Oxford January 1, 2017 by Journal Inc

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Sunday EDITION

oxfordcitizen.com

Volume 3 | Issue 73

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Inside 3 News

And The Echo hard at work on new album

10 News

OXFORD CITIZEN

The Oxford and Lafayette County community has experienced a lot this year, and the Oxford Citizen has been with you every step of the way. Join us as we look back on an eventful year.

Year in review

Tishomingo State Park welcomes First Day Hike

12 Sports

Looking back at 2016

A new president was chosen to lead the nation in one of the most heated presidential races in the history of our The Oxford community, as well as the country. The United Kingdom voted to nation and world as a whole, has seen a leave the European Union and in doing so made waves that were felt around the lot over the past 12 months. BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

world. We saw one of the largest mass shootings in the history of the United States take place in June when a lone gunman took the lives of 49 people in TURN TO REVIEW PAGE 2

Unsung Hero:Wilkin plays a vital role for OHS Lady Chargers

*Free Checking with Unlimited Cashback *Terms and Conditions apply 1101 Jackson Ave. W • Oxford, MS 38655 • (662) 236-9099

OXFORD CITIZEN

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Review FROM 1

the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. People even had to worry about their phones blowing up in their hands. In our own community, we have experienced great tragedy, change and prosperity this year. Buildings were completed, while others have only just broke ground. Local sports teams lead us to celebrations and occasionally tears as both city and county schools as well as the university had an eventful fall athletics season. Businesses opened, students graduated, peopled moved in, people moved out and so much more has happened this year. We here at the Oxford Citizen have been honored to bring you the news, both good and bad, throughout the whole year. We’ve gone through and picked out some of the biggest stories of the last 12 months that we were able to share with you, our readers.

crypto-ransomware that basically shut down digital operations within the district. The ransomware encrypted a large number of files and made it impossible for district officials to access them and get what they needed in order to properly operate. The attackers demanded about $8,000 from the district in order to unlock the files. The district refused to pay because there was no guarantee that they would ever regain access to the files. The district salvaged what they could and just rebuilt the rest. No one was ever arrested for the crime.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

resentatives. Addy defeated Jordan June 1 to address the 2016 session of the American Legion’s Boys Sate. The proBankhead in the race for the job. gram was founded in 1938 and teaches rising high school seniors leadership APRIL Oxford saw another successful Double skills by allowing them to set up a ficDecker Festival in April this year. Musical tional state and build its government. Bryant’s speech touched on a variety of acts from across the country as well as visual artists and craftspeople from all over topics including Mississippi technologithe region made their way to Oxford to cal innovations, musical contributions for one weekend of music, art and food. and stronghold on the automobile quesThe city also took the opportunity to un- tions. He then opened the floor to quesveil two new double decker buses that tions and students didn’t hold back on asking the governor the hard questions would be serving the city. about the decisions he’s made, the first of which was concerning the controversial MS House Bill 1523 the governor signed into law. Ole Miss will continue to host Boys Sate through 2018.

JULY

JANUARY The first big thing that happened this year was the opening of the new basketball stadium at Ole Miss. The Pavilion replaced the Tad Pad and brought new MARCH On the first day of March during a City restaurants to campus. The state-of-theart facility seats 9,500 spectators and Board meeting, Mayor Pat Patterson swore photographer Rick Addy into ofopened January 7. fice as Alderman of Ward I for the City of Oxford. Addy took up the position after FEBRUARY In February, the Oxford School District Jay Hughes vacated the seat after his announced they had been targeted by election to the Mississippi House of Rep-

MAY The University of Mississippi’s 163rd Commencement Ceremony featured legendary broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw as its keynote speaker. Brokaw made playful jabs at Alabama and told the graduating class they could find members of the Ole Miss family, almost anywhere they end up. Another highlight of the 2016 UM Commencement was new graduation regalia for all 4,714 students who applied for graduation this year, including the 703 students who technically graduated in December. Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Brandi Hephner LaBanc and Vice Chancellor for University Relations Alice Clark made the final decisions regarding the regalia. Lafayette and Oxford also graduated their seniors this month. Oxford High School said goodbye to its largest-ever graduating class this year. Exactly 237 students walked away with diplomas that day. This graduating class had won more football games and competed for more championship titles, both academically and athletically, than any other class before them. Collectively, the class was awarded over $4 million in scholarships to colleges and universities around the country.

On the first day of July, after-school literacy, tutoring and mentoring program LeapFrog received a permanent building within the Oxford School District’s Central Office Washington Avenue location. LeapFrog has been serving Oxford and Lafayette County for 25 years now. Currently, the program is under the direction of Teresa Adams and serves 140 first, second and third graders, taking 40 students each from the city and county school districts. In years, past LeapFrog operated wherever they could find space, often in random rooms of churches and other community spaces. The donation of the space that is now dedicated fully to the operation of LeapFrog provides consistency, reliability and more to the already successful program. Later in the month, Oxford High School’s Envirothon team would travel to Ontario, Canada to compete in the North American Championship. Angela Whaley leads the Envirothon program at OHS. The extracurricular is designed to get students involved with environmental science by teaching them more about what composes the world around them.

AUGUST

JUNE

In August of this year, the world watched as Oxford came together to morn the loss of the Fareses, Pooles and the Perrys who all perished in a plane crash that shook the very foundations of the community. This tragedy showed us all just how short life can be and how important it is to lean on each other when knees shake and legs are ready to give out. The couples were traveling from a den-

Phil Bryant came to the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts on

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OXFORD CITIZEN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

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CHANING GREEN

Local synthpop duo And The Echo is getting ready to release their second record. The pair of musicians have been working full-time on the album since November and will to have it ready for release on Valentine’s Day.

And The Echo hard at work on new album BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

And The Echo has been a staple in the Oxford music scene since the band formed in 2014 to mix Winn McElroy’s funky synthpop beats with Morgan Pennington’s indie vocals and bring a unique sound to local and regional venues. For the past two months, McElroy and Pennington have been hard at work putting together their second release as And The Echo, which will be released on Valentine’s Day. The pair are hoping to be in a place where they can start doing at least two releases every year, beginning with 2017. In the late winter and early spring months they’re going to be so busy touring and making a music video, they knew they needed to put something together as soon as possible. “By the time spring rolls around, we just knew we weren’t going to have time,” McElroy said. “We

recorded during the down months of winter, then tour January through May or June, and then when it gets too hot for festivals, we’ll go back in and record and get ready for a fall release.” Though they are looking to release multiple records a year, as of now, they have no plans of connecting them as part of a series. Each record will reflect their evolution as artists. “We’ve also written some stuff that we’re probably never going to release,” McElroy said. “We basically just get some songs together that we think will fit and we decide we’re going to put them out together as a release. I don’t think we’re trying to keep any sort of storyline or anything with it. This will be our second release. Our first one was back in April.” They funded the new video for this song on the website crowdfunding Kickstarter. It took just a month to raise enough money to cover the costs

of shooting the video in Jackson with Marlex Productions. Pennington said that it was important for them to fund the video as a Kickstarter rather than a traditional fundraiser not only because of it’s simplicity, but also because it gives fans a chance to support their music and feel even more involved with the process. People who donated above a certain threshold are considered producers of the video and will have their name shown during the end credits of the production. The music video will be for their song “The Blind Ones,” a song from their upcoming release. The pair said they chose this song because they both feel it really sets the tone for the most recent work. “I just think that it shows kind of everything we’ve been working on, wrapped into one song,” McElroy said. “Stylistically, the tone of it, it has ups and downs and I just sort of encapsulates the ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ popiness of what

we’ve been doing with the ‘Ultraviolet’ heaviness. The whole album is actually like that. It’s a pretty dark record.” Pennington said a big thing that she and McElroy tried to focus on for this new record was simplicity, allowing a little nothing here and there on the tracks rather than a full wall of sound remains constant during every track. She said they would

record a song and then go back and tear it apart, making active decisions about what should stay and what shouldn’t. “There’s an old saying that says before you go out, you should take of at least one thing,” Pennington said. “Like, if you have on a jacket, rings, a necklace, ear rings, a scarf and a hat. My mom always told me a good rule of thumb is to take off at least one

thing before you go out in order to prevent yourself from looking tacky. I’ve been thinking of this record like that. If I see something and think I need to add something, I tried to think of it like ‘what can we take from this, and still keep the sound good?’ That’s how we tried to look at it.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

OXFORD CITIZEN

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

Holiday sales season in Oxford went well BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

opportunity to begin the New Year rejuvenating and connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike at a state park close to home. The National First Day Hike Program offers a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family.

OBITUARIES JAMES SPENCER

GLENN NORWOOD

James A. (Jack) Spencer, 85, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016 at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo. The funeral service was held in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home in Oxford on Saturday, Dec. 31 with Mike Williams and Dr. Doug Shields, Jr. officiating. Burial followed in Pine Flat Cemetery. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force where he served as a Private First Class. Memorial contributions in Mr. Spencer’s memory may be made to Sardis Lake Christian Camp, 176 4-H Club Road, Batesville, MS 38606 or Sanctuary Hospice House, 5159 Main Street, Tupelo, MS 38801. In honor of Mr. Spencer’s service to our country the flag of the United States Air Force will be flown at Waller Funeral Home.

Glenn E. Norwood, 91, passed away of a massive stroke Dec. 27, 2016, while in hospice care. Norwood was a World War II veteran, dropping out of school at 16 to serve the United States 13th Army Air Corps. Norwood recently completed an oral history for the Museum of the Pacific in Fredericksburg, TX and earlier took the Honor Flight, where all the veterans were treated like royalty. A celebration of his life or as he liked to call it, a “Goodbye Party”, was held in West Hall at Waller Funeral Home Friday, December 30. Memorial contributions in Mr. Norwood’s memory may be made to one of his two favorite charities: Oxford Medical Ministries, 205 Commerce Drive, Oxford, MS 38655 or French Camp Academy, One Fine Place, French Camp, MS 39745-9989.

DAN SASSER Daniel "Dan" Allen Sasser, 76, died Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at Douglas Nursing Home - Milan, TN. Graveside will be held Thursday, January 5, 2017, 10:45 a.m. at West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery, 4000 Forest Hill Irene Road, Memphis, TN. Coleman Funeral Home of Olive Branch is in charge of arrangements.

ADAM HARRIS Adam Jared Harris, 37, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, at his home in Batesville. The funeral service was held Friday, Dec. 30 in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Rev. Coma Rivers officiating. Burial followed in Acree Hill Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Adam’s memory may be made to Waller Funeral Home, Adam Harris Funeral Expenses, P.O. Box 1200, Oxford, MS 38655.

WILLIAM MARTIN William Ross Martin , 72 years old, passed away on December 26, 2016, at Golden Living Home in Batesville. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Serenity Martin Funeral Home of Oxford.

HUGH WHITE MCLARTY Mr. Hugh White McLarty, age 81, died at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, TN on Monday, December 26, 2016. The funeral service was held Thursday, December 29, 2016, at 1:00 P.M. in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Rev. Curt Liles officiating. Burial followed in Mt. Zion Methodist Church Cemetery in Oxford. Memorial designation in Mr. McLarty’s memory may be made to Mt. Zion Methodist Church, P.O. Box 2166, Oxford, MS 38655.

This year one of Mississippi’s participating parks is Tishomingo State Park. Park staff and volunteers will lead the one to two mile hike on the Outcroppings Trail. Terry Harp, manager of Tishomingo State Park said the official walk will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Loochapola Lodge taking you through the rocky ridges, canyons, and along Bear Creek. “Refreshments will be served. Bring a snack, bring your family, bring a friend and come join the fun. It’s a great way to start out the New Year exercising and exploring nature.” Friends of Tishomingo State Park representatives will be in attendance. Membership dues and donations will be accepted. First Day Hikes originated more than 25 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation State Park in Milton,

Massachusetts. Last year, more than 55,000 people participated on guided hikes that covered over 133,000 miles on 1,100 hikes across the country, according to a press release from NASP. Other participating parks throughout the state are: Clark Creek Natural Area, (Woodville)This park offers a more challenging hike with views of waterfalls, beautiful foliage, and wildlife. Although this park offers over five miles of trails, the hike will be shortened to 2.5 miles and will start at 2 p.m. After the guided hike, visitors are welcome and encouraged to explore the rest of the area. George P. Cossar State Park, (Oakland) Hikers will meet in the park parking lot at 2 p.m. to begin a guided one mile hike on the Quail Run Nature Trail. LeFleur's Bluff State Park, (Jackson) The easy 1.5 mile

hike will begin at 2 p.m. in the MS Museum of Natural Science parking lot. Sierra Club members will be volunteering and leading the hike. Natchez State Park, (Natchez) will offer a guided hike that is a little less than one mile long beginning at 2 p.m. According to Mississippi Wildlife Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), “First Day Hikes are organized and led by knowledgeable state park staff and volunteers. The distance and rigor vary from park to park, but all hikes aim to create a fun experience for the whole family. Kids and adults all across America will be participating in First Day Hikes, getting their hearts pumping and enjoying the beauty of a state park. Families can enjoy Mississippi's natural resources and discover the local treasure of a State Park you can return to throughout

the year.” “Stephen T. Mather, founder of the National Park Service, envisioned the states and the federal government working together to develop a great national system of parks. Because of Mather’s vision, more than a billion visits a year are made to state and national parks (725 million state park visits and 276 million national park visits,” according to americanhiking.org. Tishomingo State Park was mentioned in USA Today’s “10 great First Day hikes to start 2017 on the right foot” article, which also quotes Lewis Ledford of the NASPD as saying “The activities of the holiday season can be kind of overwhelming. The hikes are a tonic for mind, body and spirit.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

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OXFORD CITIZEN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

Review

2014. The Rebels held a 24-3 lead over Alabama during the fist half, but the Crimson Tide managed to overcome in the FROM 2 second half. It was the second time in the tal conference that was held in Kissimmee, past three games that Ole Miss lost a game Florida when the plane went down near a after leading by at least 21 points. farmers market in Northport, Alabama. They collectively leave behind 11 children, OCTOBER In October, the Lafayette County Sherthe youngest of which had just began kindergarten, the oldest an Ole Miss fresh- iff’s Department held a special celebration man. A prayer vigil was held in the Grove where they surprised Sherriff Buddy East on the evening of August 15, the day fol- with an appreciation ceremony to mark lowing the crash, where friends, family and his 52 years of service to the community. community members came together The event was held at the Oxford Conferunder a higher power. Representatives of ence Center. East has been serving as sherthe three different churches the families iff since he was elected to the position in 1972. Mayor Pat Patterson, U.S. Senator attended spoke at the gathering. A public ceremony was held that Satur- Roger Wicker, Mississippi Attorney Genday in the Tad Smith Coliseum. An esti- eral Jim Hood and several other big names mated 4,000 people showed up to in the area as well as the state attended the celebrate the six lives that were lost less ceremony. than week before.

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has only happened a grand total of 17 times in the entire 169-year history of the flagship. The ceremony was held in the Gertrude C. Ford Center where some of the biggest names in Mississippi including Morgan Freeman, Tate Reeves, Delbert Hosemann Jr. and more welcomed Jeffery S. Vitter to his new position as head of the university.

DECEMBER In December, the Commodores crushed Poplarville at Mississippi State’s Davis-Wade Stadium for their 13th consecutive win for the season and their third 4A title since 2010. Lafayette claimed victory of the Hornets with a final score of 27-12. The last month of 2016 ended with Mayor Pat Patterson making the surprise announcement that he wouldn't be running for reelection in the 2017. The Patterson has served the city of Oxford as an alderman and mayor for a collective total of 16 years. So far, Walt Hill and Alderman Robyn Tannehill have both announced their candidacy for mayor. The Oxford Citizen will be there in 2017 to bring you updates on the mayoral race as well as any other news the new year will throw at us. If there’s a story worth telling next year, we’ll find it and bring it to you with respectful and thoughtful coverage. From all of us here at the Citizen, we’d like to thank you, our readers, for bringing us with you into 2017. We look forward to serving you for many years to come.

SEPTEMBER September was one of the busiest months for Oxford in the history of Ole Miss football. Three home football games took place during this month, two of which were a couple of the biggest SEC matchups of the season. In our September 8 edition of the Citizen, we sat down with OPD Chief Joey East and learned about all the different precautions and planning that the city must undergo in order prepare for such busy game weekends. It was also in September when the Rebels lost to Alabama in a 48-43 loss that NOVEMBER broke the winning streak Ole Miss had The University of Mississippi inaugubeen maintaining against the Tide since rated a new chancellor, and event that

The city held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the future site of the Woodlawn-Davis Nature Reserve. The new park is a joint project between the city and the Audubon Society and will feature all native species. The Oxford Citizen also spent the month of November following the Lafayette County Commodores around as they defeated team after team in their pursuit for the state 4A Championship.

chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

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OXFORD CITIZEN

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

Tishomingo State Park welcomes First Day Hike BY KATHRYN WINTER STAFF WRITER

On New Year’s Day, state parks all over the nation are offering free First Day Hike programs. According to the National Association of Park Directors (NASP,) First Day Hikes offer individuals and families an opportunity to begin the New Year rejuvenating and connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike at a state park close to home. The National First Day Hike Program offers a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family. This year one of Mississippi’s participating parks is Tishomingo State Park. Park staff and volunteers will lead the one to two mile hike on the Outcroppings Trail. Terry manager of Harp, Tishomingo State Park said the official walk will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Loochapola Lodge taking you through the rocky ridges, canyons, and along Bear Creek. “Refreshments will be served. Bring a snack, bring your family, bring a friend and come join the fun. It’s a great way to start out the New Year exercising and exploring nature.” Friends of Tishomingo State Park representatives will be in attendance. Membership

COURTESY

dues and donations will be accepted. First Day Hikes originated more than 25 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation

State Park in Milton, Massachusetts. Last year, more than 55,000 people participated on guided hikes that covered over

133,000 miles on 1,100 hikes across the country, according to a press release from NASP. participating Other

parks throughout the waterfalls, beautiful fostate are: Clark Creek Nat- liage, and wildlife. Alural Area, (Woodville)This though this park offers park offers a more chalTURN TO HIKE PAGE 11 lenging hike with views of

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

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Hike FROM 10

over five miles of trails, the hike will be shortened to 2.5 miles and will start at 2 p.m. After the guided hike, visitors are welcome and encouraged to explore the rest of the area. George P. Cossar State Park, (Oakland) Hikers will meet in the park parking lot at 2 p.m. to begin a guided one mile hike on the Quail Run Nature Trail. LeFleur's Bluff State Park, (Jackson) The easy 1.5 mile hike will begin at 2 p.m. in the MS Museum of Natural Science parking lot. Sierra Club members will be volunteering and leading the hike. Natchez State Park, (Natchez) will offer a guided hike that is a little less than one mile long beginning at 2 p.m. According to Mississippi Wildlife Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), “First Day Hikes are organized and led by knowledgeable state park staff and volunteers. The distance and rigor vary from park to park, but all hikes aim to create a fun experience for the whole family. Kids and adults all across America will be participating in First Day Hikes, getting their hearts pumping and enjoying the beauty of a state park. Families can enjoy Mississippi's natural resources and discover the local treasure of a State Park you can return to throughout the year.” “Stephen T. Mather, founder of the National Park Service, envisioned the states and the federal government working together to develop a great national system of parks. Because of Mather’s vision, more than a billion visits a year are made to state and national parks (725 million state park visits and 276 million national park visits,” according to americanhiking.org. Tishomingo State Park was mentioned in USA Today’s “10 great First Day hikes to start 2017 on the right foot” article, which also quotes Lewis Ledford of the NASPD as saying “The activities of the holiday season can be kind of overwhelming. The hikes are a tonic for mind, body and spirit.” oxfordcitizen@journalinc.com

COURTESY

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

AND THE

AROUND SQUARE BEYOND JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN

Here's hoping for a better 2017 than 2016 for OM football

opefully by the time the spring thaw comes, Ole Miss will finally have an idea of what the NCAA wants in terms of punishment for the football program. That will begin the process of moving on, of truly picking up the pieces to improve the team. Cam Akers picking the Florida State Seminoles over the Rebels earlier this week was a final punch in the gut for coach Hugh Freeze in 2016. Outside of the Sugar Bowl win over Oklahoma State exactly a year ago, and the recruiting class that followed a month later, there has been little to really celebrate in regards to football. The 2016 season was forgettable, and really so was the entire year if you're an Ole Miss fan. Last season's best win was on the road at Texas A&M. The win over Georgia was a lot of fun when it happened because the Bulldogs were ranked and it was so thorough. The victory over the Aggies was fun for different reasons, mainly because of the magic Shea Patterson showed that night. Those were the two best wins for sure. Next best win was over Memphis simply because of the Tigers' upset the year prior. Even though Memphis has improved greatly the past few years, a win over the Tigers can't be the highlight, or even really close to the top. That's never a good sign. Just like it's never a good sign when Ole Miss loses to Vanderbilt. Outside of the 2008 and 1999 seasons when the Rebels lost at home to the Commodores, has there been any years that really turned out to be great when losing to Vanderbilt? The answer all depends on what your definition of good is. In 2008, the Rebels went to the Cotton Bowl. In 1999, the Rebels were in the Independence Bowl. So everything is relative. A loss to Vanderbilt but a bowl trip to anywhere would have been better than being stuck at home for the holidays. As ugly as Mississippi State's win over Miami of Ohio TURN TO HOPE PAGE 14

JOEY BRENT

Nicole Wilkin has started every single match since the start of her sophomore season for coach Hunter Crane.

Unsung Hero Wilkin plays a vital role for OHS Lady Chargers BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Oxford's Nicole Wilkin made an impression on her coach, Hunter Crane, well before the season started. She has continued to impress during the season in the sense that whenever there is someone to ask about, Crane mentions Wilkin. “I hope that mentions are good and that he is complementing me,” Wilkin said. “This season, I don't feel like I've hit my peak yet. I'm still starting, so I can't be doing too much wrong.” Wilkin plays the role of holding midfielder for the 9-0 Lady Chargers. What that ultimately means is that Wilkin defends the middle of the field. In a perfect scenario, Wilkin is able to win the ball at her point, and send it back up to forwards Ally Shinall and Morgan O'-

Connor so they can do their damage on offense. And the way Wilkin looks at things, nobody is getting past her without a fight. It's her personality to challenge, and compete. “I feel like I'm a pretty tough person. In holding mid, I don't like people walk over me and I feel like I do that when I play,” Wilkin said. “I don't let people get by me.” Crane said that Wilkin doesn't get a lot of credit for the job she does. Part of that is because of her position. “She's in front of the defense, the first line of defense in the midfield, but she's also the first in line from an attacking standpoint,” Crane said. “She doesn't score a lot of goals and she doesn't get a lot of assists, but what she does do is completely control the middle of the field from a defensive standpoint. To be

able to win a 50-50 ball, and center the ball to then get it up to our attacking mids and forwards, that's vital. Last year if she got injured and I had to pull her off, we weren't as dynamic in the midfield because of that. She started every game for me last year as a sophomore and she has started every game for me as a junior. She deserves all the credit in the world because she is so vital to our success. She is where it all begins for us.” This year's Oxford team has amazed Wilkin. Even though it's been weeks now since the Lady Chargers saw the field from a competition standpoint, they were so much further ahead than the team in 2015-2016. “We've only had four goals scored on us. Our defense is doing really well to TURN TO WILKIN PAGE 14

OXFORD CITIZEN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

UK's Kentucky raves about The Pavilion Calipari’s Twitter re- ished with 19 points. sponse said, “This was waiting for me when I ar- SAIZ ON THE OUTSIDE The last time Kentucky rived at the arena a few Ole Miss’ Sebastian Saiz played at Ole Miss, John minutes ago. Happy to had 23 points and 13 reCalipari said he’d found help. LOL. Beautiful arena.” bounds, his eighth doublesquirrels in the locker room double of the season and BURNETT’S NIGHT at Tad Smith Coliseum. the 17th of his career. This time the Wildcats’ He was 7-for-17 shootOle Miss coach Andy coach found them again. Kennedy has called on ing, 3-for-7 from 3-point As a wink to Calipari’s Miami transfer guard De- range. comments in February of andre Burnett for more 2014 a stuffed squirrel production, and Burnett QUOTABLE mounted on a log was had one of his better games “The reality is we have 19 placed in Kentucky’s dress- in a while. more games. We’ve got to ing room for its first visit to He was 7-for-15 from the figure this out. We’ve got to The Pavilion. The squirrel floor and was better at fin- look ourselves in the mirror also “wrote” a note ad- ishing shots at the rim. It and get back to our fordressed to “Coach Calipari” was Burnett’s most efficient mula.” – Andy Kennedy saying it was glad he no- night since shooting 63.2 ticed the “decrepit state” of percent against Oral parrish.alford@journalinc.com the Rebels’ former gym. Roberts on Nov. 18. He finTwitter: @parrishalford

PAGE 13

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Freeze seeking chemistry with hires BY PARRISH ALFORD DAILY JOURNAL

The wheels of business in any profession often turn on who you know. So when Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze went looking for assistant coaches – he’s still looking for one, by the way – familiarity was comforting. That’s the case with three of his new hires but not all of them. Freeze has a past with new defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff and with wide receivers coach Matt Lubick. Freeze has never been on a staff with new linebackers coach Bradley Dale Peveto. However, Peveto has been around the SEC long enough that coaches know him or know of him. Familiarity doesn’t always work out. Freeze could have sought new vision and energy for one position last year but promoted from within for safeties and specials teams. Now Corey Batoon is gone from the staff. While introducing McGriff and Phil Longo this

past month as his two new coordinators, Freeze in his opening statement praised the one he’d fired, offensive coordinator Dan Werner. It’s true overall numbers have been good on offense, but the run game has been inconsistent. That hasn’t been only this season. Freeze wants to run the ball better, but it’s not only about more yards per game. He wants a specific plan for improvement on third downs, in short yardage and in the red zone. Longo’s success in those areas, his overall body of work and references helped him land his first FBS job. New and different doesn’t always mean better, but Freeze is banking that Longo’s different way of looking at things will bring the improvement he seeks. Freeze must still fill the defensive line position created by Chris Kiffin’s move to join his brother as defensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic. Freeze has coached at Ole Miss with both McGriff

(2012) and Lubick (200506). That was one important check in the box when he started comparing pros and cons. These are guys he knows. Staff chemistry is very important to him, and he’s not going to knowingly add a combustible presence to the mix. When the 2016 season began seven of nine Ole Miss assistants were members of Freeze’s original staff in 2012. Another, cornerbacks coach Jason Jones, was beginning his fourth season. Consistency among assistant coaches is something Ole Miss fans of a certain age remember about John Vaught’s very successful teams. This is a different time, a more mobile society. That consistency is very important. So are the fresh eyes. They can bring creativity to boost the bottom line as long as Freeze manages the chemistry of a staff where new assistant voices will outnumber the old ones 5-4. parrish.alford@journalinc.com Twitter: @parrishalford

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Olive Branch sophomore has all the tools BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

There are still 22 months left on the calendar before DJ Jefferies can sign a scholarship to play with a college basketball program. To be clear, the Olive Branch sophomore forward could be starting for just about any college program in the nation right now. He's that impressive, and that highly thought of by basketball recruiters. When Jefferies and the Conquistadors visited the annual “O” Town Showdown this past month, Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy sat in the shadows, right near one of the goals, to get an even better view of the 6-foot-7 prodigy. Jefferies, who was averaging 25 points per game heading into this week's action, can do everything on the floor. He can dribble. He can shoot. He can defend. And he can fly above the rim. “He's been playing basketball so long. He works so hard. He'll practice with us during school and then he will go to a strength trainer,” Olive Branch coach Eric Rombaugh said. “Then after the strength trainer, he will go to a fundamental trainer and work on his shooting and his ball handling. He puts in the work, and it shows on the floor.” And even though Jefferies is just a sophomore, he's been on AAU teams with much older

Hope FROM 12

was in the St. Petersburg Bowl, the Bulldogs got a trip to the beach. They got better as a program. They got in valuable extra practices and a jump start on the 2017 season. The Bulldogs didn't have a “great” season by any stretch of the imagination, but they found to make lemonade when presented lemons early in the season. Ole Miss needs to do the same thing next year. The new-look

Wilkin FROM 12

level out Morgan's success,” Wilkin said. “This time last year, we had already lost a couple of games. We really stepped it up and I think we've come together. This year, we're doing a lot better at trying to encourage each other and build each other up. I don't think we are as close as we

KNOW YOUR RECRUIT

DJ Jefferies players for several years now, Rombaugh said. “He's been playing against some of the best players in the country and he's been bringing that experience back to our team,” he said. “We feed off him. When he gets going, we get going. He's solid at everything. And I think the thing he does the best that a lot of people don't notice is how he changes shots.” When Olive Branch goes into a 2-3 zone, Jefferies is right in the middle and the back line is stretched from sideline to sideline because he is so long. “Our guards are able to put pressure on guys because he can protect the middle so well and he does it without getting a lot of fouls,” Rombaugh said. “He's able to change the way people play against us. I've been in Mississippi long enough to see a lot of

JOHN DAVIS

Olive Branch sophomore forward DJ Jefferies is one of the nation's best players who has an Ole Miss offer, along with one from the likes of national powers like Kentucky and Kansas. Jefferies is averaging 25 points per game this year for Olive Branch.

driving ability of James. The thing he likes to do as much as anything is get his teammates involved. “I more like a pass first wing. I like them to get their points before I get mine,” said Jefferies, who started playing hoops when he was in the third grade. A team that fits Jefferies the best is what he is looking for opposed to just signing with the best overall program. “I want to play for a team that feels like home and one that can treat me and my family like home,” Jefferies said. “Every time (Kennedy) comes down, he treats me and my family like we're home. We really like him. I like Kentucky and I like Coach (John) Calipari. I think I can fit in there.” Don't expect a quick decision for Jefferies when it comes to a commitment. He won't make a choice until he is a senior. And he has no problem with signing late instead of early. The Pavilion is a game changer for Ole Miss from a recruiting standpoint, Jefferies said, who added “it has my eye.” Ole Miss fans who get a chance to take in an Olive Branch game will want to watch Jefferies. There is a good chance the Conquistadors are in Jackson to take part in the MHSAA Class 6A state tournament in March.

good players. I've seen Monta Ellis' and Devin Booker and those kind of players and DJ is right up there with him. He has a chance to be just as special. His work ethic is not going to let him fail.” It's common for coaches like Kennedy to come watch Jefferies. Ole Miss is just one many schools that have targeted him for the 2018 signing class. Kentucky, Kansas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Wake Forest are a few of

the others. Jefferies said that he tries to keep his composure when the coaches are in attendance. “I keep focus on my studies as well and not let that interfere with my game,” Jefferies said. “I work on my game all the time so I feel confident when I come out here.” Kevin Durant and LeBron James are two players that Jefferies likes to play like. He has the outside touch of both, and the

coaching staff has to find a way to get the returning players moving and pulling in the same direction. They are going to be the difference makers, not the class that is coming in. Ole Miss sits at the bottom of the recruiting rankings in the SEC right now. (Add grains of salt to that) That's on paper, and these players could turn out be better than what they are rated now. It's still an indicator of what the 5-7 season, the coaching changes and more importantly, what the NCAA cloud has done to the perception of where the pro-

gram is headed. At least in the short term. Nobody still has a clear answer as to what the NCAA will hand out in terms of a ruling. The NCAA has all the cards and they've given out bits and pieces of information to people and media they want to know. They have an agenda, and they've taken steps to make sure this year's signing class never makes the kind of impact past classes have. How many scholarships Ole Miss has to purge the next three years is also anyone's guess. Rival programs are hop-

ing for 30 or more. It won't just be 11. Something in the middle? Maybe. More than likely the number resides just past 20. Ole Miss can win games with 77 or 78 players on scholarship the next three years. This incoming staff has impressive credentials to make this roster better. And once the allegations turn into something concrete and the next step can be taken, this staff can recruit without any chains that bind. And they have all proven to be very good or excellent at that part of program building.

So hopefully 2017 is a lot better than 2016 for the Ole Miss football program, in more ways than one. The one thing that will make everything better are wins. One more win is a bowl trip. Two or three more wins, and the Rebels are in a much more desirable bowl. It's something to strive for, something to look forward to as we watch the Rebels compete in basketball and baseball this winter and spring.

were last year but I think we see that we have a lot of potential. And we're trying to work together.” When you win a state title and the vast majority of the team returns, expectations are going to run high. Wilkin said that was the case before the year started and that the Lady Chargers knew they achieve whatever they set their minds to. “But we really do have to still

put in the work for it,” Wilkin added. Anna Dennis is the leader or captain of the defense, and one of the overall leaders on the team. Wilkin said it was great to have her in the backfield behind her. “We need to stay focused. That's probably our biggest downfall. Anna does a good job of keeping our defense on track and making sure that everyone

knows what they're supposed to do,” Wilkin added. “If someone messes up, she tells them, but not in a rude way. She guides people very well.” Recreation soccer got Wilkin going in the sport, while club level at the age of 8 really took her love for soccer up a notch. “When I was a kid, pretty much everyone played soccer. One of my coaches asked me if I would play on his club team because he

thought I was kind of good,” Wilkin said. “Then I picked it up from there. I never thought when I was little that I would be a soccer player. I've been able to achieve a lot more than I thought I would this year. I feel like I've grown a lot in the sport. I'm pretty proud of how far I've been able to come to be honest.”

John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

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