2011 Football Preview

The Lamar Times

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

1

from the sports editor... o this is what I’ve heard so much about — football in the South. It’s supposed to be faster, harder and better, and the fan passion is there to match.

The goal was to create a magazine that matched all of that. I hope that what you hold in your hands succeeds in doing that, at least in some way, because we’re excited about how it turned out. I know it has me geeked up for my first season of Mississippi high school football.

All of the area teams are represented here, as well as some of the stories and characters that make Pine Belt gridirons so interesting and entertaining. Sorry Oak Grovers, you’ll have to hear about Anthony Alford at least one more time, but one of your own is highlighted as well. And whether you’re leveraging Lumberton for backto-back state titles, praying for Presbyterian Christian School to get its first playoff win, pulling for Purvis to regroup or supporting Sumrall in its quest to get back to winning, there’s something here for you too.

I know that I, personally, after my time in Pennsylvania, cannot wait for a playoff game where I can keep track of stats without handwarmers in my pockets and where I’m still sure I have toes at the end of the game.

This was a new and overwhelming challenge for me. The opportunity to combine my two loves — sports and music — was awesome, but I’ve never put together a magazine virtually by myself.

However, to say I did it alone would be to ignore all the help I’ve gotten, whether from my publisher, David Gustafson, or my art director, Bill Benge.

Or the cooperation of countless people in the community — coaches from all six schools (and others), the Oak Grove band, Sumrall cheerleaders, C&M Music and many more.

We would have never pulled this off without the photographic excellence of Artie Rawls, whose work you see throughout the magazine. He turned a vision into a success.

And an extended thank you to the players you see on these pages, most of whom were volunteered by their coaches with little idea what they were getting into. You may have looked at us crooked when we told you to pose with a keyboard or a french horn, but it’s with much gratitude that we thank you for playing along. We hope that when you see the pictures on these pages you’ll feel comfortable about what we had you do.

S

So enjoy the 2011 magazine and, most of all, the 2011 football season.

Josh Mlot PineBeltSPORTS.com

2

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

The Lamar Times

PineBeltSPORTS.com

PURVIS TEAM PREVIEW

45 48 LUMBERTON TEAM PREVIEW 51 PCS TEAM PREVIEW SUMRALL TEAM PREVIEW 55 58 PEARL RIVER CC TEAM PREVIEW 60 SOUTHERN MISS TEAM PREVIEW 62 AREA SCHEDULES 63 PETAL-OAK GROVE TROPHY 64 FUTURE WATCH Tornadoes tackle personnel losses

Panthers pounce on 2A title defense

Bobcats deal with expectations for first time

4 NEW FRONT MAN 8 10 KICKING ROYALTY 12 OAK GROVE TEAM PREVIEW 17 PETAL TEAM PREVIEW 24-43 TEAM SEASON CAPSULES FOR THE THRILL OF IT

Petal’s Alford ready for last (high school) hurrah

Lumberton faces life with new quarterback

Oak Grove’s Sobiesk carrying on tradition

Warriors have title hopes, as usual

Panthers adjust, chase playoff win

All the raw data you want and need

Bobcats attempt to begin new era

Wildcats celebrate Centennial, eye title

Golden Eagles have high C-USA hopes

Weekly matchups from Pine Belt & beyond

Rivalry embraces newest tradition

The next generation of Pine Belt stars

The online home of The Lamar Times and The Petal News

DAVID GUSTAFSON Editor/Publisher

JOSH MLOT Sports Editor

BILL BENGE Art Director

EMILY HALL Graphic Artist

MISSY PICKERING Account Executive

JESSICA WALLACE Account Executive

BETH BUNCH Managing Editor

DANA GOWER Staff Writer

SONYA JAMES Office Manager

HATTIESBURG PUBLISHING, INC. 103 N. 40th Ave. • Hattiesburg

(601) 268-2331 www.HubCitySPOKES.com Special Thanks: Nevil Barr, Steve Buckley, Joey Hawkins, Shannon White, Perry Wheat, and Brian Ford. Also King Photography, Bruckner’s Photography, Artie Rawls Photography, Lee Cave of C Studio and Sandie Brock.

Artie Rawls has been an award-winning professional photographer in the Pine Belt for more than 20 years.

Specializing in weddings, seniors, commercial and children’s photography, he is a regular contributor to Signature Magazine. www.artierawlsphotography.com

Anthony Alford’s talent makes the Petal QB one of the best in the state, but it’s his character that sets him up to thrill

By JOSH MLOT

Artie Rawls Photography

ow do you describe the prototypical dual-threat, newschool quarterback as classic? You get to know him.

In an age where star athletes are often handed everything they could want and more, and announce where they’ll be playing college ball with a look-at-me game of musical hats, the first thing that anyone will tell you about Anthony Alford is how humble he is.

The second word they use to describe him? Freak.

In an age when sports specialization virtually begins with toddlers, Alford enters his senior year as a fullblooded dual-sport athlete. Wait, make that quad-sport athlete.

One of those sports isn’t even in the picture anymore, and another isn’t sanctioned collegiately or professionally in this country.

In an age when hip-hop is the staple of locker rooms everywhere, stereos blaring the latest watered down, made-for-the-club banger, Alford enjoys hip-hop also.

But Alford’s iPod is bumping — that’s right — the classics. A little Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh.

H

lford’s first memory of a ball takes him back to the age of 4 or 5.

That’s when his mother bought him a multi-pack of a football, a baseball and a basketball. Back then he couldn’t choose, either.

The first one he happened to grab was the baseball. It’s on the baseball diamond that so many people first remember seeing a young Alford leaving his mark and getting others excited about his future. It was years ago that Southern Miss baseball manager Scott Berry told Alford he had a bright future. Back then he was a man amongst boys, and he still is, both on and off the field.

“My first experience with him was seeing him play summer league baseball,” Petal head football coach Steve Buckley said.

“Anthony’s a humble kid, and at the same time he’s tough. And besides that it’s just pure athletic ability. He’s got strength, speed, competitive nature. All the things that you see now I saw when he was 12 years old.”

Alford arrived at Petal from Columbia in 2008 after his eighthgrade year. It was then that classmate Brady Hoda, now a Panther linebacker who has played with Alford ever since, got his first impression of his new teammate.

“I’d seen him play baseball and then he moved here in eighth grade and we had basketball,” Hoda said. “He came in as an eighth-grader and took it and dunked it. I knew then he was just a freak.”

Basketball. A sport that Alford doesn’t even participate in any more, at least in any organized fashion. If he

A

The Petal News

did, he’d probably garner headlines there as well, as a tri-sport athlete.

“I’m jealous,” Hoda said. “My first spring practice out here he ran over one of the senior defensive lineman, and that was when we knew that he couldn’t be stopped.” owadays, even being a multi-sport athlete puts you in a classic mold.

There are many out there — your Kyle Parkers, Russell Wilsons, Jeff Samardzijas and Josh Bootys — but most are lucky to even find a modicum of success on even one of their fields. The days of seemingly superhuman men the likes of Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders seems a thing of the past.

Those guys were mostly before Alford’s time. He grew up watching the dominant New York Yankees; the Greatest Show on Turf St. Louis Rams, with Kurt Warner and Isaac Bruce and especially Marshall Faulk.

“He’s one of my all-time favorite players,” Alford said. “Just his passion for the game. The way he played it, sometimes he made it look easy. I kind of wanted to be like him growing up.”

Once people began to see Anthony on the gridiron, a lot of comparisons came to Vince Young. Some meant it as a compliment, some not.

“They always thought I couldn’t pass,” Alford said, “and that motivated me to develop more of a passing game last year than I did the two years before.

N

“Most times in my life when people tell me I can’t do something, I like to prove them wrong. I like that.”

His football coach says the naysayers don’t know what they’re talking about, even saying it was the program’s development of wide receivers that finally gave the QB weapons to exploit.

“I’ve heard, ‘Anthony Alford can’t throw the football.’ Anthony Alford can throw the ball when he’s got to,” Buckley said. “We developed receivers that give us an opportunity, and when you can use a vertical passing game it makes a huge difference.”

Last year, as a junior, Alford threw for 1,399 yards and 16 touchdowns.

He ran for 1,253 yards and 19 TDs. Teams that doubt his passing ability may rethink their preconceived notions, or they might get burned.

“We built (the offense) around him,” Buckley said. “We want to take advantage of three things — his mind, his arm and his legs. When Anthony’s back in the gun there’s a 50-50 chance he’s going to take the ball in our running game, and he’s become a better passer over the last two years.

He’s throwing the ball really well right now.” lford does a lot of things really well, and that’s created a bit of a buzz, at least amongst his friends. It seems the three-sport athlete has added a fourth to his arsenal, and chances are he’s going to beat you.

“When we leave, me, him and a

A

couple other buddies hang out and play ping-pong together,” Hoda said.

“He’s just a fun, normal kid, even with all this surrounding him. He doesn’t let it get to his head and he’s real humble about what he’s been given.”

Including, apparently, supreme pingpong skills. They might not bring him widespread notoriety or a professional future, but locker room bragging rights aren’t a bad consolation prize. And, really, was there any question about whether Alford would be a force on the table as well?

“He’s good,” Hoda said. “He is good. Me and him have played over 60 times … and it’s not even fair. He’s just good at anything he does.”

That much has become obvious, but what’s not so obvious to outsiders is that Alford is good at everything because he wants to be good at everything. He didn’t stumble onto anything through good fortune, he went out and found it.

“The thing that he does is he goes to work,” Buckley said. “There are a lot of potentially great players that don’t want to work. Whether it’s on the track running or on the field practicing, he’s going to lead by example, and if he needs to voice up, he’ll voice up.

“Anthony’s not treated any differently than anybody around here. I lit into him pretty good today (in practice) when he didn’t throw the ball to the flat when he was supposed to throw to the flat. But Anthony expects to be treated like everybody else, and I think that comes from his mother and

Chuck Lick/click-images TIMELESS — Anthony Alford embarks on his senior season still looking for a playoff win, but the quarterback has already left his mark as one of the best in the state.

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

5

father. Anyone who puts him on a pedestal, his mother and daddy would snatch it out of him in a heartbeat.” eing “good at everything” has its perks, but there’s a downside as well. All those accolades people give him for being a good person come in spite of his situation. When the world is telling you that you’re “good at everything” it takes work to stay grounded.

When you’re 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, by his count, and can dominate on the gridiron and the diamond, people come calling. There are college recruiters and professional scouts, and everyone wants a piece.

Asked whether the whole process is exciting or exhausting, Alford hesitates for a second.

“I’m not going to say it’s exhausting,” he said, “but I’m trying to make the best of it and make it fun because you only go through it once. And a lot of kids don’t have the opportunities I have and the options I have. They don’t get to do the stuff that I’m doing.”

The stuff he’s doing includes winning state championships, getting just about every prep honor there is and traveling to places like Wrigley Field to play in nationally-televised baseball games. It’s stuff like knowing he will get the chance to play both baseball and football at one of over half-adozen major colleges.

That’s all great, but for a guy who likes to “hang out with friends and family,” sometimes the glare can be blinding.

“The onslaught is the part where the professional scouts and professional agents are overbearing,” Buckley said. “They have no boundaries, and when those guys have no boundaries they’re ruthless. The things that they try to get a 16- or 17year-old kid to say and do is, in my

B

opinion, ridiculous.

“I understand professional sports and professional baseball has scouts with a job to do, but there are no boundaries and it’s overwhelming to me at times and it’s overwhelming to him at times because it never stops.” s the Panthers prepare for the start of the football season, Alford takes the snap from center. This time he keeps the ball and breaks downfield. He jukes to the right, or maybe he spins left, or lowers his shoulder, or maybe he hurdles a lunging defender.

“It’s a joy to watch him play,” Hoda says. “He’s just a freak, no doubt about it. I’m glad he’s on our team and not on somebody else’s, because we can’t tackle him (in practice).

“You don’t know what he’s going to do. He can run us over, he can jump over us, he can spin off of us, you just can’t tackle him.”

Fellow senior Terrance Payne will share the backfield with Alford this season, lining up as Petal’s starting tailback. Color Payne excited.

“When I first came here, I had transferred, they told me he was on varsity,” Payne said. “He was big and I thought he was a senior already. I saw him play and was just like, ‘That kid is just amazing.’

“He brings a lot in every area — play-calling, he picks the defense apart — he’s got everything down pat.”

But for everything he does so well, Alford admits there’s something that’s not a strong point.

“I don’t run good,” he said.

Huh? What he’s referring to is his 40 time, that ever-scrutinized number timed and timed again at combines and camps everywhere. Here, again, is where Alford turns back the clock and dishes a classic notion — he’s not caught up in 40 times.

He doesn’t want to break off a line

A

Photos by Robert Burgess

“Anyone who puts him on a pedestal,” Buckley said, “his mother and daddy would snatch it out of him in a heartbeat.”

6

Chuck Lick/click-images

RISE TO THE TOP — Whether it’s football or baseball, Alford is a highly-sought after athlete.

He’ll undoutedly be left with a tough decision to make next summer when some Major Leage Baseball teams come calling.

and compete against a stopwatch. He wants you to line up next to him and try to beat him. He wants you to tell him he can’t beat you.

That’s where people can point out where he hasn’t beaten anyone … yet. In his fourth year as a starter, Anthony Alford has still not won a playoff game. It’s really the only hole in his resume, and one he’s looking to fill this fall. It’s his last chance, not that he’ll admit to losing any sleep over it.

“I just want to enjoy it and lead the team,” Alford said. “I want to see how far we can go and win some playoff games, and hopefully end up in Jackson.

“The way I look at it is the most important game is the next game on the schedule. I want to win every game on the schedule, and if we can do that then it will take care of itself.” ootball might eventually lose Alford to baseball.

Right now Alford upholds that he wants to go to college and play both sports, maybe study biology. He says he looks forward to playing on a college team with so many great athletes. By all accounts he seems genuine in that notion, though the potential — and likely — millions of dollars available to him in next summer’s MLB draft could shake even the staunchest individual.

But for now Alford is playing on Friday nights under the lights of Panther Stadium. He knows he has things he wants to still do — continue to prove he’s a well-rounded quarter-

F

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

back, win in the playoffs — and he knows that regardless of the decision he makes about his future, this will be the last time he’ll ever be a high school football player.

“I’m going to try to enjoy it,” Alford said. “I know time is going to fly.”

It might be something he’s not quite ready to let go of. In fact, it might be the thing that gives football a fighting chance.

By most accounts, Alford’s best career chances come in baseball.

He’s supremely talented, brings five tools, would get more money at an earlier age and his body would not take the beating it does and will on the football field.

But stop and ask which sport he prefers and he seems to say a lot without saying anything. He talks about his desire to play both, about the greater opportunities he might have in baseball. But to the listener, it just feels like he would regret never again picking up the pigskin.

The reason for that rests in those Friday night lights. It rests in the feel of the turf underneath his cleats, the thunder of packed bleachers and the freedom and exhilaration of a simple 10 by 53 1/3 yards of end zone.

It comes in a classic dilemma: Which feels better? A home run or a touchdown?

“Both of them are pretty good feelings,” Alford says, contemplating. “I’d have to say crossing the goal line. You look around you and see 9,000 people cheering for you. Just the atmosphere of Friday night lights.”

The Lamar Times

The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

7

Musical Chai rs Who Will(is) be the Panthers’ new QB and how do they deal with the pressure of replacing a Lumberton legend?

play. The other two belonged to Kion Willis.

illis would seem to be the heir apparent to the throne, but nothing is a given. He’s worked a lot of reps in

By JOSH MLOT the spring and preseason, but for every positive thing head coach Brian Ford has ilm rolls as Lumberton to say about the quarterback, there’s fights for the 2010 2A state a hesitant warning. championship. The quarterHolder started under center for the back drops back, sprints out Panthers since he was in the eighth of the pocket to the right and grade. But it took him four more years at the last possible minute finds a before he was able to lead the team receiver in the end zone. to a title.

Fast forward. The quarterback Willis is only a sophomore, both on doesn’t bother dropping back this and off the field. And it is both on and time, he simply breaks around the left off the field that Ford is looking for side of the line and heads downfield.

A defender flings himself toward the maturation.

“We need him to mature some,” ball carrier and tackles him around Ford said. “He’s got to mature a little the ankles. But the QB doesn’t go bit as a man and accept the role as a down. A second defender flies in, tryleader. He’s not playing a pickup ing to knock him just inches out of game in the back yard, this is combounds. But the QB doesn’t go down. petitive athletics and he has to do a Instead, he drags himself forward job and do it to the best of his ability, another yard or two until a third because there are a lot of people defender finally finishes off the play. depending on him.”

That was Darius Holder. But Darius Holder is no longer Lumberton’s quaruring Aug. 11’s Lamar County terback.

Jamboree, Willis takes the snap After a banner year that saw the and tries to make his reads. Right or senior throw for 1,208 yards and 16 not, he doesn’t see anything there touchdowns and run for another 955 and, much like the player before him, yards and 11 TDs — oh, and win he takes off. He sprints to his left, State — Holder is gone. Now the past the hash marks and toward the question is: how do the Panthers sideline. Then he makes a quick Udefend their title without him? turn, breaking back across the field, The answer is a work in progress. past the far hash and down the sideOf 142 passing attempts in 2010, line. About 75 yards later, he scrapes Holder made 139 of them. One went inside the right pylon for a 25-yard to senior Derell McLemore — a trick

F

D

8

W

touchdown run.

It was reminiscent of something Holder might have done.

“When things weren’t going right, he’d find a way to scramble,” senior wideout Vic Jenkins said.

“I was comfortable knowing he could make all the throws on the field.

When you’ve got a quarterback that can make all the throws and I can make all the plays, you feel pretty comfortable.”

That level of comfort is something that needs to be built with whoever is under center this season. Most importantly, Ford needs to feel that level of comfort. He understands the pressure that comes with the position, justified or not, and he wants Willis to understand that he doesn’t need to shoulder that weight.

“I’ve got to think as a coach that people automatically want to know who the quarterback is,” Ford said, “and you’ve got a 16-year-old kid.

Surely he’s got to feel a certain amount of pressure from outside entities and even from teammates, because it’s such an important position.

“The biggest thing I need him to understand is that he does not have to win the games for us. All he has to do is manage the game for us and not lose it. Not lose it by turning the ball over. Be smart; if it’s not there, tuck it, get back to the line of scrimmage and we’ll live to play another down.

“He doesn’t need to feel pressure to be Darius Holder. He’ll get there, but right now, let’s be patient and smart.”

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

layers learn from each other.

Sometimes when the coach is looking, sometimes when he’s not.

Willis’ development started not just under Ford, but also under Holder.

“He was a good quarterback and was going to help you any way he can,” Willis said. “He was going to show you what to do and how to do it; help you with your passing and accuracy, and when the defense shifts and changes up.

“He helped me build my self-confidence up and get ready for that position.”

Willis still goes to Holder for help, getting pointers and asking questions of someone who’s already been there and done that.

At the same time, he’s working on building the trust that’s so important.

So far, his teammates feel that connection.

“Even on a day (when we didn’t have practice) we got together and went to the field and ran some plays, ran some routes so we could get on the same page,” Jenkins said. “He’s stepped up and he’s got to step up.

“I felt like we were on the same page when the summer began. We just got our communication down pat.

Now I feel like he knows what I want to do, and I know what he wants to do.”

As important as the quarterback can be, and as critical as Holder was to Lumberton, senior offensive guard Cody Fairchild points out that there are 11 players on the field, and all are working toward a common goal. The lineman, for one, has been impressed with how Willis has worked to fit into that system.

P

The Lamar Times

Strides have already been made in that department. During workouts Willis has worked on communicating with his teammates and learning to talk things out without having the discussion devolve into an argument.

Ultimately, whoever starts at quarterback needs to win over the head coach, but he also needs to win over his teammates.

“We have to get him used to us and get him to trust us the way Darius trusted us,” Fairchild said.

“He knew that we were there for him.

“I trust him (Willis). I trust him just as much as I trusted ‘D.’ I believe he can make things happen just like ‘D’ can make things happen.” on’t be mistaken, there’s a lot Ford likes about his potential starter. He praises his arm strength and his competitive edge. He liked what he saw in the way that Willis was ready to go, even in limited time a season ago. The coach didn’t need to worry about making changes, just getting the calls in.

“He was our backup and he didn’t see a lot of action,” Ford said. “But when he went in, we didn’t stop doing anything we were doing.

“I remember a couple of times that we were at that point and he had to go in for whatever reason, and we completed the pass. I thought that showed a lot of poise on his part to be thrown in the game and have to throw the football.”

“He’s a competitor. He’s going to give you everything he’s got when the lights come on.

There are several areas he has to improve on and we’re working on those things daily. But his biggest attribute is that when he goes on that field, he’s mentally ready to play.”

But is he mentally ready to handle that on every snap in every game?

Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS

D

BEST FOOT FORWARD — Willis will look to help the Panthers get back to the state title game as just a sophomore ... if he continues to leave a good impression on his coach.

The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

ion Willis is not Darius Holder. He’s the first person to tell you that.

“He meant a lot,” Willis said. “He was a triple threat as a lockdown defender, a good quarterback and his speed and his ability to do what he do and do it how he wanted to.

“He’s a lot taller and faster, and got size on me.

He can just run and do what he do best. I’m just learning.”

Part of that progression is figuring out how to be his own quarterback. Willis will have to rely on his arm more than Holder did. His reads will have to be sharp and his throws on target. That doesn’t mean he’s a one-dimensional athlete, just that he’s not Holder version 2.0.

“He can scramble,” Jenkins said. “He doesn’t have the speed like Darius, but he can break tackles and make plays. And he’s got a strong arm.

“He’s just got to work on making the right reads, but so far he’s been improving every week.”

Everyone seems to feel like he’s moving in the right direction. But as the Panthers reach the season’s doorstep the inescapable fact is that they are about to enter a state title defense. And there are a lot of people who think defending successfully is well within reach.

“I feel pressure,” Willis said. “I feel like we’ve got the talent to do it and I feel like I can lead them there by doing what I do best. I’m trying to get right on the field, keep my grades up in class and work hard.”

That’s an attitude that his head coach can get behind too, and that’s how a new starting quarterback is made.

“As long as Kion can do his job,” Ford said, “I think he’s going to be OK.”

K

9

SO-LO ARTIST

By JOSH MLOT

Don’t just call him a kicker.

That’s ‘Sir Evan,’ to you eet Evan Sobiesk, crown prince. In a family of Oak Grove kicking royalty, Evan might be the best.

And at a position that’s often overlooked, he might be tops in the state.

“Evan’s a great weapon, there’s no question,” Warrior head coach Nevil Barr said. “He can keep defenses pinned back, kick the ball into the end zone and score points for us.

“Our first goal is to score touchdowns, but we know if we’re in a certain range and we need the points, he can step in there and get it. And that’s big. And I like to see him kick tons of extra points, because that means we’re scoring.”

M

icking is in Sobiesk’s blood. His brother preceded him on the Oak Grove gridiron, and his oldest brother before that. Logan graduated in 2007, and Dylan in 2010. This will be Evan’s final go-around.

“Without them I wouldn’t have ever gotten in to it,” Evan said. “I’ve been watching it since my sixth or seventh grade year. When I first started they helped me out, and they basically taught me everything I knew for the first year or year and a half.”

All three were soccer players, as Logan got involved with football through his soccer coach, who was also the Warriors’ special teams coach. Dylan followed in his footsteps.

Evan got his start on the pitch as well, playing soccer from the age of 3. He was good, too, playing on Select and Olympic Development Program teams. But life made a choice for him — one that Evan found tough to stomach — when soccer led to a torn growth plate in his knee cap as a freshman, followed by a torn MCL as a sophomore. Both injuries occurred in his kicking leg.

The injuries pushed him off the soccer field for good.

“Soccer was my first love,” he said. “I played baseball too, but soccer just kind of set me off. I was kind of a smaller kid, but I was fast. I had strong legs growing up and it was something I picked up.”

While he may be long removed from his last goal celebration, Evan still has a love for the sport. He follows the Warrior soccer team, Major League Soccer and the Premier League — Evan grew up an Arsenal fan and calls the Gunners’ legendary striker Thierry Henry his favorite player. Early this summer he got the opportunity to travel to a Seattle Sounders game and sit amongst one of the most rabid fan bases in MLS. But Evan has found a real home in football. When he came up just inches short of a 57-yard field goal attempt in this month’s Lamar County Jamboree, it wasn’t just a caution-tothe-wind try. It was a disappointing miss.

K

obiesk got his football start midway through his freshman year when the ninth-grade coach approached him at soccer practice. Logan had already made his mark and Dylan was currently entrenched, so now it was time to recruit the younger brother.

“He asked me to do it and I said yeah,” Evan said, “and I ended up loving it and sticking with it.”

That love developed quickly. With Dylan already holding the starting role, Evan’s early role was limited. But his first taste of the gridiron kicking came at Petal — quite the start to a career. And while Evan only attempted one field goal all season, it was enough to plant the seed. A 37-yarder from the left hash mark stayed true in the season’s final game against Northeast Jones, and it was love at first kick.

“I was so nervous running out on the field,” said Evan, who was just 14 at the time and one of the youngest in his class.

“I’d watch my brothers on Friday nights and it’s one of those things where I said I could see myself doing it for as long as I could. “(Kicking that field goal) definitely made me realize that I enjoy doing this and it’s something I want to be doing.”

S

Artie Rawls Photography

The Lamar Times

obiesk is quick to refute the notion that kickers aren’t athletes, and his background proves that — talented soccer player and baseball player until he left the game as a junior to concentrate on his kicking. And what he brings to the field gives him a chance to lift his team when it falls short in other areas.

“Whenever we come up short on third and long I can get points,” Sobiesk said. “When guys are down I can pick up the slack. If I can touchback on a kickoff, that gives our defense 80 yards to work.

“I actually watched a TV show the other day and an NFL coach said kickers aren’t football players, they’re necessities. I can think of 13 times last year I picked up slack from our offense. All my players, they understand. They encourage me. They treat me almost like a captain and an important player, and I treat them with respect back.”

And you can bet he’s the most beloved guy on the team when he drills a game-winning field goal through the uprights. But Evan wouldn’t know.

The closest Sobiesk has come to clinching a win came as a sophomore.

When brother Dylan went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter against Natchez, Evan — a kickoff specialist at the time — was left as the go-to guy. With four seconds left in the game and the Warriors down 48-45, the offense stalled and left the game riding on a 45-yard, game-tying FG attempt.

“The coach said, ‘Can you do it?’ ” Sobiesk said. “I said, ‘Yeah I can do it.’

I had never even picked out a holder, I just got a random guy on the sideline.“ Wide left.

“If I ever had another chance, I’m definitely going to drain it. I should have made it. I wish I had prepared for that.”

S

ince then Sobiesk has become a fixture for Oak Grove, but he’s never had a chance to get over that miss. He remembers a game in which he hit two field goals and the Warriors won by a point, but never again has he had to kick true with the game on the line.

He has, however, drained a careerlong 51-yarder last season against Brandon in the playoffs. Sobiesk had three field goals in the win. He’s also continued to perfect his craft and extend his distance.

“I’ve only missed three field goals in practice,” Evan said. “From 55 (yards) and in right now I’m pretty much money. Anything beyond there I can push it and try to give it a little more leg.”

In striving to improve his game, Evan has attended countless kicking camps, including eight this summer alone. He credits Chris Sailer, who

S

The Petal News

runs a popular camp Sobiesk has attended “five or six” times, with helping him improve his kicking through film breakdown and working within Evan’s established kicking style to install all the necessary technique. He also says he wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much interest from colleges if it weren’t for his work with Sailer.

And the college interest has been plentiful. Sobiesk estimates he’s talked, in some fashion, to about 35 different schools, naming Mississippi State, Southern Miss, LSU, Texas, Houston, Rice, Iowa State, Virginia Tech, South Florida, Florida State and Montana State off the top of his head.

Sobiesk said Mississippi State is “probably my best bet right now,” largely due to his interest in their engineering program — petroleum or bioengineering. But he’ll also be taking a number of campus visits in the near future.

Playing Division I football will be a little bittersweet for Evan, who despite being from a royal kicking family, appears to be on pace to be the first of the bunch to reach that level. He had hoped to join his brother there, but it wasn’t to be.

Logan was the target of some hot and heavy recruitment from the Golden Eagles and Memphis to come punt, but a torn ACL in his final high school soccer game saw things change. He instead ended up at Pearl River Community College, still with interest from Southern Miss. Injury struck again though, and torn labrums in both shoulders watched his athletic career dissolve. Logan is now set to graduate from LSU. Dylan was close to both Akron and Ohio, but after playing at Jones County Junior College he just decided his heart wasn’t in the game anymore.

“He had a really good season,” Evan said, “but realized kicking just wasn’t for him and he wanted to go on with his life. He could have gone DI. I was kind of mad at first because I wanted to be able to say we were both kicking in Division I together. But I respect him and understand where he’s coming from.” s he readies himself for his senior year and beyond, Evan says he’d like to push his kickoffs from about 68 yards with 4-second hangtime to about 70 yards with a 4.1 or 4.2 float.

He’d also like to have an 80-85 percent touchback rate, hit 100 percent of his point-after and field-goal attempts and stretch his range to the 60-yard mark. He’d also like to hit an in-game FG from past 51 yards, “just to beat my record.”

Oh, and stepping onto the field with the seconds ticking down and a chance to avenge his miss. That would be nice. That would be a crowning achievement.

A

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

11

Oak Grove

2011 Outlook

A 30-man senior class led by Robert Ducksworth (5) and Steven Swindle (12) sets the tone as the Warriors look to set up shop, again, at 6A South State and beyond

Artie Rawls Photography

I

1,052 yards and 24 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 2010. That starting experience paired with improvement in the offseason should allow Swindle to lead his offense with a fine season.

“He’s got a strong arm and he’s a smart kid,” Barr said. “I think he’s a guy that’s destined for a really good year.”

Swindle should have plenty of weapons at his disposal. Although the Warriors lose top receiver Dillon Fedora, they do return their next two wideouts in Wesley Smith and Christian Chauvin. Smith compiled 348 yards while Chauvin added 244 and led the receiving corps with three touchdowns.

Sophomore Picasso Nelson Jr. will also play an important role, leading a group of young players Barr says “nobody has heard of yet” but will make an impact.

And in Oak Grove’s spread offense there are a number of versatile players who will scare the opposition. Standout running back Jordan Woods is back for his senior year after compiling 704 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground last season. Perhaps Woods’ greatest attribute is his ability to come out of the backfield and catch balls as well, picking up 190 yards receiving last year.

Up-and-coming junior Johnathan McNair provides similar versatility as both a running back and wide receiver, boasting slick moves and breakaway speed. He showed

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

both in an impressive preseason jamboree performance.

Senior tailback Shawn Anderson gets the tough yards between the tackles without sacrificing allaround ability and should handle a steady workload. He ran for 637 yards as a junior.

“Shawn Anderson and Jordan Woods are both special players,” Barr said. “When the ball’s in either one of their hands, it’s a good thing for Oak Grove.”

If the offense is explosive, the defense should make plays to match. That unit returns six starters and even more experience to a four-linemen, Cover 2 base look under defensive coordinator Terry Underwood.

“Our defense is going to play fundamentally sound, and they’re going to play hard,” Barr said. “The biggest thing we look for is guys that play hard and fly to the football and are tenacious.”

On the defensive line, seniors Dusty Crawford and Ryan Myrick lead the way. Crawford missed last season due to injury, but has impressed the coaching staff. Joey Arnau is a junior who could start at defensive end, and has earned praise from Underwood.

Linebacker is a deep group of talented athletes, with seniors

Chuck Lick/click-images

n head coach Nevil Barr’s 10year reign, Oak Grove has been to the South State championship eight times. That’s what you call a tradition of success.

There’s little reason to think that 2011 won’t see that tradition extended.

The Warriors went 8-5 a year ago in reaching South State, and this campaign features the return of a starting quarterback, tailback, and experience on both sides of the ball. Not to mention a class of 30 seniors to set the tone.

“I think this senior class has got a lot of good leaders in it; leaders by their actions, with the way they conduct themselves and handle themselves in all situations,” Barr said.

“The biggest thing, my goal every year, is that we represent our community with good character. That’s the No. 1 thing for me — that the community is proud of our team. Beside that we want to get to South State. You’ve got to get there before you win State.”

The offense seems to have all the ingredients to be explosive, running a spread that looks to get skill players in space and exploit mismatches. That starts with an offensive line that features five seniors — Tony Holmes (an AllPineBeltSPORTS pick a year ago) and Trey Garraway at the tackles, Allen Cummins and Reagan Roseberry at the guard spots and Diamonte Venson at center.

“I just think that’s a good character group that’s strong and has worked hard in the weight room,” Barr said. “I think they care for each other and I think their communication and dedication will be outstanding.

“One thing this year is we feel like … we’ll be able to run the ball as well as throw it. I think our offense is going to be a special group with a lot of different ways to move the football.”

Senior Steven Swindle returns at quarterback after throwing for

13

Chuck Lick/click-images (cheerleader, Woods)

2011 Outlook

FEELIN’ THE GROOVE — Senior RB/DB Robert Ducksworth (5) and senior QB Steven Swindle (12) hope to make sweet music this fall.

Trest Underwood and Cort Brinson headlining.

Brinson’s fellow baseball standout, Tyler Odom, is expected to play an integral role at the position as well after focusing on running back last season.

The next wave of linebackers could be led by Brandon Atkins, a sophomore who Underwood says has a very bright future and could see solid playing time.

The defensive backfield starts with senior Trevonte Fenton and classmates Terrell Ivy and Robert Ducksworth. Wide receiver Nelson is also likely to have a role in the secondary, and junior John Addison Ford is a new face to look for who will be counted on at safety for the next two seasons.

That group is one Barr thinks might be the strength of the 2011 Warrior defense.

“It has a couple of guys returning and some good athletes,” the head coach said, adding he likes all of his defensive units. “I feel like our linebacker corps can be really good. Our front four’s not

Oak Grove real big, but I think there are some strong, tough kids there. They play tenacious and they’re going to get after you.”

Oak Grove’s coaching staff also always puts a heavy emphasis on special teams, and it shows. Barr calls kicker Evan Sobiesk the best in the state, and long snapper Luke Burnham the best in the southeast. Sobiesk could have a banner year, already showing his range and potentially getting plenty of opportunities from his offense to boot field goals and extra points.

The key for the Warriors will be avoiding mental letdowns during a schedule that won’t provide many breaks as the season rolls on. Oak Grove opens the season against a rebuilding 3A Sumrall team and follows with a game against a 4A Purvis side that’s retooling after losing a lot of personnel. But Laurel handed the Warriors a disappointing loss a year ago and Gulfport is coming off an 11-2 campaign.

If Oak Grove can make it through its non-regional schedule unscathed, it gets to face a refigured group of Region 3-6A teams. The good news might be that there will be more time to get into midseason form before facing archrival — and new regional foe — Petal on Sept.

30, a game that’s usually played early in the year.

“We always feel like our district was probably the strongest in the state,” Barr said. “And now you’ve got Petal with the Meridians and Hattiesburgs and Brandons, and I think it makes it even stronger.”

OUT OF THE WOODS — Senior running back Jordan Woods is ready to help his team to the top.

The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

15

16

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

The Lamar Times

Artie Rawls Photography

O-line upheaval, running back replacement and a crushing schedule. But Terrance Payne (38), Jared Smith (23) and the Petal Panthers are serenading a playoff win

Petal The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

2011 Outlook 17

etal has become synonymous with success in just about every area a high school can, and in Steve Buckley’s four years as head coach, the Panthers have won 30 games and been to the playoffs the last three years. But they haven’t won a playoff game yet.

In fact, Petal football has never won a playoff game. But Buckley is quick to eschew any notion that he feels pressure to change that this year.

Regardless, if the Panthers are to reverse that trend, and they should be fully capable of doing so, it will be behind a defense the head coach says has a chance to be special and the broad shoulders of highly-touted quarterback Anthony Alford.

Finally a senior, Alford has run the offense for three years and is one of the premier athletes in the state of Mississippi. If a team’s quarterback is what makes things go, the Petal attack should be locked and loaded from the start.

“We designed the offense around

P

18

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

him,” Buckley said.

Alford is the prototypical dualthreat signal caller, as ready to burn opponents with his leg as his arm. In fact, detractors have questioned his throwing ability in the past, but after continuing to develop that part of his game over the past couple of years, Alford is clearly a well-rounded QB. He threw for 1,399 yards a season ago with 16 touchdowns to only five interceptions, and also ran for 1,253 yard and another 19 scores.

Buckley says his star player has always had the ability to throw, and it’s been development at the wide receiver position that has allowed him to flourish through the air.

Petal loses its top wideout from 2010, but does return it’s next two targets. Jesse Jackson is only a sophomore, but the 6-foot-2, 190pound receiver picked up 207 yards through the air in his first season.

Expect him to get even more looks with a year under his belt.

Junior Jamarcus Revies was the second-leading receiver a year ago, with 360 yards and three TDs, and the speedster has turned the heads

The Lamar Times

Petal

BEST OF (NEW) FRIENDS — Anthony Alford will work his magic behind a revamped offensive line as the Panthers try to put together another successful campaign.

The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

2011 Outlook of both the coaching staff and potential recruiters during summer workouts. He could have the jets to stretch teams as a deep threat and really add a dimension to the Panther attack.

Also factoring into the mix at wide receiver will be Alpha Christian transfer Akeem Pollard, Oak Grove transfer Cody Pellegrin and Blake Roberts as a possession-type receiver.

“Last year we played seven receivers,” Buckley said. “We have five or six ready to go now, and we need a couple more to come home. And I think we have the time to do that.”

Beyond that there are some question marks for the Petal offense, though Buckley seems confident the team will have them figured out.

Gone from a year ago are all five starting offensive linemen and tight end, opening space for an entirely new unit to step in.

“Offensive line is — I’m not going to use the word ‘concern’ — our first project,” Buckley said. “It’s just time for these guys to step up.

“I think with a program you’re trying to build, you’re going to want to see some continuity from your lineman. You lose five guys that start, it’s time for that next bunch to get in and do their job.”

The head coach expressed excitement about getting to see the work of the new unit, featuring Cade Camp at left tackle, Hunter

19

2011 Outlook

T-PAYNE — Senior RB Terrance Payne takes over the starting job after carrying the ball 46 times for 244 yards in 2010.

20

Petal Sylvest and Thad Roberts at left guard, Madden Rodrigue and Bo Barhum at center, Javon Patterson and Rush McKay at right guard and Jaryd Whitman at right tackle.

They’ll look to open holes for a new stable of running backs, a group that Buckley listed as a huge question mark. That’s not because of talent, but because of depth — there’s not a lot of experience at the position beyond first string.

The new starter has a chance for a breakout year, though, as Terrance Payne takes over for departed 1200-yard rusher Maverick Parsons.

Payne was the second leading rusher from a year ago, but his 244 yards and four TDs on 46 carries trailed Parsons by quite a margin.

“He (Parsons) helped me a lot,” Payne said. “I watched him a lot and I’ve pretty much got it down pat what I’ve got to do.

“I think I’ve got good vision. I’m not the fastest guy ever, I just see the hole.”

Now “T-Payne” will carry the load, and offseason growth should give Petal an opportunity to again have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Alford and Payne.

“I think with Maverick, we have some big shoes to fill there,” Buckley said. “I have all the confidence in the world in Terrance. He’s had a great offseason. He’s gotten bigger and stronger and a lot tougher — we found that out this spring.”

Backing up Payne will likely be some defensive players, with John Windham, Lucas Dixon, Johna Myers and Larson Barkurn all possibly getting some carries.

In fact, playing kids on both sides of the ball is something that’s relatively new for the Panthers this season. It will give some standout athletes an opportunity to make an impact on both sides of the ball.

Defensively, Petal will run out four down-linemen and expects to play a little more man-to-man coverage than it has. That’s due to

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

WHOLE LOTT OF TACKLE — Junior defensive lineman Hadyn Lott (75) will lead the front four of a Petal defense that could be special this season.

The Lamar Times

Trevor Williams, Slade Buckley and Blake Roberts.

The secondary that the head coach is hoping can open up defensive options features four players in the mix at cornerback. Dixon will start at

“I think the defense has a chance to be special. I think we’re going to have more speed than we’ve had in the last four years.” field corner with backup Lane Pendergrast, and Revies and Derrek Cockrum, moving from free safety, will handle boundary corner. Safety will see work from Jackson and Jalen Boney, along with Windham and Myers.

Petal will need everything it has to survive a brutal gauntlet of a schedule that starts with a Wayne County

team that went 10-3 last season. Four teams on tap — the War Eagles, Madison Central, Meridian and Oak Grove — rank in the Top 10 in the state by record over the last five years. And one of the incoming programs to the new-look Region 3-6A, which pits the Panthers against the rival Warriors, is Natchez, which went 9-3 a year ago.

Petal opens regional play in Week 6, when Hattiesburg comes to town. Buckley thinks the Tigers will be undefeated coming into the game.

And he picks reigning South State runner up Oak Grove as the conference favorite.

“We set our own schedule,” Buckley said of adding tough non-region teams to a crushing regional schedule. “To be the best you have to play the best.

“Our non-district schedule is a bunch of teams that are playoff contenders and state championship contenders every year. … I don’t care if they’re 5A or 6A, they’re great football programs with a lot of storied tradition. That’s what we want to be.”

Photo by Robert Burgess

improved team speed and experience, with seven starters back on that side of the ball.

“I think the defense has a chance to be special,” Buckley said. “I think we’re going to have more speed than we’ve had in the last four years here. I’m excited with what we’re doing defensively. If we can run in the secondary like I think we can, it gives us a chance to bring more pressure than we’ve brought in the past.”

The pressure starts on the defensive line, with a group that has a good deal of experience. What was a young group last year is now what Buckely calls “battle-tested,” and expectations are rising.

Hadyn Lott, Ge’monee Brown, Carlton Burger, Jamon Butler and Marquise Newsome will all line up in the trenches, and Brown, in particular, has high hopes for the season after dropping 30 pounds.

The linebackers behind them should be a versatile group, with starting middle linebacker Jared Smith, a senior, back in the fold and joined by fellow senior Brady Hoda, who has seen a lot of playing time in his career.

There’s a large group of other potential ’backers in Garren Berry, Ricky Mason, Hunter Linton,

LOSING HIS HEAD — Senior defensive back Lucas Dixon will try to keep his head on straight and lead the 2011 defense, a group his coach thinks has the chance to be special.

The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

21

Artie Rawls Photography

Artie Rawls Photography

Purvis

2011 Outlook

A very different team from the one that went 10-2 a year ago, Jaime Stuart (54), Jamahl Tatum (85) and Cory Breazeale (31) will try to have the Tornadoes once again trumpeting victory ew teams in the area will look as different as the Purvis Tornadoes.

After a 10-2 season a year ago, the team returns head coach Perry Wheat and … a lot of question marks. Of course, Wheat’s track record has proven that that might be all that’s needed.

The key will be getting the newcomers to fulfill their potential and mesh with the handful of experienced players that do return.

“We have a lot of new faces out there playing, so we’ve got a lot of work to do yet,” Wheat said.

With the offensive skill positions virtually wiped out by graduation, the Tornadoes will cer-

F

The Petal News

tainly feel different in 2011. The attack will likely get back to the basics and focus on a run-first approach rather than look for the flashy plays.

“We’re a little different kind of team,” Wheat said, “particularly offensively. Last year we were kind of a big-play team with some skill-type players. We’re more of a power team and a basic run offense, at this point anyway.”

Gone is starting quarter back Terrison Dantzler, who picked up over 800 yards on both the ground and in the air, and accounted for 10 total touchdowns. That’s opened up a threehorse race to take over the position, and Wheat has seen things he likes from all three candidates.

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

Senior Philip Lott is the current frontrunner, getting the majority of the reps, but junior Timmy Thomas and youngster Nathan Roseberry have also done some good things. It may take some time, Wheat says, to see how the position pans out.

“Right now we just want to see it mistakeproof,” the head coach said. “Eliminate the turnovers, penalties, bad throws and interceptions. We don’t have to be spectacular there, we just need to not make big mistakes.

“As the year goes on we’ll probably open it up a little more. Right now we’re trying to stay fundamental.”

The questions don’t get any easier after QB.

45

Three of Purvis’ top four rushers from a year ago are gone, leaving junior Thamaz Taylor as a runner with an opportunity. Taylor rushed for 423 yards and nine TDs on 49 carries as fullback last season. Now he’ll move to tailback and be the primary runner.

“He’s shown a lot of potential thus far,” Wheat said. “He’s worked real hard in the offseason, so we think he can be a really good player.”

The Tornadoes liked to share carries in 2010, and again will look for contributions from some other players as well. Junior A.J. Shannon and sophomore T.J. Statham will shoulder some of that responsibility, giving the team a nice, young core of

“We’re a little different kind of team.

Last year we were kind of a big-play team with some skill-type players.

We’re more of a power team and a basic run offense at this point.”

46

running backs to build on.

The backfield will be the focus as the offense finds its feet, but there’s a crew of wideouts looking to provide a threat as well. Virtually all receivers of note from 2010 have moved on, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a plethora of athletes knocking on the door.

Wheat thinks he has four or five players he feels comfortable splitting out wide, including sophomore Markell Pack, who he says has the potential to be a very good receiver.

Joining Pack will be senior Travis O’Steen, junior Josh Hosey and senior Tim Auttman, who gives the running game a boost as well as a good blocker down field.

The offensive line returns two starters — seniors Jaime Stuart and Gunner Garza — to set the tone for this year’s unit.

“Some of the guys we’re counting on to start played jayvee and have worked hard, so we feel pretty good,” Wheat said. “We’re not going to be a real big group, but they work hard and get after it. I think overall the line will be pretty solid.”

The defense has some experience, particularly in the front seven. The coaching staff will look for that group to anchor the stopping unit, which still needs to settle in, play fast and stop thinking so much.

“We’ve got to get enough reps in to where we can really play fast,” Wheat said. “But we’re pretty well pleased with our guys up front, particularly, but we don’t have a lot of depth.”

There’s an ongoing battle at nose guard, but the

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

Tornadoes return three other starters on the defensive line. Junior Logan Dearman and senior Jamahl Tatum will provide pressure from the ends, while senior Keoni Davis will work at the tackle spot.

Damian Minor is a lineman the Tornadoes have high hopes for, although the sophomore still has some work to do. But it seems like a matter of time before his impact is felt.

“His technique’s got to get better but we have a hard time blocking him and he’s pretty active,” Wheat said. “I think he’ll be a good defensive lineman down the road.”

Behind that unit will be inside linebacker Cory Breazeale, a senior who started last season and will be counted on as a leader. He’s joined by Jessie Whigham, a fellow senior that can play both inside and out and who Wheat says “has made great strides since last year.” Newcomer Chase Madden (below) has the coaches excited as well, able to use his size to be an effective run-stopper.

The secondary is in flux more than any other spot on the

The Lamar Times

Purvis defense, with some experienced safeties in the mix but less certainty on the outside. Lott and Taylor will be important on this side of the ball at free safety, with Stathum, O’Steen and Roseberry working at strong safety.

Shannon, Hosey, Pack and Auttman will be play at the corners.

“That’s where we’re real young,” Wheat said of his defensive backfield. “I feel like in time we’re going to be pretty good back there, but they’ve got to play some and learn from playing.”

Youth is both a blessing and a curse this year for the Tornadoes, who will get an opportunity to glimpse at the future of the program. Of course, a lot of players will be learning on the job, and that could make for some interesting moments.

That leaves Purvis taking things a week at a time, anxious to see how things work themselves out on the field.

“We’ve got several young kids that have potential to be good players,” Wheat said. “But it’s a learning process and they have to learn their techniques and learn to play hard. You’ve got to focus on that.

“Right now we’re kind of focusing on stetting the standard for the year and really working hard and playing hard and not worrying too much about wins and losses. It’s a long season ahead of us.

The Petal News

We want to try to build and try to be fundamentally good and try to get better each week. As the season progresses, we’ve got a chance to be pretty good if we stay healthy.”

Depth is a major concern for Purvis, as is the schedule. The Tornadoes open at North Forrest before hosting Oak Grove, a game Wheat admits has to concern the team.

“It may be a little bit hard to get going if you don’t play really good,” he said.

“Their numbers are so much greater and they basically don’t have anyone going both ways. That can take a toll. It’s hard to compete in that situation. We want to go play good, and hopefully we can play a lot of people and get out of that game healthy and learn from it, then go from there.”

From there Purvis will have to play rival Sumrall as well as Forrest County AHS and St. Stanislaus in non-regional action, before facing a revamped regional schedule.

“North Pike played for championship last year and have a lot back on defense,” Wheat said of the team’s regional foes. “South Pike had a young team and will be good, and Tylertown will be outstanding. It’s just real tough. We still have a chance, but we have to play well and stay healthy.”

2011 Outlook

Artie Rawls Photography

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

47

Artie Rawls Photography

Only one Pine Belt team brought home a state championship last year.

Now what does Lumberton do for an encore? Seniors Charles Jenkins (left), Keshod Willis (center) and James Carr (right) will try to play the hero as the Panthers strive for the promised land once again

2011 Outlook 48

Lumberton PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

The Lamar Times

fter a 14-1 season, it’s easy to focus on what Lumberton doesn’t have coming back — an elite athlete at quarterback, three of its top four rushers, a championship MVP and some critical players on defense. But what the Panthers do bring back is a title ring, and a taste for more.

Only time will tell whether that works in the team’s favor or not.

“The biggest thing right now,” head coach Brian Ford said, “is focusing on getting their mind and their body prepared for the first game and trying to keep them in a level state and understand this is a new year and we need to focus on winning our first game.”

How that happens will be slightly different now that All-State selection Darius Holder is gone from both cornerback and quarterback.

Holder threw for 1,208 yards and 16 touchdowns to only four interceptions, while running for another 955 yards and 11 scores.

Also gone from the defensive backfield is Derell McLemore, an offensive threat at wide receiver and the MVP of the state championship game. Add to that the loss of the thirdand fourth-leading rusher, along with tacklers No. 2-4, and there’s a lot to think about.

But the players that are coming back aren’t settling for questions, they’re looking for another trip to the title contest.

“We’re going to do what we do,” Ford said.

“There’s a few adjustments we’re going to have to make because of having different types of athletes in certain spots, but for the most part we’re going to be as close to what we were doing last year as possible.”

On offense Kion Willis looks like the next in line at quarterback, but Ford is still looking for the sophomore to grow up a lit-

sive line is poised for a big year. Both Ford and fellow players have expressed excitement in the improvement the unit has shown, boasting four returning starters — including seniors Cody Fairchild, Dalton Parks and James Carr.

“We’re going to go as they go on offense,” Ford said. “If our line is doing their job and winning the battle in the trenches, we’re going to be good on offense.”

Defense might be a slightly bigger question mark. While six starters return on offense, only four are back on the other side of the ball. The personnel losses there, especially in the secondary, have forced some adjustments, and may send some youngsters into duty as well. With ninth graders potentially having to shoulder some of the load, it’s a game of wait-and-see to determine how well they’ll respond.

“Athletically, at this point you can see some maturity in those guys,” Ford said. “We haven’t been able to put pads on them at this point to see how they react to contact, but kids will surprise you. I feel like a few games into the season that those young guys will really start coming on.

Right now we feel like they’re going to come around.”

Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS

A

tle as a person and a leader. On the field, his arm will be more of a focal point than Holder’s.

He will have some weapons to work with, even if the team’s depth isn’t what it was a year ago. At wide receiver, senior Vic Jenkins is back after leading the squad with 32 receptions for 439 yards and seven touchdowns.

Jenkins is a known commodity, but lining up opposite him will be a newer face, as senior Trey Tony looks to make an impact. Tony didn’t play last season, but in the spring Ford was already excited about the player’s raw athleticism.

“Trey Tony is a 6-foot-1 receiver that has been a really good basketball player for us. He’s an outstanding player and we expect big things out of him.”

The Panther rushing attack will look different in 2011, but for one player — Keshod Willis. He returns after leading the team with 992 yards and 14 TDs on the ground a year ago and should have a good opportunity to break the 1,000-yard mark as a senior. He has breakaway speed as well as the frame to shake off would-be tacklers.

Sophomore Jatarrin Clark is a name to remember heading into the fall, as the youngster could lay the foundation for an outstanding career at Lumberton. Clark only carried the ball three times as a freshman, but the coaching staff has high hopes for the bruising, pounding runner.

“Keshod’s the guy that’s going to break the big one, and Jatarrin is going to get you three, four yards a pop,” Ford said. “He’s the guy on thirdand-1 to go in there and get that tough yardage.”

Junior Kennaro Calloway will provide depth as a third threat out of the backfield.

Most importantly for the Panthers, the offen-

JUST HANGING OUT — Senior wideout Vic Jenkins will look to recapture the glory of 2010 with diving attempts like this one.

The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

49

2011 Outlook Lumberton Even with that uncertainty, the Panthers still have a star on defense in hybrid nose tackle/linebacker Charles Jenkins. Jenkins rolled up 107 tackles last year to lead the team as a junior. The fiery, outspoken player will set the tone as he ranges from standing up on the line to dropping back into coverage. Either way, he’s sure to be in on just about every tackle made.

“When he’s going hard and making tackles, our defense rallies around him,” Ford said.

There will be some changes in the front seven, as former linemen Clark and Calloway adapt to roles as linebackers. Until those players fully understand their jobs, the defense may need to fall back on pure athleticism to make plays.

“We’re going to rely on speed and aggressiveness,” Ford said.

“Sometimes that hurts you, but that’s what we do.”

Three starters graduated from the defensive backfield, leaving senior Oshea Grice as the leader of the unit.

Grice picked off two passes last year, but may not see as many thrown his way this year if the rest of the group doesn’t step up. Vic Jenkins is likely to hold down the other cornerback spot.

Lumberton did have some issues stopping the big passing play during its Lamar County Jamboree preseason warmup, leaving the defense with some things to shore up.

While realignment left some teams in totally new waters, the changes to Lumberton’s region seem minor on paper, with the loss of one team the only tweak to what will be Region 82A. But the loss of that one team threw scheduling into chaos for the Panthers, with only four conference

games leaving a lot of open dates to wrangle. That turned out to not be so easy, whether due to the fear of a championship squad or the desire to find a team that drew more at the gate.

“There are seven games to play before district play,” Ford said, “and we hope to hit our stride in there somewhere and head into our region play our best football.”

It will also provide a lot of time to prepare before taking on rival Bassfield in the regular season finale.

The Yellowjackets were the only team to beat the Panthers in 2010, and it wasn’t pretty — 47-0.

“We’ve played them the last two seasons in the final regular season game and it hasn’t worked out so well for us,” Ford said. “Probably, as tough as our district is, we could all beat each other again. … They’re all important, but hopefully we’ll be healthy and we’ll be focused so we can play good against Bassfield this year, because we haven’t.”

But first the Panthers need to resist cracking under the pressure to win again, and that will be the most telling thing Lumberton will learn this season.

“For me,” Ford said, “I just want the kids to improve each week and I want to see them giving us our best effort each and every Friday night. If we can do those things, regardless of our record, I will have counted it as a successful season.

“Now, kids, if they don’t win it all, they’re going to be disappointed, but if I can see them grow as a team and as men and work toward doing the right things, I can consider it successful.

We all want to win championships each and every year, but at this point I want to see growth.”

Artie Rawls Photography

50

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

The Lamar Times

Artie Rawls Photography

Last year saw the Bobcats get to the postseason for the first time in school history.

Now seniors Hunter Hawkins (left), Blake Graves (center) and Brandon Sullivan (right) will look to shred defenses and take things a step further — a first playoff win

PCS The Petal News

2011 Outlook PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

51

Artie Rawls Photography

here’s a lot of excitement surrounding Presbyterian Christian School football, and with good reason. In just his second year with the program, head coach Joey Hawkins took the Bobcats to the playoffs for the first time in the team’s history.

Now the squad is hungry to get back to that point, and possibly even surpass it with a postseason win.

“It was a great experience,” senior tight end Hunter Hawkins said, “and I think it’s going to help us this year as far as having been there before. Just having that experience is really going to help us this year.”

Spoken like a true coach’s son, Hunter said he likes the team’s chances this year, saying the group may not be quite as talented as a season ago but that there will be more consistency and fewer mistakes. That sounds like exactly what a coach would want.

“Our football IQ has just enhanced every year I’ve been here,” coach Hawkins said. “We’re stronger — physically stronger and physically faster. We feel good with where we’re at. The kids have worked extremely hard and do everything we ask of them.”

A lot of that has to do with the leadership provided by a strong group of returners. On offense that starts with senior quarterback Brandon Sullivan, who threw 24

T

52

touchdowns in 2010.

“He really understands the game; he’s like a coach on the field now,” Hawkins said. “We use a lot of different formations and he knows now where the mismatches are.

When he sees the coverage, he knows right where to throw the ball.

He makes my job a lot easier.”

Sullivan’s job, however, will be a little bit harder this year after the Bobcats lost top receiver and playmaker Cade Martin, a player Hawkins calls irreplaceable.

But that’s not to say PCS won’t be able to move the ball. Senior fullback Blake Graves (5-foot-11, 223 pounds) is coming off a 1,000yard season, and could be in for a huge year after getting faster, quicker and more agile in the offseason.

Stephen Jones has improved as well, and will complement Graves after rushing for 500 yards in 2010.

With Martin gone, Hunter Hawkins now becomes a main target. The tight end is athletic enough to split out wide, and at 6-4 and 229 pounds is a big bull’s-eye.

Versatile juniors Tyler Young and Micah Griffin will also catch the ball this year, as will some players that

really surprised the coaching staff during offseason work. Preston Bell has missed a lot of time over the past two years due to injury and Hunter Norton is a junior who is new to the team. Both have “flipped a switch.”

“There are a couple of guys that really surprised us,” coach Hawkins said. “We knew they were going to help us as a kind of role player, but they’re going to be able to come in and make an impact. When you’re a coach and you think of a guy as a role player and he becomes an impact player and you see it one day, that’s been exciting for us.”

The offensive line is an experienced group that has continued to improve and impress as well, led by two-year starter Hunter Campbell and fellow seniors Landon Frazier, Daniel Vial and Patrick Higginbotham.

The defense starts with the linebackers, including Graves. Also back is the team’s leading tackler, Griffin, who led the team in tackles as a sophomore.

That’s good news for a team that Hawkins says is getting better at learning gaps and proper roles.

“Our defense is keyed by Micah Griffin,” Hawkins said. “He’s a great

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

hitter who can come downhill and make a lot of things happen.”

The defensive front has been a unit with a lot of room to grow, but it’s getting closer and closer to where it needs to be. The key there has been learning to be aggressive and active to blocks, rather than sitting back and trying to push through, and Hawkins says the group is bigger, stronger and quicker than a year ago.

Sullivan and Hunter Hawkins will man the defensive ends, with a tackle-by-committee inside featuring a quickly improving Hunter McGowen, Campbell, Frazier and Vial. Nose guard will be filled, literally, by 6-3, 268-pound James Turman.

“James Turman is a big kid who has a lot of talent,” coach Hawkins said. “He’s got to be a run stopper inside for us.”

Coming out of last season PCS expected the defensive secondary to be a problem point this year, but it hasn’t quite turned out that way.

Players still need to prove themselves, but as many as seven or eight individuals have stepped up to fight for roles in the backfield.

One position that has already been solidified is the cornerback spot belonging to junior Daniel Patterson, who started every game there in 2010. Jones is set to play at safety, and, much like on offense, Norton has been a pleas-

The Lamar Times

PCS

2011 Outlook

Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS

ant surprise on defense.

Bell, Caleb Faulkner and Chris Addison are also likely to see playing time in the secondary.

“When we came into camp we thought (the secondary) was going to be a glaring weakness,” Hawkins said, “but each day they have improved so much and we’re really feeling comfortable.”

Is this version of the Bobcats really better? That question may be answered in Week 1, when Presbyterian Christian travels to rival Jackson Academy. Even if the program has turned the corner, Academy and fellow MAIS powerhouse Jackson Prep continue to stand in the way and set the bar.

The Bobcats’ only three losses last season came at the hands of those two established programs.

“We’re going to get our oil checked in the first game when we go to Jackson to play Jackson

Academy,” Hawkins said. “That’s a great test. They’re the two-time defending champions, and that will tell us right there where we are.”

There’s little doubt PCS has closed the gap between itself and the two Jackson school’s. Despite ending in defeat, the three meetings last year were mostly much more competitive than they had been in the past.

That’s a step in the right direction.

There will also be critical games against Simpson Academy (9-3 a year ago) in Week 2 and conference foe Oak Forest (9-4 in 2010) in the penultimate game of the regular season. Those

should be good tests to see if PCS can maintain a high level of success.

“Of course everybody’s goal is to win a state championship,” Hunter Hawkins said. “But I’d like to see us take one game at a time and really focus on the next team. Just play hard, the best we can, and not really regret anything.”

CALLING THE SHOTS — Senior signal caller Brandon Sullivan is back after throwing 24 TDs a season ago.

HOUSE OF GRIFFINDOR — Junior linebacker Micah Griffin is the heart of the Bobcat defense.

The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

53

54

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

The Lamar Times

Artie Rawls Photography

Bobcat seniors Julius Sims (left), Blake Miley (middle) and Grant Landrum (right) hope to put on a show and set the stage for a rebuilding program with a new head coach

Sumrall The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

2011 Outlook 55

S

“We’re a program that hasn’t had a winning season in 15 years. We know the task ahead.”

56

young quarterback that I think has a the biggest splash might be convertgreat future, we’ve got an athletic ed tight end Blake Miley. Miley is no quarterback that’s a threat to run stranger to the team — he was the ball, and we’ve got Will Simon, Sumrall’s quarterback a year ago, who will be our starter at the beginthrowing for 624 yards. But White ning of the year. I think we’re very feels Miley can make a bigger fortunate to have three that bring impact at tight end, and all signs something to the table. We have point to it being a great move for more depth at that position than at both the senior and the team. Miley any position.” has already shown signs of being White was unsure if he would use able to get open and catch the ball, the other quarterbacks in particular and at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds is a packages, but likes the depth and mismatch against just about anypotential he has at the spot. Wide body he’ll see all season. receiver James Jackson, also a junTight end should be an all-around ior, saw a few snaps under center strength for Sumrall, which also during the jamboree. brings back starting TE Chance Jackson will play a role split out Rawls, a senior, who finished secwide, alongside a handful of other ond on the team with 120 yards weapons that will be at Simon’s dis- receiving and two TDs in 2010. posal. Junior cousins Austin and White says the team has spent an Devontae Watts will see time, and abnormal amount of time on may be versatile, moveable pieces defense since he took over, in the offense. The same can be installing new schemes and changsaid for Julius Sims, who could be a ing the attitude in the locker room. threat catching the football or taking Much like the offense, the Bobcat it out of the backfield. Senior Billy defense will move around, show a Mauldin is another member of the number of different looks and try to receiving corps. Austin Watts was be aggressive. the team’s leading receiver a year “We’re going to be a slanting, ago, with 182 yards and two touchpressure defense with a good downs. amount of blitzing,” White said. “It’s “We’re going to put people in going to be a defense that moves positions where they’re best able to around a lot and has a lot of flexibilmake plays,” White said, “and try to ity to deal with the varying types of control the defense with the lineoffenses you tend to see.” men. That’s been my philosophy for Sumrall will have a lot of kids a long time. playing both ways, but it’s been the “It’s a talented group. We’ve got enthusiasm on defense that has the guys that can run at our skill posicoaching staff excited. Even the skill tions. Some of them are not the players are ready to go out and hit fastest, but can catch the ball somebody. extremely well.”

“Our guys have bought in to playThe coaching staff likes the offen- ing defense, and that’s been real sive lineman, who should feature a solid mix of seniors and juniors that could include Matt Emerson, Jacob Moree, Alyx Colson and Tanner Peavey. All are in the 240- to 270-pound range and move well.

“I think that’s a solid group,” White said. “That’s a group that has pretty good size, but they’re athletic. We’ve been pretty pleased with them to this point.”

The key will be continuing to build the confidence, physicality and conditioning necessary to move the pile for a whole game. That way the line can open holes for the running game, which besides featuring a number of versatile athletes — Watts, Sims and Simon — will also turn to senior Grant Landrum (147 yards last seaSIMON SAYS — The Bobcats will have a new QB son). in 2011, as junior Will Simon comes in from The Bobcat ready to make

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

Presbyterian Christian School.

The Lamar Times

Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS

omething’s got to give. New head coach Shannon White has never missed the playoffs in 13 years as a head coach.

Sumrall football hasn’t been to the playoffs in longer than that.

But White is smart enough to know the situation he’s stepping into in north Lamar County. The Bobcats won’t be concerning themselves with big-picture goals in 2011, they’ll be focused on the little things it will take to grow from a total of five wins in the last three seasons to, yes, the playoffs.

“We’re a program that hasn’t had a winning season in 15 years,” White said. “We know the task ahead. I really feel if you compete and don’t fear anything, good things happen to you, win or lose.”

White is adamant that Sumrall can produce, and has, winning football players. It is mostly a matter of building a winning mindset. The new head man obviously felt something was being done right, as he’s retained eight assistants from the previous coaching staff, adding just one new hire.

“Talent is not an issue at Sumrall,” White said. “Size is not an issue at Sumrall. Coaching is not an issue at Sumrall. It’s confidence, and confidence comes through winning football games.

“Do our kids believe in what we’re doing? Absolutely they do. They’ve got believe in themselves, and that’s key. They trust what we’re teaching them and they work hard at it, and now they’ve got to trust themselves to carry it out.”

Offensively, the Bobcats will be what White calls “very, very multiple.” The focus will be on running the football, but maintaining balance through the air. The preseason Lamar County Jamboree, which Sumrall hosted, may have provided a small taste of those multiple looks, as the team tried a little bit of everything with the ball.

What started as a three-way battle for quarterback still gives Sumrall some options under center, but has become a little more focused on junior Will Simon. A transfer from Presbyterian Christian School, Simon looks like the choice under center to start the season, with the ability to throw the ball or take off running to keep defenses honest.

Freshman quarterback Zach Berry has also seen reps since spring practice.

“We’ve got three quarterbacks and all three bring something to the table,” White said. “We’ve got a

Sumrall positive,” White said. “They all want to play defense, and that’s always something you can build on.”

While saying the team can always get faster and bigger — the Bobcats will be a bit undersized — White’s top priority is getting the team to be physical.

That starts on the defensive line, where some players will play both ways, giving Rawls an opportunity to come off the edge and try to pressure the QB. He may line up alongside seniors Dylan Dobbs and Zac Bennett.

Although Sumrall loses its top tackler from a year ago — linebacker Brad Drummond, who also paced the team in rushing — there is a good amount of experience and talent in the back seven.

Miley will bring his athleticism to a linebacker spot, and Clay Touchstone returns as a ’backer after finishing

The Petal News

second on the team in tackles with 77 as just a freshman. White praised Touchstone’s potential both on defense and offense as a running back.

Landrum, who was fourth on the team in tackles a year ago with 69 and got to the QB for four sacks, will bring senior leadership to a safety spot and quarterback the secondary.

Also featuring in that unit will be both of the Watts, who tied for the team lead with two interceptions apiece a year ago. Austin also compiled 48 tackles. Sims will likely hold down a cornerback spot as well.

The group of 17 seniors may not be around to fully realize the rebuilding process, but they will be relied upon to provide leadership in Year 1 of the White era. With what is sure to be a few bumps in the road, the upperclassmen will be counted on to keep everyone working

2011 Outlook toward a common goal. So far, that has proven to be easier said than done.

“When times get hard, those guys … we preach to them all the time, more than anything it’s about setting an example,” White said. “We’ve got a lot of improvement to go there, but these guys have never been in those roles and they haven’t had a lot of success. They don’t know how to lead, but have the skills. It’s going to be a learning process.

“We talked to them about ownership. It’s not my team, it’s your team, more than anything else. They need to set the tone in practice, in the locker room, on the field and even in school.”

The schedule doesn’t set up to allow much of a learning curve.

Sumrall opens the season with 6A power Oak Grove, meaning the Bobcats may have to learn how to bounce back immediately, or risk losing an entire season. That’s why the team has focused on the process rather than the result.

“When the game ends against Oak Grove, I hope we can look each other in the eye and say we competed and weren’t scared,” White said. “We

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

competed for four quarters. And that’s it. I’m not going to worry about the score. That’s pretty much going to be the case most Friday nights.”

White has been here before. After coaching at powerhouse Taylorsville, where he said the pressure to win was as intense as anywhere, White took over at North Forrest. That program had not found recent success, but found a way to get it done under the new regime.

That’s helped the head coach prepare for a position where, fair or not, eyes will be on him to see if he can work some magic. And after Mark McHale’s contract was not renewed after just one season leading the Bobcats, the focus will be intensified even more.

“There’s a lot of similarities (to North Forrest),” White said. “I think those are obvious. Confidence is the biggest one. Believing you can go out on Friday night and win a football game, mainly when things get tough.

“Anybody can go out, and if you’re up, play good and look pretty. But when it’s tied or you’re behind, that’s a different deal. You’ve got to be able to handle that as players and as coaches.”

57

Wildcats hope to get back to grand stage during Pearl River’s Centennial season

2011 Outlook enth-year head coach Tim Hatten’s expectations are sky high as his eighth-ranked Pearl River Wildcats enter their Centennial season of football in 2011.

Since Hatten arrived on campus in the summer of 2002, he has guided The River to four (2003 through 2006) of its unprecedented 19 state championships and an NJCAA national title in 2004. But the Wildcat squad, which cranked up in 1911, hasn’t clinched the MACJC crown since 2006.

Hopes are high that will change in 2011.

“We set very high goals for our guys each and every year around here,” said Hatten, who boasts a 73-19 win-loss record over the past

T

58

PRCC nine seasons. “Not only do we set out to win a state championship, but a national title as well and I feel we’ve got as good of a chance as ever to accomplish both of those goals this season.”

The Wildcats return 14 starters from last year’s 6-3 team with nine on offense and five on defense.

Talented NJCAA All-American and All-Region 23 quarterback Melvin German out of Dunbar High in Fort Myers, Fla., and All-Region wide receiver Steve McNair, Jr., of Oak Grove High highlight the group; but there’s plenty of more experienced talent that graces the roster.

Pearl River is picked to finish second in the South behind Mississippi Gulf Coast — ranked second in the NJCAA’s preseason

poll — in the coaches’ preseason balloting; while defending South champ Copiah-Lincoln is tagged third ahead of fourth Hinds, fifth Jones County, sixth East Central, and seventh Southwest Mississippi.

Co-Lin captured the South crown a year ago via its sixth-week victory over The River and went on to can North runner-up and defending state champ East Mississippi in the opening-round of the playoffs to nab a berth in the state title bout.

The Wolfpack fell to Gulf Coast in the 2010 championship game after MGCCC defeated North champ Northwest Mississippi in the first round.

German and McNair will be complimented by an impressive group of returning sophomore starters,

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

By MITCH DEAVER

including wide receiver Jonathan Duncan of Petal High, wide receiver Leonard Johnson of East Marion High, offensive lineman Chandler Matthews of St. Stanislaus College (in Bay St. Louis), wide receiver Seth Roberts out of McKay Academy in Tallahassee, Fla.; wide receiver Snoop Rollins of North Forrest High, running back Steve Simon of East Marion High, and running back Marquis Smith of Hattiesburg High.

German, who was a redshirt in 2009, led the state in passing a year ago completing 240 of 369 passes (65 percent) for 2,728 yards and 16 touchdowns. He threw only six interceptions the entire season with three of his picks coming in the Wildcats’ 24-21 season-finale victo-

The Lamar Times

Mitch Deaver/PRCC Sports Information (main, McNair)

ry over division rival Jones County.

“What can you say about Melvin,” Hatten said.

“He had an incredible season last year and he’s going to be better this time around. With our (spread) offense, you’ve got to have a solid quarterback and Melvin is one of the very best to ever play here.”

McNair, the son of the late Alcorn State and NFL legend Steve McNair, Sr., led the league with 56 receptions (6.2 per game) and his 631 receiving yards (70.1 per game) was ranked fourth-best statewide. He also averaged 24.8 yards on kickoff returns, which was fourth in the league.

Roberts was another prime German target a year ago, as the led the team in receiving yards with 733 (81.44 per game) on a second-best 49 catches, as well as topping all Wildcats in receiving TDs with six. His reception and yardage totals were secondbest statewide.

Simon and Rollins both finished the 2010 campaign with 44 receptions for 439 and 392 yards, respectively. Simon also was the Wildcats’ top rusher a year ago with 262 yards on 68 carries.

“We’ve never been a really great running team,” Hatten continued, “but we never set out to be. We finished at the bottom of the league in rushing yards and attempts last year (594 yards on 239 carries) and that could very well be the case again this year. Everybody knows that Pearl River is going to throw the ball down the field.”

Newcomers that are expected to contribute immediately on the offensive side are running back Markeyus Johnson of Forrest County A.H.S., running back Kollin Johnson of St. Stanislaus College (in Bay St. Louis), wide receiver Shawn Jones of North Forrest High, and wide receiver Jovante’ Wilson of Picayune High.

Matthews will be complimented on the O-line by

The Petal News

Cody Conkle, Levi Freeman, and Conner Jones, all from Petal High; and Jordan Sutherlin of Bay High.

“We’re on the down side as far as experience goes with our offensive down guys up front, but this group of freshman has a tremendous amount of potential,” Hatten said. “This bunch could develop into one of the best O-lines we’ve had here in a while.”

On the defensive side, new coordinator Jim Nowell’s returning starters include lineman Alton Bailey out of Armwood High in Seffner, Fla., linebacker Chris Bermond of Hancock County High, defensive back Derrick Bourne of Columbia High, linebacker Quan Fletcher, a Marshall University transfer out of Kroc High in Miami, Fla., and lineman Ketrick Wolfe of Sumrall High.

Bermond and Fletcher finished fourth and fifth on the team, respectively, in tackles last season.

Bermond boasted 71 tackles (30 solo, 41 assists) to Fletcher’s 69 (28 solo, 41 assists).

Sophomore DB Rashod Merritt of Lumberton High will see plenty of playing time in the secondary, while freshmen who are expected to contribute include linebackers Brandon Dedeaux and Maurice Jones, both out of Picayune High; lineman E.J. Pearson of Forrest County A.H.S., and linebacker Jamal Taylor of Lumberton High.

Nowell, a Magee native, served as LSU’s assistant strength and conditioning coach under former head coach Nick Saban (now at Alabama) from 2000-2002 before moving on to West Virginia as head strength and conditioning coach under former head coach Rich Rodriguez from 2002-2004. He returned to the Magnolia State as Mississippi State’s strength and conditioning coach under former head coach Sylvester Croom from 2004-2006 before heading to Western Kentucky in an identical capacity from 2007-2010.

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

He also has stints as a defensive coach at Mississippi high schools in Byram, Clinton, and Madison Central; as well as Escambia (Fla.) and Greenville (Ky.).

Besides Gulf Coast and Pearl River, three other MACJC teams are ranked in the NJCAA’s preseason top 25, including Northwest Mississippi at No. 9, East Miss at No. 16, and Co-Lin at No. 19.

“That right there tells you the respect our league has from top to bottom,” Hatten said.

“We (MACJC) had five teams in the top 20 of the nation’s top 25.”

PRCC also copped a No. 12 national ranking in The Sporting News Juco poll and the No. 22 spot in the JC Gridiron balloting.

MGCCC is No. 2 in The Sporting News poll and No. 5 in JC Gridiron along with No. McNAIR 4 Northwest Mississippi and No. 14 East Mississippi. Those two polls include California schools, which are not members of the NJCAA. Defending North Division champ Northwest, which hosts Pearl River in the season opener Thursday, Sept. 1, in Senatobia, is picked to repeat as division champs in the preseason state poll; followed by 2010 runner up East Mississippi at No. 2.

Coahoma is tagged third, Itawamba fourth, Northeast Mississippi fifth, Holmes sixth, and Mississippi Delta seventh.

59

Southern Miss

2011 Outlook Every year the Southern Miss Golden Eagles win games and travel to a bowl game. In fact, the school has posted 17 consecutive winning seasons, tying the program record.

It’s one of the best winning traditions outside of a BCS conference.

But as head coach Larry Fedora heads into his fourth season leading the team, he’s still looking for a first in his tenure — a Conference-USA East division title.

This is, however, the first time in Fedora’s career that’s he been somewhere long enough to see a class go from recruits to graduates, and he’s excited about how this year’s squad has come together.

“The exciting thing for me about

60

this team is that this team is excited about themselves,” Fedora said.

“There is just a unique chemistry about this team. There’s a bond and a closeness. There is something special about this group, so I’m excited about that.”

The Golden Eagles line up as one of the favorites in C-USA East, along with Central Florida. After going 8-5 overall and 5-3 in the league a year ago, 11 starters return to try to finally take the team to the conference title game.

The problem last year was clear — Southern Miss didn’t come up with enough defensive stops when it mattered most. Excluding a seasonopening blowout at the hands of

South Carolina, the Golden Eagles’ losses came by a total of 11 points.

Attempting to address that, the biggest offseason change came in the form of the hiring of defensive coordinator Dan Disch, who will bring with him a new, 4-2-5 defensive alignment that will attempt to combat the plethora of spread offenses the Eagles will see in a pass-heavy Conference-USA. “I wouldn’t have gone to it if I didn’t think it was going to be effective,” Fedora said. “Looking at the offenses we face each week, it’s ideal for us. It puts another athlete on the field.

“We went back and looked at how many times we had three linebackers on the field in the nickel and dime

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

packages, and it wasn’t very often.

So we thought, ‘Why not go and make that your base.’ ” The unit’s attitude has already changed under Disch, looking to shed its lackluster reputation and make plays. With five of the top six tacklers from a season ago returning, the biggest key will simply be picking up the nuances of the new scheme.

Bearded defensive end Cordarro Law is the star of the defensive line as he heads into his final season in black and gold. Law had 48 tackles and six sacks last year, but will look to get to the quarterback even more.

He’ll be flanked in the middle by tackles Terrance Pope and Khyri Thornton, the latter of which had a

The Lamar Times

monster spring game.

A potential breakout star thanks to Disch’s new defensive scheme could be Jamie Collins, who will play the new “bandit” position that will place him as a hybrid defensive end/linebacker. After finishing second on the team with 76 tackles, Collins should be in position to make plays all over the field.

Leading tackler Korey Williams (92 tackles) is back at linebacker, and has earned recognition on preseason award watchlists. Ronnie Thornton (61 tackles) is back beside him.

With five defensive backs now on the field, the secondary will certainly be a focus of this year’s defense. That unit is led by senior strong safety Kendrick Presley, who was third on the team with 63 stops.

Cornerback Deron Wilson is only a sophomore but returns as a starter, looking to improve on the three interceptions he made in his first year. He also led the team with 12 pass deflections. He’s one of the players excited to put Disch’s plan to work.

“The 4-2-5, you can flex to different things and make it look different,” he said. “The offense really won’t know what you’re in. I can sit in different places and still have the same assignment. It’s more of a disguise. The last defense was more textbook.”

Other players potentially factoring into the expanded secondary are Mississippi Gulf Coast transfer Martez Thompson, hard-hitting sophomore Jacorius Cotton and senior Marquese Wheaton. Redshirt freshman Furious Bradley has also impressed enough in preseason camp to potentially provide some much-needed depth.

Meanwhile, the return of defensive lineman Deddrick Jones and linebacker Tim Green, who suffered injuries from gunshot wounds at a club shooting during last season, should provide an emotional lift to the team. The impact each will have on the field is still in question.

“I think everybody was really fired up, especially on that first day to see them back,” Fedora said.

The third victim, linebacker Martez Smith, is still wheelchair bound and fighting to walk again.

While the defense may have let the team down at times, the offense appears ready to continue to churn out yards in Fedora’s high-flying spread.

Senior quarterback Austin Davis is on the Davey O’Brien Award watchlist and should be one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, if not the country. Davis returns after throwing for 3,103 yards and 20 touchdowns with only six interceptions.

Originally a walk-on, Davis will likely leave Southern Miss with just about every passing record in school history. He currently sits two TDs behind Brett Favre on the all-time list.

“It’s been neat to watch (Davis) grow in the offense from Day 1,” Fedora said.

“Just watching him mature and seeing how the game has slowed down for him … he sees things happen before they ever happen and it frustrates him that the receiver doesn’t see it or the running back or the right tackle doesn’t see it. It’s nice to have a guy out there who sees it the way you do and understands exactly what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Davis will operate behind a line led by experienced senior tackles Lamar Holmes — a potential All-CUSA candidate — and Thomas Edenfield and guard Joe Duhon. All are well versed in the offensive scheme.

The biggest challenge could be figuring out a retooled group of receivers.

DeAndre Brown left early for the NFL draft and leaves a hole that must be filled, even if Brown never quite matched the hype he brought as a ballyhooed recruit.

Senior Kelvin “Peanut” Bolden is a very different player, but returns as the leading receiver. Bolden is small (6-foot, 160 pounds) but fast, and provides a legitimate deep threat. He caught 46 balls for 722 yards and six touchdowns a year ago, and both the player and coaches would like that number of scores to at least double.

What’s unclear is exactly how USM will keep defenses honest enough to create space for Bolden. Dominique Sullivan, Quentin Pierce, Markese Triplett and Ryan Balentine are all in the mix to help with that cause.

When it comes to running the football, the Golden Eagles backfield appears to be growing stronger. Sophomore Kendrick Hardy will likely lead the way after racking up 903 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman. Junior Desmond Johnson ran for 611 yards and can catch the ball out of the backfield.

An added boost will come from junior Tracy Lampley, who struggled with injuries but should be back to 100 percent. Lampley is a versatile weapon who will factor in to the passing game and see a lot of time returning kicks.

And redshirt freshman Jamal Woodyard turned heads in a major way in the spring game, adding another threat to run the ball.

Often an underappreciated weapon, kicker Danny Hrapmann was a Lou Groza finalist last year and a consensus preseason All-CUSA selection.

The Petal News

Hrapmann has a big leg and was 26-of-31 a year ago with a long of 54 yards.

After finishing in the top 20 in the nation in scoring, rushing and total offense (and 35th in passing) in 2010, the offense should continue to cruise as long as wide receivers step forward behind Bolden. It will be up to the defense to close the gap and be just as effective if the Golden Eagles want to challenge defending East champion UCF. The two teams meet on Nov. 12 at M.M. Roberts Stadium.

Southern Miss opens the season on Sept. 3 against Louisiana Tech, and travels to Marshall the following week for an early conference matchup.

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

61

AREA SCHEDULES CLASS 6A HATTIESBURG 08/19 Murrah 08/26 at Laurel 09/02 Warren Central 09/16 at Harrison Central 09/23 at Petal* 09/30 Meridian* 10/07 at Terry* 10/14 Forest Hill* 10/21 Natchez* 10/28 Oak Grove* 11/04 at Brandon*

SOUTH JONES 08/19 Laurel 08/26 at Seminary 09/02 at Northeast Jones 09/09 Vancleave 09/23 at West Jones* 09/30 Pearl* 10/07 at Wingfield* 10/14 McComb* 10/21 Wayne County* 10/28 at Stone* 11/04 Brookhaven*

08/19 at Moss Point 08/26 Stone 09/02 at Greene County 09/09 at Wayne County 09/23 Harrison Central* 09/30 at Biloxi* 10/07 at St. Martin* 10/14 at Gulfport* 10/21 Hancock* 10/28 at D’Iberville* 11/04 Ocean Springs*

CLASS 5A STONE 08/19 Forrest County AHS 08/26 at George County 09/02 at Harrison Central 09/09 West Harrison 09/23 at McComb* 09/30 West Jones* 10/07 at Pearl* 10/14 Wingfield* 10/21 at Brookhaven* 10/28 South Jones* 11/04 at Wayne County*

08/20 at Petal 08/26 at Meridian 09/02 Mendenhall 09/09 George County 09/23 at Pearl* 09/30 vs. Wingfield* 10/07 at McComb* 10/14 West Jones* 10/21 at South Jones* 10/28 Brookhaven* 11/04 Stone*

CLASS 4A FORREST COUNTY AHS 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

at Stone Harrison Central Picayune at Bassfield at Purvis at Columbia at Poplarville* at Vancleave* Greene County* at St. Stanislaus* Bay High*

COLUMBIA WEST JONES 08/26 at Northeast Jones 09/02 Laurel 09/09 at Magee 09/23 South Jones* 09/30 at Stone* 10/07 Brookhaven* 10/14 at Wayne County* 10/21 Pearl* 10/28 at McComb* 11/04 Wingfield*

62

POPLARVILLE 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

at Columbia at Sumrall Enterprise (Clarke) Pass Christian at Lumberton FCAHS* at Greene County* St. Stanislaus* at Bay High* Vancleave*

GREENE COUNTY WAYNE COUNTY

GEORGE COUNTY

*denotes region or district game

08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

Poplarville at Perry Central at East Marion West Marion Forrest County AHS at Purvis* South Pike* at North Pike* Lawrence County* at Tylertown*

08/19 Perry Central 08/26 at Quitman 09/02 George County 09/09 at Moss Point 09/16 Taylorsville 09/30 at Bay High* 10/07 Poplarville* 10/14 at Forrest County AHS* 10/21 at Vancleave* 10/28 St. Stanislaus*

LAUREL 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

at South Jones Hattiesburg at West Jones Oak Grove at St. Stanislaus at West Lauderdale* Quitman* at Newton County* NE Lauderdale* Northeast Jones*

NORTHEAST JONES 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

at Heidelberg West Jones South Jones at Newton Kemper County Raleigh Newton County* West Lauderdale* at Northeast Lauderdale* at Quitman* at Laurel*

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

CLASS 3A WEST MARION 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

Dexter at East Marion Lumberton at Columbia at Wesson at Pass Christian* at Collins* Perry Central* at Sumrall* Seminary* St. Patrick*

COLLINS 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

at Mount Olive Bassfield at Taylorsville at Mendenhall St. Patrick* at Sumrall* West Marion* at Pass Christian* Richland at Perry Central* Seminary*

SEMINARY 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

at Bassfield South Jones North Forrest Wesson Sumrall* at Taylorsville Pass Christian* at St. Patrick* Perry Central* at West Marion* at Collins*

PERRY CENTRAL 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

at Greene County Columbia at Pearl River Central East Central Pass Christian* at St. Patrick* Lumberton at West Marion* at Seminary* Collins* Sumrall*

The Lamar Times

PRENTISS 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

Richland at Taylorsville at Bassfield Lawrence County East Marion at Mize at Hazlehurst* Crystal Springs* at Jefferson County* Franklin County* Wilkinson County*

EAST MARION 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

South Pike West Marion Columbia at Jefferson County at Prentiss at Bassfield* Lumberton* at North Forrest* at Raymond Richton*

RICHTON 08/19 08/25 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

at Heidelberg Academy Lake Wayne Academy at Loyd Star at Clarkdale Enterprise (Lincoln) at North Forrest* at West Lincoln Lumberton* Bassfield* at East Marion*

BASSFIELD CLASS 2A NORTH FORREST 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 09/30 10/07 10/14 10/21

Purvis McLaurin at Seminary at St. Patrick Quitman at Bay Springs Richton* at Bassfield* East Marion* at Lumberton*

08/19 Seminary 08/26 at Collins 09/02 Prentiss 09/09 FCAHS 09/16 at Forest 09/23 Tylertown 09/30 East Marion* 10/07 North Forrest* 10/14 at Taylorsville 10/21 at Richton* 10/28 at Lumberton*

CLASS 1A MOUNT OLIVE 08/19 Collins 08/26 at Mize 09/02 at Salem* 09/09 Bogue Chitto* 09/16 Hinds AHS* 09/23 at Stringer* 09/30 University Christian* 10/07 at Cathedral* 10/14 Resurrection* 10/28 at Dexter* 11/04 St. Aloysius*

INDEPENDENT COLUMBIA ACADEMY 08/19 at Prentiss Christian 08/26 Salem 09/02 at Presbyterian Christian 09/09 Bowling Green 09/16 at Silliman 09/23 Sylva-Bay 09/30 Wayne Academy 10/07 at Centreville 10/14 Brookhaven Acad.* 10/21 Trinity Episcopal* 10/28 at Adams Christian*

PRENTISS CHRISTIAN 08/19 08/26 09/02 09/09 09/16 09/23 10/07 10/14 10/21 10/28

Columbia Academy at Wilkinson Christian at Park Place* Sumrall at Newton Academy* Hillcrest Christian at Tallulah Ben’s Ford* at Heidelberg Academy* Porter’s Chapel*

Congratulations to the Oak Grove Warriors on bringing home the inaugural All-Sport Championship series.

The Warriors won the 2010-11 series by a 9-4 margin. The friendly competition continues this year. Which rival will secure the trophy this time around?

2nd ANNUAL OAK GROVE vs. PETAL ALL-SPORT CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: Throughout the season, Oak Grove and Petal will face each other in a myriad of different athletic venues. From football to basketball, girls softball to soccer, we’ll keep track of the winner of each and every varsity game between the two teams.

We’ll routinely publish the standings in The Lamar Times and The Petal News and on our website: PineBeltSPORTS.com. When the two teams square off for the last time next spring, we’ll crown a champion and present them with this massive travelling trophy. Then next fall, we’ll do it all over again.

PineBeltSPORTS.com THE PETAL NEWS | THE LAMAR TIMES The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

63

Lee Sigrest (So.) RB/LB

64

It’s not often that a freshman is ready to start on the offensive line, especially at a 6A school.

Patterson is not your typical freshman. At 6-foot2 and 270 pounds, the 13-year-old will start from Day 1 for the Panthers. “He’s got a chance to be a special football player one day,” head coach Steve Buckley said. “(He’s) got a bright future ahead of him, and I hope that future is kind of like now.”

The Bobcats have a 1,000-yard rusher coming back, as well as some experienced depth at tailback. But that doesn’t mean some younger runners haven’t already caught the eye of head coach Joey Hawkins. Sigrest is one. While he may not see a lot of playing time this year, the sophomore is on track to become a stalwart for PCS in the near future. “They’re extra-hard workers,” Hawkins said of an entire sophomore class that has impressed.

Johnathan McNair (Jr.), B/WR

Nathan Roseberry (Fr.) S/QB

The Warriors return a lot of good skill players this season, but McNair is biding his time. The junior earned some praise from the coaches in the spring, and a flashy jamboree performance is likely to stick with everyone who saw the versatile weapon. While his time may be limited this year, he will definitely be a part of Oak Grove’s plans going forward. “With the younger kids that have a very good talent level, it shows out pretty quick,” defensive coordinator Terry Underwood said.

The Tornadoes are overhauling a lot of their personnel this season, as graduation losses have opened up a lot of spots. One young player who has taken advantage of that opportunity is Roseberry, the only freshman on the varsity roster. He is likely to see a good deal of playing time this season at safety, and is very much in the QB mix moving forward. “He’s a young guy, but he’s got a lot of talent and he catches on fast,” head coach Perry Wheat said.

Clay Touchstone (So.), LB/RB

Jatarrin Clark (So.), RB/LB

Lucky for new head coach Shannon White, the Bobcats have a nice, young player to build around. Touchstone, a sophomore, was the team’s second-leading tackler as just a sophomore, and has already endeared himself to White in the offseason. “He’s a big, physical kid that runs well and has a great future,” White said.

This sophomore will tell you he does it all - even kick - and that’s not far from the truth. With running back depth depleted by graduation, Clark will be the second part of a one-two punch with returning leader Keshod Willis. Clark is a punishing runner with solid vision and could be a touchdown machine. “He has a lot of potential,” head coach Brian Ford said. “He could be somebody that’s really looked at down the road if he continues to work, improve and do the things he needs to do.”

PineBeltSPORTS.com’s FOOTBALL 2011

The Lamar Times