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oxfordcitizen.com
Volume 2 | Issue 93
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Inside 2 News
Sgt. David Sabin of the Oxford Police Department has served the community for the past 10 years.
7 News
PETRE THOMAS
Pam Swain of the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce has been the director of the Double Decker Spring Run for the past 14 years.
On the run
Lana Parrish named Della Davidson Teacher of the Year
15 Sports
Swain enjoys putting annual DD event together BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN
Ever since there has been a Double Decker Arts Festival, there has been a Double Decker Spring Run. For the past 14 years, including this one, Pam Swain has been in charge of the run. She has coordinated the race for the Ox-
ford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, garnered the sponsors and continued make the overall event better than the previous one. “It was a way for the chamber to get involved and to add another element to the festival,” Swain said of why it was created. “Baptist Hospital immediately came on board as
the title sponsor for the run. There was a natural fit there because of the health element of a run and they have been committed to the Double Decker spring run for 21 years as well.” There were less than 100 runners who participated in the race when it first started. This year, Swain had projec-
tions of over 1,500 people who will take part in the 10K and 5K races. “Oxford was not near the active community that it is now and throughout 21 years we have grown to what last year was almost 1,400 racers,” Swain said. “The last TURN TO RUN PAGE 3
Leadership, integrity, unity, passion, execution. All of these words, and more, defined the players on this year’s All-Citizen girls basketball team.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
It’s an honor serving residents for Sgt. Sabin BY JOHN DAVIS
ON THE BEAT
OXFORD CITIZEN
For the past decade, David Sabin has made his living in law enforcement. The Hattiesburg native has been with the Oxford Police Department since he was a senior at Ole Miss. Not long after he graduated in 2006, Sabin joined the force from a full-time standpoint. “I like the town and love the department. I saw where things were going with the department and I thought it would be a good place to stay,” Sabin said. “There was something unique about Oxford that I liked.” Sabin gained the rank of sergeant two years ago. He was on patrol for two years and then worked with the DUI unit for about five. That’s when he was able to apply to become a shift sergeant. There are four patrol shifts at the OPD, A, B, C and D. Two of them are on days, while the other two are at night. Each shift has a lieutenant and a sergeant who help supervise the officers. “I enjoy it. I feel like in the phase of my career it’s a
David Sabin good place for me,” Sabin said of his sergeant role. “I enjoy the work. I like being able to help all the guys on shift. I was right there where they are now. Being on the DUI unit really helped me get ready for everything. When you’re on that unit, you see all sorts of stuff. You get experience writing your own warrants for blood or search warrants. Working felony cases.” When an officer like Sabin works the DUI stops, they also deal with people who aren’t in the right frame of mind. “They’re either under the influence of narcotics or alcohol. You gain a better tolerance of being able to take more,” Sabin said. “People are going to yell and scream at you, especially when they’re under the influence
of something. It’s bad to say you get used to it so you’re able to take a lot more but it helps when you’re on the street. You get a higher tolerance for patience.” Working fatalities and DUI stops is something Sabin won’t forget. He has been involved in some slow moving chases. One night, a man on College Hill Road was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was naked climbing a tree. “And when the call came out, we were all thinking ‘No, that can’t be right,’” Sabin said. “A more recent call we got was a guy under the influence of methamphetamine. He called the department saying he was surrounded by armed clowns. He called 911 and he said that he was counting them. He said there were 17
JOHN DAVIS
Sgt. David Sabin of the Oxford Police Department has served the community for the past 10 years. clowns that were surrounding him and one had a gun to his head. We were thinking it was joke 911 call. He was adamant and he kept calling back. He said we needed to get out there. We got out there and he was under the influence. He had a gun and it was kind of a dangerous situation. For the
longest time, he was adamant that there were clowns there and we needed to save him.” There are ways for officers to tell if a person is under the influence of alcohol compared to narcotics. “If they’re under the influence of alcohol, they’re more sluggish and they have
slurred speech,” Sabin said. “Being around so many that have been under the influence of alcohol, you get used to that. Narcotics have a different affect. They display different symptoms. Someone who is under the influence of pills or downers, TURN TO SABIN PAGE 5
OXFORD CITIZEN
Oxford
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
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Double Decker Days
Run FROM PAGE 1
race that we managed on our own was right at 1,000 runners. That’s when we felt as an organization, as a committee of volunteers that did this race, we felt like at that point it had grown more than just a volunteer group could handle. And, the racing community expected the professional touch that we weren’t able to put on it. When you just facilitate one race per year, it’s hard to know all the little details that racers who participate in one once a month grow to expect.” Start 2 Finish out of Memphis was enlisted to help organize and offer those extras. Swain said the organization is the premiere health oriented management team that focuses on races. “It was a natural fit. From the very first year we worked with them, we saw an increase in numbers. Just the level that we brought our race up to at that point, the professionalism that was brought in, just blew not only our locals away but those that always participated,” Swain said. “We have racers that participate almost every single year. The elements that they brought allowed us to go to the next level and it was so important. The good thing about Start 2 Finish is they are ever evolving. They bring some new technology to the table that continues to bring our race the current level it should be and compared to other races in the country.” A better race means more people and more runners visiting Oxford from around the state, and country. Last year, there were 26 states represented in the race. Forty seven of the 82 counties in Mississippi were represented.
“We do know that about 50 to 55 percent are local, which is great. We do have a very active local community and we want this to be something they all come out for,” Swain said. “Then when you look and you think that 45 percent are coming from outside Lafayette County to participate, it’s pretty phenomenal. It absolutely impacts our hotels because they are coming in on Friday. Dining is impacted on Friday night but also on Saturday after the race. We feed them, but they stick around. A lot of the people are in town because of the festival but the great thing is they don’t just come to have fun at the festival, they plan to be a part of this race every single year. We know there is a special tie in for these travelers to not just be a part of this fantastic arts and music festival but to also get that morning started off right by running a 5 or 10K.” Children also have a fun run to take part in and many have parents that take part in the event. The race starts at 7:30 in the morning and until 10, Swain said it’s a continuous family event. “They’re finished with the race and the awards have been given out and it’s just a natural transition at that point to go to into the festival and have a great time,” Swain said. This year, the Double Decker run is part of the Ole Miss Inn Grand Prix, which is made up four local races. The first one was held this past month, and Swain said being a part of the series has made an impact in regards to registration. “When we were approached by Run Oxford to be considered as a part of the Inn at Ole Miss Grand Prix, we felt like it was a really good fit for us because we wanted to give
PETRE THOMAS
Pam Swain stays busy with the annual Double Decker Run, working months in advance to make sure everything is just right. Run Oxford a partner that has already been established in this community for success,” Swain said. “Their races are starting off very successful. They have some dedicated committee members that are trying to get their races out there and trying to get participation. We knew that our audience, at least the 55 percent, would probably want to participate in their three races. The focus for our race, to get them out as a family and get them into our community, it was a natural fit to be a whole series. It gets them moving all year long and Run Oxford has done just a tremendous job in promoting the series. When the Mighty Half and 5K took place, there were already 180 to 200 people that were signed up for the whole series. That means that many already signed up for our race and then on top of that, we’re promoting our race and that put our numbers at 3 or 400 from very early on.” The first 200 people that sign up for the Double Decker Run get a free tech shirt. Swain said last year was the first time that it was offered and it went over very well.
“It’s just an incentive to get people signed up early. Most races you get a free T-shirt. That’s nothing new but this is a Dri Fit and wicks off the sweat as they get out and do their daily training and running,” Swain said. “We still offer it past the first 200 as an add on purchase at a very low price.” Swain loves organizing the event, adding it was very much like her baby. “In 14 years, I have never missed a race. One year I had my own baby who was two weeks old and we were there that morning,” Swain said. “It is something I’m very passionate about. I couldn’t do it without my
volunteers. We have had people volunteer for this run for years, since the beginning. They are the lifeblood of keeping it going. We could not exist without our local people on the ground that week or that morning of making different things happen.” The number of volunteers needed to pull off the race is between 50 and 75. The amateur radio group at Ole Miss has partnered with the race for years and they are on the field that morning, at every intersection and every turn. There is a large base of volunteers at the start and finish line and everything
revolves around communication, Swain said. Lelsey Downs has been Swain's volunteer chair for 10 years and couldn't do the run without her. “We know everything that is going on along the way and that way we avoid any problems or we know if anyone has been injured,” she said. “We have people that communicate that to us immediately so we can rectify any issue. Our race has become so common that we don’t find many people getting off course any more.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
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OBITUARIES RUTH HODGES KING Ruth Hodges King, 95, passed away Saturday, March 5, 2016, at Church Street Personal Care Home in Ecru. The funeral service was Tuesday, March 8 in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Rev. Robert Allen officiating. Burial followed in St. Peter’s Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Mrs. King’s memory may be made to First Baptist Church, 800 Van Buren Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655. ?For additional information or to sign an online guestbook, visit our website at www.wallerfuneralhome.com or call 662234-7971.
EARL CLINTON DOWNEY Earl Clinton Downey passed away on Sunday, March 6, 2016, following a courageous battle with cancer. Funeral services with military honors will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2016 at Welch Funeral Home in Longview, Texas. Interment will be Saturday, March 12 in the Camp Ground Cemetery in Lafayette County with Seven Oaks Funeral Home of Water Valley in charge of services. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps when he was 17 and a half and began flight training school. At the age of 19, he became a First Lieutenant and pilot of a B-24 bomber, was given a crew of 10, and was assigned to the 484th Bomb Group. He successfully completed 26 missions in WW II and was the first plane to return from the Mediterranean Theater. He received the Middle Eastern Theaters of Operations Ribbon, five Bronze stars, an Air Medal, and one Oak Leaf Cluster. In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made to M. D. Anderson Center, Houston, TX at www.mdanderson.org/how-you-can-help.
JAMES JEROME COOKE Dr. James Jerome Cooke passed away Sunday, March 6, 2016 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi. Cooke served in U.S. Army and, after training, he was assigned to the U.S. Army General Depot in Ingrandes-sur-Vienne, France. Cooke sought a commission in the United States Army and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in Military Intelligence as a Strategic Analyst. He commanded B Troop of the 108th Armored Calvary of the Mississippi Army National Guard for six years. He joined the Intelligence Section of the 155th Armored Brigade of the Mississippi Army National Guard, and commanded that section until he became the Executive Officer of the 2nd Battalion, 198th Armor Regiment, an M1 tank battalion Services were held at College Hill Presbyterian Church Wednesday, March 9. Rev. Justin McGuire officiated. Interment will be in the College Hill Cemetery. Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford is in charge of local arrangements. Memorials may be made to the VFW Post 3978, P.O. Box 2505, Oxford, MS 38655 or College Hill Presbyterian Church, 339 CR 102, Oxford, MS 38655.
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
Cannon offers tips, knowledge for turkey hunting BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN
When the weather starts to warm up, and the birds start to sing, Ronnie Cannon feels at home in the woods. The veteran turkey hunter has been chasing the large game birds around the forests of North Mississippi since the mid 1980s. He enjoys the thrill of calling up a gobbler. He also enjoys being around Mother Nature just as much. The spring turkey season is set to begin for adults this coming Tuesday. Youth can already enjoy the sport that involves walking from place to place as much as hunting. Turkey hunting is social. It’s about fellowship with the way it’s set up. Even though turkeys can hear long distances, there is greater chance to carry on a conversation compared to a number of other types of hunting. A more mild winter this year should make for a good turkey season. Birds like to gobble when there isn’t any frost around, and Cannon has already been out, listening for turkeys. He’s also gotten word in from others who have seen/heard some birds starting to strut. “By all reports, people through the course of the fall and winter have seen large flocks of turkeys. The people that have been out listening for turkeys have been hearing gobbling, more so than other years,” Cannon said. “Some have said they haven’t heard any but it’s still early spring. All indications point to this being an above average year. Last year we had unseasonably cool weather all the way into April and it just took longer. I think the normal amount of gobbling, on average, was down. It was sporadic. I know I went to two or three places and heard some gobbling and then there was a stretch where I went six or seven or eight days and I didn’t hear any gobbling. Then I went back and I heard four or five. Where did they go in that time? It was kind of tough last year.” Cannon said that turkey season can always be a challenge. But when the weather isn’t right, it’s even tougher to get a good bird to eat. “I always tell people that turkey hunting is good for you. It’s one of those things that I really enjoy. I think I enjoy seeing the earth change as much as anything,” he said. “From us go from one season to the next, to go from the dead of winter to see it all bloom up and the birds are singing like crazy. Beautiful sunrises, great weather, being out and experiencing something that God has made for us, it just blows me
COURTESY RONNIE CANNON
Ronnie Cannon, right, and his partner Butch Stanley show two large turkeys taken during past hunts.
Luke Stanley, left, and Caden Cannon have continued the turkey hunting tradition over the years and had success in the woods as well. away each year. I get overwhelmed. I think about all the people’s houses that I drive by early in the morning and they don’t have any lights on. These people don’t even realize what’s going on, this process of leavings coming on, bees flying around, flowers blooming. It’s amazing to me and the turkey hunting is just involved in that.” The season lasts 46 days and most of the hunters that Cannon knows, the ones that are really serious about turkey season, will be out 40 of those days. “If you’re like me and you have a job, you got to be to work by about 8:30, 9 o’clock at the latest. You kind of have to shift your schedule around to make that fit
in,” he said. “There are a lot of turkey hunters. We have the national forest here and you will see people from surrounding states and periodically you will see people from Ohio that come here to hunt.” Next week is spring break locally and Cannon said he couldn’t remember a season opening that same week. While any time is a good time to get into the woods, he said, having fewer people around should mean fewer hunters in the woods. “It’s something that is fun and exciting and something I have come to love. It’s right here where we live and we don’t have to travel,” Cannon said. “There are a lot of people in a club and there
is a ton of corps of engineers land and public land. If guys get out and do their scouting, they can locate some turkeys.” Cannon owns and operates Hole-N-The-Hide Outfitters which is all geared towards archery. It’s actually the only locally owned archery-only store in the area. Cannon said hunting a turkey with a bow and arrow is very challenging. “I know a lot of people like to hunt in a blind. I don’t like a blind. Even if I hunt with a bow, I’m probably not going to use a blind,” Cannon said. “I’m kind of a run and gun guy. If you hear them gobble, you want to go to them and set up and try to get them to come to you. You don’t want a flock of turkeys coming up on you. If you get a bunch of eyes looking at you, it becomes extremely tough with your bow.” There are types of calls for sale at Cannon’s store. There is also apparel there to purchase and different choices of binoculars to use from a scouting standpoint. Cannon suggested that anyone who is just getting into turkey hunting to go with someone who has some experience. “You need a vest, you need friction calls. You need to learn to blow a mouth call, box call, a locator call. You may want to have decoys and the correct type of ammunition in your gun,” he said. “You want to have a particular type choke. All of this pertains to turkey hunting. There are a lot of shells and tubes for turkey hunting. There are a lot of guys that are every knowledgeable of that and if a guy has never participated in this, there is tons of information on the Internet. Really, to get with a guy that’s done it a while is the best because it can be very frustrating. That’s part of it. It’s also a very exciting time when you can carry on a conversation with them and they’re responding to your calling and they actually show up and you’re able to kill a bird.” When it comes time to eat a bird, Cannon said he stays away from deep frying. He likes to marinate his turkey and put them on the grill as a shish kabob. “Over the last couple of years, I’ve been cooking them up with broccoli and cauliflower and new potatoes and put them in with a little Italian dressing and smoke that and that’s been pretty tasty, too,” Cannon said. “Everybody likes to eat a turkey, from me right on down to the coyotes. It’s hard to keep enough turkey breast in your freezer.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
OXFORD CITIZEN
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
Sabin FROM PAGE 2
they’re going to be sluggish or display those signs but they’re not going to have the odor of intoxicating beverage on their breath. They’re not necessarily going to be stumbling around. Pupils will be dilated. There are different things you look for each thing whether it’s pills or say marijuana.” Sabin felt like the OPD unit was making a difference in regards to Ole Miss students and them driving drunk. He said having more taxis in town helped. “We still have a full-time DUI unit with two guys. Definitely putting out the awareness and raising the concern, we’re not having as many bad DUI wrecks as we used to,” Sabin said. “But they’re still there. I think the guys on the unit are doing a good job of putting a dent in that. The problem is still there but it’s not as bad as it used to be at night.” It’s been three years since Sabin worked on the DUI unit, but he still has people come up to him to thank him about the way he
treated them during an arrest. “I don’t try to make anything worse for them than it already is because it’s already a bad situation,” Sabin said. “If you want them to be nice to you and cooperate with you, it’s the golden rule of treating others as you would want to be treated. There will be people who come up to me when I’m on duty or off and ask if I remember them. They say I wrote them a DUI and just want to say thanks. They say that they realize what they did or that I made it easier on them than it could have been. That’s always good thing.” Another thing that Sabin does within the force is take part in the honor guard. It’s something he has done since he was hired. He has been in charge of the unit the past three years. There are 10 officers that are on the honor guard. “When I started, there were only four guys who were willing to do it all the time. We had to pull different guys from different areas, guys with military experience, when we had a funeral or asked to present colors,” Sabin said. “It
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started to grow and we got more people interested. When I took it over, I wanted to make a dedicated 10-man unit. That way if something comes up, we’re prepared. We started training at least once a month. When you go out there, you’re representing the department. “We’ve been asked to do military funerals, fallen officers funerals, a retiree that has passed on. We will different events for the university and the city. I really wanted to be a part of the funerals because that’s their last big event for that family in that person’s life and you want it done right,” Sabin continued. “That’s why I wanted to do monthly practices and have a dedicated group of guys that wanted to do it. We got new uniforms and nice dress coats this past year, so I’m excited where it’s going. We’re getting more calls and people asking for the services. We’ve been doing the colors for the university for their Fourth of July every year and now they’re asking us to do basketball games. That’s exciting.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
5005 Cliff Gookin Blvd. Tupelo, MS 662-844-0308
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www.4seasonsequipmentcompany.com
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THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
Oxford's Yoste enjoys going to bat for Kasich BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN
A navy blue blazer and a tie with red and blue in it completed the look for Geoffrey Yoste. Sitting out in front of the Union, with an Ole Miss sign in the background, Yoste went to bat for the candidate that he has been supporting in the race to become to the new president. Yoste is the chairman of the Lafayette County Executive Committee and more importantly, he is the chairman of the First Congressional District for John Kasich for President. The Ohio governor came into Tuesday's Mississippi primary behind the likes of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz on the Republican ticket, but with voting in Ohio less than a week away, some felt that Kasich was in the position to make some noise. Yoste appeared live on MSNBC with Chris Jansing, the Senior White House Correspondent for NBC News Monday to talk about Kasich's positives.
JOHN DAVIS
Oxford's Geoffrey Yoste is interviewed by MSNBC's with Chris Jansing Monday in front of the Union at Ole Miss. Yoste spoke highly in favor of GOP candidate John Kasich and his run to become President of the United States in 2017. “It's not quite as good as leading an Oxford Charger pep rally, but it's close,” Yoste said of his time on the tube, with a smile. “Being live on the set in the Grove is really neat. It's a national
news station. I care deeply about Gov. Kasich who I am supporting, but to be here at Ole Miss, in the Grove, that was pretty cool. I think (Jansing) liked that I ended the interview with a Hotty
Toddy. She didn't see that one coming. I didn't give her a Fins Up. I thought that might scare her. It was a neat opportunity.” Not long after Yoste graduated from Ole Miss in 1988, he worked on Trent Lott's campaign down on the Gulf Coast. Lott won election to the U.S. Senate and Yoste went to work for him. “He was a dynamic freshman senator but he would often get frustrated with senate rules and he would always say 'Back in the House, back in the House,'” Yoste recalled. “It made you pay attention to the House members he was close to. They would come over and have policy discussions and John Kasich was one of those guys. Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheney and Trent Lott. Those guys continued to work together even though some of them were in the House.” The admiration for Kasich grew from that point for Yoste, who remembers the former congressman coming to campaign in Mississippi in 1995. “I got to meet him and he wrote a book and I have read the book. I've been a long-time admirer because he is one of those guys that sets out do do something and he does it,” Yoste said. “To balance the budget in the federal government, twice, that's almost unheard of. It was a different era. Newt was the Speaker and
he was the chairman of the budget. Senator Lott was the Majority Leader. And before that, they had Pete Domenici who was the Senate budget chair and they made it work under Bill Clinton. That's one of the thing that's getting lost here and that is you actually have to have somebody that can fix the cest pool in Washington and start getting along. Kasich is a get-along guy. He is a man of conviction, but he doesn't have to play poke it in your eye. That's not like him.” During the interview, Yoste said he felt Trump had hit his peak from a popularity standpoint with those that are for him. “But I don't think he's reached his high point on people that are unfavorable towards him,” Yoste said. “He is clearly not electable against Hillary Clinton. And if he goes one-on-one against Kasich, (Mario) Rubio or Cruz, I think he loses. Not in every state, but nationally. I just think that are some people that like him, and a lot of people that don't like him.” Ohio is a must win for Kasich. Yoste agreed adding that if he doesn't win his home state “we pack our stuff in a duffel bag and go home.” “That's on the record. We will do well in Michigan and I think we will do better than expected (in Mississippi) and I think we do a lit-
tle something in Idaho,” Yoste said. “Then it sets up for March 15 and then you've got the Big Ten going on. You've got Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois. He's going to play better across the Midwest, across the heartland if you will.” Mississippi is a very red state, but Lafayette County is more purple, especially in Oxford, Yoste said. “To be successful in Oxford politics, you can't put too much emphasis on party and you have to put more on solutions and working to get things done. John Kasich is that kind of guy,” Yoste said. “He has said clearly that he is an American first and a Republican second. He is certainly not bombastic, which is the problem that we have in Washington and some can say that we have a problem with a little bit in Jackson, too.” As for Kasich's style, Yoste pointed out that he was a man who could make policy, without drawing attention to the things he has done. “I would say that John Kasich is pro life, he is pro second amendment and he just funded a bill to do Planned Parenthood. That's fairly conservative. Is he going to be screaming and hollering about things? No, that's just not his style,” Yoste said. “He's a dad like me. He has two teenage girls. He's a busy guy and he has great understanding of people. He's very compassionate guy which is very, very important. Sometimes I think that gets lost on the electorate. It's something I got in the Army, it's not my own but I adopted it, and that is people that follow you don't care how much you know until they know that you care. I assure you that John Kasich cares more about the citizens of America and it's not just his agenda. He knows how to balance a budget and create jobs and he knows that Washington is not going to solve all of our problems. He has repeatedly said at the local level that people need to get things done. If you have have a problem with the school district, run for school board. Don't sit on the sidelines, get in the fight.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
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THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
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Lana Parrish named Della Davidson Teacher of the Year BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
Lana Parrish has been named Della Davidson Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year. A native of Red Bay, Alabama, Parrish has been with Della Davidson since she graduated from the University of Mississippi eight years ago. She teaches fourth grade math and science. Though she could think of no other place she would rather be, she said, Parrish never saw herself as being an elementary school teacher. She originally attended Ole Miss with intentions of becoming a court reporter, a stenographer. As a teenager, she babysat for a woman that held that position and Parrish loved the idea of it. After realizing she wasn’t the fastest typer and that the program was being phased out of the university’s curriculum, she decided to try her hand at being a teacher. Her husband was studying secondary education and encouraged her to give it a try. She eventually agreed. “Since day one stepping into the classroom, I’ve enjoyed it,” Parrish said. “I can’t see myself doing anything else. I love being with the kids. I learn probably as much as they do from being in front of the class teaching. I learn what works, what doesn’t work, how to do things differently, things like that.” Majoring in general education and getting endorsements in early childhood education (grades k-6) as well as social studies and science (grades 7-12) allowed her to land her current position teaching math and
science. She says that she enjoys the math portion of her class in particular. “I love math,” she said. “With math, you’re going to get a concrete answer. There’s many different ways of getting to that answer, but I like knowing that this is our answer, this is what it’s gonna be. Maybe sometimes it’s a range, but it’s more concrete.” There are seven math teachers that work alongside Parrish. She said that working with these teachers is one of her favorite parts of the job. They all work together and help each other out when needed. Parrish said that each teacher has a different area of expertise. One is the computer person, one is better than everyone else at formatting and presenting test material, one is better at reviewing new curriculum and figuring out how to best present the information to the classes. The list goes on. Everyone has something significant to offer in terms of making sure students are served to the best of everyone’s ability. Parrish said that it is this aspect of working at Della Davidson that she enjoys most. She described the school as a precisely constructed machine, each teacher a part and each part vital to keep the machine running. Laurie Beth Ellis, a fourth grade Insights teacher at the school, voted for Parrish’s nomination for Teacher of the Year. Parrish said she voted for Ellis. The two kept insisting the other was the superior teacher until Ellis was asked why she liked Parrish and why she voted for her. “What do I not like
CHANING GREEN;
Della Davidson Teacher of the Year Lana Parrish stands outside of her fourth grade classroom where she teaches math and science. about her would be the question, because I like everything about her,” Ellis said. “She is so dedicated to her students and wants every single one of them to succeed. She will go to whatever length it takes to make sure they do. She puts their needs first before anything else. She’s one of the hardest working people in this school.” Parrish said that she would be sure to provide a similar review of Ellis’s teaching when Ellis is elected Teacher of the Year next year. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen
We want to hear from you Let us know how we’re doing. Call us at (662) 801-9607, write to us at P.O. Box 1176, Oxford, MS 38655, email us at mail@oxfordcitizen.com or visit us online at oxfordcitizen.com.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
Local band, Delta Springs to perform at Double Decker BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
Local band Delta Springs will be playing at this year’s Double Decker Arts Festival at 11:30 a.m. on April 23. The band is composed of four members. Will Smith, lead guitar and vocals, and Sam Stevens, lead vocals and rhythm guitar, are from Crystal Springs. Watson Turnipseed, drums, is from Somner, in the Delta. Patrick Mink grew up in Oxford and graduated from high school in Jackson. The name of the band was a suggestion from a fan at their first show, combining the hometown origins of threefourths of the band. Smith, Stevens and Turnipseed attended the same summer camp as children. They all roomed in the same cabin together. The three of them found each other again, nearly 10 years later during their freshman year at Ole Miss. Patrick Mink was now a part of the group, and after they had a couple jam sessions together, the quartet began writing music. That year, they landed their first gig as a band. That was two years ago. Last summer the band cut their first record, an EP titled “Greener Things.” “Definitely rock and roll, but there’s a little bit of punk in it with a little bit of blues,” Turnipseed said when asked to describe the band’s style. “Really, really loud guitars, well rounded bass lines while I’m back there slammin’ on the drums. It’s just really energetic.” Though not entirely inaccu-
COURTESY OF DELTA SPRINGS;
Delta Springs, left to right, Patrick Mink (bass), Sam Stevens (lead vocals/guitar),Watson Turnipseed (drums) and Will Smith (lead guitar/vocals). rate, Turnipseed’s characterization of his music leaves a bit out. Delta Springs has a strong grunge influence in their sound, even if they don’t realize it. There is a mix of thrown to-
gether guitar riffs and carefully planned out musical progressions in every song on their EP. Songs on the EP tend to begin with a guitar melody. After a few measures, the rest of the band
comes in at full force, usually lead by drums, then followed by vocals that come in and out. The only song on the EP that doesn’t follow this formula is the first track titled “Cheese.” That song
begins with drums, then guitar, then band at full force. Guitar and drums have switched places. Though undeniably formulaic, the EP isn’t an unpleasant one. The last track “Runaway” opens with a siren and steady guitar strums. When the bass and drums come in and the siren drops, the sound becomes a psychedelic one led by electric guitar riffs that call back to a different time. The song is later punctuated by steady bass drum kicks and rampant guitar solos. The music on this track, as with most on this record, is not a backup to the vocals but a necessary companion, the two driving each other along through tempo changes and pleasantly outdated vocals. In nearly every song on the EP, Stevens’s performance as lead vocalist cannot be nailed down to just one description. It is in his voice where the most punk aspect of the band can be heard. The way Stevens’s voice interacts with the guitar and bass bring out the touch of blues that Turnipseed referred to earlier. Though he was really proud of their work on the EP, Turnipseed said that Delta Springs is best heard live. They like to make every show a party. Double Decker will be the largest event the band has preformed at to date. They have played in front of five or 6,000 college students at frat parties, but, Turnipseed explained, the two are not really the same thing. “I hope all of our fans will be willing to be up by 11:30 after that Friday night,” he said. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen
Comprehensive Plan for county continues to move forward BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN
Continued steps towards creating a comprehensive plan for Lafayette County residents were officially taken earlier this week by the board of supervisors. Two committees, made up of residents from each of the five districts as well as two supervisors, was approved. There will be a Steering Committee/Land Use & Policy Group as well as a Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Facilities/Services Group. Supervisors Chad McLarty and Mike Roberts will be involved with the
transportation group along with Will Matthews, Jimmy Allgood, Timothy Gordon, Candy Williams and Jason Kent. Engineer David Daniels will serve with the group, while others include Wes Anderson from the fire department, Major John Hill of the sheriff’s department, superintendent Adam Pugh will represent the school district, while Dick Marchbanks, a member of the planning commission, and Corey Alger round out that specific committee. President Jeff Busby and Kevin Frye are the two supervisors on the land use group. They will be joined
by Eli Gross, Jolee Hussey, Elizabeth “Betsy” Johnson, John McCurdy and Jason Clark. TJ Ray will represent the planning commission. Jon Maynard will represent the EDF. Jason Bailey, a member of the city board of aldermen, is also on the committee, while Perry Sansing is representing the University of Mississippi. James Milliner and Ben Requet are the two at-large members of that particular committee. Mike Slaughter, who was retained to create the comprehensive plan, updated the board following the announcement of the new committees. Slaughter had
already started to gather information from county department leaders and was looking to set up meetings with others in the coming weeks. Slaughter projected having the plan completed in August or September. There will be public input at a later dates, and the supervisors will be able to help in shaping the process and deciding what the county really needs once Slaughter is able to offer more information. In other matters from the first meeting of the month, the supervisors approved the hiring of Dustin Arbuckle as an assistant building inspector. Arbuckle was
chosen out of five candidates. He will be paid a wage of $16 per hour. He has five years of experience in general trades. * Approve a quote for striping County Road 251 at a cost of $21,014.88 from Riverside Asphalt and Paving. * A variance request was approved for two commercial lots in the Southpointe Subdivision, Phase 3. The variance will allow a portion of the drive and parking area to extend into the front and side buffer/setback and to allow a portion of the building to be constructed 10 feet into the western side of the buffer.
* A preliminary and final site plat was approved for the same lots. Another recommendation of commercial plat for Centerpointe East Interconnect, located on Hwy. 6, was also approved. * Three firefighters will attend the Mississippi Fire Chief’s and Firefighter’s Conference June 2-5 in Natchez. * The food service agreement from ABL Management for the Lafayette County Detention Center was continued for another year. John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
OXFORD CITIZEN
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
LHS students address school board about required graduation attire BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
When graduation comes in May, students involved in extracurricular activities at Lafayette High School are hoping to add something extra to their attire. The dominating discussion of Monday’s school board meeting was about which students were allowed to wear cords during Lafayette’s yearly ceremony. As it currently stands, students can only wear cords to show their “academic achievement.” This excludes participation in school organizations and extracurriculars, even if they require graded classes. About 10 students showed up to the school board meeting held in the small conference room in the administration building on Lafayette’s campus. Edith Kent, a senior, is the student council president at Lafayette High School. She led the discussion. There were representatives from the band, ROTC, FFA and some students that were involved in multiple school-related organizations. Several parents accompanied them. The students’ main argument laid in the fact that the school’s pol-
icy reads “students will be awarded cords that distinguish academic achievements,” excluding clubs and organizations. Many of those clubs and organizations are issued graduation cords by their national and regional offices. LHS students are still able to receive them but are not allowed to incorporate them into their graduation attire. Kent’s argument was that these programs required classwork. Students must take classes in band, FFA, ROTC, etc., and those classes are graded. While succeeding in an organization like FFA might not be considered an academic achievement, it is an achievement nonetheless, Kent argued, and required some degree of academic rigor. And Lafayette’s FFA does succeed. The school’s chapter of the organization is the top one in the state, according to the students and parents present at the school board meeting. School board member Bob Colston voiced his concerns over the students’ request. While acknowledging that he appreciated the work and achievements of these student organizations, he is concerned that if more students were allowed to wear cords, it would take away from the achievements
of the student who received the cords due to their academic scores. “Let me ask you something,” Colston said to Kent. “Is there any other way that you could distinguish yourselves? Academic requirements, academic achievements, that’s the culmination of 12 years of hard work. I don’t think you can equate anything else with academic achievement. If everybody is wearing a cord, it lessens theirs. They are acknowledged probably less than anyone in the school system. You’ve got 4,000 people cheering at a football game, but how many people are cheering somebody’s 28 or 30 on the ACT?” One of the parents chimed in and said that they, the students, are not asking for any sort of recognition during the commencement ceremony, just the freedom to be able to wear their issued cords over their robes. The cords come in a variety of colors depending on which organization is being represented. The board thanked the students for voicing their concerns and would take them “under advisement.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen
PAGE 9
Phi Kappa Alpha raises $15,000 for charity BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
The last week of February, the Gamma Iota chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha at the University of Mississippi raised $15,000 in a philanthropy event that will allow approximately 33 special needs individuals to a weeklong summer camp session at Camp Bratton-Green in Canton, Mississippi. Every year, the fraternity, colloquially referred to as Pike, holds a Powderpuff football tournament. All 11 sororities at Ole Miss participate in the flag football tournament. Winning the most football games does not automatically determine whether or not a sorority won the fundraising campaign. The overall winner is determined by how many points they manage to raise. Points are given out by how much money each team raises by selling t-shirts and having people donate to the GoFundMe page that Pike has set up for the event. Additional points are awarded depending on how well a team performs in the tournament. Each sorority pays a $500 fee to participate in the game. As incentive to participate, the winner of
the entire event is given $2,000 toward their philanthropy fund. The money that Pike raised during the event goes directly to the Demascus Endowment. The faith-based endowment based in Jackson and affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. It costs about $450 to send a single camper to a weeklong Special Session at Camp Bratton-Green. The money goes towards housing, food, activities and all the other numerous costs it takes to keep a summer camp up and running. Thirty-three campers of all ages with mental and/or physical disabilities will be able to attend the camp because of the money Pike raised during the Powderpuff game. Chloe Sumrall is the founder of an organization called Enable America and serves as the CEO of the Mississippi chapter. Sumrall’s organization has partnered with Pike to help determine where their philanthropy dollars would be used. The groups have been collaborating since this past fall. Last semester the fraternity held a fundraiser to provide a girl with a therapy dog. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen
OXFORD CITIZEN
PAGE 10
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
Willie and Barry: Back on the shelves rived in 1980 and Barry in 1982. Though different as bourbon and water, the two lived and Jim Dees wrote here and gave locals an up close look at the writing life. Tales of the Town This included driving clunker automobiles, worry with debt, need of dental work. Both were prolific; Willie wrote four books new biography of the late author Willie Morris in Oxford in ten years; Barry was published this week published eight novels and four collections of short stories durby University Press of ing his almost 30 years in town. Mississippi. Willie: The Life of Oxford’s reputation as a Willie Morris by Teresa Nicholas, is adorned with a pic- writer’s town had to start somewhere. William Faulkner is the ture of a young Willie on the Big Kahuna of course, but he cover, the Rhodes Scholar before the prank phone calls, late passed in 1962. Willie filled the night shenanigans, and the tri- void upon his arrival as did Barry. Of the two, Willie was umph and tumult of his long much more the night owl, seen and celebrated literary career. out and about town, closing The Willie book joins the redown the Warehouse and headcently published, Conversations with Barry Hannah edited ing to the Hoka at midnight with paper bag whiskey. by Oxford’s Jimmy Thomas, As one of several Hoka emalso by the University Press, as a double reminder of these two ployees, we always enjoyed welcoming Willie. He was usugreats who once called Oxford ally in good spirits as he pulled home. up a stool to the counter. In the Before John Grisham moved early days he would be accomhere in 1990 and long before the two-dozen or so published panied by his aged black lab, Oxford authors here now, there Pete, who would curl up at his feet. He would hang while we was Willie and Barry. Willie ar-
A
Willie would hold forth on the latest campus atrocity by Gerald Turner, or a great Rebel win, or the latest book by his friend Bill Styron, or an old memory from his past. When Willie let out the Rebel Yell: “YEEEEEEHAAAAAAA!!” it was pretty much on. Luckily this was prerecession, when a man could still sleep in. Willie came to Oxford as many do, looking to reinvent himself, on the rebound following a divorce and his forced resignation as editor of Harper’s Magazine. I remember very well the day I met him. Hoka owner Ronzo Shapiro called me to the Gin one afterCOURTESY noon at Happy Hour and soon "To see Willie and Barry peering after I arrived, Willie walked in. back from the shelves starts the Ronzo introduced us and we sat at the bar for a couple of memories churning..." hours. I had just finished readclosed up, cleaned up and shut ing the war novel, “Whistle” by James Jones (“From Here to the place down for the night, Eternity”). Jones had actually usually around 1:30 or 2 am. died before finishing “Whistle.” “Would you like to come In the weeks before his death, over?” Willie would ask on his way home. Often we did. Many, he made notes of the book’s ending and personally asked many nights we would have a wee hours’ night cap at his Fac- Willie to finish the novel for him. Willie did and the book ulty Row bungalow where
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went on to become a national bestseller. So strong was their friendship (and finishing your friend’s novel after he dies is pretty strong) that Willie wrote a memoir called, “James Jones: A Friendship.” To walk in Square Books this week and see Willie and Barry peering back from the shelves is a welcome sight, one that starts the memories churning. I can see Barry pulled up to a red light astride his motorcycle, a black pith helmet, heavy metal T-shirt, smoking a cigarette with his oxygen tank strapped on like a back pack. Chewing gum as he waves. I can see Willie at the head table of 12 diners, making notes. Later, when he gives the evening’s toast, he will have a heartfelt story about each person at the table that he will deliver flawlessly. The Barry and Willie books remind us why those two were so revered here in Oxford. They got the work done and made time for play too. They both loved dogs. Their rich, deep prose will abide the years. They made us proud.
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OXFORD CITIZEN
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
PAGE 11
903 Maplewood Cove
S AT U R D AY March 12, 2016
WOODLAWN - Spacious house in a great neighborhood. 3BD/2.5BA, kitchen features island to sit around & room for a table. Porcelain tile floors mimic hardwood but easier to clean. Extra room could be an office, playroom, art studio, den or great room. Patio & large yard- great for entertaining. Must see! MLS#135498 $240,000 Hosted By: Eileen Saunders 662.404.0816
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DIRECTIONS: From W. Jackson turn North onto W. Oxford Loop. Turn left onto Anderson Road then right to Maplewood Rd. Maplewood Cove is on the left and house is at the end of the cul-de-sac.
OXFORD CITIZEN
PAGE 12
Blake Thompson
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
Thaddeus Hooper
Cell: 662.801.7014 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: blake@tmhomes.com
Cell: 601.934.0572 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: thaddeus@tmhomes.com
131 Country View Lane $144,000
Weesie Biedenharn
COUNTRY VIEW VILLAGE This is a primo investment opportunity. Three bedrooms upstairs with a full bath and one & a half bathrooms downstairs. Open floor plan in the downstairs. Just a few minutes from the shops and restaurants of Jackson Avenue as well as the University campus. FNC Park is very near as well. Call today to view your next investment! MLS#135383 Call Blake Thompson - 662-801-7014.
Melinda Wells
Cell: 662.638.5332 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: weesie@tmhomes.com
Cell: 662.829.9536 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: melinda@tmhomes.com
1615 Grand Oaks Blvd. $326,500
GRAND OAKS – ON GOLF COURSE This 4BD/3BA home settled on the 6th hole on the prestigious Grand Oaks golf course could not be more picturesque! It has been completely renovated from top to bottom with all of the best finishes. The granite & marble countertops throughout & highend stainless appliances are only the beginning! The open concept living in this low-maintenance home is perfect for entertaining! MLS#135475 Call Sadie Smith- 662-678-3033.
Caroline Felker
Martin Mesecke
Cell: 662.801.0878 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: caroline@tmhomes.com www.youroxfordhome.com
Tupelo/Oxford Cell: 662.771.1155 Office: 662.842.3844 Email: martin@tmhomes.com 210 E. Main St., Tupelo, MS 38804 326 Winners Circle $399,900
Amanda Wymer
STEEPLECHASE The lot sits on top of a hill on a wooded lot in a private area. The home features granite countertops, walk in closets, stainless steel appliances, tall ceilings, and a concrete driveway. The majority of the living space is on the ground floor with a bonus room located on upper floor. The professionally landscaped property features an outdoor wood burning fireplace that will truly make you feel at home. MLS#133892 Call Martin Mesecke – 662-715-1111
Kaye Ladd
Broker, Trainer and Recruiter Cell: 662.891.5837 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: kaye@tmhomes.com
Oxford Cell: 662.832.7685 Office: 662.842.3844 Email: realtybyamanda@gmail.com 234 Birch Tree Loop
$189,500
YOCONA RIDGE Are you ready for a great home located in one of South Oxford's most popular neighborhoods? At nearly 1800 sf, this cute 3 BD/2 BA home is move in ready. The generous space allows you room to move about plus a large bonus room upstairs. Expansive back yard with a kid's playset. Lafayette Co Schools. MLS# 135374 Call Blake Thompson – 662-801-7014.
OXFORD CITIZEN
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
PAGE 13
Nicole Cain Wright
Cell: 662.617.5744 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: nicolec@tmhomes.com
308 West Veterans Ave. $110,000
CALHOUN CITY – Great 3B/2BA starter home on a corner lot with mature shade trees. Spacious rooms and hardwood floors in all bedrooms. 2 car carport. Partial basement with additional crawlspace. MLS#135328 Call Nicole Cain Wright – 662-617-5744.
40 CR 409
$182,500
CALHOUN CITY - Beautiful 3BD/2.5BA, traditional ranch home located on a huge 2 acre lot. Extensive mature trees & landscaping. 2 car attached garage & amazing bonus area in a detached 20 x 30 building that is heated & cooled. Bonus area makes a great play area for the kids or a heated shop/studio. MLS#135467. Call Nicole Cain Wright – 662-617-5744.
1615 University
$995,000
Land/Commercial - Prime Location in Oxford! Seconds from square, developers dream location. Corner lot on University and S 17th St. MLS#135000 Call Chanda Cossitt- 662-871-7222.
Paula Crum
Polina Wheeler
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149 Northpointe Dr. $269,500
Cole Hoover
NORTHPOINTE Perfect! Bright and Uplifting! 4BD/2.5BA brick home in one of Oxford’s finest areas. Meticulously cared for, with several sophisticated upgrades. Very private professionally landscaped backyard overlooking a pond with ducks for serene pastime or tasteful entertaining. Great floor plan. Spacious walk-in closets. Beautiful view out of every window. Granite tile kitchen countertops. MLS#135528. Call Polina Wheeler – 662-401-4632.
Danny Flowers
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Cell: 901.387.9910 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: cole@tmhomes.com
Hwy 6 West
$2,033,000
Oxford - This property is made up of 9 parcels for a total of approximately 75 acres. Good highway frontage. Oxford City Schools. Call today for more information. MLS#135269 Call Danny Flowers – 662-816-7294.
Eileen Saunders
Cell: 662.404.0816 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: eileen@tmhomes.com
245 CR 164
$150,000
Oxford - Wooded rolling hills with 10 year to mature timber. Road frontage on two sides, former home site, with some county utilities present. Possible development or single family home site. Great for hunting, or view the great outdoors from your own front porch. Your own piece of country living just 15 minutes from Oxford. MLS#134943 Call Eileen Saunders – 662-404-0816.
321 Windsor Dr
$259,000
Windsor Falls - Move-in ready. Beautiful house with east facing sun room. Granite countertops, tall ceilings. Popular floor plan. Neighborhood pool access for extra $300/year. Fenced yard. MLS#135336 Call Eileen Saunders – 662-404-0816.
903 Maplewood Cove
$240,000
WOODLAWN - Spacious house in a great neighborhood. 3BD/2.5BA, kitchen features island to sit around & room for a table. Porcelain tile floors mimic hardwood but easier to clean. Extra room could be an office, playroom, art studio, den or great room. Patio & large yard- great for entertaining. MLS#135498. Call Eileen Saunders- 662-404-0816.
PAGE 14
OXFORD CITIZEN
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
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THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
PAGE 15
John Davis Sports Editor
Weathered Rebels definitely look the part so far
A
week or two into the baseball season may have been a little too early to know if the Ole Miss Rebels were going to be a better team than they were in 2015. Now that a few more weeks have gone off the calendar, and one fifth of the season is over, it’s a little easier to say that the Rebels of 2016 are better, even if it is still a little early to know if they are going to be a great team. All through the fall, the Rebels said they were a closer bunch. They said the seniors got along better with the freshmen and that everyone was bonded. Well, if you base it on results, the Rebels aren’t ranked No. 13 in the nation for nothing. They beat Louisville two of three games and then swept their first weekend away from Oxford. All of that has given Ole Miss fans baseball fever, or better put, brought the fever out a little earlier than in some past years. Chemistry and leadership are things that Bianco usually judges at the end of a season. He doesn’t like to talk too much about those type of intangibles in the fall or even in the first part of the year. But he did think that the team was closer, and that everyone got along better. “You find out more about the team’s chemistry and character and the leadership when you hit adversity,” Bianco said. “There isn’t adversity in the fall. It’s usually judged later. It looks good but usually everyone is happy. We’ll see how the season progresses. If you ask me what do I think about this team, I think it adds up when you look at all the older guys, the guys that have been here like (Errol) Robinson and (Colby) Bortles and (JB) Woodman and (Brady) Bramlett. There are a lot of different personalities but it’s guys that have been here a while. “It’s reminiscent of the 2014 team that was like that with guys like (Austin) Anderson and (Will) Allen, guys that have been in the program for two and three years. And in 2009 when we had older guys like Matt Smith. I think when you’re older, I think it’s easier to find that more cohesive group than when you’re young and everyone is trying to figure it out.” Ole Miss has gone from a team filled with guys not knowing their role to having several players who not only know their TURN TO REBELS PAGE 17
PETRE THOMAS
This year's All-Citizen girls basketball team includes, clockwise from right, Oxford's Kyla Malone, Lafayette's Shaniyah Buford, Oxford's Emma Schultz, Lafayette's Shelbi Buford, Oxford's Aliyah Herod and Lafayette's Orianna Shaw.
All-Citizen girls basketball Special group paces special season for OHS, LHS BY JOHN DAVIS
LADY CHARGERS
SPORTS EDITOR
Coach Cliff Ormon couldn’t have asked for a better first season after arriving from Ripley. His three seniors were instrumental in the success the team had during the regular season, and in the Class 5A playoffs. “All three have different qualities that they have as far as basketball. They have different talents like Aliyah has a jump shot and can handle the ball and can create for others,” Ormon said. “Emma, I would say, is the type of player that can do a lot of different things. She can handle the basketball. She is a good passer and a defensive specialist. She also takes charges. Kyla has some of the best moves I’ve seen from a high school post player. She can get the ball inside and she knows the game. She is able to pass out of a double team when teams try to take her away. She was also our leading rebounder by far. All three brought different qualities as far as to the basketball floor. The good thing about all three is the character they have, the work they put in and they love basketball.” Ormon didn’t have to worry about the trio coming to work at practice.
Leadership, integrity, unity, passion, execution. All of these words, and more, defined the players on this year’s All-Citizen girls basketball team. Lafayette’s Lady Commodores and Oxford’s Lady Chargers made it all the way to Jackson this season to play in the MHSAA state tournament. It was a fantastic season for both teams, and the coaches that lead each school. The Lady Commodores and Lady Chargers may not have been able to avoid a loss once down at Jackson State, but the season, and the wins that led them there, will not be forgotten for a very long time. Oxford’s Aliyah Herod, Kyla Malone and Emma Schultz were the heart and soul of the Lady Chargers, who won 17 straight games and only lost one time during 2016. Lafayette’s Shaniyah Buford, Shelbi Buford and Orianna Shaw paced the Lady Commodores, on both sides of the floor. Lafayette won nine straight games en route to Jackson, and finished with 22 victories. Oxford had 25 wins, and both teams won its respective division tournament titles.
They sold other teammates on hard work, and it ended up rubbing off on a number of them. “It was fun to see. They sold their teammates on ‘Let’s go get it together,’” Ormon said. “It was a fun season to watch those three do that.” Malone is the player of the three that has come the furthest because she was coming off back-to-back seasons in which she tore her ACL. “She is the most improved because this is the first time that she has had to prove something. That’s what I kept telling her earlier in the year,” Ormon said. “For three seasons, it’s been ‘What if Kyla was healthy?’ This year, I don’t look what if you get hurt again? That’s not my mentality. It’s you are healthy, let’s go prove something. “As the season went on, she continued to progress as a ball player. No. 1, getting some conditioning and then No. 2, she believed that she was going to make it through the year,” Ormon continued. “She started to put it together. She was finishing plays and she was a difference maker all year, but towards the end, teams really had to TURN TO ALL-CITIZEN PAGE 21
OXFORD CITIZEN
PAGE 16
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
Crosstown battle Bianco's pitching, early offense keys No. 1 Chargers BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR
Drew Bianco is always up for a challenge. Even if it means him hitting the mound against one of the Chargers’ biggest rivals. Oxford’s sophomore infielder turned starting pitcher against Lafayette Tuesday night at W.V. Brewer Field. Coach Chris Baughman was looking to get three good innings out of Bianco. He ended up getting five in a 9-4 Oxford victory. Bianco felt like he filled up the strike zone pretty well, and that was his biggest goal when he took the mound to face the Commodores. “I wanted to locate good pitches and get outs,” said Bianco, adding he found out that he would start Monday. “I have been doing a lot of bullpens lately and Coach Baughman has been telling me to wait my time. I knew they were going to need
JOEY BRENT
Oxford's Drew Bianco won his first varsity start Tuesday night, Oxford's Duncan Graeber connects with a pitch that was caught by Lafayette in center field. a game the Chargers won 9-4 over Lafayette. me next year. I didn’t think I would pitch this much this year. It’s just good to finally be out there and pitch even though it’s not my main position.”
The last time Bianco actually started a game was when he was in eighth grade. “I did throw a couple of JV games, but I only threw
one inning and I was done. I threw two or three times,” Bianco said. “It was good to get back out there and have some fun. I was just throwing fastball
and curveballs most of the locate every pitch and night. I’m trying to throw a helps our team win as changeup, but I can’t find much as possible.” Lafayette coach Greg that right now. I feel like I’m a guy that throws strikes and knows how to TURN TO BASEBALL PAGE 18
Patton, Lady 'Dores defeat Oxford in softball BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR
Hope Patton was looking to have a good game at the plate. After not performing up to her standards over the weekend, the Lafayette senior busted loose against Oxford Tuesday night in an 11-1 win for the Lady Commodores. She was on base four times and she finished with three hits, and three runs scored. In the Tupelo Tournament, Patton said she just wasn’t really hitting really well, and went to work to change it. “I was working in the cage a lot and I got more comfortable at the plate. I knew what I was doing wrong and what I had to fix,” she said adding that she was pulling the ball away instead of following through during her swing. “I figured that out tonight. It showed out there. The first hit was in the air, so I knew I pulled off it a little, but it wasn’t as bad. Then I
PETE THOMAS
Lafayette shortstop Emily Robinson just misses a tag on Oxford's Amber Pettis (10) during Tuesday night's game. The Lady Commodores won 11-1. really got a hold of the next few.” Lafayette coach Katie Jenkins said Patton always has a high on-base percentage, that she consistently has positive appearances at the plate. “People don’t realize that she is as fast as she is. She is
going to find her way on base,” Jenkins said. “She’s smart on the bases, too. This was one of her better games. She started out strong hitting in the beginning of the season and then we went through a slump this past week. That’s what we were hoping tonight we be like for
all of them, a confidence booster.” The Lady Commodores may be on the verge of coming together after a choppy start to the season. Patton is one of the senior leaders, and she said everyone had TURN TO SOFTBALL PAGE 20
Oxford shortstop Kaytlon Pegues throws across the diamond to record an out.
OXFORD CITIZEN
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
PAGE 17
Rebels FROM PAGE 15
role, but can deliver with high expectations on their shoulders. “Besides Errol, who was playing shortstop but he was batting ninth, none of them were playing everyday as freshmen in 2014. Even JB didn’t play everyday. He was a Freshman All-American, but Will Jamison was out there and that was his safety net,” Bianco said. “Remember Errol’s safety net was Anderson. He could always run over there. Bortles didn’t really come on the scene until the end of the season. It was a much different role for them the next year when all of sudden, they were anointed. They were supposed to be the Andersons of the world. Not that they played poorly, but they had to take on this leadership role and there were some new faces out there. It was just different. I think it would be hard to look at last year’s team and expect Bortles and Woodman as sophomores to be like the BLUE SCORE
18
JOSH MCCOY/OLE MISS ATHLETICS
The Ole Miss baseball team is off to a great start this season and coach Mike Bianco feels like the team is more weathered this year compared to last. guys before them. It was unfair. I said that.” If the Rebels had been better than just a game over .500, then nobody would have said a thing, Bianco added. The chemistry and leadership just
makes more sense this season because of the amount of games and at bats the Rebels have. “And even though we only return a handful of pitchers, those guys have been here for a while and
For our sake. We could have been safe and left him in the bullpen. He took some starts and got beat up for us. So I think this team is a little more weathered than last year’s team.”
John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
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It’s rare that the seasons are perfect and magical, Bianco pointed out, so it was always better to have a team that was weathered rather than not. That way they can deal with just about anything that comes their way. “We talk all about the 2014 team, and it was great because of the way we ended up, but it was the same team that won on Friday night against the No. 1 team in the country at South Carolina and then gets swept the next couple of days,” Bianco said. “We lost to Mississippi State in the 10th with a two-run lead. We lost a couple of games to LSU where we could have beaten them two out of three. We got swept at Alabama, including a loss earlier that week at Southern Miss. It wasn’t 50 a and 16 team. It was a team had some tough times but it was weathered enough to handle it.” Just like this group of Rebels appears to be after four weeks under their belt.
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OXFORD CITIZEN
PAGE 18
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
Weisz has been a steady performer for OM Rebels BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR
It was a fantastic final week of the season for Ole Miss junior Alison Weisz. The rifle standout earned honorable mention honors in the Great America Rifle Conference. She also placed third in air rifle in the GARC Championships by recording a careerbest 595. She is now set to compete in the NCAA Championships this weekend in Akron, Ohio for the second time in her career. Not bad for the blonde from Belgrade, Montana who started her shooting career in competitive BB gun. “That sounds funny because most people just use a BB gun to plink cans. It was a gun safety program and there was a flyer at my school,” said Weisz, who has actually only hunted once in her life. “My dad actually didn’t trust me to go with all the boys. And he wasn’t a big game hunter himself. He did some bird hunting. He is from South Dakota. I was born in Rapid City and then we moved to Montana when I was 3.” Weisz, a self described “super tomboy” asked her parents if she could take part in the event. Her parents thought it would be a good way for her to learn some gun safety and when they walked down the stairs, there was targets to shoot. “We sat through classes and then they taught us how to shoot just like what we’re doing now but at a much lower level,” Weisz said. “Somebody came up to me, somebody I still talk to today, one of my mentors, and said that I
Baseball FROM PAGE 16
Lewis gave credit to Bianco for the way he pitched, especially early when he didn’t allow a run the first time through the batting order. “I’ve never seen him, but his curveball was tight. The thing he was doing was keeping the ball low. You really have to stay on that ball to drive it and if you hit it to this infield, they’re very good, they’re going to make the plays,” Lewis said. “He worked quick. As soon as the ball was in, he was ready to go. It took us a time to go through to figure him out.” Oxford, which scored two runs in the first and second innings to take an
JOSHUA MCCOY/OLE MISS ATHLETICS.
Ole Miss junior Alison Weisz is set to represent the team this weekend in the NCAA Championships in Akron, Ohio. was a natural and something I needed to stick to. And that I could go far with. I was only 9 years old.” Women shooters often turn
early lead, finished with 15 hits in the win. Thomas Dillard led the offense with three hits, while Jason Barber led Oxford with two RBIs. Oxford will be back in action this weekend against some of the nation’s best teams in Atlanta. Baughman said it was a chance for his team to see where they really are, and a reward for a lot of hard work and success. “We’re lucky to even be in the same breath as those kind of guys. It’s a testament to our team’s talent and we’re just going to go see what we can do, what we can show people,” Baughman said. “It’s not division play, but we want to go show people that we can play. I believe we can play with some of those teams out there.”
out to be very good at the sport because they take instruction so well. Weisz laughed about that, and added that men don’t realize that women can often shoot bet-
ter. She doesn’t have the best memory, but Weisz felt like shooting came naturally to her, just like her mentor said. “I don’t know what makes me pretty good because honestly, I don’t think I have good balance,” she said. “It is an escape for me. When you’re up there, it’s super calming.” Squeezing the trigger the way she does ultimately led Weisz to Oxford and Ole Miss on scholarship. She is from a small town like Oxford but the culture isn’t as close some might think. “It’s pretty different. The landscape is a lot different and then culture wise, the Southern hospitality thing was real when I came down here,” Weisz said. “There are plenty of nice people and obviously I love everyone up there and love everything up there, but down here, it’s just so welcoming. It’s as if you were from here the entire time.” Competitions that the Rebels take part in last all day, and Weisz said they can get exhausting. “People don’t realize that you’re in one position or just a couple of positions the entire time rather than moving and running,” she said. “It’s kneeling, prone and standing in the .22 rifle. Then it’s just standing in our air rifle. I’m more comfortable in standing. I like standing a lot more.” All the positions are done while wearing a heavy shooting suit. Weisz wasn’t sure why wearing a suit became a part of the sport but she did say that it was a form or support. “I think because we are in positions for so long, it really helps
keep your muscles and your body from fatiguing,” she said. There are questions when Weisz tells her fellow students that she is part of the rifle team. Some had no clue the Rebels even had a team, she said. “Other times people will be like ‘Oh, you go on the football field and twirl all the guns and stuff?’” Weisz said. “That always confuses me because Ole Miss doesn’t even had that in the band. So I don’t know why they even think that. So we always correct them. We tell them we actually shoot them and they are just amazed. They want to know what we shoot at. They don’t move but the 10 that you’re trying to hit is like a period at the end of a sentence.” For the record, Weisz is constantly challenged to shooting matches by the guys. She hasn’t taken part in any dares locally but back home, she used to tell people to come by practice. “They usually gained a lot of respect after that,” she smiled. “I don’t get hassled about it any more.” As for the season, Weisz said she felt “decent” about her performance heading into the GARC Championships. “I’m more hard on myself so I felt like this was a more mediocre, moderate year for me,” Weisz said. “I did hold with my averages most every single match. So you can’t complain too much. I would have like to have done a lot better, but it is what it is.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
POSITIVES GAINED Lewis felt playing the No. 1 Chargers was a good thing for his team. The Commodores never stopped fighting even after being down 4-0, which pleased him. “I thought we started swinging the bat better. I thought we came out nervous. I thought there were plays that we should have made to get off the field,” Lewis said. “We have to get a little bit better on the infield. I think we’re good in the outfield. In a week or two, I think we will have it ironed out a little bit. As long as they keep competing up there, we started making some plays, we just have to do that earlier.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
JOEY BRENT
Oxford's Grae Kessinger slides safely into third base as Lafyette's Will Cullen looks on.
OXFORD CITIZEN
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
PAGE 19
Leading the way Osias, seniors has Rebels rolling in 2016 BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR
Softball is all about pitching. A dominant pitcher can control the contest, and the better teams in the SEC all have aces. Or at least a good staff. Ole Miss is off to a 19-3 start, its best in school history, and senior Madi Osias has been a big reason for the Rebels’ success. She is 10-1 as a starter with an ERA of 2.11. She has 59 strikeouts in 59.2 innings pitched. She has been reliable, and a very good leader for coach Mike Smith. But to hear Osias talk, it’s all about the defense that plays behind her. As good as she has been, none of her success would be possible without her teammates. “As much as it might be a pitching game, for us this year, it’s been a defensive game. Our defense has been lights out,” said the Tustin, California native. “It’s not just our pitching staff. Our infield and outfield have made incredible plays behind me. Our middle infield, between Haley Culley and Hailey Lunderman, Grayce Majam, Ashton Lampton at third and Dakota Matiko at first, our starting outfield has been increible. Anyone who has been put in the game has done really, really well.” Nice complements to the defense should only help in the future for Osias, who has done a good job of keeping hitters off balance. “I think the way I’m peforming on the field is just a testament to our coaching staff and the pitches that Coach Taryne (Mowatt) calls,” Osias said. “What I’m doing on the mound is a testament to what she is calling and what my catcher is doing. We mix well and a lot of times we’re on the same page as far as what I want to throw and what she is calling. Everyone is really in sync and there hasn’t been a time where I didn’t agree with what to throw. We’ve been on the same page since day one, which is nice.” Mowatt felt like the success of the defense, and the pitching, has combined nicely. Pitches are called to attack a batter’s weakness. “When you call a certain pitch, you expect a hit or contact to go to a certain side of the field. I think our defense is done really well of staying on their toes and expecting the ball to get hit to them,” Mowatt said. “Very rarely
JOSH MCCOY/OLE MISS ATHLETICS
Ole Miss senior pitcher Madi Osias has been fantastic this season for the Rebels. She is 10-1 with a 52 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched. will you catch our defense off balance. You don’t get to really to sneak anything by them whether it’s a ground ball in the 5-6 hole or a bunt. On the flip side of that, our pitcher has to hit that location for them to be prepared.” Hitting spots is something all the pitchers have done well, Mowatt said. They have also done a good job of working off the plate when they are ahead in the count. This is the second year under Smith and Osias only has a smile on her face compared to last. “This year has gone phenomenal. It’s gone really well and everyone is really happy,” she said. “Granted everything is eas-
ier when you win, but we’re all in. We have all bought in to what the philsophy is here at Ole Miss and the new normal and just being a good teammate, day in and day out. I think that is really the priority, going hard everyday and being a good teammate.” Coming to the field, and having no regrets once a game is over, is the mindset of these new-look Rebels, who host No. 13 Missouri in Oxford for three games this weekend, weather permitting. Just a few years ago, Osias said softball was never the priority for the girls who played. It was more about getting an education and having a good experience. Wins,
or softball in general, was just a side effect, Osias said. “Everything on the field that happened was just awesome and great whether we won or not,” Osias said. “It wasn’t the focus of the team in previous years, so I definitely think that has changed. I think the girls that are younger than our senior class have come to understand that it is about softball and about changing the culture here and winning games here and being competitive in the SEC and playing hard and focusing on the task at hand.” The entire senior class has been important in the transition. They have gone through a roller
coaster of emotion the past four years and from what Mowatt has seen in her first year, things are headed in the right direction. “From what I hear, they have gone through those ups and downs and I think we’re riding high on that roller coaster and our seniors are really the ones that everyone is looking to,” Mowatt said. “They are the ones the biggest cheerleaders and they are the ones that are doing what it takes to be successful. They do it by example. It’s not like they are telling everyone to hustle. They are hustling and in turn, everyone else is following their lead.” Mowatt added that this is a “very interesting team” one that gets along with each other well. “They all have very individual personalities and they just get along really well and it’s not that type of getting along on the field where they are faking it,” she said. “They geniunely get along, whether it’s on the field or off or whether they play the same position. Like Madi said, we’re winning right now and everything is more fun when you’re winning but I think the friendships that they have are geniuune friendships.” Smith only had good things to say about his senior pitcher and what she has brought to the field in regards to turning the program around. “I think she has done that probably moreso this year than last year. I think last year was the one where they were trying to get to know what made Coach Smith tick,” he said. “I think it really took some things that happened in the program for her to understand what my expectations were. I really think that her success, and her failures last year, made her realize just how good she could be. “If herself and the rest of the team put in the effort, they saw the rewards for buying into the process and for getting one percent better everyday. Bringing grit, being that blue collar team that we’re about. We’re about the grind of everything,” Smith added. “We preach Teleo. That’s our word this year. It’s Greek and it basically means to bring it and finish to complete everyday. When they walk out of the indoor hitting facility, they see that everyday and it’s the qualities that we want our players to bring everday.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
OXFORD CITIZEN
PAGE 20
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
Confident Rebel Hamilton starting to hit his stride on court BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR
Confidence. That’s what Ole Miss sophomore Grey Hamilton has on his side as the No. 26 Rebels host LSU and Texas A&M to open the home slate of SEC matches. Hamilton, a sophomore from Southern Pines, North Carolina, won both of his singles matches last weekend when the Rebels played at Tennessee and Kentucky. Hamilton said he has been playing well in doubles with partner Fabian Fallert. The duo is 8-3 this season, including a 6-2 mark in dual matches. “We definitely clicked the first time we played together. I think we’ve been playing well the whole year. We called our shot early,” Hamilton said. “In singles, I was playing fairly well when we went to Texas for our first trip. I dropped a couple of close matches to very good players. I didn’t quite hit my stride until this weekend. I had been playing better in practice. I played alright at Tennessee but was able to play really well in the clutch moments. Sunday, I definitely had some confi-
Softball FROM PAGE 16
to get on the same page. That may happen this coming week when the team heads to play in a tournament in Walt Disney World. “We have a lot of young girls and four seniors to lead the team,” Patton said before talking about the trip. “Everyone comes together and gets along. We had a ball in the past. It’s so much better with the team and everyone when we come back.” Last year when the Lady Commodores visited Orange Beach, Alabama, Jenkins had to stress bonding before the trip on the front end. “This team we’ve done it a little more at practice with things, and they’ve kind of done it themselves. This team has bonded up closer than I expected them,” Jenk-
dence from winning at Tennessee and played really my best tennis. I have a lot of confidence moving forward and I think I can keep playing my best tennis. It’s good to catch your stride right when SEC starts.” As for the Rebels, who are 1-1 in SEC play, there is no place like being on the courts of Palmer/Salloum. Rain is forecast for the weekend, but having the home crowd, outside or in, is a big plus, Hamilton felt. “We feel like we’re a little more of a balanced team, a deeper team. We have a lot of energy and I think at home we can really use the crowd to help us beat some very good teams,” Hamilton said. “A&M is a top 5 team and LSU is top 30. We’ve got Georgia coming in that is probably going to be top seven or eight by the time they come. There are some very good teams coming and I think we have an advantage because we get a great crowd. The guys thrive when there is a big crowd. I know personally that I love when people are watching, especially when I play doubles. It just helps you play better tennis and
VS.
Friday: 5 p.m. Vs. LSU, Sunday: Vs. Texas A&M, 1 p.m. I think the other guys feel the same way.” It took Hamilton three days to make a call on Ole Miss. He decided that being a Rebel was just a little better than being a Lion from Columbia University. He made his first trip to Mississippi on his official visit. Taylor Vaughn, assistant coach to Toby Hansson, was the one who first noticed Hamilton, who admitted that he had longer relationships with coaches from other schools like Alabama and North Carolina. Vaughn used to coach at the University of North CarolinaWilmington, and was familiar with Hamilton’s ability. “Ole Miss came in the very end. I knew a number of players and coaches
JOSH MCCOY/OLE MISS ATHLETICS
Sophomore Grey Hamilton has been very good in SEC play so far this year, winning both of his singles matches last week at Tennessee and Kentucky. that already knew Taylor. A guy that I actually trained with in juniors played for Taylor at UNCW, so I already had a little bit of a connection there,” Hamilton said. “I had already vis-
john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
OLE MISS SPORTS BRIEFS
ins said. “I asked the seniors at the start of the year if they wanted to get new stuff or go to Orange Beach or if they wanted to try this tournament at Disney World. And they were all ‘Coach, Disney World.’ So they raised all the money.” Oxford coach Steve Blackmon thought his Lady Chargers competed, but needed to make more plays in the field. “We tried. We competed in the circle. Madison (Crosby) threw well and it’s hard to throw well when you’re not getting support from everybody else,” Blackmon said. “I told the staff and the girls that the difference in the game is they hit it to us and they get on base. We hit it to them, they catch it and they throw us out. We had trouble making plays.”
MOODY NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC
PETRE THOMAS
john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd
ited a few schools before I had contact with Ole Miss. I actually initiated contact because I wasn’t sure the other schools were the right fit. I still had two visits and I e-mailed Taylor. I
played a tournament in New York just after and it was a big national tournament. I made it to the finals and beat two of the top 15 players in the country. I played well and Taylor saw the result and immediately invited me for a visit.” Even when the Ole Miss football team was away at LSU, Hamilton was blown away with what he saw on campus, and the connection he had with the players. “I loved Oxford and the campus. It just clicked. It was kind of a quieter weekend but I got to see everything,” he said. “I got to eat different food and I hung out with the guys. Four days after the visit, I committed. It was hard choosing. It came down between here and Columbia. Wake Forest was in the mix. It was incredibly difficult, barely slept for three days but I talked to my family and some people I trusted and this ended up being the right decision. Every semester I have been more sure it was the right one.”
Lafayette's Kylie Glass throws from third to first base to get an out.
only eight points to become only the fifth player in Ole Miss history and the 26th player in SEC history Ole Miss senior guard Stefan to top 700 points in a season. Moody was named to the All-SEC Moody was also named to the first team by the league’s coaches U.S. Basketball Writers Association Tuesday. The honor came a day All-District IV team for the secondafter he was named the C Spire consecutive year the media organHowell Trophy for the second ization announced Tuesday. straight year. That award is given Moody is one of 10 honorees annually to the top college basketnamed to the squad consisting of ball player in the state of Missisplayers the states of Alabama, sippi. Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, MissisIt is the second straight firstsippi and Tennessee. team All-SEC nod for the KissimHis 43-point performance mee, Florida native and he is first against MSU on Senior Night is Rebel since Ansu Sesay in 199798 to earn back-to-back first-team tied for the highest single-game total in the SEC this year, the 11th honors. He is the 15th All-SEC highest in nation and the 13th honoree under head coach Andy Kennedy, which is the third most in highest in school history. It also marked the most points scored by the league over the last 10 years trailing only Kentucky and Florida. a Rebel since Gerald Glass The fifth-fastest player in reach dropped 53 on LSU in 1989 and was the most in a league game 1,000 career points in Ole Miss history, Moody leads the SEC, and since Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks ranks ninth nationally, in scoring at scored 45 against Arkansas in 2009. 23.1 point per game. He needs
OXFORD CITIZEN
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016
All-Citizen FROM PAGE 15
game plan to stop her and that allowed our outside shots and drives to the rim to be a lot easier for other players.” When the year started to get going, Ormon had a good feeling simply because his hardest workers were his best players. “That’s usually when you have a great team and I had three hard workers that were seniors and a lot of times, that’s an easy thing to follow right there,” Ormon said. “The other kids, they have tremendous character as well. They like to show up and work and they saw it was going to pay off. They definitely did set the tone as far as what our season was going to be about. I noticed it from tryouts to our first practices. They went as hard then as they would in a game and that’s fun to see whenever you have players doing that as a coach. You don’t want to take it for granted, but you know every kid isn’t built like that. There
are some kids that have talent, but they don’t always have the character and the drive to be the best. I think these three have those things and they’re going to have good futures in whatever they’re doing.”
LADY COMMODORES Shayne Linzy was also in his first season coaching the Lady Commodores. Even though he was familiar with his players having coached at OHS, there was still some getting used to. Thankfully he had outstanding players like Shaw and the two Bufords to set the tone. “If anybody watched the games, they could tell offensively and defensively, everything really revolved around them. We needed the ball to go through those girls. Ori setting the tone rebounding and defensively,” Linzy said. “She was the one that we would put on the best player of the opposing teams. She led the way for my younger players like Mariah (Holland). They are definitely that core group that all schools
need to have.” Shelbi Buford ended up being the primary ball handler as the year wore on. When teams focused on Shaniyah Buford, Linzy needed his senior to step up and be an additional threat offensively. She finished with 8.6 points per game. “Shelbi was that player and she really did have handle the ball more for us down the stretch because teams were trying to focus on Shaniyah and trying to stop her or prevent her from getting the ball,” Linzy said. “We had to come up with new ways to get Shaniyah the ball, but it became easier when Shelbi was able to handle those situations for us.” In the state tournament loss, Shaniyah Buford led Lafayette with 30 points. She finished the season with 21.4 points per game average. Linzy said she was aggressive as she ever has been from a scoring season. “If we had won that game, we would have done it as a team and we lost it as a team. There was no one person more valu-
able than each other,” Linzy said. “Shaniyah, once again, she came out and did the things she needed to do to help us be successful. Ori was a prime example of that as well having a double double in that game. Those are the kinds of things you have to do for the team to be successful. Shaniyah had a great season, had a great game against Florence and we just ended up coming up two points shy, in overtime.” Shaniyah Buford and Shaw, who averaged 5.6 rebounds, will both be back for next season, and Linzy was upbeat about the future. “They all have great experience and we have a lot of young girls that that will be a year older that has a lot of experience,” he said. “We have an eighth grade team that lost one game in junior high. So the future looks really great at Lafayette. As far as the varsity for next year, the sky is the limit, as always.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordeagle.com
PAGE 21
PREP TENNIS ROUNDUP OXFORD The Chargers defeated New Hope Tuesday 7-0 to improve to 2-0 on the season. Six of the seven wins were won by 6-0, 6-0 scores. All of the matches were won in straight sets. Grace Anne Jones won her singles match, while Max Mauney won his singles match. Amanda Lowery and Anne Hardy won No. 1 girls doubles, while Claire Stevens and Olivia Williams won No. 2 girls doubles. Will Swindoll and Gus Morgan won No. 1 boys doubles, while Ryan Mounce and Gordon Whitwell teammed up to take No. 2 boys doubles. Abbie Vaughn and Bo Nash won mixed doubles. In matches leading up to New Hope, the Oxford girls went 2-0 in a tournament in Pensacola, Florida. They defeated Leon High of Tallahassee 8-1 and Starrs Mill of Atlanta 7-2. Jones and Vaughn were 3-1 in No. 1 and No. 2 girls singles, respectively. Jones and Vaughn went 4-0 at No. 1 doubles. McClellan Davis and Sarah Nash were 3-1 at No. 3 and No. 5 singles respectively. The two went 2-2 in doubles play. Oxford’s boys went 2-2 defeating Chiles (Fla.) 6-3 and Blessed Trinity (Ga.). The Chargers were nipped 5-4 by Starrs
Mill. Whitwell went 4-0 at No. 6 singles in his first high school tournament. Bo Nash and Mounce were 3-1 at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. A total of 72 matches were played during a two-day span, and coach Louis Nash said he was pleased with how his team battled throughout the exceptional event.
LAFAYETTE Tupelo Christian just nipped the Commodores, 4-3, to drop them to 1-1 on the year. Lee McLarty and Sadie Wilson won mixed doubles, 6-3, 6-2. Abby Arrington and Rachel Reed were winners at No. 2 girls doubles, 64, 6-7 (10-3). The other win for the Commodores came from Alley Bowen at girls singles. She won 6-1, 6-0. In a junior varsity match with TCPS, the Commodores lost 3-1. Will Carter and Hayden Williams won their doubles match, 9-7. In a JV match with New Albany, the Commodores earned two wins. Halle Moore and Emma Wilson won their doubles match 7-5, 6-2, while Barrett Childress and Dawson Welch won 7-6, 6-2 at No. 1 boys doubles. The varsity returns to action today at home against Mooreville.
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