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.
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11/28/97 - Here is a player to watch next season: Jack Byrd is a 5- 11, 165-lb, junior kicker for Picayune HS. This was Jack's first year to play football and he seemed to excel, considering he was 8-10 in the field goal department, with misses from 50 and 54 yards out. Even more impressive was his extra points efforts; he was 42 for 42. Not bad for a 16-year old who was playing his first year of football at any level. If any college coaches check my page out, I would highly recomend you contact his coach at Picayune.
11/28/97 - The latest, and very accurate, info about Josh Bright, the outstanding quarterback from South Panola, is he will officially visit Arkansas. Louisiana Tech, Northeast Louisiana and Southern Miss are also showing interest. I was also told Auburn may be taking a look at him. Contrary to what I posted November 22nd, Ole Miss is not a lock. In fact, my source said Ole Miss and Miss State are not giving Josh the attention he deserves. Why they aren't is beyond me. I have seen this young man play two times and I can say without hesitation, he has loads of potential. In fact, I believe he may be the best quarterback in Mississippi this year. Look at these Josh Bright facts: Height - 6-5, Weight - 215, 40-Speed - 4.7 or better, very smart, great arm, strong, 30 inch vertical leap, great determination. The only thing hurting him is he plays in a run-oriented offense. With a redshirt year and a good quarterback coach, watch out. If the state schools let this guy go out of the state, there are going to be some teams that will regret it later on, especially if he signs with Arkansas.
Another South Panola player that is a very good talent, according to one of my South Panola sources, is defensive back Kevin Thomas. Kevin has already been offered by Arkansas State.
11/25/97 - Here are the names of a couple of sophomore running backs from Brookhaven HS that are having great years:
11/24/97 - Do you know what the recruiting terminology "Quiet Period" means?
Per the 1997-1998 NCAA Division I Manual - A quiet period is that period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the (NCAA) member institution's campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.
Did you know a quiet period is going on right now? It began June1 and will end November 30th. There is an exception during this period. The NCAA does allow authorized athletic staff members nine days during the months of October and November to evaluate prospects; i.e., observe prospects abilities at sporting events and to assess their academic qualifications. These nine days are considered an "evaluation period," according to the NCAA Manual.
11/22/97 - Here are a couple of underclassmen to watch the next couple of years:
11/21/97 - Check out the South Panola School District website. The football team stats will be available soon.
11/21/97 - According to someone who very recently talked to Starkville's do-everything player Freddie Milons, Freddie wants to stay in the SEC, but, at this time, has no favorite.
11/18/97 - The latest word on Ripley's Rico McDonald is he has narrowed his college choices to Miss State and Southern Miss. Neither one leads the other.
As promised, here are some of the school records he holds:
11/17/97 - This info is from two Friday's ago. Ripley's outstanding running back Rico McDonald rushed for 263 yards and scored 4 TDs on 25 carries, ending the season with 1,961 yards. Ripley defeated Corinth 42-15 to end their seson with a record of 6-5. Tomorrow, I will give you Rico's career stats at Ripley HS.
11/16/97 - Here's the latest word on Ackerman's outstanding DE/TE Conner Stephens. He is not leaning to any particular school at this time.
Thanks to the person who provided this info to me. I tried to email you my thanks but my email was returned with the explanation - Returned Mail: user unknown.
11/15/97 - To the person who emailed me the info about the current athletic situation of a nephew of one of your co-workers, thanks for the very nice email. Getting an email like that really made my day. I doubt if my writing about him last year contributed too much to his present situation, but it is nice of you to say so. From what you said about him last year, he is a really nice kid and not just a good football player. Helping this type kid is the most gratifying part of doing this Mississippi High School Skuttle-Butt section. I wish him all the best.
The reason I am posting this on my skuttle-butt page is because my email to you would not go through.
11/15/97 - Due to wet field conditions, Miss State and the Miss Stars have decided the games the Miss Stars were to play this weekend at Miss State will be rescheduled for next weekend. Same location: Dudy Noble Field (Miss State). Tentatively, the times will be the same: Two games on Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m. and two on Sunday beginning at Noon. Opponents should be Birmingham, AL on Saturday and Baton Rouge, KY on Sunday.
Oop, I made a mistake in my earlier post about how the Miss Stars fared last weekend. They played one of their games to a 8 inning 0-0 tie (called due to the 2 hour 15 minute rule).
11/15/97 - I got to see Clinton's running back Dontae Walker last night. Wish I could say he was very impressive, but because Starkville HS's defensive line so totally dominated Clinton's offensive line, Dontae had no chance whatsoever to show his stuff. In the first half he ran the ball nine times for -4 yards. Starkville's Freddie Milons was very impressive. He rushed for 123 yards with 3 TD's in the first half alone. He went out early in the first half with an injury. I'm not sure, but I believe it was not too serious. Not sure though.
11/15/97 - A junior quarterback who may wind up being one of the top sleepers next year is Natchez-Cathedral's Von Hutchins. Von is a 5-10, 165-lb QB with 4.55 speed (clocked at the LSU camp this past summer). He is not a scrambler, but does have excellent mobility and excellent touch on the ball (throws 40-45 yard passes almost effortlessly). This season he passed for 1,000 yards and rushed for approximately 300 yards. Cathedral won the district championship with a 8-2 record. He should have no problem qualifying.
11/14/97 - Anybody know who is recruiting this great Mississppi High School baseball player?
Hillcrest Christian Academy has a player by the name of Glenn Morris, who plays third base and pitches. He is approximately 6-1,190-lbs. His fastball is consistently in the high 80's and often better than 90 mph. He bats left and throws right. He has a high batting average, hits with power, and has a great glove and arm in the field. Last year, as a junior, he was part of the duo featured on CNN's national play of the week for hitting back to back HR's twice in the same inning. You heard it right, back to back home runs in the same inning.
11/14/97 - Here's the latest Mississippi Stars info:
This past weekend the Stars lost all three games they played. Considering that they had not played for almost three weeks, they were probably a little rusty.
Weekend "Stars":
It's your lucky day. The Stars will be playing at Dudy Noble Field this weekend. Here's their schedule, along with the schedules for all the other teams in the tournament.
At Dudy Noble Field Sat.
11:00 A.M. Bowling Green, KY vs Miss. Stars
1:30 P.M. Birmingham, AL vs Miss. Stars
At Starkville H.S. on Sat.
2:00 P.M. Bowling Green, KY vs Baton Rouge, LA
4:30 P.M. Birmingham, AL vs Baton Rouge, LA
Sunday at Dudy Noble Field
Noon: Baton Rouge, LA vs Mississippi Stars
3:00 Birmingham, AL vs Mississippi Stars
Sunday at Starkville H.S.
Noon: Birmingham, AL vs Bowling Green, KY
Sat. games will have a 2 Hr. time limit
Sun games will have a 2 hr 15 minute time limit
The Stars will be staying at the Hampton Inn in Starkville
Guys, I realize a lot will be going on this Saturday, but if you want to see a lot of future college baseball players (possibly several future Bulldogs) this is a great chance to do just that. If you can't make any games Saturday, you surely can make one of two Sunday. Support our Mississippi high school baseball players by going to, at the very least, one of their games.
11/14/97 - Here’s an update on Noxapater’s outstanding pitcher Andy Young (6-2, 215). This past weekend, Andy, who is playing for the Mississippi Stars this fall, was clocked by a Brewers Scout at 87-89 mph. What is so impressive about this is the wind-chill factor was in the 30’s. He has been known to throw in the 90’s when it is warm. Andy has offers from Delta State, Meridian CC, East Miss CC, and he has heard from Ole Miss and UAB. The Major League Baseball scouts seem to really be interested in him. His grades are fine. This guy is a diamond in the rough just waiting for college scouts to focus in on.
11/13/97 - Moss Point-Pascagoula game info:
Moss Point running back Francisco Kelly came on strong in the second half. On his 78 yd TD run ( it was a trap play) he cut inside and when Reggie Myles committed inside, Kelly cut outside causing Myles to fall down. Kelly then took it all the way. He finished with 151 yds. The best play of the night, though, was when Goula tried an on-sides kick and Kelly picked up the ball and returned it for a TD. Moss Point’s other running back Jarvis Sellers had 3 TDs and about 80 yd rushing. Moss Point quarterback Kevin Fant did not throw much (300+ yds rushing for MP) but was very sharp when he did. Reggie Myles played both ways, caught a couple of passes for 40-50 yds. He also returned about 4 kick-offs, but MP hemmed him up pretty good. Great cover guy. Goula had a JR TE/DE, Casey Gilbert, who played both ways and was very good. He is about 6-4", 260 lbs (?) and has nice hands and rushes the passer well.
11/13/97 - Here's the latest on Picayune's Chris McGuirt:
Florida has been looking at him as an offensive lineman, however Chris wants to play defense. Because he has better than average feet, is very aggresive and really likes to hit, he may be better suited for the defensive line, according to my source. Remember, guys, this is only one person's opinion. No offense to Chris is intended. I mention these kids to get their names out to college coaches.
11/13/97 - A source of mine went to see the Weir - Pelahatchie game last Friday night. Here are his impressions of a couple of players he saw:
11/12/97 - Looks like I opened the underclassmen floodgates. Keep it coming. Let's help these kids get noticed by college recruiters. Here are more names and updates on some I already have listed:
11/11/97 - Click here to visit Scout USA, a great internet site for players who want to be recruited by college coaches. Also check out The Athletes Edge, another great site.
11/11/97 - Here are three underclassmen that bear watching next season:
I ran behind last night. Look for my Mississippi Stars update tomorrow. Look for additional player info (not recruiting but observations from sources who went to high school games) tomorrow.
11/09/97 - Here are some observations from someone who saw Moss Point and Pascagoula play Friday night:
I went down to the coast this weekend and caught the Moss Point/Pascagoula game Friday. A few observations and what I heard.
Francisco Kelly/RB Moss Point. "WOW" This kid has jets. He can go as fast as he wants when he wants. Exceptional athlete that looks like he has the body to add weight and maintain that speed. Word at the game is he is LSU bound.
Reggie Myles/DB Pascagoula. Played both sides of the ball Friday. Good speed and great at the cover. He is not afraid to hit and appeared to have a knack for smelling out the ball. He reminds me a lot of Terrell Buckley except for now looks like he can tackle. Word was he is following Kelly to Baton Rouge.
11/08/97 - Here are my observations of several of the Smithville and Falkner players:
Sorry, I didn't make the Philadelphia - Choctaw Central game due to personal reasons.
11/05/97 - Thought you guys would enjoy this recruiting info I received last night:
Picayune HS (Thanks to the person who email this info to me. I could not get through via email.):
Jackson Prep:
11/05/97 - Junior sensation Jonathan Bender scored 30 points in a close lost to Harrison Central a couple of nights ago.
11/05/97 - Here is this weekend's Mississippi Stars' schedule. Go see them if you can. They are representing our state, so show them your appreciation by going to their games.
The Mississippi Stars play in the Birmingham UAB Showcase Tournament this coming Sat. Nov. 8th and on Sunday Nov. 9th.
On Sat. at 2:30 P.M. at Young Field on the UAB Campus the Mississippi Stars play the Georgia All-Stars.
On Sunday at 10:00 A.M. at Young Field on the UAB Campus the Mississippi Stars play the Kentucky All-Stars.
On Sunday at 12:15 P.M. at Young Field on the UAB Campus the Mississippi Stars play the Alabama All-Stars.
11/04/97 - Here are some player observations from the Hattiesburg-Moss Point game:
Francisco Kelly - Moss Point. Had 219 yd rushing, including a 62 yd TD run when the
game was in the balance. Tremendous slashing ability and a strong
runner. He has gotten better as the season has progressed.
Jarvis Sellers - Moss Point. Had about 140 yds rushing. Very consistent and runs
very hard, low to the ground and hard to tackle with one person.
Jesse Mitchell - Moss Point. JR LB , all over the field, several sacks, 6-2, 215
lbs. One to watch next year.
Kevin Fant - Moss Point. JR QB, not a great game, Hattiesburg blitzed often and
sacked him several times. Moss Point abandoned the passing game and
stuck with the running game.
Robert Gillespie - Hattiesburg. Had a great game. Had a 71 yd TD run on an option
play and he was not touched. Not sure how many yards he had but it was
well over 100.
Neal Hall - Hattiesburg. JR QB, really runs the option well and has a good arm; kind
of small, 5-9, 170 or so lbs.
11/03/97 - Here are South Panola-Starkville game observations from one of you:
"The low-scoring game (12-7) surprised me a great deal. I expected a much higher scoring game, but instead I saw a defensive battle. Rodney Outlaw (Starkville's 6-2, 270-lb freshman defensive lineman) had a great game until he was injured late in the third quarter. Overall, I was impressed by Starkville's pursuit along the line--good lateral defense. They had by far the best defensive line South Panola has faced all year. Toward Sanford had a huge game, but it was hard-earned (200+yards). I think both teams were a little tight offensively. Of course, Starkville loosened up in the second half when time was running out. I was also impressed with the good game plan by Starkville's Coach Friend. His team did a great job of not letting the Tigers get around the corner for the big-yardage plays they are accustomed to. Instead the Tigers had to get their yardage in short chunks. The Yellowjackets also had several good screen pass plays in their repertoire. Quarterback Freddie Milons is no doubt a great athlete (he did some fine scrambling) but he was intercepted twice on long pass plays when he was forced out of the pocket by a good Tiger rush. Milons played well though, considering he did not have much time all night and was hit pretty hard a few times. It appeared that the Tigers would take control of the game when they drove all the way down to the 1 yard line only to turn the ball over on downs. These two teams will probably meet again in the playoffs. I think that it will be interesting to see what adjustments are made by both teams. South Panola should try to "put the nails in the coffin" a little sooner and play less conservative--the Tigers hardly put the ball in the air--never a long pass to extend the defense. Starkville, on the other hand, should throw more of those screens in the early going. This way, the pressure won't be on Milons in the fourth quarter to throw the touchdown bomb."
11/02/97 - Here's what Mississippi Hoops' Kevin Henderson said about the upcoming Mississippi basketball junior class:
There are many more talented players in this class, which is the best in Mississippi since 1990, and if you want to read all about them, then Kevin's Mississippi Hoops is the publication for you.
11/02/97 - I failed to mention on my 11/01/97 post, Picayune's Nick Wash gained his 250 yards in the first half. He didn't play in the second half.
BTW, St. Stanislaus has a freshman running back, Kris Cannon, who has a chance to be really special before he graduates. Against Picayune, he finished with 128 yards on 18 carries, including an 80-yard TD run.
11/02/97 - A very knowledgeable source of mine watched the South Panola - Starkville game. Here are his player observations:
11/01/97 - Ripley HS's Rico McDonald continues to have a fantastic season. Friday night he rushed for 123 yards on 18 carries while scoring 2 TDs. He also passed once for 10 yards; had two receptions for 68 yards and a TD; and scored on an 85-yard fumble recovery return. On the night, he accounted for 268 total yards. He now has rushed for a Ripley season best 1,698 yards, breaking Dennis Storey's mark of 1,691 set in 1991. Congrats to Rico.
Ripley's freshman quarterback Brandon Roberson was 6 of 10 passing for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns (third best in Ripley history). The touchdowns were 47, 61 and 10 yards. Ripley defeated Alcorn Central 41 to 17.
11/01/97 - Picayune's Nick Wash scored 3 touchdowns while rushing for 250 yards on 11 carries. Nick continues to lead division 7-4A in scoring and rushing yardage. Picayune defeated St. Stanislaus 63-7.