocome to me, and we talk about footballthroughout the day.

“I didn’t see it coming with the way theseason turned out but after the Noxapatergame we all knew.”

With two weeks to install a new passingoffense, the Timberwolves were in over-time against Noxapater and in a walkoffscenario they hadn’t been in much.

The Timberwolves won 36-28 and fol-lowed with a pair of wins to put the teamabove .500 for the first time since openingthe ’07 season with a win against Falkner.

Quinn established himself as Smith’s go-to receiver, racking up 572 yards and sixtouchdowns on 48 catches despite missingthree games.

The Timberwolves scored 167 pointsafter managing just 59 the year before.

“Me and the coaches started with build-ing a fort around Von,” Lowrey said. “Weknew he could throw, but we couldn’t gethim hit. We built around our strength andput our great athlete at wide receiver tostart. We really didn’t know what we weredoing last year and still threw for 1,500yards.”

The finish has sparked interest, asLowrey has 29 players on his spring prac-tice roster. The hallways and the class-room, though, haven’t completely jumpedon board.

Faith, again, applies to what Lowrey andQuinn believes is the last element neededto take the program to higher heights.

“It was kind of hard because some of usgot the big heads,” Quinn said, “but to behonest, some of the people in our schooldon’t even cheer for us. They cheer forEast Webster down the road. So it was hardnot to come back to school and feel like ‘Itold you so.’

“We feed off that negativity and we likethat because we’ve already been throughso much more.”n

turned WestOktibbeha around

Faith

Q UIETLY, THE WESTOKTIBBEHA HIGHSCHOOL FOOTBALL

TEAM used a surge of enthusiasm and faith to makeone of the significant turnarounds in the area.

West Oktibbeha High Schoolfootball coach Adam Lowrey

prays with his team.


MOTIVATIONWest Point looks to defend state championship in 2010

West Point High players have set theirsights on repeating as state championsafter winning the Mississippi High SchoolActivities Association Class 5A state cham-pionship in 2009.

West Point won the sixth state title inschool history on Dec. 5, 2009, when itbeat Wayne County 35-14 at MississippiMemorial Stadium in Jackson.

West Point (14-1) won its final 14 gamesafter a season-opening loss to Shannon tocap a season the players and coaches willremember for the rest of their lives.

“We’re always going to have some goodmemories, but we’re already feeding off ofit going into the next year,” Chamblesssaid. “We’ve worked extremely hard in theoffseason so far. I hope that will carry overso we can make another run if we can.

“These guys coming back, I constantlyremind them that to have true ownershipof a state championship you have to win itas a senior. That’s what the juniors comingup as seniors want next year. They wanttheir own. That’s what they’re workingfor.”

story by HENRY MATUSZAK photos by STAN BEALL

WEST POINT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH CHRIS CHAMBLESS isn’t having any trouble motivatinghis players to work hard in preparation for the 2010 season.

West Point coach Chris Chambless ledthe Green Wave to their sixth statechampionship in school history.


Winning the state championship wasthe realization of a dream come true forthe Green Wave.

“You set goals every year, and your ulti-mate goal is to win a state championship,”Chambless said. “We try to set three dif-ferent levels. We want to do is win our non-conference games and get better. You wantto win your district. Then you want to gointo the playoffs and try to win a statechampionship. You just want to accomplishone step at a time. It’s kind of like climbingup a ladder. That’s how we approached it.”

West Point beat Canton 36-0, Pearl 34-7,and New Hope 41-21 in the first threerounds of the playoffs before adding thefinal piece of the championship puzzle bybeating Wayne County.

The Green Wave outscored their oppo-nents 485-177 en route to the champi-onship, averaging 32.3 points and allowing11.8 points per game.

The championship was Chambless’ firstas a head coach, and he said he’ll alwayshave special memories.

“Things pop in your head all the time,”Chambless said. “You just try to recapturethose feelings you had when the last sec-onds ticked off the clock. That’s one of themost memorable things, looking up andseeing the score and knowing you cameout on top. That’s probably the most mem-orable moment I’ve ever had.”

West Point won the title after going 12-2, 11-2, and 8-3 Chambless’ first threeyears as head coach.

The Green Wave put it all together in2009 after coming up short the previousthree years.

“They were just determined,”Chambless said. “The season we had ayear ago (2008) probably helped us morethan anything because we weren’t goodenough and to them that was unaccept-able. It was unacceptable to me and the

coaches. We knew we could do better andwe preached that all year in the offseasonand going into the season. They didn’taccept giving anything less. They gottougher. That’s how we approached thingsThat made us better.”

Six West Point High football playerssigned scholarships in February. MichaelCarr and Curtis Virges signed withMississippi State, Jeremy Cannon, XavierHogan, and Matthew Lewis signed withEast Mississippi Community College, andDesmond Boyd signed with Hinds C.C.

By winning the state championship, theGreen Wave created excitement in theWest Point community and captured theimagination of their fans.

The Green Wave’s goal now is to givethe fans another special year to rememberwith another state championship.

■ The boys basketball team finished 8-16 and Winston Varnado resigned after theseason to assist his son, Jarvis, prepare fora career in professional basketball. Jarvisset the NCAA record for career blockedshots this season as a senior center atMississippi State.

Former Oak Hill Academy boys coachBrad Cox replaced Varnado on an interimbasis and is expected to become the newcoach.

■ The girls basketball team made it tothe first round of the Class 5A North StateTournament and finished the season 17-8.

“I think we peaked at the right time,”West Point coach Jemmye Ann Helmssaid. “We were playing good right beforedistrict. I was excited. I was proud of mygirls.”

Kelsei Ewings averaged 22 points andfive assists per game to lead the team.

■ The baseball team had a six-gamewinning streak during the season and fin-ished 10-14.

“There were some positives in some

areas and some areas I thought we shouldhave been much better in,” West Pointcoach Buddy Wyers said. “We improvedoffensively. We improved as a team. We’restill not where we need to be by anymeans, but we did go through some prettygood stretches.”

The Green Wave started their winstreak on April 9, when they beat Oxfordin a district game.

“We went through about a week and ahalf where we won several games and wonsome pretty big games,” Wyers said.

■ The fast-pitch softball team made theMHSAA Class 5A state playoffs and fin-ished 5-14.

“I thought we improved through theyear, and I think we’ll continue to improvethe next few years,” West Point coachLibby Forrester said.

■ The boys soccer team experiencedgrowing pains with an inexperienced teamand lost all six of its matches.

“We were kind of young,” West Pointcoach Blake Hutchinson said. “We onlyhad three seniors. We had a lot of youngguys with some who had never playedbefore. They played hard. I was proud ofthem. It seems like we got better everygame and by the end of the year we werein every game we played. We were proudof them in that aspect.”

■ The girls soccer team went winlessin 10 matches.

“We could have been better if we wouldhave worked harder,” West Point coachKeith Manning said.

■ The volleyball team didn’t win amatch in Dionne Keys’ final season ascoach.

Keys has retired after 24 years of coach-ing girls sports at West Point High and hasmoved to Collins.

“We’d always maybe win two (games)and they would come back and win three,”Keys said. “We were competitive but wenever could get over the hump. Weenjoyed the season. We just didn’t do aswell as we could have. I had a young teambecause I had mostly seniors the yearbefore. I had maybe two girls that playedat all from last year and all the other girlsthis was like their first year to play. It was ayoung team full of freshmen and sopho-mores.”

■ The girls track finished fifth inregionals at Oxford and didn’t qualify forNorth State.

Nekeisha Walker finished fifth in thelong jump and the 4x100 and 4x200 relayteams of Walker, Jemeka King, MalikahQuinn and Elizabeth Salmon finished fifthat regionals.■

LaKenderic Thomas rushes through West Point’s offensive line


Hughey’s Lady Red Raiders didn’tlose a league game in their first year inMississippi Association of IndependentSchools North District 2AA en route toa 21-12 record.

“Any time we don’t have a chance tocompete for a state (title) it’s a disap-pointment, but it was fun to be in a dif-ferent district and have a district tourna-ment,” Hughey said. “We went undefeat-ed in the district, and that was prettyneat. Any time you win any kind ofchampionship, whether it a district orstate or North State or whatever, it’ssomething the kids remember. Therewere some highlights, but there were a

lot of disappointments, too. “Oak Hill was in the same division

with Carroll Academy, ManchesterAcademy, and Winston Academy.

Bonnie Riley led Oak Hill Academyin scoring with 16 points per game,while sophomore Tori Ellis added 15points per game. Senior Megan Holtonpaced the team in rebounding witheight per game. Riley added 7.5 pergame.

“Bonnie was so good at creating herown shot off the dribble,” Hughey said.“She scored a lot of her points by takingthe ball to the basket.”

n The football team lost to Lamar

story by HENRY MATUSZAK

CHANGECOMPETING IN A NEW DISTRICT BREATHES LIFE INTOOAK HILL WITH A FEW BUMPS ALONG THE WAY

OAK HILL ACADEMY GIRLS BASKETBALL COACHSTAN HUGHEY had good reason to like playing in a newdistrict this past season.

Oak Hill Academy girls basketball coachStan Hughey poses for a picture withthe school’s All-District players. From

left: seniors Megan Holton and BonnieRiley and sophomore Tori Ellis.

Contributed


School in the first round of the MAIS Class AA state playoffsand finished 3-9.

“We were proud to make the playoffs just because there’sbeen so little history of football success at Oak Hill,” Oak HillAcademy football coach Leroy Gregg said. “We were proud ofthat, but we weren’t proud of how our record ended up.”

The Raiders were decimated by injuries. Running backJake Orman suffered an AC joint sprain the fourth game ofthe season against Leake Academy. Quarterback DavisClayton suffered a knee injury in the ninth game against KirkAcademy.

Orman rushed for more than 500 yards in the first threegames before getting hurt.

“We had some very untimely injuries, but that’s part offootball, too,” Gregg said. “It just seems the people you couldwithout the least are the ones who end up with the injuries.”

n The boys basketball made it to the MAIS District 2AANorth State tournament and finished 11-17.

“We had only eight players,” Oak Hill Academy coachBrian Middleton said. “We only lost one, so we’ll have sevenback next year. The junior high won the district and finished19-5, so we’re moving up a lot of young talent. We’ve got ourtwo leading scorers coming back. We’re enthusiastic aboutthat.”

The leading scorers were junior Zach Bryan (12 ppg.) andSteven Jones (10 ppg.).

n The baseball team missed the playoffs by one game andfinished the season 6-13.

“We were just a young, inexperienced team that got betteras the season went along,” Oak Hill Academy coach MarionBratton said. “Our pitching was so young we couldn’t get fourinnings out of a pitcher. I wasn’t going to hurt a kid’s arm. Wejust didn’t have any depth. We did the best that we could.”

Oak Hill Academy’s playoff chances took a hit when pitch-er Kale Pierce was unable to finish the season for undisclosedreasons.

“He was that one guy that was good enough to get us awin on Thursday nights and we needed one against Carrolland one against Winston and we would have been in the play-offs,” Bratton said. “He also was probably our best hitter. Hewould have been our MVP.”

n The fast-pitch softball team placed third in the MAISClass AA North State tournament, second in its conferenceand finished 13-11.

Oak Hill Academy played the season without its No. 3 andNo. 4 hitters, Mary Helen Hays and Paige Dawkins.

“We struggled to score runs this year,” Bratton said.“Mamie Allen pitched very well for us. We played a lot of low-scoring ballgames where we lost by one run. Almost everygame we played was like 3-2, 4-3, 1-0, you know, those kind ofballgames. We weren’t in any blowouts. We were playingsome younger girls and they got an opportunity to play.”n

Oak Hill Academy football coach Leroy Gregg

LIVE IT UP!

Just like your family,we are so proud of you!

Thanks for making your high school days, one of our best!

Dr. James L. HolzhauerDr. James L. HolzhauerEmily Jamison, CFNPEmily Jamison, CFNP

505 Willowbrook • Columbus • 329-9191505 Willowbrook • Columbus • 329-9191

“We were proud to make the playoffs just because there’s been so little history

of football success at Oak Hill.”Oak Hill Academy football coach Leroy Gregg


For the second year in a row, Hebron Christian’s seniorssigned their names on the wall in the dugout as a tribute to win-ning a district championship.

In addition, this season marked the second year all of theplayers signed a block in the dugout in recognition of being district champs.

Hebron Christian finished in a three-way tie for first place inMississippi Association of Independent Schools North District3A with Central Academy and Winona Christian and won atiebreaker to be declared the district champ.

“These are the first two years we’ve ever won district,”Hebron Christian coach Greg Watkins said. “After winning thedistrict last year and the kids getting to write their names on thewall and doing it again this year, it has kind of started a tradition.Next year’s group was talking, ‘We’re going to win district andwe’re going to write our names on the wall.’ ”

Hebron Christian (14-6) repeated as district championdespite losing six starters from the previous year.

“That was big for this group,” Watkins said. “We lost a lotfrom last year. We started out slow. The kids kept working hard-er and harder and we just improved over the year. We playedsome pretty good ball.”

Dylan Prisock, Blake Harrell, and J.D. Edwards hit betterthan .400, while Kevin Simmons hit better than .300 to leadHebron Christian. Prisock, Harrell, and Will Corbin Rogers ledthe team on the mound.

Prisock was MVP of the district and chosen to play in theMAIS All-Star game, Edwards was the district’s offensive MVP

W A L L

Hebron Christian baseball coachGreg Watkins, left, received keycontributions from Dylan Prisock(11), J.D. Edwards (13), and BlakeHarrell (22) en route to anotherdistrict championship and a 14-6finish.

Tradition inspiresHebron Christian’sdistrict title dynastystory by HENRY MATUSZAK

THE HEBRON CHRISTIAN BASEBALL TEAMhas started a trend it hopes it can continue foryears to come.

WRITING ON THE

and chosen to play in theMAIS All-Star game, andHarrell was the district’s co-defensive player of the year.

n The football team fin-ished 4-6 in Watkins’ first sea-son as coach.

“It went pretty good,”Watkins said. “We had a realtough schedule. Our goal wasthe make the playoffs and wefell short, really one touch-down pass short of making theplayoffs. We’ve got a lot ofexcitement for next year’steam. We’ve got some return-ing starters at skill positions,which we didn’t have last year.Our numbers will be up five orsix compared to what we havehad.”

n The boys basketballteam finished 12-8 in GaryVaughan’s last year as headcoach.

“I’m going to step down,”Vaughan said. “I’ve had somehealth issues. I’m an oldretired public school coachand administrator. I’ve beendoing this for a lot of yearsnow and probably getting a lit-tle too old to keep the fast paceyou have to do to coach.”

Hebron Christian wasbesieged by injuries through-out the season. The team’sleading scorer, junior CarltonClay (14 points per game),missed games with a twistedknee and illness, point guardBlake Harrell broke his ankleand missed the district andregional tournaments, andChad Smith broke his hand.

“We just sort of had somebad things to happen to us,”Vaughan said. “It just seemedlike every time we would getsomething going, somethingwould happen.”

n The girls basketball teamwent 19-7 and won its fifth con-secutive district championship.

Hebron Christian beatImmanuel Christian Academyin the championship game.

“It was great,” said Watkins,who also coaches girls basket-ball. “These girls worked hard.When you win four straightyou have that bull’s-eye on youand this year it was prettytough. In the district tourna-ment we ended up having togo to overtime in the finalgame. It was a big achieve-ment for them to have won itfive years in a row.”

n The softball team fin-ished 13-11 after placing sec-ond in its district and making itto the Mississippi Associationof Independent Schools ClassA North State Tournament.

“Early in the season we justdidn’t have it for whatever rea-son,” Hebron Christian coachCass Tapley said. “We lostsome game, some really close,that we didn’t expect to. Abouthalfway through the season wegot it turned around and thenthey responded like I hadexpected them to. I think wewere 10-1 through our last 11games. We finished well,which was like what weexpected early in the season.We just ran out of gas in theNorth State Tournament. Itended on a pretty goodnote.”n


Thanks for a

GREATYear!

YOUYOUWIN

427 Main Street • Columbus • 662-328-1000

“We lost a lot from last year. We started out slow. The kids kept working harder andharder and we just improved over the year. We played some pretty good ball.”

Hebron Christian coach Greg Watkins

Greg Watkins, left, guided the Hebron Christian football teamto a 4-6 record in his first season.


TREVOR EAVESCentral AcademyFootball

MARCQUIS PLANTLamar CountyFootball

AARON ANDREWSAberdeenFootball

QUINTONSTURDIVANTPickens CountyFootball

JUSTIN COXWest PointFootball

MICHAEL CARRWest PointFootball

TERRANCE DENTRYNew HopeFootball

LEDRICKPATTERSONEast WebsterFootball

DEION CURRYPickens CountyFootball

JAQUEZ JOHNSONStarkville HighFootball

DAMIAN BAKERColumbus HighFootball

MICHAELBRADFORDLamar CountyFootball

LYNDSEY HAYNESStarkville AcademyFast-pitch softball

TORI FIELDSHeritage AcademyGirls soccer

JACOB ACKERPickens AcademyFootball

JAMERSON LOVEAberdeenFootball

LANDON ELLISVictory ChristianFootball

JOSH POEWest OktibbehaFootball

PLAYERS WEEKOF TH

E

2009-2010

PRICE DAYStarkville HighBoys soccer

CALLIE MINORPickens AcademyGirls basketball

JUSTIN JAMESImmanuel ChristianBoys basketball

DAQUARIUSMALLARDNoxubee CountyBoys basketball

PICKENSACADEMYGirls basketball

JOSEPH MACGOWNStarkville AcademyTrack and Field

AUSTIN WELCHHamilton HighBaseball

DAVIS LEENew Hope HighBaseball

JAKE SMITHNew Hope HighBaseball

JESSICA COMERCaledonia HighTrack and Field

RICHARDCHRISTOPHERHeritage AcademyTrack and Field

WILL GOODWINStarkville AcademyTrack and Field

KELLI PETTYNew Hope HighTrack and Field

STARKVILLE HIGHBoys basketball

R.J. JOHNSONStarkville HighBaseball

TYJI HAWKINSColumbus HighBaseball

JOSH TENTONIColumbus HighBaseball

DYLAN EARNESTHamilton HighBaseball

CATHERINEJOHNSONStarkville HighGirls basketball

RASHAD PERKINSStarkville HighBoys basketball

EDWARD TOWNSELStarkville HighBoys basketball

KALA WILLIAMSStarkville HighGirls basketball

TYLER WHITEHeritage AcademyBoys basketball

FRANKIE JONESStarkville AcademyBoys soccer


Takika Abrams, KristyAlexander, SherrieAlexander, KaransaAnderson, Destiny Bailey,Spencer Bailey, AmberleBaucom, Austin Beatty,Hunter Brown.

Larissa Bruce, AmandaBurleson, Shane Burns,Justin Cline, Chris Cole,Katherine Cole, MeganColeff, Alexandria Coleman,Ashley Craddieth, LeeboDavis.

Nicole Davis, AmyDempsey, Brianna DeRosia,Jacob Elsmore, JustinElsmore, Franklin Fairley,Beth Feazel, JaquariFerguson, Lee Fisher, ArielGordon.

Marquis Gray, RayonGreason, Alexis Green,Amanda Green, Tevin Henley,Rebecca Hicks, JamesonHolder, Juwan Hunter, TylerHurt, Rebecca Hyde.

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ACTIVITIESCHEER,BAND

2009-10 Caledonia High School Varsity CheerleadersHaley Benson, Jessica Comer, Chelsey Eliott, Haley Ellis

Carlee Gurley, Robbin Hamilton, Kailey Lavender, MaraLovick, Savannah McGhee, Jaime Moore, Kaleigh Reynolds,Ashton Sheppeard, Peyton Stanley

Camp: UCA Cheer Camp – Mississippi State University –June 2009

Squad Awards: First place Home Pom Routine and 3rdPlace Cheer Champions

All-America Cheerleaders: Robbin Hamilton, Jessica Comer,Ashton Sheppeard

New Hope High School Marching BandRoster


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Heritage Academy Junior High Dance TeamFirst Row: Lexi Bennett, Alli Ridilla, Ashley Allsup, CaraDixon, Alliemarie Brooks, Margaret LeBrunSecond Row, Katherine Maer Kerby, Glenn Brown, Evelyn Ray,Laura Stennett, Kirby Smith, Mixson Bateman, EmilyMarkham

Heritage Academy Varsity Dance TeamFirst Row: Leslie Ferguson, Taylor Cabiness, Hannah Higgins,JoAnna WestSecond Row: Caroline Glenn, Katie Beck, Katie Ferguson,Laurel McCoy, Mary Dade Ford, Anna Gaines Gaskin, AlexKloor

Heritage Academy Dance Team Honorsn Junior High and Varsity received

first place in Home Routine at Universityof Alabama “UDA” summer camp.

n Varsity received second place atMAIS State Competition.

n Junior High received third place atDelta Blues Competition.

n Junior High and Varsity competedin the National Dance TeamChampionship in Orlando, Fla.

n All-Stars and participated in the

Thanksgiving Day Parade in DisneyWorld: Cara Dixon (Junior High); MaryDade Ford and Alex Kloor (Varsity)

n Hannah Higgins and JoAnnaWest participated in the Macy’sThanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

Heritage Academy CheerleadersFirst Row: Elaine Curtis, Montgomery Atkins, Katie Hopper,Lillia Flora; Second Row: Jessie Householder, StephanieCruise, Kimberly Sansing, Caroline Borland, Morgan Lott,Christie Beth Nelson, Chandler Jones; Third Row: LaurenBrown, Claire Wiygul, Bailey Rader, McKenzie Jones, AshleyRhett The cheerleaders won second place in the Home PomRoutine Competition and received the Leadership Award,which was voted on by all camp participants at MississippiState University.

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Heritage Academy BandThe Heritage Academy Patriot Band participated in the MAISSpring Band Festival April 1 at Jackson Academy’s new per-forming arts center. These students performed a concertbefore three judges and earned superior ratings from eachjudge. The Patriot Band then performed a sight-reading exer-cise in which they also made a superior rating. The PatriotBand includes, front row, from left, Ryan Walford, Noah Lind,Mary Grace Crenshaw, Katy Whitman, Alex Kloor, andDawnice Mullins; back row, from left, Timmy Lind, AmandaWei, Jenna Petrel, Diana Park, Ann Marie Chilcutt, andGoodloe Chilcutt. Not pictured is Julie Cunningham.

Heritage Academy Band students, from left, Noah Lind,Timmy Lind, Jenna Petrel, Amanda Wei, and Diana Park allearned superior ratings at the Starkville Academy Solo andEnsemble Festival recently.

These Heritage Academy students took part in MSU band dayand performed on the field at halftime. The students are, fromleft, Goodloe Chilcutt, Noah Lind, Timmy Lind, Ann MarieChilcutt and Jenna Petrel.

ACTIVITIESCHEER, BAND


Immanuel cheerleadersFront row, from left, Nyki Baudoin, Shelly Westmoreland,Amber Shoffner, Tia Baudoin; back row, from left, ToriFitzgerald, Katy Whitten Davidson

Starkville Academy Varsity Cheerleaders At the Universal Cheerleading Association Beach Club in GulfShores, Ala., the Starkville Academy cheerleaders received firstplace in Extreme Routine, second place in Home Pom, secondplace in Camp Cheer and also received the Banana (spiritaward). The UCA All-Americans were Lindsey Norman, KylieLockhart, Neely Cook and Shelby Carpenter. Starkville AcademyVarsity Cheerleaders won the Mississippi Association ofIndependent Schools State Championship for 2009. The squadwas coached by Sandra Gladney and Lisa Atwell. Cheerleaders,left to right, front to back) seniors Anne Howard Steinwinderand Brooke Bryan, co-captains, Lindsey Norman and RachelFuller; Maggie Gladney, and Kylie Lockhart; juniors ShelbyCarpenter, Lauren Morgan, Neely Cook, Anna-Marie Foster andKali Burney; sophomores Erin Lindley, Anna Prestridge, KatGarrard, Elizabeth Crissey, Lauren Atwell and Caitlin Russell.

Victory Christian Academy Varsity CheerleadersFront row, from left, Shelly Coleman, Asia Taylor, MaggieGardner, Heather Sullivan, Katelin Byrd, Mary Kate Lemmons,Alyka Hamm, Mikayla Gore, Brittany Jones; back row, fromleft, Leah Potter, Macy Tilley, Kate McDill, Julianna Gorman,Sarah McDaniel, Leah Taylor, Rachel JohnsonThis year the cheerleaders competed at CCA summer campand won numerous spirit and technique awards. They alsowon first place at state competition for ACEAA.

Columbus High School CheerleadersColumbus High School cheerleaders are, front row, from left,Lena Jackson, Khadijah Lee, Sharell Harris, Tierney Sanders;back row, from left, Sarah Weatherby, Marissa Hackler andMegan Kesler.

CHEE

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ND ACTIVITIES


ALL AREAVOLLEYBALL

VOLLEYBALL

Today, it’s almost inconceivable some-one who has been described by friendand foe alike as a “powerful, explosiveplayer” who has the ability to demolish

her opponents at the net can, at the sametime, be a reticent, humble, and some-what shy individual who is uncomfortablewhen thrust into the limelight.

“That pretty much fits her to a T,” saidAberdeen High volleyball coach MarquisBurnett when describing JameikaHoskins, The Commercial Dispatch’sVolleyball Player of the Year. “She wouldnever think about bragging on herself oranything she has accomplished.”

If Hoskins has a fault as an athlete, itwould be she shies away from taking amore active role as a vocal leader.

“She’s not as vocal as I would like herto be, but she leads by example,” Burnettsaid. “Her play on the court makes up forher lack of vocal leadership.”

Burnett, who is just as soft-spoken ashis star, said Hoskins is one of the bestplayers he has coached.

“Jameika is what I would call a ‘studentof the game’, and she is the best hitter toplay at Aberdeen hands down,” saidBurnett, who credits good vertical leapingability and long arms as the keys to thepower behind Hoskins’ kills and herblocking.

“She constantly drew double teamswhen we set her because no one couldblock her one-on-one,” Burnett said.“What makes her even more dangerous isshe knows when to use her power andwhen to tip. Anything around the net, shewins that point.”

Hoskins’ setting skills also drew praisefrom Burnett.

“Jameika is also an excellent setterwith good court vision,” Burnett said.“When she first started as a freshman,that’s what she did best. But since she hasturned into a hitter, she has become allthat much better.”

Burnett, who just completed his fifthyear at the helm of the Aberdeen Highvolleyball program, will be the first toadmit Aberdeen isn’t considered a volley-ball hotbed.

“Our girls don’t play year-round andthey don’t attend any camps,” Burnettsaid. “We get together two weeks beforeschool starts, we go over some things,and then we go out and play.”

Burnett said that’s what makesHoskins such a special player.

“There’s no telling how good she couldbe if she played year-round,” Burnett said.“The sky is the limit as far as her potentialis concerned.”

Hoskins led the state in blocks withan average of 1.5 per game (68 total, 65solo). She also had 118 kills in 189attempts for a 62 percent kill percentageand an average of 2.7 per game (10th inthe state) and was credited with 32 serv-ing aces (34th). n

SADLY, CHEST-POUNDING, TRASH-TALKING ATHLETES WHOUTILIZE FLAMBOYANT GESTURES while playing the “look-at-me” game to the hilt are all-to-often the norm today.

A LEVEL HEADAberdeen High’s Hoskins dominatescompetition with a humble attitude

story and photo by DON ROWE

The Starkville Academy pitcher admitsshe has reflected on her senior seasonand thought about what could have beenafter the Lady Volunteers finished third atthe North Half State tournament.

A change in the playoff format this sea-son meant that showing wasn’t goodenough by one place to push StarkvilleAcademy into the overall MississippiAssociation of Independent Schools AAAstate tournament.

But while missing the state tournamentstung a little bit, Haynes has focused moreon the team’s success. The LadyVolunteers’ 23-8 finish was their best inrecent memory, and Haynes had a lot todo with it.

Whether it was in the circle or at theplate, Haynes had a knack for deliveringin the clutch.

For her accomplishments this season,Haynes is The Commercial Dispatch Fast-pitch Player of the Year.

Haynes finished the season with a 1.56ERA and a batting average of .407.

Starkville Academy coach RandyHaynes, who is Lyndsey’s father, creditscoach Kyle Morgan for helping to get allof the Lady Volunteers in shape in the off-season and preseason. He said the workthe players did helped Lyndsey, who wascoming back after having surgery torepair a torn anterior cruciate ligament inher left knee, return with stronger legs,which benefited her in the circle.

In August, Haynes earned four victo-ries to help the Lady Volunteers win theStarkville Invitational Tournament at theMississippi State intramural fields. Sheearned victories against WinstonAcademy, Central Academy, and twoagainst Pillow Academy to help her teamwin its first tournament title since 2004.

Haynes’ effort was even more impres-

sive considering she pitched against OakHill Academy, Central Academy, KemperAcademy, and Leake Academy in four ofthe five days leading up to the event.

The work didn’t seem to faze Haynes,who faced 107 batters in 22 innings. Shewalked seven, struck out 26, and allowed27 hits in the tournament.

“Coach Morgan helped explain to herand get across to her that this was hersenior season,” coach Haynes said. “Hetalked to her about leadership and how allof the young players looked up to her andthat they were going to follow her lead.”

Haynes also credited catcher BaileyWofford, who has caught Lyndsey for thepast three seasons. The duo had a uniquesystem in which they didn’t use conven-tional signs to indicate what pitch Haynes

was going to throw. The tell-tale sign for afastball might have been a flip of the hair,but coach Haynes said he trusted hiscatcher and pitcher so much he left callingpitches up to them.

Haynes had success because shethrew in the upper 50s and low 60s andmixed a tantalizing changeup. She had alot of success with the pitch at the NorthHalf State tournament and in the MAISAll-Star game, where she was named theMVP for the North Half. She had six RBIsin two games.

“It became such a weapon,” Haynessaid of his daughter’s changeup. “Therewasn’t anybody until we got to the All-Stargame, where there were a couple of kidswith enough talent to deal with it. Herchangeup became really, really good.” n


ALL AREAFAST-PITCH

SOFT

BALL

LOOKING BACKHaynes reflectson successfulsenior year


LYNDSEY HAYNES DOESN’TMISS SOFTBALL YET.

The Class 5A and Class 2A Mississippi High School ActivitiesAssociation state titles New Hope and Hamilton high schools wonthis season are the final reward for all of their hard work andeverything they contributed to their squads on and off the field.

For their accomplishments this season, Atkins and Tutor are TheCommercial Dispatch Slow-pitch All-Area co-Players of the Year.

Both players agreed that their ability to settle into new orchanged roles from the previous seasons was another piece tothe puzzle that helped their teams win championships.

“One of my team goals was for us to win state and for me toend up batting over .500, and we accomplished both of thosegoals,” Atkins said. “I think I played better than I expectedmyself to, and that at the end I really stepped up.”

Atkins said relaxation was the key. She said she believed morein herself and didn’t get caught up in a power-hitting struggle ona team that featured two players — Hannah Howell and ChaunciaWillis — with six home runs and another — Katie Beth Dahlem— with four.

“She just loves the game,” Hamilton coach Lewis Earnest said.“She put in the time, worked hard for it, and it paid off for her.”

Earnest said Atkins started the season as pitcher and movedto the outfield because her sister, Alison, was able to throwstrikes and to hitenough to contribute.

Alison Atkins’ effec-tiveness helped improvethe Lions’ defensebecause Caitlyn’s athleti-cism was an addedbonus in the outfield.

Atkins pacedHamilton (19-9) with 43runs scored, 51 hits, 10doubles, and a .567 bat-ting average. She alsowas fourth on the teamin RBIs (24), second onthe team in on-base per-centage (.596), andfourth in slugging per-centage (.733).

“We were worriedmoving her in the lineup might mess her up a little bit,” Earnestsaid. “It didn’t. She just picked right up and kept on going.”

New Hope High coach Tabitha Beard said Tutor worked wellat the top of the lineup with Lauren Holifield. She said Tutor’sspeed was an integral ingredient to the Lady Trojans’ march to athird consecutive slow-pitch state title, and 12th overall.

“She is just the type of player that when the game is on theline and you need something to happen you want her to bethere,” Beard said. “She makes you smile, she makes you laugh,and she is the type of player you wish you had 10 of her. It wouldmake your job a lot easier. She just has a way to calm the rest ofthe team down and pick the rest of the team up.”

Beard said Tutor and the Lady Trojans struggled at the startof the season. But things slowly came around for New Hope (22-7), which weathered the offensive doldrums, personnel changes,and inexperience at several positions.

Tutor did her best to pick up the slack for the departure ofseniors Victoria Culpepper, Kristen Harvey, and DeShuniSanders. She assumed a larger defensive role in the outfield andshowed she, too, could flash some leather with the best of them.

Tutor hit .527 with 19 RBIs, predominantly from the leadoffspot in the lineup, and had an on-base percentage of .666.

“She is a leader on and off the field,” Beard said. “She has a wayof getting the others to follow. When she was at the plate, you felt atease because you knew something good was going to happen.” n


ALL AREASLOW-PITCH

ACCOMPLISHINGGOALS Atkins, Tutor slug their teams to state titles

story and photos by ADAM MINICHINO

NEITHER ONE CAN TRULY BE LABELED A“POWER HITTER.” But that term is so limitingbecause Caitlyn Atkins and Haley Tutor can do

so much more for their teams.

Hamilton High School coach Lewis Earnest,left, and New Hope High coach TabithaBeard guided their teams to slow-pitch state championships in 2009.

SOFTBALL


SOCC

ER ALL AREABOYS AND GIRLS

Cosby coached Huddleston in T-Ballwhen she was 5 or 6 and saw howadvanced she was even at that age.While it’s common for many players not

to be able to throw or to catch verywell, Huddleston, the team’s first base-man and only girl, had the best glove,bat, and throwing arm.

Strong defensecore principle forStarkville’s Day

story by DAVID MILLER photo by KERRY SMITH


ARTIE COSBY KNEW A LONG TIME AGO TIFFANYHUDDLESTON was going to be a standout in sports.

Athletic prodigy scoresSoccer Player of Year

And after Starkville High started theseason with more than 400 minutes ofshutout soccer Day, The CommercialDispatch’s Boys Soccer Player of theYear for 2009-10, knew the YellowJackets were in for a special season.

With a final record of 9-2-2, Starkvillebeat Tupelo 1-0 at home for its first victo-ry in the series in 10 years before fallingto Northwest Rankin 4-0 in the firstround of the Mississippi High SchoolActivities Association Class 6A playoffs.

But if there was one glaring differ-ence between Starkville High’s team thisyear and last year, it was the poise andskill in its back line.

In particular, the middle ofthe Yellow Jackets’ defense— Day and J.R. Tomlinson

at center backand Addison

Watson ingoal —proved tobe afortress.

Whatmade thetrio’s season

more unique is theirrelationship away fromSHS soccer. All threeplay for the CentralJackson Select teamand all three are sopho-mores.

Outside of the fivegoals he scored thisseason, Day said he is

most proud of hisinvolvement inStarkville’s defensiveturnaround. n

A LREADY PART OF ASTRONG SOPHOMORECLASS, Price Day earned

the captain’s arm band and made ithis mission to make the StarkvilleHigh School boys soccer team thebest defensive team in the area.


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The Starkville High juniorstarted all of the Lady Jackets’games this season and has beena fixture in Anna Albritton’s line-up for several years. It startedwhen she was a seventh-graderand beat out two seniors and ajunior to earn the starting job.

She gets a thrill knowing she’sthe last line of the defense andrelishes the rush of penalty kickshootouts.

A goalkeeper since she was11, Shoemaker helped lead theLady Jackets to a 9-5 record and aberth in the Class 6A playoffs,where they lost to MadisonCentral.

With an 84-percent save rateand 60 percent of her startsresulting in clean sheets,Shoemaker’s selection as TheCommercial Dispatch’s Girls

Soccer Player of the Year is fur-ther validated by her work inovertime.

Shoemaker saved 8 of 13 over-time penalty kicks this season,and believes it became astrength of her game.

“(Penalty kicks) happenall the time,” Shoemakersaid. “You have to learnhow otherplayersplay.You haveto look intotheir eyes becausetheir first glimpse isusually where they’regoing. If not, you haveto watch the ball. Thesecond you see thosehips turn, that’s whereyou go. I took pride in

every PK I stopped.”When Shoemaker started

playing goalkeeper, she took les-sons with Steve Bush, who usedto play in Germany. She hadevery angle of her game ana-lyzed, criticized, and refined tobecome Starkville’s first-choicegoalkeeper.

Confident in her skills,Shoemaker was relied on evenmore this season as the LadyJackets struggled in front of goal.Plus, the team experienced a

heavy turnover.“I felt like there was more

pressure, just thinking theball’s going to be on ourhalf more than usual,”

Shoemaker said. “Thewhole team had to

shift, too, and be ina more defensive

mode. But I playbetter whenthere’s morepressure. A lot ofgood players play

a lot better when theyhave pressure. Youhave to ready yourselffor that.”

Shoemaker hailed the workand cohesion of her backline,which included sisters Christineand Alex Mazzola at centerbacks, Ida Knox at right back,and Jen Henderson at left back.

Shoemaker said Knox, a sen-ior, provided the extra vocal pres-ence to help keep everyonealigned at the back.

Despite her solid season,Shoemaker feels her leaping abili-ty cost her a few goals this sea-son. Being quick to the ground isessential, but Shoemaker wantsto be able to get higher off theground.

“Just thinking back to Tupelo,the goal they scored from outsidethe 18 went just over my handand all I could think was, ‘Only if,’” Shoemaker said. “There’s a cou-ple of times, even horizontally,where I thought that. There wasalso a goal in the playoff gameagainst Madison Central wherethe announcer said, ‘Beautifulgoal by so and so girl’ and,‘Valiant dive by RaevonneShoemaker.’ All I could thinkabout was how I couldn’t getthere.” n

“She was exhibiting some things when she was a little girlthat showed back then that she was special,” Cosby said. “Ithasn’t surprised me that she has progressed as well as shehas.”

Huddleston also excelled on the basketball court for theStarkville Academy girls team. But earlier this year the fresh-man forward/midfielder did her best to shine on the school’ssoccer team.

Huddleston led the team with 17 goals in another standoutseason for a player whose skills belie her age.

For her accomplishments, Huddleston is The CommercialDispatch Fall Soccer Player of the Year.

“For a ninth-grader, she is very mature,” Cosby said. “Sheknows the game very well and has a good presence out onthe field.”

Huddleston hones her soccer skills on a Select team thatexposes her to a higher level of competition than she sees inhigh school. But Cosby said that experience hasn’t affectedHuddleston’s ability to work well with some high schoolteammates whose soccer skills aren’t as advanced.

This season, Huddleston played center forward for theLady Volunteers. Cosby said Huddleston is a great midfielderand that he probably didn’t utilize all of her skills this season.The fact that Huddleston has a powerful shot might be onereason why she saw some much action up top.

“The few times I played around in goal I did not wantTiffany shoot at me,” Cosby said. “Even outside of the 18 sheis going to pop you really hard when she hits. She has a lot ofattributes that you really don’t expect to see in a ninth-grader.She plays like a much older player.” n

Shoemaker: PK stopperstory by DAVID MILLER photo by KERRY SMITH

RAEVONNE SHOEMAKER LIKES BEING ANINDIVIDUAL AND STANDING OUT, so it makessense she plays goalkeeper.


FOOT

BALL

So Allen thought back to agolf outing in Ackerman whenhe met Chris Chambless. At thetime, Chambless was in his firstseason at Caledonia High, andwas known for his prowess as adefensive coach.

Allen approached Chamblessafter West Point playedCaledonia in the spring andasked if he would be interestedin joining his staff as defensivecoordinator. He had to pushhard to make the sell.

“He almost didn’t come,”Allen said of his first hire. “Hewas one of the few I could talkinto coming to West Point.”

Years later, Allen can smileand look back on what he calleda “good hire.”

Chambless, too, can beproud he has helped to build onwhat Allen, who helped leadWest Point to a state title in2005, brought back to ClayCounty.

Buoyed by a dominating

ALL AREALARGE SCHOOLS

WINNING ATTITUDE

Chris Chambless is The Commercial DispatchLarge Schools Coach of the Year after leading West Point to a state title.


DENNIS ALLEN HAD A DREAMTO SELL. Problem was, not manypeople, even friends, were willingto come to West Point High

School to help transform a football programthat had fallen on hard times.

Coach of YearChambless helps Green

Wave recapture championship magic

ground game and a hard-chargingdefense, Chambless’ Green Waverebounded from a season-opening lossat Shannon to win their final 14 games.A 35-14 victory against Wayne Countyin the Mississippi High SchoolActivities Association Class 5A statetitle game in Jackson capped a 14-1 sea-son and helped the Green Wave cap-ture their sixth football state title.

For his efforts this season,Chambless is The Commercial DispatchLarge Schools Coach of the Year.

Allen, who is the athletic director atWest Point, knew Chambless was theman to replace him after he steppeddown following the 2005 season.

“Chris hasn’t expected any less fromour kids than I did,” Allen said. “Therewas no bump in the road. It was juststep on, here we go, we’re going tokeep building and working and eventu-ally, at a school like West Point, espe-cially with a good administration andthe support we have, we’re going to getto a state championship game becausewe do have talent here.”

Chambless spent one year at formerSturgis High School as an assistantcoach and one year at Caledonia Highas head coach in 1998 before joiningAllen’s staff in 1999. He said he knewAllen was a good leader and that hehad had success as an assistant coachat Starkville High and that West Pointhad a solid administration. All of thosefactors, plus the fact he knew the kindof players West Point had, led himaccept Allen’s offer.

Head coach and defensive coordina-tor had plenty of “good times” compet-ing against each other at practice. Buttheir battles had a serious side: Theirgoal was to rebuild a program that hadwon four state titles under BubbaDavis.

Chambless said Allen set the toneand that he learned a lot from the manhe replaced. Through the ups anddowns of the 2009 season, Chamblessremained stoic on the sidelines, tryingto show his players the focus theyneeded. In practice, Chambless was thesame fiery leader he was as an assis-tant, but his game face epitomized theGreen Wave’s business-like approach.

“A wise man told me a long timeago, ‘You are what you see, and youbecome what you follow,’ ” Chamblesssaid. “I want to be the type of leaderwho never panics and who does thingsthe right way and doesn’t go crazy. I trynot to go nuts. I have gone nuts behindclosed doors, and I try not to do it in

Michael Carr and Vincent Sandersshare all of those traits and more.

The West Point and Noxubee Countyhigh school seniors also bring a confi-dence to the field that allows them todeliver game-changing plays on offenseor defense.

For Carr, the majority of his differ-ence-making efforts came on offense aspart of West Point’s run to theMississippi High School ActivitiesAssociation Class 5A state title.

For Sanders, an injury in the seasonopener against Starkvilleonly delayed his ability toimpact offenses anddefenses for the Tigers,who advanced to the Class4A North Half semifinals.

For their accomplish-ments this season, Carrand Sanders are TheCommercial DispatchLarge Schools Offensive and DefensivePlayers of the Year.

“Michael without being cocky andbeing humble has more confidence thananybody I have ever coached,” WestPoint High football coach ChrisChambless said. “You know if you put itin his hands he has the confidence tomake it happen.”

Carr was the primary receiving threaton a Green Wave team that dominatedopponents with a rushing attack thatpiled up 4,037 yards in 15 games. He ledthe team with 38 catches for 834 yardsand eight touchdowns. He also had fourrushing scores and three more by return.

The Mississippi State commitmentshowcased his versatility in West Point’s35-14 victory against Wayne County inthe state title game on Dec. 5 in Jackson.

Carr caught a 64-yard touchdown passfrom Justin Cox in the first quarter. Headded a 78-yard kick return for a touch-down to open the second half. The sec-ond score was the first of 21 unansweredpoints in the second half that helped pushthe Green Wave to their first state titlesince 2005, and the program’s sixth overall.

Sanders suffered a fractured jaw inNoxubee County’s season-opening victo-ry against Starkville on Aug. 21. Hemissed five games and didn’t return until

the Tigers’ game Oct. 2 atKosciusko.

Still, Sanders had morethan 40 catches for morethan 600 yards (more than1,700 total yards). Ondefense, he had two inter-ceptions at free safety. Hispresence on the field typi-cally caused teams to

throw away from him, or not to throw atall.

Noxubee County coach M.C. Millersaid Sanders handled his injury well. Hesaid the Tigers played well without theirsenior leader, but he said there is notelling what kind of season the teamcould have had if it would have hadSanders healthy all year.

“The time he was out there he had agood year,” Miller said. “On offense hewas our game-breaker. We knew as longas we had Vincent healthy we couldscore at any time. When you have agame-breaker at any time you tend not toworry. He also was a game-stopperbecause teams were not going to throwanything deep on us. He was just a keyplayer all around for us and on specialteams and on kickoffs.” n

PLAYMAKERS SHARE SO MANY THINGS.Whether its speed, strength, endurance, or aburning desire to be the best, their ability to

change a game with one touch of the football makesthem special.

Carr, Sanders displayedskills as playmakers

Carr Sanders



public, and especially not in front of thekids.”

Chambless said he learned that mind-set from Allen, his bosses at West PointHigh, and his father, a businessman, whoalways has been like that.

“You can’t blow up and go crazy andexpect you kids to perform,” Chamblesssaid. “There are a lot better ways to moti-vate than blowing up. I would head buttthat wall if it would help them play harder,but I don’t think it does.”

Grisham has seen Chambless work thatway since he arrived in West Point in 2000.Hired as the offensive line coach, Grishammoved to offensive coordinator and hasbeen devising bruising running schemeswith Chambless’ blessing ever since.

“He does a good job of staying evenkeel most of the time,” Grisham said. “Hecares about the kids. He always has theirinterest out there. He tries to make every-body happy. He is looking out for the play-ers and his assistants, and it just tricklesdown from there.”

Grisham said he has seen just aboutevery side of Chambless in their timetogether. He said Chambless is so effec-tive as a head coach because he allows hisassistant coaches to do their jobs anddoesn’t second-guess them. He saidChambless really hasn’t changed anysince he took over for Allen.

“It is just like when Dennis let himcoach the defense,” Grisham said. “Helets me do the offense. He doesn’t botherme like Dennis bothered him. He trustsyou, so it puts pressure on you to driveyourself and to get it right.”

Grisham was poking fun at Allen, buthis sentiment is true.

Chambless said all of the West Pointcoaches push themselves because theyunderstand the program has a high bar tomeet every season. He said his job is todo what he can to keep everything togeth-er and to support the coaches and theplayers every way possible.

Allen sees the same Chambless todayhe saw in 1999. He said Chambless nevershied away from doing anything thathelped free him up to do other things. Hesaid Chambless’ hard-working nature setsthe tone for the Green Wave.

“I think he does it sort of like all goodcoaches try to do it. It is like a familyatmosphere,” Allen said. “We go off anddo things together. We hang out together.He will have the kids over his house tocreate that family atmosphere and getthem to bond together. It helps if you’remore like a family than an individual andyou treat it like a job and you’re going towork.” n

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:Michael Carr, West PointDEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:Vincent Sanders, Noxubee CountyCOACH OF THE YEAR:Chris Chambless, West Point

FIRST TEAMOffenseQB — Justin Cox, West PointRB — Lakenderic Thomas, West Point,Terrance Dentry, New HopeWR — Markese Triplett, Louisville; ChuckTillery, StarkvilleOL — Ryan Hollivay, New Hope; LeeCrowley, West Point; Tate Rogers,Louisville; Gussie Lane, Noxubee County;Desmond Boyd, West PointTE — Michael Bush, West PointUtility — Patreon Hopkins, NoxubeeCounty; Damian Baker, ColumbusK — Tanner Ryals, New Hope

DefenseDL — Curtis Virges, West Point; NelsonBolden, Noxubee County; Seth Stillman,New Hope; Vontarrius Dora, West Point;Richard Christopher, Heritage AcademyLB — Chris Jackson, Columbus, JontaeSkinner, Noxubee County; Craig Armstead,StarkvilleDB — Franklin Richardson Jr., New Hope;Jeremy Wells, New Hope; Gary Hughes,

West Point; Chadz Taylor, Noxubee CountyUtility — Matthew Lewis, West Point;Corey Williams, Noxubee CountyP — Zak Thrasher, New Hope

SECOND TEAMOffenseQB — Jaquez Johnson, StarkvilleRB — Xavier Hogan, West Point; EarnestHarmon, Noxubee CountyWR — Terrance Baron, Noxubee County;Johnny Beamon, New HopeOL — Seth White, West Point; LamontRandle, West Point; Ladarius Taylor, WestPoint; Rocky Knox, Columbus; JarrodAtterberry, StarkvilleTE — Martavious Foster, StarkvilleUtility — Ryan Idom, Louisville; C.J. Bates,LouisvilleK — Cody Berryhill, Starkville

DefenseDL — Ladarius Hunt, Noxubee County;Chris Wolf, Columbus; Tommy Keys, WestPoint; Damon Triplett, LouisvilleLB — Jamie Sanders, Louisville; KrisDouglas, New Hope; Toddrick Tate,Noxubee CountyDB — Byerson Cockrell, Columbus, BlakeCunningham, Louisville; Billy Shed,Starkville; Jaquille White, West PointUtility — Raymond Walters, New Hope;Justin Rogers, StarkvilleP — Wesley Montgomery, Starkville

HONORABLE MENTIONAmory — Channing French, NathanKendrick, Forest WilliamsCaledonia — Brandon Bell, Cole Carter,Tyler Knight, Jonathan ThinizeeColumbus — Tim Hudgins, Cedric Jackson,Drew Jordan, Ryan McDonald, MartinSherrod, Zach Thomas, Ian WilliamsHeritage Academy — Hunter Brown, MattDickey, Stance Henderson, Chris Uhl Louisville — Rod Clark, Cottrell MillerNew Hope — Lawrence Brown, MarquiseColeman, Anthony Nelson, Jo Jo Reeves,Curtis Shirley, Ahmad WilliamsNoxubee County — Tony Glenn, JacobyHarris, Keshun Smith, Fredeas TateStarkville — Bennie Henderson, BryceHenderson, Tevin Hodges, Blake Johnson,D.J. Jordan, Adonnis Scales, DennisThompsonStarkville Academy — Kyle Henson, JakeReedWest Point — Justin Bobo, JeremyCannon, Jacoby Lee, Deismon Robinson,Kwame Williams


ALL-AREA TEAMLARGE SCHOOLS

THE DISPATCH

Michael Carr (8) breaks up a passStan Beall

Splitting time as a coachand minister, Duncan wouldleave home in Calhoun Countyas early as 4:30 or 5 a.m. todeliver a tape of his radio showto the station, before going toAberdeen High School.

His day didn’t end whenschool was out because he hadto coach the Bulldogs in a foot-ball game that night.

If that didn’t already makefor a long weekend, Duncan,the pastor at Reedy’s ChapelBaptist Church in Derma nearCalhoun City, had to preparefor Sunday services.

Duncan showed he couldbalance all of those responsi-bilities and put a good producton the field this season asAberdeen High finished 13-3and won the Class 3A NorthState championship.

For the Bulldogs’ accom-plishments this season,Duncan is The CommercialDispatch Small Schools Coachof Year.

Duncan said handling his“to-do list” was a matter of “pri-oritizing the things that are themost important, try to dothose, then try to squeezeother things in if you havetime.”

There were many latehours for Duncan. He oftenwould come home after a longday of football practice and

study for his radio show orSunday service.

Duncan calls managing itall “a good experience.” Herelies on his faith to keep himgoing.

“The Lord will give youstrength to do what you needto do,” Duncan said.

Time spent with coachingand ministry has taken awayfrom his family. He values fam-ily, but stresses it doesn’talways mean blood relatives.

“I do think over the pastseveral years I’ve been doingso much that I’ve missed somefamily time, which is importantto me, but the football playersand everything connected withit is part of my family also,”Duncan said. “This is a groupof seniors (at Aberdeen) thathave grown real close over thepast three years and beenthrough a lot together. I’d liketo think they’ve helped me andI’ve also helped them.”

Duncan has been atAberdeen High four years andhas coached football the pastthree.

Before Duncan becamecoach, the Bulldogs had onlywon once in two years (1-9 in2005, 0-10 in 2006). InDuncan’s first season in 2007,Aberdeen finished 9-4,improved to 11-3 the next sea-son and 13-3 this season to


COLUMBUS

DEPARTMENT

1501 Main Street • 662-244-3523

CongratulationsCongratulations to all our areato all our area

athletes for doingathletes for doing their best this year!their best this year!

ALL AREASMALL SCHOOLS

story by DANNY P. SMITH photos by KELLY TIPPETT

CHRIS DUNCAN HAD TOENDURE A FULL SCHEDULEFRIDAYS during football season.

‘A GOOD EXPERIENCE’

Aberdeen High school football coach Chris Duncan

Aberdeen head coach’sbalancing act pays off

FOOTBALL

reach the Class 3A state championshipgame.

“Each year, we’ve been able to take onemore step,” Duncan said. “It’s very hard toget to Jackson in football. It’s not like bas-ketball where you have eight to 10 teamsdown there (for the state tournament).

“I think the bar has been raised inAberdeen from being the laughing stock infootball to being a contender every year.Usually, we’ve been setting goals the lastseveral years, but I don’t think I’ll have toset them anymore because I think anythingless than getting to Jackson now would be adisappointment to the players. It showshow far this program has come in threeyears.”

Coaching means more to Duncan thanjust winning games. He likes seeing hisplayers, like Jamerson Love, rewarded forhard work.

That’s the main reason Duncan hated tosee Aberdeen fall in the state title game toTylertown 34-20.

“I can handle losing games pretty good,but to see my kids hurt was the worst partabout it,” Duncan said.

Love could sense how much Duncancared for him and said he wouldn’t havebeen able to stay on the right path if it had-n’t been for his guidance.

“Coach Duncan really helped me stayout of trouble in some ways,” Love said.“When he first came, I know he meantbusiness. If you didn’t abide by his rules,you wouldn’t be playing football.”

Despite losing the final game, Duncanwas proud of the players’ effort.

He called being able to endure 22 weeksof football and make it all of the way to thestate championship game “a testament” tothe players.

“The season is very long and very gruel-ing,” Duncan said. “We had about nineweeks of rain and mud this year, so we hadto practice in rain and mud. For all thecoaches and players, it was a very tryingyear with the conditions outside. I think Iruined about three or four pairs of shoes. Itwas overall a good year and one theyshould remember the rest of their life. Iplayed 10 years of football and four years ofcollege ball and never got to play in thechampionship game. I feel very fortunate tomake it there.”

Duncan still can’t help to feel there’ssome unfinished business and, as any min-ister would, used a passage of scripture tokeep things in perspective.

“We don’t feel like we completed ourtask, but you can find in Romans 8:28where it says everything happens for a rea-son,” Duncan said. “You just have to takethat, go on, and try it another year.” n

After getting off to a difficult startat Aberdeen High School three yearsago, Love found the right way to goand went from occasional trouble-maker to a go-to player for coachChris Duncan and the Bulldogs.

For his accomplishments this sea-son, Love, who helped Aberdeen tothe Class 3A North State champi-onship, is The Commercial DispatchSmall Schools Offensive Player of theYear. He thanked God for the opportu-nity to be player of the year and saidimproving his leg strength enabledhim to play offense and defense.

Before he could improve on thefield, Love knew he had to make amental transition.

“I just found a way to straightenout and look at me now,” Love said.“I’m on the right track.”

Duncan said he was fortunate towatch Love mature.

“Jamerson is one of those kids whogrew over the three years and got bet-ter,” Duncan said. “He was already

At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Poe knewhe wasn’t going to have anythinggiven to him and was going to have toearn his spot as linebacker.

West Oktibbeha High coach AdamLowrey was reluctant at first to givePoe the chance, but once he saw himin action, the reservations vanished.

“Once I knew he could maneuverwith all the big linemen coming athim, I wasn’t worried about it,”Lowrey said. “My defensive linemenwere a necessity. Then we started tak-ing guys who had enough grit andheart about them (and put them atlinebacker). Once we got the defen-sive line right, it made (Poe’s) and theother linebackers’ job a lot easier.”

Poe thrived in his junior seasonwith the Timberwolves, finishing with106 tackles (73 solo), six sacks, and 11forced fumbles.

For his accomplishments, Poe isThe Commercial Dispatch SmallSchools Defensive Player of the Year.

Poe knew playing football wasgoing to be part of his future.

In the eighth grade, he recalled


Poe persevered to become top defensive player

After rocky startLove thrived inAberdeen offense

stories by DANNY P. SMITH

JOSH POE HAD SOMETHING TOPROVE at WestOktibbeha High School.

JAMERSON LOVE’S ABILITY TO FIGHTTHROUGH ADVERSITYhas paid dividends.

intercepting his first pass and scoring hisfirst touchdown. Each year, his playimproved, which helped him make moretackles.

Poe was determined to show Lowreyhe could be a good linebacker.

“It was the first game of the season andhe saw the hitting I did and that I was ableto run from sideline to sideline if I haveto,” Poe said. “When I showed him, Iguess he was shocked I did it.”

The forced fumbles were enough to letLowrey know he’d made a good decisionon where to play Poe.

Lowrey calls Poe “a boy with heart,”and said even as a junior, he had a pres-ence on the field.

Poe is modest when it comes to compli-ments and being chosen defensive playerof the year. He questioned his traits as aleader, but as the season progressed,Lowrey said his team had a hard time stay-ing focused without Poe the field.

“He was talking whether he thought hewas a leader or not, but he would always dohis job,” Lowrey said. “I never have to tellhim twice because he’s going to do it.” n

good physically, but mentally and charac-ter-wise he grew and became, not just agood football player, but a good youngman.”

Duncan admitted there were somediscipline problems when he arrived atAberdeen and that Love had a hardtime adjusting coming out of the ninthgrade. He watched as Love overcamethat adversity and grew into a teamleader.

“He came out on the other side, tookthe high road, and now you see theresults,” Duncan said. “He’s going toMississippi State.”

Love committed to MSU as a defensiveback, but proved he was just as valuable toAberdeen High on offense. He had 208carries for 1,923 yards and 22 touchdownsas a senior running back.

Duncan said Love will be able to helpMSU on either side of the football.

“When he touched the ball for us, weknew something good could happen any-time,” Duncan said. “We liked to get theball to him any way we could. He was for-tunate to be on a team with a lot of goodplayers so (opponents) couldn’t just keyon him.” n

Poe continued

Love continued

Coach of the Year: Chris Duncan, AberdeenOffensive Player of the Year: Jamerson Love, AberdeenDefensive Player of the Year: Josh Poe, West Oktibbeha

OFFENSEFirst TeamQuarterbackAaron Andrews, AberdeenRunning BackJamerson Love, AberdeenDaylan Hairson, Victory ChristianWide ReceiverErik Buchanan, AberdeenRashad Pargo, AberdeenUtilityMarlon Fair, East OktibbehaVictor Hodges, AberdeenTight EndL.J. Jefferson, East OktibbehaOffensive LinemanJohn Austin Buckner, East WebsterDavid Matusiak, Oak Hill AcademyMark Vaughan, Hebron ChristianLee Roberts, East OktibbehaMatt Arnett, Winston AcademyKickerReid Posey, Oak Hill Academy

Second TeamQuarterbackParker Eaves, Victory ChristianRunning BackDoss Miller, Oak Hill AcademyDemetrius O'Briant, East WebsterWide ReceiverDwight Quinn, West OktibbehaKevin McCartney, HamiltonUtilityMarques Robinson, Hebron ChristianTerrance Rice, East OktibbehaTight EndWill Lummus, Oak Hill AcademyOffensive LinemanEddie Tucker, West LowndesJalen Peterson, East OktibbehaJeremy Davidson, Immanuel ChristianReid Posey, Oak Hill AcademyJeremy Brown, West OktibbehaKickerTamarkis Bell, East Webster

Honorable MentionQuarterbackVon Smith, West OktibbehaDavis Clay, Oak Hill AcademyRunning BackMichael Tate, Immanuel ChristianLexie Edwards, East OktibbehaRunning BackLatedrick Troupe, HamiltonTrent Jefferson, East OktibbehaWide ReceiverSam Rice, Oak Hill AcademyAaron Brownlee, West OktibbehaUtility

Brandon Hill, West LowndesJ.D. Edwards, Hebron ChristianTight EndJustin James, Immanuel Christian

DEFENSEFirst TeamCornerbackJamerson Love, AberdeenMiquel Graham, East WebsterSafetyJ.D. Edwards, Hebron ChristianArthur Gillespie, East OktibbehaUtilityJake Orman, Oak Hill AcademyDrake Powell, West OktibbehaLinebackerJosh Poe, West OktibbehaBrandon Hill, West LowndesDavid Pryor, Oak Hill AcademyDefensive LinemanFreddie Williams, East OktibbehaChanning Ward, AberdeenFred Ward, AberdeenWill Lummus, Oak Hill AcademyPunterDustin White, Immanuel Christian

Second TeamCornerbackJames Finley, East OktibbehaDwight Quinn, West OktibbehaSafetyTerrance Rice, East OktibbehaJake Flanigan, Oak Hill AcademyUtilityBracey Johnson, East OktibbehaMichael Tate, Immanuel ChristianLinebackerSedric Quinn, AberdeenDaylan Hairston, Victory ChristianXavier Moye, East WebsterDefensive LinemanLilton Vance, East WebsterMonte Horsley, East OktibbehaAnthony White, West OktibbehaTiberias Lampkin, West OktibbehaPunterChris Hunter, East Oktibbeha

Honorable MentionLinebackerLedrick Patterson, East WebsterCole Johnson, HamiltonCameron Ellis, Oak Hill AcademyQuadaris Thompson, West OktibbehaJeremy Brown, West OktibbehaDarico Dancer, East OktibbehaDefensive LinemanJ.R. Wilbourne, Oak Hill AcademyBarry White, Oak Hill AcademyJames Wriley, Immanuel Christian

ALL-AREA TEAMSMALL SCHOOLS

THE DISPATCH


FOOT

BALL ALL AREA

WEST ALABAMA

Both teams made runs for a state titleand came up a game shy of playing eachother in the Alabama High SchoolAthletic Association Class 2A state cham-pionship game.

Lamar County tied a school record formost wins in a season in Ken Adams’third season as coach. Pickens Countymade the state semifinals in ScottMarchant’s first year as a head coach.

Lamar County (13-1) was undefeateduntil losing to Clay County, while Pickens

County (12-2) only lost toGordo and Reeltown.

For their accomplish-ments this season, Adamsand Marchant are TheCommercial Dispatch WestAlabama co-Coaches of theYear.

Adams said theBulldogs couldn’t have enjoyed the sea-son they had without assistant coachesTim Bobbitt, Steve Brock, David Easley,Justin Lann, Heath Pennington, John

A YEAR TO REMEMBERLamar, Pickens

recognized for season

of achievement

story by HENRY MATUSZAKphoto by SARAH WILSON

IT WAS A YEAR TO REMEMBER FOR THE LAMAR COUNTY ANDPICKENS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS.

Adams

Deion Curry, left, Scott Marchant, andMichael Bradford head The CommercialDispatch West Alabama team.



David Rogers, and Don Thornton.“No. 1, it’s a great honor,” Adams said of

earning coach of the year honors. “Butcoach of the year should be coachesbecause of the effort all the coaches put into get these kids to play each week. It’s agreat honor to win it from the standpointthat it means your program has come fullcircle. We’ve all been together for threeyears. The coaches know what to expectand the players know what to expect. It’scontinuity in a program.”

Marchant feels as strongly aboutPickens County assistant coaches BarryAmbrose, Eddie Lee Doss, Jerome Giles,Malcolm Giles, Tavoris Lacey, ChrisMcCrary, Lee Smith, John Stepp, and theothers who aided the Tornadoes in theirbid for a state championship.

“We had a great year and I feel reallyblessed,” Marchant said. “We had a bunchof good kids and good football players tocoach. I was blessed with a lot of goodcoaches who helped me. I had a lot of goodpeople here at the school who helped me.We have a good administration.”

Under Adams’ guidance, Lamar Countybeat South Lamar 61-20, Cold Springs 47-12, Cleveland 48-30, Sulligent 21-20, R.C.Hatch 46-12, Falkville 43-0, Addison 21-14,Oakman 58-13, Winston County 21-0, andIsabella 48-0 during the regular season,and Red Bay 42-0, Tanner 28-27 in over-time, and Ider 35-13 in the playoffs.

The Bulldogs were strong on both sidesof the ball, averaging 37.8 points and allow-ing 14.2 points per game.

Adams would prefer to pass the crediton to the assistant coaches, but LamarCounty quarterback Michael Bradford saidAdams deserves a lot of the credit.

“He did a great job,” Bradford said.“He’s been with us for three years andeach year he comes in he works harderand coaches harder and gets everybodyready to play.

“He kept us focused. He made sure weplayed with the same intensity everyFriday night when we stepped on the field,and he always made sure we practicedhard every day.”

Lamar County tied the school record forwins in a season established in 1984 andequaled in 1992.

Through Adams’ effort, Lamar Countyenjoyed its most successful season sinceKenneth McKinney was the head coach.McKinney coached the Bulldogs to a statechampionship in 1984 and runner-up finishin 1992.

“A lot of people can think back to the’80s and coach McKinney,” Adams said. “Ifthey look at it, we’re running the samestuff he ran. We didn’t re-invent anything.”

Adams played football at ItawambaAHS in Fulton and was aware ofMcKinney’s success at Lamar County.

There was part of Adams that wanted toreturn Lamar County to its glory daysunder McKinney when he took over theprogram in 2007.

“I got to meet him since and he’s alwaysbeen supportive of us” Adams said ofMcKinney. “I know he helps (his son)David (McKinney) at Gordo, but everytime I’ve seen coach McKinney he’s beennothing but helpful and the things he’s saidto me and about the community have beennothing but positive.”

Pickens County was in contention for anundefeated season until it lost to Gordo inits regular-season finale.

The Tornadoes began the season bybeating Greensboro 48-24, ShadesMountain Christian 67-7, Thorsby 33-14,Hale County 34-6, Aliceville 13-0, Isabella52-6, American Christian 26-0, Vincent 34-6,and Fultondale 14-9.

In the playoffs rolled, the Tornadoesbeat Keith 57-24, Goshen 48-14, and three-time defending state champion Leroy 19-12before losing to Reeltown.

“He got a lot out of us,” Pickens Countyjunior quarterback and safety Deion Currysaid. “We didn’t make it to our goal (of win-ning a state championship), but we accom-plished a lot this year.”

Pickens County was strong on bothsides of the ball, averaging 37.2 points andallowing 12.1 points per game.

Marchant didn’t know what to expecthis first season as a head coach, but he wasconfident the Tornadoes had the talent tohave a successful season.

“I’m a little disappointed we didn’t makethe championship game,” Marchant said.“I’m disappointed for our kids and our com-munity, but overall I just feel very blessed.I know there are a lot of coaches that havebeen coaching for a long time and haven’tgotten to the semifinal round of the play-offs, so I just feel real blessed to be part ofa great football team and a bunch of greatkids and a good community that supportsfootball the way folks in Reform do.”

Marchant was the defensive coordinatorfor seven years at Pickens County beforetaking over for Patrick Plott this season.

Under Marchant’s direction, PickensCounty advanced to the fourth round ofthe state playoffs for the first time since2001 when John Montgomery was thehead coach.

“No doubt he’s a great coach,” Currysaid. “He’s good enough to coach a statechampionship team, and we’re going to tryto make that happen next year.” n

Marchant wanted to use Curry atlinebacker and safety so he couldexploit Curry’s quickness and nose forthe football.

Curry responded and contributedto a stingy defense that helped PickensCounty (12-2) make it to the semifinalsof the Alabama High School AthleticAssociation Class 2A playoffs.

“He played a position that demandsa lot coverage wise and also demandsa lot run support wise,” Marchantsaid. “Basically he was a safety andlinebacker at the same time. It’s ademanding position. Not everybodycan do it and he did a fine job with itthis year.”

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Curry con-tributed to a defense that allowed only170 points in 14 games. He led theTornadoes with 136 tackles and heintercepted three passes. He returnedone interception for a touchdown.

For his role in helping PickensCounty make it to the state semifinals,Curry is The Commercial DispatchWest Alabama Defensive Player of theYear.

“He just made big plays,” Marchantsaid. “He had a knack for being in theright place at the right time.

“He was always around the football.He’s not the biggest guy in the worldand he’s not the fastest guy in theworld, but he’s got a real good nose forthe football.”

Curry wanted to do his part inkeeping the opposition out of the endzone.

The Tornadoes shut out Aliceville13-0 and American Christian Academy26-0, and allowed a touchdown or lessin four other games. n

GOING INTO THIS PASTHIGH SCHOOL FOOT-BALL SEASON, Pickens

County coach Scott Marchantasked junior Deion Curry to playa demanding position on defense.


Curry thriveson defense for Pickens


Michael Bradford’s goal was to be aleader on the offensive side of the ballfor the Lamar County High Schoolfootball team.

The senior quarterback emerged asthat leader and led Lamar County to aseason to remember.

With Bradford leading the way,Lamar County equalled a schoolrecord for the most wins in a seasonwith 13 and made it to the semifinalsof the Alabama High School AthleticAssociation Class 2A playoffs.

“We had a great year,” Bradfordsaid. “Everybody played hard andpracticed hard week in and week out.We all just wanted to go out and playour best every week.”

For leading Lamar County to withina game of playing for a state champi-onship, Bradford is The CommercialDispatch West Alabama OffensivePlayer of the Year.

The 5-foot-9, 160-pound Bradforddirected a high-powered offense thatscored 529 points in 14 games for anaverage of 37.8 points per game.

He completed 47 of 91 passes for626 yards and 11 touchdowns on arun-oriented team and was theBulldogs’ leading rusher with 1,014yards and 19 touchdowns.

He was intercepted just three timesand two of the picks were in onegame.

Bradford was a dangerous threatrunning and throwing the ball, but hisability to run the offense is what madethe Bulldogs click.

“The thing Michael understood washe allowed the offense to run throughhim,” Lamar County coach Ken Adamssaid. “He wasn’t the offense. He wasable to see things and wasn’t justsomeone who got back there and triedto do it all himself. He allowed theoffense to run through him.

“He was able to carry out fakes, put

Bradford was leaderfor Bulldogs

Co-coaches of the Year: Ken Adams, Lamar County; Scott Marchant, Pickens CountyOffensive Player of Year: Michael Bradford, Lamar CountyDefensive Player of Year:Deion Curry, Pickens County

OFFENSEQuarterbackFirst Team –– Jacob Acker, Pickens AcademySecond Team –– Deion Curry, Pickens CountyRunning BackFirst Team –– Steven Stewart. SulligentSecond Team –– Kenneth Hill, Lamar CountyHonorable Mention –– James Adams, PickensCountyRunning BackFirst Team –– Ken Mitchell, South LamarSecond Team –– Marquis Mayhew, AlicevilleWide ReceiverFirst Team –– Dominique Jones, PickensCountySecond Team –– Demetrius Wilder, AlicevilleHonorable Mention –– Josh Elliott, SouthLamarWide ReceiverFirst Team –– Logan Helms, SulligentSecond Team –– Tyler Vails, Pickens AcademyHonorable Mention –– Demetrius Wilder,AlicevilleTight EndFirst Team –– Michael Potts, Pickens AcademySecond Team –– Dakota Carruth, SulligentUtilityFirst Team –– Keith Hall, Pickens CountySecond Team –– DeShawn Davis, South LamarUtilityFirst Team –– Kirk Lewis, Pickens AcademySecond Team –– Taavius Parker, AlicevilleOffensive LinemanFirst Team –– Reed Eaves, Lamar CountySecond Team –– Brad Lowery, PickensAcademyHonorable Mention –– Demarcus Hall,AlicevilleOffensive LinemanFirst Team –– Grey Hankins, Pickens AcademySecond Team –– Durand Prince, AlicevilleHonorable Mention –– Andrew House, PickensAcademyOffensive LinemanFirst Team –– Tony Johnson, SulligentSecond Team –– Ishmael Riggins, SulligentHonorable Mention –– Dustan Reeves,SulligentOffensive LinemanFirst Team –– Cory Jones, South LamarSecond Team –– Jesse Turner, Pickens CountyHonorable Mention –– Tyler Sprouse, LamarCountyOffensive LinemanFirst Team –– Greg Jones, Pickens CountySecond Team –– Tremaine Willingham, SouthLamarHonorable Mention –– Brett Trull, PickensAcademy

KickerFirst Team –– Brandon Merchant, LamarCounty

DEFENSEDefensive LinemanFirst Team –– Mark Sterling, Pickens CountySecond Team –– Erik Wilder, AlicevilleHonorable Mention –– Cole Bradford, LamarCountyDefensive LinemanFirst Team –– Carson Chiquitto, Lamar CountySecond Team –– Judson Smith, PickensAcademyHonorable Mention –– Matt Hankins, SulligentDefensive LinemanFirst Team –– Derrick Billups, AlicevilleSecond Team –– Tony Easterwood, PickensCountyDefensive LinemanFirst Team –– Brandon Merchant, LamarCountySecond Team –– Ahmad Walker, SulligentLinebackerFirst Team –– Lance Bobbitt, Lamar CountySecond Team –– Wesley Parson, SulligentHonorable Mention –– Justin Sanford, SouthLamarLinebackerFirst Team –– Matt Cruse, SulligentSecond Team –– Lemetrius Williams, LamarCountyLinebackerFirst Team –– Jimmy Lann, Lamar CountySecond Team –– Chase Davidson, PickensAcademyLinebackerFirst Team –– Lawrence Scott, AlicevilleSecond Team –– Justin Perkins, Lamar CountyDefensive BackFirst Team –– Eric Hudson, Lamar CountySecond Team –– Cody Smith, SulligentHonorable Mention –– Jamal Giles, PickensCountyDefensive BackFirst Team –– Robert White, SulligentSecond Team –– Jarvis Jones, AlicevilleHonorable Mention –– Marquis Colvin,AlicevilleDefensive Back First Team –– Will Franks, Lamar CountySecond Team –– Casey Jones, PickensAcademyHonorable Mention –– John Morgan Owens,Pickens AcademyUtilityFirst Team –– Quinton Sturdivant, PickensCountySecond Team –– Malcolm Willingham, SouthLamarUtilityFirst Team –– Terry Mayhew, AlicevilleSecond Team –– Maurice Gary, PickensCountyPunterFirst Team –– Marquis Plant, Pickens CountySecond Team –– Brad McCool, South Lamar

ALL-AREA TEAMWEST ALABAMA

THE DISPATCH



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kids into motion, get our offense linedup and get the ball snapped. He did agreat job of that.”

Bradford threw three touchdownpasses against Red Bay in the playoffsand two touchdown passes againstSouth Lamar in the season opener andAddison in the seventh game.

The most yards he passed for in agame was 104 against South Lamar.

He was more effective running theball, rushing for 110 yards and threetouchdowns against Cleveland, 109yards and a touchdown againstAddison, 147 yards and two touch-downs against Winston County, 127yards and two touchdowns against

Isabella and a 159 yards and threetouchdowns against Tanner.

He led an offense that scored 61points against South Lamar, 47 againstCold Springs, 48 against Cleveland, 46against R.C. Hatch, 43 againstFalkville, 58 against Oakman, 48against Isabella and 42 against RedBay.

“I wanted to give the guys every-thing that I had,” Bradford said. “Iwanted to play hard and get them toplay hard, and keep everybody up bybeing a leader.”

Bradford proved to be a dependablestarter after replacing Brad Barnes,who was a four-year starter for the

Bulldogs. He was the starting quarter-back for two years and guided theteam to 23 wins and three losses dur-ing that time.

He was Barnes’ backup as a sopho-more on a 2-8 team and then took overto lead a resurgence at Lamar County.

“Mike is one of those guys that isthere every day,” Adams said. “Helearned a lot my first year (at LamarCounty in 2007) because he was watch-ing Brad Barnes by being behind him.”

Bradford took what he learned fromBarnes and helped Lamar Countybecome a state championship con-tender.n

“The thing Michael understood was he allowed the offense to run through him. He wasn’t the offense. He was able to see things and wasn’t just someone who got back

there and tried to do it all himself. ”Lamar County coach Ken Adams


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What put Perkins over the top in TheDispatch’s voting process was his perform-ance in the Class 6A state semifinals andfinal, where he averaged 23 points and 14rebounds.

He set the tone with a Herculean effortof 25 points, 14 rebounds, 13 blocked shots,and five steals against Biloxi. The futureSouthern Miss Eagle didn’t suffer any lagagainst Rodney Hood and Meridian.

Perkins rebuffed questions of carryingthe torch after snapping Starkville’s 49-yeartitle drought, insisting the chemistry, depth,and leadership between him and Townsel,

the team’s explosive point guard, provideda canvas to paint a memorable state titleperformance piece.

Still, as a 23-point, 15-rebound per gameplayer this season, Perkins powered theYellow Jackets and earned him TheDispatch’s Large Schools Boys Player of theYear honors.

Perkins’ athletic ability has never beenquestioned, as the 6-foot-5 leaper eliminatedtaller players’ advantages by living abovethe rim. Rebounds, putbacks, and alley-oops belonged to Perkins and often leftopposing teams with the only hope of

Perkins getting into foul trouble or havingan off game.

Perkins scored 20 points or more in 27of 33 games this season, capping a careerthat started with dunks and a freshman sea-son of ineligibility with a state champi-onship, recognition as the state’s Mr.Basketball, and numerous All-Area and All-State honors.

The ride has been spectacular, Perkinssaid, but as easy as it has looked to fansPerkins had to discipline himself on thecourt.

“I’ve got ability and potential and I’m a

IF THERE WAS A MORE DOMINANT, EXCITING, AND PIVOTAL PLAYER than StarkvilleHigh’s Rashad Perkins in The Commercial Dispatch coverage area, it might be his alley-ooplauncher Edward Townsel.

story by DAVID MILLER

PERKINS CARRIED TORCH FOR SHS

Starkville High School basketball team celebrates after winning the Class 6A state title.


good athlete,” Perkins said. “A lot cameeasy, but a lot came hard. I could always dostuff, but I wasn’t always a complete player.I still think I’ve got a lot to improve tobecome that player in college.

“The key for me was realizing my teamneeded me to work hard like it wasn’t com-ing easy. I knew they expect me to play at acertain level, and I am going to work hardand keep that level of expectation.”

Coming off a junior campaign where heput his name in the hat to be the state’s topplayer by the end of his high school career,Perkins was fueled by the disappointmentof losing to Greenville-Weston in the NorthHalf State qualifier.

This season, Greenville-Weston caughtthe wrath of a loaded Starkville High squadin the North Half State title game. As ifthere wasn’t enough motivation to steam-roll through the Beehive-hosted North Halfgauntlet, Vicksburg’s Mychal Ammons — afriend of Perkins — and his teammatessent trash-talking texts to Perkins the nightbefore their North Half State semifinal tie.

“They were talking a lot of noise,” Perkinssaid. “From there, it was on and we treated itlike a rivalry. We had our motivation.”

In that game, however, Starkville leanedon someone other than Perkins, who sat themajority of the first half with foul trouble.But sophomores Mike Brand, Calvin Young,and Tory Rice and juniors Jaquez Johnsonand Shaquille Hill picked up the slack.

Perkins knew he would play withoutpressure through the rest of the playoffs.

“It was a worry when we lost Jacolby(Mobley) because he was scoring and han-dling the ball for us,” Perkins said. “He waskey in our season early on, but when otherguys started to step up you just kneweverything was going to be right.

“We won everything we said we would.When does it ever happen like that? I can’task for much more as a senior.”

Despite the disappointment of playoffheartbreak as a sophomore and falling wellshort as a junior, Perkins said a positivememory from his junior season stuck moreand provided more actuation than theknock-out game loss.

Leaving a champion and with handfulsof individual awards sets the table forPerkins’ career at Southern Miss, where heeasily is Larry Eustachy’s highest-profilesigning entering the 2010-11 season.

“I can’t wait to get there in June,”Perkins said. “I look forward to givingSouthern fans the same kind of excitementour Starkville fans got. And you know I’lltry to make it back and see Starkvillerepeat.”n

The euphoria from winning theMississippi High School ActivitiesAssociation Class 6A state title gavethe Starkville High School boys bas-ketball coach a myriad emotions.The victory lifted a burden fromCarter’s shoulders and certified histenure at the school with a tradition-setting run that finally provided thehardware to prove it.

But if returning to the court afterfailing to accomplish all you set outfor is difficult, getting over the jubi-lation of being the best team in thestate has proven just as laborious.

It’s like breaking up the bandafter selling $10 million records andwinning a Grammy, or being a mili-tary kid and having to move afteryou’ve found a great group offriends.

“You’re putting this last yearbehind you,” Carter said one monthafter Starkville High beat Biloxi forthe crown. “It’s different when youend with a title, but it’s just as difficultbecause you’re starting over. It makesit hard when you see guys likeRashad Perkins and Edward Townsel,knowing you’ve got to replace themand what you did is over.”

Offseason turnover has producedsolid starters in Carter’s eight yearsat Starkville High, so he isn’t wor-ried about finding players to step infor Perkins, the state’s most excitingplayer, and Townsel, the quickestguard.

There’s a standard at StarkvilleHigh and an understanding that win-ning basketball is the norm.

Now, state title expectations willhave more weight and the YellowJackets’ first title defense in 49 sea-sons will begin with a new collectionof players. Some will return withexperience from playing in a title

game. Others will spring from thesuccessful ninth-grade program.

None of them will hear a wordabout a state title.

“For me to talk about a statechampionship with next year’s team,they have to win one,” said Carter,The Commercial Dispatch’s LargeSchools Boys Basketball Coach ofthe Year.

Wiping the slate and startinganew is another way to push outwhat has happened and to preparefor what will be everyone’s bestshot.

But Starkville High’s consistencyhas helped solidify it as one of thestate’s top programs, so it should beused to getting an opponent’s bestshot in 2010-11.

This season, the depth StarkvilleHigh anticipated having dwindled asupperclassmen Antonio Hamiltonand James Sharp either weren’tthere for the start of the season orwere gone by the middle of the sea-son. Sophomore starting guardJacolby Mobley took his 10 points agame to the bench once the newyear started.

But juniors Jaquez Johnson andShaquille Hill and sophomores MikeBrand, Calvin Young, and Tory Riceused the extra minutes to becomechampions in their first varsity season.

The fact that the team didn’t missa beat as its makeup changed madethe title run unique, Carter said.

“It’d start out one way and we’dget good, then have to shift gears toanother direction,” Carter said. “Thechemistry, I was always worriedabout it. But in the first week ofFebruary, things started to fall inline and we started to play well. Itcarried us all through the state tour-nament and the Grand Slam.” n

GREG CARTER THOUGHT BEING THE ONLYTEAM IN THE STATE to end the season with a win would feel different after years of playoff

disappointment.


Taking state helpsCarter earn honor

As a former Lady Trojan, she neverexperienced the joy of lifting a districtchampionship trophy. Many playerscame before her and finished their NewHope High basketball careers in thesame fashion.

The goal, in all likelihood, was thesame New Hope coaches before Holman

had set.Holman’s approach to her new group

of players was simple: Push yourself tothe limit in October and you’ll in enjoy itin February.

The New Hope players bought in, asHolman entered her second year ofcoaching with solid credentials.

As a starting guard and All-Conference player at Troy University ofcoach Michael Murphy, Holman’sknowledge of the game gave heradvanced insight and helped her takeher first team, Cottondale High (Fla.), tothe Class 2A playoffs.

Not surprisingly, she gave herCottondale team the same preseason talkand set the bar at reaching the playoffs.

“I’m a dreamer and don’t believe insetting the bar lower than a champi-onship,” said Holman, The CommercialDispatch’s Large Schools Girls


Holman is honored for district title run

LAURA LEE HOLMAN ENTERED HER FIRST YEAR INCHARGE of the New Hope High School girls basketballteam by setting the bar at a milestone that hadn’t been

reached in 18 years.


The West Lowndes High School seniordidn’t like the prospect of having to settlefor his team’s first loss of the season, espe-cially in a game he thought it should havewon.

Instead of accepting defeat, Malonewent to Herman Peters and told his coachhe was going to do something about it.

“I told him I was ready to and I wasgoing to pick my teammates up,” Malonesaid.

The 6-foot-1 1/2, 170-pound swingmanlived up to his words — and then some —this season. Malone averaged a little morethan 22 points per game, 14 rebounds, fiveassists, forced seven turnovers, and hadfive steals a game playing all five positionsfor the Panthers.

For his accomplishments, Malone isThe Commercial Dispatch’s Small SchoolsBoys Basketball Player of the Year.

“He took the role as a senior leader,”Peters said. “He is coachable and manage-able. Whatever you asked of him he triedto do it with 100 percent.”

Peters said Malone took control of theteam several times, either by saying some-thing in a timeout or by being the go-to

player on the court. One of those timescame Feb. 5 against Columbus. Alreadywith a 58-51 victory against the Falcons,Malone (25 points) took over down thestretch. Trailing 48-38 with less than sevenminutes to play in the fourth quarter, hepoured in seven consecutive points, includ-ing a 3-pointer, to cut the deficit to 50-47with 4 minutes, 18 seconds remaining.West Lowndes went on to win 61-57 inovertime.

“I feel I had more of a killer instinct,”Malone said. “That game againstColumbus I was determined not to lose. Ididn’t want to lose, and we weren’t goingto lose.”

Malone thought his willingness to takeon a bigger role would allow Peters tohave more confidence in the team. He alsofelt it would improve his and his team-mates’ confidence.

“I took it on more as a responsibilitybecause I thought I owed it to my guysbecause I have been here,” Malone said. “Ihave experienced things and that if theygot down I understand and I knew I owedit to them to help get them up.”

Peters wasn’t surprised by his senior’s

SMALL SCHOOLS

Basketball Coach of the Year. “Theschool I was at before this, the firstinterview I had with the newspaper Itold them we were going to state. Thatwas the headline for the story, and wewent.

“I came into New Hope with thesame mentality.”

Holman told her players, “You’regoing to hate me in October, but you’lllove me in February.”

She wasn’t sure if her players under-stood the amount of work she would putthem through, with three-hour practicesand rounds of cardiovascular training.

Holman also wasn’t sure how theLady Trojans would fare after they lostthe first two games of the season anddropped both of their district games toWest Point, or if they would hit theirstride and play consistently to make arun at the Class 5A, Division 2, District1 title.

New Hope beat Oxford 48-46 in itsdistrict tournament opener, but the truetest of how far the team had come cameagainst West Point in the district final.

Trailing by eight points at halftime,Kelli Petty and Kia Edmonds combinedto score 26 points to propel the LadyTrojans to a 42-40 win.

“Those first five minutes in the lock-er room, just to see that joy on theirfaces was incredible,” Holman said.“When we got in the locker room, thefirst thing they said was, ‘Coach, yousaid we’d be having fun in February.’That was a special feeling to know theyaccomplished something that hadn’tbeen done in 18 years.”

The Lady Trojans moved on to theNorth Half State playoffs, where theylost to Canton 57-52 to finish 16-10. n

ALL AREA


I T’S ALL IN THE ATTITUDE FOR DEMETRIUSMALONE.

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At 5-foot-5, Ewings is used tobeing one of the shortest play-ers on the court. But whileheight typically is coveted atevery position, Ewings’ blend ofspeed, vision, shooting, and grithas given West Point coachJemmye Ann Helms a dynamicweapon the past three years.

Ewings averaged 22 points,five assists, four rebounds, andfive steals a game this season,leading the Lady Wave to a 17-7record and a spot in the firstround of the Class 5A NorthHalf State playoffs, where theylost to Yazoo City.

For her accomplishments,Ewings is The CommercialDispatch’s Large Schools GirlsPlayer of the Year.

Ewings’ brilliance in the opencourt was a nightmare todefend, especially with theinside-out combination sheformed with forward KourtneyCrowley, a member of TheDispatch’s All-Area second team.

To Ewings, running the fastbreak and handling Helms’offense was just like being athome.

“I would play football andevery other sport (the family’sboys) would play,” Ewings said.“I didn’t want the boys to beatme, so I had to run faster tocatch them. I increased myspeed all my years.”

Playing with the boys helpedEwings develop toughnessbecause she always was thesmallest player in every compe-tition. She didn’t know thatwould be the case once shestarted playing high school bas-ketball, but by then she hadrealized she had an advantage inskill and quickness that negatedany limitations her height mightimpose on her game.

“That’s why I’m not afraid ofanybody,” Ewings said. “Peopletell me, ‘You got to go up againstthis person’, or ‘She’s five or sixthis.’ I take it like she’ll be athreat to me, but I’m not afraidjust because I’m small. I’ve hadthat experience before frombeing in the yard and playingwith the boys.”

Ewings dropped 30 pointsagainst Starkville High in theseason opener, 31 and 24 ingames against Noxubee County,and 24 in a loss to New Hope inthe district championship game.

Helms believes Ewingsshould have averaged close to30 points this season. She isadamant the killer instinctEwings shows for most of thegame will make her an evenmore explosive and prolificplayer.

“She’s always had the abilityto take over the game, and sheneeds to be more aggressive,”Helms said. “I felt like she couldhave had a lot more and-onesthan she did. Sometimes she’shesitant to take over trying tomake the extra pass, or justbeing conscious of how manyshots she’s taken or how muchshe’s had the ball.”

Ewings appreciates Helms’honesty and said it always hasbeen there in a relationshipforged when Ewings started onthe varsity team as a freshman.Initially, Ewings was tentativewhen she walked in the gymand heard from the other play-ers, “You’re a freshman, you’renot supposed to be here.”

But Helms, then in her firstyear at West Point High, sawEwings’ potential and realizedshe needed to get her freshmanmore experience. She assuredEwings she wanted to practice

with the varsity, and after start-ing as the two guard, Ewingswas starting point guard by thenext game.

“On the court, she pushesme,” Ewings said. “She sees thelittlest things, like if I don’t getback on defense or if I let some-body guard me. She’ll get in myface because she knows I cantake it. I can always talk to herand she’s going to always keepit real with me.”

Helms said she pushesEwings because she’s convincedshe can play at the Division Ilevel, despite the misconcep-tions about small guards.Ewings said she often hearsHelms compare her to collegeand WNBA players. She saidshe does it positively and tomotivate her when she isn’tplaying up to her usual level.

Ewings will attend juniorcamps at Mississippi State,Southern Miss, and Vanderbilt,

and she has had interest fromUSM and a film request fromVanderbilt.

“She has a good shot (atmaking it to the Division Ilevel),” Helms said. “I have seena lot of point guards and twoguards in Division I that aresmall. I used to worry about herheight being a negative just withher signing (a scholarship), butyou look at (former MississippiState guard) Alexis Rack (5-foot-7) and she’s not that tall. Kelseiwill gain weight naturally whenshe goes to college, and in theweight room here I think wecan put some more pounds onher. It will help her a lot. Shehas range now and she’s notvery big. Watching the (NCAA)tournament, I think she can playwith anybody.” ■


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SOMETIMES, TOUGHNESS ISINGRAINED IN A PLAYER. Growing upin a large family of boys and as a self-

proclaimed “country girl,” West Point HighSchool point guard Kelsei Ewings has turnedwhat usually is a disadvantage into a weapon.

Ewings was dynamic weapon



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The Aberdeen High School seniorguard/forward always has preferred tolet her playing do the talking.

This season, Hoskins continued tobecome more of a vocal presence and aleader on the court. Those qualitieshelped her lead the team in scoring(21.7 points per game) and to a 24-3record.

“When you’re a vocal player you’re agreat player,” Hoskins said. “I thinkthat is one of the things I was lackingover the other years.”

For her accomplishments this sea-son, Hoskins is The CommercialDispatch Small Schools Girls BasketballPlayer of the Year.

Aberdeen reached Jackson last yearand saw its season end to eventualClass 3A state champion Raymond. Butmost people at the game, including theRaymond coach and players, feltAberdeen had made significant stridesfrom the 2007-08 season, whenRaymond easily eliminated Aberdeen.

That’s why the 2009-10 campaignwas filled with anticipation that maybethis season, especially with Raymondmoving up to Class 4A after the state’sreclassification, would be the one whenAberdeen could win a Class 3A title.

But Ripley’s 55-51 victory againstAberdeen in the second round of theNorth Half State playoffs shatteredthose dreams. Despite the disappoint-ment, Hoskins took pride in everythingshe helped the volleyball, girls basket-ball, and track and field teams achieve.

“My senior year has been great,”said Hoskins, who was named TheCommercial Dispatch’s All-Area

Volleyball Player of the Year. “It startedout good with volleyball and making itfarther than we did the other seasons.With basketball, we were ready for thestate part. It didn’t end too well.”

Aberdeen’s volleyball team beat St.Andrew’s in the opening round of theClass I North Half State tournamentbefore nearly beating Center Hill in thesecond round.

In girls basketball, Hoskins felt shetook several steps as a player and as aleader. She said she played through ashoulder injury she suffered two gamesprior to the game against Ripley. Shealso feels she learned more of what shewill have to do as a lead-by-example andas a vocal contributor.

“I can do many things if I put mymind to it,” Hoskins said.

Aberdeen High girls basketballcoach Latorrence Bivens said this pastseason was the best of Hoskins’ five-year varsity career. He said her deci-sion-making allowed her to make thetransition from her role as a primary

ballhandler to a wing player.Bivens also said the position change

helped Hoskins become tougher.“Jameika is a wonderful player,”

Bivens said. “She listens and wants toget better. All she wanted to know waswhat she needed to do, and she did itwithout hesitation.”

Bivens said Hoskins improved thisseason the most on defense. He said hedidn’t have to get on to Hoskins to playdefense in part because he said sherecognized she was someone who setthe tone for the team.

In fact, Bivens said he saw Hoskinsspeak up during timeouts and encour-age teammates. He said that leadershiphelped the Lady Bulldogs overcometough stretches.

“One of her biggest problems wasshe always knew what was wrong butshe never opened her mouth and saidit,” Bivens said. “As the year went onshe was able to say things. The key isnot what you say but how you say it.When she said things the team listenedand they just followed her.”

Hoskins originally decided to playbasketball at Alcorn State in Lorman,but she reconsidered that choice andlast month signed a letter of intent toplay at Itawamba Community College.

Bivens feels that step will helpHoskins become the player he knowsshe can be. He said Hoskins will beable to shine and that her competitive-ness and enthusiasm for the game willcome out easier having family andfriends close by to support her.

Hoskins said her senior girls basket-ball season was a first step towardbecoming even more of a vocal pres-ence on the court. She said her abilityto lead her teammates gave her confi-dence she can do it even better at thenext level.

“I am shy person. I don’t like totalk,” Hoskins said. “Coach alwayspulled me over and told me I need tobecome more vocal and be more of aleader on the team. I took it andbecame more of a vocal leader.”n

Hoskins lets her actions speak


JAMEIKA HOSKINSADMITS SHE DOESN’T TALK

MUCH. While other playersslap teammates on the backand create a lot of noise onthe court, Hoskins takes astealthier approach.

Jameika Hoskins goes for a layup whiletwo Tupelo High defenders watch.

ALL AREAWEST ALABAMA

BASKETBALL

Wallace experienced a tumultuousoffseason when he had to kick twostarters and three other players off theteam, and he didn’t know how his play-ers would respond.

“We had so many problems duringthe summer,” Wallace said. “We had alot of situations going on.

“My mind-set going into the start ofthe season was, ‘Hey, we’ve got to getthese guys ready because next yearwe’re going to have a legit shot at win-ning the state championship.’ I knew Ihad Deion (Curry) as a junior and Iknew I had these sophomores (LaJuanDoss and Nick Stewart).”

But much to Wallace’s surprise, theTornadoes put it together quicker thanhe anticipated and won the first state

championship in Pickens County histo-ry this season.

Pickens County capped a 27-2 sea-son by outlasting Houston County 88-86in triple overtime in the Alabama HighSchool Athletic Association Class 2Achampionship game on Feb. 25 at theBirmingham-Jefferson Civic Center inBirmingham, Ala.

Curry was instrumental in leadingthe Tornadoes to the title by pouring ina game-high 31 points in the champi-onship game.

For their roles in leading PickensCounty to the championship, Wallace isThe Commercial Dispatch WestAlabama Boys Basketball Coach of theYear, and Curry is the Player of theYear.

Curry, a 5-foot-11 guard, was at hisbest in the postseason. He scored 22points and grabbed 13 reboundsagainst Lanett in the Class 2A, CentralRegional championship game on Feb.18 and scored 17 points against SandRock in the state tournament semifinalson Feb. 23 before leading the way inthe title game.

He picked up the scoring load for

the Tornadoes in the postseason andfor the season averaged 13.8 points, 5.8rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 steals pergame.

Curry was instrumental in all threegames despite throwing up at halftimeof the Lanett game, colliding with anopposing player in the Sand Rockgame, and crashing into press row inthe Houston County game.

“I think his leadership, not only froma vocal standpoint, but from how heplayed, kind of carried the team andbonded the team,” Wallace said. “Theteam kind of all joined in with him.They had that never give up, never saydie attitude.”

Curry, who earned All-State honorsby the Alabama Sports WritersAssociation, was especially clutchagainst Houston County, when theTornadoes scored seven points in thefinal 8.8 seconds of the third overtimeto rally from an 86-81 deficit. He madea 3-pointer from the top of the keywith 8.8 seconds left to make it 86-84and then he grabbed a rebound, wasfouled, and made two free throws with5.9 seconds to go to tie the score 86-86.

Wallace led the Tornadoes to thetitle even though he believes he hadbetter teams in the past. PickensCounty won despite not having thedominating player inside like in thepast with 6-6 DeAndre Hersey (whoplays basketball at South Alabama) and6-6 Michael Williams (who plays foot-ball at Alabama).

He began to believe the Tornadoescould contend for a state title whenthey played Class 6A No. 1 TuscaloosaHillcrest in a Christmas tournamentand lost by five points.

“That game made me realize it,”Wallace said. “I even told the kids, ‘Youknow you showed me something rightthere.’ When they showed me that itmade me re-think about this basketballteam because I saw something in thisteam I’ve been trying to get out of mykids at Pickens County for 15 years.

“This bunch had the heart anddesire to where they didn’t want tolose. That tournament changed my per-ception of this basketball team.”n

Pickens County sweeps after winning state title


A T THE BEGINNINGOF THE BASKET-BALL SEASON,

Pickens County coach RussWallace believed his team wasa year away from contendingfor a state championship.


Malone continuedattitude. In fact, he was looking for it. Hewas rewarded early in the season whenafter a loss to Aliceville Malone came tohim and told him he was ready to take onthe role of senior leader.

“Not only did he say it, but he showedit,” Peters said. “He knew from the begin-ning of the season he had to be theleader. He took it from there and keptgoing.”

Peters said Malone did it all this sea-son. He was a playmaker and a rebound-er. Most importantly, he realized he need-ed to score in clutch situations to help thePanthers be their best.

“I think he took it as a challenge at firstand then as a responsibility,” Peters said.“Other players started to look to him afterthat point (early in the season).”

West Lowndes beat Columbus twice,West Point, Noxubee County, and won itsholiday tournament. Even though theteam didn’t get to return to Jackson,Malone said the Panthers, who movedfrom Class 1A to 2A, had a successful sea-son. He admitted, though, it was disap-

pointing not realizing that goal again.Malone hopes to realize a dream of

earning a baseball scholarship to play atMississippi Valley State University. Hesaid at first he was care free in baseballbut grew into it after he started playingthe sport when he was 11.

Peters knows Malone will excel ateither sport, and has encouraged him togive basketball a shot, too, if he feels hehas time and will be able to make thetransition.

“He can go to any junior college andstart now if wanted to,” Peters said. “Mostof the offers he had for basketball werefrom out-of-state schools. He has the abili-ty wherever he goes to play more thanone sport. He is a Beta Club student, sohe is able to go and do whatever.

“He has the ability to blossom. Whenhe gets to the next level he will be able tofocus on one position, shooting guard,which he is. There is no limit to where hecan go.”n


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Pickens Academy coach Wade Goodman and senior forwardCallie Minor were confident the Lady Patriots could accomplishthe feat after making it to the Elite Eight of the state playoffs theprevious two years.

“My expectations were very high,” Minor said. “All of us girlshad played together for a long time and I knew what we had as ateam. I knew what kind of skills we had, so I thought we’d bevery good.”

Led by Goodman and Minor, the Lady Pirates lived up to theexpectations and won the state championship that they had settheir sights on at the beginning of the season.

Pickens Academy (28-3) capped a memorable season when itdefeated Lakeside Christian 53-39 in the Alabama IndependentSchool Association Class AA championship game on Feb. 19 atHuntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala.

“I honestly think that anybody could have coached them to astate championship this year,” Goodman said. “It’s been nice towatch them mature over the past three years.”

The 5-foot-10 Minor had a game-high 18 points and sevenrebounds to lead the Lady Pirates to the championship game.

For their roles in leading Pickens Academy to the title,Goodman is The Commercial Dispatch West Alabama GirlsBasketball Coach of the Year and Minor is the Player of theYear.

Minor was one of three seniors that provided leadership forthe Lady Pirates. The other seniors were Catherine Johnson andTate Fuller.

Minor led the Lady Pirates in scoring and rebounding, aver-aging 17 points and 11 rebounds per game.

“She’s amazing with the things she can do on the court,”Goodman said. “She knows exactly what her role is, which isrebounding and getting those hard inside points that we need.”

Minor, who intends to attend Shelton State CommunityCollege in Tuscaloosa, Ala., also was a pitcher on the school’ssoftball team.

Goodman, 36, coached the Lady Pirates to the championshipin his third season at Pickens Academy. He was coaching littleleague baseball and had never coached girls sports when hewas approached about coaching the Lady Pirates.

“I just came in off the streets, basically,” Goodman said. “Inever dreamed I’d be coaching girls sports. Never. My wholereason for going down there (for an interview) was to get myfoot in the door for the baseball job.”

For not having experience coaching girls basketball prior tothree years ago, Goodman is to be commended for the job hedid with the Lady Pirates this season, Minor said.

Minor said Goodman demanded excellence and it led to astate championship. “He did a very good job,” Minor said. “Hewas tough on us acting right and doing the right things. Hetaught us a lot this year. He was a very good coach and did allthe right things.”■

Pickens Academy reapstop honors for title run

PRIOR TO THE OPENING TIP OF THEBASKETBALL SEASON, the PickensAcademy Lady Pirates set a goal to win

a state championship.


2010 dispatch sports review

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