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 | Sep |
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10/31/97 - Sources indicate to me that Shannon's offensive lineman Tyrone Green is very interested in Auburn. Originally it was thought he was a shoo-in for Ole Miss, but Auburn has really made up a lot of ground. Don't be surpised if he signs with Auburn in February.
10/31/97 - Looks like at least a couple of The Clarion-Ledger's Dandy Dozen players will be leaving the state. Hattiesburg's outstanding running back Robert Gillespie is so enamored with LSU, he has said he will sign there even though he knows they have a lot of young talented runningbacks. Based on what my source told me, it is highly unlikely he will change his mind. Look for Pascagoula's Reggie Myles (another Dandy Dozen player) and Van Cleave's Sam Forehand to also sign with them. Those should be the only players of significance LSU will sign out of the state of Mississippi.
10/31/97 - If you don't subscribe to Kevin Henderson's Mississippi Hoops, this is what you are missing from his latest issue:
OK, Kevin told me I could give you a taste. Here's the Top 15 players in Mississippi:
10/31/97 - The Mississippi Stars doubleheader against the Houma, La. Hogs has been cancelled. No reason was given why the Hogs cancelled. The Sunday games are still on.
If you would like to see some of the best junior college baseball players in Mississippi, the Mississippi Junior College All-Star Baseball games are this weekend at Southern Miss beginning at noon Saturday at Pete Taylor Park. They will play two games Saturday and one game Sunday.
10/30/97 - Tupelo has a sophomore kicker, John Michael Marlin (5-9, 140), who, in one game this year, kicked back-to-back field goals of 50 and 51 yards and also kicked 3 of 4 kickoffs into the end zone. According to my source, he appears to not only be a great kicker, but a person of great character also. If John continues to work hard and add size and strength, he could become one of the best kickers in the country.
10/30/97 - Here's the latest AP Mississippi HS football poll:
The Top 20
Rank-Team-Record-Next Game
01. South Panola 9-0 --- hosts #4 Starkville
02. Northeast Jones 7-0 --- at Laurel
03. Moss Point 7-1 --- hosts # 5 Hattiesburg
04. Starkville 8-1 --- at #1 South Panola
05. Hattiesburg 7-1 --- at #3 Moss Point
06. Gautier 9-0 --- at Long Beach
07. Clarksdale 7-1 --- hosts Cleveland
08. Shannon 9-0 --- at South Pontotoc
09. Magee 8-1 --- at East Marion
10. Tupelo 7-1 --- at Horn Lake
11. South Jones 8-1 --- Open
12. Madison Central 7-2 --- hosts Greenville
13. Brookhaven 8-0 --- hosts Crystal Springs
14. Picayune 5-4 --- at St. Stanislaus
15. Amory 8-1 --- hosts Eupora
16. Gulfport 7-2 --- hosts Ocean Springs
17. Purvis 8-0 --- at Pass Christian
18. Oxford 8-1 --- hosts Hernando
19. Forest Hill 7-2 --- Open
20. South Pike 7-1 --- at Terry
The Little 10
01. Ackerman 8-0 --- at Williams-Sullivan
02. Taylorsville 8-1 --- hosts Bay Springs
03. Weir 9-0 --- hosts Sebastopol
04. Calhoun City 8-1 --- at Okolona
05. Baldwyn 8-0 --- hosts Mooreville
06. Pillow Academy 8-0 --- hosts Heritage Academy
07. Jackson Prep 8-0 --- at Adams Christian
08. Lumberton 8-1 -- hosts St. John
09. Choctaw Central 7-1 --- hosts West Lowndes
10. Stringer 8-1 --- at Mount Olive
10/29/97 - After getting beaten by South Panola, Tupelo came back and handily defeated Grenada 19-0, while allowing only 116 total yards. A win over Horn Lake this Friday night will clinch a playoff berth for Tupelo. On a bit of a sad note, Tupelo's outstanding player Kelly Shumpert is out for the season with a knee injury. He underwent surgery last week and will not be able to do any workouts for four to six months. Sure hope this kid makes it back because he is a tremendous talent.
10/29/97 - South Panola's outstanding linebacker Antuain Bradford has been selected as one of ten finalists for the 1997 Wendy's High School Heisman Award for the state of Mississippi.
10/28/97 - The Mississippi Stars were rained out this past weekend. They will be playing a DH this Saturday at the University of West Alabama beginning at Noon against the Houma (La.) Hogs. Sunday, they will be playing a 1:00 p.m. DH against the Hattiesburg (MS) Hit-Rite team on the campus of East Central CC.
10/28/97 - Pereece Hunt of Walnut HS, ran for 204 yards and 3 TD's on 19 carries against North Pontotoc last Friday night.
10/28/97 - Ripley and Pontotoc played a very exciting game last Friday night with Pontotoc prevailing 21-14. Ripley's outstanding running back Rico McDonald ran for 98 yards on 22 carries. Ripley's QB Brandon Roberson was 6 of 10 for 136 yards and 2 TD's. Defensively, Richard Bryant (13 tackles), Bradley Boyd (13 tackles), and Kurt Lancaster (12 tackles) had very good games.
10/28/97 - Cathedral HS offensive/defensive lineman David Junkin (6-2, 255) is getting quite a bit of mail from LSU (his favorite), Ole Miss (sister is a student), La. Tech and Co-Lin CC. The larger schools have talked to him about walking on but Co-Lin CC is showing the most interest. Don't be surprised if he decides to head to Co-Lin for a year or two to gain weight and, hopefully, a couple of inches in height.
10/26/97 - Ackerman - Philadelphia observations from one of you:
Very good, hard-hitting game. I have read that Joe Rush has questionable speed for D-1 football. I don't know what his 40 time is but he has football speed, closes to the ball very quickly and hits a ton when he gets there. Scouts from Rice & Alabama were at the game. I don't remember his name but Philly's QB is one of those great HS players with a huge heart who is simply too small to play college football. Conner Stephens was awesome, had 2 great catch/runs which were both called back for penalties. Ackerman played much better, than last 2 weeks.
10/26/97 - South Panola - Southaven observations from one of you:
Friday night, the South Panola Tigers knocked off Southaven 50-0 for the Tigers' fourth shutout of the season. In the first half, the Tigers rushed for 210 yards--Toward Sanford (7 rushes, 98 yards), Kimario Hentz (4 rushes, 94 yards). The Tigers quarterback Josh Bright was 5 of 8 for 113 yards and 2 TDs in the first half. WR Nathan Bowden had both TD receptions (44 and 25 yards). Bowden finished with 4 catches for 98 yards. WR Terry Benson caught 1 pass for 15 yards in the 1st half. The first team offense was only in on one series in the second half for 2 plays. Benson caught 1 more pass in the second half for 10 yards before the first team sat down for the game. Kicker Jerry Ware went 6 for 7 on extra points--Ware getting a chance to kick for the Tigers who generally go for 2. The Tiger defense was impressive--0 points--"Total Domination". Eddie Strong played a great game with an interception in the 3rd quarter.
Final statistics: Rushing: Sanford: 98 yds. 1 TD, Hentz: 109 yds. 3 TDs, Michael Johnson (So.) ?yds. 1 TD, Receiving: Bowden: 98 yds. 2 TDs., Benson 25 yds., Passing: Bright 6 of 9 for 123 yds.
10/25/97 - Found these Mississippi High School Player Stats in the Friday's edition of The Clarion-Ledger. The information was provided by coaches and statisticians. The article did not say if all the schools reported their info.
Rushing Leaders by Class (The leader is determined by the total yards):
Classification - Player - School - Att - Yds - Avg - TD
10/23/97 - Here's the latest word on Ripley HS's outstanding running back, Rico McDonald: 5-9, 205, 4.45-sp (ran this at the Alabama summer camp). It appears Rico is leaning to Miss State and Southern Miss at the moment.
Another outstanding Ripley player is Warren Pannell. Warren has a 3.63 gpa, a 26 on his ACT and, at the moment, likes the following schools (in order of preference); Ole Miss, Vandy, LSU and Memphis.
Other Ripley seniors who have a chance to play at colleges (small or juco level) next year are:
Ripley also has a junior who will be heard from next year; Bradley Boyd, a 6-2, 303-lb Offensive/Defensive Tackle, who was the State Class 3-A Superheavyweight Powerlifting Champion as a sophomore.
BTW, if you are a fan of any high school or community college in Mississippi and you want to send me any info, such as the above, on players at your school, I will be more than happy to post it. I'm always willing to promote Mississippi players.
10/22/97 - Here's the latest Miss Associated Press Top 20 High School Football Poll:
(I have included the next game for each of these teams for anyone who wants to scout the players. I'll be checking out the Starkville-Greenwood game.)
The Top 20
Rank-Team-Record-Next Game
01. South Panola 8-0 --- at Southhaven
02. Northeast Jones 6-0 --- at South Jones (#8)
03. Moss Point 6-1 --- hosts Gulfport (#13)
04. Starkville 7-1 --- hosts Greenwood
05. Hattiesburg 6-1 --- hosts Wayne County
06. Gautier 8-0 --- hosts George County
07. Clarksdale 6-1 --- at Cleveland East Side
08. South Jones 8-0 --- hosts Northeast Jones (#2)
09. Shannon 8-0 --- hosts Winona
10. Magee 7-1 --- hosts Raleigh
11. Tupelo 6-1 --- hosts Grenada
12. Madison Central 6-2 --- at Lanier (Newell Field)
13. Gulfport 7-1 --- at Moss Point (#3)
14. Brookhaven 7-0 --- at McComb
15. Picayune 4-4 --- hosts Hancock (#20)
16. Amory 7-1 --- at South Pontotoc
17. West Marion 8-0 --- at Collins
18. Coahoma County 7-1 --- hosts Independence
19. Purvis 7-0 --- hosts Forrest Co. AHS
20. Hancock 6-1 --- at Picayune (#15)
The Little 10
01. Ackerman 7-0 --- hosts Philadelphia
02. Taylorsville 7-1 --- at Enterprise Clarke
03. Weir 8-0 --- at French Camp
04. Calhoun City 7-1 --- hosts Nettleton
05. Baldwyn 7-0 --- at Mantachie
06. Jackson Prep 8-0 --- Open
07. Lumberton 7-1 --- at Richton
08. Loyd Star 8-0 -- at St. Andrew's
09. Pillow Academy 7-0 --- hosts Jackson Academy
10. Stringer 7-1 --- hosts Lake
10/22/97 - Latest Mac Hart (McComb HS - PK/P) update:
10/21/97 - Here's the latest Mississippi Stars update. The Stars won two of three games this past weekend:
Game One "Stars":
Game Two "Stars":
Game Three "Stars":
The Stars play at Mississippi College at 4:00 pm and 6:30 pm this Saturday (October 25th) against Tuscaloosa.
Sunday (October 26th), they play the Baton Rouge Stars at Southwest CC at 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm.
10/21/97 - Here is the name of a junior running back from Clinton HS who has been having a great season so far; Dantae Walker. This past Friday night, Dontae rushed for over 300 yards. He has also been selected The Clarion-Ledger player of the week this season. Keep an eye on this guy.
10/21/97 - Here are several player evaluations from someone who saw the Hattiesburg-Gulfport game:
10/20/97 - Picayune's lineman Chris McGuirt (6-5, 290-lbs) has drawn interest from Ole Miss, Miss State, Florida, Rice and Southern Miss. As of now, Chris is not leaning to any school. Chris, who is know as the motivator on the team, is having a great season so far. He has qualified academically and is working hard in the weight room to increase his strength to prepare himself for college competition.
10/20/97 - Ripley's outstanding running back Rico McDonald is closing in on the single season mark of 1,691 yards rushing which was set in 1991 by Dennis Storey. Rico needs only 214 yards to break this record.
10/20/97 - Other Ripley players who are having great seasons are:
10/18/97 - More South Panola-Tupelo info: S.P. Quarterback Josh Bright accounted for a total of 206 yards, 158 on the ground (13 carries) and 48 in the air (4 for 7 with 1 TD). S.P. LB Antuain Bradford also had an outstanding game defensively.
10/18/97 - I went to the Tupelo-S.Panola game (26-0, South Panola the victor) and thought I'd relay a little info to your readers. Tupelo's outstanding junior DB #12 Kelly Shumpert for some reason did not play. He will definitely be a top recruit next year. Toward Sanford and Eddie Strong are the real deal. Sanford is a very quick and shifty back who rarely was stopped by the first tackler, and Tupelo has a great defense. I think he ended up with 158 yards on 24 carries and 2 TD's. Strong is a man among boys. He just looks dominant out there. When he plugs the hole, it's plugged, there was no forward push once he made his hit.
South Panola's defense was awesome. Tupelo ended up with like 127 yards total offense. But, the game was closer than the 26-0 score. It was only 14-0 late in the game when McAlpin threw a INT. deep in SP territory. That kind of deflated Tupelo and S.Panola scored twice late, the last one with less than a minute left.
10/18/97 - The lastest unconfirmed rumor is South Panola's outstanding linebacker Antuain Bradford may be most interested in Alabama.
10/18/97 - I saw Aberdeen play last night, from the sidelines no less. Don Rowe, the Sports Editor for the Aberdeen Examiner, let me assist him on the sidelines. He also let me borrow several of his and other photos that he has. I will be posting them to my page later this weekend. Don is a great guy to talk to and be around. I had a great time last night at the Aberdeen-Houston game, which was won by Aberdeen, 35-28. Now back to the players I saw last night:
Just thought you would like to know I was so impressed with Blanchard's punishing running ability that when I saw him headed my way with two tacklers all over him, I ran the other way and fell on my rear end trying to get away. It sure gave the crowd a good laugh. Just call me Gene "Clumsy" Swindoll. I have to admit, I would much rather hit the ground than be run over by Billy Blanchard.
10/18/97 - In what must have been a very exciting game, Ripley's outstanding running back Rico McDonald ran for 337 yards on 37 carries, a 9.1 average per carry. Ripley won the game, 21-14. New Albany's Amp Lipsey ran for 124 yards on 10 carries, a 12.4 average per carry.
10/17/97 - Remember this name: William Brown. William is a 6-4, 192-lb sophomore quarterback from West Lowndes HS. I saw him play against Ackerman last night and was very impressed. Although his stats were probably not that good (remember he was facing one of the best teams in the state), he showed he has a great arm, a quick release, poise under pressure, and the ability to move out of the pocket when under pressure. Plus, he is not a scrambler who runs out of the pocket at the first sign of pressure. Another West Lowndes player to watch is senior defensive back Tommy Walters (Senior, 5-10, 199-lbs). This kid hustles and is a hitter. Tommy is one of those Mississippi players that is not getting the attention he deserves. He may not be a D-I player (I'm not a great judge of talent), but he at least deserves to be looked at by college recruiters.
10/17/97 - New Hope HS's outstanding senior pitcher Shane Bazzell will be making an official visit to Alabama this weekend.
10/16/97 - Aberdeen HS Player Info:
BTW, I'll be at the Houston - Aberdeen game Friday night to see these two players as well as the outstanding Houston quarterback Russell Dendy, who was 11 of 16 with 224 yards last week.
10/16/97 - Anybody know anything about who is recruiting Northeast Jones HS's linebacker Dusty Braddock and Laurel HS's kicker Tyler Ratkliff?
10/16/97 - Found this info in The Clarion-Ledger yesterday, BTW, if you are in Mississippi and don't subscribe to The Clarion-Ledger, you are missing a lot of great player info. I post some on this page, but there is a lot of info that is too long for me to post.
10/16/97 - Look for West Union HS's girls team to have another great year this year. They won the 1-A State Championship last year with a 34-3 record and have started off well this year, with a 74-17 victory over Pine Grove last night.
10/16/97 - U. of Alabama baseball player Drew Bounds (from Mississippi) hit a home run during Alabama's intrasquad game this past Saturday. Coach Wells told a source of mine, he hoped Drew would step up this year and help Alabama get back to the College World Series.
10/15/97 - Here's the latest info on the Mississippi Stars baseball team:
The Stars won 3 of 5 games this weekend. There were 10 college scouts and five major league scouts at the games.
Game one "Stars":
Game two "Stars":
Game three "Stars":
Game four "Stars":
Game five "Stars":
The next action for the "Stars" is this Saturday when they will play a doubleheader against the New Orleans Spice beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Co-Lin CC. On Sunday they will play a doubleheader against the New Orleans Stars beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Hinds CC.
10/15/97 - As I promised those of you who want to scout players, here is a list of some of the football games being played this Friday. Check out my Top Mississippi Players Page for players you want to scout and go to their game. Hope I get some good reports:
I know I missed listing a lot of good games, but I can't push my luck the first time I do this. If I get a good reaction, I will list more games next time. Alright, now go out and scout the game nearest you.
10/15/97 - The Clarion-Ledger's player of the week is Rahim Chambers (5-11, 165-lb, jr.) of McLaurin HS. Rahim rushed for 251 yards and four TDs on 15 carries. For the season, Rahim has rushed for 1,025 yards on 109 carries.
10/15/97 - Here are two freshmen football players from Florence HS that will be heard from for the next four years: Mark Vincent, a 5-10, 170-lb quarterback with great arm strength, agile, fast and still growing; Justin Roberts, a 6-0, 175-lb running back who should get bigger and faster because he hits the weightroom hard. Comes from an athletic family. My source was told that his mother played basketball at Miss State.
10/14/97 - Co-Lin CC's outstanding center Joey Hydrick is being recruited by Ole Miss (leader, more playing time the first year), Miss State (feels they may want to redshirt him) and now Wake Forest. He will be taking an official visit to Wake Forest. From what I was told, Wake Forest is going to offer him.
10/14/97 - Baldwyn HS Info:
Baldwyn is 6-0 and has given up only 44 points so far, most of those
being on long plays. MLB Justin Gentry (6-0, 212-lbs) leads the team with 65 tackles
and has played very consistently all season. He is a very punishing tackler and makes the
defensive calls. Eric Calomese (6-4, 230-lbs and moves really well) is having an outstanding season at
defensive end. Brad Price a junior tailback (6-1, 187-lbs) has 700+ yards and has scored
fourteen touchdowns.
10/14/97 - Bruce HS player info:
Freddy Bullard, Bruce's starting QB for the past 2 years, help lead the Trojans to a Class 2A championship over Ackerman last year, rushing
for about 100 yards and throwing for 1 touchdown in that game.
This year he has produced over 50% of the points for the Trojans through
running, passing and kicking. He is 6-2, 210-lbs and is definitely the
real deal when it comes to athletic ability and leadership. Division 1
schools have paid quite a bit of attention to him. He is being
recruited heavily by LSU, UM, USM, Auburn, Arkansas State, and the list
goes on. This kid is one to keep an eye on. He is also being recruited by D-I schools for baseball as well.
Just want to say thanks to the person who emailed this info to me. I tried to email you, but it came back to me with a returned mail, user unknown message.
10/13/97 - I have been asked by one of you if I would post the upcoming Mississippi High School football games each week so any of you who would like to scout players would know who and where they will be playing. You could then send me your evaluation of the player. This sounds like a great idea to me. Although I can't post all of the games, I will post as many as possible. Look over the games I post and my list of top players and go to the games and key on those players and let me know what you think. I will post the games Wednesday morning. If I get a good enough response, I will do it each week.
10/13/97 - One of my sources said after seeing Warren Central's QB Josh Morgan play against Madison Central this past Friday night, it had been several years since he has seen a player play with as much desire and effort as Josh showed during that game. Whenever he was sacked or being tackled he would always give a last lunge to secure even an extra two inches. On one play where he should have been sacked, he escaped, broke several tackles and gained the necessary yards to get a firstdown.
10/13/97 - A junior player from Terry HS that deserves watching is kicker Trey Crumb. Trey seems to kick long field goals each week. If anyone gets a chance to see Terry HS play, let me know what you think.
10/13/97 - A source of mine, who has seen a lot of high school football, told me Holly Spring HS's outstanding running back Cory Yates is the fastest football player he has ever seen. Another Holly Springs player to watch is Jeremy Leseur, a 6-2, 185 junior DB.
10/12/97 - A couple of Ripley HS players have played very well the past two games. Warren Pannell has recorded 21 tackles during these two game and Rico McDonald has rushed for 267 yards on 33 attempts while scoring 4 TDs. For the year, Pannell has 51 tackles and McDonald has rushed for 1,140 yards.
10/12/97 - Against Ripley HS this past Friday night, Kossuth HS's quarterback Jamie Vansandt threw 21 times, completing 13 for 140 yards. He also rushed for 52 yards for a grand total of 192 yards on the night. If anyone has Jamie's classification and size, please email it to me. Sounds like this young man has potential.
10/12/97 - Edward "Pig" Prather accounted for a total of 407 yards against Thrasher Friday night. He rushed for 246 on 10 carries, had a 55-yard punt return, a 68-yard kickoff return and a 38-yard pass interception. All this in just over half a game.
10/11/97 - Look for info on players from South Panola HS, Columbus HS and Ripley HS tomorrow. Mostly non-recruiting type info such as stats and talent evaluation. I will give you a couple of tidbits now: South Panola HS QB is a bonafied D-I prospect. I saw him Friday night and he has tremendous potential. He has much quicker footspeed than I was led to believe and has a great arm (does through it too hard sometimes, but that can easily be solved with a red-shirt year). Toward Sanford, the outstanding running back South Panola, is absolutely great. The guy made a run during the Columbus HS that will be talked about for a long time. I wish I could describe it, but what he did almost appeared to be humanly impossible. Suffice it to say, I have never seen a run like it.
10/09/97 - Warren Pannell of Ripley is a kid who could turn out to be a primetime prospect. He is very young, having turned 17 in July, has a 3.7 gpa and a 26 on his ACT. Plus, he has the frame to carry up to 290 pounds. I have seen this kid play, and I feel, with a redshirt year in college, he could make some team a very good offensive lineman.
10/09/97 - A couple of senior basketball players from Kosciusko HS that bear watching this year are: Jacob Pettit, a 6-5 forward, and Derrick Ashford, a 6-7 F/C. Jacob has received attention from Millsaps and Miss College; Derrick, Miss State, Troy State and Meridian CC. With continued improvement this year, these two kids have a chance to attract some D-I attention. As I've always said, there are a lot of players in Mississippi that don't get the attention they deserve. These two may fall into that category.
BTW, Kosciusko HS was 21-10 last year and is hoping for another great year this coming year.
10/09/97 - Here's more Mississippi Stars Baseball Club info:
Upcoming Games:
Sat. Oct 11: at U. of Ala; play Birmingham Stars at 2:00 p.m./Arlington Texas A's at 4:30 p.m.
Sun. Oct 12: at Tuscaloosa Central HS Field; play Houma, La. Hogs at 11:00 a.m./Tuscaloosa at 1:30 p.m.
Sat. Oct 18: at Co-Lin CC, Wesson, MS; play New Orleans Spice, DH beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Sun. Oct 19: at Hinds CC, Raymond, MS; play New Orleans Stars, DH beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Other Info:
They have seven players with 20 or more at bats hitting over .400; Brian Hicks - (47 ABs) .404, Dustin Cliburn - (44 ABs) .568, Brad Montgomery - (36 ABs) .417, Jamie Farris - (27 ABs) .407, David Brister - (36 ABs) .500, Brian Hicks - (41 ABs) .463, and Drew Troxler - (29 ABs) .414.
Eric Smith is leading the team in runs scored with 17.
Pitchers Shane Bazzell and Brian Owens leads the team in strikeouts with 20 each. Anthony Rawson and Andy Young follow closely behind with 17 and 16 respectively.
BTW, the Mississippi Stars play at Dudy Noble Field November 15th and 16th. I'll mention this again near gameday.
10/09/97 - Nick Wash Update: Nick, Picayune HS's outstanding running back, has rushed for 829 yards in the first six games. This past Friday he rushed for 235 yards. The previous week he had 157 all-purpose yards in the first quarter (the only quarter he played in), which included a 96 yard kickoff return and 42 yards rushing.
10/07/97 - If any of you get a chance to see the Mississippi Stars play this year, do so. They are a bunch of the best high school junior and senior baseball players in the state, who are playing a fall schedule on the weekends and so far are 13-3 on the season. They have played at Meridian CC, Pearl River CC and are playing in the Deep South Classic at the University of Alabama this coming weekend. Some of the players on the team are: Brian Nicks, Starkville HS senior centerfielder; Allen Buckley, Brandon HS senior RHP; Anthony Rawson, Kosciusko HS senior RHP; Ben Dew, Kosciusko HS senior firstbaseman; Brian Owens, N.W. Rankin HS senior LHP; Shane Bazzell, New Hope HS senior RHP; David Brister, Jackson Prep junior shortstop; Shane Jensen, Laurel HS senior thirdbaseman; Dustin Cliburn (leading hitter with a .638 BA), Hillcrest Christian Academy junior infielder; Brad Montgomery (leads the team in rbi with 16), New Hope HS senior firstbaseman; Eric Smith (leader in outfield assists with 4, doubles with 4, triples with 5), Houston HS senior leftfielder. From what I have been told, any upcoming junior or senior can try out for next year's team. If you know of a player you feel would like to try out, my source said you can contact the Mississippi Stars Manager Harry Porter at telephone number (601) 924-1337.
10/07/97 - I received info on a Holly Springs player and it's not about their outstanding running back Cory Yates. Jeremy Leseur, a junior 6-2, 180 defensive back, took an unofficial visit to Michigan recently. He attended their camp this past summer and they invited him up for a game. He finished second in the state in the long jump last year. Watch this kid this year and next.
10/07/97 - Here's a little South Panola - Greenwood player and game info (Mostly S.P.):
South Panola:
Josh Bright - QB, Josh (6-5, 214) was 5 for 9, 155 yards, 1 TD. He also rushed for 39 yards and 2 TDs. According to my source he is the "real deal". My source was told by a source of his that by the end of the year he will be able to name his school.
Nathan Bowden - WR, Nathan, a 6-3 185 senior wide receiver, is playing his first year of high school football and has a chance to draw some attention as he improves. He is a natural athlete. Nathan is also a very good D-1 pitching prospect. My source told me he is being recruited by quite a few colleges baseball coaches.
Kimario Hentz - RB, Kimario (5-10, 172, junior) ran for 77 yards, all in the first half.
Kory Chapman - RB, Kory (6-0, 185, junior) ran for 85 yards.
Michael Johnson - RB, Michael (5-8, 184, sophomore) ran for 139 yards.
Kevin Thomas (5-10, 192, senior DB) and Antuain Bradford (6-0, 220, senior LB) led the South Panola defense with quite a few tackles each, many behind the line of scrimmage.
Greenwood:
Gary Davis - FB, Gary (6-0, 205, senior) led Greenwood in rushing with several very good moves.
10/07/97 - According to a source of mine, Natchez HS wide receiver Marco Minor is drawing heavy attention from Florida. Look for them to be visiting a Natchez game soon. Another Natchez player, who up until now has been considered a sleeper, to watch is wide receiver Clarence Parker, who is similar in size to Marco. Clarence, supposedly, has better moves than Marco after catching the ball. Florida has shown some interest in Clarence. A couple of other Natchez players to watch are running back T.C. Love and wing back Greg Carter. If any of you get a chance to see Natchez play, let me know what you think about these players.
10/07/97 - Found this bit of info on Maben's Patrick Burchfield in The Commercial Dispatch:
Patrick's dream is to follow in the footsteps of Jerry Rice and Kirby Jackson and play in the NFL someday. He admires both players because they proved you can be from a small town and play in the NFL. Patrick (5-11, 175, 4.5) has drawn some interest from Miss State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Arkansas State. He has visited Ole Miss and Miss State. Patrick said, "I always liked State when I was smaller. I didn't know much about Ole Miss, but I know a lot more now. Both have real good programs. I really don't have a favorite." Patrick has passed for approximately 1,100 yards and 10 TDs and rushed for about 600 yards and four TDs. He has also intercepted five passes, returning one back for a TD. His coach, Ken Williamson, said "he is as fine a kid as you'll see. He has high morales. He's pretty much what a mother would want a son to be."
This kid sounds like he would be a great addition to any college program.
10/05/97 - A friend and I went to the Tupelo-Starkville game last night. Although most of the hype was on Starkville's QB/DB Freddie Milons, I was most impressed with several underclassmen: Tupelo's QB/DB Kelly Shumpert and Starkville's DL Rodney Outlaw and MLB Jason Clark. Shumpert (QB/DB, 6-0, 190, Jr.), who didn't play much for reasons unknown to me and my friend, is a great talent. He has great moves and is very fast. He ran a kickoff return back for a 91 yard TD. Once he got in the open he left everybody in his dust. This kid can run, my friends. Why in the world Tupelo doesn't play him more is beyond me. Outlaw (DL, 6-2, 282, Fr.) is a major talent. This kid has it all: size, strength, speed, quickness, and intensity, and he's only a freshman. Most of the time Tupelo was double-teaming him, but I don't remember him ever being knocked to the ground. This guy, if he continues to work hard and gets taller, will be a national recruit by his senior year. Clark (MLB, 6-2, 237, So.) is close to being a dominating player at his position. During one four play span, he made three tackles. He has size and speed and really keys in on the ballcarrier. He reminds me of a young Eddie Strong (South Panola's outstanding LB who I will see this weekend at the SP-Columbus HS game in Columbus). Another player on Tupelo HS's team who has potential is 6-4, 294 OL Donald Tucker. Although he has been having leg problems this year, he appears to be fairly mobile for a man his size. This is a guy that bears watching the remainder of the season and next year.
10/04/97 - According to The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas, a couple of Mississippians are considering Arkansas. Click here to read the article.
10/03/97 - They aren't getting much publicity, but here are some players from South Jones High School (Ellisville) who are receiving a lot of attention from recruiters, according to my source who been going to South Jones' games for years:
Fred Taylor - 6-3, 290-lbs, Sr, OT, 5.0, academically eligible, mashes players regularly and gets downfield and gets after DBs. A good kid.
Jason Ward - 6-4, 255-lbs, Sr, TE/DT, 4.9, academically eligible, soft hands, and is a load when he catches a pass and is one on one with a LB or DB. A good kid
Jonathan Turner - 6-2, 225-lbs, Sr, TE, 4.9, academically eligible, best blocker on the team and is an outstanding receiver. A good kid
Charles Hales - 6-2, 185-lbs, So, QB, 4.7, great student, natural leader, very quick release, very accurate, can throw the ball 85 yards. According to my source, he was very impressive at the FSU camp this past summer. Really got the attention of Bobby and Terry Bowden.
Rashard Phillips - 5-6, 175-lbs, So, RB, 4.6, good student, averaging over 7 yards per carry and is hard to bring down. Went to LSU camp and was one of only a few sophomores to make the All-Star team at the camp. USM family connections, according to my source.
Guys, this is the kind of info I dream about getting, so if you have info please email it to me. I can only help these kids if you help me, just as the above source did. There are only so many games I can go to, but you can go to the games of your hometown school. Get out to those games and tell me what you see or hear. Also, if you are a sports writer, game official, or a radio play-by-play announcer, I want your input. Let's do something really great for these kids, send in the info.
10/03/97 - Although I got to the Durant-Weir game late in the 4th quarter last Friday night, I did get a chance to see Weir's outstanding RB/DB Dicenzo Miller play defense. Even though Weir was leading 36-16, Dicenzo was still hustling like the game was tied. On one play he ran all the way from one side of the field to the other to help make a tackle. He played both ways during the game but he was still hustling that late in the game. Very impressive.
10/03/97 - According to yesterday's Clarion-Ledger, Ackerman's outstanding DE/TE Conner Stephens (6-5, 237, 4.6) is considering Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, and Tennessee.
10/03/97 - Several Maben HS players that need to be watched the next few years are: RB Randy Bell, a 10th grader, DT Herman McGee (5-9, 175), a 9th grader and FB/LB Joey Poe (5-10, 175, 4.8), also a 9th grader. To be considered a true D-I prospect, Herman needs to grow taller and bigger, but he already has the desire. According to my source, Herman is an extremely hard worker who puts forth 100% effort all of the time. Randy is a very quick and fast runningback who just needs to continue to work hard to be a D-I prospect. I saw him run during the Noxapater-Maben game and was very impressed. I didn't get a chance to see Joey play because he was injured, but I was told he has size 12 feet (means he has potential to grow) and is fairly strong. All Joey needs to do is hit the books and continue to work hard in practice and he has a shot at being a D-I prospect. I was told all three of these kids are good kids. If you know of any players who are in the 9th and 10th grades that you feel have potential to be D-I players, let me know about them. Also tell me why you feel they have a chance to be D-I players.
10/01/97 - Here's a name to remember. Marshall Academy's sophomore quarterback Michael Norvarice (sp?) (5-8, 155) has very good speed (4.5-4.6), a great arm (clocked at 85-87 mph fastball as a freshman) and is a tough player. My source said Michael is one of the best athletes he has ever seen. He projects as a DB or WR in college if he plays football. His best sport may be baseball. He played centerfield, shortstop and pitcher as a freshman. Remember this name, he has a chance to be a special player by his senior year.
10/01/97 - Here's a little more info about Jackson Academy's Philip Walsh. He runs a 5.3 to 5.4 forty, attended several camps and has received letters from Southern Miss, Ole Miss and Millsaps.
10/01/97 - One of my sources went to see the Moss Point-Biloxi game last Friday night. Here are his impressions of several of the players he observed: