Volume 3 | Issue 103
ce
Ox
Sunday EDITION
oxfordcitizen.com
Thursday, April 16, 2017
Inside 2 News
Northeast Power partnering to bring solar farm to New Albany
4 News PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN
From left to right, UM Chancellor Jeffery Vitter, Gov. Phil Bryant, cultural ambassador Steve Azar, Mayor Pat Patterson and Visit Mississippi Director Craig Ray stand around the newly unveiled poster for the Mississippi Bicentennial North Celebration.
200 Years of Mississippi Governor and local leaders announce plans for state’s bicentennial celebration BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
State and local leadership gathered at Rowan Oak Thursday afternoon to unveil this summer’s scheduled events in celebration of the State of Mississippi’s Bicentennial North Celebration. The state’s bicentennial is officially on December 10, but there are celebrations being held across the state all year. There are events being held across the state all year long, but the North Celebration takes
place in Oxford for the entire month of June and involve both the City and the university. Mayor Pat Patterson, University of Mississippi Chancellor Jeffery Vitter and Gov. Phil Bryant were featured speakers at the event. Director of Visit Mississippi Craig Ray was there to introduce each speaker. Bryant said that he was thrilled to be standing on the lawn of William Faulkner to announce the great party that will be Mississippi’s Bicentennial North Celebration. He said that no matter how many
warships or Toyotas the state churns out, our greatest export will always be our music, referencing the state’s motto as “The Birth Place of America’s Music.” Acclaimed musician Steve Azar also spoke and performed at the event. The recording artist serves as the music and cultural ambassador for the state, and was asked by the governor to come up with a song honoring Mississippi during her bicentennial. TURN TO 200 YEARS, 6
Oxford Community Market returns this week
12 Sports
Welch, Roush have doubled up to help LHS tennis
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unday news s ou d’s S r for
OXFORD CITIZEN
BRIEFING Film Fest celebrates bicentennial The Oxford Film Festival is partnering with the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies along with Mississippi Humanities are presenting several screenings and panels for free to the public as part of Mississippi’s bicentennial celebration. All films and panels are taking place at Locals Restaurant and Bar on the Square. On April 22 will e “Tammy and the Bachelor.” On May 20 will be “Down in the Delta.” On June 17 will be “Miss Firecracker.” On July 22 will be “Cookie’s Fortune.” On August 19 will be “Mississippi Masala,” and the final film in the series will be “Crimes of the Heart,” being screened on September 23. All films will begin at 7 p.m. on their respective days.
SundAy, APril 16, 2017
Northeast Power partnering to bring solar farm to New Albany OXFORD CITIZEN REPORTS
Electric cooperatives from across the country are bringing the benefits of solar energy to their members. North East Mississippi Electric Power Association has always been forward thinking in embracing technology therefore it should come as no surprise that the member-owned company has partnered with TVA and Silicon Ranch Corporation to bring a solar farm to New Albany. “Silicon Ranch will provide solar generated power to TVA through NEMEPA’s power lines. Utility grade solar, like these farms provide, can be installed at a fraction of the cost of a roof top system and benefit all members, not just one,” says North East Mississippi Electric Power Association, CEO, Keith Hayward. The projects are part
of TVA’s Solar Solutions Initiative (SSI), a targeted program created to promote cost-competitive renewable energy while serving as a recruitment tool for new industry in the Valley region, retaining and adding investment and jobs. TVA generates and sells electricity to cooperatives like NEMEPA and serving over 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. Silicon Ranch, who is the largest developer, owner, and operator of solar facilities based in the Tennessee Valley, invested in the local community and worked closely with the Three Rivers Planning & Development District, local officials and landowners, TVA, and NEMEPA to make the project a reality. Silicon Ranch President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Kisber said,
COURTESY OF NEMEPA
Silicon Ranch is a solar farm in New Albany that is part of the TVA’s Solar Solutions Initiative. “Silicon Ranch is proud of the relationship we have developed with our friends at North East Mississippi Electric Power Association. We love working in Mississippi and are grateful for the partnership we’ve been able to build with TVA and local partners, including Three Riv-
ers. We are excited about the economic and environmental benefits that this project has brought and will continue to bring to Union County and the surrounding region.” The solar farms are located off Highway 30, next to Wal-Mart’s Distribution Center in New Alba-
ny. Silicon Ranch hired LightWave Solar to construct the facility, which took nearly three months to build. The project’s construction supported more than 50 workers who installed approximately 18,000 solar panels on the 10-acre site. In addition to the projects it owns and operates across the country, Silicon Ranch owns and operates Mississippi solar farms in New Albany, Okolona, Columbus, and Houston, and has a 50-megawatt project under construction in Hattiesburg. Hayward added, “These two solar farms, combined, generate two megawatts (2 MW) and will provide an excellent opportunity for us to study the benefits of Solar Energy. We are excited to partner with Silicon Ranch and offer another option to our Members.”
Influential Women 2017 The Future is Female
Do you know a #girlboss? Nominate her to be recognized as an influential woman of 2017. Nomination form at mudandmag.com/events Save the Date: Influential Women Event July 2017
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Green Week Returns to Ole Miss BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
This week, April 17 through the 22, is the University of Mississippi’s annual sustainability celebration, Greenweek. The weeklong event is packed with activities and festivities organized in conjunction with the Office of Sustainability. The week is punctuated by Earth Day keynote speaker David George Haskell on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Overby Center on campus. His speech is titled “The Songs of Trees: Stories From Nature’s Great Connectors.” Every year in front of the Ole Miss Student Union, the Office of Sustainability organizes a Sustainability Fair as part of Green Week. Here, they have representatives from different organizations, restaurants, companies, campus departments and more with a booth set up and information to educate university community members about sustainability. Due to the construction the Union is currently undergoing, the Sustainability Fair couldn’t happen. As a substitute, there will be
the weeklong Green Week Challenge. Cards were printed up with tasks arranged on them like a game of bingo. Players were challenged to ride an O.U.T. Bus, visit a garden, bike instead of drive, donate food to the food bank, visit the Oxford Community Market, calculate your carbon footprint and so much more. Players are required to get a stamp or share a photo on social
media of each event they complete. Once they have so many accomplished, they can bring their cards to the Office of sustainability next Monday or to the Community market next Tuesday to redeem them for a shirt. Lindsey Abernathy is a project manager with the Office of Sustainability. She said that the entire point of the exercise is to get people out in the community and learning about the different services available. It also helps people stop and think about how much of a mark they leave on the planet simply by existing. “I think Green Week is important because it raises awareness about sustainability topics in our community. It really opens up the conversation and serves as a means of collaboration between both university organizations and community organizations, which I think is really nice.” For more information about the week and all the planned activities, visit www.greenweek.olemiss.edu. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen
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BRIEFING Ladies Handgun Familiarization Course to be held May 6 The Lafayette County Law Enforcement Officers Association will host a Ladies Handgun Familiarization Course on May 6. The object of this course is to help ladies with their semi-automatic or revolver handgun. Safety will always be the number one priority. We will cover loading, unloading and function of the each ladies gun. The ladies will be taught basic marksmanship, self defense shooting and some of the liabilities that are associated with carrying or owning a gun. The class will run from approximately 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. First part of the day will be indoors discussing safety issues, weapon, and weapon familiarization along with question and answer time. After lunch we will be on the range for the remainder of the day. It is a safe, fun atmosphere in this class, we do not expect to have experts at this class so relax and apply. The class is free, if you want a box lunch the Cost is $10. Topics for the class include: Range Rules and Liability releases, Safety guidelines on the range, Nomenclature of the handgun, Types of ammunition, Fundamentals of marksmanship, Low level light firing, Deadly force, Home safety for handguns, Weapons check, and Shooting activities. Applications are available to pick up at the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department, located at 711 Jackson Ave or by emailing candy@olemiss. edu.
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Sunday, april 16, 2017
OXFORD CITIZEN
SundAy, APril 16, 2017
Oxford Community Market returns this week BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
Tuesday afternoon, the Oxford Community Market will be back at the Old Armory Pavilion, bringing residents locally grown produces from across the area. This is the first full year that the Community Market will be open as the Community Market. In years past, it was referred to as the City Market and was operated by the City. Now the market is and independent nonprofit, operating under a 10-member board of directors. John Winkle serves as chair of the board while Betsy Chapman works under the board as the market’s director. This year’s opening market will feature about 25 vendors, which is a notable increase from last year’s 17.
“We’re definitely up in those numbers this year, and we’re hoping to maintain that momentum,” Chapman said. “We expect that by midsummer, once everything really gets kicking, that will potentially have as many as 40 vendors. We’re planning on filling that Pavilion up.” Opening market festivities Tuesday include music by Shannon McNally a cooking demonstration with Sherry Driggers of 7D farms. There are no exact plans as to what the cooking demonstration will entail, and that’s on purpose. The whole point of the exercise is to show people what can be done with the random items available at the farmers market. There’s no exact recipe to follow because you never really know everything that’s go-
ing to be available at every market. In addition to the cooking demonstrations, which the market is hoping to hold regularly, the Community Market is planning several other activities to help grow and enrich the market. There mobile market from last year will be back, and this way the market can be brought directly to neighborhoods and communities who need it. RebelWell from the university is looking to hold short fitness classes for kids in the grass near the Pavilion. The Mississippi Sustainable
Agriculture Network will be sponsoring a different kids’ activity at the market every week. The Community Market is also partnering with different community organizations throughout the season, including the local library. Working with the library, they’re going to be holding nutritional-oriented story times as well as tie in their summer reading efforts with the mobile market. The market is also planning to hold a community dinner to raise awareness about the alarming levels of food insecurity in the
Oxford community. Donations of fresh produce will be taken up at every market, as it was last year, to be donated directly to the Oxford Food Pantry. Chapman also discussed how important it was for the community to know that the market gladly accepts SNAP benefits. The people using SNAP benefits are constantly influx as they move on or off the program, so it’s really important that the market make an extra effort to let everyone know that those benefits can be used at the market to buy fresh, locally sourced produce. Thanks to a partnership with Baptist Hospital, RebelWell and Move On Up Mississippi, the market will again be matching funds spent by SNAP users at the market. The market will
match SNAP benefits, dollar per dollar, up to $10 at the market. The matching program will begin in May, but SNAP benefits will be accepted from the first market onward. The Oxford Community Market will be open this Tuesday, April 18 from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at the Old Armory Pavilion on the corner of Bramlett Boulevard and University Avenue. The market will return to that spot every Tuesday from this week until the week before Christmas. Additional information about the market can be found on the Oxford Community Market Facebook page or by reaching out to the market at oxcmkt@ gmail.com or 662-816-7413. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen
Task force tackles trenches in training exercise BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
Volunteers from fire departments across North Mississippi spent Thursday in Oxford practicing the proper techniques used to rescue victims in a trench collapse. Mississippi Task Force 1 is the first responder task force for North Mississippi. There are two other task forces that serve the state, one each in Central and South Mississippi. The task forces are deployed in the event of an emergency like a building collapse, a hurricane or (like in the training scenario) a trench collapse. Trench collapses most commonly occur on construction sites. For example, say a construction crew has dug out a trench on the future site of a hotel, and they are getting it ready for pipe work. If a wall on the trench collapses while a worker is, for whatever reason, in a trench, it can be extremely difficult to get them out. There are so many factors to consider. Was the trench
dug out in an area with a high clay content? How long ago did it rain and how saturated did it leave the ground? What are the chances of the trench collapsing further, and what lead to the collapsing of the trench in the first place? “All companies should be following general safety guidelines when dealing with trenches, but some don’t, and that’s when you get into trouble,” said Jimmy Allgood, emergency management director for Oxford. “Our general rule of thumb is that you don’t get in a trench that’s deeper than your waistline. One cubic foot of dirt weighs about 100 pounds. If you get a lot of dirt that will surround your chest area, you won’t be able to breathe.” Allgood said that it was not necessarily that the weight of the dirt crushed the victim, though that is certainly a possibility, but more often than not, it would just knock the wind out of a person and the weight of the dirt would prevent their chest from ex-
PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN
Members of Task Force 1 work to retrieve a dummy playing the role of a victim in a simulated trench collapse Thursday afternoon during a training exercise. panding, making it impossible to take more breaths, ultimately leading to suffocation. The majority of the task force members participating in training Thursday were from the Oxford Fire Department. There are about 60 to 80 members on the Task Force 1, depending on the time of year and counting communications and logistical personnel. Around 24 of those members are from Oxford.
The trench being used for the training was dug out in a T shape. A long trench was dug out on the property of the fire station on Molly Barr Road. A second trench was bisected perpendicular to the first, forming a narrow trench about eight feet deep in the shape of an uppercase T. This way, responders can work on their technique for bracing the inner walls of the trench as well as those corners where the bottom and top halves
of the T meet. This type of trench is common when laying different kinds of pipe for a construction job. Trenches are braced using large boards placed precisely along the walls of the trench. The boards are forced into either side of the trench by a pneumatic press called an Airshore. The Airshore functions as a strut and expands outward from both ends, forcing the boards into either side of trench and bracing it from
further collapse. The rest of the mission is all about rescue and retrieval. “When you’re dealing with a T trench, it’s complicated and a lot more technical,” Allgood said. “You have to capture each corner of that T. There’s a lot more work involved, a lot more intricate engineering. You want to do it quickly, but safely. It doesn’t do us any good if we lose a rescuer and cause even more dirt to slide in there.” Every person participating in the training was a volunteer. They’re working to improve themselves and their rescue skills in order to better serve the community. “These guys put in a lot of this training on their own,” Allgood said. “They volunteered to be on the task force. They weren’t assigned. This is a group of guys who want to go above and beyond to be a real asset to the community and an asset to the state.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen
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Vaughn creates art that speaks “home” BY CALLIE DANIELS SPECIAL TO OXFORD CITIZEN
Growing up in a cabin surrounded by woods as a young girl, artist Britton Yerger Vaughn imagined herself as an artist. “In fact, my very first career aspiration in preschool was to be an artist for children’s books,” she said. Encouraged by two generations of artists in her mother and grandmother, Vaughn drew for recreation and expression. Before long she won statewide artistic awards as early as first grade. Vaughn earned a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts the University of Mississippi in 2013 and went headfirst into her childhood dream – a life as an artist. In her oil paintings, Vaughn shows her nature-filled childhood inspiration with her love for flowing lines, rich color and all creatures, especially cats. Through her lifelongcareer Vaughn uses those early inspirations to create paintings and designs that invoke a sense of “home sweet home.” Vaughn is a proud alumna of the University of Mississippi and a lifelong Phi Mu sister who “made bonds of friendship and sisterhood with girls that will never be broken.” To her, Oxford, Ole Miss and her sorority were as beautiful as the cabin in the woods of her childhood. They were her home, too.
In January 2014, Vaughn took a leap of faith and began her own company, Britton’s Art Studio. “I started (creating) with my love for my alma mater and sorority and hoped others would relate to my watercolor,” Vaughn said. She created a blend of hand-drawn and computer-illustrated designs featuring bright colors illuminating Oxford, University of Mississippi, sorority homes, landmarks and towns… anything that speaks “home” to someone. “I almost always sell out of my Walk of Champions print,” she said, “which is no surprise because it captures the beautiful Ole Miss campus, football and the Grove.” Vaughn is living her life to the fullest. She married her college sweetheart, Jeremy Vaughn, and moved to Water Valley with him. She works as a part-time graphic designer at Vaughn Designs, an Oxford-based ad and design company. Now she is nine months pregnant with their first child, expecting to welcome their child in May.
Vaughn said she will be exactly nine months pregnant during the Double Decker weekend, but that won’t stop her from opening her vendor there for a fourth time. She said, “At my booth you will see my beautiful and unique watercolor prints and pillows of famous Oxford and Ole Miss landmarks as well as all of University of Mississippi’s sorority houses. I now have all of Mississippi State’s sorority houses, which, surprisingly, was a big request at the Double Decker last year. My new products are white coffee mugs that feature watercolor Greek letters that would make any sorority girl happy.” Her prices range from her 5x7” prints for $20 and 10x8” for $30 to her 16x16” pillows for $75. “I worked hard to stay under the $100 mark but still have high-quality products,” she said. As a longtime shopper at Double Decker Arts Festival and a four-time vendor, Vaughn is impressed with the festival. “The atmosphere is in-
COURTESY
Artist Britton Yerger Vaughn will have a booth at Double Decker for the fourth year. comparable,” she said. “The Double Decker staff has always been welcoming and on top of things. They have especially taken care of me this year. I’ll be exactly nine months pregnant on the day! I have been so
lucky to get the same wonderful location for the past three years on South Lamar on the corner facing Village Tailor and the Courthouse, and they made sure I had that spot again this year.” Vaughn says that for
those interested in her artwork can visit www.BrittonsArtStudiocom to find all of her prints and pillows featuring famous college town landmarks and sorority houses throughout the South.
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Sunday, april 16, 2017
OXFORD CITIZEN
200 Years
SundAy, APril 16, 2017
SHOOTING STARS
FROM 1
“I told him we needed a song for the bicentennial, something special,” Bryant said. “I told him I wanted to make sure every elementary and middle school child could sing at least part of it. You know how we learn to sing songs. Well, he wrote one.” The governor then went on to discussed how Azar called him one morning to share what he’d written and that Bryant and the First Lady loved the tune. He said he was looking forward to Azar sharing the song with everyone gathered. Chancellor Vitter took the podium after Bryant to thank the governor for his support of the university and his commitment to the state’s economy, art and cultural heritage. Mayor Patterson also used his speech to announce the many happenings in the city during the month of June and to invite everyone to come out and celebrate
PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN
Gov. Phil Bryant announced plans for Mississippi’s Bicentennial North Celebration Thursday at Rowan Oak. the state and the artists who make it great. Bryant concluded his speech by saying how excited he was to celebrate the State of Mississippi in one of the cultural hubs that makes it such a wonderful place to live and work. “Two hundred years ago, before there was a Texas, before there was a Florida, before there was a California, there was a Mississippi,” Bryant intoned, speaking from a podium bearing the Great Seal of Mississippi. “People all over the world know now of our music, arts and entertainment. This place of home and hope that is this great
state. A state that has come through the crucible of a civil war, the Great Depression and the dark days of civil rights and segregation. Now a celebration of those times, and we’ve come to Oxford to do so.” In closing Azar sang his ode to Mississippi. He sang of her rolling hills and churning river, the coastal sunsets and Delta dawns. Azar’s ballad rang of home, a beautiful landscape and a welcoming people. For a full list of events and celebrations across the state, visit www.visitmississippi.com/200. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen
PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN
Students in Della Davidson Elementary School’s Insights class spent Thursday shooting rockets into the air outside the school. Thursday was the last day before the Easter holiday break and also the last day of the school year Insights will meet. After each student launched their rocket, they all joined together to launch a rocket in memory of 9-year-old Henry Miller who died last month. His classmates cheered as Henry’s rocket took flight.
BRIEFING Title I spring meeting Tuesday
meeting on Tuesday, April 18. Two meeting times The Lafayette County will be held, noon and School District will host 5:30 p.m. in the Laits annual Title I spring fayette Middle School
Auditorium. Parents of students in grades K – 8 and community members are invited to attend one of the two meetings.
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RIBBON CUTTINGS
COURTESY
Barnes and Noble celebrated their new business in Oxford with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony hosted by the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber. Barnes and Noble now located at 1111 West Jackson Ave. is a bookstore that offers textbooks and other literary works, apparel, electronics and gifts.
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the Spaw by Homeward Bound located at 426 S. Lamar Blvd. #6 celebrated their new pet spa business in Oxford with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony hosted by the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber. The Homeward Bound team is committed to the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of the pets under their care and delivering exceptional pet care and client service. They will ensure a safe and secure environment, treat every animal with respect and kindness, and maintain client privacy, security, and confidentiality.
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The Mustard Seed celebrated their new location with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony hosted by the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber. Now located at 1901 A Jackson Ave. W in Oxford, the Mustard Seed is an antique, emporium shop carrying fabulous finds from new and used household items and gifts.
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Sunday, april 16, 2017
OXFORD CITIZEN
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OXFORD CITIZEN
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Sunday, april 16, 2017 paGE 9
OXFORD CITIZEN
Betty Wiseman
Susan Griffin
Amanda Miller
Chris Hill
Hunter Richardson Chanda Tina Cossitt O'Quinn
Jenny Decker
Elliot Long
Judy Simpson
Frances Dempsey
April Haynes
Dennis Cox Nicole Cain Wright
Kim Wood
Jennifer Harrelson
Sheli McClellan
Wendy Whitney Parker George
Jennifer Brown
SundAy, APril 16, 2017
Weesie Jaz Biedenham Buchanan Kayla Tabler
Melissa Knotts
Anita Nunnelee
Wade Magill
Jessica Harris
Kaye Ladd
Todd Jordan
Cathy Ward
Brant Garner
Kevin Knight
Sue Golman
Paula Crum
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OXFORD CITIZEN
Martin Mesecke
Sean Hettinger
Debbie Russell
James Hunter
Will Troxler
Ron Smith
Megan Robinson
Annette Newborn
Linda Swinney
Blake Trehern
Casee Becker
Leslie Card
Keith Henley
Eileen Saunders
Monte Smith
Brandon Allred
Caroline Felker
Merisa Baker
Deborah Tierce
paGE 11
Janet Suggs
Polina Wheeler
Tommy Morgan
Dede Lewis
Danny Flowers
Carol Horne
Vic Sullivan
Gail Wilemon
Meredith Martin
Lisa Grant
Tiffany Franks
Brandon Speck
Michelle Mary Ann McAuley Elmore
Sadie Smith
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Sunday, april 16, 2017
Lafayette basketball earns clean sweep Editor’s Note: This is the No. 18 Lafayette story in a 40-part series highlighting the 20 most memorable moments in Oxford Athletics and Lafayette Athletics since the turn of the century. This edition is about Lafayette’s complete sweep of Oxford basketball in 2011. When it comes to the Crosstown rivalry in basketball, Oxford has had consistent success in both genders. Lafayette has had their moments of success, but has not been able to consistently sustain them in the past. But for one night in January 2011, inside the OHS gym no less, it was the Lafayette Commodores who had the spotlight in their only meeting of the season. Lafayette not only swept Oxford in both varsity games that night, but the Commodores also swept both of the junior varsity games held before the varsity contests. Lafayette girls basketball was coming off one of their best seasons in school hisBEN tory the previous season with a 29-3 mark and a MIKELL run to the state tournament in Jackson and had started the 2010-11 season at 14-4. Oxford girls meanwhile was coming in at 16-1 and showed no signs of slowing down entering the matchup. The game whose result was the most surprising was the boys contest. Entering the game Lafayette had lost all 14 of their games on the season while Oxford came in at 11-7 and had just won two tough divisional road contests. “Going into an Oxford and Lafayette game, it’s always a test of wills,” former girls coach Amy Sutton said who coached at LHS until 2014. “There’s a lot of hype, it’s a lot of expectations from the community and parents and not to mention as a coach and player the kind of expectations you put on yourself. The game plan was to go in and put on a good show, make the game close, and win was the ultimate goal.” “When our JV girls team won the first game, we were all grateful and ‘good job for us’ that we won,” Sutton continued. “When the JV boys team won, we were like ‘great guys, good job.’ When we won, we were like ‘Woah! That’s 3-0 tonight. What’s going on?’” In the girls contest, Oxford had an early 12-7 lead after the first quarter, but Lafayette outscored the Lady Chargers 19-4 to take a 26-16 lead into halftime. The Lady Commodores held firm to the lead throughout the third quarter and maintained a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter 36-26. LaTurn TO MIKELL, 14
SportS
paGE 12
JOHN DAVIS
Former Oxford High standout Shelby McEwen committed to high jump at the University of Alabama. McEwen, who played basketball the past two years at Northwest Mississippi Community College, was joined by his family at the OHS library for the announcement.
High Tide
Oxford’s McEwen takes his talents to Alabama BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER
Before Shelby McEwen walked into the library at Oxford High School, he knew what school to pick. Nobody else that attended the former OHS standout’s signing ceremony, including his mother, had a clue where he was headed. With three hats – Mississippi State, Auburn and Alabama – on the table in front of him, McEwen decided to high jump for the Crimson Tide. There were several reasons McEwen, who played basketball the past two seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College, chose the Crimson Tide. One of the biggest was he set a personal best in the high jump just a week ago at a meet in Tuscaloosa. “I felt like I was at home when I was over there last weekend,” said McEwen, who was a state champion in the high jump at OHS. “That’s where I did my new (personal record). I also talked with Justin Fondren. He talked to me and got me over there. It’s all a mental thing, and hard work and dedication got me to the limit. When I was there, I got to talk to the head coach and he could see what I could do because the assistant coach was the one who talked to him about me. I ended up getting 7 feet, 3 ¾ inches.” Fondren, like McEwen, was a high-rising basketball player at OHS.
Fondren then signed with the Crimson Tide to jump from the beginning, and has found success during his career in the SEC. When McEwen wasn’t playing basketball for the Rangers, he was working on his jumping. Even with all the God-given talent McEwen has, if he hadn’t stayed with his practices, he likely wouldn’t have been with the Crimson Tide right now. “The meets I went to paid off. I came out to work a couple of days a week after basketball season. I got over 6-10 a couple of times in practice and then I got to Alabama and the adrenaline pushed me over,” McEwen said. “Last year I was in four meets. Basketball was my first love, but it made me a better athlete overall. High jump came into my life in eighth grade and I believed I could give it a shot and do it. Basketball played a huge role in my life. I still love the game but I finally realized that (high jump) was my calling from the man above. I think it can take me a long way in the future. I have three more years left to jump. The goal is to make it to the Olympics and be like Sam (Kendricks).” McEwen isn’t far away from the standard that high jumpers in the Olympics post. The world record is 8-0 but the standard is 7-6. Last week at Alabama, McEwen just missed clearing 7-5. OHS girls track coach Chris Patton
helped mentor McEwen in track the past few springs. Patton saw McEwen clear 7-0 in practices, and felt he could make a run at getting a scholarship. “The thing I was proud to see was he still had that explosiveness,” Patton said. “He’s still pretty technical and if you don’t jump for a while, you’re going to lose that technicality of that. He knocked the rust off and got after it. He’s always been quite the athlete. There are only a select few guys that can jump over 7-0, but he can do it any given day. I knew the sky was the limit for him if he kept training and got stronger. The thing with basketball, he’s still using those fast twitch muscles. That’s one reason he kept his explosive movement. His 7-3 will score big and maybe win the SEC Championship one day. I’m proud of him.” OHS boys track coach Chris Bush was also happy for McEwen said it’s always a great time when athletes can improve their academic careers with the help of sports. “I was a little surprised that it was Alabama instead of Auburn, but it’s not a surprise he has this opportunity,” Bush said. “He was a little bit of a late bloomer in track, but he excelled. If you look at the last meet he jumped at, he had a pr of 7-3. That’s a guy who is not only going to go do well at the SEC Championships but also at nationals in his first year. That’s a very big opportunity.”
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Benito Jones refusing to settle for Rebel defense BY BEN GARRETT SPECIAL TO OXFORD CITIZEN
Benito Jones is his own worst critic. While the Rebels slogged their way to a 5-7 record in 2016, Jones, a rising sophomore, was a bright spot. He played in all 12 games – with four starts – as a true freshman at defensive tackle, finishing with 39 tackles. But despite the immediate impact of the former four-star prospect from Waynesboro, Miss., Jones, when prompted, gave his performance barely a passing grade. Jones, who said he fashions his game after St. Louis Rams defensive tackle and NFL All-Pro Aaron Donald, expects more out of himself. “I’d probably give myself like a C+,” he said. “I got thrown in as a true freshman and I had a couple of flaws, but as the sea-
son got along, I got better. I’ve just got to be consistent. No matter the down – first, second or third – be consistent, keep fighting and try to make a play.” Jones said he learned a lot by being thrown into the fire, which he credits with his one-day-at-atime approach. He simply set out to be consistent every practice and game. The jump in level of competition from high school to college, however, was jarring. “You go from playing guys 5-11 to guys like 6-6, 308 pounds,” he said. “It was tough, but you’ve just got to play technique and keep being focused on what you’ve got to do.” Undeterred by his underclassman status, Jones is looking to take on a leadership role for an Ole Miss defense that struggled mightily in 2016. The Rebels wrapped spring
PETRE THOMAS | OLE MISS ATHLETICS
Benito Jones is looking to take on a leadership role for the Rebel football team. practices April 8 with the annual Grove Bowl game. The offense got the better of the defense, 31-29. “(Ole Miss senior DE) Marquis (Haynes) does a good job and everything,” Jones said. “I’m not going to knock his abilities of being a leader, but obviously I would like to be a leader of the defensive line.” Jones and Co. are inarguably the deepest posi-
tion on defense, meaning the group will have to spearhead the rebuilding effort of a defense that last season ranked No. 100 or lower nationally in every major statistical category except one (No. 66 in pass efficiency defense). Jones, though, is eager for the responsibility. And he’s got a pretty good idea of the areas in which Ole Miss can get better.
“Being consistent with the play-calling,” Jones said. “Getting the play, getting lined up. Sometimes we probably got a wrong signal or something. But we kept fighting. We’ve just got to get better this year stopping the run.” The defensive line is under new management for the first time in five seasons. Freddie Roach was hired to replace Chris Kiffin, who left in the offseason to join his brother, Lane, as the defensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic. Roach spent the past two seasons as the director of player development at Alabama. He coached outside linebackers and defensive ends at South Alabama prior to his stint with the Crimson Tide. He was the defensive line coach at East Mississippi Community College in
2011. “He’s real strict on us using our hands,” Jones said. “He’s a great coach. I think he’s going to have us really prepared for this season. It’s a lot different. We watch film on NFL guys who play on Sundays and Mondays, and we transition the same technique they’re playing. It’s very useful. “We’re all doing good. We’re getting the plays, and everybody’s playing with great technique. We’re getting to the ball and making plays.” As has been widely reported, Ole Miss has self-imposed a one-year bowl ban for the 2017 season. Jones said the team is taking it in stride. “We just take it one day at a time,” he said. “We don’t worry about the bowl ban. We still get 12 games to play.”
Rock turns adversity into success signing with UWA BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER
For Kyle Rock, the opportunity to run in college only came about by overcoming pain. A lot of pain. For the Oxford High senior, earning a scholarship to the University of West Alabama was more difficult than normal. For the better part of two seasons, Rock was injured, suffering from painful shin splints, and other maladies. “I really didn’t know I would be in this situation, so I think it’s a big step in my life,” Rock said when asked about overcoming the shin splints and return to running form. “I never knew this was going to happen to me, and I’m thankful for it. I wanted to take it right away.” When Rock first got back on the track, and started preparing for the cross-country season, he
wanted to see where his time was. It was after his first healthy track season that Rock started to think a chance to run in college was actually possible. “It was in the back of mind that I would love to run in college. With the way things were going in high school with my running, I didn’t know if it was possible, but I had a feeling that maybe I could make it,” Rock said. “After that first meet, when I was pain free, I had that feeling that some special things were going to happen that season my junior year.” The times when Rock was injured were noticeable. When he was finally able to train, without pain, his times were just as noticeable in a positive way. “The proper training, it showed on the track and on the course. This
JOHN DAVIS
Oxford’s Kyle Rock signed a scholarship to run cross country and long-distance events at the University of West Alabama. Joining him at the ceremony were his father, Dr. David Rock, and his mother Michelle. was a dream to have happened,” Rock said. “This was an injury that you didn’t know if you were going to get better from or when and that was the most frustrating part. I had to get through with a lot of help
from friends and family. When I got better, I realized that things you have in life, they can get taken away, any second. It made me realize how much running mean to me in my life and I think I’m running a lot better. I
felt like I had really good doctors and coaching and they helped develop me into the runner I am.” OHS track coach Chris Bush was excited for Rock to continue his education, and running career, at West Alabama. “It’s a great time when we can use the tool of sports to advance ourselves as well our education. I’m happy that he is going to have this opportunity to develop his talents at a place he feels very comfortable,” Bush said. Chris Patton coached Rock in cross country. He remembers telling Rock back in the winter, when he was suffering from an Achilles injury, that they had been through all of the unknown before. “I told him that he was injured for two years and that this was a minor setback for a great comeback,” Patton said. “I
told him that he was still a young runner as far as his training and his legs because he spent two years away. The main thing he is doing now is building up his endurance and getting stronger in order to ready to go to West Alabama. He has one of those life stories. He’s dealt with it, he’s overcome it. And I think that will help him with anything. All of it made him appreciate running. Seeing how he went through it all and handled things, it made me a better coach as well.” West Alabama is getting a more focused runner in Rock, who was really drawn to the smaller campus after growing up around Ole Miss. “I think it will be a good fit for me, not a lot of distraction. I will really be able to focus on my studies and athletics,” he added.
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OXFORD CITIZEN
Mikell fayette held off a 24-point fourth quarter by the Lady Chargers to earn a monumental win on Oxford’s home floor by a final score of 55-50. Mykira Buford led the Lady Commodores that night with 19 points. Shaquilla Isom and Nikki McChristian each scored 11 points in the victory. “The fact that (the girls) won, it was another confidence boost and builder for us that we were on the right track,” Sutton said regarding her team’s progress to becoming a powerhouse program. “That was the year we were hoping to win it all. When our boys team won, it was the one year (former) coach (Eric) Robertson coached. It wasn’t a goal going in that we were going to sweep Oxford, but when it happened I think we were all shocked just as anybody else. It was a great feeling and a confidence booster.” In the boys game, Oxford jumped out to an early lead, but Lafayette was able to hang around and trailed by only a couple of possessions at halftime. The Commodore defense turned it up a notch and held Oxford to their second lowest point total of the season all while Lafayette scored their second-highest total at that point of the season giving Lafayette their first win of the season 58-51. Lafayette was able to use the momentum of their win in their following game as they won at North Panola for their only other win 66-40. The Lady Commodores won the 2-4A tournament championship for the second straight year and made the MHSAA 4A playoffs as the No. 1 seed, but were eliminated in the 4A North Half semifinal round by New Albany 49-35 in Pontotoc.
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Oxford defeats Saltillo to win 2-5A title BY BEN MIKELL SPORTS WRTIER
The one thing the Oxford Chargers know how to do is how to respond after a loss. The Saltillo Tigers were on the receiving end of that response after Oxford dropped an 8-5 decision to New Hope Tuesday. The Tigers were run-ruled by the Chargers 12-2 in six innings Thursday night at Edwin Moak Field. The win clinches the outright Division 2-5A title for Oxford (22-4 overall, 7-1 in Division 2-5A) which was one of their ‘three-peat’ goals entering the season. “We knew we still had a chance to win the division outright tonight and this was our first three-peat goal,” Oxford coach Chris Baughman said. “We knocked one of them down and we still have two more to go. The theme all year has been ‘three-peat’. The first one happened in this game and hopefully we will get two more.”
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Oxford batted around in the first inning and scored four runs to take an early 4-0 lead. The Chargers did so again in the second inning and scored five more runs to make it a 9-0 Oxford lead before chasing Saltillo starting pitcher Pate Phillips off the mound. Oxford added another run in the third inning to extend the lead to 10-0. Saltillo (14-7, 3-5) was able to hang around by scratching across single runs in the fourth and fifth innings and closed the margin to 10-2 after the fifth inning. Oxford was able to end the game in the sixth inning with RBI hits from Reed Markle and John Reece McClure to score the last two runs. “We had a chance to put it away in the fifth,” Baughman said. “Sometimes in happens, sometimes it doesn’t. I tried to play some kids that don’t get to play all the time. As a coach, it’s always ‘do you steal up eight
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or do you not? Do you try to get to 10?’ You want to play well until the last out but you also want some kids to get in and get some at bats in that deserves them.” Drew Bianco led Oxford at the plate going 2-for-2 and was hit by a pitch twice. He also scored twice and stole four bases. CJ Terrell, Giles Lamar, and Carson Stinnett each had extra-base hits in the contest. Markle earned the complete game win on the mound allowing two earned runs on nine hits, just one strikeout, but most importantly no walks or hit batters. Ty Hill and Hayden Palmer each had 2-for-3 performances for Saltillo. Despite being outscored by 10 runs, the Tigers had as many hits as the Chargers did on the night with nine. Saltillo though as a pitching staff allowed eight walks, hit three batters, and balked twice in the contest. -Briarcrest-
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Oxford came back to tie the game on two separate occasions, but couldn’t come back a third time in their 4-3 defeat to the Briarcrest Christian Saints on Friday night in Collierville, Tenn. The Chargers were led by Clark Stovall’s 2-for-3 performance with a triple. Sam Bianco was 1-for-3 with a walk and scored two of the three runs for Oxford. Connor Shamblin got the win on the mound for Briarcrest (14-10) going six innings allowing three runs, two earned on six hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts. Shamblin also helped himself plenty at the plate going 2-for-3 with a double and drove in three of the four runs for Briarcrest. Bo Gatlin received the tough-luck losing decision on the mound giving up an unearned run without giving up a hit after entering the contest tied at 3-3 in relief of starter Parker Stinnett.
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