Support your hometown high school sports team, because these players and coaches put in a lot of effort and hard work to be the best they can be and your going to their games shows them that you appreciate their efforts. If you want to have an added incentive, go to the game to see if you can find a prospect I can put on this page. I want your input to make this page the best it can be.
All school telephone numbers and coaches names come from the Clell Wade Mississippi High School Coaches Directory.
| 1997 | March | April | May |
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06/28/97 - A source of mine recently talked to Columbus HS running back Jo Jo Minor. His impression of Jo Jo was he is a very nice kid. He said Jo Jo is between 5-10 and 6-0 tall. Jo Jo told him he has been contacted by letter by Miss State and Ole Miss. As I receive more info., I'll pass it along.
06/27/97 - Here are the Mississippi defensive stats from the All-Star game:
Player-Tackles-Assists-Total
Kenny Smith 4 6 10
Muskingum Barnes 6 2 8
Jed Wright 2 4 6
Kelvin Rounds 1 4 5
Corey Riley 0 4 4
Jamaal Dinkins 0 4 4
Leo Barnes 2 2 4
Orlando Dantzler 1 2 3
Ti Garner 2 1 3
Dearell Handford 2 1 3
Michael Gholar 2 0 2
Kenny Smith, DB 1 1 2
Fred Smoot 0 1 1
Kenyatta Walker 0 1 1
Dulymus McAllister 0 1 1
Ellis Wyms 0 1 1
Eugene Liger 1 0 1
Dashan Turner 1 0 1
Dorsett Davis 1 0 1
Fumble recoveries: McAllister 1
Passes deflected: L. Barnes 2, Dinkins 1, Garner 1
06/27/97 - I got a chance to see Justin Hollis of New Albany HS play Thursday night at the West Point - Pontotoc American Legion baseball game. From what I can tell, he is much quicker than I thought. I saw him run down the first base line and he moved pretty good. I still say this guy is a player the majors better watch this coming football season. He has a chance to be a very good college offensive lineman in my opinion.
Also got a chance to see Pontotoc outfielder Evan Ray play. Evan looks to be a very good contact hitter. He went three for three before the rains came. Another player to watch is Derry Hammond of West Point. This kid has awesome power. In the last two games I have seen, he has hit a home run in each one. And I don't mean cheap home runs. Based on what a MLB scout told me about Derry, don't look for him to ever set foot on a college campus. The pros will sign him out of high school. Another player to watch the next couple of years is Chad Holcomb, a pitcher from South Pontotoc HS. Chad, who will be a junior this coming year, has a chance to be an outstanding pitcher if he adds a bit more velocity on his fastball. He already has good location and a good curveball.
06/27/97 - Received an update on Hillcrest Christian School offensive lineman, Jonathan Mullen; he now weighs 305 pounds to go along with his 6-5+ height. If this kid runs as well as my source says, he will be a primetime recruit before this recruiting season is over with.
06/26/97 - Here's more info. from the Tuesday night American Legion game I attended. Two players from Starkville who really impressed me were Joe Dan Baker, a great pure hitter, and Brandon Patton, a very good hitter who has good speed and is a good defensive player. Watch for these guys this coming season at Starkville HS.
06/25/97 - I heard this about Noxapater HS baseball senior-to-be pitcher Andy Young at the baseball game last night. During the baseball tournament at Oklahoma last week he pitched 2 innings three days in a row and was clocked at 88-89 mph the first day, 90-91 mph the second day, and peaked at 94 mph the third day. This was according to someone who got his info. from a MLB scout who was at the tournament.
06/23/97 - Congrats go out to a couple of young Mississippi high school baseball coaches. Former West Lowndes high school baseball coach Rusty Greene has taken the reins of Caledonia HS's baseball program. Look for him to make Caledonia a big winner very soon. Todd Stanley, formerly the assistant coach at Heritage Academy in Columbus, Mississippi, was hired to take Rusty's place. Todd is an up-and-coming young coach who will continue the success West Lowndes has had during the Rusty Greene regime.
06/19/97 - Here's an all around great athlete to watch this coming year. Jackson Lanier's Francis Dilon, a point guard and quarterback, will be, according to MISSISSIPPI HOOPS, a high Division-I prospect in both basketball and football.
06/19/97 - Kevin Henderson told me the junior class in Mississippi has as many as 14 Division-I players in it. Of these 14, 6 to 8 will play the power forward or center position. Kevin will be reviewing all these players in his preseason issue, which comes out in late summer.
The top two are Alonzo Lane, a 6-6 PF from Canton, and Jonathan Bender, a 6-10 1/2 SF from Picayune. Kevin said Bender has the best offensive skills he has ever seen in a big man from Mississippi.
06/18/97 - Talk about wow! Read the info. on this guy. Evan Ray, a catcher/outfielder from Pontotoc HS, batted .445 with 36 stolen bases his senior year. He stole 41 bases his junior year. According to my source, Evan has great speed, a very good arm and is a very good line drive hitter. Plus, he is a straight A student. He played in both the NEMCAB and North-South All-Star games. He is presently playing on the Pontotoc American Legion team this summer. Several schools (Delta State, Meridian CC, among others) have offered him a scholarship but he is seriously considering walking on at Miss State.
06/18/97 - I was told that outstanding Falkner running back Edward "Pig" Prather has made a 20 on his ACT and will be eligible if he maintains his core gpa. He, supposedly, is getting letters from all over the country. I was told Alabama is recruiting him hard. He has indicated no preference at this time, according to my source.
06/18/97 - Football and baseball star Brian Cole of Meridian has been scratched from the upcoming MS/AL All-Star football game. No reason given. He was replaced by Eugene Liger, a DB from Cleveland, Mississippi.
06/16/97 - Melvin Jones, from Moss Point HS, has taken Tootie Myers place on the roster of the Mississippi team for the AL/MS All-Star football game. Tootie signed with the Expos.
06/12/97 - Just got an update on a high school player from Aberdeen. Billy Blanchard is a running back, not a wide receiver as I reported earlier. He now runs a 4.56, down from the 4.6 I reported earlier. He ran this in tennis shoes on soft, tall grass. My source also said he was told Billy looked very good during spring drills.
06/12/97 - The list of good Mississippi High School players continues to grow. Matthew Holeman of Yazoo City HS, is a 6-2, 270-lb. lineman who is an honor student with a great ACT score. He was All-District and All-County, among other athletic honors. He runs a 5.1 forty-yard dash and can bench press 350-lbs and squat 450-lbs (District weight-lifting champ). So far, he has been contacted by LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss (they are everywhere), and the small in-state schools. Here's something you Rebel fans will like. Matthew is a Rebel fan and would love to play for the Rebels. In fact, he will be at Ole Miss' camp this month.
06/12/97 - Here's a little more info on new Ripley HS head football coach Jamie Mitchell. Source: The Southern Sentinel, Sports Editor Jeff Morris
Quote by Tommy Morton: "Jamie played for me at Pontotoc. He was an intense player, a committed player and a dedicated player who always wanted to be around the coach. I think he was studying then. I think he's mature beyond his years and that's a tribute to his daddy. You know his daddy was an excellent coach at Baldwyn and Pontotoc. I know he (Jamie) has a high moral fiber, so I'm sure the parents in Ripley will be happy their kids are playing under a man like Jamie."
Quote by Charlie Dampeer, head coach at Kossuth: "He coached under me when he first started and I was at Saltillo. He coached offensive line and linebackers for us and did a good job. I could tell he was going to do well back then because of his work ethic and how he got along with the kids. I believe they'll win right off the bat. I'll tell you this and you can put it in the paper, Ripley's lucky to get him."
Quote by Mr. Ripley Tiger himself, Jim Pannell: "I think he's an excellent choice. I'm particularly pleased because of his experience as a track coach. A strong track program strengthens all of your other sports, so I'm pleased with the choice."
06/10/97 - Here are a couple of Starkville HS underclassmen to watch the next few years: Jason Clark and Jason Outlaw. Clark, who is a potential superstar according to my source, is a 6-3, 265-lb., sophomore defensive tackle who has exceptional speed for a man his size. Outlaw is a 6-2, 260-lb., freshman defensive tackle who is very athletic. Look for both of these players to either start or play a lot this coming season for Starkville HS. Notre Dame has already noticed Clark, according to my source.
06/09/97 - Anybody know anything about a Clinton HS player by the name of Neal Thomas? Sunday at lunch I was told he is quite an athlete in football, soccer and baseball. Any info will be appreciated. BTW, he is going to be a senior.
06/08/97 - A Smithville High School player to watch this coming football season is Matt Greir. Matt is a still growing 5-10, 170-lb junior tailback/middle linebacker. As a sophomore this past year, Matt played a little less than 50% of the time at tailback, but still gained about 700 yards. He was the starting middle linebacker. Matt has fair size and speed and is a weight room regular who is very hard-nosed. Keep me informed as to how he does this coming season all you Smithville HS fans.
06/07/97 - According to a source of mine, the new head coach at Ripley HS will be James Mitchell. Last year James was a Tupelo HS assistant coach in charge of the offensive line. In James' career as an assistant coach, which includes stints at Saltillo, Pontotoc as well as Tupelo, he has help guide teams to a 62-25 record. He is a graduate of Pontotoc HS, Itawamba CC and Mississippi State University. James should be very successful at Ripley. All you Ripley folks that read my page give James a big welcome.
If any of you know of any other new Mississippi high school coaches, let me know. Also, if you want to praise the job your coach at your school has done, let me know and I'll post your response. The coaches in Mississippi deserve all the recognition they can get. They do a great job helping the kids in Mississippi and should be recognized for it. Next time you see a Mississippi prep head coach or assistant, let him or her know he or she is appreciated.
06/04/97 - I made a mistake about a Baldwyn HS player. I had senior-to-be Michael Paul Lee listed as Michael Paul. But, I didn't make a mistake about his talent. According to a source of mine, Michael is a big-time sleeper, who made All-District last year and was a force in the spring jamboree Baldwyn HS played in. I sure hope the Mississippi colleges find out about this guy before it is too late.
Also found out about another outstanding Baldwyn HS senior-to-be football player by the name of Justin Gentry. Justin, based on the info I received, has a chance to be a great college player. He has been All-District the last two years, with over 100 tackles both years and was 1996 District MVP at linebacker. He is an honor student with a 29 ACT score. He has received inquires from LSU, Rice, Auburn, Ole Miss, Stanford, Northwestern and several Ivy League schools. I would called this guy a sleeper, but looking at the list of schools that are interested in him tells me otherwise. Some college is going to wind up with a heck of a linebacker when they sign Justin.
If any college coaches are looking at this page, Baldwyn's telephone number is (601) 365-1030. The head football coach is Larry Gann, according to the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.
06/04/97 - Look for Starkville HS baseball player Brandon Patton to be a standout next year. Brandon, who is a 5-11, 175-lb senior-to-be OF/C, is a great hitter with a good arm and plays very hard. He has some power and with a little more weight room work, he could develop even more. He is also a great kid who you will never have to worry about. Starkville HS's telephone number is (601) 324-4141. The head baseball coach is Danny Carlisle.
06/03/97 - According to Mississippi Hoops' Kevin Henderson, Mississippi has four of the top 20 basketball players in the south. They are in order of ranking:
06/02/97 - Here are two football players to watch next year. Jonathan Herrod, a linebacker from Calhoun City HS, was All-Division 2-2A. Jonathan, who has good size and great speed, led his team in tackles and is a real headhunter. Freddy Bullard, a QB/K/P from Bruce HS, is an outstanding Kicker/Punter who has a big heart and absolutely cannot tolerate losing.
Look for the word to get out about these two players.
06/02/97 - In the latest issue of MISSISSIPPI HOOPS, Kevin Henderson had this quote: "Mississippi may have the best crop of juniors (to-be) since my publication began three years ago. We currently have six impact juniors and another eight to ten getting very close. Look for at least two All-American to come from our state in the next couple of years. In our underclassman issue (which will be out in late summer) you'll get bio's on each prospect as only Mississippi Hoops currently does."
Here's a list of the top six juniors-to-be:
Looks like there are going to be more great big men than have ever come out of one Mississippi class. MSU, Ole Miss and Southern Miss ought to have great recruiting years that year - Gene.
BTW, if you don't already subscribe to Mississippi Hoops do so. Kevin is going to mail out his blockbuster player issue in late summer. It will have tons of info. on Mississippi basketball players, freshmen to seniors. He will also be mailing out his SEC issue prior to that issue. It will have his rankings of all the SEC teams, Top 10 rankings nationally, and who all the kids in Mississippi signed with. No one does it like Mississippi Hoops does.
06/01/97 - I've just heard about a football player at Hillcrest Christian School who I consider to be one of the top sleepers in Mississippi. Colleges from as far away as Notre Dame know about him, but very few recruiting gurus or fans do. His name is Jonathan Mullen, an OL/DL who is 6-5+, 285-lbs, with excellent speed for a man his size. Because he played on a senior-laden team last year, he didn't get the attention the seniors did. Considering the large number of letters he is getting from colleges as far away as Notre Dame, the colleges coaches have noticed him. His favorite school at the moment is Miss State, but many are looking at him. You can contact his coach at, David Tadlock, at 601-372-0149.