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| 1997 | March | April | May | June | July |
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08/31/97 - A source of mine had a chance to watch Magee's outstanding running back Justin Griffith and according to him, Justin is very similar to former Miss State running back Michael Davis; when he runs he carries people with him. He is one tough hombre to try and tackle. He is a smashmouth type football player, taking a hit and dishing it out with the best of them. He has gotten bigger and stronger since last year making him a much better running back, according to my source.
08/30/97 - My wife, Mary Ann, and I moseyed on up to Ripley, Miss. Friday night to watch the Ripley-Amory football game. Amory won the game 43-6. Looks like they are loaded and ready for bear. In Ripley's defense, they were without their starting quarterback (broke his collarbone) and had to use a freshman, who performed admirably under the circumstances. Plus, Ripley committed a couple of miscues early in the game that they never seemed to be able to recover from.
Now on to the player evaluations: Ripley's outstanding running back Rico McDonald is better than advertised. The guy is a very strong runner who is rarely taken down by one tackler. He is faster than I thought. Look for him to pile up some big numbers before the season is over with. I also found out that Warren Pannell, who is a 6-5, 244-lb OG/DE, is still on the Ripley team and did not graduate early as I was told this past summer. I was also told he has received letters from Miss State, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. The Ripley quarterback, freshman Brandon Roberson (5-10, 155) has potential. He made a few mistakes Friday night, but he also did some good things. I look for him to develop into a very good player as he grows physically and gains more experience. He played with a lot of heart last night. Now, on to Amory's players: Steve Griffin, although a different type runner than McDonald, is also an outstanding running back. He is more of a speed guy, running around the end instead of going up the middle. Although he didn't get many carries, he was outstanding on kickoffs, running for a 95 touchdown. Amory's fullback, Zelbert Johnson, is also a very good runner. Early on he did most of the running. Good inside runner. A sophomore to watch is 6-5, 219-lb defensive tackle Jeremy Thorn. He has good feet and showed a lot of hustle. He went up against Ripley's senior guard Pannell and played well. I look for this guy to develop into one of the best players in the state if he adds more weight to his frame and doesn't lose any of his speed. Junior wide receiver/kicker David Monneyham (6-0, 174-lbs) is an excellent player. I believe I heard his name more than anyone last night. He has good hands and excellent concentration.
I would also like to mention that Ripley has an outstanding stadium and an excellent media guide. My wife, who is a high school teacher, was very impressed with how nice Ripley's school looked.
08/29/97 - Here's a report about how Falkner's RB/DB deluxe Edward Prather did in last night's game between Falkner and Booneville. Edward didn't do too much offensively except for a 34 yard option run. However, according to my source, he looked outstanding on defense, closing to the ball as well as anybody my source has seen in a long time. He looks like a great, pure athlete according to my source. Sounds like whoever gets this kid will get a great one. Remember, he has already qualified.
08/29/97 - Look for this kid to have a future in college football in two years. Kelly Shumpert, a 6-1, 190-lb QB/DB from Tupelo HS, is a great cover man, has good speed and is a hard hitter. He is also a great leader. Sounds like this guy has a lot of potential. I'll keep you informed as he progresses through his junior and senior seasons.
08/28/97 - Here's a kid we need to follow this year; Jody Jennings of Calhoun City HS. Jody is a 5-10, 150-lb free safety/punt returner with 4.6-speed. He is also an outstanding pitcher/centerfielder who was the starting/winning pitcher for the north squad in this year's State Games championship game, pitching a complete game 4-hitter. He also batted .462 (6-13). He is an outstanding kid who is active in his church and would make any coach proud to have him on his team. According to my source, if you are interested in contacting him, you can call his coach, Mike Ray, at 601-628-6832.
08/28/97 - A Picayune, Miss., source of mine emailed me a little info about Nick Wash. Here's the quote: "I'm really happy to see that Nick made your list of the Sweet 16 in Mississippi. This year he will be in the backfield instead of at flanker. This will allow Nick to put up big numbers! He is powerful, super-quick, and has great agility. The guy can fake himself out and then just burn down the field in the next second. He is awesome and very deserving of your mention. A lot of other "experts" will have Nick on their list when this football season is over. I don't know what his school plans are, but I hear that he is a poor student. I doubt that he will qualify for a 4 year university."
If anyone has additional info about Nick, email it to me. I would like to know what schools he is considering.
08/27/97 - According to a source of mine who talked to one of Reggie Myles' friends, Reggie (DB from Pascagoula) told him he is also interested in Colorado and Georgia Tech as well as the schools mentioned by The Clarion-Ledger..
08/25/97 - A player who will not be playing his senior year but should be playing college ball somewhere next year is Lewis Brown of Rosa Fort. Brown (6-5, 285) will miss his senior year because he turns 19 before September 1. He is a good student who's expected to qualify. Source: The Clarion-Ledger
08/25/97 - Here's a little more info on New Albany kicker Ross Barkley. Ross finished fifth at the prestigious Canton Ohio kicking camp this past summer. This should put him right up there with the top ten kickers in the nation.
08/25/97 - A player to watch this year is New Albany sophomore Russ Kirkland, a 6-4, 235-lb TE. My source told me he is going to be better than Ole Miss signee Matt Koon who is a former New Albany TE.
08/23/97 - Here's the latest on New Albany's kicker Ross Barkley. In a scrimmage Thursday night, Ross was kicking 45-yard field goals with ease. I saw him kick this past spring and I can say without hesitation he has a very strong leg. I also know that his family is an Ole Miss Rebel family.
08/21/97 - An Amory source of mine emailed me a little info about Amory HS TE Frank Walker. According to my source, Frank is a very solid player who is a great blocker. With a little added size, Frank, who is 6-2, 218-lbs, could turn out to be a very good college tight end.
08/20/97 - Bob Gibbons' All-Star Sports Report lists 6-6 WF Justin Reed of Jackson Provine as one of the two most promising sophomores at the ABCD Camp this past summer.
08/19/97 - A source of mine emailed me the stats for several of the Starkville American Legion players:
08/19/97 - Brian Nicks: Leadoff hitter for Starkville's American Legion team. Outfielder, Junior, .393, 0 hr, 16 rbi, 36 runs, 22 sb, Only 15 strikeouts in the last two summers. Great leadoff hitter. Outstanding work ethic. Great bunter. Runs a 3.85 from home to first. Also an exceptional good kid according to my source.
08/18/97 - The latest word on Falkner's outstanding running back Edward "Pig" Prather is that he is seriously considering Ole Miss, Miss State and Alabama. I've heard a couple of opinions about which team is the leader. Some say Ole Miss; some say Miss State. Time will tell. Hopefully, he will stay instate. A factor that may play into this is his brother Bradley Prather is now at Northeast MS CC after transferring from Marshall. He originally signed with Ole Miss but transferred to Marshall. Will he and his brother be a packaged deal? Stay tuned....
08/17/97 - Found this bit of info in the latest issue of MISSISSIPPI HOOPS. West Bolivar HS's Tavares Bennett now has Auburn in the hunt for his services. Miss State, Ole Miss and Memphis were already looking at him very strongly.
08/17/97 - According to Kevin Henderson of MISSISSIPPI HOOPS, Sam Funchess has decided to stay at UCONN and not transfer to Meridian CC.
If you guys don't already subscribe to MISSISSIPPI HOOPS you better hurry and subscribe because Kevin's big Pre-Season issue will be coming out soon. Click here to find subscription info.
08/15/97 - Here's a little more info on Aberdeen's Billy Blanchard, one of the big-time sleepers in Mississippi this year, in my opinion. He is now being looked at by Alabama in addition to Miss State, Ole Miss and Arkansas State. Billy is a very solid student who should have no problem whatsoever qualifying. His grades are very good and he will be taking his ACT test in late October, according to my source. He is favoring Ole Miss and Alabama, although he is still wide open.
08/13/97 - There's a running back at Baldwyn who will be a junior this fall. Baldwyn went 3-8 in 1995, one of several consecutive losing seasons. In 1996 they went 8-3 as Brad Price turned in 20+ and even 30+ carries per game as a sophomore. My source, who saw Price this spring in a scrimmage, said he's really bulked up over the summer. He should come in at 6-0 to 6-1, 190 this fall. He's really solid, not terribly fast, but he's quick on his feet and, according to my source, "damn hard to stop."
08/10/97 - I heard from a very well informed source from Clarksdale who gave me a little information about Clarksdale's outstanding DL Mario Haggan. He said Mario is wide open to the schools he is looking at and that none has an advantage over any of the others. He also said Mario is a very nice kid. Mario does have to work on his grades, but what he needs to do is very doable if he will put forth the effort, which my source feels he will do.
08/10/97 - I was also told by another source that Aberdeen's Billy Blanchard has really worked hard this summer and has decreased his 40-speed to the 4.5-4.51 range. Look for him to have a big year this upcoming season. The schools that are looking at him at the moment are Arkansas State, Miss State and Ole Miss.
08/04/97 - Eli Whiteside, a senior-to-be catcher/shortstop who plays for the Pontotoc American Legion team, batted .338 with 13 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 6 game winning hits, and 53 RBI during the regular season. His team is presently playing in the American Legion State Tournament at Starkville. During the tournament he pitched against West Point and was clocked as high as 88 mph. Eli had only pitched 3 innings prior to his appearance Saturday. The guy is a natural athlete according to my source.
Eli isn't the only player on Pontotoc's team that needs to be watched next season. Brian Hicks (I'm not sure which position he plays) led the team with a batting average of .449, with 9 doubles, 9 home runs and 41 RBI.
08/03/97 - Watch for this guy this coming football season. Michael Blaylock a wide receiver from Carroll Academy, was impressive at the Mississippi State camp this summer, according to a source of mine. Look for a lot of Division-I schools to travel to Carrollton, Mississippi to watch this guy play. With his combination of size (6-2, 170) and speed (4.6), he will be heavily recruited before it is all said and done. Michael averaged almost 20 yards per catch for Carroll Academy last season.
08/03/97 - It appears the out-of-state schools have found a gem in Greenwood, Mississippi. Gary Davis, a 6-1, 210, LB/FB from Greenwood HS, is being heavily recruited by Notre Dame, Florida and Tennessee, as well as Miss State. MSU, according to my source, may be the leader at this time.
08/01/97 - According to Purple & Gold, "the inside source for LSU Sports", a couple of Mississippians are strongly considering LSU; 5-11, 180-lb DB Reggie Myles of Pascagoula and 6-6 300-lb OL Sam Forehand of Vancleave. Myles is also considering Alabama as well as Southern Miss, among others. Forehand is considering all the in-state schools and several other SEC schools.