Oxford February 23, 2017

Pick up your Sunday Oxford Citizen at locations throughout Lafayette County Volume 3 | Issue 88

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oxfordcitizen.com

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Inside 4 News

Alex George to appear on Thacker Mountain Radio

6 News

PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN

Member of the local Muslim community engage in a dialog with fellow Oxonians to answer questions about what it means to be a Muslim woman in the American South today.

Meet your neighbor

Volunteers help pull off most successful film fest yet

16 Sports

Change Mississippi and Local Mosque hold event The event had a turn out of over 250 come together and learn more about people and was held in the hopes of one another.

Change Mississippi official began in dispelling any misconceptions and anChange Mississippi and the Oxford swering questions about the Muslim December of last year. They are based Mosque teamed up Sunday afternoon faith. It was also an opportunity for to host a Meet Your Neighbors event. people of the LOU community to TURN TO NEIGHBOR PAGE 11

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

Ready for spring: Swindoll likes makeup of her LHS Commodores

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 2

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

Governor makes another round of budget cuts

BY BOBBY HARRISON DAILY JOURNAL JACKSON BUREAU

Gov. Phil Bryant has announced his fifth round of budget cuts in less than 14 months – the first reductions to impact kindergarten through 12th grade education.

The second-term Republican announced the cuts – $43 million – via social media Tuesday around lunch. He stressed on his Facebook page that the $6.1-billion budget is still about $700 million more than it was five years ago when the state still was trying to rebound from the Great Recession and the unprecedented drop in revenue that occurred then.

This time around, the governor said education, including the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which provides state funds for the operation of local school districts, would be cut about one-half of a percent or about

tions to improve and offset the shortfall we are experiencing, however, I feel it is imperative that we take action based on the best possible information…

“If we postpone pending reductions until later, then, state agencies must make relatively larger cuts and will have less flexibility/time to handle the necessary cuts.”

The governor has now cut about $150 million this fiscal year. Tuesday marked the third time he has made cuts this fiscal year.

In addition, Bryant made two rounds of budget cuts, the first in January 2016, during the previous fiscal year The total of the five cuts, spanning less than 14 months and over two fiscal years, is more than $212 million. Plus, the governor has transferred more than $100 million from the rainy day fund to prevent the need for additional cuts.

The Legislature also cut most agencies during the

$10 million.

Student Financial Aid, Child Protective Services, the Emergency M a n a g e m e n t Agency and the Department of Mental Health were exempted by the governor from this round of cuts, though, some of those entities, like Mental Health, have been cut by the governor in the past.

Most other agencies were cut just under 1 percent.

In addition, the governor transferred $7 million from the Working Cash Stabilization Fund to avoid additional cuts.

The governor is forced to make cuts because revenue collections continue to be sluggish with the state not collecting enough revenue to fund the budget passed by the 2016 Legislature for the current fiscal year.

In a letter to state Fiscal Officer Laura Jackson announcing the cuts, Bryant said, “It is tempting to leave things alone and hope for revenue collec-

BRIEFING South Mississippi Art League to Visit Oxford Treehouse Gallery

2016 session and is preparing to decrease budgets again this session.

Many Democrats cite the multiple tax cuts, totaling more than $300 million in recent years, for the sluggish revenue collections, resulting in the cuts.

On the House floor Tuesday as members approved bills that would provide smaller tax credits to various taxpayers and potentially negatively impact state revenue, Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, asked, “you reckon any of that is occurring (revenue shortfall) because of all the tax cuts and credits we have passed?”

House Ways and Means Chair Jeff Smith, R-Columbus, said the larger tax cuts, passed during the 2016 session totaling $415 million, have not taken effect yet and will be phased in during the coming years. bobby.harrison@journalinc.com Twitter: @BobbyHarrison9

Oxford Treehouse Gallery is pleased to exhibit a collection of art from the South Mississippi Art League, a collective of professional artists of various backgrounds based in South Mississippi. The reception for the exhibit will be on Friday, February 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. The show will run from February 23 to March 18.

South Mississippi Art League was established in 2015 to provide an outlet for Gulf Coast-based professional artists to promote and display their work. The twelve artists included in the exhibit include Pat Abernathy, Carolyn Busenlender, Paulette Dove, Kat Fitzpatrick, Sandra Halat, Stacey Johnson, Carmen Lugo, Patt Odom, George Ann McCullough, Cissey Quinn, Julia Reyes and Norma Seward.

Oxford Treehouse

Gallery is proud to have the opportunity to display these wonderful pieces of art from South Mississippi.

A goal of Oxford Treehouse Gallery is to share this space with other artists and to provide the public with a fine art experience in an unconventional gallery setting in beautiful Lafayette County.

The SMAL exhibit will run from February 23 to March 18, with an opening reception on Friday, February 24 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Oxford Treehouse Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday 12 to 6 and happily by appointment.

Celebrating the life of Eric “Shep” Shephard A repass celebrating the life of Eric “Shep” Shephard will be held Saturday, February 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. at The Lyric. Attendees are encouraged to do as Shep would have and “dress your best, push the envelope and be yourself.”

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OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PAGE 3

County Board of Supervisors discusses bonds, Oxford Springs

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday morning this week due to the Monday holiday. The Board discussed major issues including a substantial bond issue and one of if not the largest developments the county has ever seen.

The Board approved and adopted a resolution of intent to issues a $20 million in General Obligation Bonds. The money will go toward the construction of new roads as well as new County facilities. This resolution means the board does not have to take the full $20 million, but have the option to and cannot go over that number. It’s a cap.

District 4 Supervisor and Board Vice-President Chad McLarty pointed out that the board does not like borrowing anywhere near this amount

of money, but that that the large sum was necessary in order to provide the community with what’s needed.

County Engineer Larry Britt spoke about the bids the county has received to pay for the clearing and “site preparation” of the land off of County Road 406 which will be the future site of the Lafayette County Office Complex.

The proposed prices that were pitched to the county were lower than expected. The main decision that the Board of Supervisors needed to make was what to do with the debris from the area.

The dirt and plant material could be hauled off by a company, mulched or burned on site. The cheapest option would be to burn the material on site. District 1 Supervisor Kevin Frye mentioned that, though the development would not be taking place in his district, burning on a much smaller

scale has recently been taking place and a lot of residents have complained at how unpleasant it is. The burning that would be required in this particular instance would have to be conducted on a rather large scale. Hauling off the material would be expensive and cause a lot of wear and tear on the road as well as congestion and a higher risk of accidents, Frye pointed out.

Mulching the plant material from the site is not as immediately cost effective as burning, but it is the more environmentally friendly option and will not have the area filled with smoke, potentially for days. Frye made the motion for the board to accept a bid and have the material mulched on site. Chad McLarty seconded his motion and the motion unanimously carried.

The next big issue the board discussed was the Oxford Spring develop-

ment out on Hwy 7, north of the industrial park.

The development will be constructed in phases.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers has approved 200 acres of lakes to be constructed in the area. They've conducted clay sample testing as well as a method of testing the area to see how well it would hold the water. This translates into nine miles of lakefront property that will be available for purchase.

Developers have also established a Federal Conservation Easement of 200 acres along the existing Graham Mill Creek.

These 200 acres will be protected from any future development.

Developers have worked with the Mississippi Department of Transportation to establish two access points to the area along Hwy 7. The southern intersection will be “nearly identical” to the intersection approxi-

mately one mile south where at Industrial Park Drive. The northern intersection would have a 50 ft. wide driveway with access to the “Equestrian Center,” which is part of the first phase of construction.

Alger Design Studio is the architectural firm handling the Oxford Springs development at present. They have also been working with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality “to develop a low-impact, environmentally friendly solution of constructed wetlands and subsurface drip fields to accommodate our sewer needs.”

The first phase of the construction will include the northern area of the development will consist of approximately 150 acres including a 19 acre lake with 64 single family lots at about 2 acres each.

Abbeville has agreed to provide water services to this portion of the devel-

opment. The lower portion being installed during the first phase will consist of 100 acres and be the main entrance into Oxford Springs. There will be a Commercial Center, Live-Work areas, Residential and outdoor gathering spaces that developers are intending to use for local events.

The Oxford Springs Equestrian Center is also part of the first phase. It will consist of nearly 85 acres including a 20-stall stable and a 40,000 sq. ft. covered arena. This area will be accessed from the northern entrance of the development.

Corey Alger of Alger Design Studio, who presented all of the above information before the board Tuesday morning, will be presenting on Oxford Springs again at the City Planning Commission’s meeting next week. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

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OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PHOTO BY SHANE EPPING

Author Alex George will be coming to Oxford Thursday, March 2 to be a featured guest on Thacker Mountain Radio. George will be promoting his book “Setting Free the Kites,” on sale now at Square Books.

Alex George to appear on Thacker Mountain Radio

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

Author Alex George will be coming to Oxford next week to promote his latest novel “Setting Free the Kites.” The English-born author will be the featured guest on Thacker Mountain Radio on March 2.

This is George’s sixth published book. He published four in England and Europe, and this is

his second to publish in America. He first began writing while working as a lawyer in London. He said that he’d gone through a rough patch of only reading really awful books and told a few of his friends that he could probably do better.

“Finally a friend suggested I put my money where my mouth was and just do it,” George said, laughing at the memory.

“I was young and stupid

enough to think “Why the hell not,” I wasn’t really expecting anything to ever come of it. No one was more surprised by it than I am. Well, with the possible exception of my mother.”

Getting his latest book ready for publication was nearly a five-year process.

He wrote the first draft of the novel in about 18 months and delivered it for edits about three years ago. It went through sev-

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eral rewrites and edits until George felt it was ready.

The idea for one the characters in the book, Nathan Tilley, came to George while he was watching the 2008 indie film “Man on Wire.” The film was directed by James Marsh and tells the story of Philippe Petit’s 1974 stunt when he walked across a wire stretched across the Twin Towers in New York City.

George became fascinated with what would drive a person to do this, especially, as Petit did, without any form of safety net.

“He was clearly, in some ways, some kind of genius, but it also struck me that he has this obsessiveness and single-mindedness,” George said. “He was a raging egomaniac and monstrous sociopath. It just struck me that he’d be an interesting character to write. That was where initial idea for the book came about, and how Nathan Tilly managed to wedge his way in my head.”

As the writing progresses, George smoothed out Nathan’s personality made him “more of a benign character.” He did, however, write Nathan with a similar single-mindedness and drive. Nathan, like Petit, is obsessed with getting off the ground, just in a different way. The novel bloomed around Nathan.

He began thinking of how to approach Nathan’s story, exactly how to tell it. He then had the realization that the story was bigger than just Nathan.

“It struck me that what was interesting about the stories of characters like Nathan, isn’t just him, but the impact he has on the characters around him,” the author said. “Very quickly I began to realized that this story was about a friendship and how Nathan’s existence affects Robert and the long lasting legacy of a deep and early friendship.”

Setting Free the Kites follows the story of Robert Carter and Nathan

Tilly, two young teenagers who meet on the first day of school in 1976 in a small town in coastal Maine. The two boys are very different, but the bond they form quickly becomes a vital part of both of their lives as they try to navigate a world of cruelty, family tragedy, love and heartbreak, all in the face of impeding adulthood.

George’s effortless and beautiful prose flows off of the page to construct a timeless narrative of love, loss, kinship and how the connections we make will almost always find a way to affect us for the rest of our lives.

“Setting Free the Kites” was published February 21 and is available for purchase at Square Books. Alex George will be in Oxford Thursday, March 2 as a featured guest on Thacker Mountain Radio. He will be reading a selection from the book as well as signing copies. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PAGE 5

City Board passes resolution relating to property rights

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

The Oxford Board of Alderman held their second regular meeting for the month of February in the second floor courtroom of city hall.

Item 11 on the agenda for the meeting has been a topic of discussion around town and relates to property rights.

The item’s purpose is to “Request permission to adopt a resolution finding and declaring that the public convenience and necessity requires the acquisition by eminent domain of that cer-

tain property located within and along the proposed West Oxford Loop Right of Way Project.” This item passed.

Part of the item reads: “Whereas, based on the completed road right of way design for said project (SEMP 36 (1)), Elliott & Britt have advised of the necessity of acquiring a road right of way upon the subject properties as reflected on the attached survey and the City of Oxford accordingly finds and determines that the public convenience and necessity requires the acquisition of a road right of way upon the

subject properties reflected on said survey; and “Whereas, the City of Oxford Mayor and Board of Aldermen and the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors attempted to negotiate the purchase of the subject proposed right of way properties based upon a fair market value, without success; and “Whereas, having unsuccessfully attempted the negotiated acquisition of the required road right-of-way on the properties owned by Heritage Development and Robert Edmister as reflected on the attached survey (the

“subject” properties) , the City of Oxford Board of Aldermen approves the institution of an eminent domain proceeding and, further, to proceed under the quick take procedure based upon a finding, and hereby finds, that irreparable harm will occur and the public interest and convenience will suffer as a result of any further undue delay in the completion of said road project.”

The resolution is intended to be used in an instance where, as stated above in the second paragraph of the selected passage, property

owners are refusing to sell their property to the City for fair market value, when the City is trying to buy the property and use it for the good of “the public convenience.”

Like, for example, to expand a highway or build a road.

The board has discussed this topic at previous City Board meetings. At the end of Tuesday night’s meeting, the mayor and board went into executive session to discuss the specifics surrounding this item and what it can mean for certain property owners. When the board goes into executive session,

they do so in order to protect the identities and personal information of citizens and City personnel.

The complete item, as well as the entirety of every agenda from the Board of Alderman meeting, can be viewed on the city’s website.

They even have an option to have each and every agenda emailed directly to those who sign up.

The Oxford Citizen will continue to follow this story as it develops. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

Physicists to gather for international workshop at UM OXFORD CITIZEN REPORTS

Dozens of esteemed scientists from around the globe are headed to the University of Mississippi for a four-day international workshop on the latest in gravitational-wave astronomy.

The workshop will be

hosted by the UM Gravitation, Astrophysics and Theoretical Physics Group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The "Strong Gravity and Binary Dynamics with Gravitational Wave Observations" workshop convenes Feb. 27 to March 2 in the Yerby Conference Center.

About 50 scientists representing some 30 research agencies and institutions of higher learning are scheduled to attend.

Researchers will discuss several topics in the newborn field of gravitationalwave astronomy, including the astrophysics of compact binary populations, spin

measurements in compact binaries, strong-field tests of Einstein's theory of general relativity and how to look for hints of new gravitational physics beyond Einstein's theory.

United States registrants include researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton Uni-

versity, California Institute of Technology, NASA, Montana State University and the universities of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Texas at Dallas, among others.

International affiliates include Instituto Superior Técnico-Lisbon and University of Aveiro in Portugal; Sapienza University of

Rome; Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris; the universities of Birmingham, Cambridge and Nottingham in England; Nagoya University in Japan; and Amsterdam University in the Netherlands.

Ole Miss physicists were TURN TO PHYSICISTS PAGE 9

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PAGE 6

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL

Volunteers helped to make the 2017 Oxford Film Festival, the biggest it has ever been. Over the course of the five-day festival, 240 volunteers and staff members put in 2,633 hours of hard work to make it all possible.

Volunteers help pull off most successful film fest yet has ever been, and it was all made possible by the work of volunteers. Film This year’s Oxford Film makers and attendees Festival was the biggest it came from as far away as

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

Japan to participate in this year’s festival and make it a success and the film fest’s sleep-deprived, caffeine-fueled volunteers

were behind the scenes every step of the way.

Due to monthly programing now available, the film festival accepts volunteers year-round. In order to earn a full-access VIP pass to the festival and after parties, volunteers are required to work a minimum of 20 hours. If volunteers still contribute hours but do not work the full 20 hours, they will receive a day pass, or some other form of ticket-related compensation.

There’s a bit of a different system for film screeners who evaluate entrees months before the festival. They’re required to screen a certain number of films rather than work a certain number of hours.

Because of the wide variety of times and ways to get involved, volunteers can earn their VIP passes to the festival without having to even work during the actual festival.

This year there were 240 volunteers for the film festival. This includes about 30 staff members who were are still volunteers, but have managerial roles. For example there are venue managers, people who oversee merchandise, people who oversee audience ballots – basically every major facet of the schedule has at least one person in command making sure

everything is functioning as it should. Over the course of the five-day festival, volunteers put in a total of 2,633 hours of work.

“The film festival literally would not happen if these people weren’t here helping,” said Executive Director Melanie Addington. “There’s absolutely now way I, or even the staff, could run around being in seven venues at once all the time.”

Those interested in volunteering can learn more about the process and the jobs available by visiting www.oxfordfilmfest.com.

On the website there’s a list of the different opportunities volunteers have.

They can screen films before the festival to help decide which ones are up to par. Volunteers can help transport film makers from the Memphis airport. The festival needs people to help out with fundraising, ticket sales, promotion, party organization, catering and so much more. Those interested in volunteering can register online and then build their volunteer schedule based on their interests.

Debbie Nelson and her two sons have been volunteering at the film festival for a few years now.

Nelson first became acquainted with the film fest

while taking a class in the fall of 2013. That was when she first volunteered and helped screen films for the festival. Her sons came along for the ride.

“Our family talks in movie quotes,” Nelson said. “We are major, major fans of movies. We just love films.”

This year Nelson and her two sons Tyler and Steven spent he film fest working hard. Covering for no show volunteers and helping to smooth out any unexpected wrinkle. They both worked nearly 80 hours during the five-day festival. Tyler and Steven also put out signs around town to make it easier for people to navigate their way to and around the venues.

“I think it’s really impressive that a town our size has one of the top 50 film festivals in the nation worth the entry fee,” Nelson said, referring to a ranking the film festival received last year. “People come here from all over the world. In the hopes of making Oxford the cultural center of the South, I’d like to see that continue. It’s a wonderful and exciting event that happens every year, and it just keeps growing.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PAGE 7

MSU's Research and Curriculum Unit to begin working with Lafayette

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

Mississippi State University’s Research and Curriculum Unit is set to begin working with the Lafayette County School District to implement high learning standards of computer science education.

Founded in 1965, the primary function of the RCU is to work directly with the Mississippi Department of Education to assess and, when necessary, implement changes in the required curriculum. The RCU also works with different industry professionals and educators to research and find out how they can improve career and technical education programs throughout out the state.

Two years ago, the Mississippi Department of Education asked the RCU to look into the current state of computer science education across the state and look for ways to make it better. The pilot program the RCU is about to implement

at Lafayette is currently operating in similar capacities in 38 different school districts across the state. The Oxford School District also has a teacher at the high school doing a computer science unit.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics currently predicts that by 2020 there will be 1.4 million jobs in computer science available in the country, but only about 400,000 graduates capable of filling those jobs.

The RCU is hoping to change that last number.

Shelly Hollis is a project manager at the RCU. She is one of two co-leaders overseeing this project.

“This is a great opportunity for the kids of Mississippi,” Hollis said. “Not only does this provide them with a job skill that is greatly needed, but a lot of Mississippi kids like to stay in Mississippi. This gives them the opportunity to be entrepreneurs. You could operate a computer science business from your living room, and it be an international busi-

ness. This is a great economic opportunity for our state.”

The RCU then began researching how computer science was being treated both in and out of the state.

They were looking for numbers. What was the job market like for someone with these skills? How much money could they make?

Could these skills be used to

make a significant contribution to society?

“We found out very quickly there was need for computer scientists across the country,” Hollis said.

“There are huge job opportunities in computer science.

We also found that not very many schools offered computer science course. Yes, there are classes out there about learning Microsoft

Word and Excel and those sorts of things, but there’s not a lot of coding, computational thinking and problem solving skills. Google and Gallup actually teamed up for a poll that showed that 9 out of 10 parents wanted their kids to learn computer science skills, but only about 1 in 4 schools offer that in their curriculum.”

Hollis said a large reason for this not being widely available is simply because computer science isn’t a tested subject area. Math and reading are the main things school districts are trying to enforce with students, and sometimes it can be hard to find teachers capable of covering those.

That’s why the RCU is trying to work with the teachers that are already in the schools.

Currently, this RCU is working to equip teachers with the proper skills to implement computer science learning in the classroom.

For elementary schools, the RCU recommends that elementary school teachers

spend between 20 and 40 hours a school year focusing on computer science skills.

This translates into about an hour a week focusing on topics like coding, digital citizenship, keyboarding and more.

One of the primary tools they are using to teach these skills is Code.org. A nonprofit and website that was launched in 2013 to provide free coding curriculum and activities for students of all ages and learning levels.

Hollis pointed that a byproduct of putting this kind of curriculum in the public school system and allowing so many people access to this kind of education is that the demographics of the computer science field would drastically change. It's a way to combat that stereotype that every computer scientist is a nerd from 80s movie with a pocket protector and a bad haircut and open a lot of doors for people who normally wouldn’t have a set of keys. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

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OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 8

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

COURTESY

The Makos are two time Grand Champions, and Depp South National Champions for Level 3.

Oxford Cheer and Tumble Prepares for March Competition has had numerous first place and grand champion finishes during comThe 2016-2017 Oxford petition. Oxford Cheer Cheer and Tumble season teams practice year round

BY KATHRYN WINTER STAFF WRITER

beginning with tryouts in April and practices in May. During summer months, athletes are allowed to miss for vaca-

tions and or camps and mandatory practices begin in August. Competition season begins in December and runs through April-May each season. Oxford Cheer and Tumble's All Star program is affectionately known as the "Oxford Cheer Sharks." This season, OC has 5 teams: Threshers (ages 6-9,) Reefs (ages 912,) Bullsharks (ages 912,) Hammerheads (ages 9-12) and Makos (ages 1218). Each team competes within its own age range and skill level in USASF Certified All Star Divisions. Grand Champs are awarded by level and encompass each age range, which provides an opportunity for the younger athletes to compete against older athletes in the same All Star Level.

The Threshers are Kristen coached by Yarbrough and the Makos are coached by Trey Griffin and Zach Lee. The Threshers are currently three times Grand Champion in consecutive competitions, most recently Deep South’s National Champion and poised to finish well in Atlanta, Orange Beach, and have a unique opportunity in May to travel to New Orleans where they will take on the best teams for their age and division level at the International Spirit

COURTESY

Oxford Cheer and Tumble's All Star program, the OC Cheer Sharks, compete throughout the year.

Championships.

“Seeing the joy and excitement on the girls' faces when they are announced as grand champs is an absolutely amazing feeling, but winning isn't everything. Before stepping out on the mats, I tell my team that I don't want them to think of it as a competition, but rather a performance. As long as they perform for themselves, and do the

best that they can do, then that's a success, and for us, that has proven to be a win!” Yarbrough said. “I've worked with the majority of the girls on my team since they started at Oxford Cheer and Tumble in rec classes, so I definitely have a ‘proud parent’ reaction when they accomplish any new goals set before them. I am equally TURN TO CHEER PAGE 9

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

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COURTESY

The Threshers are three time Grand Champions, most recently Deep South's National Champion.

Cheer FROM 8

as proud when they get a new tumbling skill or hit a new stunt at practice as I am when they go full out at competition and come home as National Champions! Coaching the youngest team at the gym is so rewarding. I get to see them grow as young ladies, and become amazingly strong athletes, with class, good sportsmanship and an impeccable work ethic. These 7-9 year olds work harder than anyone could ever imagine, and for that, I am so proud!”

Makos are having a season to remember as well.

Athletes on this team travel from Oxford, New Albany, Calhoun City, Bruce, Batesville, Grenada, and Winonaencompassing over 9 different schools. Zach Lee, Owner, Director and Coach of Oxford Cheer and Tumble said that the Makos have the toughest schedule and training of

Physicists FROM 5

part of the research collaboration that first detected gravitational waves in 2015.

The department's standing in research circles is reflected in U.S. News' 2017 listing of Best Global Universities, where the university is ranked No. 11 globally for overall international collaborations in physics. The department's faculty also ranks No. 6 in the world in

anyone in the gym. “The self-discipline, time management and committo ment required maintain grades, school activities and Makos’ practices all while being a teenager truly molds these young athletes into exceptional role models and individuals once they graduate. The comradery and relationships built within the squad is remarkable to witness.

These kids lay down their school colors and come together for a common goal. It’s a family.” Makos are two-time Grand Champs and also Deep South National Champions in Level 3. The Makos will be making their second appearance March 11-12 at UCA’s International All Star Championship in Orlando, FL where they finished fourth in their division last season. Trey Griffin said the focus has been to bring this program to the National Level. “Regional competitions prepare us for what we will face on the bigger stages. The

hard work, dedication, and commitment required to tackle this feat is comparable to that of any other sport. These kids work hard through illness and injury at times and are focused on team goals.”

Lee said the team is honored to be Deep South’s National Champions and that they look forward to the opportunity that the IASC will bring in March. A team goal was set when Oxford Cheer left Orlando last year that they would bring home a National Title. “Cheerleading is constantly evolving and most recently has been approved for revision to be included in upcoming Olympic Games. With the constant growth of youth participating in Cheer, Tumbling, and All Star across the country, Oxford could have its own future Olympian flipping around right now, dreaming of the big blue mat and the Grand bright lights.

Champs and National Titles are just the start of it,” Lee said.

terms of producing work that is cited by others in their research publications.

These achievements continue to benefit the department as it branches out into new areas, according to Josh Gladden, who joined the faculty in 2005 and is the university's interim vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs.

"When you raise the bar like that in a department, the standard becomes nationally and internationally recognized work, and that

breeds more nationally and internationally recognized work," said Gladden, also an associate professor of physics and astronomy. "If that's what you're around – your colleagues are publishing papers and getting invited to present at conferences around the world and being recognized for their contributions to their fields – then that's the bar you're going to try to jump over. It really elevates the work that everybody does."

PAGE 10

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

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Attendees had the opportunity to learn to read and write their names in Arabic at the meet up.

The event was organized by student-led organization Change Mississippi and the Oxford Mosque.

“

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We wanted to come and talk to some people that we might not normally run into or encounter here in town.

Neighbor FROM 1

in Oxford and operated by students, but are not directly associated with the University of Mississippi. The organization is a registered nonprofit.

Ryan Grover is the founder of Change Mississippi. He’s a senior at Ole Miss studying integrated marketing communications. He said that more than anything, his goal for the organization is to get different communities throughout the state to come together and lift each other up. He wants Change Mississippi to help facilitate that.

“We’re listening for the causes,” Grover said.

“We’re listening to what’s going on in America right now, and we’re going to be the ones acting, and doing it the right way.”

Grover said that there are a lot of things happening in the current political climate that are driving people and communities away from one another. This event was a way for members of the community to come together to engage in a dialog in the hopes of cultivating a better understanding of those who live among us.

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going, people are protesting, but they aren’t getting the people who are being affected involved,” Grover said. “We’re trying to make sure that people who are being affected by these things involved as well as just put them out in the community and dismiss these misconceptions people have. A lot of it is just misunderstanding. We want to be able to pull off more events like this across Mississippi.”

The road in front of Square Books Junior and City Hall was closed off to traffic to allow room for everyone to congregate.

Along the street were tents and tables set up so that the public could engage in conversations about the Islamic faith and what it's like to be a Muslim in America today.

There was tent set up where Muslim women answered questions about their faith and their experiences of living in a small Southern town, the prejudice and lack of understanding they face and solace they find among their own community as well as the broader LOU community.

There was a booth set up to teach people how to write their names in Arabic. Kids and adults of all ages lined up to learn the flowing script that is written and read from right to

left. Among them were husband and wife Meredith Harper and Ben Lowery. The two learned of the event on social media about an hour and a half before the event actually began. They were attracted to the idea of meeting people in town.

Harper works for the university and Lowery works from home, so getting out to interact with the broader community can be difficult at times. They were excited about this opportunity to do so.

“We hadn’t had this experience here before,” said Lowery. “It sounded interesting, and it’s been pretty cool so far. I don’t know that we’re here to learn a whole lot as much as just be here and get to know the community.

We’re here for more of the meet your neighbor aspect of things. We wanted to come and talk to some people that we might not normally run into or encounter here in town.”

The event featured several speakers including Professor of Pharmaceutics in the School of Pharmacy at Ole Miss, Mahmoud A. ElSohly and 12th District Rep. Jay Hughes. Drinks and traditional food were also available at the event. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

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PAGE 16

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

Parrish Alford Ole Miss Sports

Notebook: Saiz returns to form against rival

O

le Miss center Sebastian Saiz, the only SEC player averaging a double-double, got back in the double-double business Tuesday night.

The senior from Madrid broke out of his recent slump in a big way and set a significant career mark as well.

Saiz, the only SEC player to average a doubledouble, had not recorded one in the previous three games.

He entered the MSU game needing just four rebounds – roughly two below his average – to reach 900 rebounds for his career.

He reached that mark in the first half, joining Murphy Holloway as just the second player in school history to post at least 1,000 points and at least 900 rebounds.

Only 15 previous SEC players have reached that milestone including such conference names as Glenn Davis and Shaquille O’Neal from LSU and Kenny Walker from Kentucky.

Saiz finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

SERIES HISTORY The most-played rivalry in SEC history, the Bulldogs and Rebels have split their regular season series.

Ole Miss began the night having won six of the previous seven meetings, the Rebels’ most success in the series since winning eight straight from 1980-1983.

Now it’s seven of eight, but among those seven wins only one had come in Starkville before Tuesday. Ole Miss won 71-65 at Humphrey Coliseum in 2015.

JOHN DAVIS

Lafayette sophomore Dawson Welch is a returner for coach Debbie Swindoll in 2017.

Ready for spring Swindoll likes makeup of her LHS Commodores

READY’S RETURN MSU senior guard I.J. Ready has missed four games this season and been limited in others with various injuries. He did not play against Ole Miss in Oxford but was effective in the rematch.

As the Bulldogs shot 44 percent in the first half, Ready was 3 for 6 from the floor with seven points and two assists.

He had 20 points, five rebounds and five assists for the game and was huge down the stretch to set up the overtime.

BROOKS MISSES GAME Senior guard Rasheed Brooks missed the game with what an Ole Miss spokesman called a medical condition.

Brooks missed two games earlier this season after sustaining a seizure against Tennessee on Jan. 17.

Brooks had 15 points and two rebounds in the first meeting against MSU. He’s averaging 7.2 points and 2.8 rebounds. parrish.alford@journalinc.com Twitter: @parrishalford

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER

This is the seventh season Debbie Swindoll has been in charge of the Lafayette High tennis program. There have been a lot positives gained over that time period, and because she has been around the athletes for so long, Swindoll has a great grasp of what this current group can achieve in 2017.

“I return everybody from last year but two senior guys and I think we're going to be really good,” Swindoll said.

“The reality of it all is that we're still in the same division with New Albany who has a lot of tournament players.

My goal is to still make it to the playoffs and advance in this last year being in 4A.” Three seniors lead the girls' team, and the trio have been playing since middle school. Swindoll likes the overall depth on that side of the roster.

“I think all of those girls, Rachel Reed, Abby Arrington and Cara Anne Sallis, are able to lead us,” Swindoll said. “My two soccer players, Halle Moore and Emma Wilson, are also instrumental.

They're athletes who have been in the fire. I put a lot pressure on those girls to come through and they have been.”

There is a chance the Commodores could be better than they have been.

Swindoll thought that the team would be as good as they have been.

“I am going to be younger on the bottom end of my boys' side. It will be up to how quickly they adjust to older competition against juniors and seniors,” Swindoll said. “I do have four guys that are fairly seasoned even though I only have one senior. We have the potential to be better than what we have been in the past.”

There has been some growth on the part of the team, as well as individuals, leading into the season. Some players

have surprised Swindoll in a good way.

“I think the practice time has been valuable for us this spring. We have a competitive schedule and I'm trying to put them in that mode so that by the end of the year, we're playing our best tennis barring injury,” Swindoll said.

“That's kind of what I'm looking for.”

Doubles play is a huge point of emphasis in the high school ranks, and Swindoll takes an aggressive approach in how she coaches her players in those type of matches. In singles, Alley Bowen is experienced and Swindoll expects her to get wins because she has put in a lot of time and effort. As an eighth grader, Bowen advanced to the championship match in Class 4A singles.

“She is going to be tough to beat in singles. If I could ever get my boys and my girls to be lined up exactly like I TURN TO SWINDOLL PAGE 18

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PAGE 17

JOHN DAVIS

Oxford High tennis coach Louis Nash and his team is set to begin the 2017 season.

OHS tennis Chargers have pleased Nash heading into 2017

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER

Early practices leading up to the 2017 opener have pleased Oxford High tennis coach Louis Nash.

How that translates to matches on the court remains to be seen. The Chargers are the gold standard in the state when it comes time to talk about high school tennis.

Nash has led the program to nine straight state championships, and this year's roster has talent on it to accomplish No. 10.

The experience level is a little different than in past seasons, Nash said, but retooling has been a part of the equation before.

“You can play 12 kids, six girls, six boys. Two years ago, we graduated

six of 12. Last year we graduated six more of 12,” Nash said. “So as that starts happening you start being much younger as far as experience wise. A lot of those kids that graduated had played varsity tennis for five or six years.

They knew what to expect. Now we have several that may not know what to expect and how to react.”

The fun part for Nash is watching to see the reactions of his players to everything. After watching the Chargers practice, Nash has an idea on where everyone fits in the lineup and who can play with who the best.

“You still never really know until you start match play. It's not like we're starting with the

easiest teams in the state,” said Nash, whose Chargers face Class 6A powers Madison Central and Ocean Springs right out of gate. “We'll play the 6A champion and the 6A runner-up to start off with.”

There is a core group of senior girls that Nash is counting on. There are a couple of senior boys that have played a long time.

Nash's son, Bo, is a veteran who has been through the ringer. Grace Anne Jones and Ryan Mounce are two other veterans in the lineup that Nash will depend on.

“They are the ones that are going to have to pull everyone else along. It's not like we have one person that says 'Hey, let's go everybody' and everyone else just falls in line,” Nash

said. “It has to be a collective bunch and that's the way I would always like them to be. It puts a lot of pressure on one or two individuals if they have to be leading all the time. You better have some help in that regard and we have plenty of help in that regard. We have young kids that have played and they can jump in there and lead just as well as the rest of them.”

The way Nash likes his players to lead is to show up on time for practice, for them to pay attention to what they are coached to do, execute what they are coached to do and then take their talent to another level when the pressure is on.

“If you can do those things, you can lead,”

Nash said. “We have plenty of numbers. That is not our problem. We have approximately 80 kids in the program. We have every degree of player you could imagine coming to practice at some point or the other during the week.”

Nash didn't think his Chargers would be as physical as they have been in the past. When Nash uses the word physical, he means the ability to push teams around the court, specifically in doubles play.

“Tennis wise, finesse wise, we may be as good as we've been,” Nash added. “We are certainly trying to coach them into more of a push-you-offthe-court style moving forward. And they're get-

ting there. I think before the season is done, we're going to be pretty good.

That's the fun part, you never know.”

There is a new assistant coach helping Nash this season. Nick Joste has replaced Ashley Freeman, who Nash said has been missed.

“Nick grew up playing tennis in South Africa. He played at a high level in his country and other places for a long time,” Nash said. “He brings much technical knowledge to the table. His will be predecessor missed as she brought lots of things. The kids have responded to Nick and he's going to do well. He will be a good person to have next to the court helping them out.”

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 18

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

OPC hosts first junior tournament of the season

BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD PARK COMMISSION

Fantastic weather only enhanced the first junior tournament of the season at the FNC Tennis Center this past weekend. Over 100 players took part in the event that William Foreman, the tournament director, said was perfect overall for both participants and spectators.

“We had 160 entrants so most players were playing in two different draws (doubles and mixed doubles), which is awesome.

We played 103 matches over the weekend,” Foreman said. “This doubles tournament is an event we do for the high school teams. Since five of the seven courts in a high school match are doubles, this event helps get the players ready for the season with some competitive play against different players. Over half the players were from here in Oxford, with the rest coming mostly from New Albany and then suburbs of Memphis.”

Scheduling the matches

is the hardest part of running a tournament, Foreman said. The difficulty, however, actually leads to great satisfaction for Foreman when the schedule goes off without a hitch.

“We only had one case of a player being scheduled to be in two matches at the same time, which is great,” Foreman said. “I always ask for feedback in a wrap up e-mail I send to all of our participants, and as usual we had great praise of our facility and of our staff. Everyone is always impressed when they come to a public facility and see it so well maintained and well kept, with the facilities always cleaned even during the event. Our staff truly is second to none.”

The next tournament, which will feature more local players, will be held March 3.

“This is going to be a great event for our local players who are looking to start playing tournaments. After that, we have the MS Sweet 16 State Closed, our annual junior championship event,”

BOYS' 14 DOUBLES

GIRLS' 14 DOUBLES

(Final Round) Bolen, Luke (New Albany, MS) / Fennell, Joseph (1) (New Albany, MS) def. Fruge, Charles (Oxford, MS) / deVera, Rowan (Oxford, MS) 7-5; 6-0

(Final Round) Gafford, Jill (New Albany, MS) / Scott, Maggie (1) (New Albany, MS) def.

Aldridge, Isabella (New Albany, MS) / Laney, Emma (2) (New Albany, MS) 6-0; 6-0

BOYS' 16 DOUBLES

MIXED 14 DOUBLES

(Final Round) Roshak, Daniel (Arlington, TN) / Wylie, John (Collierville, TN) def.

Koestler, William (Oxford, MS) / Peeler, Ben (Oxford, MS) 6-0; 6-3

(Final Round) Jones, Emma (Oxford, MS) / Koestler, William (Oxford, MS) def.

Grafton, Addie (Oxford, MS) / Schuesselin, Mack (Oxford, MS) 6-2; 7-6

BOYS' 18 DOUBLES

MIXED 16 DOUBLES

(Final Round) Mounce, Ryan (Oxford, JOHN DAVIS MS) / Whitwell, Gordon Oxford’s Ryan Mounce, left, and Gordon Whitwell won the (Oxford, MS) def. Black, Boys 18 title in the Oxford Doubles Championship held Feb. Robert (Amory, MS) / Wofford, Jacob (1) 17-18 at the FNC Tennis Center.

(Mathiston, MS) 6-1; Foreman said. “It’s only 6-0 BOYS' 10 DOUBLES for Mississippi players, so ORANGE BALL we'll have juniors from all (Final Round) GIRLS' 12 DOUBLES across the state traveling Huggins, Hayes (Ox(Final Round) here to compete. We're ford, MS) / Koestler, Monteith, Bel (Oxford, looking forward to these Andrew (1) (Oxford, MS) / Wilkinson, Owen (1) and many more in the fu- MS) def.

Turner, (Oxford, MS) def. Creekture.”

Van (Oxford, MS) / more, Natalie (New Below are the champi- Turner, Tal (2) (Ox- Albany, MS) / Mason, ons crowned in the differ- ford, MS) 4-1; 1-4; Gracie (2) (New Albany, ent age divisions: 1-0.

MS) 6-2; 6-2

(Final Round) Bolen, Luke (New Albany, MS) / Creekmore, Maggie (1) (New Albany, MS) def. Davis, John (New Albany, MS) / Scott, Maggie (New Albany, MS) 6-3; 7-5

MIXED 18 DOUBLES (Final Round) Lowery, Hailey (Oxford, MS) / Mounce, Ryan (Oxford, MS) def.

Ferguson, Claire (Mantee, MS) / Parker, Rhett (Mantee, MS) 6-0; 6-0.

New assistant ready to cure Rebels’ defensive ills

BY PARRISH ALFORD DAILY JOURNAL

JOHN DAVIS

Senior Cara Anne Sallis is one of the leaders of the Lafayette High tennis team.

Swindoll FROM 16

want, it would be even better,” Swindoll said.

“My first year, I had three older girls and one boy which is kind of what I've got now. We are building.

My numbers are really big and we're improving but I wish I had a few more older guys. Some more senior guys would be optimal.”

The first half of March is about getting experi-

ence and figuring out which lineups are the best for the Commodores, and then using that data to get the team in position for the playoffs.

“We want to play as many competitive matches as I can. I'm playing more junior varsity matches this year than I have ever played because I know I have to build for next year,” Swindoll said. “I want to win this year, but I know it's all about creating the next years as well.”

New Ole Miss assistant coach Bradley Dale Peveto is confident the defense overall – linebacker play in particular – will improve in 2017.

Peveto will get his first look at the group he inherits plus two mid-year enrollees when the Rebels begin spring drills the first week of March.

Ole Miss players struggled with run fits and tackling in 2016, contributing factors in a defense that finished ranked No. 100 or lower in total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense.

There were seven different starting combinations among the Rebels’ two linebacker positions in their 4-25 base defense last year.

Peveto, beginning his 30th season in coaching, says cur-

ing the ills of last year’s team won’t be only about putting the right players in the right places.

“The No. 1 thing is you’ve got to be very loyal to your head coach, your coordinator and your players in how you handle them. You have to capture the minds and hearts of the player,” Peveto said. “It’s important they know there’s a lot more to you than coaching football.”

It was November when Ole Miss settled on two starters for the last three games – graduate transfer Rommel Mageo at middle linebacker and DeMarquis Gates on the outside.

While the linebacker door revolved last season Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze did not pull the redshirt away from three-star signee Donta Evans. He’s a new name added to the mix for spring.

So are junior college transfer Brenden Williams and high school signee Breon Dixon.

Dixon was rated a fourstar prospect by the major recruiting outlets. ESPN ranked him the nation’s No. 144 overall recruit and No. 8 outside linebacker.

He’ll begin spring as a nickel back, Peveto said.

“We get 15 practices in the spring plus meetings, and you can’t put a price tag on what that does for the learnOUT OF THE GATE Gates – athletic and rangy ing curve,” Peveto said. and with the most experience at the position – led the NEW SCHEME team with 74 tackles last seaOle Miss struggled to son. find its best player group-

ings with two linebackers last year and now adds a third as its base defense under new coordinator Wesley McGriff will be a 43.

“I like our defense and what coach McGriff has taught us so far,” Peveto said.

“We’re going to be simple enough to learn but sophisticated enough to win and multiple enough to have a really great package.”

He expects the linebackers to be a big part of the improvement.

“I really like the linebacker room. We have a real eager group of good football players. They’ve had a real good off-season.” parrish.alford@journalinc.com Twitter: @parrishalford

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PAGE 19

JOHN DAVIS

Lafayette’s Kimaya Dixon dribbles the ball up the court during Monday’s 52-26 win over Houston in the MHSAA Class 4A basketball playoffs. The Lady Commodores host Itawabma AHS on Friday night in the next round.

Lafayette bounces Houston from 4A playoffs

BY JOHN DAVIS SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL

A third win over Houston this season pushed the Lafayette Lady Commodores a game closer to reaching a second straight trip to Jackson for the MHSAA Class 4A state tournament.

Lafayette started slower than normal but over-

came it after the half to post a 52-26 win over Houston Monday night in the first round of the 4A playoffs.

Less than 72 hours after ripping apart Byhalia in the Division 2-4A championship game, the Lady looked Commodores lethargic in the first half.

They definitely struggled on offense as Houston

(15-14) held Lafayette’s top scorer, Shaniyah Buford, to just four points.

Thankfully for Lafayette, its defense was solid and that allowed them to be up 21-13 at the break.

The Lady Commodores (26-3) came out of the break energized and scored 21 in the decisive third quarter. The Lady Hilltoppers struggled to

break Lafayette’s press and finished with just eight points over the same time period.

Lafayette continued to wear on Houston, increasing its lead to as much as 30 points.

Lafayette defeated Houston 53-19 in the season opener and 59-20 in a second meeting just before Christmas.

“Credit Houston with a great defensive game plan tonight. We settled for some early 3s that we shouldn’t have,” Lafayette coach Shayne Linzy said.

“Thankfully the girls were able to change their own fortunes from the field in the second half. The name of the game right now is survive, and advance.”

Buford led all scorers with 16 points. She was aided by teammate Mariah Holland’s 11point night. Houston didn’t have a player score in double figures.

Up next for the Lady Commodores is a home matchup against Itawamba AHS on Friday night. The winner will advance on to Jackson.

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 20

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

Commodores put up a good fight in 4A playoff loss

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER

What John Sherman wanted to see from his Lafayette Commodores Tuesday night he got. The hustle, the grit and the overall effort demonstrated in the 32 minutes of action pleased the veteran head coach.

Lafayette’s basketball season may have come to an end with a 50-37 loss to Leake Central, but the Commodores left everything they had out on the floor. That pleased Sherman, who

added the program took an additional step with the playoff appearance.

Lafayette was down two players against Leake Central, which meant Sherman put two reserves on the court that hadn’t seen nearly as much action. Senior Ethan Lindsey did well in that role, Sherman said.

Logan Russell also fought hard in his time on the court.

“We looked at this as another step, another way for us to grow by going to play on the road, traveling two and a half hours to play a

team we have never seen before in a gym we have never been in before,” Sherman said. “Overall, it was a good experience. We battled a team with one loss basically to the wire. We were just two possessions away with four minutes to go.”

The game was close throughout. Lafayette trailed just 26-23 at the half and were down just five points (40-35) midway through the fourth quarter before the Gators pulled away.

Lafayette was called for offensive fouls trying to set up specific plays, and that hurt

their rhythm as a whole.

“An illegal screen is kind of like a holding call in football,” Sherman said. “Finally they just took control. They went from five to nine with a couple of baskets and then it’s just over. I’m proud of the way the kids battled under adverse conditions. Guys came off the bench that hadn’t played much and did a commendable job.”

Sherman added that his players had upset looks on their faces following the game but they also knew that they had “represented our school well and pretty

much left everything out on the floor.”

“I told them not to bring anything back into the locker room after this game and for the most part, all in all, that’s what they did,” Sherman said. “We missed some shots there at the end and we didn’t get calls at the end that may have made things different. But that’s life on the road in the playoffs and a 12-win team going against a 25-win team.”

The effort and leadership of the three seniors – Cory Williams, Artarius Owens and Lindsay – was praised

by Sherman. He appreciated all that they did for the program and then added that he wants his returners to build on the experience.

“They got a taste of it and now they know what going to the playoffs feels like,” Sherman said. “This group had not tasted any playoffs before. Now they have that and hopefully they will be hungry. We’re going to be in a new class and new division and you never know what the future is going to bring.

Hopefully they will want to get a bigger piece of the pie next year.”

Lady Chargers end season with loss to Lanier

BY JARED REDDING SPECIAL TO THE CITIZEN

Turnovers, open misses, and foul trouble was just too deep of a hole for the Oxford Lady Chargers to get out of for the last 16 minutes of play.

The Lady Chargers could not complete the rally as they fell to Jackson Public School

power the Lanier Lady Bulldogs 49-37 Monday night in the opening round of the MHSAA Class 5A girls basketball playoffs. Oxford finishes the season at 11-19 in the second year of the Cliff Ormon era. The young Lady Chargers played in a difficult environment against a top 25 basketball team according to

Maxpreps.

“We are a young team," Ormon said of his Lady Chargers. "We wanted to get to the playoffs to experience what it was like. We wanted to go as far as we can. I think that rattled us in that first half with a loud and different environment against Lanier, a good team in their gym. I

thought we kind of struggled handling that moment. We got better in the third and fourth quarters, but we just couldn't overcome that early deficit.”

Both teams had a tough time getting points on the board in the first eight minutes, then the Lady Bulldogs got going offensively and

turned up the heat defensively with their full court press. Lanier (21-5 overall) finished the second half on a 17-5 run and led in the contest 27-11 at halftime. Half of Lanier’s first half points came from the free throw line. The Lady Bulldogs went 13-for-16 at the charity stripe in the first half alone.

”I thought we just were not mentally into the game," Ormon said. "The second quarter was a complete blow up. We missed shots, we didn't get into out defense the way we wanted to. We just put ourselves behind so bad that it was just a real tough TURN TO CHARGERS PAGE 21

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OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PAGE 21

Joiner, Williams combine for 63 in win over Ridgeland

BY BEN MIKELL SPORTS WRITER

It was raining outside Oxford High School for much of the day Tuesday. Inside the OHS gym, It was raining buckets and the Ridgeland Titans needed an umbrella afterwards.

Seniors Jarkel Joiner and Terry Williams combined to score 63 points, outscoring the Titans by themselves in the Oxford Charger's 76-59 victory in the first round of the MHSAA 5A playoffs.

Joiner finished with a game-high 40 points and six rebounds on the night while Williams had 23 points on 8for-13 shooting and three steals in their last home game

Chargers FROM 20

hole to climb out of, especially being at Lanier, a good team."

Oxford responded by getting some valuable shots at the free throw line and with pressure of their own on Lanier’s end of the floor to

of their high school careers.

When Joiner was asked about this game being his last home game, his focus was on the road ahead in the playoffs.

"It feels good," Joiner said.

"We know that we have one more (game), so we are not going to get too high. We have Canton at Canton. We have to take care of business in practice. We have to keep our bodies healthy and hydrated. We have a state championship in mind. I'm going to try and lead my team and go and get it."

Joiner was aggressive to the goal in the contest drawing a Ridgeland foul nine times to reach the free throw line where he was 15-for-16 in the contest.

"His legs were under him," Oxford coach Drew Tyler said about Joiner's performance.

"I've said it before, he practices like he's sparring against Mike Tyson. When the real game comes along, it makes it so easy for him. This year, he's really made a huge effort to get to the goal. When he does that, he's opening other shooters, Terry Williams, other guys open.

He's getting them open because people are having to help (defend Joiner). When you're one of the top scorers in the nation, they're putting more eyes on you than one guy."

Ridgeland (16-13 overall) managed to keep up with Oxford (23-7) in the first half

with their perimeter shooting, making five of their first 10 attempts from three-point territory and trailed Oxford by just three points after the first quarter at 19-16, and then just by two at 31-29 with 2:30 left in the second quarter. Neither team up until that point held a lead by more than six points. The two-point deficit was the closest the Titans would get for the rest of the game as the Chargers ended the half on a 9-0 run to push the lead out to 40-29 by halftime.

Ridgeland's three-point shooting started to falter only making three of their last 14 attempts of the game. Oxford used another 9-0 run early in the second half on the Titans

to extend the lead out to 17 at 51-34 midway through the third quarter.

After leading 59-45 after three quarters, the Chargers put the game away with an 11-3 run to begin the final quarter to extend the lead to the Charger's biggest of the contest of 22 at 70-48. Ridgeland put together an 11-2 run late in the game, but the deficit proved to be too much to overcome for the Titans.

Oxford also had a solid performance from Drew Bianco with 11 points and eight rebounds. Ridgeland was led by Darius Kent's team-high 24 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Daveon Goodloe chipped in with nine points

and five rebounds for the Titans. Six different Ridgeland players scored at least six points in the contest

begin the second half. The Lady Chargers played aggressive, getting several key steals to get them back into the game.

“We actually attacked the rim in the second half, getting some free throws, so that was something we really wanted to do,” Ormon said.

“We didn't want to use our full court press a lot early be-

cause we wanted to stay out of foul trouble. I thought that did give them some trouble. I was proud of our effort in the second half. The players did not quit. We balled back to cut the lead to seven. We just didn't make quite enough plays to finish the deal.”

Oxford fought to cut the Lady Bulldog lead to as little as seven in the second half,

but Lanier was too much to deal with down the stretch, especially dealing with the Lady Bulldog’s Jayla Alexander, who finished the game with 20 points and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity strike.

“We wanted to take her away early," Ormon said about trying to defend Alexander. "Then when we

got into the press, we lost her because we couldn't match up with her. She is a really good player, just a sophomore, and can really use her body and knows how to play in the paint area with some soft shots. She is a tough player; she put it on us."

At the end of the night, it was Kelsey Wilborn who led the Lady Chargers in scoring

with 13 points. Caliya Toles finished with 12, most of them coming in the paint, along with a couple of blocks.

Jordan Freeze finished with six points, with both of her baskets being three pointers.

Lanier will travel to Clarksdale to take on the Lady Wildcats in the second round of the 5A playoffs. Tipoff is set for Friday at 7:00 p.m.

TIP-INS Oxford finished the season undefeated at home with a 90 record and are 38-2 all time in the new OHS gym. The Chargers finished 19-for-22 from the free throw line. Oxford outrebounded the Titans 34-30 in the contest.

The Chargers will travel to the Division 3-5A Tournament champion Canton Tigers for the second round of the playoffs Saturday. It is a rematch of the second round playoff game Oxford won 7369 in the OHS gym last season. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.

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OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017