PageO Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 cllq_^ii=OMNS =======================================================================================================================================================================
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PageP cllq_^ii=OMNS Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 =======================================================================================================================================================================
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GHS coach says team ready to reload By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
The faces change, but the expectations don’t. That’s the way Greenwood High School coach Clinton Gatewood approaches each new season, and that won’t change this year even though the Bulldogs lost 24 seniors from a 12-2 team that lost in the North 4A title game to eventual state champion Noxubee County. Gatewood knows many doubt his team’s chances for that kind of success in 2016. He is unfazed by that because he has history on his side, he says. GHS lost 22 seniors from the 2014 squad that went 11-3 and lost in the North 4A finals, and the Bulldogs were right back on the verge of playing for a state championship the next year. “We have proved that we can maintain a high level of success here. That’s been shown year in and year out at Greenwood,” said Gatewood, who is 53-22 with four Region 3 titles in his six seasons at GHS. “Even though we lost such a large number of seniors, we still have a lot of guys with some experience. And they are ready to prove what they can do, to keep this thing rolling.” The Bulldogs, who open the season Friday at home against Leflore County, have 15 seniors this year. “We’ve got a lot of young talent. I am confident and comfortable they can get the job done for us,” Gatewood said. The Bulldogs held opponents to just 11.5 points — the secondfewest across the state in 4A last season — was decimated by graduation. Senior outside linebacker JaKaiszer Glass and junior defensive end Carl Jones are the only two returning starters.
Jaquan Moses will also see action along the second level of the p`ebarib defense. Senior Dequon Davis (5-10, ^ìÖK==NV===iÉÑäçêÉ=`çìåíó=======================190) and freshman Travor Randle (5-9, 165) will occupy the cor^ìÖK==OS ~í=dêÉå~Ç~ pÉéíK=MO ~í=`ä~êâëÇ~äÉ==========================nerback spots, with junior Dermago Tate (5-10, 175) and DeonpÉéíK=MV dêÉÉåîáääÉJtÉëíçå=================== ta Watkins (5-10, 170), a senior pÉéíK=NS==^ã~åÇ~=bäòó=============== transfer from Amanda Elzy, also pÉéíK=OP= léÉå seeing action there. pÉéíK=PM v~òçç=`áíó=Ee`F====================== lÅíK===MT ~í=dÉåíêó================================ Sophomore Maurice Leflore (511, 175), senior Cortavius lÅíK===NQ ~í=`äÉîÉä~åÇ======================================================== Hoskins (6-1, 195), sophomore lÅíK===ON pÜ~ï============================================== Thomas Smith (5-10, 180) and lÅíK===OU o~óãçåÇ================================= freshman CeMardre Taylor (5-8, ^ää=Ö~ãÉë=~í=T=éKãK 150) will play at the two safety spots. Gatewood will also serve as Offensively, the Bulldogs may defensive coordinator to start the rely more on the ground attack season after losing Jimmy Stan- than they have in recent years. ford to Greenville Weston in the Senior tailback Rico Owens is a offseason. big reason why. “I know we will make some After rushing for 1,101 yards minor mistakes early on, but the and seven touchdowns on 108 key for us is getting that fixed and carries last season, Owens (5-11, having everyone on the same 210) has added about 10 pounds page after a couple of games,” of muscle while maintaining his said Gatewood. speed. Gatewood said his runGlass, a 6-foot-2, 225-pounder, ning back, who recently repped had three interceptions last sea- 225 pounds 18 times on the bench son and will be a key figure on press, was timed at 4.52 seconds defense. this summer at a Mississippi Playing opposite of now Missis- State camp. sippi State Bulldog Marquiss “Rico has a chance to be a speSpencer at the other end, Jones cial player for us,” said the GHS had 106 tackles and 14 sacks last coach. “He is a big, strong back we season. Gatewood doesn’t expect know can control the game. We’ve any deep falloff in production got some big ol’ boys up there in from that side of the defensive front of him so we feel like we can front this year with Jaylen Stan- pound folks.” ley, a 6-1, 210-pound sophomore, Freshman Walter Ivory (5-7, stepping in. 175) and sophomore Lavell NelAt the tackle positions in the son (5-9, 175) will back up Owens. Bulldogs’ 4-3 attack will be senior Juniors Christian Henderson Marquadain King (6-1, 235) and (6-5, 285), Quenterrius Banks (6junior Jalen Bedell (6-1, 270), one 2, 250) and Marcus McDaniel (6of three transfers from Delta 0, 200) are returning starters Streets Academy. along the offensive line. With his Joining Glass at linebacker will size, Henderson is already drawbe senior Darren Gilbert (5-10, ing attention from college 165) and junior R’Tavius McGee recruiters, but Gatewood said (6-2, 215). Sophomore Xavier McDaniel, the smallest of the Dean (5-10, 195) and sophomore linemen, is his most fierce block-
File photo/Andy Lo
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er. Charles Brooks (5-10, 240) and Kwatravious Johnson (6-6, 360), a Delta Streets transfer, will round out the staring five up front. Bedell will also see time at guard. Senior Tranleson Tribblett will start at quarterback after seeing a good bit of playing time last year as the backup, completing 26 of 51 passes for 463 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. Freshman Dazarian Perez will
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be backing him up. The biggest question mark for the Bulldog offense is definitely at wide receiver. GHS lost its top four pass-catchers from 2015. Watkins is expected to help out at receiver. Others working there are sophomore Carldaryl Johnson (5-11, 180), freshman Kobe Chambers (5-7, 160) and senior Kenderrick Foreman (5-9, 160). n `çåí~Åí= _áää= _ìêêìë= ~í= RUNJ TOPT= çê= ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK= cçääçï= çå= qïáíJ íÉêW]_áää|_ìêêìëK
Mustangs looking for more satisfying ending in 2016 By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
File photo/Andy Lo
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Bill Burrus
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Pillow Academy has put its agonizing finish to last season behind it and is ready to write a new, better chapter in the Tripp McCarty era. In breaking a four-year postseason drought, the Mustangs closed the 2015 season with a 1413 loss to East Rankin in a firstround playoff game at home. “All you can do is flush it,” said McCarty of the painful memory. “We were back in the weight room the Monday after that and building toward doing better this season. “We feel good about this season because we’ve got a lot of guys returning from a team that now has playoff experience and knows what it’s like to play a AAAA schedule.” McCarty, who is 12-10 in his first two seasons at PA, has 15 seniors on the 32-man 2016 roster. “We’ve got a great group of talented, senior leaders. We have a great locker room and team chemistry because of these guys, and that’s what gives me hope for
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this year,” McCarty said. Senior lineman Swayze Pillow missed all of last season with a knee injury and admits it was tough watching his twin brother, Walt, and the rest of the team in the playoffs. He has plans to finish off his Mustang career with a bang. “It was hard to watch from the sideline last year. I am dying for that first game this year,” Swayze Pillow said. “I plan on winning some playoff games in my last year so this senior class can leave its mark.” McCarty’s biggest reason for
optimism is speed — something the Mustangs haven’t had much of in recent years. The PA coach is seeing a lot of hard work pay off as most players have boosted their speed. “This is the fastest team we’ve had since I’ve been here. We’ve been fast at running back but now we are fast all across the field,” said McCarty, who also coaches the school’s track team. Senior John Madison Brooks is the fastest of the bunch, but McCarty said Walker Coleman and Parker Bariola have narrowed the gap. Brooks was third last spring in the State AAAA 100-meter dash with a time of 11.5 seconds. Seniors Peyton Turner and Grayson Quinn and juniors Eli Burton and Luke Fondren are some of the other speedy players, according to McCarty. Offensively, the Mustangs struggled much of last season, especially against AAAA competition. They averaged 20.5 points a game — 7.7 less than in McCarty’s first season. The Mustang coach believes offensive production will see a big ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------pÉÉ PAI=m~ÖÉ=R
PageQ Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 cllq_^ii=OMNS =======================================================================================================================================================================
Athletic LB leader of young Bulldog defense
PageR cllq_^ii=OMNS Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 =======================================================================================================================================================================
By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
JaKaiszer Glass’ return to Greenwood paid off big time for him and the Greenwood High School Bulldogs. He moved from here prior to his freshman year and spent two years in Georgia before moving back as a junior. In his first season back at GHS, Glass, a 6-foot-2, 225pounder, had a breakout football season in 2015 as he earned all-state and alldistrict honors as an outside linebacker. “It was great to get him back. It was a welcome surprise,” said Greenwood coach Clinton Gatewood. “He’s got size, speed, is good in coverage and is a student of the game — everything you look for in a linebacker. “He will be one of the most recruited players in the Delta as well as the state if he continues to grow
as a player.” Since he moved back to Greenwood just about the time preseason camp was starting last year, Glass started out under the radar. He began the season as a backup but quickly sprang into the starting lineup after a solid performance in the opener against Leflore County. “He played so well that we had to move a kid from linebacker to the defensive line to get Glass in there as a starter,” Gatewood. “And that proved to be a great move because he went to have a super season for us.” Glass caught the eye of college coaches in the spring during a Nike Camp. According to Gatewood, Glass has already received a scholarship offer from the University of Texas at San Antonio, which competes in Conference USA. Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech and Alcorn State are some of the other
schools showing interest in Glass. He is athletic enough that he was used at tight end and even a little at receiver this summer during 7-on-7 passing competitions. Glass is one of only two returning starters on the Bulldog defense and will be one of the few senior starters this year. That places a lot of responsibility on his broad shoulders. Gatewood believes his athletic linebacker is up to the task. “I have watched him mature over the summer as a leader,” he said. “He is the only senior returning on defense, and he understands a lot is expected of him. “He will have to lead and nurture our young guys on defense this season.” n `çåí~Åí=_áää=_ìêêìë=~í Andy Lo RUNJTOPT= çê ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ dêÉÉåïççÇ= eáÖÜ=pÅÜççä= ëÉåáçê= äáåÉÄ~ÅâÉê= áë= çåäó= çåÉ= çÑ= íïç= êÉíìêåáåÖ= ëí~êíÉêë= çå ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK= cçääçï= çå ÇÉÑÉåëÉ=íÜáë=ëÉ~ëçåK=eÉÛë=ÉñéÉÅíÉÇ=íç=ÄÉ=~=âÉó=íÉ~ã=äÉ~ÇÉê=~ë=ïÉää=~ë=~=ÄáÖJíáãÉ=éä~ó ã~âÉê=Ñçê=íÜÉ=_ìääÇçÖ=ÇÉÑÉåëÉK qïáííÉêW]_áää|_ìêêìëK
PA lineman turns into different person on field By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
Haynes Camp is a fun-loving, outgoing jokester, but those who cross him on the gridiron likely have a different take on the 6foot-4, 270-pound offensive tackle. Camp, a senior at Pillow Academy, definitely knows how to flip the switch when he hits the football field. That’s when he goes from providing the punchline to flattening Camp opposing defenders. “Haynes has never met a stranger. He’s quite a character. He’s just fun to be around,” PA coach Tripp McCarty said. “But if you’re across from him when the
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`çåíáåìÉÇ=Ñêçã=m~ÖÉ=P ---------------------------------------------------------jump for many reasons, with one of the biggest being the team should have more of a passing threat to keep defenses honest. “Also, these guys are better players than they were last year, and we have the speed to turn 5-yard gains into 50-yard runs,” he said. Pillow averaged just 58.8 yards per game passing in 2015, while averaging 188 yards on the ground. The team will need to be a little more balanced if it is going to better last year’s five wins. McCarty is more than confident that will happen with returning starter Cole Whitfield, a senior, and sophomore Lake Giachelli sharing the signal-calling duties. “Our speed outside is
ball is snapped, you’re not going to think he’s much fun to be around. “He is one of the smartest, nastiest players in the state. This kid is a player.” Good friend and teammate Swayze Pillow says Camp is a great leader for the Mustangs. “He starts out very intense and vocal in the locker room getting us hyped up, but as we get closer to that field, whether it be for practice or a game, Haynes gets real focused and kind of keeps to himself. He’s very intense.” Camp has a team-high 340pound maximum lift on the bench press, but he is just as strong in the class room as he is in the weight room. He has made a 29 on the ACT and has 4.7 GPA on a 5.0 scale, ranking him second or third in his class going into his final year at Pillow. Since he is a pretty darn smart,
going to help, and our quarterbacks have developed more. We feel like we’ve got two good quarterbacks who have shown they can do what we want them to do,” McCarty said. “Both will play, and there is no plan in place to say who plays when. It will be a week-to-week and game-togame situation.” The Mustangs don’t have a lot of experience at wide receiver. Senior Hayden Rideout is the team’s leading returner out wide with 10 catches for 62 yards, but he is expected to see more time on the defensive side of the ball. Seniors Woods Rose (6-2, 165), Quinn (5-10, 140), Cleveland Totten (6-2, 160) and Coleman (5-10, 175) lead what McCarty believes is a talented group of receivers. Burton (5-9, 140) and Bariola (5-11, 155), both juniors, will also be key factors at wideout. “We feel good about what
witty young man, it’s not a surprise that Camp takes a philosophical approach to flipping that switch. “Oh, yeah, I am different on the field. I love being out there. It’s a great place to relieve some stress on some people and not come off as being a jerk,” said the preseason first-team All-MAIS selection. McCarty expects big things from his big guy this season. “He is an unreal finisher. He’s been that way from Day 1. As he has gotten stronger, Haynes has gotten better and better finishing off blocks,” said the third-year Mustang head coach. “He’s is competitive in every aspect, from practice to games.” Camp was a first-team AllNorth AAAA pick as a sophomore even though he describes that season as “pretty bad.” “I feel like I have come a long
this group can do,” McCarty said. Brooks (6-1, 190) returns at tailback. He led the team in rushing last year with 694 yards and five touchdowns on 133 carries. Turner (5-8, 160) also gives the Mustangs experience in the backfield as he gained 304 yards a n d scored four TDs Turner on 65 rushes a season ago. “We will move those two guys around a good bit so we can get them the ball. They will line up at receiver, too, because both run excellent routes and can catch the ball,” McCarty said. “We feel like we’ve got a talented, speedy group of senior skill players, and we have a couple of juniors who aren’t too shabby
way since then under coach (Mike) Beagle. His experience coaching at the college level has helped me with my footwork and my blocking skills. I am fortunate to have him as my offensive line coach,” Camp said. McCarty said hard work has put Camp in position to play at the next level even though he is yet to receive his first Division I offer. “Yes, Haynes is blessed with size and smarts, but he has worked at his craft with Coach Beagle. He’s a driven kid,” he said. “I really thought Louisiana Lafayette was going to offer him in the spring after coming to one of our practices. I am a little disappointed that they didn’t. “He could start right now for any junior college in the state, but that’s not what he wants. If he can ever get that first D-I offer, I feel like he would get 10 more in
either.” Fondren (5-10, 180) and fellow junior A.J. Woodard (5-8, 165) will see plenty of action at running back, too. Sophomores Floyd Melton IV (5-8, 160) and Peyton Townsend (5-9, 130) are battling for playing time in the backfield. The offensive line will be anchored by two key senior returnees: center Jacob Garrard (5-10, 200) and left tackle Haynes Camp (6-4, 270). “We’re expecting a lot out of those two guys up front. They’ve played a lot football for us and have proven they can get it done,” McCarty said. The other guys in the eight-man offensive line rotation include: seniors Walt Pillow (6-1, 200), Swayze Pillow (6-1, 205) and Logan Tucker (5-10, 190) and juniors Matthew Ruscoe (5-10, 195) and Hunter Upchurch (5-9, 200).
the next week.” Camp attended several invitation-only prospect camps this summer, including two stops in the Ivy League at Harvard and Yale. He also performed at a combined Mississippi CollegeLouisiana Lafayette camp in Jackson. The big left tackle said he has had an interest in playing college football at the Division I level for some time and if the “right opportunity comes along,” he will be ready to go. His goal for his senior season is to bring a state championship to Pillow. His individual goals are to again earn All-Commonwealth, all-conference and all-MAIS honors along with making the MAIS all-star team. n `çåí~Åí= _áää= _ìêêìë= ~í= RUNJ TOPT= çê= ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK= cçääçï= çå= qïáíJ íÉêW]_áää|_ìêêìëK
Among a group of sophomores McCarty hopes to develop are Deandre Hoover (5-11, 215), Dwayne Jones 5-11, 210), Harris Long (5-11, 240), Gardner Thornhill (5-11, 240), Phillip Rustom (6-0, 225) and Conner Hutson (5-11, 240). Defensively, Pillow returns five starters, including Brooks and Turner at the cornerback positions. Whitfield is back at safety and Upchurch at linebacker. Walt Swayze has moved back to defensive end after finishing last season at linebacker due to injuries. Swayze Pillow will be at the other defensive end spot along with Ruscoe. Joining them up front at the tackle positions will be Camp, Garrard, Tucker and a bunch of youg guys. Tackle is McCarty’s biggest concern on the defensive side. “A lot of our success will
depend on some young guys being able to step up and provide depth there,” said the PA coach. Fondren, Upchurch, Woodard and senior Koby Brisco (5-9, 180) are battling for the two linebacker spots. Sophomore Litt o n Mohamed (6-1, 170) will provide some depth at Upchurch linebacker. Rideout, Rose, Burton, Quinn and Coleman will join Brooks, Turner and Whitfield in the secondary rotation. Last year, Whitfield handled the kicking and punting duties. Junior Bailey Vaughn (6-1, 155) will help with the kicking this year. n `çåí~Åí=_áää=_ìêêìë=~í RUNJTOPT= çê ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
PageS Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 cllq_^ii=OMNS =======================================================================================================================================================================
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House again head man, this time in Itta Bena By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
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Eric House spent one year away as a head football coach in ^ìÖK=NV ~í=dêÉÉåïççÇ 2015. He says it was a valuable ^ìÖK=OS ^ã~åÇ~=bäòó learning experience. pÉéíK=O `Ü~êäÉëíçå “I really didn’t miss it last year. pÉéíK=V qìåáÅ~=oçë~=cçêí Coach (Sherrod) Gideon opened pÉéíK=NS ~í=dÉåíêó his arms to me and made me feel pÉéíK=OP ~í=mÜáä~ÇÉäéÜá~ at home. I really believe it has pÉéíK=PM ~í=tÉëí=_çäáî~ê made me a better coach,” said lÅíK=T iÉä~åÇ House, who is in his first season lÅíK=NQ ~í=pçìíÜ=aÉäí~ at the helm of the Leflore County lÅíK=ON oáîÉêëáÇÉ High School program after lÅíK=OU ~í=lÛ_~ååçå Gideon accepted the offensive ^ää=Ö~ãÉë=~í=T=éKãK coordinator position at Greenville Weston. “I learned how valuable the their past success with such assistant coaches are to a pro- coaches as Singleton, Phillips, gram. It opened my eyes to McSwine and Gideon. They all things. I know I need to let them laid a strong foundation, and I do their jobs and put more trust expect to do the same.” House’s coaching staff this seain them,” House added. son includes Timothy House, who helped Johnson, defensive coorguide the Leflore defense dinator; Tavares Gideon, in 2015, previously wide receivers; Jimmy served as head coach at Gatlin, special teams; MilAmanda Elzy from 2008ton Kirk, defensive line; 2014, compiling an overand Reginald Freeman, all record of 24-40. He offensive line. had winning seasons in Johnson was on Elzy’s 2009 and 2010 (both 6-4), staff for a brief time in House and he led the Panthers 2015. He serves as a to two playoff appearances. Elzy went 10-26 in district teacher at Elzy this year but will be coaching at Leflore during footplay during House’s tenure. Gideon was head coach of the ball season. He played collegiateTigers for five years (2011-2015), ly at Delta State and Jackson going 23-28 overall, making the State. Gideon, a cousin of Sherrod playoffs in 2015 and 2011, going Gideon’s, played at Greenwood 0-2. Before being named head and later at Mississippi Delta and coach, he served as offensive coor- Memphis. Gatlin is a former dinator as Leflore in 2009-2010 coach at Leflore, and Kirk previfor former head coach Cedric ously coached in the Memphis McSwine, who died in early 2011. area at Melrose and Trezevant. House said he and Gideon had Freeman was a star player at a brief conversation early in 2016. Leflore. “I’m very fortunate to have a “I can remember sitting in the gym in early February and Coach very good staff. They all bring Gideon asked me if I was ready. something different to the team. My response was, ‘Ready for Reginald is a former Leflore playwhat?’ He said, ‘To take the team er, so he knows the community over.’ My response was, ‘Yeah, and the kids all know him,” said right.’ I said, ‘Coach, you got a lot House. One area House won’t have to of good players coming back and you have spent the last two years worry about is at quarterback. developing them.’ He said, He’s pretty well set with junior ‘House, you need to take your Darius McClung returning after boys through spring practice.’ a stellar sophomore campaign. In Later on, he went on to explain 2015, McClung threw for 25 that he wanted a new challenge, touchdowns and 2,336 yards, which landed him in Greenville completing 137 of 305 passes with 12 interceptions. He also at a 6A school,” House said. “I feel like I just won the lottery. had five 2-point conversion passThis year’s club is very talented. es and ran for 214 yards and six It’s just like when you get a new touchdowns on 87 carries. “It’s made my job a lot easier car; you can’t wait to drive it off the lot. I just want to personally having him back at quarterback. thank everyone who was Coach Gideon ran the spread forinvolved in the process of choos- mation, and Darius has been ing me as the next Leflore Coun- instrumental in me adjusting to ty High School football coach. I’m the spread,” said House, who has very excited about this opportuni- primarily been a run-first coach. “If we have success this season, ty. The expectations in Itta Bena are always high. It is a small it’s going to be up to him. He’s town that loves their football. It’s doing a better job of adjusting to pressure coaching here because of the mental part of the game. He
File photo/Andy Lo
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has all the physical tools needed to play the game. His arm strength has gotten better over the summer, and I’ve seen improvement in his foot work. His ability to run with the ball is going to put pressure on opposing defenses.” McClung will be backed up by junior Jadarius Harris and sophomore Maurice Edwards. One area that is thin is running back. Seniors Dejarvis James and Malik Sanders will both see playing time, but neither will be carrying the ball 20-25 times a game. House feels he has a talented group of receivers, led by seniors Jeremy Murry, Xavier Manning and Antonio Jones. They are joined by juniors Willie Dixon,
Kobe Hilliard and Harris. Murry had 22 grabs for 571 yards and four scores in 2015, while Manning had 28 receptions for 534 yards with four touchdowns. Murry averaged over 25 yards per catch. Seniors Tyler Ross and Telven Grays will play tight end. The offensive line has no seniors vying for a starting role. Juniors Ray York and Keshawn Vance are working at tackle, along with sophomore Elmus Stockstill. Juniors Trayshon Lowe and Demarius Winford and freshman Emanuel Stanley are working at guard, and junior Chandler Sandifer and sophomores Avery Jackson and Will Gates are at center.
On the defensive side of the ball, seniors Telven Grays, Ross, Justin Cole and York are working on the line, as well as Vance. James, senior Jaquarius Meeks, juniors Joe McGee, Darius Manning and Kedarius Edwards and Edwards are vying for playing time at linebacker. Senior Demetri Brock and juniors Tyrone Payne, Harris and Dixon are at safety, and senior Kerrington Winters, Jones, sophomore Demoriya Dunham, junior Jay Johnson and senior Anthony Spivey are at cornerback. The Tigers open their 2016 campaign Friday at Greenwood High School. n `çåí~Åí= `~äîáå= píÉîÉåë= ~í ÅëíÉîÉåë]ÖïÅçããçåïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
Leflore senior geared up for opener vs. GHS By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
Jeremy Murry makes no bones about it — Friday’s season opener against Greenwood High School is one of the biggest games of the season. Murry, a senior wide receiver for Leflore County High School, believes he and his teammates will be ready for the challenge of facing the 4A Bulldogs. “It’s a real big game for us. One of the biggest games of the season. It’s a rivalry game, and it’s one we very much want to win,”
said Murry, a 5-foot-10, 160pounder. Murry and the Tigers went 5-7 overall in 2015, losing to J.Z. George 28-16 in a first-round North 2A playoff game. “That was a tough night because of all the rain and Murry mud. We didn’t have a running back, so we kept trying to throw the football. The weather really hurt us that last
game,” said Murry. Unofficially, Murry finished 2015 with 22 receptions and four touchdowns for 571 yards. His best game of the season was a seven-catch, 236-yard effort against Riverside, which was a 32-8 win. “I saw last year what Jeremy brings to a game,” said first-year Leflore County coach Eric House. “He reminds me of Sherrod Gideon. Jeremy gives you that big-play threat. He’s not a big kid, but he plays the game so much bigger than his size. “He may not be the fastest
receiver, but he’s plenty fast when he’s being chased. He uses his hands well. We’re definitely going to be getting the ball in his hands this season.” Gideon served as Leflore’s head coach the past five seasons. He’s now the offensive coordinator at Greenville Weston High School. “We’re still going to be a throwing offense with Darius (McClung) at quarterback, but I think Coach House is going to try and run the football,” Murry said. “He has some different formations from what we ran last year. He wants us to be more balanced
this season. We went through spring drills and summer workouts with him, so we have a pretty good idea of what to expect.” Murry plays little to no defense, but he does serve the team in other roles outside of offense. He is a kick returner, which makes him a threat to score on special teams. “I need to have a big season. I’m interested in playing college ball. I don’t care where I play. I just want a chance to play on the next level,” said Murry. n `çåí~Åí= `~äîáå= píÉîÉåë= ~í ÅëíÉîÉåë]ÖïÅçããçåïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
PageT cllq_^ii=OMNS Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 =======================================================================================================================================================================
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Rebels ready to bounce back from 1-9 season By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
Call it optimism, confidence or renewed enthusiasm, Carroll Academy second-year coach Bo Milton believes good things are about to happen for the Rebel football program. “We are here to stay. I’m excited about this season and about this team. We may only have 18 young men out, but I am really enjoying working with this group and watching how hard they are working,” said Milton. “We had real good participation all summer. What helps them is knowing there is consistency with the coaches. It hasn’t always been that way here, but we are really excited to be at Carroll.” The Rebels are coming off a 1-9 overall record and an 0-4 mark in District 2-AA. Their lone win was a 25-14 decision over Lee, Arkansas. Carroll averaged 19.6 points per game and 252 yards rushing a contest in 2015. They only threw for 120 yards during the season, but with the loss of several big backs and offensive linemen, Milton said the offensive philosophy may be a little different this season. “We can’t line up with 290pound linemen and 220-pound running backs this season. We just don’t have those big bodies this year,” he said. “We are probably going to go 180, 205, 180, 280 and 220 across the line. Our goal is to be quicker up front and use some speed to get outside. We’ve improved our speed this year, so we’re hoping that pays off. “We’ll use more spread and shotgun formations. Colby Holly has moved to quarterback. We’ll have some run-pass options and short screens to take advantage
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of our receivers and backs.” Milton said one of the 7-on-7 camps Carroll attended during the summer may be what makes the difference in the whole season. “We went to the LSU camp and played some good teams. We went 2-2-1, and one of those wins was against a team from North Little Rock. We came out of that camp with a ton of confidence. Then we went to a camp at Indianola Academy, and you could just see the difference in the kids. They knew what to expect. The success we had at the LSU camp is paying dividends.” Even though Carroll’s numbers are low, Milton said most of the teams they will face this season are comparable. The Rebels kick off their 2016 campaign Friday night at DeSoto School and then entertain Central Holmes Christian School on Aug. 26. Carroll once again competes in District 2-AA with Deer Creek, Columbus Christian, Winona Christian and Oak Hill. “Winona is bringing a lot back, and they look to have a good team returning. Oak Hill’s numbers are down, but they have their
running back and quarterback returning,” said Milton. “The other two teams have one or two key players returning. It’s a good competitive conference for our league. “Our non-conference schedule includes four teams that made the playoffs. You count the two teams that made the playoffs from our conference, and we’re playing six playoff teams from a year ago. There are no cupcakes on our schedule. It all depends on how we perform and if we can stay healthy. When you are a small team, the last thing you need is some key injuries.” Last year’s leading rusher, Jake Liddell, has graduated, but CA’s No. 2 and 3 rushers from 2015 return in Bubba Porter and Hunter Robertson. Porter, a junior, ran for 537 yards and two touchdowns on 94 carries, while Robertson, also a junior, had 343 yards and a TD on 60 carries. Porter is expected to be the primary back, while Robertson will line up at left split end. Holly, a junior, will call the signals. Jacob Randall, another junior, has yet to fully recover from offseason surgery. Milton said when Randall returns his versatility will be a plus on offense. Senior Dallen Dunn lines up at split end, and senior Luke Womble will be at tight end. Junior Josh Galey will play right split end. The offensive line will be anchored by 280-pound junior Andrew Montgomery at center. Senior Cole Lake Streater will be at right guard, and sophomore Foley Daves will be at right tackle. Senior Ret Brewer will play left guard, and senior Abel Ezell will be at left tackle.
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“Our goal is to spread people out on defense and make them chase us from sideline to sideline. It’s 53 yards from one side to the other. If our conditioning pays off, we should be able to wear some people down,” Milton said. “We implemented this new style of offense in the spring, and we hammered it into the kids all summer. The camps we attended proved to us that we can have success. We want to have as many snaps as possible each game and keep the pressure on the other team.” The defense will have Montgomery lining up at nose guard with Womble and Ezell playing tackle in the Rebels’ 3-4 alignment. Streater and sophomore Jeb Beck will play outside line-
backer, and Brewer and Porter will be at middle linebacker. Robertson and junior Colby Holly will be at the corners, Dunn will play free safety and junior Jacob Cutts will be at strong safety. Milton is assisted this season by defensive coordinator Chad Crowe and Tommy Acy, who will handle the defensive backs and receivers. “It’s going to be a fun year. The one thing these kids need to do is learn how to win. We’ve got to close out those games and learn how to put teams away. I believe we are headed in the right direction. Our kids are buying into what we are trying to do. They are tired of the losing. That’s the first step,” said Milton.
Senior Brewer impresses coach with hard work By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
Carroll Academy head coach Bo Milton is confident in what he will get from Ret Brewer during the upcoming football season. “Ret is the hardest worker we have. Effort is not an issue with him. He runs with the skill players in practice because he never gets tired. He has a great attitude. He’s the type of
young man who owns up to his mistakes. He doesn’t make excuses. He just takes responsibility and goes out there and works harder the next time on the field,” said Milton. Brewer is a 6-foot-1, 180pound senior left guard and middle linebacker for the Rebels, who start their 2016 season Friday at DeSoto School at 7 p.m. Brewer, who has been at Carroll for 12 years, will be starting for the third
straight season. “I’ve had a good summer lifting weights and running. I can run all day long,” said Brewer. “It’s a different mentality going both ways, but I’m so used to it. We showed we could move the football last year on offense, but we struggled on defense. We’ve got to do a better job of tackling and getting more speed on the field.” Milton is very high on Brewer and his capabili-
ties. “Ret is just one of those kids who never gives you any problems. He’s a good student in the classroom. He’s been at the school a good bit this summer working here. He’s very reliable, which means we can tell him something on the field and know that it will get done,” Milton added. Brewer is one of five seniors on Carroll’s 18-player roster. “People may not think
much of us, but we know we have the talent. I want to be a leader on this year’s team, and I know I want us to have a good year,” said Brewer. “Going 1-9 again isn’t the way we want to end our playing careers at Carroll.” The Rebels’ lone win in 2015 was a 25-14 victory over Lee, Arkansas, in the fourth game of the season. They closed on a six-game losing skid. “Attitudes and heart are
going to help us this season. If we all want Brewer to turn t h i s around, we can do it if we put forth the effort,” Brewer said. Brewer said he will likely attend Holmes Community College next year. n `çåí~Åí=`~äîáå=píÉîÉåë ~í= ÅëíÉîÉåë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
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Coming off playoff success, Jags have high hopes By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
You can almost feel and smell the difference in the J.Z. George football program as Ben Burton enters his third season at the helm of the Jaguars. The Jaguars, despite posting just a 5-8 overall record, made it to the second round of the North 2A playoffs in 2015. They beat Leflore County 28-16 in a firstround game on a rain-soaked field. In the second round, Baldwyn beat the Jags 31-0. In 2014, Burton directed the Jaguars to a 7-6 mark as they finished second in Region 3-2A. J.Z. George knocked off Hatley 37-7 in a first-round playoff game but lost
39-6 to Bruce in the second round. Last season, the Jags started 14 and were 2-6 through eight games. They managed to win three of their final five games and take third in Region 2-2A. “We lost to Coahoma AHS by six and to Shaw by eight. With a couple of breaks, we could have easily finished 76. Our non-conference schedule was loaded against teams Burton like Philadelphia, Winona and Eupora,” said Burton. “It took us some time to figure some things out on offense. We had a
couple of injuries, and we were limited on the offensive side of the football. We had to battle back from those things, and by the end of the season, we had people in the right place.” Burton and his players believe they are going into the 2016 season with a true identity. “We have a more definitive plan this season. Last season, we had some who couldn’t grasp what we wanted to do, and it just didn’t work. We changed the offense five times,” Burton said. “We tweaked what we were doing so many times from the beginning of the season to the end. We have a plan this year and with a good number of starters returning, we like the direction of this team.”
The Jaguars kick off their 2016 campaign Friday at Noxapater, a team they lost to 28-0 in 2015. Burton said the Jags have nine starters returning on offense. The only two not returning are offensive linemen Shaquille Morris and Thomas Rias, both of whom graduated. “We have all our skill players returning, three linemen and all our backs and wide receivers. We are breaking in a new quarterback this season in Malik Christian. He’s 6-foot, 170. We are turning the reins over to him at quarterback,” said Burton. “We played three different guys there last season, and we had to do different things with each. If it takes six games to get him going, it just
takes that long. He gives us the ability to throw the ball and also turn a busted play into a big play. “He has the ability to escape. He showed in the spring that he can make things happen. We sent him to a quarterback camp this summer, and he got in a lot of foot work. He also played 7-on-7 against Elzy, Eupora, Winona and Choctaw County. He probably completed 90 percent of his passes.” In limited action as a freshman, Christian was 4 of 13 for 48 yards last season. As a team, the Jaguars only threw the ball 71 times for 350 yards in 13 games. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------pÉÉ GEORGEI=m~ÖÉ=V
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DSA moving forward By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
T. Mac Howard can’t worry about the departed players who have left Delta Streets Academy to attend other schools in the Greenwood area. Howard, the head football coach of the Lions and also the headmaster and executive director of the school, is very excited and ready to get the season going as Delta Streets kicks off its 2016 campaign Saturday at Unity Christian School in Leland. “This is our first year to actually have seniors, so we’ll be playing against athletes in the same grade for the first time,” said Howard, who will have two seniors on his squad in Jaylin Smith and Justin Anderson. “We have just one junior and a bunch of sophomores. We are still a young team, but several of these guys played last year as freshmen. Plus, we’ve picked up four transfers from the area with the prospects of a couple more coming to the school.” The Lions are in their third year playing varsity football in the MAIS’ 8-man league. They compete in District 1A with Strider, Delta Academy, Marvell and North Sunflower. Delta Streets
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posted a 2-9 overall record and a 1-3 mark in league play a year ago. “Our junior high program is loaded with younger guys. In two years, we will have a pretty goodsized senior class. At Delta Streets, we may not always win many football games, but we want to do things the right way. But, I will say that I feel really good about this team. We may not have the size up front with the departure of a couple of kids, but in this league size isn’t as important as speed. We will have some guys who can get outside.” The two players who are no
longer with the team are Jalen Bedell and Kwatravious Johnson, both juniors. The two opted to leave Delta Streets and enroll at Greenwood High School. “I wish them the best,” Howard said. As Howard said, Delta Streets will have some players who can take the ball the distance this season. One of those is junior tailback Dominick Brown, who ran for 791 yards and nine touchdowns on 130 carries as a sophomore. He also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. One of his better outings came in a 68-54 loss to Rebul Academy as he rushed for 198 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries. “One of our problems last year was that teams pretty much knew what we were going to do even if we lined up with four receivers. As soon as the ball was snapped, the defensive backs would all rush to the pocket,” said Howard. “We weren’t able to throw the ball. We have some guys at the quarterback position who can throw the ball. Plus, most of our skill position players can move from receiver to running back. I think it’s going to be an exciting year for us on offense.” One of the players Howard was
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counting on was Norman Polk, who enrolled at the school and started workouts and practices with the Lions. However, he opted to return to Amanda Elzy. Anderson and Brown will likely get the bulk of playing time at quarterback. Brown and sophomores Emanuel Austin and Cameron Ervin will play tailback. Austin is also a transfer from Elzy. Lining up at receiver will be sophomore Royce Jackson, Austin, Anderson, sophomore Narada Smith, Brown and Ervin. Jackson is a transfer from Leflore County High School. Willie Green, who was at Elzy in 2015, will likely be the starting
center. He’ll be joined on the line by J. Smith and sophomores Jakarrian Hemphill and Isaiah Blackmon. The defense will feature most of the offensive players. The offensive linemen will play up front, and Austin and Brown will play linebacker. Jackson and N. Smith will play in the secondary. “We should be super competitive in a majority of our games. I’m seeing stuff in practice that makes me believe we can throw and catch the football,” said Howard. “In this league, you’ve got to be able to score. I really think we have the guys on offense who can get to the end zone.”
George’s Hunt a player despite diminutive frame By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
Don’t let Caleb Hunt’s 5foot-7, 150-pound frame fool you. He is a football player. The J.Z. George High School senior is considered one of the Jaguars’ most valuable players on the field as the Jaguars enter the 2016 season. They open Friday night at Noxapater High School. Hunt, who lines up on offense at slot receiver and quarterback and on defense at strong safety, hears the talk all the time about his stature. “The main thing I hear is “that guy is too small to be on the field.” I believe in myself and that I can go out there and do something. I’m a firm believer in the Scripture, “I can do all
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things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). My faith is really strong in God. A lot of people can’t walk, run or lift weights. I’ve been given the ability to do those things, so I want to go out and show people what I’m able to do because of the strength I’ve been given.” Hunt H u n t made the 2015 All-Commonwealth football team as a defensive back. He finished with 20 tackles and had two interceptions, but he showed his importance down the stretch as the Jaguars clinched a spot in the North 2A playoffs as the No. 3 seed from Region
`çåíáåìÉÇ=Ñêçã=m~ÖÉ=T -----------------------------------------------------------------------Burton still has versatile athlete Caleb Hunt and Lajarvis Jenkins, who returns from a broken collarbone, in the wings to take a few snaps if they need to. Hunt, an All-Commonwealth selection as a junior at defensive back, was 13 of 28 for 160 yards with one TD and four interceptions. He was a bigger threat to run the ball as he rushed for 330 yards on 120 carries and scored four touchdowns. He also had seven catches for 68 yards as a receiver and returned kicks and punts. On defense, he had two interceptions and finished with 20 tackles. Burton is very high on his running backs. The group of four is led by sophomore Montavis Jenk-
2.
After he played wide receiver most of the season, head coach Ben Burton moved him back to quarterback. “Before last season started, I was working at quarterback; then I got moved to receiver and then back to quarterback. It didn’t matter to me where I was on the field. I just wanted to help this team win. I know wherever Coach Burton puts me that I can do the job. I know that may sound cocky, but I have confidence in myself,” said Hunt. “I know I can play this game, and I like doing it.” Besides playing on offense and defense, Hunt also serves as the Jaguars’ return man on punts and kickoffs. He very rarely comes off the field. “Coach Burton is always
ins, a 6-foot, 200-pound load nicknamed “Hulk.” He ran for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns on 195 carries as a freshman. He finished with 1,066 all-purpose yards. Seniors Darrian McLemore and D’Angelo Jobe and freshman Keyshawn Daniels provide depth in the backfield. McLemore had 258 yards on 51 carries, and Jobe ran for 428 yards and four scores on 67 carries. As a team, the Jaguars ran for 2,068 yards on 471 carries and 19 touchdowns in 2015. The wide receivers include Hunt; junior Tyrus Thomas, who is returning from a broken leg; McLemore; L. Jenkins; senior Javarcea Thomas; and freshman Malik Branch. The offensive line will look a lot different than in Burton’s first two seasons. Senior Ethan King (6-0, 165) will be at center. He is flanked by seniors John Clardy and Austin Arnold, junior Josh
telling me to get out of bounds and don’t take the extra hits on special teams. I like fighting for the extra yardage. If I see a small hole, I’m going for it,” said Hunt. Burton knows the value of having Hunt on the field. “I’m glad I don’t have to imagine what it would be like without him this season,” said Burton. “He does a lot of things for us. He’s the heart and soul of this football team. Caleb is just a great kid to be around. He never wants to come off the field, and he’s so dedicated. He’s worked a job this summer and still comes to work out in the evening time.” The Jaguars closed out with a 5-8 overall record in 2015. They beat Leflore County 28-16 in a firstround playoff game, then
Wiggins and sophomore Jarvis Jackson. Others vying for playing time are junior Austin Coppick and sophomores JJ Rias, Chris Rias and Javieon Griffin. The defense has nine starters returning also. “We’ll have some playing both ways, but we do have some depth on that side of the ball. We started five freshmen last year. We have both inside linebackers, four in the secondary and three linemen returning,” said Burton. Possible tackles are Wiggins, C. Rias, Griffin, junior Terek Townsend and senior Jonathan Swindle. Playing defensive end are JJ Rias, senior Tisheen Eiland and junior Josh Johnson. Working at linebacker are seniors Justin Randle, Marquavious Walls, Ethan King and Greg Smith. Daniels and JJ Rias are also seeing time at linebacker. Randle was an All-Commonwealth pick in 2015. He had 69 solos and 77 assists as a junior.
lost 31-0 to Baldwyn. They were only 1-4 after their first five games and 2-6 through eight contests. They managed to win three of their final five games. “We did a lot of swapping in and out early in the season, but once we figured things out, we started playing better as a team,” Hunt said. “We are going into this season with a definite plan, and our confidence level is really high. We have a really good group of seniors who the younger guys are going to listen to. All the seniors are leading by example. Coach Burton puts a lot of emphasis on senior leadership.” This will be Hunt’s third year on the football team and fourth year at J.Z. George. He was home schooled up to the ninth grade, but because he
joined the school a little late, was not able to join the team as a freshman. “I want to be the best team player I possibly can be. That’s what I care about on the field. I’m not into personal goals. I just want this team to do well,” said Hunt. “Most people don’t like the physical nature of this game, but I love it.” Hunt said he would like to go into electrical engineering upon graduation. His current plans are to attend Holmes Community College and then see after that. “My goal is to go out and play every game with an all-out effort and play as hard as I can. Our main focus is on the first game of the season. We can’t look past the first opponent,” said Hunt.
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The secondary will include senior Tremel Branch, L. Jenkins, Hunt, Jobe, T. Thomas, J. Thomas and Christian. The Jaguars are in Region 2-2A with Coahoma AHS, West Tallahatchie, Strayhorn and Coahoma County.
“Hopefully, when we play Strayhorn on Oct. 21, it will be for the district championship. We have a senior class of 16 kids. They are expecting to win. The mindset has been changed around here. They are not OK with losing,” Burton said.
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Now that some players have grown up, better times expected By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
Amanda Elzy second-year head coach Andrew Davis can put his finger on what led to the Panthers’ 1-10 record in 2015. “I learned we need to be more mentally tough. We worked on that all during the spring and summer. Physically, we looked pretty good. We were in good shape, but the mental part of the game is where we lacked,” said Davis, whose squad posted an Davis 0-5 record in Region 3-3A a year ago. Optimism is high as Davis and his team prepare for their 2016 season opener on Friday night at Leland High School. The two teams did not play each other last season. “I feel really good about this team. We were young in a lot of positions last year, but we have 14 total starters returning — seven on offense and seven on defense. We played a good bit of 7on-7 at a camp at MDCC and one at O’Bannon,” said Davis. “We played well in a jamboree in the spring. We lost 6-0 to Yazoo City and 14-8 to Cleveland. You take away two long passes and that’s a different ball game. “The camps gave our young quarterback Devin Donley a chance to mature and work on his game. He’s only a sophomore, but he has all the tools to be a good quarterback for us. Coach Fant spent a lot of time working with him in the summer.” Donley will be replacing Vidar-
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ius Maggitt under center this season. He will be backed up by sophomore Leonard Edwards. Henry Fant III, a former quarterback at Elzy, will be in his first full season as offensive coordinator. He served in that position for the last four games in 2015. Anthony Williams returns for another year at Elzy, moving from special teams coach to running backs coach. Another exPanther, Derrick Hemphill, will coach the defensive line. He also played at Mississippi Valley State. The remaining members of the coaching staff are Zack Campbell, who will coach linebackers, and Justin Wraggs, the offensive line coach. Both are in their first year at Elzy. Wraggs played at Delta State. “The two new coaches are going to fit into our staff very well as far as teaching the fundamentals of the game. Coach Wraggs knows the blocking schemes from his days at Delta State,” said Davis. “Coach Fant and Coach Hemphill both played here. They are able to tell these kids what hard work will accomplish. Coach
Fant is a repetition guy. He’s going to run a play until they get it right.” Following the opener Friday, the Panthers stay on the road as they visit cross-county rival Leflore County High School and former coach Eric House on Aug. 26. Two straight home games are on tap for Sept. 2 and 9 as JFK and Coahoma Aggie invade R.R. Pickett Field. On Sept. 16, the Panthers, who are the designated home team, play Greenwood High at Bulldog Stadium. A road contest at Louisville closes out non-district play on Sept. 23. Region 3 play gets started on Sept. 30 at home against Yazoo County. The Panthers go to Camden to face Velma Jackson on Oct. 7, and entertain the Trojans of East Side on Oct. 14. On Oct. 21, Elzy is at Ruleville, and the Panthers close out the regular season on Oct. 28 at home against Humphreys County. “East Side has to be the favorite. Velma Jackson and Yazoo County have new coaches. We have to fit right in there with those teams. We aren’t going into this season saying “let’s finish third or fourth”. Our goal is to be No. 1 or No. 2,” Davis said. Davis said he and his staff realized last season, besides the mental toughness, what their players were behind in. “Fundamentals had to be taught. They had not been taught the basics. Blocking schemes, tackling, all of those things. We are going to be a much-improved team this season. We are doing a lot more film study and chalk talk,” said Davis. “I realized after last season that I needed to spend more time doing film study and communicating with the kids better. We have studied film on
File photo/Andy Lo
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Leland for weeks. We have a good idea of who they have returning and what they are going to do with the ball. “We are expecting more than 110 this season. I’m looking forward to a good season. These kids spent a lot of time working out and working on their own. There is a lot more dedication and commitment with this bunch. They want to get better. Our motto this season is to finish.” Junior Jamario Turner (6-1, 195) returns at running back. He’s joined by senior Mikais O’Bannon and junior Santavius Delaney, who will play fullback, in the backfield. Senior Jakoyran Rayford will line up at tight end and wide receiver. Juniors Emmanuel Williams and Melo Jefferson will also play wide receiver. The offensive line is anchored by junior Chris Glass at center. Seniors Galen McMillian and Johnathan Bradley will play left guard and right guard, respectively. Junior Dontrez McMillian will line up at left tackle, and junior Tyrone Reedy will be at right tackle. Two others who could see time on the line are
senior Damien Hunt and sophomore Perion Jones. Seniors Brian Gary and Perry Moore will play defensive end, while senior Travonte Stovall and sophomore Rayburn Woods will play inside at tackle. Junior Joseph Greer is joined at linebacker by sophomores Tredarius Rosebud and Marquavious Williams. Senior De’Arrius Swims will play free safety, and freshman Smithdarius Wright will be at strong safety. Seniors Darren Johnson and Deonta Howard will play cornerback. “We’ve got three seniors in the secondary. We feel like we are very experienced on defense,” Davis said. “Coach Fant and I talked about what we need to do to keep the defense off the field. We’ve got to control the ball on offense, keep the clock moving and avoid turnovers. Our defense spent way too much time on the field last year. “I’ve got one message for our team — trust in each other. Trust that the man next to you will get the job done. We want people to see that this program is improving and to trust in the process.”
Elzy senior new to game, but solid on and off field By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
Amanda Elzy head coach Andrew Davis would love to have a few more players like De’Arrius Swims. Swims is a 5-foot-8, 160pound strong safety/wide receiver for the Panthers, who open their 2016 campaign Friday night at Leland High School. “De’Arrius brings accountability to this team. He is a good student, and it’s amazing how much he has matured in a year’s time. He is a solid athlete
who can play free safety, strong safety, cornerback or slot receiver,” Davis said of the senior Panther. “This is only his second year to play football, so he is still learning the game, much like most of our players are doing. He’s got good range at safety, and he’s aggressive enough to play cornerback. De’Arrius is showing he can lead on and off the field.” As a junior, Swims, who is 17, had two interceptions and forced three fumbles. He went out for the team as a 10th-grader, but after suf-
fering from dehydration early in fall training, he did not return to the team. “Coach Davis came to me and urged me to come back out. I was missing playing. I’m glad I did play last year. I felt like I had a pretty good season, and I really enjoyed being on the field,” said Swims. “We had a good amount of seniors last year, but it was taking time with new coaches and some changes to get adjusted. “There were times we showed a lack of chemistry. We were all working hard, but we couldn’t seem to
come together.” The Panthers struggled to a 1-9 record in 2015. They started 1-2 but lost their final eight games of the regular season. “All the seniors feel real good about this team. We have confidence in the coaches and in each other,” Swims added. “We’ve got a young quarterback this season in Devin Donley. He showed us in the spring he can play. “I’m glad to be at strong safety because I like to hit. Our defense is going to be strong. We have all our
defensive backs returning and our linebackers. We just need to play as a team, w o r k together and fight to the very end. We gave up at times last season. We can’t do Swims that this year.” Swims, who said he is considering being a pharmacist after high school, feels the offseason work he and his teammates have
put in plus a new attitude will pay off this season. “We want to start the season off with a bang. We have the inspiration to be a better team. Leland is our first game. That’s the only team we need to focus on right now. It’s game-bygame for us,” Swims said. “Going 1-9 last year was hard to take. I had fun playing, but winning sure does make the game a lot more fun.” n `çåí~Åí=`~äîáå=píÉîÉåë ~í= ÅëíÉîÉåë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
Despite small stature, Smith still mixes it up in trenches By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
Jaylin Smith and one other teammate will be part of Delta Streets Academy football trivia one day in the future. They will be part of the first senior class at the school. “I didn’t even know the school existed until I moved back to Greenwood from the Memphis area,” said Smith. “I’ve been at Delta Streets since the ninth grade. I was at Greenwood Middle School for three months and
then transferred over to Delta Streets. This will be my third year on the football team.” Smith is a 5foot-7, 180pound center and defensive lineman for the Lions, who compete in District 1 in the MAIS 8man football Smith league. “A lot of people just laugh when I tell them what positions I play,” Smith said with a chuckle himself. “They don’t see
many 5-7 centers or defensive linemen. I’ve been the center all three years. It’s not much difference than 11-man football. I get the ball to the quarterback and go block a defensive lineman or a linebacker, depending on the play. “I just really like playing football. It helps me with track season as well. There are a lot of oneon-one situations in 8-man. I may not be the biggest guy on the line, so I use my speed and strength to get the job done.” Delta Streets is coming off a 2-9 campaign in T. Mac Howard’s second year as head coach. Howard
gleams when he talks about Smith. “Jaylin is the ultimate team player. He hasn’t missed a practice all summer and works as hard as anyone during practice,” said Howard. “On the field, he does whatever we ask of him. He rarely comes off the field during a game. In 8man, the size of a lineman isn’t as important as speed. So being 5-7 doesn’t hurt him. He is also very strong for his size.” Smith realizes football may not be in his future past DSA, so academics are extremely important.
“My plans are to attend Mississippi College and major in kinesiology. I really want to want to be a physical therapist and be able to help people,” said Smith. “We are working hard because none of us want to travel every game and come home with losses. We have talent on this team. We may not have a ton of players, but the ones we do have believe in each other.” Delta Streets opens its 2016 season Saturday at Unity Christian School in Leland. n `çåí~Åí= `~äîáå= píÉîÉåë= ~í ÅëíÉîÉåë]ÖïÅçããçåïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
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After 2015 brawl, MDCC starts season shorthanded By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
Mississippi Delta Community College saw its 2015 season end in an ugly fashion. The Trojans’ season finale in Moorhead against East Mississippi ended prematurely due to a lengthy bench-clearing brawl just before halftime. EMCC was winning 48-0 with 59 seconds left in the second quarter before the incident began. Police eventually took the field and with the help of coaches and administrators, regained control. Following a meeting, officials called the game. The coverage of the fight made the national news, creating embarrassment for both programs. A video of the brawl was on some ESPN programming and even posted on the Los Angeles Times website. The fallout from the brouhaha continues into the start of this season. According to the Missis-
sippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges, all MDCC players on last year’s roster who are back this season are suspended for the first two contests of the 2016 campaign. Those players will miss the Sept. 1 opener at Copiah-Lincoln and the Sept. 8 home opener vs. Jones County. EMCC players are only suspended one game this year since the team was disqualified from last seaTatum son’s state playoffs. “It’s a mess. I am totally embarrassed by it all,” said Delta head coach Jeff Tatum. “We won’t let that happen again. We’ve put that behind us, but we certainly haven’t forgotten about it.” The fight and its aftermath, from the EMCC angle, is highlighted in the final two episodes of
Netflix’s 2016 documentary series showcasing the 2015 East Mississippi football season. As of last week, Tatum said he had not seen any of the episodes and was focused only on getting his young team ready to play. That will be a challenge for sure since the Trojans only have six lettermen back from last year’s 36 squad. That’s really bad news for a program that is mired in a streak of 11 straight losing seasons. But Tatum, in his fourth season at the helm in Moorhead, remains hopeful MDCC will surprise some folks this season. “We had our best recruiting class since I’ve been here. I think we will be as good at running back and wide receiver as we have ever been,” Tatum said. “Our offensive line is young but good.” Defensively, MDCC is starting over from scratch. “We are totally inexperienced on that side of the ball, but we feel
a lot better about things after we got into practice because a lot these young kids are as good as we had projected them to be,” Tatum said. Several Greenwood kids are expected to contribute for the Trojans this season, with redshirt freshman Bennie Higgins being the most likely to have the biggest impact. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive end was a star player Higgins at Greenwood High School a couple of years ago. “We expect big things from him. He is a good athlete who had a real good spring in his first taste of junior college football,” Tatum said. Freshman Cortaveon Mack of Greenwood is making waves in preseason camp, according to Tatum.
“He is pushing for playing time at linebacker but could be moved to defensive end,” said the MDCC coach. Tatum said freshman Antwoine Williams Jr. has moved from linebacker to fullback and/or H-back and is looking good in the transition. JohnDerrick Smith, a freshman running back out of GHS, has caught the eye of the Delta coaching staff in Smith preseason workouts. Tatum said Smith is “the biggest surprise so far.” Greenwood freshmen Javion Jones, Jalen Stanley and Danny Nevels, all Greenwood High School products, are all working at receiver for the Trojans. Greenwood’s Richard Meeks has transfered from Hinds and is working at receiver.
As usual, SEC will feature many must-see games By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
Every week of the upcoming college football season will produce games of the week, but also the “inexplicably really entertaining” games of the week and also the total, “Do not watch this unless you happen to be an alum” games of the week.
But which are the best of the best in the Southeastern Conference for 2016? Here are a few: n ^ìÄìêå=~í=^ä~Ä~ã~I kçîK= OS= Ô Alabama has won six of eight Iron Bowls, the only two exceptions being the years the Tigers ended up playing for a national championship. So, given Auburn’s less than title-worthy credentials,
book the Tide for a big win that, given its own history, wraps up the SEC West. Still, it’s the Iron Bowl. n ^êâ~åë~ë= ~í= jáëëáëJ ëáééá= pí~íÉI= kçîK= NV= Ô Hogs vs. Bulldogs? Yep. This is why — look at the rest of the league’s slate that day. Eight of the teams are taking a nonconference break before rivalry weekend, so we’ll see such
heavyweights as Presbyterian and Western Carolina instead. Ole Miss and Vanderbilt play, as does Tennessee and Missouri. Not great. So who’ll be the 2:30 p.m. CBS game? Live from Starkville, it’s Verne Lundquist for one last time. n jáëëáëëáééá= pí~íÉ= ~í läÉ= jáëëI= kçîK= OS= Ô An Egg Bowl is an Egg Bowl, and Dan Mullen’s crew
going to Oxford to try to avoid a third straight loss to the Rebels is more than enough to make this a top10 game this season. That’s before you get into any bowl ramifications, which have been an ever-present part of this season-ender since both programs’ resurgence, and the fact the two fan bases are at each other’s throats 365.
n cäçêáÇ~= ~í= qÉåJ åÉëëÉÉI=pÉéíK=OQ=Ô Florida’s first three games: UMass, Kentucky and North Texas, all at home. Tennessee’s first three games: Appalachian State, Virginia Tech and Ohio. So the Gators will definitely be undefeated coming to Knoxville, and the Vols should be too. Start up the hype.
PageNO Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 cllq_^ii=OMNS =======================================================================================================================================================================
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PageNP cllq_^ii=OMNS Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 =======================================================================================================================================================================
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Comegy thinks good times again headed his way By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
The first two years at Mississippi Valley State have been hard on Rick Comegy, a veteran coach used to winning. He had a 55-35 record in eight years at Jackson State, winning four Southwestern Athletic Conference East division championships and the outright league title in 2007. Even though Comegy — the ultimate optimist — doesn’t like to talk about the struggles in his first two seasons at Mississippi Valley State, it had to come as a slight shock. He’s found out it’s hard to win at Valley, which has suffered nine straight losing seasons and posted just two winning records in the past 19 seasons. But he doesn’t want to hear about the past. He is focused on the future — which he insists is bright. “We have an attitude that we can win now that wasn’t here when I got here,” said the MVSU coach. “I like this team this year. They realize they could have won more games last year, and they now know how to fix that. “Our guys are too young to worry about what has or hasn’t happened in the past. We’re all together and focused on the future.” Comegy faces challenges in Itta Bena that he didn’t in Jackson — location and the SWAC’s smallest budget. But at this point in his career, Comegy said he is not going to complain about what they do not have. “There’s a lot of challenges, but you can’t let the challenges worry you,” Comegy said. “You can’t get out there and run a race and worry that you’re gonna pull a hamstring. You have to run it. So we’re not going to worry about those challenges. We’re going to worry about what’s in front of us. “We have a great AD (Dianthia Ford-Kee) who is doing a great job. We’ve got a new gym being built right now; we have new dormitories being put in place where we’re getting kids out of staying in hotels and getting them oncampus. Ticket sales hit an alltime high last year. It was off the roof, and we’re looking for the same thing to happen this year.” The Delta Devils are picked
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last in the preseason SWAC East poll. “It’s OK to be picked last because we haven’t accomplished anything yet to be picked in any other way,” Comegy said. “So I can understand that. That’s motivation.” Comegy is adamant that things will be different this fall. The Delta Devils relied on a lot of freshman last season, which was filled with growing pains, but the team became more competitive as the season progressed. He said those young guys have grown up and will have a chance to prove the doubters wrong. “We have a lot of great football teams in this conference ... to me, they’re not walls. They’re just doors we have to open up to our success,” Comegy said. “They’re open doors, and doors of opportunity. We’ll put a dent in it.” MVSU ranked at or near the bottom of the 10-team SWAC in most statistical categories in 2015, so there is plenty of work that needs to be done on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Delta Devils were last in the SWAC in scoring (13.8 points per game), rushing (100 yards per game), passing (152.5 ypg), sacks allowed (43), total offense (252.5 ypg) and red zone offense (17-of-29, 58.6 percent). Meanwhile, the defense stood last in the league in points allowed at 43.9 and rushing yards allowed (244.3). As for the special teams, the Delta Devils made only 4-of-9 field goals and 14-of-20 PATs while punting for a league-low 33.1-yard average. Throw in a SWAC-worst negative-8 turnover margin and it
File photo/Andy Lo
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made for another long year. Receiver Booker T. Chambers of Greenwood was a bright spot in 2015 as he earned SWAC Freshman of the Year honors after compiling 1,098 all-purpose yards. He showed his versatility by throwing for a touchdown, catching two and rushing for three more. The Greenwood High School product also returned 10 punts for a 7.3-yard average and ran back 35 kickoffs at a 22.2-yard clip. A trio of quarterbacks — junior Rubin Thurston Jr., sophomore Slade Jarman and senior Dontrinell Scott — gained significant experience last season. Thurston completed 69-of-150 passes for 836 yards, six touchdowns and 11 interceptions in nine games. Jarman grabbed the starting spot late in the 2015 season and will be the guy to beat out this year. In four games, he completed 36-of-77 for 421 yards, three TDs and four picks. Senior Terrence Barron and junior Joshua Banks return as starters at receiver. Barron had 22 receptions for 282 yards and two touchdowns, while Banks caught 20 passes for 263 yards.
Senior tight end Natron Brooks is back as a fourth-year starter. He is one of the few seniors on the team, and he takes his role as a leader seriously. “I love showing the younger guys how we do things, but there is also pressure that comes with it because you don’t want to be the leader of a losing team,” he said. For the first time his four years at MVSU, Brooks will have the same offensive coordinator for a second straight season in Ray Caldwell. “Things have come together well now that we have some continuity on the offensive side of the ball,” he said. The offensive line continues to be a point of concern as the Delta Devils averaged just 2.7 yards per carry and rushed for only seven touchdowns a year ago. Defensively, the best news from 2015 was the Devils led the conference with 15 interceptions. Freshman Marquis Green accounted for eight picks en route to gaining first-team all-conference honors. Despite the loss of leading tackler Charles Moore (70 tackles, 5 pass breakups) and LéTrey Jones
(60 tackles, 2 ints), the secondary remains an asset with the return of Green and sophomore Toney Farrean (42 tackles, 4 ints). Senior Khalil Young (56 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 1 sack) heads up the defensive front, while sophomores Ladrelin Cheatam (61 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks) and Jermone Pledger (43 tackles) return at linebacker. The Delta Devils don’t have a lot of seniors this year, but they do have plenty of guys with experience. “We’re still young,” Comegy said. “We’re a sophomore class, but a sophomore class with a chip on its shoulder, which I really love.” A young MVSU team became more competitive as last season went on. They held a late lead against JSU and took ArkansasPine Bluff to overtime before falling. With that improvement and some maturity, there’s a chance some of those close losses can turn into wins this season. n `çåí~Åí= _áää= _ìêêìë= ~í= RUNJ TOPT= çê= ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
The few, the proud — Valley’s key seniors By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
As Rick Comegy eyes the board in his office, it hits him like a ton of bricks. His 2016 Mississippi Valley State team is short on seniors, but he definitely likes the ones he has — especially tight end Natron Brooks and defensive end Khalil Young. “These two guys will be counted on heavily to produce on the field as well as serve as leaders on and off it,” said the third-year MVSU head coach. Both guys bring a ton of experience with them into their final season at Valley. Brooks moved into the staring lineup as a freshman in 2013 and has remained there ever since. Young will be a third-year starter this season. Young comes into this season with a chip on his shoulder after what he considers a down year
from an individual production standpoint after a breakout sophomore campaign where he led the team in both tackles for loss (11) and sacks (4). Even though his overall tackle numbers went up to 56 in 2015, Young managed just one sack. “It was the kind of year I was looking for so I’ve been grinding hard in the offseason to get my body bigger and better. I’ve training and eating right,” said the 6foot-5, 260-pounder. “I have added at least 10 pounds of muscle.” Comegy said Young has matured and is focused on being a key factor on defense for the Delta Devils. “He has that look in his eye,” said the MVSU coach. “He means business, and we need a lot from him this season for us to move forward as a defense. I think he will embrace that challenge.” Young has always seemed to do
his best work when motivated — exceeding expectations as a 225pound pass-rushing defensive end while at McDonogh 35 High School in New Orleans, where he was also a starter for the school’s basketball team. “I played with my heart. I have a big heart,” Young said of his high school career. “I don’t like it when people say I can’t do something. That Young motivates me. I like to prove them wrong.” He is motivated to ramp up those sack numbers, so SWAC quarterbacks beware. “That’s one thing I’m trying to get better at, and that’s my pass rush. I know I can cause trouble in the running game. I’m trying to do better with my pass rush.”
For Brooks, he is also hoping to put up better numbers in his last season in Itta Bena. The 6-3, 235pounder out of Tampa, Florida, caught eight passes last season for 122 yards and a touchdown. “I feel like my role in the offense will expand this year and give me a good chance to boost my numbers. I feel like we’ll have more of a short passBrooks ing game, and then I will move outside some, too. “Having the same offensive coordinator for the second straight year for the first time since I’ve been at Valley should help, too. I am looking forward to stepping up as a senior and helping this team win.” Comegy loves Brooks’ competi-
tive spirit even if he can sometimes carry it too far with his aggressive play. “He’s got a nasty attitude out there. You have to talk to him at times about not hurting the team with a silly foul,” said the Valley coach. “He uses that attitude to make up for being undersized at tight end. He makes up for it by being rough and tough.” Both Brooks and Young have been through some tough times while at Valley, which is looking for its first winning season since 2006, but they believe things are about to change. “I can see that things are different, attitudes are different, and that gives me hope that us seniors can go out as winners and be a part of the group that changes the culture here,” Young said. n `çåí~Åí= _áää= _ìêêìë= ~í= RUNJ TOPT= çê= ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
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cêáÇ~óë=^åÇ=p~íìêÇ~óë=qÜáë=c~ää Pillow Academy Mustangs Friday Nights
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PageNR cllq_^ii=OMNS Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 =======================================================================================================================================================================
Former walk-on making waves at Auburn just weren’t there. So he accepted an invitation to walk on at Auburn, and Phillips has certainly made the most of that opportunity. He won the starting job over heralded true freshman and scholarship player Ian Shannon, and he did nothing to make the coaching staff question its decision during the 2015 season. His 41 yards per punt ranked seventh in the SEC and 69th nationally and helped to hold opponents to just seven punt returns — tied for third-fewest in the country last season. For his efforts, Phillips was put on scholarship in January. “Going relatively under the radar for most of my career, it def-
By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
Greenwood’s Kevin Phillips wasn’t heavily recruited at all out of Pillow Academy, but the punter put in the legwork to get his name out there and landed a scholarship at one of the top juco programs in the Phillips state. After two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the former Mustang standout had his eye on big-time college football, but again the offers
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initely felt good to be rewarded,” Phillips said. “Definitely had more ups than I did downs, so I think that was a definite plus. To be able to come in and do what I did as a walk-on and raise my level to Division I status, I thought I did well, but I’m definitely going to shoot for higher goals and to become more consistent and efficient in what I do.” He worked on his mechanics during spring practice, which he capped with seven punts averaging 45 yards on A-Day. However, there were no opposing players to pressure Phillips. “The thing I like with Kevin is his catch-to-kick was really good, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------pÉÉ PUNTERI=m~ÖÉ=NT
AP
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Area athletes flood college rosters across the nation By CALVIN STEVENS péçêíë=têáíÉê
Almost 30 former Greenwood-area athletes will be playing under the lights for various senior and junior college football programs in 2016. Greenwood High School, Amanda Elzy, Leflore County and Pillow Academy will be represented during the upcoming season. As of today, there are two who will be playing in their senior seasons — Pillow product Kevin Phillips at Auburn University and ex-Bulldog Alex Johnson at Mississippi College in Clinton. Phillips is the starting punter for the Tigers, and Johnson is a linebacker for the Choctaws. Johnson played in nine games as a junior, starting the final five in 2015. He finished with 31 tackles, which included 19 solo stops. He had Johnson a seasonhigh nine tackles against West Alabama and concluded the season with a seven-tackle performance against Delta State. Former Leflore County standout Jermaine Jones played the last two seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia and is now a junior offensive lineman at Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, Louisiana. He is listed at 6-2, 345 pounds. At Northwest, he
was named first-team all-state as a sophomore after starting six games at left guard as a freshman. He was a threetime All-Commonwealth selection while at Leflore. Another former Tiger is Justin Sandifer. He redshirted last season at East Carolina University and will start his junior campaign in a reserve role for the Pirates. The 6-5, 305pound SanSandifer difer played two years at Hinds Community College in Raymond before signing with ECU. Artez Williams and Denarius Howard are both now members of t h e LouisianaLafayette defensive secondary. Williams, a 2014 graduate of Greenwood High, Williams played his freshman year at Central Arkansas, where he played in 12 games. However, he left the Bears after one season and landed in Fulton to play for Itawamba Community College. He recorded 30 total tackles (29 solos) as a sophomore defensive back. The 6-foot, 185-pounder then signed with the Ragin’ Cajuns for the next two years. Howard took a different route in landing in Lafayette.
After being a star player for Amanda Elzy as a safety, running back and quarterback, he signed on with Mississippi Delta Community College. He was named first-team all-state and all-region after the 2015 season. He was also named the 2015 Mississippi Junior College Defensive Player of the Year. He had four interceptions as a freshman and three as a sophomore at MDCC. Another junior on a Division I roster this fall is former GHS quarterback Kwadra Griggs. The 6-3, 225-pound Griggs played his last two seasons at Itawamba and enrolled at USM in January. He is serving as the backup to three-year starter Nick Mullens. In the USM spring game, he completed 13 of 27 passes for 133 yards with a touchdown. In his sophomore season at Itawamba, he threw for 2,138 yards and 18 touchdowns, completing 59.8 percent of his passes (199 of 333). As a freshman in Fulton, he played in nine games, throwing for 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns. He was the Commonwealth’s Player of the Year following his senior season at GHS in 2013. Griggs is joined at USM by former Bulldog teammate Korey Robertson, who is a redshirt sophomore wide receiver for the Golden Eagles. Last season, the 6-1, 210-pound Robertson played in all 14 games, starting one. He caught 14 passes for 200 yards and had three touchdown grabs. n `çåí~Åí=`~äîáå=píÉîÉåë=~í ÅëíÉîÉåë]ÖïÅçããçåïÉ~äíÜKÅç ãK
Miss. juco teams highly ranked East Mississippi Community College has been tabbed as the nation’s top-ranked junior college football team in the JCGridiron.com preseason Dirty 30 Rankings. Following the three-time national champion EMCC Lions in the preseason rankings are reigning JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national champion City College of San Francisco, Iowa Western, Lackawanna and defending NJCAA champion Northwest Mississippi. Also representing the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges in this year’s JCGridiron.com Preseason Dirty 30 Rankings are eighth-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast along with No. 16 East Central and 28th-ranked
Copiah-Lincoln. Two years ago, head coach Buddy Stephens’ 2014 EMCC Lions became the first program to win three JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national titles by completing a third undefeated (12-0) season during a four-year span en route to also claiming the NJCAA and MACJC titles. The Lions missed last postseason after the team was suspended for the postseason after a bench-clearing fight in their regular-season finale at Mississippi Delta. EMCC’s 2016 regular-season football schedule kicks off with a pair of road outings at Jones County (Sept. 1) and Mississippi Gulf Coast (Sept. 8).
Hopes high even though questions abound
PageNS Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 cllq_^ii=OMNS =======================================================================================================================================================================
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By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
In the toughest division in football — the SEC West — the Mississippi State Bulldogs will have their work cut out for them in 2016. There is talent returning to Starkville, but the face of the program and arguably the best quarterback to ever wear the maroon and white now plays for the Dallas Cowboys. The Dak Prescott-led Bulldogs ended 2015 at 9-4 after pummeling North Carolina State 51-28 in the Belk Bowl. The dual-threat quarterback helped State to a five-week stint atop the college football rankings in 2014 and followed up with nine wins, but the Bulldogs are picked to finish last in the West this season in the first season without Prescott — who had nearly 12,000 total yards and more than 100 touchdowns in his four years in Starkville. MSU head coach Dan Mullen might have to do his best coaching job yet to go bowling for a seventh straight year. He is excited that expectations have changed in Starkville. “We’re coming off consecutive nine-win seasons, which never happened before. We had three nine-win seasons in the last six years. So when you look at that, of changing the expectations — I know I said eight years ago when I got up here and said we want to change the expectations of Mississippi State football — I think we’ve been able to do that,” Mullen said. “Our players have bought in, and we’ve been able to do that, and going to six straight bowl games and building a culture of winning.” The Bulldogs have several options at quarterback — and that can be good and bad. Good because you have options. Bad because nobody separated himself in the spring. Nick Fitzgerald filled in nicely
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at times last season, and Damian Williams also has a good deal of experience. Elijah Staley is young, but he has massive potential. He’s 6-foot6 and weighs 248 pounds with a cannon for an arm. Nick Tiano is the fourth member of the quarterback battle, which has raged on into fall camp. Mullen mentioned the word quarterback 25 times at SEC Media Days last month, but never mentioned a contender by name. “Coming out of spring, there’s no secret to it. I’m not trying to hold back or play it close to the vest with our quarterback,” Mullen said. “We had four guys competing for the job in spring ball. All of them were still in contention.” One of the four will replace the best quarterback in program history in Prescott. He led the team in passing and rushing last year. He’s the only Bulldog to ever finish in the top 8 in the Heisman Trophy voting. But it’s not necessarily those numbers that concern Mullen. “I think the most important thing for me is, in looking at quarterbacks, finding a winner, finding a guy that just has that ‘it’ about him winning,” Mullen said.
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“That’s one of the hardest things to find.” Even with second-leading receiver De’Runnya Wilson off to the NFL and Fred Brown getting booted off the team, the receiving corps should be good enough to get by thanks to the return of leading target Fred Ross. Ross had 88 catches for 1,007 yards as a junior, leading a group that includes deep threat Donald Gray and slot options Gabe Myles and Malik Dear. Since Prescott handled the heavy lifting last season, the running backs need to carry more of the load. Brandon Holloway leads a veteran group. He is a do-it-all smallish speedster, and there are
Rebels look to continue tough climb in SEC West By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
Ole Miss has upped its win total in each of the first four seasons under Hugh Freeze. The Rebels surprised many with a 7-6 mark in Freeze’s first year, and by 2015, they improved to an impressive 10-3, which included a victory over Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl. They were the only team in the country to defeat national champion Alabama. So can Freeze and the Rebels continue this upward trend? Well, they also have a lot of questions to answer coming into this season, not the least of which involves allegations of cheating. But players insist there are no distractions as the program goes through an NCAA investigation that involves 13 allegations, with three current assistants — defensive line coach Chris Kiffin, tight ends coach Maurice Harris and running backs coach Derrick Nix — named in the probe. “We don’t talk about it all. We’re
more than enough options behind him (Ashton Shumpert and Aeris Williams) to keep everyone fresh. Now they need the line to do its job. Three starters return along an offensive line that gave up 32 sacks in 2015. Improvement up front is necessary, especially while protecting a relatively young quarterback. Quarterback might be the most high-profile position battle at Mississippi State, but there’s also plenty of uncertainty on defense. The Bulldogs lost their entire defensive coaching staff during the offseason, including coordinator Manny Diaz, who left for Miami. His replacement is Peter
Sirmon, who comes to Mississippi State from Southern California. It’s Mississippi State’s third defensive coordinator in three years. The Bulldogs do have several veterans returning on defense, including linebacker Richie Brown, defensive linemen A.J. Jefferson and Nelson Adams and safety Kivon Coman. Brown led the Bulldogs with 109 tackles (13 for loss) in 2015. He recorded 61/2 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, three passes defended and three quarterback hurries. n `çåí~Åí= _áää= _ìêêìë= ~í= RUNJ TOPT= çê= ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
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focused on Florida State, and that’s all that’s on our minds,” said quarterback Chad Kelly. Tight end Evan Engram added: “As a team, we’ve been talking to prepare inside-out. We don’t worry about outsiders. We have people taking care of that. We’re not paying attention to it, and we’re definitely not letting it distract us.” Offensively, the Rebels have talent, and it all starts with Kelly. Simply put, he is the best signal
caller in the SEC. Many would go as far to say that he has a stronger arm than anyone else in college football for this season. But the talented passer will have his hands full putting up similar production in 2016 considering the losses the team took in the offseason. The player Kelly will likely miss most is Laremy Tunsil, the man most scouts pegged as the top offensive lineman to get drafted in May. Without Tunsil there to shore up Kelly’s blind side, he’s going to have to adapt to having less time in the pocket than he is used to. Fortunately for the Rebels, they recently signed tackle Greg Little, who was the No. 1 signee in the country at his position. Although he has big shoes to fill, Little is projected to be up to the task. If he has time, there will be plenty of talented targets for Kelly to choose from. While the Rebels did lose superstar Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss is deep at receiver. Seniors Quincy Adeboyejo and
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Derrick Jones are back to provide experience to the group. Junior Damore’ea Stringfellow will also return after putting up 503 yards and 5 touchdowns a season ago. The Rebels will also have the talents of Van Jefferson at their disposal. A top recruit in 2015,
Jefferson redshirted his freshman year, but he comes with a ton of big play potential. Add in 2016 signees A.J. Brown and DeKaylin Metcalf and Ole Miss has plenty of top options in the ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------pÉÉ UMI=m~ÖÉ=NT
PageNT cllq_^ii=OMNS Greenwood Commonwealth / Sunday, August 14, 2016 =======================================================================================================================================================================
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Statesmen looking to bounce back this year By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
Delta State is looking for better things after a disappointing 2015 season. After starting 4-0, the Statesmen went 2-5 over their last seven games to finish just one game over .500 at 6-5 with a 2-5 mark in the Gulf South Conference. Out of DSU’s five losses, three were by six points or less. They are picked to finish fourth in the Gulf South Conference this season but can do better than that if they win the close games this year. The Statesmen had gone 16-5 in their previous two seasons under head coach Todd Cooley. One of the biggest issues DSU faced last season was standout quarterback Tyler Sullivan missed a month with a broken collarbone. The Statesmen also had other players miss some time due to injury. Cooley said a couple of factors have to be different for the Statesmen to win those close games. “Number one we need to be healthy, and number two we need to be more detailed in everything that we do,” Cooley said. “We’ve prepared ourselves. We’re in really good condition to try to remain healthy but becoming detailed started in the spring and has carried over in the fall.” Cooley has been very pleased with the way summer workouts went for his team. “We had a good summer,” Cooley said. “They seem to be excited, the guys that I’ve seen around.”
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`çåíáåìÉÇ=Ñêçã=m~ÖÉ=NS ---------------------------------------------------------passing game. At the tight end position, Evan Engram comes back following a 464-yard, twotouchdown campaign in 2015. Engram’s penchant for breaking tackles makes him a dangerous playmaker from anywhere on the field. On the ground, Ole Miss should definitely be taking a step forward from last year. Senior Akeem Judd and junior Jordan Wilkins are the returning leaders in rushing, and both will be vying for the feature role. However, the most tal-
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`çåíáåìÉÇ=Ñêçã=m~ÖÉ=N5 ---------------------------------------------------------his location of the ball is good,” Auburn special teams coach Scott Fountain said. “We’ve just got to keep working on his hang (time) and distance matching up.” One of the highlights for Phillips as a junior was being a part of a pair of fake punts. He had a 24-yard run on fourth-and-seven against Idaho, providing a huge play that set up the first of three straight touchdown drives. Phillips’ second shot didn’t come with his legs but his arm. He threw a 37yard pass to Kerryon John-
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Sullivan, who will be a senior, is ready to have one more banner year. Despite missing four games with the injury, he still completed 171-of-279 passes for 2,128 yards with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions — putting him fourth in the conference in both passing yards and touchdown passes. Sullivan has Sullivan thrown for 7,250 yards and has racked up 7,709 yards of total offense in his career, which puts him third in school history in those categories. He has 62 career touchdown passes and has thrown just 30 interceptions, while completing 570-of900 career passes for 63.3 percent. Cooley said that Sullivan, a 2014 Harlon Hill Finalist and AllAmerican, doesn’t have any lin-
ented back on the roster is redshirt freshman Eric Swinney. Swinney was expected to carry the team’s running game last season, but a stress fracture forced him to sit the year out. There’s a chance the talented 4-star back could steal the job from both Wilkins and Judd, but likely it will be a three-man rotation, with all backs seeing plenty of snaps. Defensively, the Rebels have an obvious hole to fill with the departure of Robert Nkemdiche in the first round of the draft. Nobody left on the roster has the ability to physically dominate opposing offensive lines like Nkemdiche did, but the talent is still there. Junior defensive end son in the Birmingham Bowl. “He had run the fake pass in junior college. He has a really good arm and is a good athlete,” Fountain said. “He’s not a real big kid, but very athletic. The run in the Idaho game ... he ran very well. But to run out and throw back was really tough to do.” n `çåí~Åí=_áää=_ìêêìë=~í RUNJTOPT= çê ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
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gering issues from his injury last year. “He was fine through spring and had a great summer,” Cooley said. “He’s ready to roll.” Backing up Sullivan at the quarterback position are redshirt junior Colin Willis (6-3, 208), redshirt sophomore and former Bayou Academy standout Tyler Kitchings (6-4, 210) and freshman Jack Blumenthal (6-1, 188). In the ground game, the Statesmen have three senior running backs with D’Juan Bellaire (5-6, 175), Timothy Foy (5-9, 195) and Justin McArthur (5-8, 200). Bellaire rushed for a team-leading 506 yards last season on 124 carries with five touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 159 yards. McArthur rushed for 248 yards with two touchdowns on 57 carries and caught 11 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns, and Foy rushed for 118 yards on 31 carries and caught 10 passes for 50 yards with a score. On the receiving end, the Statesmen graduated six seniors and are in the process of deciding who will fill those spots. “I like the players that we’ve got, but we just have to see how they come through in camp,” Cooley added. On the defensive side, the Statesmen have a lot of experience returning with junior linebacker Landry Tullo (6-1, 220), senior linebacker Joreco Beckwith (6-0, 205), senior defensive back Romelo Wilson (5-11, 170), senior defensive lineman Erin Brown (6-3, 255), senior linebacker Jamel Dennis (5-11, 215),
Marquis Haynes will likely have to bear much of that burden, as he finished with 10 sacks last year and 16.5 tackles for a loss. Fadol Brown will be rushing from the other side, and while he only had one sack last year, that number should increase with Nkemdiche no longer with the team. The secondary was disastrous for Ole Miss last year, as the team ranked 13th out of 14 teams in the SEC in pass defense and was not even in the top-100 in the country. In addition to that, the team lost its two best defensive backs from a year ago in Trae Elston and Mike Hilton. Kendarius Webster and Toney Bridges bring experience back to the team at cornerback. The duo com-
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senior defensive back De’Monterius Kendrick (6-0, 185), senior defensive back De’Quan Reddick (6-0, 205), senior defensive lineman Latrell Peterson (6-2, 35), senior defensive lineman Jaterrian Wren (6-0, 262), junior defensive back Trey Shaw (6-3, 180), senior linebacker Wilson Curtis (6-2, 200), senior linebacker Marquis Coston (6-0, 208), junior linebacker Jerad Hunt (6-0, 230) and sophomore linebacker Chandler
bined for 44 pass breakups and deflections last year, and both players are athletic enough to give opposing receivers difficulties. At safety, Tony Conner projects as a hard-hitting, potential first-round pick. C.J. Hampton rounds out the starting squad that looks to improve upon Mississippi’s abysmal performance in pass defense from a year ago. When a team has three players drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, it makes sense for that team to struggle the following year. However, Ole Miss has the talent to take those losses in stride. n `çåí~Åí=_áää=_ìêêìë=~í RUNJTOPT= çê ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
Ector (5-10, 190). Brown and Dennis are both preseason AllGSC selections. “We’ve got a chance to be pretty good defensively,” Cooley said. “I like our team.” DSU kicks off the 2016 season on Sept. 1 by hosting Kentucky Wesleyan College at Parker Field-McCool Stadium at 6 p.m. n `çåí~Åí=_áää=_ìêêìë=~í=RUNJ TOPT= çê= ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK
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Hopson trying to build on recent success By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
First-year head coach Jay Hopson faces high expectations at Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles went 9-5 last season and are picked by the league’s media to repeat as Conference USA West champions. Hopson knows how to win. He proved that at Alcorn State, where he quickly turned the program around by going 32-17 in four seasons in Lorman. Hopson, who had two previous stints on the USM staff as an assistant, replaces Todd Monken, who left to become the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Southern Miss got back to winning football last year after going 4-32 in the three previous seasons. Hopson wants to keep it that way. He hopes to build a “consistent winner” at USM much like Jeff Bower did in his 18 years at USM from 1990-2007. “I promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to build a consistent winner, year in and year out,” said Hopson, who served under Bower for six years as an assistant at USM. Quarterback Nick Mullens is confident there will be no handoff hiccups as Hopson takes the keys. “It’s impressive to see how the new staff has been able to communicate and develop with the players,” he said. “That’s one reason why we’ll be successful in
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2016.” The four non-conference opponents set for USM in 2016 are the Sept. 3 season opener against Kentucky, a Sept. 10 home game against Savannah State, a Sept. 17 home game against Troy and an Oct. 15 trip to LSU. The trip to Kentucky gives USM a shot at its first win over an SEC opponent since it won 210 at Alabama in 2000. Southern Miss does have a good deal of production on offense to replace, including its top two receivers in Mike Thomas and Casey Martin. The two players accounted for a combined 2,316 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns last season. The main reason for optimism in 2016 will be the return of Mullens for his senior campaign. He established himself as one of the
best quarterbacks among the Group of 5 conferences last season by completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 4,476 yards, 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year set school marks in passing yardage and touchdown passes. Mullens will return his third leading receiver in D.J. Thompson, who had a breakout season as a junior with 55 catches for 779 yards and six touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Korey Robertson of Greenwood should see a bigger role in the passing game. The Greenwood High School Robertson product played well in limited opportunities as a redshirt freshman with 14 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns. The USM staff was aggressive in recruiting junior college receivers, signing four in midDecember. Hinds Community College’s Marquez McNair, who has three years of eligibility remaining, appears destined to fill Martin’s spot in the slot. Also returning to the fold will be USM’s leading rusher, Ito Smith. As a sophomore, he ran 171 times for 1,156 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ranked fourth on USM in receptions with 49 for 515 yards and three touch-
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downs. Southern Miss will have to replace five starters on defense — defensive tackle Michael Smith, defensive tackle Andrew Bolton, linebacker Anthony Swain, middle linebacker Brian Anderson and cornerback Kalan Reed. USM does, however, return plenty of experienced depth in the secondary, including sophomore starting cornerback Cornell Armstrong and two starting safeties who played well in 2015 — junior D’Nerius Antoine and sophomore Picasso Nelson, Jr. Another former GHS star,
Kwadra Griggs, joins the team this year after two seasons at Itawamba Community College “I know Nick has been playing for a while,” Griggs said. “He can teach me the offense. I’m just ready to compete.” The 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback averaged 213.8 passing yards per game last season, ranking him 17th nationally in the NJCAA. His 18 passing touchdowns ranked 13th. n `çåí~Åí= _áää= _ìêêìë= ~í= RUNJ TOPT= çê= ÄÄìêêìë]ÖïÅçããçåJ ïÉ~äíÜKÅçãK= cçääçï= çå= qïáíJ íÉêW]_áää|_ìêêìëK
Alcorn, J-State enter season with new coaches By BILL BURRUS péçêíë=bÇáíçê
Expectations remain high for the Alcorn State Braves. Jay Hopson has moved on to Southern Mississippi, but that has not derailed high hopes in Lorman. The Braves, who have won back-to-back conference titles, are picked to again win the SWAC East Division while landing 11 players on the All-SWAC preseason first or second team. “I like the modesty of the people that pick us to be first,” first-year Alcorn State coach Fred McNair said. “Like I tell the guys, you still have to come out every week and play football. We have to come out and play hard every week.” Offensive lineman Detonio Dade, defensive linemen Stacey Garner and Mike Brooks, linebacker Darien Anderson and
punter Haiden McCraney were all named All-SWAC first team. Quarterback Lenorris Footman, running back Arron Baker and running back/receiver Marquis Warford were among the Braves who were selected to the second team. McNair will get a good indication of how good his team is right away when it faces Bethune-Cookman, which went 9-2 and won a share of the MEAC for the fourth consecutive season in 2015, in the season opener on Sept. 4. “Even when we played North Carolina A&T last year, it was a measuring stick,” McNair said. “Now we’re playing BethuneCookman in Daytona. It’s going to be exciting and it’s going to be a measuring stick. We’re up for the challenge, and the guys are very excited about it.” Footman’s completion percentage — 74 for 170 (43.5 percent) — doesn’t
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cáêëíJóÉ~ê=g~Åâëçå=pí~íÉ=Åç~ÅÜ=qçåó=eìÖÜÉë=ë~óë=Üáë=Ñáêëí çÄàÉÅíáîÉ=áë=íç=ÄìáäÇ=ÅçåÑáÇÉåÅÉ=~ãçåÖ=Üáë=éä~óÉêëK jump off the page, but he threw for 1,106 yards, 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also rushed for 1,023 yards and 11 touchdowns on 138 carries. His 14.95 yards per completion and 7.41 yards per carry each ranked fifth in the FCS. Warford began his career at Memphis, but he had a breakout season in 2015 at Alcorn State, earning SWAC newcomer of the
year after leading the team with 36 receptions for 478 yards and four touchdowns. He also made an impact in the ground game, rushing for 442 yards and six touchdowns on only 38 carries. That prompted a move to running back during the spring to help fill the void left by Darryn Ragsdale. As a freshman, Baker rushed for 725 yards and 15 touchdowns on 113 car-
ries, but his workload decreased last year, as he rushed only 79 times for 369 yards and nine touchdowns. n gprW Jackson State is also under the direction of a new head coach, Tony Hughes. The arrival of Hughes is the main storyline surrounding JSU football this season. The former Mississippi State assistant coach is in charge of trying to turn around a Tigers program that has suffered back-toback losing seasons. Hughes said the first step is rebuilding his players’ confidence, and from the sound of it, he’s doing just that. “Last season, we only won three games, so everybody was feeling down on themselves,” said defensive end Javancy Jones. “Now we have pride in ourselves. So now in our eyes, we felt like we won the championship last year.
“When we first got here, he (Coach Hughes) told us he was going to make us work and we’ve been doing that. We’ve been seeing dramatic changes. And seeing that in workouts, I can only imagine what we’re going to do on the field.” At SWAC Media Day, expectations for the Tigers, who went 3-8 in 2015, were rather modest. JSU was picked to finish third in the conference’s East Division. “That’s all on paper, what really matters is on the field,” J-State quarterback LaMontiez Ivy said. “Let them do that, and we’ll handle our business on the field.” Ivy’s health will play a big role in the team’s success. He missed a good portion of the second half of the 2015 season with a highankle sprain. In 2013, Ivy suffered an ankle injury in the season opener and missed the remainder of the season.
Southern, Alcorn face SWAC’s toughest non-conference slate
SWAC teams face their share of challenging road games every season. That’s no different this year as conference teams will travel to play strong programs such as Arizona, Auburn, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Those games highlight some pretty tough schedules. Here is a look at the four toughest non-conference SWAC schedules: QK=dê~ãÄäáåÖW The first game of the season should be an easy
win for Grambling, which will face Virginia-Lynchburg (a nonNCAA team). The following four weeks will be a gauntlet. The Tigers will play at Arizona, travel to Jackson State, host Alcorn State, then play Prairie View A&M at the State Fair Classic in Dallas. Those could potentially be Grambling’s four toughest games of the season. PK= ^ä~Ä~ã~= ^CjW The Bulldogs finished 3-8 in 2015 and have arguably the toughest pair
of non-conference games in the SWAC this season. Alabama A&M will travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to face Middle Tennessee State in the season’s opening week.The Bulldogs’ season ends with a trip to Auburn on Nov. 19. OK=^äÅçêå=pí~íÉW=The two-time defending SWAC champion Braves open the season against Bethune-Cookman, which finished in a three-way tie for first place in the MEAC with North
Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central, at the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Daytona Beach, Florida. That’s a solid opponent to have on the non-conference slate, which only gets tougher with a game against Arkansas in Little Rock on Oct. 1. A week before the matchup with the Razorbacks is a date with Grambling, which is a rematch of last season’s SWAC title game. There’s also a matchup at Prairie View A&M, which will be playing in a new
stadium, on Nov. 5. NK= pçìíÜÉêåW= The Jaguars, who went 6-5 and finished third in the West Division in 2015, open the season with back-to-back road games against LouisianaMonroe and Tulane. Those two programs certainly aren’t the toughest pair of non-conference games in the conference, but they’re still FBS programs nonetheless. The conference schedule will be a grind, though.
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