Support your hometown high school sports team because these players and coaches put forth a lot of effort and hard work to be the best they can be and by going to their games you show 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.
| 1997 | March | April | May | June | July | Aug |
|---|
09/30/97 - Here's a quote from a Co-Lin source of mine:
The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wolves (3-1) defeated Hinds CC, the 3rd ranked team in the nation, 20-17. Let's look at some of the sophomores that lead the state of Mississippi's Jucos in defense.
Torrey Barnes, Monticello, 6'2"-285, DL. A recruiting gem. A definite find for anyone wanting to plug the middle. Lost in the recruiting shuffle now, but someone will pick up this talent.
Lawrence Thomas, Franklin Co., 5'9"-170, DB. A great cover guy and kick blocker, this speedster is receiving attention from Auburn. A great kid who brings excitement to the field.
Kenmantel "Animal" Davis, Hazlehurst, 6'- 200, LB. Led the Wolves in tackles during his freshman campaign. Being recruited by Auburn, Marshall, among others. Intensity is the key word to describe Davis.
09/30/97 - Mac Hart info:
09/30/97 - Here's a player to watch: Philip Walsh, a 6-2 290 pound offensive lineman from Jackson Academy. If anyone has additonal info, please email it to me.
09/30/97 - I need info on a couple of Kossuth HS players. If anyone can help me, please email me at swindoll@ebicom.net and I'll get back in contact with you.
09/30/97 - Here's a little info from the South Panola-Horn Lake game. SP QB Josh Bright threw for 2 TD's and SP RB Kimario Hentz ran for over 140 yards. SP won the game 22-0. SP plays Greenwood this weekend at Batesville. If anyone gets the chance to go to that game, please email me an update on how the South Panola and Greenwood players who are on my high school prospect list do.
09/27/97 - I received a bit of Ackerman - Winona game news from an Ackerman source of mine. Winona ran away from Ackerman's Conner Stephens all but a couple of time. He stuffed both for losses. Conner also caught one pass for an apparent 60-yard TD until it was called back because of a clip. Another Ackerman player to watch is Brian Shumaker, who is an outstanding DB. During the game, Brian intercepted one pass in the endzone and returned it to the 50, however the ref called it back because he claimed it was pass interference. BTW, Ackerman won the game 34 to 7.
I went to see the Maben-Noxapater game. I left at halftime to drive over to see the Weir-Durant game. Due to lack of time, I will have to file my observations late Sunday afternoon.
09/26/97 - The latest rumor on Hattiesburg's lineman Blake Conn is Vanderbilt is very interested in him. He is also getting looks from Miss State and Arkansas State, according to my source.
09/25/97 - Jason Myers of Vicksburg HS is a 6-3, 257-lb junior OL/LB and former Crimson Tider Michael Myers' younger brother. His coach, who also coached Michael, says Jason is better than Michael at this point in his career.
09/24/97 - The player from Winona who I mentioned earlier this month is Demond Miller. A couple other Winona HS players to watch are: Sam Townsend, a 6-3, 210 senior WR who won the state title in the high hurdles, and Marcello Purnell, a 6-3, 235-lb senior TE/LB who was the MVP at a Florida State camp this past summer.
09/23/97 - Another player to watch from Picayune is Sylvester Stubbs. He is a very consistent receiver and excellent safety. He had a huge ballgame against Gulfport. He caught a TD pass, recovered a fumble, deflected pass that was intercepted to stop Gulfport's last drive. He is also the starting point guard on Picayune's basketball team that made it to the state semi-finals last year.
I also have additional info on Picayune's Nick Wash. According to my source, Nick is an unbelievable athlete. He is Picayune's punter as well as running back. He has the uncanny knack to turn up full throttle very quickly. According to my source, he made a 85 yard run against Gulfport on the last play of the 3rd quarter that will be long remembered in Picayune. He broke two tackles at his 20 and ran past the Gulfport secondary at midfield. When he got to the endzone, the nearest Admiral was at the 15 yard line.
09/22/97 - Here's a player from Olive Branch HS that has a chance to be a big-time player; Jordan Pettit. Jordan, who is a junior, is a 6-4, 260-lb offensive tackle with super quickness. Look for this kid to be one of the best in the state next year.
09/22/97 - Remember this name: Marvin Matthews. Marvin, who is very fast, is a 5-10, 180-lb senior free safety from Horn Lake. This kid is a great tackler and is very good running to the ball.
09/21/97 - Here's some more Picayune HS player info:
09/20/97 - To the person who was upset because he was told a certain college coach backed out on his visit to a highly touted Mississippi running back; college football coaches can't officially visit high school prospects until December 1st, according to the NCAA Manual (which I have in front of me right now), therefore this rumor is just that, a rumor. If the coach actually did visit this player prior to December 1st, he would be violating an NCAA rule and could possibly cause his team to be put on probation.
BTW, my email to you did not come back as not received, therefore I assumed it went through. Call me at 601-356-9160 (Caledonia) if you didn't receive my second email and I will give you my complete answer.
09/20/97 - Watch out for this kid this coming baseball season. Derry Hammond, an outfielder from West Point HS, is expected to be drafted in the first three rounds of next year's draft. He runs a 6.68 60-yard dash, can hit the ball a mile and is a great kid. More than likely, he is the top prospect in the state, according to my source.
Another player to watch is Brad Montgomery (6-4, 220-lbs) of New Hope HS. He hit .446, with 10 homeruns and 53 RBIs this past season. Although he is not fast afoot (how many power hitters are?), he has trememdous hand speed. If some college wants a kid who is a big-time hitter with power, this is one kid you definitely need to give a long, hard look at.
09/20/97 - Against Walnut Thursday night, Edward "Pig" Prather rushed 14 times for 195 yards and 5 touchdowns. His touchdowns were 2, 26, 49, 33 and 39 yards. He did this while playing less than three quarters.
09/20/97 - A player to watch who plays for Picayune HS is Chris McGuirt, a 6-4, 278-lb, defensive lineman. Chris, according to my source, is a monster whose motor is running at full speed all the time. His grades are in order and quite a few big colleges came to see this kid during the spring. If any of you know more about him, let me know.
09/20/97 - In the September 15 issue of The Sporting News, recruiting guru Tom Lemming ranked the Top 25 running back prospects in America. The 6th best, and tops in the Southeast I might add, was none other than Justin Griffith of Magee, Mississippi. Congrats Justin.
09/19/97 - I need some player info. There is a kid by the name of Mac Hart who plays for McComb HS. He is supposed to be one of the best kickers in the state. I need any info you can supply on this kid. I would like to post him on by Top Mississippi Prospect Page, but don't know anything about him but what I just wrote. All help is appreciated.
09/19/97 - I received this Tupelo update last night. Tupelo's oustanding junior Kelly Shumpert played a major role in the 33-7 upset of Amory last week. He had a 49-yard interception return early in the second quarter and a 59-yard QB run with a minute left. He had two interceptions during the game, both in the second quarter.
Another player who had a great game was Mark Cannon, a 5-7, 160-lb runningback. Mark rushed 195 yards on 25 carries. I've seen Amory play twice; this was no small feat. I was told Mark is a very strong runner, despite his size.
09/19/97 - I saw Nettleton HS play Amory HS last night. Amory won 17-0, but Nettleton played hard. Now on to the player evaluations.
Nettleton HS:
Bill Hall - Bill, a senior, is an excellent defensive back. He has very good speed and stayed with his man all night. Amory quit throwing his way after he intercepted the ball early in the first quarter. He also played WR and showed that he has excellent hand-eye coordination and great hands. He made an outstanding catch while in midair parallel to the ground with his hands and arms completely outstretched. He is about 5-10, not 6-0 as I had read (He walked within six feet of me. I am 5-10 1/2 and he was slightly shorter than I am). Nevertheless, he really does an excellent job reacting in the defensive backfield and is a definite D-I prospect, in my inexpert opinion.
Amory HS:
Zelbert Johnson - Zelbert, a senior FB, is a powerful and hard running running back. He gives his all 100% of the time. Will make some college a fine FB.
Deshaun Fields - Deshaun, a 5-7, 150-lb sophomore halfback, took over for Steven Griffin after Steve injured his ankle, and ran very well. He is as quick as lightning and has great straight ahead speed. If he continues to grow, he will be one of Mississippi's best RBs his senior season.
Kevin Childs - Kevin is a 6-5, 211-lb junior DE who moves very well. He has good balance and is rarely knocked off of his feet. Solid tackler. All he needs to do to become one of the best defensive players in Mississippi is gain about 50 pounds. If he maintaines his speed and quickness after gaining this weight, he will be very highly recruited.
09/18/97 - Player info:
Kevin Fant - 6-2, 190-lb, Junior, QB, Moss Point (MS) HS. For the season, Fant is 17-of-29 passing for 350 yards and three TDs for the defending Class 5A state champion Tigers. He led them to their championship last year as a sophmore.
Look for this guy to be one of the top players in Mississippi next year.
09/18/97 - Thanks to the person who mailed me part of the Sunday sports section of The Picayune Item. Wish more of you would do this. It's a great way for me to obtain high school player info which I then pass on to you by way of this page:
09/18/97 - Is this guy a primetime player of the future? Brian Walley, who is only a sophomore, is a 6-5, 277-lb offensive lineman for Greene County High School in Leakesville. Let me hear from someone who has seen him play. I want to know what kind of potential he has.
09/17/97 - What does College Basketball's Recruiting USA think about Picayune (MS) HS sensation Jonathan Bender? Here's their quote:
"He's long and lean, but possesses athleticism, hands and aggressiveness in the paint. Bender was productive at Addidas/ABCD on the boards and with his shot blocking prowess. He can hit the mid-range turnaround jumper and will dunk anything within 6 feet. He's not soft, he just needs to fill out his frame. Despite being incredibly raw, Bender is among the top big men in the Class of '99."
09/17/97 - Here are the Mississippi Juco players that made at least one Juco Pre-Season All-American Team:
09/16/97 - Here are some Smithville and Hatley HS players to watch, according to a source of mine who was at last Friday's game:
09/16/97 - Here is some outsanding South Panola - Clarksdale HS game info I was emailed by one of you. Tremendous job!:
Kimario Hentz - A 5'10" 160 lb junior speedster for SP ran the opening kickoff back 99 yards in the 2nd half and broke the game wide open. He also had a 72 yard TD run, and finished the game with over 100 yards rushing.
Mario Haggan - Haggan (LB-Clarksdale) is massive, 6'3" 250lb., and can run with anyone. He is awesome.
Toward Sanford (SP) - Had four touchdowns: 3 rushing and 1 receiving. The reception touchdown went for 22 yd. It was a flanker screen that Clarksdale sniffed out well, but Toward made several defenders miss and then he outran Clarksdale's safety to the endzone.
Josh Bright (SP) - Went 4-6 for 88 yards. One of his completions was a 55 yarder (all in the air) to WR Nathan Bowden.
Tarnaka Counslor- The junior RB for Clarksdale was very impressive. He had a couple long runs. Once he makes the corner he is hard to catch, and he also runs very strong.
Antuan Bradford (SP) - Played very well and made two bonecrushing tackles. Antuan is a little small to play LB in the SEC (6'0" 205), but he is very fast (4.5-4.6 in the forty).
09/15/97 - Avery Hatten info: "I saw Hatten of North Forrest HS play at Petal this past Friday evening. Wow! This guy is amazing! I was impressed with his quickness on the defensive side of the ball, but I was really impressed with his game on the offensive side of the ball. At 6-3, 240+, he is a load smashing into the line. He would be an intriguing fit as a RB at the college level. Very powerful. "
09/15/97 - Winona HS player info: "Winona has one horse of a running back on the team. He is a senior, and last name is Miller. I do not have height and weight officially, but I would estimate the weight at 230. Huge thighs, and very difficult to bring down. Plays some defense as linebacker."
09/14/97 - Here's another player to watch out for who plays for Falkner HS, Shino Edgeston: "He has already put up some good numbers after only two games. He is an all around player but his size will hurt him. He is 5'9" and 165 lbs. He plays QB/S/PR. Here is what he has done so far. He has thrown 4 TDs. Against Ripley he threw three TDs for 48 yards, 53 yards and 55 yards. He ended up with 173 yds passing for the game. He also has ran for two touchdowns going 48 and 71 yards. He also has returned one punt for a touchdown and has two interceptions. Then again with everyone keying on Edward "Pig" Prather may mean big numbers for Shino. Shino is slower than Pig (there are not many faster) but he is very quick.
09/14/97 - Here's some info on a player, Davey Crawley, I didn't know about until I received this email: "Davey is a senior wide receiver for Winston Academy in Louisville. He is about 6' tall and weighs around 175 pounds. He bench presses 265 and squats around the 360 mark. His time in the forty is around 4.5-4.6. In the first game of the season, he scored on a ten-yard end around, caught a 42-yard TD pass, and also had two interceptions against Academy AAAA Heritage. Keep in mind that Winston is an Academy A school. Winston won the game 35-13, with Crawley racking up 260 all purpose yards.
In last Friday night's game he didn't let up, posting a four TD performance. He scored on a 2-yard run, a 60-yard punt return, an 88- yard kickoff return, and hauled in a 30-yard pass fully stretched out in the back of the endzone in a 41-12 romp of East Rankin."
09/10/97 - Ackerman's senior TE/DE Conner Stephens' info: Conner, according to a source of mine who saw him play against Calhoun City, looked very good. He is very quick on his feet for a big man. He had two devastating sacks as a DE and outran two smaller guys for a TD as a TE.
09/10/97 - Watch for junior Bernard Sykes of Calhoun City this year and next. He is a 6-3, 275 pounder who played TE/FB/DE against Amory Friday night. Ran the ball with power and unbelievable agility. Look for him to be a prime recruit next year.
09/10/97 - Amory's Kevin Childs, a junior DL, has all the tools to be a great lineman in college, according to someone who saw him play against Aberdeen this past Friday night. He is tall and fast. I saw him play against Ripley and I was also impressed with him.
09/10/97 - Hattiesburg's senior RB Robert Gillespie, who a source of mine saw play this past Friday night, is very fast and gets to the corner very fast, however he is not built to run up the middle where he was constantly stopped when he attempted to run up that way. According to my source, he has whittled his list to FSU, Alabama, Tenn and Southern Miss.
09/09/97 - Do I know talent or what? I just wrote about this kid and look what happens. Maben HS's QB Patrick Burchfield has been selected The Clarion-Ledger's player of the week. It is in today's newspaper. How did he earn this great honor, you ask? I'll let the numbers do the talking:
09/09/97 - I mention a kid (Aberdeen's Billy Blanchard) and look what happens. I receive additional info on him. Billy bench presses 280 pounds, squats 450, has an above average vertical leap (my source didn't know his actual leap, just that it is above average based on watching Billy) and has run a 4.37 forty. Plus, he has very solid grades and should easily qualify. BTW, almost every school in the SEC has contacted him, according to my source, but it will probably be a Miss State, Ole Miss, Alabama battle for his services.
Look for more player info tomorrow on the following players (not schools they are considering info, but info on the caliber of players they are):Conner Stephens, Kevin Childs, Robert Gillespie and Bernard Sykes. I didn't have enough time to post everything I received yesterday, so check in tomorrow.
09/08/97 - A couple of high school players that are having very productive seasons so far are Maben HS's senior QB/S Patrick Burchfield (5-11, 175) and Aberdeen HS's senior RB Billy Blanchard (6-1, 210). Both of these kids are being looked at by Miss State, Ole Miss and Arkansas State, but, in my opinion, are not really getting the attention they deserve. The so-called recruiting experts list Patrick's time at 4.7, when, in fact, it is consistantly in the 4.5 to 4.55 range, according to a very reliable source of mine. Billy has decreased his speed to 4.51 since last season. Someone who saw Aberdeen play Amory this past Friday night said Billy looked better than Steve Griffin, the outstanding running back from Amory HS. I will keep you updated on both of these outstanding athletes as the season progresses.
09/08/97 - Columbus HS has a couple of senior players who really looked good against West Point HS, according to a source of mine; Jo Jo Minor (WB, 5-8, 140) and Mario Nash (LB/FB, 6-0, 240). I don't have the stats on Nash, but Minor carried the ball 9 times for 89 yards. According to my source, Minor has great speed. Nash also has very good speed for a man his size.
09/07/97 - Here's a little more info on a player I mentioned in my August S-K section. Brian Hicks shared the catching duties with Eli Whiteside of the Senior American Legion Pontotoc Red Sox'. Led the team in every offensive category but home runs (2nd). Batted .451 with 9 home runs, 13 doubles and 40 RBIs. Also batted .461 for his high school team (Houston HS) his junior year. Was selected All-Division (4A) and Team Co-MPV. Exceptional student. Fully qualified. He, along with his teammate Eric Smith, will be playing for the Jackson, MS. Mississippi Stars this fall. Thanks to the person who mailed this info to me. Please keep me informed.
09/07/97 - I had a chance to see East Miss CC and Jones County CC play Thursday night. Here are some player observations:
1) East Miss CC: Todd Whitmore (6-5, 277, DL, Heflin, AL), and Casey Anderson (6-5, 265, DL, Alachua, FL) are both solid players. Both should sign with D-I schools. Linebacker Michael Bailey (6-0, 209, New Hope HS, Columbus, MS) is an excellent linebacker. He was in on a lot of plays. Freshman running back Tanny Flowers (5-10, 190, Starkville, MS), is an outstanding blocker.
2) Jones County CC: Running back Mike White (5-9, 181, Freshman, Cottandale, FL) has great quickness and speed. Anthony Branch (5-11, 171, Freshman, Albany, GA) has great hands and tremendous speed. This guy has tremendous potential, folks! Brian Whaley (6-3, 275, Sophomore, Quitman, MS) is a solid OL who will sign with a D-I team. Tony McGriff (6-4, 276, Sophomore, Lancaster, SC) is a DE with good speed and quickness. He should be highly recruited. Marcus Evans (6-4, 257, Freshman, Wayne County, MS) is a LB/DE who has tremendous speed and quickness. This guy has a chance to be a big-time D-I player.
09/07/97 - A source of mine was at the Ripley-Falkner game Friday night. Here are his player observations:
Rico McDonald - Strong back. Rushed 33 times for approximately 230 yards.
Edward "Pig" Prather - Fast. About 190 pounds. Heck of an athlete. Rarely is tackled by one man.
09/07/97 - Albert Jones (RB from Velma Jackson, Camden) observations by one of my sources who saw him play Friday night: Fast, hard runner. Inconsistent. Ran tentatively first half. Great the second half.
09/05/97 - A source of mine was at the Tupelo-Brandon game this past weekend. Here is his opinion of Brandon's linebacker Lathero Collier. He has great quickness and was all over the field. A definite D-I prospect.
09/04/97 - The latest rumor is that the outstanding kicker from New Albany Ross Barkley is interested in Miss State and Vanderbilt because he wants to study Architecture. Anybody else heard this rumor?
09/03/97 - Had a very productive day information-wise yesterday. Read below to see what I mean.
09/03/97 - Dicenzo Miller (Weir HS) report:
Quote - "I saw Dicenzo Miller play for the first time in person last Thursday night and he looked pretty good. He ran the ball, caught the ball, threw the ball, and returned kicks scoring 4 TD's in the process. If he didn't have 200 all purpose yards he was awful close. He didn't look too shabby on defense either. He is a good combination of speed and quickness. I don't think the first player to hit him made the tackle all night. He kind of reminded me of Chris Rainey when he was at Amory. You know he is getting the ball 2 out of every 3 plays but you can't do anything to stop him. The only knock I have on him is his size. He seems a little undersized to play tailback in the SEC, but I think that would be his best position other than returning kicks. And of course he still has plenty of time to muscle up some more."
Dicenzo sounds very similar to Rico McDonald, who I saw Friday night. The only difference is Rico is a little bigger (205 pounds to Dicenzo's 185) and a little stronger - Gene.
09/03/97 - Got a report on Holly Springs' running back Corey Yates from a source who saw him play this past weekend. Yates is very fast, has great moves, sees the field really well and is not afraid of contact. However, his one drawback, according to my source, is he is small. I've got him listed at 5-10, 170-lbs. Maybe I'm wrong. Anybody know his actual size?
09/03/97 - How in the world did I miss this guy? Scott Perkins is a 6-4, 305-lb senior OT from Madison Central HS. Here are more facts about him:
09/03/97 - According to a source of mine, Picayune's Nick Wash will need to put forth a great effort in the classroom to be eligible this year. The kid has a tremendous amount of talent and could do very well in D-I college football if he puts forth the effort in the classroom. A lot of schools are looking at Nick, so let's hope he puts forth the effort. BTW, Nick and his teammates defeated Harrison Central 21-7 Friday night.
Keep the info coming, folks. The more player info I receive, the better this page will be. Also, if any of you went to a game this past Friday night, fax or mail me a copy of the player rosters that were in the game program. They are great player sources. Also, if any of you go to a Juco game, I would like the same info. BTW, don't forget to watch the linemen. I want to know about them also. My address and fax number can be found on my front page.
09/02/97 - Here's what one of you thinks about wide out Ommaya Davis of Forest Hill HS. Quote - "#1 for Forest Hill, wide receiver Ommaya Davis is the REAL THING. He has the hands and SPEED to be a great wide out for a college team. Sorry I don't have any statistics but I know he ran for a TD, threw for a TD, and had a punt return TD which was called back."
09/01/97 - Here's The Commercial Dispatch's (Columbus, MS.) Pre-season Elite Eleven football players: