SPORTS

REVIEW
Players of the Year
West Point’s Michael Carr
Aberdeen’s Jameika Hoskins

The Dispatch
All -Area Teams

Success, change and

determination characterize
Golden Triangle sports
2009-2010
Players of the Week

School Spirit: Band,

cheerleading squads
 COMPLETE
TEAM COVERAGE
From Our Doctors
Charles S. Rhea, M.D. • Russell Linton, M.D. • Scott Jones, M.D.
and Chad Altmyer, M.D.

COLUMBUS
ORTHOPAEDIC CLINIC PA
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SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 1
 Faith
TABLE OF CONTENTS 37 Faith turned West Oktibbeha
around.

MOTIVATION
38 West Point looks to defend
state title in 2010.

Change
40 Playing in a new division breathes
new life into Oak Hill Academy.

Writing on the Wall

42 Tradition inspires Hebron
Christian’s district title dynasty.

Players of the Week

44 2009-10 Players of the Week
revisited.

Activities
47 Area bands and cheerleading
squads featured.

Players of the Year Perseverance DISPATCH ALL-AREA

4 Michael Carr and Jameika Hoskins
earn top honors.
24 Despite facilities, Caledonia track
one of the best in the state.
A breakdown of The Dispatch’s All Area
teams and Players of the Year.

Making their Mark Realizing Potential Volleyball

8 Columbus athletes reap benefits
of hard work, determination.
26
West Lowdnes’ Hill uses Keffer
McGee as motivation for success.
51 Jameika Hoskins dominates
with a humble attitude.

The Payoff Goal Goal Goal Softball

12 Heritage Academy’s Ford does a little
bit of everything in final year.
28 Soccer reigns supreme at MSMS.
52 Haynes, Atkins and Tutor lead
their softball teams.

SUCCESS Reinvention Soccer

14 New Hope highlights 2009-10 with
championships and eye to the future.
30 Starkville High fighting its way
back to the top.
54 Huddleston, Day, and
Shoemaker shine as top players.

Multitasking Dominance Football

20 Immanuel athletes show versatility
in competition.
33 Starkville Academy shows
its strength in soccer.
56 West Alabama, Small School, and
Large School athletes honored

Victory The Turning Point Basketball

22 Winning becoming the norm
at Victory Christian Academy.
36 One game set tone for East
Oktibbeha success.
66 West Alabama, Small School, and
Large School athletes honored

2 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

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ABOUT
THE COVER
Dispatch staff photographer
Kelly Tippett took this photo
of West Point football player
Michael Carr, the Boys Player
of the Year, and Aberdeen’s
Jameika Hoskins, the multi-
sport athlete named Girls
Player of the Year.

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4 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

MICHAEL CARRMIDST ALL OF THE FESTIVITIES, MICHAEL CARR REMAINED CALM. The West
A Point High School senior welcomed the hoopla surrounding a 35-14 victory against
Wayne County that helped the football program win its sixth state title.
So while teammates, coaches, and
friends and family let loose at Veterans
Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Carr stayed
humble.
After all he had been through, Carr
gave thanks to God because without His
help he wouldn’t have been able to realize
the goal so many members of the Green
Wave program before him had attained.
“It wasn’t difficult,” Carr said of not get-
ting caught up in all of the hype after the
game. “He has humbled me. It felt like I
had already won (a state championship)
when I won it. I celebrated, I was happy for
it, I was thankful for it, I was grateful for it,
but I knew there was more to do to stay
humble and go to the next level.”
The championship helped Carr solidify
his position as one of the state’s elite ath-
lete. He showcased his game-changing
ability against Wayne County by scoring
on a 64-yard reception and on a 78-yard
kickoff return. He finished the game with
four catches for 128 yards.
For his efforts, Carr is The Commercial
Dispatch’s Boys Player of the Year.
“It has been a great year,” Carr said. “It
was hard work and dedication to the team.
I am still dedicated. Family is the main
thing that brought me through.”
Carr signed a national letter of intent
earlier this year to make official the verbal
commitment he made to Mississippi State
as a junior. The No. 5 prospect in the state
regardless of position by Rivals.com was
recruited as an athlete, and he figures to
help the Bulldogs in the secondary or at
wide receiver.
The Mississippi Association of Coaches
Class 5A All-State first-team pick helped
story by ADAM MINICHINO photo by KELLY TIPPETT
2010 BOYS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
lead West Point to a 14-1 record. Carr was
the X-factor on a run-dominated team,
making 38 catches for 832 yards and 16
total touchdowns. He also intercepted one
pass and had a 35-yard return, and
returned 15 punts for 415 yards, with a
longest return of 84 yards.
All of those achievements helped pre-
pare Carr for the pageantry of winning a
state title. He said he was ready to cele-
brate beating Wayne County after the
game, but he said he heard a voice from
God deep down inside him that said to
exercise restraint.
“He said, ‘It isn’t over yet.’ He told me
to stay humble,” Carr said. “I know I have
to get ready for the next level and enhance
the talent He has given me.”
Carr hasn’t always had the patience to
step back and look at the bigger picture.
He said Jesus Christ changed his life when
He touched him when he was 17. He said
God keeps him at peace and he is grateful
for all of the doors He has opened for him.
“I always saw myself playing sports, but
I never saw myself giving Him the glory at
the end,” Carr said. “But when I had that
encounter with Jesus Christ, it changed
my whole lifestyle, the way I think, the way
I move, and my inner self.”
Carr attends church and thanks God
for all of the things He has given him,
which allow him to affect the sports world
and the people in it. He joked that he
encouraged his teammates “to stay hum-
ble” so many times this season they grew
tired 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 very
thankful for winning a state champi-
onship,” Carr said.
Carr believes that mind-set will drive
him to even higher goals at MSU. The 6-
foot-1, 195-pounder feels he has something
to prove, even though he was a highly
regarded recruit who chose the Bulldogs
over the University of Mississippi Rebels.
“People think I am just going for the
fame, but if I am going to give God the
glory I have to shine,” Carr said. “I see big
dreams and goals ahead. I just plan to
keep working hard like I have been in
high school, but I am going to multiply it
and enhance it and do it better when I go
to college.
“I have a lot to prove because you have
great athletes who worship God. But a lot
of them are taking His name in vain by not
living the lifestyle. I want to live the
lifestyle, put His name first, and win. I want
to show them God is still alive.”
Carr knows how God guided him
through his final season and allowed him
to realize the fruits of his labor. He also
realizes this season was the last step of
one journey and the first step of another
one. Carr knows how important it will be
for him to stay humble as he prepares for
those next steps, and he will celebrate God
with every move he makes.
“You have to stay humble and work
hard, no matter how many touchdowns
you have in a game,” Carr said. “You have
to push yourself harder than what you did
the last practice. You also have to stay
humble and keep God first. As long as you
do that, you will go far in everything you
do.”n

JAMEIKA HOSKINS
AMEIKA HOSKINS BELIEVED SHE HAD FOUND THE RIGHT FIT. Earlier this school
J year, the Aberdeen High School senior thought Alcorn State was going to be her college
destination.
But the more Hoskins considered her
choice she realized she wasn’t comfortable
going that far from home to go to school
and to play basketball.
It’s not that Hoskins didn’t believe she
couldn’t play at the Division I level. In fact,
she would like to attract more attention
from bigger Division I schools, including
the ones in this state.
Those aspirations are part of the reason
Hoskins changed her mind last month and
signed a national letter of intent to go to
Itawamba Community College in Fulton.
The short ride up Highway 45 North
should help Hoskins find the fit she is look-
ing for after a standout senior season in
which she was named The Commercial
Dispatch’s All-Area Volleyball and Small
Schools Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
For her accomplishments, Hoskins is
The Commercial Dispatch’s Girls Player of
the Year.
Hoskins intends to improve on her 21.7
points per game scoring average as a sen-
ior with the Lady Indians. She might have
even continued to play volleyball, but ICC
doesn’t offer the sport.
That’s fine with ICC women’s basketball
coach Nanci Gray, who is excited to have
the Monroe County standout join her pro-
gram.
Gray said she watched Hoskins this sea-
son and listened as fans and people who
followed the Aberdeen High girls basket-
ball program said Hoskins wanted to stay
close to home. It was only natural for her to
inquire about the possibility of getting
Hoskins to come to ICC.
It turns out the both parties found what
they needed.
story by ADAM MINICHINO photo by KELLY TIPPETT
6 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
2010 GIRLS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
“She thought this is where she wanted
to go to play to take her game to another
level,” Gray said. “She has very high aspira-
tions. She wants to develop a couple of
more skills to contend for a scholarship
from maybe a Southeastern Conference
school in our area.”
Hoskins said she “felt at home” with the
coaches, players, and everything when she
went to ICC. She feels her stay at the
school will be just like an extended recruit-
ing period in which she can play against
tougher competition and prove to coaches
at four-year schools she has what it takes to
play at an even higher level in Division I.
She said it will help that her family and
friends will be close by to support her.
“My friends and family have always
been there since I started playing basket-
ball,” Hoskins said. “It is not only them
being there to watch me play. I think it is a
good move for me. Alcorn State is too far
out there for me. If I go to ICC and do
everything I can and work on all my skills,
I feel I can be at a better Division I school
playing basketball.”
To make that happen, Hoskins feels she
needs to improve on her defense. She also
said she will work hard to enhance her ball-
handling skills, especially with her left
hand, and her mid-range game.
She said hopes to attract interest from
Mississippi State or the University of
Mississippi, but she isn’t limiting herself to
those two.
“I have a lot of confidence,” Hoskins
said. “I am getting a new start, and I am
going to work as hard as I can to do the
best I can.”
Hoskins thanked Aberdeen High girls
basketball coach Latorrence Bivens,
Aberdeen High boys basketball coach Roy
Hazzle and her youth coaches for helping
her get to this point. She especially praised
coach Kim Clarett, a youth coach who
coached her when she was 8-12, and who
still coaches a youth team in Aberdeen.
Bivens said Hoskins’ decision to go to
ICC will help “bring her out of her shell.”
He feels confident Hoskins will be able to
rise to the challenge and take her game to
another level.
“I think she will go to ICC and play right
off the bat,” Bivens said. “If she stays injury
free it will happen because I know she is
going to work. I think she is going to get a
top Division I offer when she leaves
because academically she is set and she
has a strong mind.”
Gray believes that will be the case, too.
She said she is anxious to see Hoskins
mature into a player who is consistent for
longer stretches. She said there were times
in her high school career Hoskins didn’t go
all out for a whole game. That will change
in college.
“The kids are going to follow her and
pick up on her enthusiasm for the game
and her desire to be a better player,” Gray
said. “That is huge for a coach anytime you
bring that into a program.
“I think (getting a scholarship from a
SEC school) can be a reality. It will depend
on how hard she is going to work and what
she brings to the game.”
That shouldn’t be a problem because
Hoskins knows ICC is the right fit for
her.n
MAKING
THEIR MARK
COLUMBUS ATHLETES REAP BENEFITS
OF HARD WORK, DETERMINATION
OLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETES

C made their mark at both ends of the spectrum in the

2009-10 school year.
On one end, senior Danté Oliver real-
ized a career’s worth of hard work and
came into his own as one of the state’s
top 400-meter performers.
Justin Verner showed you don’t have
to be experienced to push to the front of
the line and become one of the state’s
top powerlifters.
On the basketball court, freshmen
KiKi Patterson and Maggie Proffitt

TOP OF PAGE: Columbus High girls basketball players, front row, from left, Maggie Proffitt
and 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 Ross
attempts 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.

story by ADAM MINICHINO photos by KELLY TIPPET and ADAM MINICHINO

SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 9
flashed the potential they hope will
help them lead the Columbus girls to
championship contender status.
The performances of all four stu-
dent-athletes were just a handful of
many in a solid year for the Columbus
High athletic program.
Verner’s accomplishment stood out
because the football player/powerlifter
is only a sophomore. He made people
doubt that statement when he lifted a
combined 1,505 pounds to win the
Class 6A 242-pound weight class last
month at the Mississippi High School
Activities Association State meet at
Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.
“It was exciting to bring a state title
to the school,” Verner said. “I expected
to do well because I worked so hard
through the summer and after football
season was over.”
Verner, a starting right guard on
Columbus High’s football team, recent-
ly turned 16 and has come a long way
from his freshman year, when he said
he messed up a lot trying to master the
technique required to record official
lifts.
But Verner said he remained
focused and made his biggest gains
this season after the North Half State
meet, adding 50 pounds on squat, 25
pounds to his bench press, and a little
bit on dead lift.
“I just wanted to go in every day and
work as hard as I can,” Verner said. “I
believed I could do it. I think I made a
huge impression on everybody (at the
state meet).”
Columbus High powerlifting coach
Grady McCluskey thought Verner
would do well at the state meet, but he
didn’t think the only sophomore in the
group would make such a splash.
“His potential in that sport is unlimit-
ed,” McCluskey said. “He should set
some records next year.”
McCluskey said Verner squats 600
pounds and attempted 635 at the state
meet but missed it. He said Verner
could have done a lot more than 315 on
the bench press and just did what he
needed to win on the dead lift.
“He is a great kid,” McCluskey said.
“He does everything we ask, he is real
conscientious, and he just has a special
talent, in football, too. He did a great
job. We’re looking for a lot of positive
things in football and in powerlifting in
the next couple of years.”
Oliver’s maturation into a college-
bound sprinter came quickly. Last year,
he recorded a time of 49.26 seconds in
the 400. This year, He delivered a first-
place time of 47.99 at the Region 1
meet and followed that up with a per-
sonal-best time of 47.05 at the North
Half State meet. South Panola’s Montez
Griffin (47.01) edged Oliver for first.
Oliver’s finish at the Class 6A state
meet 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 in
track, and I am happy I have gotten
(his time in the 400) down that low. It
has been through hard work, and
coach (Jim) Hamilton is a good coach
and 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 go
even faster.
That improvement has sent colleges
scurrying to get close to Oliver. The
University of Mississippi is believed to
be the leader in the recruiting process
at press time, but Mississippi State,
Florida, Tennessee, and LSU are just
some of the suitors that are trying to
convince Oliver to showcase his speed
at their schools.
“I didn’t think I would be running

It’s A Great Day To Be A Falcon!

2010 Falcon Football
Aug 20 Aberdeen Away
Aug 27 Noxubee Co. Home
Sept 3 West Point Home
Sept 10 Open
Sept 17 Louisville Away
Sept 24 Tupelo* Away
Oct. 1 Southaven* Home
Oct 8 South Panola* Away
Oct 15 Desoto Central* Home
Oct 22 Horn Lake * Away
Oct 29 Olive Branch* Home
Nov 5 Starkville* Away
* District Games * Homecoming • Head Coach Bubba Davis

Columbus School District

2630 McArthur Drive • Columbus, Mississippi 39705 • 662.241.7400
www.columbuscityschools.org
10 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH ◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
 “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).”
track on a collegiate level,”
Oliver said. “A lot of people
tell me I can run, but I guess
I really didn’t see it. This
year has opened my eyes. I
knew I had potential, but I
didn’t know I can do what I
am doing now. I didn’t
expect any of this. I am glad
it has happened.”
Oliver said slipping into
the 46-second range will
serve as motivation the rest
of the offseason as he pre-
pares for his next step. He
said it is still hard to believe
he has progressed this far,
especially since many sprint-
ers who are competing in
college ran the same times in
high school he is running
now.
“That just drives me to do
more and to achieve more
when I get to college,” Oliver
said. “I know my time is
going to go down when you
get to college and get on a
college training plan.”
Oliver admits the road has
been long and included plen-
ty of changes (four coaches
since his eighth-grade year).
In that time, the work, the
passion, and the support
from his teammates made it
even more satisfying.
“It was a nice journey,”
Oliver said. “I love it. It is a
good experience doing track,
especially if you have the
people around you. I really
enjoyed my four years at
Columbus High School run-
ning track.”
Columbus High girls bas-
ketball coach Yvonne
Hairston hopes Patterson
and Proffitt can help the
Lady Falcons have similar
results.
Patterson earned first-
team honors on The
Commercial Dispatch’s Large
Schools All-Area Girls
Basketball team after averag-
ing 15 points and 4.3
Columbus powerlifter Justin Verner
rebounds per game this sea- her first season after trans- Hairston get a championship
son. ferring from Heritage ring before she retires, or at
Proffitt earned honorable Academy, Proffitt showed least before they graduate.
mention accolades after she was capable of playing “The standards are set
pouring in 14.9 points and the game against some of high (by Hairston) and the
grabbing 3.7 rebounds per the state’s toughest competi- school and (Columbus High
game. Principal) Mr. (Craig)
Shannon,” Patterson said. n
tion.
The freshman guards “The first day I came in
were asked to play such key they were all so welcoming,”
roles because the Lady Proffitt said. “It was just so
Falcons didn’t have a lot of easy because I just came in
Congratulations
size or experience in the and played. They all accept- on a great year
post. The team also had to ed me from the start. Maggie!
adjust in the middle of the
#
31
“I think I did OK for a
season to the transfer of Chy freshman. I know I have to
Cunningham to Tupelo High get better and work harder.”
School.
Patterson and Proffitt
The challenge didn’t faze
showed how well their skills
Patterson or Proffitt, who
complement each other.
used their experience on the Go Lady Falcons!
They believe their friendship
Amateur Athletic Union cir-
cuit to help take control of will be just one thing that We’re Proud of You!
the team. grows stronger as they learn Love,
Patterson knew Hairston how to be better teammates Martin & Meme
expected her to take on such and how to strive to help
a big role. As one of the
team’s point guards,
Patterson helped set the tone Get in TOP shape
with aggressive play and a
fine shooting touch from the
perimeter.
this summer!
Patterson tore ligaments
in her right ankle and Join
missed the final six games.
She said she is fine now and
is looking forward to honing
her skills and taking on an Boot Camp workouts help:
even bigger role. • Improve Agility
“I learned how to be a • Increase quickness Let us do
leader on and off the court • Boost Power a camp for
and how to encourage girls • Aid in body fat loss your team or
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Proffitt also showed a deft fitness levels Ask
shooting stroke, albeit from about
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PS
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Patterson might be more
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CTOR KIDZ
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SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 11
 Zach Taylor, left, Madison Ford,
Jessee Mims, and Tyler White
helped Heritage Academy have a
successful 2009-10 sports season.
Sykes soon discovered Ford didn’t want
just to compete, she wanted to be the best.
“She puts the extra time in and she
makes the effort to be better than the
rest,” said Sykes, who coaches Heritage
Academy’s track and field teams. “In bas-
ketball, she was up there in the gym all
summer, even when the team wasn’t. She
is the same way in the shot put and the
discus. She is always coming to practice
earlier and staying longer than anybody
else. She is such a great kid.”
Heritage Academy rewarded Ford and
the rest of its seniors May 13 at its annual
Class Day program. Ford received a host
of athletic and academic awards in addition
to a host of scholarships. She then joined
her classmates in recapping the history of

THE PAYOFF
HERITAGE ACADEMY’S FORD DOES A LITTLE BIT
the Class of 2010 by reading summaries of
what each class accomplished every year
since kindergarten.
“It has been a very positive experi-
ence,” Ford said. “All of my academics and
OF EVERYTHING IN FINAL YEAR athletics have made me grow into a strong
person. I feel I have a good base to take
REG SYKES KNEW EARLY ON MADISON FORD was with me to college.”

G going to make her mark. Sykes first started to work

with Ford in the shot put when she was a seventh-
grader at Heritage Academy.
Ford will attend Mississippi State in the
fall. She said she never looked at a smaller
school in part because her mother and her
story and photo by ADAM MINICHINO

12 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH ◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

father went to school at MSU. She said a possible trip to medical In addition, Ford joined Buck Bateman, Boyd Hardy, Ann
school likely will keep her from continuing her days of varsity Marie Chilcutt, and Carolina Borland in earning Hall of Fame
team sports, but she will stay involved in intramural athletics. honors.
Ford easily could have gone on to play basketball at a four-year Sykes said Ford, who won a state title in the discus (106 feet,
school. She received the team’s Yandell Harris Award, was the 3 inches) as a sophomore, never allowed her focus to waver and
squad’s MVP, a member of the North AAA All-Conference team, remained a positive example for her peers and teammates.
and a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools All-Star. Ford’s mettle was put to the test at the meet. After sub-par
In addition to her prowess on the basketball court, Ford also throws on the discus in her first two attempts, Ford, who
was a member of the fast-pitch softball team and the track and entered the event as the top seed, regained her form and deliv-
field team. She was the MVP of field events on the track team. She ered the winning throw.
also logged the most hours as a bat girl for the school’s baseball Sykes said Ford might have been nervous as the top seed,
team. but he said she put the anxiousness aside and allowed her hard
Ford said the teachers and coaches at Heritage Academy work to take over. He said Ford continued to excel in every
helped her learn the value of good study habits, how to be sport, even if her marks in the shot put (32-4, fourth) and in the
responsible, and how to get things done, especially with such a discus (1005, third) didn’t earn her another title in her final
busy schedule. season.■
“There were never enough hours in the day, but, when it came
down to it, I just had to put first what had to be done,” Ford said. Congratulations
“My dad (Norman) always told me you never can quit something on a great senior
you start, so if I am going to do something I am going to do it to
the best of my ability.”
year
Heritage Academy girls basketball coach Bruce Allsup, who McKellar!
also is the school’s athletic director, said Ford’s enthusiasm and Congratulations
# on a great season!
51
determination carry over to her peers and to her teammates.
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SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 13

New Hope High School football players
gather for a practice early in the 2009
season. The Trojans had a program-best
11-2 season and advanced to the Class
5A North Half State title game.

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

story by ADAM MINICHINO photo by KELLY TIPPETT

14 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
 HE 2009-10 SCHOOL YEAR WAS FILLED WITH HIGHLIGHTS FOR NEW HOPE HIGH

T SCHOOL. The fall season began with a program-best effort by the football team and
another state championship for the slow-pitch softball team.
Coach Tabitha Beard’s Lady Trojans in 2007 and ’08 before moving up to Class In football, coach Michael Bradley’s
beat Brookhaven 10-0 and 7-5 to win the 5A in the state’s latest reclassification. team went 11-2 and lost to eventual state
Mississippi High School Activities New Hope had 17 hits in the mercy- champion West Point 41-21 in the Class
Association Class 5A state title series. rule victory in game one. Haley Tutor 5A North Half State title game.
Buoyed by a six-run fifth inning, a had three hits and an RBI, Lauren West Point (14-1) was the only team to
strong relief job by pitcher Rachel Holifield had three hits, including a dou-
beat New Hope.
Rhoades, and a balanced team attack, ble and a triple, and three RBIs, and
The finish marked another step in the
New Hope rallied in game two and then Ashley Boyle (RBI), Anna McCrary, and
held on to claim the title at the V.A. Anna Holley (RBI) had two hits as 10 of development of a program that lost nine
Fields. the 11 Lady Trojans who batted had hits. of 10 games in Bradley’s first season as
The title was the third in a row for New Hope loses just two seniors — coach.
New Hope (22-7), and 12th overall. The Morgan Hardin and Empress Shirley — A group of 13 seniors served as the
Lady Trojans won the Class 4A state title from the slow-pitch team. guiding force for the program’s success.

SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 15

 “We started believing we can win
instead of thinking, ‘We are just New
Hope. We are never going to win,’ ”
Justin Flye said. “We started to believe
that we are a good team and we start-
ed winning.”
Bradley said the change in attitude
is a key reason why New Hope has
become a title contender. When he
first arrived, Bradley said there were
30 guys on the team who thought they
should be the starting running back,
and that the players who weren’t the
starter weren’t going to go hard
unless they were the starting running
back.
He said seniors like Eddie Preston
helped change that and have paved
the way for future classes to remem-
ber only winning teams at the school.
n In the winter, the boys and girls
basketball teams won district champi-
onships. The title for the girls was the
first in 18 years.
Both teams had their success with
first-year coaches.
Drew McBrayer took over for veter-
an coach Robert Byrd and guided the
Trojans to a 25-4 season.
The end came in controversial fash-
ion, as an official’s decision helped
give Callaway a 78-75 victory in double
overtime in the Class 5A North Half
State semifinals.
Deville Smith, who later committed
to play at Mississippi State, scored 48
points, including all 12 of his team’s
points in the second OT to help end
New Hope’s season.
“I thought it was an extremely well-
played ballgame at both ends of the
floor by both teams,” McBrayer said.
“It is one of those games these kids
are going to remember forever. It is Johnathan Brandon (34) had a standout senior season for the Trojans.
going to hurt for a long time because I
thought we had it.” blocked his path and appeared to have “My hand was straight up,”
McBrayer believed the Trojans him contained just outside the 3-point Brandon said. “I hate for the officials
were going to pull the upset thanks to arc. With the clock winding down, to decide the game. This was for it all,
the heroics of Raymond Walters (27 Smith lost the ball, regained control, and it means everything for us to go to
points), who scored only three points and went up for a shot. Brandon kept Jackson. ... Let us go out and play ball.
in the first half and shook off a stom- his arms straight up and looked to He is a (member of The Clarion-
ach virus to have a monster second avoid contact. His defense appeared to Ledger’s) Dandy Dozen. If he makes a
half. The senior guard apparently good enough, as Smith’s shot missed clutch three, let him make a clutch
capped the game with a fallaway 3- at the buzzer. three.”
pointer at the top of the key with 4.7 But the officials didn’t agree. Said McBrayer, “Most of the time it
seconds remaining that gave New Brandon was whistled for the foul, is a non-call, especially with as little
Hope a 55-53 lead. which sent Smith to the free-throw contact as was actually there. When a
But the officials put 2.2 seconds game comes down to those three guys
line with no time left on the clock.
back on the clock after New Hope in the black and white stripes it is out
Smith made the first, missed the sec- of our hands. You just hope they make
called a timeout. The added time
enabled Smith to work his magic. The ond, and swished the third to send the the right decision and don’t cheat the
speedy junior guard took the inbounds game to overtime. kids, but the majority of the time the
pass and looked to create a shot on The call didn’t sit well with Brandon whistle is not blown.”
the left wing. Johnathan Brandon or McBrayer. The New Hope girls beat Oxford
16 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
48-46 in its district tournament opener,
but the true test of how far the team
had come came against West Point in
the district final.
Having lost to the Lady Wave twice
during the regular season, coach Laura
Lee Holman knew it would take a gritty
performance to shut down Kelsei
Ewings, The Commercial Dispatch’s
Large Schools Player of the Year.
Ewings had 21 and West Point had
an eight-point lead at halftime, but
Kelli Petty and Kia Edmonds combined
to score 26 points, which helped propel
the Lady Trojans to a 42-40 win.
“Those first five minutes in the lock-
er room, just to see that joy on their
faces was incredible,” coach Laura Lee
Holman said. “When we got in the
locker room, the first thing they said
was, ‘Coach, you said we’d be having
fun in February.’ That was a special
feeling to know they accomplished
something that hadn’t been done in 18
years.”
The Lady Trojans moved on to the
North Half State playoffs, where they
lost to Canton 57-52 to finish 16-10.
In boys soccer, first-year coach
Jerry Byrd led the team back to the
playoffs for the first time since 2004 or
2005, but the run ended with a 2-1 loss
to Callaway in the first round of the
Class 5A North Half State playoffs at
Trojan Field.
Tanner Ryals scored on a penalty
kick in the second half, but Callaway
answered with the game-winner late in
the game to end the Trojans’ season at
6-6-1.
“Effort wise I can’t complain,” Byrd
said. “That’s one thing I like about
these kids, they’re going to give you
their best effort. We may be deficient
New Hope slow- and fast-pitch softball player Anna Holley (16).
in other areas, but our effort has
always been there. and field career by finishing second in lost game one to Hernando 6-5 in 11
“I am pleased (with the first sea- the 100 (12.09), third in the 200 innings on a walkoff home run by Jon
son). I had hoped (we would make the (25.49), and fourth in the high jump (5 Vernon. The Tigers then completed
playoffs). My expectations at the feet). the sweep with a 5-3 victory in
beginning of the season were to win, to The baseball team reaped the bene- Columbus.
put a good product on the field, to put fits of experience to win its first district Still, there was a lot for the team to
good kids on the field. If you can do title in a number of years en route to a savor. Boyd said the program should
that, good things will happen. I wish 23-8 record. take pride in its first district champi-
we could have won a few more games, First-year coach Lee Boyd, a New onship in five years. He credited the
but it didn’t work out for these guys.” Hope High School graduate, thought leadership of seniors Mitch Elkin,
n In the spring, senior Kelli Petty the team came together and picked up Gabe Franks, Davis Lee, Blake
showed she was deserving of a track on his style of managing. The only Roberts, Jake Smith, Seth Stillman,
and field scholarship to Mississippi problem was he felt the team peaked Philip Tice, Jake Upton, and Brent
State with a strong season. too soon, especially at the plate. Younger.
Petty won the 100 meters (12.52 sec- After a streak of hot hitting in the “They always played as a team,”
onds), the 200 (25.93), and the high middle to late in the regular season, Boyd said. “These guys have been
jump (5 feet, 1 inch) at the regional New Hope scored nine runs in its together since they were 13 years old,
meet to qualify for the Class 5A State three-game series victory against and as far as adjusting to me they
meet. She closed her high school track Neshoba Central in the first round. It always adjusted and made me proud.
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 17
 “We started believing we can win instead of thinking,
‘We are just New Hope. We are never going to win.’ ”
“We’re going to be
extremely young next year.
We probably will only have
three guys with any playing
experience coming back.
But you have some young
kids who have worked hard
and it is kind of hard to see
how those kids will work
and develop. But I am
extremely proud of our guys
this year.”
Hernando also put the
fast-pitch softball team out
on the same day. The Lady
Trojans lost game one 3-0 at
Hernando, rallied for a 9-3
victory in game two in
Columbus, and then dropped
a 2-1 decision in eight
innings in game three. The
Lady Tigers capitalized on
the international tiebreaker
rule that puts a runner on
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327-4935
www.clra.net
18 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
New Hope football player Justin Flye
second base to start the
inning once the game reach-
es extra innings.
Hernando scored a run in
the top of the eighth thanks
to a bunt, while New Hope
pushed a runner to third
base and then saw its season
end when Lauren Holifield’s
line drive hit Kaitlin Bradley.
The umpire ruled Bradley
was in fair territory and
called her out.
After the game, New
Hope coach Tabitha Beard
honored designated player
Empress Shirley, the team’s
only senior, and credited her
for persevering and not giv-
ing up on the team or her-
self.
Beard said her team,
which featured several fresh-
men (Holifield and catcher
•Soccer
- Recreation Leagues
- Certified Coaches
- Division II Teams
•Baseball
•Softball
•Football
Kasey Stanfield) and eighth- our weaker links are going
graders (D.J. Sanders and to have to work. All we can
Bradley) in key roles, do is keep playing and
working.”n
matured as a group through-
out the season.
Still, she said it was disap- Staff Writer David Miller
pointing to see the season contributed to this report.
end because she had seen
the players execute in the
field and deliver at the plate.
She said everyone will have
to learn from the experience
and the younger players will
Congratulations
ACRCOACH
have to continue to improve
if the Lady Trojans are going on a great season!
to take the next step.
“Softball is a team sport,”
Beard said. “We win as a
team, we lose as a team, and Rent/charter our luxury
we have to progress as a Motorcoaches &
team. It can’t be about indi- Corporate Coaches
viduals. It is like that old www.acrcoach.com
adage, ‘You’re only as strong
as your weaker links,’ and 662-244-5773
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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.

www.cdispatch.com
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 19
MULTITASKING
Immanuel athletes show
versatility in competition
story by ADAM MINICHINO photos by KELLY TIPPETT and ADAM MINICHINO

TUDENT-ATHLETES AT SMALL SCHOOLS don’t have

S many opportunities to specialize in sports.
Immanuel Christian’s Wesley Lake is a
perfect example of how busy a student-
athlete can be practicing and playing one
sport and trying to prepare for another
sport in the next season.
Lake, who played football, basketball,
and baseball, knew the plan for him in
track and field season was to move from
the 800 meters to the 1,600.
To prepare for the step up to the mile,
Lake realized he had to train on his own
so he would be ready once it came time
to 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 Mississippi
Association of Independent Schools
20 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
Overall State meet.
“It was a lot harder because when I ran
the mile I didn’t get to slow down any. It
was just another two laps of pushing
hard,” Lake said. “I did pretty good with
the transition.”
The performance was one of plenty
Meghan Cooper, top, dribbles the ball
standout efforts this season from student- against Heritage Academy, while QB
athletes at Immanuel Christian. Ross Moore makes a handoff.
Lake also was part of the 3,200-meter
relay team that finished seventh. n Ray Campbell was pleased with
Lake, who last year became the the girls soccer team’s 4-6 record in the
school’s first state champion when he district (4-8 overall). Senior Nyki
won the 800 (2:12.44), teamed with Justin Baudoin, one of three seniors on the
Perkins, who was sixth in the 800, Ross team, was selected to participate in the
Moore, and Reed Williams to finish with a MAIS Senior All-Star game and was
time of (10:06.81). named All-District.
Left, football coaches Shawn Gates and Daniel Merchant led the football team in 2009, while at right student-athletes Nyki
Baudoin, Wesley Lake, front row, from left, and Ross Moore and Mary Katherine Good, back row, from left, were just some of
the standout performers in the 2009-10 school year.

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 teams
Immanuel Christian competes against don’t have junior varsity
teams, so he will try to get the players as much playing time as
possible in varsity games.
“I thought we did pretty good for a young team,” Campbell
said. “We will get everybody back this year, so I am looking for
good things.”
Baudoin also competed in cheerleading, basketball, and track
and field. She said it was exciting to be a part of the first girls
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 frustrated
and to enjoy what he was doing. The Rams’ youth and lack of
depth sometimes made that tough at times, but he is confident
the Rams can regroup from last season’s 1-9 finish.
“We’re going to continue to get better and better,” Moore
said. “The hard thing is to get guys to come here so we can get
the numbers. It is hard to get people excited about football.
“But we have the chance to win a lot more games this year
than we did last year.”■

GO
basketball team at the school to advance to the state tourna-
ment. The Lady Rams beat Kemper Academy for the first time
and defeated Hebron Christian for the first time in five years.
“It was an amazing year for me to end on my senior year,”

RAMS!
Baudoin said.
Things were equally amazing for Mary Katherine Good,
Lake, and Moore.
Good, a freshman in her second year competing on the track
and field team, finished third in the 3,200.
Good said her goal was to advance past the North Half State
meet and to place at the overall state meet. She accomplished Immanuel Center for
her 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 practice
Christian Education
throughout the year rather than just wait for track practice,” Offering quality education with strong Christian emphasis.
said Good, who also was a member of the basketball and soccer Mississippi’s only PreK3-12 school
teams. “It is going to push me to get first place.” with all three accreditations:
SACS (Southern Association of Colleges & Schools)
■ Daniel Merchant, who works as an assistant coach to MAIS (Mississippi Association of Independent Schools)
Shawn Gates on the football team, led the baseball team to four ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International)
victories 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 named
honorable mention All-Conference.
“We were better offensively. We scored 111 runs this year
and only 82 last year, and we don’t lose anybody,” Merchant
said. “I think we have a chance to be real good next year. I have
seen progress in each and every year, so I am looking forward Call 662-328-7888
to it.” To request an information packet or schedule a tour
■ Moore, who also played football, basketball, baseball and www.immanuelschool.net
track and field, said the boys basketball team had an up-and- 6405 Military Road (intersection of Military Road and Highway 12 East)
www.immanuelschool.net
down season. The team won the district title before it went on to
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 21
W I N N I N G B E C O M I N G T H E N O R M AT

VICTORY
T
HE DYNASTY CONTINUES TO GROW. WHETHER IT WAS WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS
in 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.
“It has been a really successful year,”
Victory Christian Academy Athletic
Director Chris Hamm said. “We made
the state tournament in everything
except softball. Two years ago, we did-
n’t have a softball team.”
The softball team, which opened a
new field this year, showed signs of
progress, winning three games after
going winless in its first year. Hamm
admits it might take a few more years
for that program to reach a champi-
onship level, but he is encouraged by
how quickly the program is growing.
Softball isn’t the only program at the
school that is gaining momentum. A
signup sheet on the window of the front
office for the 2010 volleyball team was
nearly filled with more than 20 signa-
tures in the middle of May. Those girls From left: Victory Christian Academy’s Erin Williams, Caitlin Osterman, C.J. Bell,
will try to help the program improve on and Parker Eaves played key roles in helping most all of the school’s sports have
first trip to the state tournament in sev- championship seasons.
eral years. Wells, and newcomer Nicky Croft ball teams. While he thought the foot-
Dale Latham got a late start to the helped the team work hard through the ball team had a good chance to repeat
season as coach of the volleyball team, slow start and assisted Latham, a volun- as champions, he joked he used his
but the Lady Eagles recovered and teer coach who replaced David uncertainty about the girls basketball
clicked at the right time. Johnson, as he acclimated himself to team’s chances to motivate the squad.
“He did really good. He listened to the sport and to being a head coach. It worked.
us and we listened to him, and we had In February, the girls basketball The girls basketball team’s champi-
to work together to grow,” senior team rallied to beat defending champi- onship came on the heels of the title the
Caitlin Osterman said of Latham. “It on Eastwood 25-20 in the Alabama boys basketball team won in 2008-09.
worked. We got a lot farther than I Christian Education Athletic Williams, who also played on the
expected to get with all of the things Association Division I State volleyball and softball teams, said the
that were stacked against us. Hopefully Tournament at Shelton State softball team should be on the rise
next season they will go farther.” Community College in Tuscaloosa, Ala. quickly because a lot of the younger
Osterman, Erin Williams, Kathryn Hamm, who also is the principal, players have experience playing the
Scarbrough, Sarah Simpson, Heather coached the football and girls basket- sport.

story by ADAM MINICHINO photos by ADAM MINICHINO and KELLY TIPPETT

22 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

 She also put pressure on the 2010-11 teammates. He said the team, which is
girls basketball team. losing six players, has a chance to
“Next year is probably going to be make it three titles in a row if it comes
just as good,” Williams said. “There are together.
a lot of juniors who are seniors who are Hamm said the enthusiasm and par-
really, really good basketball players ticipation from student-athletes, par-
We’ll probably have another (title) next ents, volunteers, and everyone else has
year.” become contagious, just like winning,
Osterman agreed the victory was a and he hopes it translates into more
little sweeter because it was unexpect- championships next season.
ed, and with Williams that the future “As a small school, we want to be
for the program is extremely bright. able to provide the best possible athlet-
The same is true for the baseball ic program,” Hamm said. “We have a
team. lot of people who volunteer and help us
Led by first-year head coach Brent simply for the reward of doing it.
Harris and assistant coach Wes Jones, Without them, we wouldn’t be in the
the Eagles advanced to the ACEAA position we are. We have a tremendous
Final Four at Northside Methodist support staff.”
Academy in Dothan, Ala. Eaves agrees. The senior quarter-
“I was real pleased with the progress back hopes he helped set an example
the baseball team made this season,” for his younger teammates and the
Hamm said.
other students in the school. He said
Senior C.J. Bell said the team
Victory Christian Academy Athletic hard work in the offseason helped set
clicked early, regrouped after a loss, Director Chris Hamm guided the Eagles the tone for what proved to be a season
and “shocked” itself advancing to the to their second consecutive Christian filled with championships.
state tournament. Football Association title in 2009. The
“We pretty much played our hearts “We just worked together and really
championship was the program’s third
out no matter what,” Bell said. “Next in four years. helped each other a lot,” Eaves said.
year, they’re probably going to have to “Whenever you do that, the wins just
work a little bit harder to be better, but I know with the come and you start a dynasty. I hope they can keep it going,
coach they have they’re going to work hard.” and I know they can, if they work hard like we did. It takes
Led by Parker Eaves’ 320-yard, four-touchdown effort, unity and knowing each other.”■
Victory Christian defeated Tuscaloosa Christian 49-6 in the
Christian Football Association title game in Cottondale, Ala.
The victory helped the Eagles (10-0) win their second
CFA title in a row, and third in four years.
Thanks for your
“We played as one this year and brought the thing home
again,” Eaves said.
Running back/defensive Landon Ellis didn’t practice the
BEST!
week of the title game after suffering an injury in the semi-
final-round game.
Just when the team was ready to leave to go to
We’re always
Cottondale, Ala., for the title game, its charter bus died.
The Eagles scrambled to find enough parents and pickup
trucks to get everyone to the game on time.
so proud of our
Victory Christian also received contributions from new
places, as sophomore Kaleb Holliness stepped in for Ellis at
defensive back. The Eagles needed someone to emerge
athletes!
because Tuscaloosa Christian came out in Victory
Christian’s offense with two split ends, two slot backs, and a
quarterback in the shotgun.
Holliness, who is 5-foot-7, was matched up with a 6-2
receiver. 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 when
Holliness was in great position to break up a fourth-down
pass 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,” Memorial and
M
Hamm said. “They go to summer camps every year and do 716 2nd Avenue North 903 College Street

a good job.”
Columbus, Mississippi
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Like Williams, Eaves put pressure on his former football
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 23
 Front row, from left: Caledonia High
School’s Sarah Guess and Jessica
Comer and, back row from left,
Chris Warren and Zach Senneff are
four reasons the school’s track and
field program is one of the state’s
best despite not having a track
facility at the school.

PERSEVERANCE DESPITE FACILITIES, CALEDONIA

TRACK ONE OF STATE’S BEST
story and photo by ADAM MINICHINO

HE WARMUP TO THE BIGGEST SPORTS SUCCESS AT CALEDONIA

T HIGH SCHOOL in 2009-10 came on a “facility” that doesn’t resemble

anything else in the state.
The Caledonia girls and boys
track and field teams have a bor-
rowed pole vault pit, a set of
shiny, new hurdles obtained this
year, a netted area for discus
throwers, and makeshift running
lanes 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 one
of the state’s top track and field
programs in Class 4A exists.
But once you get to a meet it’s
easy to see Caledonia High’s ath-
letes more than make up for what
they don’t have.
Caledonia girls track and field
coach James Reed, who also
coaches the school’s cross coun-
try teams, said both teams are so
competitive because the athletes

24 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH ◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

are motivated. He said their drive to be the best helps them
overcome 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 what
we 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 the
Caledonia High booster club, which has purchased equip-
ment, and from the school, which has paid transportation
costs so they can compete at better facilities.
Both teams have made the most of their opportunities. The
girls 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), and
Nellie 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 was
fourth with 42 points.
Comer repeated with victories in all three of her races,
while Hackman won the triple jump and 400 to help lead the
Caledonia 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 the
Caledonia boys take second at the Region 2 meet.
At the North State meet, Comer won the 800 and the 3,200
and finished second in the 1,600, Hackman won the 400 and
finished 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 the
1,600), and Curtis Fluker (fourth in the triple jump) also qual-
ified.
Guess has exceeded the goals she set for herself at the
beginning of the season. She thought she would be able to
make the North Half State meet, but a throw of 89 feet, 6
inches helped her take the next step.
“We don’t have as much as other people do, but we have
enough to get us there,” Guess said. “We take pride in our
school no matter what the condition. I guess the reason we
I have to have good kids because they pick up this stadium
Friday night before they leave to get up and leave Saturday
morning. 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 are
challenged to do what is expected.
“I think we all have some grudge or determination
(because of what they don’t have),” Warren said. “It really
helps to have someone like coach Reed push us in practice,
and our boys coach (Forrester) pushes us harder than the
boys 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 sport
that doesn’t lie. If you put in the work, the results and the
times will come.
“In other sports, and I am not picking on other sports
because I have coached a little bit of all of it, it is easy to
make a team and to sit there and to watch other people,”
Reed said. “If you get your shot you might not do real well
but you can say, ‘Well, the umpires, the weather, the coaches,
or whatever.’ In track and field and cross country, you shoot
the gun and you run. I get them to the meet. We prepare
them as best we can and we get them to the meet and they
expect to do well.”
The results speak for themselves, despite the state of the
“facilities.”
“They’re representing themselves and the school well,”
Reed said.■

Way to
take so much pride is we have spirit and that ounce of pride.
We have come together as a team to motivate everybody to
go farther than their limits.”

go on a son!
Senneff said the teams don’t allow what they don’t have to
distract them. He said running is running, regardless of

a
whether it is on a track or on a grassy surface.
“Making excuses is not going to make you better,” Senneff
said. “If you want to win you’re going to run like we are.
“We work hard because we want to. We want to be the
best, and we try to strive to do what needs to be done to be G R E A T s e
the best.”
While other student-athletes profess to be “invested” in When Caring Coun
ts...
their programs, members of the Caledonia High track and
field team pay to be on the team. Reed said the money from
the athletes goes to defray costs of travel.
In addition, Reed said the team does fundraisers to help it
pay its expenses. FUNERAL HOME & CREM
ATORY
662-328-1808
“The kids we have are kids who want to excel,” Reed said.
“We get them early. I probably had the best middle school
track program in the state, but they had to move up to com- 1131 N. Lehmberg Ro
ad
Columbus, Mississi
pete on the varsity team. ppi
ww w. lo wn de sfu ne ra
“They know we’re different. ... Most of our budget comes lh om e.n et
from picking up other peoples’ trash. We work the football
games and after the football games they pick up this stadium.
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 25
REALIZING POTENTIAL
West Lowndes’ Hill uses Keffer McGee as motivation for success
story and photo by ADAM MINICHINO
EFFER McGEE
K WATCHES OVER
EVERYONE who visits
West Lowndes High School.
Situated above the doorway to the
school’s main office, an artist’s rendering
of the former prep and college football
standout looks out into the hallway that
leads to the gym and to the rest of the
school.
McGee’s image is an enduring symbol
for a school and a community that
remembers one of its greatest student-ath-
letes.
Brandon Hill has seen that picture
every day the past four years. It has moti-
vated him to realize his potential on the
football field. It has driven him to be the
best he can be in the classroom. It has
helped him secure an opportunity to play
football at Mississippi State.
Only months before he will report for
his freshman season with the Bulldogs,
Hill said he is ready to take the lessons he
has learned from McGee and to set the
same example.
“I consider myself as the other half to
the story of Keffer McGee,” Hill said. “I
want to carry his memory as well as his
success. I want to try to move that for-
ward. ... I want to rise any way I can and
make a success story out of it.”
McGee died Aug. 5, 1997, in a swim-
ming accident. He graduated from West
Lowndes High in 1993 and went on to be
a three-time member of the All-
Southeastern Conference Academic
Honor Roll as a member of the MSU foot-
ball team.
As a sophomore, McGee rushed for
1,072 yards. He led the SEC in rushing
and ranked third nationally with 481 yards
when he suffered torn knee ligaments in
a Sept. 28, 1996, game against South
Carolina. He had surgery in October, par-
ticipated in spring drills, and was expect-
ed to be at full speed for the first time the
following season. He was 22 and a gradu-
ate student when he died.
An autopsy later revealed McGee had
an undetected heart problem that likely
contributed to his death. McGee’s left
26 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH ◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
West Lowndes High School football player Brandon Hill stands in front of an artist’s
rendering of Keffer McGee.
main coronary artery was 90 percent
blocked and there was other evidence of
hardening of the arteries, Oktibbeha
County Coroner Michael Hunt told the
Associated Press.
Former MSU coach Jackie Sherrill
said McGee was more than just another
football player.
“Keffer was a very special, special per-
son,” Sherrill told Paul Jones in an article
for BullDawgJunction.com. “He was
respected by his teammates, his friends
on campus, his coaches, and his profes-
sors. I don’t know of another student that
had the presence that he had on campus.”
Hill said McGee is an inspiration to
him and to the rest of the West Lowndes
High community because he was “getting
it done academically and athletically.” He
said he will do his best to live up to those
standards at MSU.
“I want to carry that and take that on
my shoulders and move it forward,” Hill
said.
Hill said his mother, LaTanya Fenster,
was pregnant with him when she was in
high school. He said his mother was older
than McGee, and that McGee used to
carry his mother’s books.
Years later, McGee’s and Hill’s lives
intersected again when WCBI used
images of McGee to introduce a highlight
package of Hill on their National Signing
Day special broadcast. Hill, a 6-foot-2, 215-
pound linebacker/wide receiver, didn’t
know how the television station was going
to use pictures of McGee, but he said the
images were powerful.
“I felt like that was the biggest honor I
could receive at the moment,” Hill said.
“It was almost like a tear-jerker situation. I
still had to remember I had an interview
to 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 MSU
shouldering his expectations, his family’s
expectations, and the expectations of
those at West Lowndes High, and in the
community. That’s a huge burden to bear
for any individual, but Hill already is fol-
lowing McGee’s example.
“I consider myself an icon for West
Lowndes,” Hill said. “I consider myself a
role model, also. Any way I can encourage
the young people. I speak to elementary
and middle schoolers, even high school-
ers who are up and coming. I speak with
them to try to encourage them any way I
can because I really care about my school.
I want everyone to be successful. I lead by
example. I don’t expect anything to come
toward me, and I try to go get it any way I
can. Anytime somebody asks of me, I try
to do more than what is asked of me.”
Hill plans to live up to that credo in the
next few months. He already is doing
plenty of individual conditioning, like
 “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
jumping rope and running stadium steps,
and working out three or four times a
week at the YMCA. Initially, the work was
designed to prepare him to play line-
backer. But Hill said MSU coach Dan
Mullen recently told him he plans to use
him at wide receiver, so Hill said he is try-
ing to shed a few pounds so he can help
add depth to that position.
Hill had 23 catches for 269 yards and
two touchdowns as a senior. He also had
64 tackles, made one interception, had
one sack, recovered three fumbles, broke
up three passes, and tallied three tackles
for loss. He returned one of the intercep-
tions for a touchdown. ESPN.com gave
Hill a four-star ranking and listed him the
No. 24 athlete in the nation. Scout.com
listed him as the No. 22 prospect in the
state regardless of position.
Still, some area coaches wondered
whether Hill made enough plays to merit
those rankings. Hill also has faced ques-
tions about how he will stack up against
higher-rated prospects. He doesn’t mind
the questions or the doubters because he
knows it will be up to him to earn playing
time.
“Everyone has something to prove,”
Hill said. “You can’t just go out there and
expect it just because you walk out there.
Everyone has a grind they have to go
through. I understand if someone is
ranked higher than me because they get a
little more attention than me or they went
to a bigger school than I did. It is just a
mind-set. I understand I have got to work
to be successful. If he can outwork me, he
deserves it. I doubt I am going to allow
anybody to outwork me because I have it
in my mind that I got to work hard to get
where I need to get.”
Hill also said his spirituality will guide
him. He knows the Lord gave him the
opportunity to play football at MSU and
that he is eager to take on that challenge.
He said the key to success will be staying
humble and having a mind-set that noth-
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SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
ing will be given to him.
Hill said that attitude will help him real-
ize the goals he will set for himself. He
knows, too, that everyone at West
Lowndes High and in the community will
be watching him and pulling for him, so
he has to work even harder to satisfy all
of those people.
McGee faced similar expectations and
showed what hard work can help some-
one accomplish. Hill wants to do even
more to make McGee and everyone else
proud.
“I have to work for myself and my
community,” Hill said. “The thing with
West Lowndes is we get a lot of backlash
and negativity. I want to be the one to
show the community, the state, to show
whoever needs to know, that West
Lowndes, we have pride and we have icon
students, marquee students, who can do
well in any challenge we receive. I want to
be that example.”n
Sports Injuries
Work-Related Injuries
Hand Injuries
Back And Neck Pain
NORTH COLUMBUS BROOKSVILLE
670 Leigh Drive 214 Hwy 388
(At Columbus Orthopaedic Clinic)
27
OAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL
OAL GOAL GOAL
SOCCER GOAL GOAL
REIGNS GOAL GOAL
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Contributed

Mississippi School for Math and Science boys soccer team, top, from left, are Ryan S., Joseph N., John W., Tyler C., Josh
Rester, 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.

HE MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL FOR MATH AND SCIENCE BOYS SOCCER TEAM delivered

T the biggest highlight for the school’s sports teams this season. The Blues (6-2) defeated
Forest 2-1 in the opening round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association
Class 1A/2A/3A North Half State tournament.
Even though MSMS lost its next game to Corinth, the very satisfying.”
program took pride in the fact it earned its first postseason Chad Hickman and Mo Weems scored goals for MSMS
victory in a number of years. against Forest. MSMS beat Class 5A New Hope in the regular
Seniors Josh “Brody” Rester and Ryan Mackay and junior season and tied Class 6A Columbus in a preseason tourna-
Taylor Potter helped lead the team ment.
“We didn’t really know what to expect from Forest,” The victory and tie were especially satisfying for Mackay
Mackay said. “We have been playing mostly in our district and Rester, who are from Columbus. They admit they have
(against Aberdeen and Winona), but we played well. It was heard the whispers from opponents doubting the ability of the

story by ADAM MINICHINO

28 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

 “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
players because they attend an academic school. They also
are used to having teams overlook them and count MSMS as
a victory on their schedule.
“We got really lucky this year because of how many people
were interested,” Mackay said. “We just have a lot of talent.”
The team expects to return 13 juniors from this season’s
team.
n The cross country teams competed Nov. 7 at the state
meet at Choctaw Trails in Clinton. The girls team placed sev-
enth in its division. Eighty-six boys and eighty-one girls ran in
Division 3A.
Senior Lanie King paced the team on the 4-kilometer
course with a time of 19 minutes, 40.8 seconds. Senior Flo
Osbourne (19:43.1), senior Katherine Timm (19:56.5), junior
Leena 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-K
course. Junior Joshua Stone (21:49.9), junior Darrien Kelly
(25:01.4), senior Alan Wells (25:59.9), and junior Frank
McDonald (28:24.9) also competed.
n The MSMS swimming team sent five to the state meet
in Biloxi.
Bowen Han, of Starkville, Wilton Liana, of Starkville, Ryan
Mackay, of Columbus, Adam Grant, of Biloxi, and Samantha
Nanayakkara, of Oxford, competed.
Est. 1905
Celebrating Over100 Years!
302 University Drive
Starkville • 323-2684
n The tennis team was the runner-up in its district, and
sent five to the state tournament: Mackay and Grant compet-
ed in boys doubles, Sindhu Shivaji, of Starkville, and Eric
Briscoe 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, Courtlandt
Perkins was fifth in the 200 (23.09 seconds) and Jamarius
Waller was eighth in the discus (111 feet, 11 inches at the
Class 1A State meet.
“We’re real proud of our athletes,” MSMS Executive
Director Charles Brown said. “Here it is truly student first
and 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 to
keep as many sports as it can as it prepares for the 2010-11
school year. The school, which is on the campus of the
Mississippi University for Women in downtown Columbus,
and focuses on academics. It offers cross country, track and
field, swimming, soccer, and tennis.
“As always, we are academics first,” Brown said. “We really
want to be able to have our kid to be able to compete. It helps
with sprit and good, life-long habits.” n
Jackson Square
2013 Hwy. 45 North
Columbus • 327-2684
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 29
REINVENTION
Yellow Jackets fighting their way back to top
team won the 6A state title this season,
Starkville High quarterback Jaquez and girls basketball, volleyball, and the
Johnson (12) looks for throwing room girls and boys soccer and baseball had
against Columbus High. playoff seasons. The boys track team has
produced All-Americans and a two state
titles in the past three years.
Football, though, is the big ticket.
Missing out on a healthy gate at the
biggest venue on campus can put a strain
on an athletic department.
To regain interest in Starkville High
football, Mitchell has vowed to be an inte-
gral figure in fundraising and community
relations.
As he sees it, he has no choice.
“It’s how you build championship pro-
grams,” Mitchell said. “The community
has to have pride in its team, but this team
has to win ballgames. My job is to hit the
pavement and get out in the Starkville
community. We need them.”
Mitchell’s first day of spring practice
saw 89 players on hand. The Yellow
Jackets finished the fall with less than 50
on their roster. Low numbers, at least for
HANGE IS IN THE AIR FOR A FOOTBALL PROGRAM the spring, won’t be an issue.

C that has fallen on hard times. Usually, a team coming off a

postseason berth doesn’t need major renovation.
But when standards are far higher Fulton school.
Part of the reason Starkville’s numbers
were low in recent years centered around
eligibility. With proof that 3A or 4A roster
counts can happen at a 6A school, Mitchell
than current results, a new plan needs to Mitchell’s move to Starkville might is taking a hard-nosed approached to keep-
be mapped out. have seemed mistimed considering the ing his players on the field.
Back-to-back losing seasons and dimin- state of the SHS program and the roll he “It’s at the top of our chart,” Mitchell
ishing interest in the program produced was on at IAHS, but Class 6A jobs are cov- said. “We cannot afford to lose players
sparse crowds at Yellow Jacket Stadium in eted. because they’re not academically eligible.
the last two years of the Bill Lee era, which In his time at Olive Branch, Mitchell I’m a little bit behind the eight ball coming
includes the team’s last of its four state faced Tupelo, South Panola and Starkville in at the end of the school year. This time
titles (2001). in division play. next year, we’ll have a whole lot better
When Lee announced his retirement, it Since he left the Conquistadors to take grasp on kids’ grades. That’s something
left Starkville High with vacancies at the over in Fulton, the Jackets are 3-15 against we will monitor, probably by-weekly with
top of the athletic department and football Olive Branch, Tupelo, and South Panola, all of our kids.
program. the programs that are considered the best “We understand you can’t force a kid to
A familiar face in former principal Dr. in the region. pass, but we’re going to strongly encour-
Stan Miller was named athletic director, Title aspirations in Starkville have age them and they are going to under-
and his choice to lead Starkville football become simple talk as the “Big 3” have stand the importance of grades. We just
back to a championship level was Jamie controlled the region and faced a Starkville can’t lose kids, and that’s going to be
Mitchell, a noted program-rejuvenator. team that usually has earned the last play- stressed very heavily.”
Mitchell turned Itawamba Agricultural off spot. Mitchell has a list of needs and to-dos
High and Olive Branch High into consis- Mitchell’s approach is energetic and for the program on and off the field. He
tent playoff teams. He arrives in Starkville auspicious, and he enters at a burgeoning stressed the importance of identifying the
with a 40-10 record in four seasons at the time for SHS athletics. The boys basketball team’s specialists. He has Alvaro Pichardo

story by DAVID MILLER photos by DAVID MILLER and KELLY TIPPETT

30 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH ◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

Starkville High’s Chuck Tillery, left, and
Billy Shed were two of the team leaders
on offense. Their efforts helped the
Yellow Jackets qualify for the Class 6A
North Half State playoffs.
Proud to be a Yellowjacket!
Starkville School District
and Daniel Fumo from the SHS soccer
team to work with, but he must replace
last year’s snapper and holder.
The offensive line is a key spot, too, as
Jarrod Atterberry and Chris Prater are the
top returners. Size along the offensive and
defensive lines is lacking, especially com-
pared to division rivals.
“There’s no question that’s where our
shortage is,” Mitchell said of the line size.
“I’ve seen that in the couple weeks I’ve
been there, but we’re going to have to take
what we’ve got and develop those guys.
We’d love to have 6-5, 285 type guys but
we don’t. What we’re going to do is take
the ones we have and coach them. “
Off the field, Mitchell and Miller have
campaigned for a new field house, though
the odds of getting Starkville School
District funding is highly unlikely.
Improving the playing surface at Yellow
Jacket Stadium is in Mitchell’s future
plans, too. He also wants to improve team
strength and cohesion with structured
weight lifting periods during school hours
for freshmen.
Mitchell met some of those future
freshmen in the two weeks prior to the
start of varsity spring practice.
“We finished up with our junior high
spring with next year’s eighth and ninth
Home of the Class 6A
and Grand Slam
Basketball
Championship
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
graders and there’s no value you can put
on that time,” Mitchell said. “For us to get
over there and get our hands on those
kids was critically important.
“We had a very good week, and those
are classes that are going to be good for
us. 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 it
made for an even better story.
At 31-2, the Yellow Jackets turned in
their most dominant season with the 6A
and Grand Slam crowns. Rashad Perkins
was named The Commercial Dispatch
Large Schools Player of the Year and The
Clarion-Ledger’s Mr. Basketball, which is
awarded to the state’s top player.
Starkville posted a thrilling win against
Jackson Lanier and shut down Rodney
Hood in the 6A title win against Meridian.
Perkins, a senior power forward, led
the Yellow Jackets with 22.3 points per
game and 13.3 rebounds, while point
guard Edward Townsel averaged 18.8
points, 7.9 assists, and 4.5 steals per game.
The Yellow Jackets had the state’s best
guard-forward combination and received
major contributions from sophomores
Gavin Ware, Mike Brand, and Calvin
Young.
www sttark
www.starkville.k12.ms.us
kviille k12 ms us
31

Starkville High’s Nick Brooks (1) arrives
at third base safely as Columbus High’s
Avery Ford (5) covers.
■ The SHS girls basketball team exited
the playoffs early, but Kristie Williams’
squad finished 16-9 and the runner-up in
the Class 6A Region 2.
Expectations were high entering the
season coming off a region championship
after a North State run. The team, led by
versatile 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 South
Panola at the end of the regular season
and lost by four to Northwest Rankin in
their satellite playoff game.
Still, the Lady Jackets posted their third
winning season in the past four years.
Bonner signed with Itawamba Community
College 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 the
misfortune of facing defending state cham-
pion in Madison Central in the opening
round of the Class 6A postseason. The
Jaguars swept the Yellow Jackets in the
best-of-three series, but there were plenty
of highlights in the team’s second straight
playoff season.
SHS finished second in Class 6A,
32 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH ◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
Region 2 and led the region 205 runs. played one extra game this season, but it
R.J. Johnson led the team with a .492 was a special way to end a career on the
batting average and 12 home runs, while court.
outfielder Chuck Tillery batted .408 and Six upperclassmen got the chance to
had a team-high 38 runs. play in the postseason, taking second in
Johnson also led the team on the Class 3, Division 2 with a 12-18 overall
mound with a 2.72 ERA and 83 strikeouts. record and a 4-2 division mark.
“There’s guys on this team, like Chuck Starkville lost to Clinton in the opening
and R.J and Cody (Berryhill) who’ve start- round of the state playoffs, but it was the
ed for three or four years,” SHS baseball first block in first-year coach Lauren Love’s
coach Danny Carlisle said. “Then you take master plan.
Reggie (Campbell), who worked hard to “We grew a little bit every time we were
get where he is. Those guys have given a on the court,” Love said. “It was important
lot to this program, and I hate to see the for us to have that communication, both
year come to an end for them.” verbal and non-verbal.”
■ Brian Bennett knew his boys soccer Team leaders were Janae Poe (119
team was loaded and ready for a breakout kills), Deanna Rieves (38 blocks),
year roughly three years ago. Elizabeth Scott (63 aces), McKay
So when SHS started the season with Richardson (190 digs), and Wheeler
400-plus minutes of clean sheet soccer, Richardson (359 assists).
Bennett wasn’t surprised. ■ Year 2 of the Mimi Milling era of
“Guys just had to get experience,” Starkville softball showed movement in the
Bennett said. “We knew we were going to win column.
have the talent watching these kids play The Lady Jackets (5-14, 2-4 Class 6A
Select soccer.” Region 2) finished third in their region,
Starkville had just one senior on its but Milling’s squad managed four more
squad and built around its defensive soph- wins than it did in 2009.
omore trio in goalkeeper Addison Watson, Jonissa Buchanan had a breakout sea-
center back J.R. Tomlinson, and The son with a .395 batting average, 15 RBIs,
and 20 runs. Donnasha Hubbard hit .340
Commercial Dispatch Player of the Year,
defender Price Day. with 11 RBIs, while East Mississippi C.C.
signee Tamara Bell hit .270 with 11
SHS finished 9-2-2 and pitched seven
shutouts. The team also posted its first RBIs.■
shutout of state power Tupelo before
falling to Northwest Rankin in the opening
round of the playoffs.
The Yellow Jackets had four players
(Alvaro Pichardo, Tomlinson, Kase
Kingery and Watson) make The
Commercial Dispatch All-Area First Team.
Pichardo led the team with 11 goals.
Kingery scored five and had five assists.
■ Lady Jacket soccer battled scoring
woes in 2009-10 but still made the playoffs
and finished 9-5.
SHS lost to Madison Central in the first
round of the playoffs but had Morgan
Miller, Mariah Duck, Ida Knox, Christine
Mazzola, and Bailey Clark make The
Commercial Dispatch All-Area Soccer
Team.
Goalkeeper Raevonne Shoemaker fin-
ished with an 84-percent save rate and a
60-percent shutout clip. She was named
The Commercial Dispatch Player of the
Year, an honor Shoemaker took home
after saving eight of 13 penalty kicks this
season.
“The second you see those hips turn,
that’s where you go. I took pride in every
PK I stopped,” Shoemaker said.
Miller scored six goals and Duck had Starkville High’s DeAnna Rieves gets
five. into position to make a pass in a match
■ Starkville High’s senior volleyballers against Columbus.
 RTIE COSBY
A INHERITED A FULL
CUPBOARD when he
took over Starkville Academy
soccer. He knew it, too.
The former Mississippi State kicker
had been involved with Starkville youth
soccer leagues and was aware of the
talented players he’d lead.
An undefeated regular season and
No. 1 seed in the playoffs made the
2009-10 boys soccer team the biggest
story in Starkville Academy athletics
this year.
The Volunteers wiped out Heritage
Academy and Clarksdale Lee, posting a
string of eight-plus goal games. It also
STARKVILLE ACADEMY SOCCER SHOWS
DOMINANCE story by DAVID MILLER photos by KERRY SMITH and KELLY TIPPETT
showed the ability to finish games with
one-goal wins against Lamar School and
Pillow Academy.
Cosby takes little credit for the suc-
cess, instead pointing to a dominant sen-
ior class that produced three college
signees. But there’s no denying the archi-
Lyndsey Haynes led the Starkville
Academy fast-pitch softball team to
a 23-8 record.
tect of a team that displayed incredible
balance on both ends of the field.
Starkville Academy allowed 14 goals
in 11 games, with five coming in its play-
off loss to Jackson Prep.
Right winger Frankie Jones ended
his senior season with 10 goals and 10
assists, while central midfielder Roy
Miles had four goals and seven assists.
“Coming into the season, I knew Roy,
Will (Goodwin) and Frankie,” Cosby
said. “I had seen these guys growing up
and remember seeing them at a UAB
camp several years back, so I knew we
had some talent coming into the season.
But I was surprised by some of the guys
who I didn’t know.
“Then I had no idea what the compe-
tition would be like with my first time in
this league. Some games we’d win big
and I’d think, ‘We look good but gosh,
there’s got to be better teams.’ I knew
there were teams from Greenville and
Greenwood who would always have tal-
ent in Rec and Challenge.”
Washington and Pillow put up chal-
lenges, but Starkville Academy’s roster
was loaded with experience and drive to
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
Starkville
Academy
midfielder Roy
Miles, right,
and Jackson
Prep’s Tramel
Reeves
converge on a
ball in their
Mississippi
Association of
Independent
Schools
playoff match
on Feb. 10 at
the Starkville
Sportsplex.
Jackson Prep
won 5-0.
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-Area
Soccer Team. Jones, center forward Will
Goodwin, goalkeeper Herston
Williamson and center back Jake Read
joined Miles on the list.
With the exception of Williamson,
who joined the team this season, the
Volunteers’ seniors had played together
at Starkville Academy since the eighth
grade. That year, they went undefeated
and tied Jackson Academy twice.
Miles knew it could be done again.
“We all played together and took the
game serious then,” Miles said. “We had
a great chemistry then, and ever since
we were in the ninth grade we knew our
senior year was going to be special. It
honestly set in at the first practice (this
year) when we were all there. The start-
ing team worked the ball great, and we
just felt it from that point.”
Miles role with the team was crucial,
as he formed a strong link with Read on
the backline and Goodwin and Jones up
top. Miles was a facilitator and ball-hawk
33
 Starkville Academy’s Bailey Wofford (5) slides in safely ahead of
the tag by Bayou Academy’s Laken Wilson (15).

for Cosby.

G
“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. RANITE
He always tried to make himself available, and he’s a very
smart player.” COUNTERTOPS
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For every great team, certain things have to “go their way”
throughout the course of the season. A stroke of luck for a

The Granite
ball to bounce in your favor or a feared injury just turn into a
tweak is needed, but for the Volunteers they had a position to
worry about from the start of camp.

Guys
Josh Senter graduated and the team was faced with the
thought of moving Read in goal to replace the Mississippi
Gulf Coast signee. In came that stroke of luck.
Williamson, who’d played tackle for the football team and
first base for the baseball team, joined fall camp and quickly Specializing in the custom
established himself as the team’s No. 1 goalkeeper.
“It was obvious Herston had quick reflexes and good
fabrication and installation of granite, marble, and
hands,” Cosby said. “He got in goal and immediately started quartz.
stopping shots. With that, all we had to do was teach him the Please Visit Our Showroom at:
game.” 2859 South Frontage Road, Columbus
Williamson shed 20 pounds getting into soccer shape and
finished the season 104 saves and just 14 goals allowed.
“That was crucial for us, especially early when we were For an Estimate, please call:
thinking about putting Jake in goal,” Cosby said. “We just
couldn’t afford to put him in goal and leave too big of a gap in (662)329-8687
our defense. We had Jake out there kind of coaching Herston New Construction/Remodeling
through the game. Sometimes Herston didn’t know when he
could touch it. A lot of that was trial by fire for him.” We Move Mountains for your
The memorable season included a 2-2 comeback draw
against Starkville High and Goodwin and Miles signing with Countertops!
ICC. Defender Heath Walker signed with East Mississippi.
34 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
 “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
“We’ll take this experience and
always remember it,” Miles said. “You
couldn’t ask for a better season and how
we came together. Now I get to go do it
at the college level.”
n Confidence was in the air prior to
Starkville Academy’s season-opening
football game against Ackerman.
Lifted by their positive outings in jam-
boree season, the Volunteers were ready
to shock opening weekend.
It didn’t happen. Ackerman, eventual
MHSAA Class 2A state runner up, left
jam-packed J.E. Logan Field with a 55-2
win. The Volunteers never recovered.
Year 2 of Brian Sims’ tenure turned
into an 0-11 season in which the
Volunteers gave up 40 or more points in
six games.
Injuries along the line came before
quarterback Will Goodwin was shelved
with a knee injury. Inexperience took to
the field and Sims’ spread offense never
took off.
With 15 straight losses dating back to
2008, Sims resigned amid pressure and
growing negative energy outside of the
program.
“I don’t worry about the parents so
much as I do the kids,” Sims said. “I
don’t listen to parents much because
they seldom know what they are talking
about. I just felt like everybody was
pulling in different directions and obvi-
ously it was time for a change.”
In steps Jeff Terrill, whom no one
could have put on Starkville Academy’s
shortlist to replace Sims. The former
Itawamba Community College head
coach became SA’s third coach in four
years when he was introduced Dec. 17.
Terrill’s experience alone — 38-36
record at ICC — should give the pro-
gram a boost. The Vols hope the
timetable for competing at a level com-
parable to the 2005 state title team is a
short span.
“This is probably as low a situation as
I’ve been involved in,” Terrill acknowl-
edges. “When we inherited ICC, they
were coming off a 3-6 season. In high
school football, though, the turnaround
can be quicker than expected. When
you’ve got a younger players (sopho-
mores) that year of experience makes a
lot of difference.”
n Randy Haynes couldn’t have had a
better swan song as Starkville
Academy’s head softball coach.
After three years at the helm and
three more as an assistant, Haynes guid-
ed the Lady Volunteers to a 23-8 record
and third place in the MAIS Class AAA
North Tournament.
Though the team narrowly missed
out on the playoffs, the Lady Vols had
three infielders and two outfielders to
replace from the previous year. There
was no depth in the circle, either.
Starkville Academy beat rival Pillow
Academy three out of four times this
season and won the Starkville
Invitational to cap an 8-1 start.
“If they had told me we’d be 23-8 at
the end of the season, I would have just
took it right then,” Haynes joked. “I
couldn’t have ever dreamed, percentage-
wise, that we’d have that kind of a
record. I mean, we had girls who were
starting for us that we had to teach to
throw a ball.”
Pitcher Lyndsey Haynes was named
MAIS All-Star.
Catcher Bailey Wofford led the team
in batting and runs scored.
n Glenn Schmidt leaned on a trio of
seniors and a freshman in the Lady
Volunteers solid season on the basket-
ball court.
Senior forward Maggie Gladney (9
ppg., 4.5 rpg.), along with fellow upper-
classmen Anne Claire Craig and Kylie
Lockhart, helped guide the Lady
Volunteers to a 19-15 record and a first-
round playoff berth.
Freshman guard/forward Tiffany
Huddleston, a member of The Dispatch
Large Schools All-Area Second Team,
led the team with 11.6 points, 5.9
rebounds and 3.3 steals per game.
As much of a key as Huddleston was
to the Lady Vols’ success, transfer point
guard Anna Prestridge (6.5 ppg., 3.1
apg., 2.2 spg.) added stability and was
often praised by Schmidt for her positive
assist to turnover ration.
n Artie Cosby’s first year at the
school covered both soccer programs,
and his start in the fall with the Lady
Volunteers produced a playoff berth.
The girls finished 7-7 and 7-4 in
North AAA contests. The team played
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
with youth, but fielded talented fresh-
men in leading scorers Sallie Kate
Richardson and Tiffany Huddleston and
goalkeeper Garland Willcutt.
The team will lose three seniors, two
of whom — defender Michelle Padgett
and midfielder Anne Claire Craig —
were named MAIS All-Stars.
n After a dominant 2008-09 basket-
ball campaign, Clay Stringer probably
didn’t foresee the struggles the
Volunteers faced this season.
Starkville Academy lost the likes of
Johnathan McKenzie, James Blair,
Brandon Sharp — starters the previous
season — Will Goodwin and Jake Read
from the previous year.
Juniors Patrick Jones and J.R.
Gerhart became the elders of the team,
but with so many new pieces the
Volunteers were behind the curve in
2009-10. The Volunteers finished 1-23.
Their lone win on the road against Oak
Hill brought a refreshing moment to a
season filled with frustration.
Five juniors return next year, when
Stringer is confident the accelerated
minutes will have his players ready to
have complete-game performances.
n Three coaches in the span of two
months, including one gone incredibly
wrong, highlighted the baseball team’s
offseason.
The Volunteers’ season ended below
.500 and without a postseason place.
Former head coach Justin Brewer
accepted a job at Copiah-Lincoln
Community College, and the Volunteers
hired former New Hope High All-
American and former minor leaguer
Shane Bazzell.
At his introduction, Bazzell spoke of
running a tight ship and having a disci-
plined ball club. On Jan. 15, his era
came to an end when he was arrested
for having a stolen four-wheeler in his
front yard. Then, the Mississippi Bureau
of Narcotics completed a two-year drug
investigation and a grand jury indicted
Bazzell on four felony counts of obtain-
ing Adderall by fraud.
Bazzell wasn’t retained and interim
coach Neal Henry took over. Henry led
the team to a 14-16 record, as it strug-
gled down the stretch after reaching 9-7
overall and 4-5 in district play.n
35
 The
Turning
Point
One game set tone for
East Oktibbeha success
story and photo by DAVID MILLER
OUR GAMES INTO
F THE 2009-10 BOYS
BASKETBALL SEASON,
the East Oktibbeha Titans
were falling well short of
coach Barnett Robinson’s
expectations.
After winning a division tournament title in
2008-09, much was expected of a Titans squad
that returned one of the area’s top scorers in
Doug Chandler. And after sitting out most of
the previous season, forward Kirby Sherman
was available to give Robinson the post pres-
ence the team lacked last season.
When the Titans went to the West
Lowndes Tournament on Nov. 27, no one
could have imagined how one win would
spark a breakout season and an undefeated
division record.
That night, the Titans beat Ethel 71-60,
starting an 11-game winning streak that laid
the foundation for a Class 1A South State
final berth, where the Titans were one quar-
ter away from punching their ticket to
Jackson.
Robinson called the game “the turning
point” in the team’s season, not because it
was the first of 23 wins but because of how
the team played.
“I worked them pretty hard that week in
practice, and I think they saw that with hard
work they could continue to win,” Robinson
said. “There’s not really much else than that.
The guys just kept working from that point.”
Chandler, who led the Titans with 18.7
points per game and 2.7 assists, could pin-
point the team’s deficiencies early on and
made it a point to help reinforce what
Robinson was preaching.
“We had to start focusing on our defense
and using our big men,” Chandler said. “We
lost four straight, and I told the guys we had
to do better, practice harder, run the floor,
36 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH ◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
East Oktibbeha High School boys basketball coach Barnett Robinson, right,
and leading scorer Doug Chandler helped the Titans to a 23-7 record and a
region title this season.
and get back on D.
“I knew we would have a good season
because we had a good team, even last year
when we were struggling. When we brought
some more boys in this year, we had a feeling
we would have a good season. We just couldn’t
keep losing games like we were.”
Chandler formed an explosive backcourt
combination with junior Casey Neal, who
averaged 10.4 points per game and a team-
high 3.1 steals per game.
New to the starting lineup this season
was 6-foot-3 small forward Geonte
Richardson, who averaged 8.5 points and
7.5 rebounds and gave the Titans a top
perimeter threat on the team.
Robinson felt he had a more complete
lineup and multiple scoring options to get
the team through nights when opponents
entered the gym to stop Chandler.
“You can have a lot of talent, but getting
players to put their egos aside and play team
ball is the biggest thing,” Robinson said. “You
never know what type of offense you are
going to rely on each night. One night, you
might have to feed it inside to Kirby. The next
you may have to rely on Geonte shooting the
ball from the outside. Then you might have to
rely on Doug or Casey driving to the basket
and pushing the ball.
“We had choices this year, and the guys
recognized that anybody on the team could
carry us.”
Finishing 23-7 (10-0 in Class 1A, Region
5), the Titans beat Nanih Waiya for the
region tournament title. McAdams eliminat-
ed East Oktibbeha in the South State tour-
nament.
Despite losing Chandler, Sherman, and
Richardson, Robinson is confident the team
can continue the year-to-year improvement
he has seen in his three years at the helm.
■ The 2009 football season could have
had a much different ending if not for a play
here or a play there.
Second-year coach Anthony King’s
Titans raced to a 4-3 record after back-to-
back 50-point wins against Thomastown and
Edinburg, only to see a pair of four-point
losses and a pair of six-point losses close the
door on their playoff hopes.
The Titans (4-7, 3-6 Class 1A Region 3)
also dropped a heartbreaking 26-24 match
at rival West Oktibbeha.
■ Randy Brooks’ return to the sideline
produced a winning record for the East
Oktibbeha Lady Titans, who rebounded
from a shaky start to earn a division runner-
up finish.
The Lady Titans lost their first five
games before going 4-2 before the
Christmas Break.
The team had to overcome the uncer-
tainty of Alexius Selvie being available after
the point guard suffered a preseason injury.
Then there was the adjustment period
with Brooks taking over for Cynthia
Davenport, who guided the team to the
2007 Class 1A state title.
However, the team found stride and fin-
ished with an improved record after a down
season in 2008-09.■
Faith
turned West
Oktibbeha around
story by DAVID MILLER photo by KELLY TIPPETT
UIETLY, THE WEST
Q OKTIBBEHA HIGH
SCHOOL FOOTBALL
TEAM used a surge of
enthusiasm and faith to make
one of the significant
turnarounds in the area.
Both feelings came with winning foot-
ball, but faith came well before the team
went into the final week of the 2009 regular
season fighting for a playoff spot.
In ’08, Adam Lowrey took over a
Timberwolves program that was struggling
in every way. The team hadn’t had a win-
ning season in two years, as the rigors of
playing in a stacked division and dwindling
support left a mountainous task for the
young head coach.
His arrival during the fall semester that
year was met with 15 players ready to dive
into what turned into a 1-9 season.
In six games that season, the
Timberwolves were held to eight points or
less.
Faith is hard to maintain when your
team is smaller than every opponent and
losses 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 kids
join the team and flake out days or weeks
later, was Lowrey’s belief that the happi-
ness they wanted from football would come
as long as the team worked hard and
believed in Christ.
“Faith without works is dead. And when
you have no faith at all, there will be no
works,” Lowrey said. “If you believe in
something greater than yourself, you can
fail and still rise up and have something
pull you up. The same goes for the team as
a whole. That camaraderie and faith in each
other can pull you out of tough spots.”
The ’09 season would be much like the
roller coaster of the previous year, but the
second ride provided more highs than lows
and saw the team finish 5-6 record and fifth
in the re-worked Class 1A, Region 3.
But after opening the season with back-
to-back losses to old division rivals East
Webster and West Lowndes by a combined
margin of 70-6, Lowrey’s faith came close to
faltering.
“I wondered if it would turn around, but
I didn’t know what would happen,” Lowrey
said. “It’s like pulling down that one-armed
bandit, waiting to see what comes up. But
we 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 work
toward team progress. Again, the idea of
“works and faith” prompted Lowrey and his
staff to make major changes.
He owed it to his kids, who had faith in
him that he could lead them to wins.
Lowrey’s “best athlete” would ultimately
carry the responsibility of leading the
Timberwolves out of the offensive
quandary that marred an entire season and
showed every sign of scarring yet another.
Junior Dwight Quinn opened the season
as the team’s starting quarterback, but the
offense wasn’t built for the inexperienced
offensive line that still lacked size.
A different approach was needed, and
Lowrey brought the idea of starting fresh-
man wideout Von Smith at quarterback and
Quinn at receiver.
Quinn didn’t need much persuasion
from Lowrey; he knew Smith could excel
and that a drastic change had to be made.
“I always knew it would work because
Von is going to make it work,” Quinn said.
“If one thing doesn’t go right, he’s going to
find a way to get around it. He likes to
come to me, and we talk about football
throughout the day.
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
West Oktibbeha High School
football coach Adam Lowrey
prays with his team.
“I didn’t see it coming with the way the
season turned out but after the Noxapater
game we all knew.”
With two weeks to install a new passing
offense, the Timberwolves were in over-
time against Noxapater and in a walkoff
scenario they hadn’t been in much.
The Timberwolves won 36-28 and fol-
lowed with a pair of wins to put the team
above .500 for the first time since opening
the ’07 season with a win against Falkner.
Quinn established himself as Smith’s go-
to receiver, racking up 572 yards and six
touchdowns on 48 catches despite missing
three games.
The Timberwolves scored 167 points
after managing just 59 the year before.
“Me and the coaches started with build-
ing a fort around Von,” Lowrey said. “We
knew he could throw, but we couldn’t get
him hit. We built around our strength and
put our great athlete at wide receiver to
start. We really didn’t know what we were
doing last year and still threw for 1,500
yards.”
The finish has sparked interest, as
Lowrey has 29 players on his spring prac-
tice roster. The hallways and the class-
room, though, haven’t completely jumped
on board.
Faith, again, applies to what Lowrey and
Quinn believes is the last element needed
to take the program to higher heights.
“It was kind of hard because some of us
got the big heads,” Quinn said, “but to be
honest, some of the people in our school
don’t even cheer for us. They cheer for
East Webster down the road. So it was hard
not to come back to school and feel like ‘I
told you so.’
“We feed off that negativity and we like
that because we’ve already been through
so much more.”n
37
MOTIVATION
W
West Point looks to defend state championship in 2010

EST POINT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH CHRIS CHAMBLESS isn’t having any trouble motivating
his players to work hard in preparation for the 2010 season.
West Point High players have set their “We’re always going to have some good
sights on repeating as state champions memories, but we’re already feeding off of
after winning the Mississippi High School it going into the next year,” Chambless
Activities Association Class 5A state cham- said. “We’ve worked extremely hard in the
pionship in 2009. offseason so far. I hope that will carry over
West Point won the sixth state title in so we can make another run if we can.
school history on Dec. 5, 2009, when it “These guys coming back, I constantly
beat Wayne County 35-14 at Mississippi remind them that to have true ownership
Memorial Stadium in Jackson. of a state championship you have to win it
West Point (14-1) won its final 14 games as a senior. That’s what the juniors coming
after a season-opening loss to Shannon to up as seniors want next year. They want West Point coach Chris Chambless led
cap a season the players and coaches will their own. That’s what they’re working the Green Wave to their sixth state
remember for the rest of their lives. for.” championship in school history.

story by HENRY MATUSZAK photos by STAN BEALL

38 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010


LaKenderic Thomas rushes
through West Point’s offensive line
Winning the state championship was
the realization of a dream come true for
the 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 want
to win your district. Then you want to go
into the playoffs and try to win a state
championship. You just want to accomplish
one step at a time. It’s kind of like climbing
up 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 three
rounds of the playoffs before adding the
final piece of the championship puzzle by
beating Wayne County.
The Green Wave outscored their oppo-
nents 485-177 en route to the champi-
onship, averaging 32.3 points and allowing
11.8 points per game.
The championship was Chambless’ first
as a head coach, and he said he’ll always
have special memories.
“Things pop in your head all the time,”
Chambless said. “You just try to recapture
those feelings you had when the last sec-
onds ticked off the clock. That’s one of the
most memorable things, looking up and
seeing the score and knowing you came
out 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 three
years as head coach.
The Green Wave put it all together in
2009 after coming up short the previous
three years.
“They were just determined,”
Chambless said. “The season we had a
year ago (2008) probably helped us more
than anything because we weren’t good
enough and to them that was unaccept-
able. It was unacceptable to me and the
areas and some areas I thought we should
have been much better in,” West Point
coach Buddy Wyers said. “We improved
offensively. We improved as a team. We’re
still not where we need to be by any
means, but we did go through some pretty
good stretches.”
The Green Wave started their win
streak on April 9, when they beat Oxford
in a district game.
“We went through about a week and a
half where we won several games and won
some pretty big games,” Wyers said.
■ The fast-pitch softball team made the
MHSAA Class 5A state playoffs and fin-
ished 5-14.
“I thought we improved through the
year, and I think we’ll continue to improve
coaches. We knew we could do better and the next few years,” West Point coach
we preached that all year in the offseason Libby Forrester said.
and going into the season. They didn’t ■ The boys soccer team experienced
accept giving anything less. They got growing pains with an inexperienced team
tougher. That’s how we approached things and lost all six of its matches.
That made us better.” “We were kind of young,” West Point
Six West Point High football players coach Blake Hutchinson said. “We only
signed scholarships in February. Michael had three seniors. We had a lot of young
Carr and Curtis Virges signed with guys with some who had never played
Mississippi State, Jeremy Cannon, Xavier before. They played hard. I was proud of
Hogan, and Matthew Lewis signed with them. It seems like we got better every
East Mississippi Community College, and game and by the end of the year we were
Desmond Boyd signed with Hinds C.C. in every game we played. We were proud
By winning the state championship, the of them in that aspect.”
Green Wave created excitement in the ■ The girls soccer team went winless
West Point community and captured the in 10 matches.
imagination of their fans. “We could have been better if we would
The Green Wave’s goal now is to give have worked harder,” West Point coach
the fans another special year to remember Keith Manning said.
with another state championship. ■ The volleyball team didn’t win a
■ The boys basketball team finished 8- match in Dionne Keys’ final season as
16 and Winston Varnado resigned after the coach.
season to assist his son, Jarvis, prepare for Keys has retired after 24 years of coach-
a career in professional basketball. Jarvis ing girls sports at West Point High and has
set the NCAA record for career blocked moved to Collins.
shots this season as a senior center at “We’d always maybe win two (games)
Mississippi State. and they would come back and win three,”
Former Oak Hill Academy boys coach Keys said. “We were competitive but we
Brad Cox replaced Varnado on an interim never could get over the hump. We
basis and is expected to become the new enjoyed the season. We just didn’t do as
coach. well as we could have. I had a young team
■ The girls basketball team made it to because I had mostly seniors the year
the first round of the Class 5A North State before. I had maybe two girls that played
Tournament and finished the season 17-8. at all from last year and all the other girls
“I think we peaked at the right time,” this was like their first year to play. It was a
West Point coach Jemmye Ann Helms young team full of freshmen and sopho-
said. “We were playing good right before mores.”
district. I was excited. I was proud of my ■ The girls track finished fifth in
girls.” regionals at Oxford and didn’t qualify for
Kelsei Ewings averaged 22 points and North State.
five assists per game to lead the team. Nekeisha Walker finished fifth in the
■ The baseball team had a six-game long jump and the 4x100 and 4x200 relay
winning streak during the season and fin- teams of Walker, Jemeka King, Malikah
ished 10-14. Quinn and Elizabeth Salmon finished fifth
“There were some positives in some at regionals.■
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 39
Contributed
CHANGE
COMPETING IN A NEW DISTRICT BREATHES LIFE INTO
OAK HILL WITH A FEW BUMPS ALONG THE WAY
story by HENRY MATUSZAK
Oak Hill Academy girls basketball coach
Stan Hughey poses for a picture with
the school’s All-District players. From
left: seniors Megan Holton and Bonnie
Riley and sophomore Tori Ellis.
40 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
AK HILL ACADEMY GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH
O STAN HUGHEY had good reason to like playing in a new
district this past season.
Hughey’s Lady Red Raiders didn’t
lose a league game in their first year in
Mississippi Association of Independent
Schools North District 2AA en route to
a 21-12 record.
“Any time we don’t have a chance to
compete 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 pretty
neat. Any time you win any kind of
championship, whether it a district or
state or North State or whatever, it’s
something the kids remember. There
were some highlights, but there were a
lot of disappointments, too. “
Oak Hill was in the same division
with Carroll Academy, Manchester
Academy, and Winston Academy.
Bonnie Riley led Oak Hill Academy
in scoring with 16 points per game,
while sophomore Tori Ellis added 15
points per game. Senior Megan Holton
paced the team in rebounding with
eight per game. Riley added 7.5 per
game.
“Bonnie was so good at creating her
own shot off the dribble,” Hughey said.
“She scored a lot of her points by taking
the ball to the basket.”
n The football team lost to Lamar
 “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

School in the first round of the MAIS Class AA state playoffs

and finished 3-9.
“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 said. “We were proud of
that, but we weren’t proud of how our record ended up.”
The Raiders were decimated by injuries. Running back
Jake Orman suffered an AC joint sprain the fourth game of
the season against Leake Academy. Quarterback Davis
Clayton suffered a knee injury in the ninth game against Kirk
Academy.
Orman rushed for more than 500 yards in the first three
games before getting hurt.
“We had some very untimely injuries, but that’s part of
football, too,” Gregg said. “It just seems the people you could
without the least are the ones who end up with the injuries.”
n The boys basketball made it to the MAIS District 2AA
North State tournament and finished 11-17.
“We had only eight players,” Oak Hill Academy coach
Brian Middleton said. “We only lost one, so we’ll have seven
back next year. The junior high won the district and finished Oak Hill Academy football coach Leroy Gregg

LIVE IT UP!
19-5, so we’re moving up a lot of young talent. We’ve got our
two leading scorers coming back. We’re enthusiastic about
that.”
The leading scorers were junior Zach Bryan (12 ppg.) and
Steven Jones (10 ppg.).
n The baseball team missed the playoffs by one game and
finished the season 6-13.
“We were just a young, inexperienced team that got better
as the season went along,” Oak Hill Academy coach Marion
Bratton said. “Our pitching was so young we couldn’t get four
innings out of a pitcher. I wasn’t going to hurt a kid’s arm. We
just 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 undisclosed
reasons.
“He was that one guy that was good enough to get us a
win on Thursday nights and we needed one against Carroll
and one against Winston and we would have been in the play-
offs,” Bratton said. “He also was probably our best hitter. He
Just like your family,
would have been our MVP.”
n The fast-pitch softball team placed third in the MAIS we are so proud of you!
Class AA North State tournament, second in its conference
and finished 13-11. Thanks for making your high
Oak Hill Academy played the season without its No. 3 and
No. 4 hitters, Mary Helen Hays and Paige Dawkins. school days, one of our best!
“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 every
Dr. James L. Holzhauer
game we played was like 3-2, 4-3, 1-0, you know, those kind of Emily Jamison, CFNP
ballgames. We weren’t in any blowouts. We were playing 505 Willowbrook • Columbus • 329-9191
some younger girls and they got an opportunity to play.”n
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 41
WRITING ON THE
WALL

Hebron Christian baseball coach

Greg Watkins, left, received key
contributions from Dylan Prisock
(11), J.D. Edwards (13), and Blake
Harrell (22) en route to another
district championship and a 14-6
finish.

Tradition inspires Hebron Christian finished in a three-way tie for first place in
Mississippi Association of Independent Schools North District
3A with Central Academy and Winona Christian and won a

Hebron Christian’s tiebreaker 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 the
district title dynasty district last year and the kids getting to write their names on the
wall 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 and
story by HENRY MATUSZAK we’re going to write our names on the wall.’ ”
Hebron Christian (14-6) repeated as district champion
despite losing six starters from the previous year.
HE HEBRON CHRISTIAN BASEBALL TEAM

T
has started a trend it hopes it can continue for
years to come.
For the second year in a row, Hebron Christian’s seniors
signed 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 the
players signed a block in the dugout in recognition of being
district champs.
“That was big for this group,” Watkins said. “We lost a lot
from last year. We started out slow. The kids kept working hard-
er and harder and we just improved over the year. We played
some pretty good ball.”
Dylan Prisock, Blake Harrell, and J.D. Edwards hit better
than .400, while Kevin Simmons hit better than .300 to lead
Hebron Christian. Prisock, Harrell, and Will Corbin Rogers led
the team on the mound.
Prisock was MVP of the district and chosen to play in the
MAIS All-Star game, Edwards was the district’s offensive MVP

42 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

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

and chosen to play in the

MAIS All-Star game, and
Harrell 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 real
tough schedule. Our goal was
the make the playoffs and we
fell short, really one touch-
down pass short of making the
playoffs. We’ve got a lot of
excitement for next year’s
team. We’ve got some return-
ing starters at skill positions,
which we didn’t have last year.
Our numbers will be up five or
six compared to what we have

n The boys basketball

had.”
team finished 12-8 in Gary
Vaughan’s last year as head
coach.
“I’m going to step down,”
Vaughan said. “I’ve had some
health issues. I’m an old
“It was great,” said Watkins, Greg Watkins, left, guided the Hebron Christian football team
who also coaches girls basket- to a 4-6 record in his first season.
ball. “These girls worked hard.
When you win four straight
you have that bull’s-eye on you
and this year it was pretty
tough. In the district tourna-

YOU
retired public school coach ment we ended up having to
and administrator. I’ve been go to overtime in the final
doing this for a lot of years game. It was a big achieve-

now and probably getting a lit-
tle too old to keep the fast pace
you have to do to coach.”
Hebron Christian was
WIN
ment for them to have won it
five years in a row.”
n The softball team fin-
ished 13-11 after placing sec-

besieged by injuries through-
out the season. The team’s
leading scorer, junior Carlton
Thanks
ond in its district and making it
to the Mississippi Association
of Independent Schools Class
A North State Tournament.

for a
Clay (14 points per game), “Early in the season we just
missed games with a twisted didn’t have it for whatever rea-
knee and illness, point guard son,” Hebron Christian coach

Blake Harrell broke his ankle
and missed the district and
regional tournaments, and
GREAT
Cass Tapley said. “We lost
some game, some really close,
that we didn’t expect to. About

Chad Smith broke his hand.
“We just sort of had some
bad things to happen to us,”
Vaughan said. “It just seemed
like every time we would get
something going, something
n The girls basketball team
would happen.”
went 19-7 and won its fifth con-
secutive district championship.
Hebron Christian beat
Immanuel Christian Academy
in the championship game.
Year!
halfway through the season we
got it turned around and then
they responded like I had
expected them to. I think we
were 10-1 through our last 11
games. We finished well,
which was like what we
expected early in the season.
We just ran out of gas in the
North State Tournament. It
ended on a pretty good
note.”n
427 Main Street • Columbus • 662-328-1000
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 43
 OF THE
PLAYERS WEEK
2009-2010
LYNDSEY HAYNES TORI FIELDS JACOB ACKER JAMERSON LOVE LANDON ELLIS JOSH POE
Starkville Academy Heritage Academy Pickens Academy Aberdeen Victory Christian West Oktibbeha
Fast-pitch softball Girls soccer Football Football Football Football

TERRANCE DENTRY LEDRICK DEION CURRY JAQUEZ JOHNSON DAMIAN BAKER MICHAEL
New Hope PATTERSON Pickens County Starkville High Columbus High BRADFORD
Football East Webster Football Football Football Lamar County
Football Football

TREVOR EAVES MARCQUIS PLANT AARON ANDREWS QUINTON JUSTIN COX MICHAEL CARR
Central Academy Lamar County Aberdeen STURDIVANT West Point West Point
Football Football Football Pickens County Football Football
Football
44 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
CATHERINE RASHAD PERKINS EDWARD TOWNSEL KALA WILLIAMS TYLER WHITE FRANKIE JONES
JOHNSON Starkville High Starkville High Starkville High Heritage Academy Starkville Academy
Starkville High Boys basketball Boys basketball Girls basketball Boys basketball Boys soccer
Girls basketball

PRICE DAY CALLIE MINOR JUSTIN JAMES DAQUARIUS PICKENS JOSEPH MACGOWN
Starkville High Pickens Academy Immanuel Christian MALLARD ACADEMY Starkville Academy
Boys soccer Girls basketball Boys basketball Noxubee County Girls basketball Track and Field
Boys basketball

KELLI PETTY STARKVILLE HIGH R.J. JOHNSON TYJI HAWKINS JOSH TENTONI DYLAN EARNEST
New Hope High Boys basketball Starkville High Columbus High Columbus High Hamilton High
Track and Field Baseball Baseball Baseball Baseball

AUSTIN WELCH DAVIS LEE JAKE SMITH JESSICA COMER RICHARD WILL GOODWIN
Hamilton High New Hope High New Hope High Caledonia High CHRISTOPHER Starkville Academy
Baseball Baseball Baseball Track and Field Heritage Academy Track and Field
Track and Field
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 45
46 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH ◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
 CHEER, BAND
ACTIVITIES
New Hope
High School
Marching Band
Roster
Takika Abrams, Kristy
Alexander, Sherrie
Alexander, Karansa
Anderson, Destiny Bailey,
Spencer Bailey, Amberle
Baucom, Austin Beatty,
Hunter Brown.
Larissa Bruce, Amanda
Burleson, Shane Burns, Marquis Gray, Rayon Laminack. Robertson, Josh Robison.
Justin Cline, Chris Cole, Greason, Alexis Green, Sarah Latham, Laterrica Iesha Rockett, Willie
Katherine Cole, Megan Amanda Green, Tevin Henley, Lockett, Ryan Lowe, Morgan Sharp, Haley Swims, Chelsea
Coleff, Alexandria Coleman, Rebecca Hicks, Jameson McNabb, Aaron Miller, Taylor, Rashad Terry, Ciara
Ashley Craddieth, Leebo
Holder, Juwan Hunter, Tyler Andrew Miller, Tavares Turner, Caitlin Urton, Taylor
Davis.
Hurt, Rebecca Hyde. Mixon, Miracle Moore, Vick, Alicia Vickers.
Nicole Davis, Amy
Dempsey, Brianna DeRosia, Antoinette Ingram, Kevin Breana Newton. Gunner Vowell, Angel
Jacob Elsmore, Justin Jasko, Cindy Jennings, David Newton, Deshon Weeks, Terry Weiser, Jakeyia
Elsmore, Franklin Fairley, Brandon Johnson, Shaniqua O’Neil, Chris Paine, Brittani Wells, NiKevia Wells, RiKevia
Beth Feazel, Jaquari Jones, Tiara Jones, Amy Paster, Maci Peoples, Wells, Jada Williams, Jasmine
Ferguson, Lee Fisher, Ariel Kimbrel, Cameron Lamar, Brittney Perkins, Tiffany Williams, Laketa Williams,
Gordon. Alex Laminack, John Pullum, Acia Rice, Andrea Sarah Young

Play it safe on the fi

field...
eld...
Play it safe on your tires!
• Tires
• Struts
• Lube
• Oil
• Filters
• Brakes
• Shocks
2009-10 Caledonia High School Varsity Cheerleaders
Haley Benson, Jessica Comer, Chelsey Eliott, Haley Ellis
Carlee Gurley, Robbin Hamilton, Kailey Lavender, Mara
Lovick, 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 3rd
Place Cheer Champions
LOWNDES COUNTY RADIAL TIRE
“Get the World’s Best Selling Tires at Great Prices”
All-America Cheerleaders: Robbin Hamilton, Jessica Comer, 1512 Highway 45 N. • (662) 327-3311
Ashton Sheppeard
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 47
CHEER, BAND ACTIVITIES

Heritage Academy Junior High Dance Team
First Row: Lexi Bennett, Alli Ridilla, Ashley Allsup, Cara
Dixon, Alliemarie Brooks, Margaret LeBrun
Second Row, Katherine Maer Kerby, Glenn Brown, Evelyn Ray,
Laura Stennett, Kirby Smith, Mixson Bateman, Emily
Markham
Heritage Academy Varsity Dance Team
First Row: Leslie Ferguson, Taylor Cabiness, Hannah Higgins,
JoAnna West
Second Row: Caroline Glenn, Katie Beck, Katie Ferguson,
Laurel McCoy, Mary Dade Ford, Anna Gaines Gaskin, Alex
Kloor

Heritage Academy Dance Team Honors
n Junior High and Varsity received
first place in Home Routine at University
of Alabama “UDA” summer camp.
n Varsity received second place at
MAIS State Competition.
n Junior High received third place at
Delta Blues Competition.
n Junior High and Varsity competed
in the National Dance Team
Championship in Orlando, Fla.
n All-Stars and participated in the
Thanksgiving Day Parade in Disney
World: Cara Dixon (Junior High); Mary
Dade Ford and Alex Kloor (Varsity)
n Hannah Higgins and JoAnna
West participated in the Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

at io n s!
gr a tu l
Co n Heritage Academy Cheerleaders
First Row: Elaine Curtis, Montgomery Atkins, Katie Hopper,

BROOKS EYE CENTER

James E. Brooks, O.D.
3545 Bluecutt Road • Columbus, MS
662-327-2020
“We examine more than your eyes.”
48 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
Lillia Flora; Second Row: Jessie Householder, Stephanie
Cruise, Kimberly Sansing, Caroline Borland, Morgan Lott,
Christie Beth Nelson, Chandler Jones; Third Row: Lauren
Brown, Claire Wiygul, Bailey Rader, McKenzie Jones, Ashley
Rhett The cheerleaders won second place in the Home Pom
Routine Competition and received the Leadership Award,
which was voted on by all camp participants at Mississippi
State University.
 CHEER, BAND
ACTIVITIES

Heritage Academy Band students, from left, Noah Lind,

Timmy Lind, Jenna Petrel, Amanda Wei, and Diana Park all
earned superior ratings at the Starkville Academy Solo and
Ensemble Festival recently.

Heritage Academy Band

These Heritage Academy students took part in MSU band day
and performed on the field at halftime. The students are, from
left, Goodloe Chilcutt, Noah Lind, Timmy Lind, Ann Marie
Chilcutt and Jenna Petrel.
The Heritage Academy Patriot Band participated in the MAIS
Spring Band Festival April 1 at Jackson Academy’s new per-
forming arts center. These students performed a concert
before three judges and earned superior ratings from each
judge. The Patriot Band then performed a sight-reading exer-
cise in which they also made a superior rating. The Patriot
Band includes, front row, from left, Ryan Walford, Noah Lind,
Mary Grace Crenshaw, Katy Whitman, Alex Kloor, and
Dawnice Mullins; back row, from left, Timmy Lind, Amanda
Wei, Jenna Petrel, Diana Park, Ann Marie Chilcutt, and
Goodloe Chilcutt. Not pictured is Julie Cunningham.

R
Rodney A. Ray
AT T O R N E Y AT L A W

301 Fifth Street South

Suite B
Columbus, Mississippi 39701
Phone: (662) 329-0110
Licensed in the States of Mississippi and Florida

Experience • Integrity • Results

SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 49
CHEER, BAND ACTIVITIES

Victory Christian Academy Varsity Cheerleaders

Immanuel cheerleaders
Front row, from left, Nyki Baudoin, Shelly Westmoreland,
Amber Shoffner, Tia Baudoin; back row, from left, Tori
Fitzgerald, Katy Whitten Davidson
Front row, from left, Shelly Coleman, Asia Taylor, Maggie
Gardner, Heather Sullivan, Katelin Byrd, Mary Kate Lemmons,
Alyka Hamm, Mikayla Gore, Brittany Jones; back row, from
left, Leah Potter, Macy Tilley, Kate McDill, Julianna Gorman,
Sarah McDaniel, Leah Taylor, Rachel Johnson
This year the cheerleaders competed at CCA summer camp
and won numerous spirit and technique awards. They also
won first place at state competition for ACEAA.

Starkville Academy Varsity Cheerleaders

At the Universal Cheerleading Association Beach Club in Gulf
Shores, Ala., the Starkville Academy cheerleaders received first
Columbus High School Cheerleaders
Columbus High School cheerleaders are, front row, from left,
place in Extreme Routine, second place in Home Pom, second Lena Jackson, Khadijah Lee, Sharell Harris, Tierney Sanders;
place in Camp Cheer and also received the Banana (spirit back row, from left, Sarah Weatherby, Marissa Hackler and
award). The UCA All-Americans were Lindsey Norman, Kylie Megan Kesler.
Lockhart, Neely Cook and Shelby Carpenter. Starkville Academy
Varsity Cheerleaders won the Mississippi Association of
Independent Schools State Championship for 2009. The squad
was coached by Sandra Gladney and Lisa Atwell. Cheerleaders,
left to right, front to back) seniors Anne Howard Steinwinder
and Brooke Bryan, co-captains, Lindsey Norman and Rachel
Fuller; Maggie Gladney, and Kylie Lockhart; juniors Shelby
Carpenter, Lauren Morgan, Neely Cook, Anna-Marie Foster and
Kali Burney; sophomores Erin Lindley, Anna Prestridge, Kat
Garrard, Elizabeth Crissey, Lauren Atwell and Caitlin Russell.

50 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

 VOLLEYBALL
ALL AREA
VOLLEYBALL
“That pretty much fits her to a T,” said
Aberdeen High volleyball coach Marquis
Burnett when describing Jameika
Hoskins, The Commercial Dispatch’s
Volleyball Player of the Year. “She would
never think about bragging on herself or
anything she has accomplished.”
If Hoskins has a fault as an athlete, it
would be she shies away from taking a
more active role as a vocal leader.
“She’s not as vocal as I would like her
to be, but she leads by example,” Burnett
said. “Her play on the court makes up for
her lack of vocal leadership.”
Burnett, who is just as soft-spoken as
his star, said Hoskins is one of the best
players he has coached.
“Jameika is what I would call a ‘student
of the game’, and she is the best hitter to
play at Aberdeen hands down,” said
Burnett, who credits good vertical leaping
ability and long arms as the keys to the
power behind Hoskins’ kills and her
blocking.
“She constantly drew double teams
when we set her because no one could
block her one-on-one,” Burnett said.
“What makes her even more dangerous is
she knows when to use her power and
when to tip. Anything around the net, she
wins that point.”
Hoskins’ setting skills also drew praise
from Burnett.
“Jameika is also an excellent setter
with good court vision,” Burnett said.
“When she first started as a freshman,
that’s what she did best. But since she has
turned into a hitter, she has become all
that much better.”
Burnett, who just completed his fifth
year at the helm of the Aberdeen High
volleyball program, will be the first to
admit Aberdeen isn’t considered a volley-
ball hotbed.

A LEVEL HEAD “Our girls don’t play year-round and

they don’t attend any camps,” Burnett
said. “We get together two weeks before
school starts, we go over some things,
Aberdeen High’s Hoskins dominates and then we go out and play.”
Burnett said that’s what makes
competition with a humble attitude Hoskins such a special player.
“There’s no telling how good she could
story and photo by DON ROWE be if she played year-round,” Burnett said.
“The sky is the limit as far as her potential
ADLY, CHEST-POUNDING, TRASH-TALKING ATHLETES WHO

S
is concerned.”
UTILIZE FLAMBOYANT GESTURES while playing the Hoskins led the state in blocks with
“look-at-me” game to the hilt are all-to-often the norm today. an average of 1.5 per game (68 total, 65
solo). She also had 118 kills in 189
Today, it’s almost inconceivable some- her opponents at the net can, at the same attempts for a 62 percent kill percentage
one who has been described by friend time, be a reticent, humble, and some- and an average of 2.7 per game (10th in
and foe alike as a “powerful, explosive what shy individual who is uncomfortable the state) and was credited with 32 serv-
player” who has the ability to demolish when thrust into the limelight. ing aces (34th). n
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 51
SOFTBALL
ALL AREA
FAST-PITCH

LOOKING BACK
Haynes reflects
on successful
senior year
story and photo by ADAM MINICHINO

YNDSEY HAYNES DOESN’T

L MISS SOFTBALL YET.
The Starkville Academy pitcher admits
she has reflected on her senior season
and thought about what could have been
after the Lady Volunteers finished third at
the North Half State tournament.
A change in the playoff format this sea-
son meant that showing wasn’t good
enough by one place to push Starkville
Academy into the overall Mississippi
Association of Independent Schools AAA
state tournament.
But while missing the state tournament
stung a little bit, Haynes has focused more
on the team’s success. The Lady
Volunteers’ 23-8 finish was their best in
recent memory, and Haynes had a lot to
do with it.
Whether it was in the circle or at the
plate, Haynes had a knack for delivering
in the clutch.
For her accomplishments this season,
Haynes is The Commercial Dispatch Fast-
pitch Player of the Year.
Haynes finished the season with a 1.56
ERA and a batting average of .407. sive considering she pitched against Oak was going to throw. The tell-tale sign for a
Starkville Academy coach Randy Hill Academy, Central Academy, Kemper fastball might have been a flip of the hair,
Haynes, who is Lyndsey’s father, credits Academy, and Leake Academy in four of but coach Haynes said he trusted his
coach Kyle Morgan for helping to get all the five days leading up to the event. catcher and pitcher so much he left calling
of the Lady Volunteers in shape in the off- The work didn’t seem to faze Haynes, pitches up to them.
season and preseason. He said the work
who faced 107 batters in 22 innings. She Haynes had success because she
the players did helped Lyndsey, who was
walked seven, struck out 26, and allowed threw in the upper 50s and low 60s and
coming back after having surgery to
27 hits in the tournament. mixed a tantalizing changeup. She had a
repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in
her left knee, return with stronger legs, “Coach Morgan helped explain to her lot of success with the pitch at the North
which benefited her in the circle. and get across to her that this was her Half State tournament and in the MAIS
In August, Haynes earned four victo- senior season,” coach Haynes said. “He All-Star game, where she was named the
ries to help the Lady Volunteers win the talked to her about leadership and how all MVP for the North Half. She had six RBIs
Starkville Invitational Tournament at the of the young players looked up to her and in two games.
Mississippi State intramural fields. She that they were going to follow her lead.” “It became such a weapon,” Haynes
earned victories against Winston Haynes also credited catcher Bailey said of his daughter’s changeup. “There
Academy, Central Academy, and two Wofford, who has caught Lyndsey for the wasn’t anybody until we got to the All-Star
against Pillow Academy to help her team past three seasons. The duo had a unique game, where there were a couple of kids
win its first tournament title since 2004. system in which they didn’t use conven- with enough talent to deal with it. Her
Haynes’ effort was even more impres- tional signs to indicate what pitch Haynes changeup became really, really good.” n
52 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
 SOFTBALL
ALL AREA
SLOW-PITCH Both players agreed that their ability to settle into new or
changed roles from the previous seasons was another piece to
the puzzle that helped their teams win championships.
“One of my team goals was for us to win state and for me to
end up batting over .500, and we accomplished both of those
goals,” Atkins said. “I think I played better than I expected
myself to, and that at the end I really stepped up.”
Atkins said relaxation was the key. She said she believed more
in herself and didn’t get caught up in a power-hitting struggle on
a team that featured two players — Hannah Howell and Chauncia
Willis — 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 moved
to the outfield because her sister, Alison, was able to throw
strikes and to hit
enough to contribute.
Alison Atkins’ effec-
tiveness helped improve
the Lions’ defense
because Caitlyn’s athleti-
cism was an added
bonus in the outfield.
Atkins paced
Hamilton (19-9) with 43
runs scored, 51 hits, 10
doubles, and a .567 bat-
ting average. She also
was fourth on the team
in RBIs (24), second on
the team in on-base per- Hamilton High School coach Lewis Earnest,
centage (.596), and left, and New Hope High coach Tabitha
fourth in slugging per- Beard guided their teams to slow-pitch state
centage (.733). championships in 2009.
“We were worried
moving her in the lineup might mess her up a little bit,” Earnest
said. “It didn’t. She just picked right up and kept on going.”
New Hope High coach Tabitha Beard said Tutor worked well
at the top of the lineup with Lauren Holifield. She said Tutor’s
ACCOMPLISHING speed was an integral ingredient to the Lady Trojans’ march to a
third consecutive slow-pitch state title, and 12th overall.
“She is just the type of player that when the game is on the

GOALS Atkins, Tutor

slug their teams to state titles
story and photos by ADAM MINICHINO
EITHER ONE CAN TRULY BE LABELED A
line and you need something to happen you want her to be
there,” 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 would
make your job a lot easier. She just has a way to calm the rest of
the team down and pick the rest of the team up.”
Beard said Tutor and the Lady Trojans struggled at the start
of the season. But things slowly came around for New Hope (22-

N
so much more for their teams.
7), which weathered the offensive doldrums, personnel changes,
“POWER HITTER.” But that term is so limiting and inexperience at several positions.
because Caitlyn Atkins and Haley Tutor can do Tutor did her best to pick up the slack for the departure of
seniors Victoria Culpepper, Kristen Harvey, and DeShuni
Sanders. She assumed a larger defensive role in the outfield and
The Class 5A and Class 2A Mississippi High School Activities showed she, too, could flash some leather with the best of them.
Association state titles New Hope and Hamilton high schools won Tutor hit .527 with 19 RBIs, predominantly from the leadoff
this season are the final reward for all of their hard work and spot in the lineup, and had an on-base percentage of .666.
everything they contributed to their squads on and off the field. “She is a leader on and off the field,” Beard said. “She has a way
For their accomplishments this season, Atkins and Tutor are The of getting the others to follow. When she was at the plate, you felt at
Commercial Dispatch Slow-pitch All-Area co-Players of the Year. ease because you knew something good was going to happen.” n

SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 53

SOCCER
ALL AREA
BOYS AND GIRLS

Strong defense
core principle for
Starkville’s Day
story by DAVID MILLER photo by KERRY SMITH
LREADY PART OF A

A STRONG SOPHOMORE
CLASS, Price Day earned
the captain’s arm band and made it
his mission to make the Starkville
High School boys soccer team the
best defensive team in the area.
And after Starkville High started the
season with more than 400 minutes of
shutout soccer Day, The Commercial
Dispatch’s Boys Soccer Player of the
Year for 2009-10, knew the Yellow
Jackets were in for a special season.
With a final record of 9-2-2, Starkville
beat Tupelo 1-0 at home for its first victo-
ry in the series in 10 years before falling
to Northwest Rankin 4-0 in the first
round of the Mississippi High School
Activities Association Class 6A playoffs.
But if there was one glaring differ-
ence between Starkville High’s team this
year and last year, it was the poise and
skill in its back line.
In particular, the middle of
the Yellow Jackets’ defense
— Day and J.R. Tomlinson
at center back
and Addison
Watson in
goal —
proved to

Athletic prodigy scores

be a
fortress.
What

Soccer Player of Year

made the
trio’s season
more unique is their
relationship away from
SHS soccer. All three
RTIE COSBY KNEW A LONG TIME AGO TIFFANY

A HUDDLESTON was going to be a standout in sports.

Cosby coached Huddleston in T-Ball to be able to throw or to catch very

play for the Central
Jackson Select team
and all three are sopho-
mores.
Outside of the five
when she was 5 or 6 and saw how well, Huddleston, the team’s first base- goals he scored this
advanced she was even at that age. man and only girl, had the best glove, season, Day said he is
While it’s common for many players not bat, and throwing arm. most proud of his
involvement in
story by ADAM MINICHINO photo by KELLY TIPPETT Starkville’s defensive
54 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 turnaround. n
Shoemaker: PK stopper every PK I stopped.”
When Shoemaker started
playing goalkeeper, she took les-
Shoemaker hailed the work
and cohesion of her backline,
which included sisters Christine
story by DAVID MILLER photo by KERRY SMITH sons with Steve Bush, who used and Alex Mazzola at center
to play in Germany. She had backs, Ida Knox at right back,
AEVONNE SHOEMAKER LIKES BEING AN

R
INDIVIDUAL AND STANDING OUT, so it makes
sense she plays goalkeeper.
The Starkville High junior
started all of the Lady Jackets’
games this season and has been
a fixture in Anna Albritton’s line-
up for several years. It started
when she was a seventh-grader
and beat out two seniors and a
junior to earn the starting job.
She gets a thrill knowing she’s
the last line of the defense and
relishes the rush of penalty kick
shootouts.
A goalkeeper since she was
11, Shoemaker helped lead the
Lady Jackets to a 9-5 record and a
berth in the Class 6A playoffs,
where they lost to Madison
Central.
With an 84-percent save rate
and 60 percent of her starts
resulting in clean sheets,
Shoemaker’s selection as The
Commercial Dispatch’s Girls
Soccer Player of the Year is fur-
ther validated by her work in
overtime.
Shoemaker saved 8 of 13 over-
time penalty kicks this season,
and believes it became a
strength of her game.
“(Penalty kicks) happen
all the time,” Shoemaker
said. “You have to learn
how other
players
play.
You have
to look into
their eyes because
their first glimpse is
usually where they’re
going. If not, you have
to watch the ball. The
second you see those
hips turn, that’s where
you go. I took pride in
every angle of her game ana-
lyzed, criticized, and refined to
become Starkville’s first-choice
goalkeeper.
Confident in her skills,
Shoemaker was relied on even
more this season as the Lady
Jackets struggled in front of goal.
Plus, the team experienced a
heavy turnover.
“I felt like there was more
pressure, just thinking the
ball’s going to be on our
half more than usual,”
Shoemaker said. “The
whole team had to
shift, too, and be in
a more defensive
mode. But I play
better when
there’s more
pressure. A lot of
good players play
a lot better when they
have pressure. You
have to ready yourself
for that.”
and Jen Henderson at left back.
Shoemaker said Knox, a sen-
ior, provided the extra vocal pres-
ence to help keep everyone
aligned 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 is
essential, but Shoemaker wants
to be able to get higher off the
ground.
“Just thinking back to Tupelo,
the goal they scored from outside
the 18 went just over my hand
and all I could think was, ‘Only if,’
” Shoemaker said. “There’s a cou-
ple of times, even horizontally,
where I thought that. There was
also a goal in the playoff game
against Madison Central where
the announcer said, ‘Beautiful
goal by so and so girl’ and,
‘Valiant dive by Raevonne
Shoemaker.’ All I could think
about was how I couldn’t get
there.” n

Join One
“She was exhibiting some things when she was a little girl
that showed back then that she was special,” Cosby said. “It

YMCA
hasn’t surprised me that she has progressed as well as she
has.”
Huddleston also excelled on the basketball court for the

Use Them All!

Starkville Academy girls team. But earlier this year the fresh-
man forward/midfielder did her best to shine on the school’s
soccer team.
Huddleston led the team with 17 goals in another standout
season for a player whose skills belie her age.
For her accomplishments, Huddleston is The Commercial
Dispatch Fall Soccer Player of the Year.
“For a ninth-grader, she is very mature,” Cosby said. “She
knows the game very well and has a good presence out on
the field.”
Huddleston hones her soccer skills on a Select team that
exposes her to a higher level of competition than she sees in
high school. But Cosby said that experience hasn’t affected
Huddleston’s ability to work well with some high school
teammates whose soccer skills aren’t as advanced.
This season, Huddleston played center forward for the
Lady Volunteers. Cosby said Huddleston is a great midfielder
and that he probably didn’t utilize all of her skills this season.
The fact that Huddleston has a powerful shot might be one www.columbus-ymca.com
reason why she saw some much action up top. Downtown New Hope
328-7696 328-0212
“The few times I played around in goal I did not want
Tiffany shoot at me,” Cosby said. “Even outside of the 18 she
is going to pop you really hard when she hits. She has a lot of Caledonia Wellness
356-9622 243-1162
attributes that you really don’t expect to see in a ninth-grader.
She plays like a much older player.” n
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 55
FOOTBALL
ALL AREA
LARGE SCHOOLS

Chris Chambless is The Commercial Dispatch

Large Schools Coach of the Year after leading
West Point to a state title.

WINNING D
ENNIS ALLEN HAD A DREAM
TO SELL. Problem was, not many
people, even friends, were willing
to come to West Point High

ATTITUDE School to help transform a football program

that had fallen on hard times.
So Allen thought back to a
Coach of Year golf outing in Ackerman when
he met Chris Chambless. At the
Chambless helps Green time, Chambless was in his first
season at Caledonia High, and
Wave recapture was known for his prowess as a
defensive coach.
championship magic Allen approached Chambless
after West Point played
Caledonia in the spring and
asked if he would be interested
in joining his staff as defensive
coordinator. He had to push
story and photo by ADAM MINICHINO hard to make the sell.
“He almost didn’t come,”
Allen said of his first hire. “He
was one of the few I could talk
into coming to West Point.”
Years later, Allen can smile
and look back on what he called
a “good hire.”
Chambless, too, can be
proud he has helped to build on
what Allen, who helped lead
West Point to a state title in
2005, brought back to Clay
County.
Buoyed by a dominating

56 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010


ground game and a hard-charging
defense, Chambless’ Green Wave
rebounded from a season-opening loss
at Shannon to win their final 14 games.
A 35-14 victory against Wayne County
in the Mississippi High School
Activities Association Class 5A state
title 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 Dispatch
Large Schools Coach of the Year.
Allen, who is the athletic director at
West Point, knew Chambless was the
man to replace him after he stepped
down following the 2005 season.
“Chris hasn’t expected any less from
our kids than I did,” Allen said. “There
was no bump in the road. It was just
step on, here we go, we’re going to
keep building and working and eventu-
ally, at a school like West Point, espe-
cially with a good administration and
the support we have, we’re going to get
to a state championship game because
we do have talent here.”
Chambless spent one year at former
Sturgis High School as an assistant
coach and one year at Caledonia High
as head coach in 1998 before joining
Allen’s staff in 1999. He said he knew
Allen was a good leader and that he
had had success as an assistant coach
at Starkville High and that West Point
had a solid administration. All of those
factors, plus the fact he knew the kind
of players West Point had, led him
accept Allen’s offer.
Head coach and defensive coordina-
tor had plenty of “good times” compet-
ing against each other at practice. But
their battles had a serious side: Their
goal was to rebuild a program that had
won four state titles under Bubba
Davis.
Chambless said Allen set the tone
and that he learned a lot from the man
he replaced. Through the ups and
downs of the 2009 season, Chambless
remained stoic on the sidelines, trying
to show his players the focus they
needed. In practice, Chambless was the
same fiery leader he was as an assis-
tant, but his game face epitomized the
Green Wave’s business-like approach.
“A wise man told me a long time
ago, ‘You are what you see, and you
become what you follow,’ ” Chambless
said. “I want to be the type of leader
who never panics and who does things
the right way and doesn’t go crazy. I try
not to go nuts. I have gone nuts behind
closed doors, and I try not to do it in
Carr, Sanders displayed
skills as playmakers
LAYMAKERS SHARE SO MANY THINGS.
P
Whether its speed, strength, endurance, or a
burning desire to be the best, their ability to
change a game with one touch of the football makes
them special.
Michael Carr and Vincent Sanders
share all of those traits and more.
The West Point and Noxubee County
high school seniors also bring a confi-
dence to the field that allows them to
deliver game-changing plays on offense
or defense.
For Carr, the majority of his differ-
ence-making efforts came on offense as
part of West Point’s run to the
Mississippi High School Activities
Association Class 5A state title.
For Sanders, an injury in the season
opener against Starkville
only delayed his ability to
impact offenses and
defenses for the Tigers,
who advanced to the Class
4A North Half semifinals.
For their accomplish-
ments this season, Carr
and Sanders are The
Carr
Commercial Dispatch
Large Schools Offensive and Defensive
Players of the Year.
“Michael without being cocky and
being humble has more confidence than
anybody I have ever coached,” West
Point High football coach Chris
Chambless said. “You know if you put it
in his hands he has the confidence to
make it happen.”
Carr was the primary receiving threat
on a Green Wave team that dominated
opponents with a rushing attack that
piled up 4,037 yards in 15 games. He led
the team with 38 catches for 834 yards
and eight touchdowns. He also had four
rushing scores and three more by return.
The Mississippi State commitment
showcased his versatility in West Point’s
35-14 victory against Wayne County in
the state title game on Dec. 5 in Jackson.
story by ADAM MINICHINO
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
Carr caught a 64-yard touchdown pass
from Justin Cox in the first quarter. He
added a 78-yard kick return for a touch-
down to open the second half. The sec-
ond score was the first of 21 unanswered
points in the second half that helped push
the Green Wave to their first state title
since 2005, and the program’s sixth
overall.
Sanders suffered a fractured jaw in
Noxubee County’s season-opening victo-
ry against Starkville on Aug. 21. He
missed five games and didn’t return until
the Tigers’ game Oct. 2 at
Kosciusko.
Still, Sanders had more
than 40 catches for more
than 600 yards (more than
1,700 total yards). On
defense, he had two inter-
ceptions at free safety. His
presence on the field typi-
Sanders
cally caused teams to
throw away from him, or not to throw at
all.
Noxubee County coach M.C. Miller
said Sanders handled his injury well. He
said the Tigers played well without their
senior leader, but he said there is no
telling what kind of season the team
could have had if it would have had
Sanders healthy all year.
“The time he was out there he had a
good year,” Miller said. “On offense he
was our game-breaker. We knew as long
as we had Vincent healthy we could
score at any time. When you have a
game-breaker at any time you tend not to
worry. He also was a game-stopper
because teams were not going to throw
anything deep on us. He was just a key
player all around for us and on special
teams and on kickoffs.” n
57

public, and especially not in front of the
kids.”
Chambless said he learned that mind-
set from Allen, his bosses at West Point
High, and his father, a businessman, who
always has been like that.
“You can’t blow up and go crazy and
expect you kids to perform,” Chambless
said. “There are a lot better ways to moti-
vate than blowing up. I would head butt
that wall if it would help them play harder,
but I don’t think it does.”
Grisham has seen Chambless work that
way since he arrived in West Point in 2000.
Hired as the offensive line coach, Grisham
moved to offensive coordinator and has
been devising bruising running schemes
with Chambless’ blessing ever since.
“He does a good job of staying even
keel most of the time,” Grisham said. “He
cares about the kids. He always has their
interest out there. He tries to make every-
body happy. He is looking out for the play-
ers and his assistants, and it just trickles
down from there.”
Grisham said he has seen just about
every side of Chambless in their time
together. He said Chambless is so effec-
tive as a head coach because he allows his
assistant coaches to do their jobs and
doesn’t second-guess them. He said
Chambless really hasn’t changed any
since he took over for Allen.
“It is just like when Dennis let him
coach the defense,” Grisham said. “He
lets me do the offense. He doesn’t bother
me like Dennis bothered him. He trusts
you, so it puts pressure on you to drive
yourself and to get it right.”
Grisham was poking fun at Allen, but
his sentiment is true.
Chambless said all of the West Point
coaches push themselves because they
understand the program has a high bar to
meet every season. He said his job is to
do what he can to keep everything togeth-
er and to support the coaches and the
players every way possible.
Allen sees the same Chambless today
he saw in 1999. He said Chambless never
shied away from doing anything that
helped free him up to do other things. He
said Chambless’ hard-working nature sets
the tone for the Green Wave.
“I think he does it sort of like all good
coaches try to do it. It is like a family
atmosphere,” Allen said. “We go off and
do things together. We hang out together.
He will have the kids over his house to
create that family atmosphere and get
them to bond together. It helps if you’re
more like a family than an individual and
you treat it like a job and you’re going to
work.” n
58 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
THE DISPATCH
ALL-AREA TEAM
LARGE SCHOOLS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Michael Carr, West Point
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Vincent Sanders, Noxubee County
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Chris Chambless, West Point
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB — Justin Cox, West Point
RB — Lakenderic Thomas, West Point,
Terrance Dentry, New Hope
WR — Markese Triplett, Louisville; Chuck
Tillery, Starkville
OL — Ryan Hollivay, New Hope; Lee
Crowley, West Point; Tate Rogers,
Louisville; Gussie Lane, Noxubee County;
Desmond Boyd, West Point
TE — Michael Bush, West Point
Utility — Patreon Hopkins, Noxubee
County; Damian Baker, Columbus
K — Tanner Ryals, New Hope
Defense
DL — Curtis Virges, West Point; Nelson
Bolden, Noxubee County; Seth Stillman,
New Hope; Vontarrius Dora, West Point;
Richard Christopher, Heritage Academy
LB — Chris Jackson, Columbus, Jontae
Skinner, Noxubee County; Craig Armstead,
Starkville
DB — Franklin Richardson Jr., New Hope;
Jeremy Wells, New Hope; Gary Hughes,
Stan Beall
Michael Carr (8) breaks up a pass
West Point; Chadz Taylor, Noxubee County
Utility — Matthew Lewis, West Point;
Corey Williams, Noxubee County
P — Zak Thrasher, New Hope
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB — Jaquez Johnson, Starkville
RB — Xavier Hogan, West Point; Earnest
Harmon, Noxubee County
WR — Terrance Baron, Noxubee County;
Johnny Beamon, New Hope
OL — Seth White, West Point; Lamont
Randle, West Point; Ladarius Taylor, West
Point; Rocky Knox, Columbus; Jarrod
Atterberry, Starkville
TE — Martavious Foster, Starkville
Utility — Ryan Idom, Louisville; C.J. Bates,
Louisville
K — Cody Berryhill, Starkville
Defense
DL — Ladarius Hunt, Noxubee County;
Chris Wolf, Columbus; Tommy Keys, West
Point; Damon Triplett, Louisville
LB — Jamie Sanders, Louisville; Kris
Douglas, New Hope; Toddrick Tate,
Noxubee County
DB — Byerson Cockrell, Columbus, Blake
Cunningham, Louisville; Billy Shed,
Starkville; Jaquille White, West Point
Utility — Raymond Walters, New Hope;
Justin Rogers, Starkville
P — Wesley Montgomery, Starkville
HONORABLE MENTION
Amory — Channing French, Nathan
Kendrick, Forest Williams
Caledonia — Brandon Bell, Cole Carter,
Tyler Knight, Jonathan Thinizee
Columbus — Tim Hudgins, Cedric Jackson,
Drew Jordan, Ryan McDonald, Martin
Sherrod, Zach Thomas, Ian Williams
Heritage Academy — Hunter Brown, Matt
Dickey, Stance Henderson, Chris Uhl
Louisville — Rod Clark, Cottrell Miller
New Hope — Lawrence Brown, Marquise
Coleman, Anthony Nelson, Jo Jo Reeves,
Curtis Shirley, Ahmad Williams
Noxubee County — Tony Glenn, Jacoby
Harris, Keshun Smith, Fredeas Tate
Starkville — Bennie Henderson, Bryce
Henderson, Tevin Hodges, Blake Johnson,
D.J. Jordan, Adonnis Scales, Dennis
Thompson
Starkville Academy — Kyle Henson, Jake
Reed
West Point — Justin Bobo, Jeremy
Cannon, Jacoby Lee, Deismon Robinson,
Kwame Williams

ALL AREA
SMALL SCHOOLS
‘A GOOD
EXPERIENCE’
Aberdeen head coach’s
balancing act pays off
story by DANNY P. SMITH photos by KELLY TIPPETT
HRIS DUNCAN HAD TO
C ENDURE A FULL SCHEDULE
FRIDAYS during football season.
Splitting time as a coach
and minister, Duncan would
leave home in Calhoun County
as early as 4:30 or 5 a.m. to
deliver a tape of his radio show
to the station, before going to
Aberdeen High School.
His day didn’t end when
school was out because he had
to coach the Bulldogs in a foot-
ball game that night.
If that didn’t already make
for a long weekend, Duncan,
the pastor at Reedy’s Chapel
Baptist Church in Derma near
Calhoun City, had to prepare
for Sunday services.
Duncan showed he could
balance all of those responsi-
bilities and put a good product
on the field this season as
Aberdeen High finished 13-3
and won the Class 3A North
State championship.
For the Bulldogs’ accom-
plishments this season,
Duncan is The Commercial
Dispatch Small Schools Coach
of Year.
Duncan said handling his
“to-do list” was a matter of “pri-
oritizing the things that are the
most important, try to do
those, then try to squeeze
other things in if you have
time.”
There were many late
hours for Duncan. He often
would come home after a long
day of football practice and
FOOTBALL
study for his radio show or
Sunday service.
Duncan calls managing it
all “a good experience.” He
relies on his faith to keep him
going.
“The Lord will give you Aberdeen High school football coach Chris Duncan
strength to do what you need
to do,” Duncan said.
Time spent with coaching
and ministry has taken away
from his family. He values fam-
COLUMBUS
ily, but stresses it doesn’t
always mean blood relatives.
“I do think over the past
several years I’ve been doing DEPARTMENT
so much that I’ve missed some
family time, which is important
to me, but the football players
Congratulations
and everything connected with
it is part of my family also,” to all our area
Duncan said. “This is a group
of seniors (at Aberdeen) that athletes for doing
have grown real close over the
past three years and been their best this year!
through a lot together. I’d like
to think they’ve helped me and
I’ve also helped them.”
Duncan has been at
Aberdeen High four years and
has coached football the past
three.
Before Duncan became
coach, the Bulldogs had only
won once in two years (1-9 in
2005, 0-10 in 2006). In
Duncan’s first season in 2007,
Aberdeen finished 9-4,
improved to 11-3 the next sea-
son and 13-3 this season to
1501 Main Street • 662-244-3523
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 59
reach the Class 3A state championship
game.
“Each year, we’ve been able to take one
more step,” Duncan said. “It’s very hard to
get to Jackson in football. It’s not like bas-
ketball where you have eight to 10 teams
down there (for the state tournament).
“I think the bar has been raised in
Aberdeen from being the laughing stock in
football to being a contender every year.
Usually, we’ve been setting goals the last
several years, but I don’t think I’ll have to
set them anymore because I think anything
less than getting to Jackson now would be a
disappointment to the players. It shows
how far this program has come in three
years.”
Coaching means more to Duncan than
just winning games. He likes seeing his
players, like Jamerson Love, rewarded for
hard work.
That’s the main reason Duncan hated to
see Aberdeen fall in the state title game to
Tylertown 34-20.
Poe persevered After rocky start
“I can handle losing games pretty good,
but to see my kids hurt was the worst part
about it,” Duncan said.
to become top Love thrived in
Love could sense how much Duncan
cared for him and said he wouldn’t have
been able to stay on the right path if it had-
defensive player Aberdeen offense
n’t been for his guidance. OSH POE HAD AMERSON LOVE’S
“Coach Duncan really helped me stay
out of trouble in some ways,” Love said.
“When he first came, I know he meant
business. If you didn’t abide by his rules,
you wouldn’t be playing football.”
Despite losing the final game, Duncan
was proud of the players’ effort.
J SOMETHING TO
PROVE at West
Oktibbeha High School.
At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Poe knew
he wasn’t going to have anything
J ABILITY TO FIGHT
THROUGH ADVERSITY
has paid dividends.
After getting off to a difficult start
at Aberdeen High School three years
He called being able to endure 22 weeks ago, Love found the right way to go
given to him and was going to have to
of football and make it all of the way to the and went from occasional trouble-
earn his spot as linebacker.
state championship game “a testament” to maker to a go-to player for coach
West Oktibbeha High coach Adam
the players. Chris Duncan and the Bulldogs.
Lowrey was reluctant at first to give
“The season is very long and very gruel- For his accomplishments this sea-
Poe the chance, but once he saw him
ing,” Duncan said. “We had about nine in action, the reservations vanished. son, Love, who helped Aberdeen to
weeks of rain and mud this year, so we had “Once I knew he could maneuver the Class 3A North State champi-
to practice in rain and mud. For all the with all the big linemen coming at onship, is The Commercial Dispatch
coaches and players, it was a very trying him, I wasn’t worried about it,” Small Schools Offensive Player of the
year with the conditions outside. I think I Lowrey said. “My defensive linemen Year. He thanked God for the opportu-
ruined about three or four pairs of shoes. It were a necessity. Then we started tak- nity to be player of the year and said
was overall a good year and one they ing guys who had enough grit and improving his leg strength enabled
should remember the rest of their life. I heart about them (and put them at him to play offense and defense.
played 10 years of football and four years of linebacker). Once we got the defen- Before he could improve on the
college ball and never got to play in the sive line right, it made (Poe’s) and the field, Love knew he had to make a
championship game. I feel very fortunate to other linebackers’ job a lot easier.” mental transition.
make it there.” Poe thrived in his junior season “I just found a way to straighten
Duncan still can’t help to feel there’s with the Timberwolves, finishing with out and look at me now,” Love said.
some unfinished business and, as any min- 106 tackles (73 solo), six sacks, and 11 “I’m on the right track.”
ister would, used a passage of scripture to forced fumbles. Duncan said he was fortunate to
keep things in perspective. For his accomplishments, Poe is watch Love mature.
“We don’t feel like we completed our The Commercial Dispatch Small “Jamerson is one of those kids who
task, but you can find in Romans 8:28 Schools Defensive Player of the Year. grew over the three years and got bet-
where it says everything happens for a rea- Poe knew playing football was ter,” Duncan said. “He was already
son,” Duncan said. “You just have to take going to be part of his future.
that, go on, and try it another year.” n In the eighth grade, he recalled stories by DANNY P. SMITH
60 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
Poe continued
intercepting his first pass and scoring his
first touchdown. Each year, his play
improved, which helped him make more
tackles.
Poe was determined to show Lowrey
he could be a good linebacker.
“It was the first game of the season and
he saw the hitting I did and that I was able
to run from sideline to sideline if I have
to,” Poe said. “When I showed him, I
guess he was shocked I did it.”
The forced fumbles were enough to let
Lowrey know he’d made a good decision
on 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 player
of the year. He questioned his traits as a
leader, 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 he
was a leader or not, but he would always do
his job,” Lowrey said. “I never have to tell
him twice because he’s going to do it.” n
Love continued
good physically, but mentally and charac-
ter-wise he grew and became, not just a
good football player, but a good young
man.”
Duncan admitted there were some
discipline problems when he arrived at
Aberdeen and that Love had a hard
time adjusting coming out of the ninth
grade. He watched as Love overcame
that adversity and grew into a team
leader.
“He came out on the other side, took
the high road, and now you see the
results,” Duncan said. “He’s going to
Mississippi State.”
Love committed to MSU as a defensive
back, but proved he was just as valuable to
Aberdeen High on offense. He had 208
carries for 1,923 yards and 22 touchdowns
as a senior running back.
Duncan said Love will be able to help
MSU on either side of the football.
“When he touched the ball for us, we
knew something good could happen any-
time,” Duncan said. “We liked to get the
ball to him any way we could. He was for-
tunate to be on a team with a lot of good
players so (opponents) couldn’t just key
on him.” n
THE DISPATCH
ALL-AREA TEAM
SMALL SCHOOLS
Coach of the Year:
Chris Duncan, Aberdeen
Offensive Player of the Year:
Jamerson Love, Aberdeen
Defensive Player of the Year:
Josh Poe, West Oktibbeha
OFFENSE
First Team
Quarterback
Aaron Andrews, Aberdeen
Running Back
Jamerson Love, Aberdeen
Daylan Hairson, Victory Christian
Wide Receiver
Erik Buchanan, Aberdeen
Rashad Pargo, Aberdeen
Utility
Marlon Fair, East Oktibbeha
Victor Hodges, Aberdeen
Tight End
L.J. Jefferson, East Oktibbeha
Offensive Lineman
John Austin Buckner, East Webster
David Matusiak, Oak Hill Academy
Mark Vaughan, Hebron Christian
Lee Roberts, East Oktibbeha
Matt Arnett, Winston Academy
Kicker
Reid Posey, Oak Hill Academy
Second Team
Quarterback
Parker Eaves, Victory Christian
Running Back
Doss Miller, Oak Hill Academy
Demetrius O'Briant, East Webster
Wide Receiver
Dwight Quinn, West Oktibbeha
Kevin McCartney, Hamilton
Utility
Marques Robinson, Hebron Christian
Terrance Rice, East Oktibbeha
Tight End
Will Lummus, Oak Hill Academy
Offensive Lineman
Eddie Tucker, West Lowndes
Jalen Peterson, East Oktibbeha
Jeremy Davidson, Immanuel Christian
Reid Posey, Oak Hill Academy
Jeremy Brown, West Oktibbeha
Kicker
Tamarkis Bell, East Webster
Honorable Mention
Quarterback
Von Smith, West Oktibbeha
Davis Clay, Oak Hill Academy
Running Back
Michael Tate, Immanuel Christian
Lexie Edwards, East Oktibbeha
Running Back
Latedrick Troupe, Hamilton
Trent Jefferson, East Oktibbeha
Wide Receiver
Sam Rice, Oak Hill Academy
Aaron Brownlee, West Oktibbeha
Utility
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
Brandon Hill, West Lowndes
J.D. Edwards, Hebron Christian
Tight End
Justin James, Immanuel Christian
DEFENSE
First Team
Cornerback
Jamerson Love, Aberdeen
Miquel Graham, East Webster
Safety
J.D. Edwards, Hebron Christian
Arthur Gillespie, East Oktibbeha
Utility
Jake Orman, Oak Hill Academy
Drake Powell, West Oktibbeha
Linebacker
Josh Poe, West Oktibbeha
Brandon Hill, West Lowndes
David Pryor, Oak Hill Academy
Defensive Lineman
Freddie Williams, East Oktibbeha
Channing Ward, Aberdeen
Fred Ward, Aberdeen
Will Lummus, Oak Hill Academy
Punter
Dustin White, Immanuel Christian
Second Team
Cornerback
James Finley, East Oktibbeha
Dwight Quinn, West Oktibbeha
Safety
Terrance Rice, East Oktibbeha
Jake Flanigan, Oak Hill Academy
Utility
Bracey Johnson, East Oktibbeha
Michael Tate, Immanuel Christian
Linebacker
Sedric Quinn, Aberdeen
Daylan Hairston, Victory Christian
Xavier Moye, East Webster
Defensive Lineman
Lilton Vance, East Webster
Monte Horsley, East Oktibbeha
Anthony White, West Oktibbeha
Tiberias Lampkin, West Oktibbeha
Punter
Chris Hunter, East Oktibbeha
Honorable Mention
Linebacker
Ledrick Patterson, East Webster
Cole Johnson, Hamilton
Cameron Ellis, Oak Hill Academy
Quadaris Thompson, West Oktibbeha
Jeremy Brown, West Oktibbeha
Darico Dancer, East Oktibbeha
Defensive Lineman
J.R. Wilbourne, Oak Hill Academy
Barry White, Oak Hill Academy
James Wriley, Immanuel Christian
61
FOOTBALL
ALL AREA
WEST ALABAMA

Deion Curry, left, Scott Marchant, and

Michael Bradford head The Commercial
Dispatch West Alabama team.

A YEAR TO REMEMBER
Lamar, Pickens I T WAS A YEAR TO REMEMBER FOR THE LAMAR COUNTY AND
PICKENS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS.
recognized Both teams made runs for a state title
and came up a game shy of playing each
for season other in the Alabama High School
Athletic Association Class 2A state cham-
of achievement pionship game.
Lamar County tied a school record for
most wins in a season in Ken Adams’
story by HENRY MATUSZAK third season as coach. Pickens County
made the state semifinals in Scott
photo by SARAH WILSON Marchant’s first year as a head coach.
Lamar County (13-1) was undefeated
until losing to Clay County, while Pickens
62 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
County (12-2) only lost to
Gordo and Reeltown.
For their accomplish-
ments this season, Adams
and Marchant are The
Commercial Dispatch West
Alabama co-Coaches of the
Year.
Adams Adams said the
Bulldogs couldn’t have enjoyed the sea-
son they had without assistant coaches
Tim Bobbitt, Steve Brock, David Easley,
Justin Lann, Heath Pennington, John
Curry thrives
on defense
for Pickens
story by HENRY MATUSZAK
OING INTO THIS PAST
G HIGH SCHOOL FOOT-
BALL SEASON, Pickens
County coach Scott Marchant
asked junior Deion Curry to play
a demanding position on defense.
Marchant wanted to use Curry at
linebacker and safety so he could
exploit Curry’s quickness and nose for
the football.
Curry responded and contributed
to a stingy defense that helped Pickens
County (12-2) make it to the semifinals
of the Alabama High School Athletic
Association Class 2A playoffs.
“He played a position that demands
a lot coverage wise and also demands
a lot run support wise,” Marchant
said. “Basically he was a safety and
linebacker at the same time. It’s a
demanding position. Not everybody
can do it and he did a fine job with it
this year.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Curry con-
tributed to a defense that allowed only
170 points in 14 games. He led the
Tornadoes with 136 tackles and he
intercepted three passes. He returned
one interception for a touchdown.
For his role in helping Pickens
County make it to the state semifinals,
Curry is The Commercial Dispatch
West Alabama Defensive Player of the
Year.
“He just made big plays,” Marchant
said. “He had a knack for being in the
right place at the right time.
“He was always around the football.
He’s not the biggest guy in the world
and he’s not the fastest guy in the
world, but he’s got a real good nose for
the football.”
Curry wanted to do his part in
keeping the opposition out of the end
zone.
The Tornadoes shut out Aliceville
13-0 and American Christian Academy
26-0, and allowed a touchdown or less
in four other games. n
David Rogers, and Don Thornton.
“No. 1, it’s a great honor,” Adams said of
earning coach of the year honors. “But
coach of the year should be coaches
because of the effort all the coaches put in
to get these kids to play each week. It’s a
great honor to win it from the standpoint
that it means your program has come full
circle. We’ve all been together for three
years. The coaches know what to expect
and the players know what to expect. It’s
continuity in a program.”
Marchant feels as strongly about
Pickens County assistant coaches Barry
Ambrose, Eddie Lee Doss, Jerome Giles,
Malcolm Giles, Tavoris Lacey, Chris
McCrary, Lee Smith, John Stepp, and the
others who aided the Tornadoes in their
bid for a state championship.
“We had a great year and I feel really
blessed,” Marchant said. “We had a bunch
of good kids and good football players to
coach. I was blessed with a lot of good
coaches who helped me. I had a lot of good
people here at the school who helped me.
We have a good administration.”
Under Adams’ guidance, Lamar County
beat 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, and
Isabella 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 sides
of the ball, averaging 37.8 points and allow-
ing 14.2 points per game.
Adams would prefer to pass the credit
on to the assistant coaches, but Lamar
County quarterback Michael Bradford said
Adams deserves a lot of the credit.
“He did a great job,” Bradford said.
“He’s been with us for three years and
each year he comes in he works harder
and coaches harder and gets everybody
ready to play.
“He kept us focused. He made sure we
played with the same intensity every
Friday night when we stepped on the field,
and he always made sure we practiced
hard every day.”
Lamar County tied the school record for
wins in a season established in 1984 and
equaled in 1992.
Through Adams’ effort, Lamar County
enjoyed its most successful season since
Kenneth McKinney was the head coach.
McKinney coached the Bulldogs to a state
championship in 1984 and runner-up finish
in 1992.
“A lot of people can think back to the
’80s and coach McKinney,” Adams said. “If
they look at it, we’re running the same
stuff he ran. We didn’t re-invent anything.”
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
Adams played football at Itawamba
AHS in Fulton and was aware of
McKinney’s success at Lamar County.
There was part of Adams that wanted to
return Lamar County to its glory days
under McKinney when he took over the
program in 2007.
“I got to meet him since and he’s always
been supportive of us” Adams said of
McKinney. “I know he helps (his son)
David (McKinney) at Gordo, but every
time I’ve seen coach McKinney he’s been
nothing but helpful and the things he’s said
to me and about the community have been
nothing but positive.”
Pickens County was in contention for an
undefeated season until it lost to Gordo in
its regular-season finale.
The Tornadoes began the season by
beating Greensboro 48-24, Shades
Mountain Christian 67-7, Thorsby 33-14,
Hale County 34-6, Aliceville 13-0, Isabella
52-6, American Christian 26-0, Vincent 34-6,
and Fultondale 14-9.
In the playoffs rolled, the Tornadoes
beat Keith 57-24, Goshen 48-14, and three-
time defending state champion Leroy 19-12
before losing to Reeltown.
“He got a lot out of us,” Pickens County
junior quarterback and safety Deion Curry
said. “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 both
sides of the ball, averaging 37.2 points and
allowing 12.1 points per game.
Marchant didn’t know what to expect
his first season as a head coach, but he was
confident the Tornadoes had the talent to
have a successful season.
“I’m a little disappointed we didn’t make
the 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 have
been coaching for a long time and haven’t
gotten to the semifinal round of the play-
offs, so I just feel real blessed to be part of
a great football team and a bunch of great
kids and a good community that supports
football the way folks in Reform do.”
Marchant was the defensive coordinator
for seven years at Pickens County before
taking over for Patrick Plott this season.
Under Marchant’s direction, Pickens
County advanced to the fourth round of
the state playoffs for the first time since
2001 when John Montgomery was the
head coach.
“No doubt he’s a great coach,” Curry
said. “He’s good enough to coach a state
championship team, and we’re going to try
to make that happen next year.” n
63
Bradford
was leader
for Bulldogs
story by HENRY MATUSZAK
Michael Bradford’s goal was to be a
leader on the offensive side of the ball
for the Lamar County High School
football team.
The senior quarterback emerged as
that leader and led Lamar County to a
season to remember.
With Bradford leading the way,
Lamar County equalled a school
record for the most wins in a season
with 13 and made it to the semifinals
of the Alabama High School Athletic
Association Class 2A playoffs.
“We had a great year,” Bradford
said. “Everybody played hard and
practiced hard week in and week out.
We all just wanted to go out and play
our best every week.”
For leading Lamar County to within
a game of playing for a state champi-
onship, Bradford is The Commercial
Dispatch West Alabama Offensive
Player of the Year.
The 5-foot-9, 160-pound Bradford
directed a high-powered offense that
scored 529 points in 14 games for an
average of 37.8 points per game.
He completed 47 of 91 passes for
626 yards and 11 touchdowns on a
run-oriented team and was the
Bulldogs’ leading rusher with 1,014
yards and 19 touchdowns.
He was intercepted just three times
and two of the picks were in one
game.
Bradford was a dangerous threat
running and throwing the ball, but his
ability to run the offense is what made
the Bulldogs click.
“The thing Michael understood was
he allowed the offense to run through
him,” Lamar County coach Ken Adams
said. “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. He allowed the
offense to run through him.
“He was able to carry out fakes, put
64 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
THE DISPATCH
ALL-AREA TEAM
Co-coaches of the Year:
Ken Adams, Lamar County;
WEST ALABAMA
Scott Marchant, Pickens County
Offensive Player of Year:
Michael Bradford, Lamar County
Defensive Player of Year:
Deion Curry, Pickens County
OFFENSE
Quarterback
First Team –– Jacob Acker, Pickens Academy
Second Team –– Deion Curry, Pickens County
Running Back
First Team –– Steven Stewart. Sulligent
Second Team –– Kenneth Hill, Lamar County
Honorable Mention –– James Adams, Pickens
County
Running Back
First Team –– Ken Mitchell, South Lamar
Second Team –– Marquis Mayhew, Aliceville
Wide Receiver
First Team –– Dominique Jones, Pickens
County
Second Team –– Demetrius Wilder, Aliceville
Honorable Mention –– Josh Elliott, South
Lamar
Wide Receiver
First Team –– Logan Helms, Sulligent
Second Team –– Tyler Vails, Pickens Academy
Honorable Mention –– Demetrius Wilder,
Aliceville
Tight End
First Team –– Michael Potts, Pickens Academy
Second Team –– Dakota Carruth, Sulligent
Utility
First Team –– Keith Hall, Pickens County
Second Team –– DeShawn Davis, South Lamar
Utility
First Team –– Kirk Lewis, Pickens Academy
Second Team –– Taavius Parker, Aliceville
Offensive Lineman
First Team –– Reed Eaves, Lamar County
Second Team –– Brad Lowery, Pickens
Academy
Honorable Mention –– Demarcus Hall,
Aliceville
Offensive Lineman
First Team –– Grey Hankins, Pickens Academy
Second Team –– Durand Prince, Aliceville
Honorable Mention –– Andrew House, Pickens
Academy
Offensive Lineman
First Team –– Tony Johnson, Sulligent
Second Team –– Ishmael Riggins, Sulligent
Honorable Mention –– Dustan Reeves,
Sulligent
Offensive Lineman
First Team –– Cory Jones, South Lamar
Second Team –– Jesse Turner, Pickens County
Honorable Mention –– Tyler Sprouse, Lamar
County
Offensive Lineman
First Team –– Greg Jones, Pickens County
Second Team –– Tremaine Willingham, South
Lamar
Honorable Mention –– Brett Trull, Pickens
Academy
Kicker
First Team –– Brandon Merchant, Lamar
County
DEFENSE
Defensive Lineman
First Team –– Mark Sterling, Pickens County
Second Team –– Erik Wilder, Aliceville
Honorable Mention –– Cole Bradford, Lamar
County
Defensive Lineman
First Team –– Carson Chiquitto, Lamar County
Second Team –– Judson Smith, Pickens
Academy
Honorable Mention –– Matt Hankins, Sulligent
Defensive Lineman
First Team –– Derrick Billups, Aliceville
Second Team –– Tony Easterwood, Pickens
County
Defensive Lineman
First Team –– Brandon Merchant, Lamar
County
Second Team –– Ahmad Walker, Sulligent
Linebacker
First Team –– Lance Bobbitt, Lamar County
Second Team –– Wesley Parson, Sulligent
Honorable Mention –– Justin Sanford, South
Lamar
Linebacker
First Team –– Matt Cruse, Sulligent
Second Team –– Lemetrius Williams, Lamar
County
Linebacker
First Team –– Jimmy Lann, Lamar County
Second Team –– Chase Davidson, Pickens
Academy
Linebacker
First Team –– Lawrence Scott, Aliceville
Second Team –– Justin Perkins, Lamar County
Defensive Back
First Team –– Eric Hudson, Lamar County
Second Team –– Cody Smith, Sulligent
Honorable Mention –– Jamal Giles, Pickens
County
Defensive Back
First Team –– Robert White, Sulligent
Second Team –– Jarvis Jones, Aliceville
Honorable Mention –– Marquis Colvin,
Aliceville
Defensive Back
First Team –– Will Franks, Lamar County
Second Team –– Casey Jones, Pickens
Academy
Honorable Mention –– John Morgan Owens,
Pickens Academy
Utility
First Team –– Quinton Sturdivant, Pickens
County
Second Team –– Malcolm Willingham, South
Lamar
Utility
First Team –– Terry Mayhew, Aliceville
Second Team –– Maurice Gary, Pickens
County
Punter
First Team –– Marquis Plant, Pickens County
Second Team –– Brad McCool, South Lamar
 “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

kids into motion, get our offense lined
up and get the ball snapped. He did a
great job of that.”
Bradford threw three touchdown
passes against Red Bay in the playoffs
and two touchdown passes against
South Lamar in the season opener and
Addison in the seventh game.
The most yards he passed for in a
game was 104 against South Lamar.
He was more effective running the
ball, rushing for 110 yards and three
touchdowns against Cleveland, 109
yards and a touchdown against
Addison, 147 yards and two touch-
downs against Winston County, 127
yards and two touchdowns against
Isabella and a 159 yards and three
touchdowns against Tanner.
He led an offense that scored 61
points against South Lamar, 47 against
Cold Springs, 48 against Cleveland, 46
against R.C. Hatch, 43 against
Falkville, 58 against Oakman, 48
against Isabella and 42 against Red
Bay.
“I wanted to give the guys every-
thing that I had,” Bradford said. “I
wanted to play hard and get them to
play hard, and keep everybody up by
being a leader.”
Bradford proved to be a dependable
starter after replacing Brad Barnes,
who was a four-year starter for the
Bulldogs. He was the starting quarter-
back for two years and guided the
team 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 over
to lead a resurgence at Lamar County.
“Mike is one of those guys that is
there every day,” Adams said. “He
learned a lot my first year (at Lamar
County in 2007) because he was watch-
ing Brad Barnes by being behind him.”
Bradford took what he learned from
Barnes and helped Lamar County
become a state championship con-
tender.n

Congratulations On A Great Year!

www.trianglefcu.com

MAIN OFFICE-CAFB STARKVILLE MSU COLUMBUS CENTRE

P.O. Box 8300 1101 Highway 182 East 2330 Highway 45 North
Columbus, MS 39705 Starkville, MS 39759 Columbus, MS 39705
(662) 434-6052 (662) 338-9131 (662) 327-9450
FAX (662) 434-8406 FAX (662) 384-1240 FAX (662) 327-6308

SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 65

BASKETBALL
ALL AREA
LARGE SCHOOLS

Starkville High School basketball team celebrates after

winning the Class 6A state title.

PERKINS CARRIED TORCH FOR SHS

F THERE WAS A MORE DOMINANT, EXCITING, AND PIVOTAL PLAYER than Starkville

I High’s Rashad Perkins in The Commercial Dispatch coverage area, it might be his alley-oop
launcher Edward Townsel.
What put Perkins over the top in The
Dispatch’s voting process was his perform-
ance in the Class 6A state semifinals and
final, where he averaged 23 points and 14
rebounds.
He set the tone with a Herculean effort
of 25 points, 14 rebounds, 13 blocked shots,
and five steals against Biloxi. The future
Southern Miss Eagle didn’t suffer any lag
against Rodney Hood and Meridian.
Perkins rebuffed questions of carrying
the torch after snapping Starkville’s 49-year
title drought, insisting the chemistry, depth,
and leadership between him and Townsel,
the team’s explosive point guard, provided
a canvas to paint a memorable state title
performance piece.
Still, as a 23-point, 15-rebound per game
player this season, Perkins powered the
Yellow Jackets and earned him The
Dispatch’s Large Schools Boys Player of the
Year honors.
Perkins’ athletic ability has never been
questioned, as the 6-foot-5 leaper eliminated
taller players’ advantages by living above
the rim. Rebounds, putbacks, and alley-
oops belonged to Perkins and often left
opposing teams with the only hope of
Perkins getting into foul trouble or having
an off game.
Perkins scored 20 points or more in 27
of 33 games this season, capping a career
that 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, Perkins
said, but as easy as it has looked to fans
Perkins had to discipline himself on the
court.
“I’ve got ability and potential and I’m a

story by DAVID MILLER

66 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010

good athlete,” Perkins said. “A lot came
easy, but a lot came hard. I could always do
stuff, but I wasn’t always a complete player.
I still think I’ve got a lot to improve to
become that player in college.
“The key for me was realizing my team
needed me to work hard like it wasn’t com-
ing easy. I knew they expect me to play at a
certain level, and I am going to work hard
and keep that level of expectation.”
Coming off a junior campaign where he
put his name in the hat to be the state’s top
player by the end of his high school career,
Perkins was fueled by the disappointment
of losing to Greenville-Weston in the North
Half State qualifier.
This season, Greenville-Weston caught
the wrath of a loaded Starkville High squad
in the North Half State title game. As if
there wasn’t enough motivation to steam-
roll through the Beehive-hosted North Half
gauntlet, Vicksburg’s Mychal Ammons — a
friend of Perkins — and his teammates
sent trash-talking texts to Perkins the night
before their North Half State semifinal tie.
“They were talking a lot of noise,” Perkins
said. “From there, it was on and we treated it
like a rivalry. We had our motivation.”
In that game, however, Starkville leaned
on someone other than Perkins, who sat the
majority of the first half with foul trouble.
But sophomores Mike Brand, Calvin Young,
and Tory Rice and juniors Jaquez Johnson
and Shaquille Hill picked up the slack.
Perkins knew he would play without
pressure 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 was
key in our season early on, but when other
guys started to step up you just knew
everything was going to be right.
“We won everything we said we would.
When does it ever happen like that? I can’t
ask for much more as a senior.”
Despite the disappointment of playoff
heartbreak as a sophomore and falling well
short as a junior, Perkins said a positive
memory from his junior season stuck more
and provided more actuation than the
knock-out game loss.
Leaving a champion and with handfuls
of individual awards sets the table for
Perkins’ career at Southern Miss, where he
easily is Larry Eustachy’s highest-profile
signing entering the 2010-11 season.
“I can’t wait to get there in June,”
Perkins said. “I look forward to giving
Southern fans the same kind of excitement
our Starkville fans got. And you know I’ll
try to make it back and see Starkville
repeat.”n
Taking state helps
Carter earn honor story by DAVID MILLER
REG CARTER THOUGHT BEING THE ONLY
G
TEAM IN THE STATE to end the season with
a win would feel different after years of playoff
disappointment.
The euphoria from winning the
Mississippi High School Activities
Association Class 6A state title gave
the Starkville High School boys bas-
ketball coach a myriad emotions.
The victory lifted a burden from
Carter’s shoulders and certified his
tenure at the school with a tradition-
setting run that finally provided the
hardware to prove it.
But if returning to the court after
failing to accomplish all you set out
for is difficult, getting over the jubi-
lation of being the best team in the
state has proven just as laborious.
It’s like breaking up the band
after selling $10 million records and
winning a Grammy, or being a mili-
tary kid and having to move after
you’ve found a great group of
friends.
“You’re putting this last year
behind you,” Carter said one month
after Starkville High beat Biloxi for
the crown. “It’s different when you
end with a title, but it’s just as difficult
because you’re starting over. It makes
it hard when you see guys like
Rashad Perkins and Edward Townsel,
knowing you’ve got to replace them
and what you did is over.”
Offseason turnover has produced
solid starters in Carter’s eight years
at Starkville High, so he isn’t wor-
ried about finding players to step in
for Perkins, the state’s most exciting
player, and Townsel, the quickest
guard.
There’s a standard at Starkville
High and an understanding that win-
ning basketball is the norm.
Now, state title expectations will
have more weight and the Yellow
Jackets’ first title defense in 49 sea-
sons will begin with a new collection
of players. Some will return with
experience from playing in a title
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
game. Others will spring from the
successful ninth-grade program.
None of them will hear a word
about a state title.
“For me to talk about a state
championship with next year’s team,
they have to win one,” said Carter,
The Commercial Dispatch’s Large
Schools Boys Basketball Coach of
the Year.
Wiping the slate and starting
anew is another way to push out
what has happened and to prepare
for what will be everyone’s best
shot.
But Starkville High’s consistency
has helped solidify it as one of the
state’s top programs, so it should be
used to getting an opponent’s best
shot in 2010-11.
This season, the depth Starkville
High anticipated having dwindled as
upperclassmen Antonio Hamilton
and James Sharp either weren’t
there for the start of the season or
were gone by the middle of the sea-
son. Sophomore starting guard
Jacolby Mobley took his 10 points a
game to the bench once the new
year started.
But juniors Jaquez Johnson and
Shaquille Hill and sophomores Mike
Brand, Calvin Young, and Tory Rice
used the extra minutes to become
champions in their first varsity season.
The fact that the team didn’t miss
a beat as its makeup changed made
the title run unique, Carter said.
“It’d start out one way and we’d
get good, then have to shift gears to
another direction,” Carter said. “The
chemistry, I was always worried
about it. But in the first week of
February, things started to fall in
line and we started to play well. It
carried us all through the state tour-
nament and the Grand Slam.” n
67
 Holman is honored for district title run
AURA LEE HOLMAN ENTERED HER FIRST YEAR IN
L CHARGE of the New Hope High School girls basketball
team by setting the bar at a milestone that hadn’t been
reached in 18 years.
As a former Lady Trojan, she never
experienced the joy of lifting a district
championship trophy. Many players
came before her and finished their New
Hope High basketball careers in the
same fashion.
The goal, in all likelihood, was the
same New Hope coaches before Holman
BASKETBALL
ALL AREA
SMALL SCHOOLS
Malone rises to leadership challenge
I
T’S ALL IN THE ATTITUDE FOR DEMETRIUS
MALONE.
The West Lowndes High School senior
didn’t like the prospect of having to settle
for his team’s first loss of the season, espe-
cially in a game he thought it should have
won.
Instead of accepting defeat, Malone
went to Herman Peters and told his coach
he was going to do something about it.
“I told him I was ready to and I was
going to pick my teammates up,” Malone
said.
The 6-foot-1 1/2, 170-pound swingman
lived up to his words — and then some —
this season. Malone averaged a little more
than 22 points per game, 14 rebounds, five
assists, forced seven turnovers, and had
five steals a game playing all five positions
for the Panthers.
For his accomplishments, Malone is
The Commercial Dispatch’s Small Schools
Boys 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 tried
to do it with 100 percent.”
Peters said Malone took control of the
team several times, either by saying some-
thing in a timeout or by being the go-to
story by ADAM MINICHINO
68 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
had set.
Holman’s approach to her new group
of players was simple: Push yourself to
the limit in October and you’ll in enjoy it
in February.
The New Hope players bought in, as
Holman entered her second year of
coaching with solid credentials.
player on the court. One of those times
came Feb. 5 against Columbus. Already
with a 58-51 victory against the Falcons,
Malone (25 points) took over down the
stretch. Trailing 48-38 with less than seven
minutes to play in the fourth quarter, he
poured in seven consecutive points, includ-
ing a 3-pointer, to cut the deficit to 50-47
with 4 minutes, 18 seconds remaining.
West Lowndes went on to win 61-57 in
overtime.
“I feel I had more of a killer instinct,”
Malone said. “That game against
Columbus I was determined not to lose. I
didn’t want to lose, and we weren’t going
to lose.”
Malone thought his willingness to take
on a bigger role would allow Peters to
have more confidence in the team. He also
felt it would improve his and his team-
mates’ confidence.
“I took it on more as a responsibility
because I thought I owed it to my guys
because I have been here,” Malone said. “I
have experienced things and that if they
got down I understand and I knew I owed
it to them to help get them up.”
Peters wasn’t surprised by his senior’s
As a starting guard and All-
Conference player at Troy University of
coach Michael Murphy, Holman’s
knowledge of the game gave her
advanced insight and helped her take
her first team, Cottondale High (Fla.), to
the Class 2A playoffs.
Not surprisingly, she gave her
Cottondale team the same preseason talk
and set the bar at reaching the playoffs.
“I’m a dreamer and don’t believe in
setting the bar lower than a champi-
onship,” said Holman, The Commercial
Dispatch’s Large Schools Girls
Basketball Coach of the Year. “The
school I was at before this, the first
interview I had with the newspaper I
told them we were going to state. That
was the headline for the story, and we
went.
“I came into New Hope with the
same mentality.”
Holman told her players, “You’re
going to hate me in October, but you’ll
love me in February.”
She wasn’t sure if her players under-
stood the amount of work she would put
them through, with three-hour practices
and rounds of cardiovascular training.
Holman also wasn’t sure how the
Lady Trojans would fare after they lost
the first two games of the season and
dropped both of their district games to
West Point, or if they would hit their
stride and play consistently to make a
run at the Class 5A, Division 2, District
1 title.
New Hope beat Oxford 48-46 in its
district tournament opener, but the true
test of how far the team had come came
against West Point in the district final.
Trailing by eight points at halftime,
Kelli Petty and Kia Edmonds combined
to score 26 points to propel the Lady
Trojans to a 42-40 win.
“Those first five minutes in the lock-
er room, just to see that joy on their
faces was incredible,” Holman said.
“When we got in the locker room, the
first thing they said was, ‘Coach, you
said we’d be having fun in February.’
That was a special feeling to know they
accomplished something that hadn’t
been done in 18 years.”
The Lady Trojans moved on to the
North Half State playoffs, where they
lost to Canton 57-52 to finish 16-10. n
story by DAVID MILLER
Ewings was dynamic weapon
OMETIMES, TOUGHNESS IS with the varsity, and after start- and she has had interest from

S INGRAINED IN A PLAYER. Growing up

in a large family of boys and as a self-
proclaimed “country girl,” West Point High
ing as the two guard, Ewings
was starting point guard by the
next game.
“On the court, she pushes
me,” Ewings said. “She sees the
USM and a film request from
Vanderbilt.
“She has a good shot (at
making it to the Division I
School point guard Kelsei Ewings has turned littlest things, like if I don’t get
level),” Helms said. “I have seen
what usually is a disadvantage into a weapon. back on defense or if I let some- a lot of point guards and two
body guard me. She’ll get in my guards in Division I that are
At 5-foot-5, Ewings is used to “That’s why I’m not afraid of small. I used to worry about her
face because she knows I can
being one of the shortest play- anybody,” Ewings said. “People
take it. I can always talk to her height being a negative just with
ers on the court. But while tell me, ‘You got to go up against
and she’s going to always keep her signing (a scholarship), but
height typically is coveted at this person’, or ‘She’s five or six
it real with me.” you look at (former Mississippi
every position, Ewings’ blend of this.’ I take it like she’ll be a
Helms said she pushes State guard) Alexis Rack (5-foot-
speed, vision, shooting, and grit threat to me, but I’m not afraid
Ewings because she’s convinced 7) and she’s not that tall. Kelsei
has given West Point coach just because I’m small. I’ve had
she can play at the Division I
Jemmye Ann Helms a dynamic that experience before from will gain weight naturally when
weapon the past three years. being in the yard and playing level, despite the misconcep-
tions about small guards. she goes to college, and in the
Ewings averaged 22 points, with the boys.” weight room here I think we
five assists, four rebounds, and Ewings dropped 30 points Ewings said she often hears
Helms compare her to college can put some more pounds on
five steals a game this season, against Starkville High in the
leading the Lady Wave to a 17-7 season opener, 31 and 24 in and WNBA players. She said her. It will help her a lot. She
record and a spot in the first games against Noxubee County, she does it positively and to has range now and she’s not
round of the Class 5A North and 24 in a loss to New Hope in motivate her when she isn’t very big. Watching the (NCAA)
Half State playoffs, where they the district championship game. playing up to her usual level. tournament, I think she can play
lost to Yazoo City. Helms believes Ewings Ewings will attend junior with anybody.” ■
For her accomplishments, should have averaged close to camps at Mississippi State,
Ewings is The Commercial 30 points this season. She is Southern Miss, and Vanderbilt, story by DAVID MILLER
Dispatch’s Large Schools Girls adamant the killer instinct
Player of the Year. Ewings shows for most of the
Ewings’ brilliance in the open game will make her an even
court was a nightmare to more explosive and prolific Service
defend, especially with the player.
inside-out combination she
formed with forward Kourtney
“She’s always had the ability
to take over the game, and she
Quality
Crowley, a member of The needs to be more aggressive,”
Dispatch’s All-Area second team. Helms said. “I felt like she could Variety
To Ewings, running the fast have had a lot more and-ones
break and handling Helms’ than she did. Sometimes she’s
offense was just like being at
home.
hesitant to take over trying to
make the extra pass, or just Cash & Carry
“I would play football and being conscious of how many
every other sport (the family’s shots she’s taken or how much
boys) would play,” Ewings said. she’s had the ball.”
Building Supplies
“I didn’t want the boys to beat Ewings appreciates Helms’
me, so I had to run faster to
catch them. I increased my
honesty and said it always has
been there in a relationship Lumber • Appliances
speed all my years.” forged when Ewings started on
Playing with the boys helped the varsity team as a freshman.
Ewings develop toughness Initially, Ewings was tentative
Hardware • Paint
because she always was the when she walked in the gym
smallest player in every compe- and heard from the other play-
tition. She didn’t know that ers, “You’re a freshman, you’re
Tools • Plumbing
would be the case once she not supposed to be here.”
started playing high school bas- But Helms, then in her first
We have a showroom of windows,
ketball, but by then she had year at West Point High, saw doors, fireboxes, and much more!
realized she had an advantage in Ewings’ potential and realized
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any limitations her height might more experience. She assured 328-5776 • 866-508-3537
impose on her game. Ewings she wanted to practice
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 ◆ THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH 69
BASKETBALL
ALL AREA
SMALL SCHOOLS
Hoskins lets her actions speak
AMEIKA HOSKINS
J ADMITS SHE
DOESN’T TALK
MUCH. While other players
slap teammates on the back
and create a lot of noise on
the court, Hoskins takes a
stealthier approach.
The Aberdeen High School senior
guard/forward always has preferred to
let her playing do the talking.
This season, Hoskins continued to
become more of a vocal presence and a
leader on the court. Those qualities
helped her lead the team in scoring
(21.7 points per game) and to a 24-3
record.
“When you’re a vocal player you’re a
great player,” Hoskins said. “I think
that is one of the things I was lacking
over the other years.”
For her accomplishments this sea-
son, Hoskins is The Commercial
Dispatch Small Schools Girls Basketball
Player of the Year.
Aberdeen reached Jackson last year
and saw its season end to eventual
Class 3A state champion Raymond. But
most people at the game, including the
Raymond coach and players, felt
Aberdeen had made significant strides
from the 2007-08 season, when
Raymond easily eliminated Aberdeen.
That’s why the 2009-10 campaign
was filled with anticipation that maybe took several steps as a player and as a
this season, especially with Raymond
moving up to Class 4A after the state’s shoulder injury she suffered two games
reclassification, would be the one when prior to the game against Ripley. She
Aberdeen could win a Class 3A title.
But Ripley’s 55-51 victory against
Aberdeen in the second round of the
North Half State playoffs shattered
those dreams. Despite the disappoint-
ment, Hoskins took pride in everything
she helped the volleyball, girls basket- coach Latorrence Bivens said this past
ball, and track and field teams achieve. season was the best of Hoskins’ five-
“My senior year has been great,”
said Hoskins, who was named The
Commercial Dispatch’s All-Area
70 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH u SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
Jameika Hoskins goes for a layup while not what you say but how you say it.
two Tupelo High defenders watch.
Volleyball Player of the Year. “It started
out good with volleyball and making it
farther than we did the other seasons.
With basketball, we were ready for the
state part. It didn’t end too well.”
Aberdeen’s volleyball team beat St.
Andrew’s in the opening round of the
Class I North Half State tournament
before nearly beating Center Hill in the
second round.
In girls basketball, Hoskins felt she
leader. She said she played through a
also feels she learned more of what she becoming even more of a vocal pres-
will have to do as a lead-by-example and ence on the court. She said her ability
as a vocal contributor.
“I can do many things if I put my
mind to it,” Hoskins said.
Aberdeen High girls basketball
year varsity career. He said her deci-
sion-making allowed her to make the
transition from her role as a primary
story by ADAM MINICHINO
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 to
get better. All she wanted to know was
what she needed to do, and she did it
without hesitation.”
Bivens said Hoskins improved this
season the most on defense. He said he
didn’t have to get on to Hoskins to play
defense in part because he said she
recognized she was someone who set
the tone for the team.
In fact, Bivens said he saw Hoskins
speak up during timeouts and encour-
age teammates. He said that leadership
helped the Lady Bulldogs overcome
tough stretches.
“One of her biggest problems was
she always knew what was wrong but
she never opened her mouth and said
it,” Bivens said. “As the year went on
she was able to say things. The key is
When she said things the team listened
and they just followed her.”
Hoskins originally decided to play
basketball at Alcorn State in Lorman,
but she reconsidered that choice and
last month signed a letter of intent to
play at Itawamba Community College.
Bivens feels that step will help
Hoskins become the player he knows
she can be. He said Hoskins will be
able to shine and that her competitive-
ness and enthusiasm for the game will
come out easier having family and
friends close by to support her.
Hoskins said her senior girls basket-
ball season was a first step toward
to lead her teammates gave her confi-
dence she can do it even better at the
next level.
“I am shy person. I don’t like to
talk,” Hoskins said. “Coach always
pulled me over and told me I need to
become more vocal and be more of a
leader on the team. I took it and
became more of a vocal leader.”n

ALL AREA
WEST ALABAMA
Pickens County sweeps after winning state title
T THE BEGINNING
A OF THE BASKET-
BALL SEASON,
Pickens County coach Russ
Wallace believed his team was
a year away from contending
for a state championship.
Wallace experienced a tumultuous
offseason when he had to kick two
starters and three other players off the
team, and he didn’t know how his play-
ers would respond.
“We had so many problems during
the summer,” Wallace said. “We had a
lot of situations going on.
“My mind-set going into the start of
the season was, ‘Hey, we’ve got to get
these guys ready because next year
we’re going to have a legit shot at win-
ning the state championship.’ I knew I
had Deion (Curry) as a junior and I
knew I had these sophomores (LaJuan
Doss and Nick Stewart).”
But much to Wallace’s surprise, the
Tornadoes put it together quicker than
he anticipated and won the first state
Malone continued
attitude. In fact, he was looking for it. He
was rewarded early in the season when
after a loss to Aliceville Malone came to
him and told him he was ready to take on
the role of senior leader.
“Not only did he say it, but he showed
it,” Peters said. “He knew from the begin-
ning of the season he had to be the
leader. He took it from there and kept
going.”
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 the
Panthers be their best.
“I think he took it as a challenge at first
and then as a responsibility,” Peters said.
“Other players started to look to him after
that point (early in the season).”
West Lowndes beat Columbus twice,
West Point, Noxubee County, and won its
holiday tournament. Even though the
team didn’t get to return to Jackson,
Malone said the Panthers, who moved
from Class 1A to 2A, had a successful sea-
son. He admitted, though, it was disap-
championship in Pickens County histo-
ry this season.
Pickens County capped a 27-2 sea-
son by outlasting Houston County 88-86
in triple overtime in the Alabama High
School Athletic Association Class 2A
championship game on Feb. 25 at the
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center in
Birmingham, Ala.
Curry was instrumental in leading
the Tornadoes to the title by pouring in
a game-high 31 points in the champi-
onship game.
For their roles in leading Pickens
County to the championship, Wallace is
The Commercial Dispatch West
Alabama Boys Basketball Coach of the
Year, and Curry is the Player of the
Year.
Curry, a 5-foot-11 guard, was at his
best in the postseason. He scored 22
points and grabbed 13 rebounds
against Lanett in the Class 2A, Central
Regional championship game on Feb.
18 and scored 17 points against Sand
Rock in the state tournament semifinals
on Feb. 23 before leading the way in
the title game.
He picked up the scoring load for
pointing not realizing that goal again.
Malone hopes to realize a dream of
earning a baseball scholarship to play at
Mississippi Valley State University. He
said at first he was care free in baseball
but grew into it after he started playing
the sport when he was 11.
Peters knows Malone will excel at
either sport, and has encouraged him to
give basketball a shot, too, if he feels he
has time and will be able to make the
transition.
“He can go to any junior college and
start now if wanted to,” Peters said. “Most
of the offers he had for basketball were
from out-of-state schools. He has the abili-
ty wherever he goes to play more than
one sport. He is a Beta Club student, so
he is able to go and do whatever.
“He has the ability to blossom. When
he gets to the next level he will be able to
focus on one position, shooting guard,
which he is. There is no limit to where he
can go.”n
SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010 u THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
BASKETBALL
the Tornadoes in the postseason and
for the season averaged 13.8 points, 5.8
rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per
game.
Curry was instrumental in all three
games despite throwing up at halftime
of the Lanett game, colliding with an
opposing player in the Sand Rock
game, and crashing into press row in
the Houston County game.
“I think his leadership, not only from
a vocal standpoint, but from how he
played, kind of carried the team and
bonded the team,” Wallace said. “The
team kind of all joined in with him.
They had that never give up, never say
die attitude.”
Curry, who earned All-State honors
by the Alabama Sports Writers
Association, was especially clutch
against Houston County, when the
Tornadoes scored seven points in the
final 8.8 seconds of the third overtime
to rally from an 86-81 deficit. He made
a 3-pointer from the top of the key
with 8.8 seconds left to make it 86-84
and then he grabbed a rebound, was
fouled, and made two free throws with
5.9 seconds to go to tie the score 86-
86.
Wallace led the Tornadoes to the
title even though he believes he had
better teams in the past. Pickens
County won despite not having the
dominating player inside like in the
past with 6-6 DeAndre Hersey (who
plays basketball at South Alabama) and
6-6 Michael Williams (who plays foot-
ball at Alabama).
He began to believe the Tornadoes
could contend for a state title when
they played Class 6A No. 1 Tuscaloosa
Hillcrest in a Christmas tournament
and lost by five points.
“That game made me realize it,”
Wallace said. “I even told the kids, ‘You
know you showed me something right
there.’ When they showed me that it
made me re-think about this basketball
team because I saw something in this
team I’ve been trying to get out of my
kids at Pickens County for 15 years.
“This bunch had the heart and
desire to where they didn’t want to
lose. That tournament changed my per-
ception of this basketball team.”n
story by HENRY MATUSZAK
71

Index of
Advertisers
ACR Coach ................................................................... 18
Bancorp South .............................................................. 43
BankTel Systems ........................................................... 12
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle...Back Cover
Brooks Eye Center........................................................ 48
Cash & Carry Building Supplies ................................... 69
Coca-Cola ..................................................................... 46
Columbus Orthopaedic ...................... Inside Front Cover
Columbus Police Department ...................................... 59
Columbus School District ............................................. 10
Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority ................... 18
The Dispatch ................................................................ 19
Dr. James L. Holzhauer................................................. 41
Falcon Lair Apartments .................................................. 3
Fashion Barn ................................................................... 3
Fitness Factor ............................................................... 11
The Granite Guys ......................................................... 33
Heritage Academy ....................................................... 13
Immanuel Center for Christian Education .................... 21
Lowndes County Radial Tire......................................... 47
Lowndes Funeral Home & Crematory .......................... 25
Maggie Proffitt ............................................................. 11
McKellar Proffitt ........................................................... 13
Memorial and Gunter & Peel Funeral Homes .............. 23
Monograms Plus........................................................... 13
New Home Building Stores .......................................... 13
New Hope Gifts............................................................ 18
Reed’s ........................................................................... 29
Rehab at Work .............................................................. 27
Rodney Ray .................................................................. 49
Sports Specialty.............................................................. 1
Sqwincher ............................................ Inside Back Cover
Starkville School District ............................................... 31
Triangle Federal Credit Union ...................................... 65
YMCA ........................................................................... 55
72 THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH ◆ SPORTS REVIEW 2009-2010
Pickens Academy reaps
top honors for title run
RIOR TO THE OPENING TIP OF THE
P BASKETBALL SEASON, the Pickens
Academy Lady Pirates set a goal to win
a state championship.
Pickens Academy coach Wade Goodman and senior forward
Callie Minor were confident the Lady Patriots could accomplish
the feat after making it to the Elite Eight of the state playoffs the
previous two years.
“My expectations were very high,” Minor said. “All of us girls
had played together for a long time and I knew what we had as a
team. I knew what kind of skills we had, so I thought we’d be
very good.”
Led by Goodman and Minor, the Lady Pirates lived up to the
expectations and won the state championship that they had set
their sights on at the beginning of the season.
Pickens Academy (28-3) capped a memorable season when it
defeated Lakeside Christian 53-39 in the Alabama Independent
School Association Class AA championship game on Feb. 19 at
Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala.
“I honestly think that anybody could have coached them to a
state championship this year,” Goodman said. “It’s been nice to
watch them mature over the past three years.”
The 5-foot-10 Minor had a game-high 18 points and seven
rebounds 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 Girls
Basketball Coach of the Year and Minor is the Player of the
Year.
Minor was one of three seniors that provided leadership for
the Lady Pirates. The other seniors were Catherine Johnson and
Tate 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 is
rebounding and getting those hard inside points that we need.”
Minor, who intends to attend Shelton State Community
College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., also was a pitcher on the school’s
softball team.
Goodman, 36, coached the Lady Pirates to the championship
in his third season at Pickens Academy. He was coaching little
league baseball and had never coached girls sports when he
was approached about coaching the Lady Pirates.
“I just came in off the streets, basically,” Goodman said. “I
never dreamed I’d be coaching girls sports. Never. My whole
reason for going down there (for an interview) was to get my
foot in the door for the baseball job.”
For not having experience coaching girls basketball prior to
three years ago, Goodman is to be commended for the job he
did with the Lady Pirates this season, Minor said.
Minor said Goodman demanded excellence and it led to a
state championship. “He did a very good job,” Minor said. “He
was tough on us acting right and doing the right things. He
taught us a lot this year. He was a very good coach and did all
the right things.”■
story by HENRY MATUSZAK