The scholarship is given to high school athletes who maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better and are, “proven leaders and role models within their school and community.”
Laurel got off to a slow start this season but the Golden Tornadoes ramped it up in November, playing some of the best football in the Pine Belt before eventually falling to Picayune in the Class 5A South State Title.Leading the charge was senior running back Kiron Benjamin.
There is a culture in Bassfield unlike any other town around the state of Mississippi.“The guys that came before us, they set the stone,” said Southern Miss sophomore defensive back Malik Shorts...
The Heidelberg Oilers have not lost in over a month.“We just execute at practice, come out, play hard every practice,” said senior quarterback/free safety Jayvion Jones.
Jaheim Oatis has been the biggest kid in Columbia since the 8th grade.Back then he stood 6-foot-4, 287 pounds – and swiftly received a scholarship offer from Nick Saban at the University of Alabama.
Jones College's Danae Fowler was named Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference women's 'Goalkeeper of the Week' for a third consecutive week.
First-year head coach Jay Blackledge said the Taylorsville Tartars are “baby-stepping” this season, taking things one week at a time.Sophomore running back Cobey Craft was high-stepping to the end zone on Friday...
The West Jones defense hasn’t allowed a point since its 27-21 loss at Madison Central on August 27.The Mustangs have been a different football since that season-opener and senior Kendorean Russell has been key to the turnaround.
After a slow start to the season, Seminary exploded Friday in a 48-22 win at Purvis.The Bulldogs grabbed the momentum from opening kickoff – which Ladarious Keys took 91 yards to the house.
A price cannot be put on experience and Sumrall senior John Ford carries a wealth of it.The quarterback’s leadership came through in Friday’s 41-14 win over Bay High.
Anything but a state championship is a down year in Bassfield.That's the culture head coach Lance Mancuso has built with seven state titles in 13 years."Obviously our guys are extremely disappointed at the way the season ended last year," Mancuso said. "Definitely wasn't up to the expectations of this program. We probably had one of the best summers that we've had in quite some time."
Like many smaller schools in the Pine Belt, Forrest County Agricultural has a crop of blue-collar kids who have to play both offense and defense throughout a football game."Yeah I'm on the field all the time so I just love being out there," said FCAHS senior running back Jeremy Smith. "My break is when I get home.""It's tough, especially after round 60 - when you get to play 60 and all that you start feeling it," said FCAHS senior guard/tackle Samuel Walker. "But it's worth it in the end because there ain't nothing else like high school football..."
Hattiesburg High head coach Tony Vance believes one of the keys to the Tigers season will be returning starters on their defense and at the heart of that returning group is junior defensive end Tabias Hinton."Certainly expecting big things from him,” Vance said. “Expecting him to, you know, come out and lead our defense. He's one of those guys doesn't talk a whole lot, leads more by example and the way he plays the game."
The Heidelberg Oilers feel like 2021 is a fresh start with first-year head coach Jimbo Nowell.The new skipper brings a wealth of experience and energy to Jasper County.“It’s a great group of kids,” Nowell said. “They keep me young. I’m 55 years old but I’m a high-energy guy. Enjoying the process – not just the games but enjoying practice, having fun while we work hard.”
What the Southern Miss offense looks like won’t truly be revealed until the Golden Eagles take the field on September 4 at South Alabama.However, first-year coach Will Hall has dropped hints throughout fall camp. He likes USM’s tight end room and hopes to feature that group more this season.Southern Miss has the personnel to do a variety of things with that position – Hall points to at least five tight ends fighting for time on the football field.
There’s nobody in purple who loves football more than Drew Brewer – and he shows that every day, in every snap he takes on the field."We're all excited but it's kind of sad it’s the last year. We're just working hard and trying to get it done this year."Even though he might not show up on the stat sheet, his role at left tackle should not be overlooked. The 6-foot-2, 320-pound senior protects the quarterback’s blind side and is key in opening holes for the Purvis running backs to make plays.“It gets tough down there but it’s fun. You’re hitting somebody every single play.”
Southern Miss head coach Will Hall quarterbacked Amory High School to the 1998 Class 3A state championship. The guy snapping him the football that year was Allen Glenn.Glenn now heads up Petal High School’s program, taking over the Panthers after five seasons as the head coach of Amory."The culture here is something great,” Glenn said. “It's something that was built way before I got here back to coach [Steve] Buckley, through coach [Marcus] Boyles. Just a tremendous culture that they've built and I'm just excited to build upon that foundation..."
While quarterback Kabe Barnett and the skill players around him got a lot of the shine during Oak Grove’s 2020 state championship run, the big boys up front put in the grind.“Every single time one of the running backs or even when Kabe breaks a hole, scores a touchdown or it’s a big gain, it makes us know that we’re appreciated and what we’re doing is actually working,” said Oak Grove senior left tackle Klabron Pollard. “That our hard work is paying off."
The Pirates are finally working with a full crew this season. Thirty players took the practice field on Monday, more than double from a season ago. “We started off when I first got here, they were on a 16-game losing streak,” said sixth-year Mount Olive head coach Dante Durr. “We had our first winning season last year, 6-5.”
Jay Blackledge has been well prepped for this moment. Cutting his teeth under championship coaches like Marcus Boyles, Todd Breland, Todd Mangum and Scott Pierson."If I could say one thing about all of 'em, they've all done it the right way. They kind of paved a pretty good road for me to travel on, to try to keep the car in between the lines."The long ride has taken Blackledge to a town with some of the richest tradition in the sport of football – Taylorsville.
Carter Bales will be key in making sure Williams has all the room he needs to make plays.With 12 seniors gone from a year ago, Bales and Williams – the two captains – are gonna make the engine go.
“We’re going to run the ball,” said head coach Dan Brady. “We’ll run it more than we pass it, probably a lot more than we pass it. We’re not going to get away from what we’re good at and our identity.”On the other end, it’s senior defensive end Cartize Booth who coach Dany Brady expects major things from.
The Collins Tigers are staying put in Region 8-2A, but they welcome a few newbies like Heidelberg, Mize and Stringer.Sixth-year head coach Eric Booth doesn’t know how the region will pan out but he does know what kind of player he has in Donte Booth.The 6-foot-2, 195-pound sophomore isn’t going to get much of a break this season - expected to play wide receiver, safety and defensive end.
Wayne Academy made a tremendous run to the MAIS 4A state championship game last season, with quarterback Stone Ross at the forefront.Ross returns for his senior season but the Jaguars have a new head coach Marcus Davidson who is opening up the playbook in Waynesboro.
In a little over two weeks, it will read Sacred Heart across the chest of Nick Pipkins and his Crusader teammates.But at practice on Tuesday, Pipkins’ shirt reads ‘TEAM’ above a smaller inscription ‘ME.’“Coach Ed [Smith], he always says, ‘We’re out here, we need to be closer together, more impact,’” said Pipkins, a Sacred Heart senior. “So, it’s a big ‘TEAM’ and a little ‘ME’ because the team’s bigger than yourself."
Well, Jaden Henderson chose the right extracurricular activity.The senior linebacker/running back will have plenty of opportunities to hit some folks this season - Sylva-Bay Academy leaning on Henderson heavy on both sides of the ball.
“Our kids love to compete. They love to play a physical brand of football. We always talk about it and people may make fun of it but we want to impose our will on both sides of the ball. We want our opponents to feel us on offense and defense. And our kids have bought into it. We train that way and they love contact. As a football coach, you gotta love that.”
Injuries and illness took a toll on Avery Carter during his first two years of high school.But that adversity also made him a tougher football player. The senior quarterback is now more than ready to lead the Richton Rebels."It's just another year. I mean, just coming out, doing what we need to do to better ourselves every day. Get one percent better."
You might remember another big, physical lineman wearing that No. 67.Charles Cross plays for Mississippi State now.But what he did in a Laurel uniform made an impression on Malik Ellis.
Milton Talbert is bringing championship pedigree to North Forrest.The former Hattiesburg High standout and 2009 national champion with Alabama puts on his head coaching cap."You have to love your players, number one, and you have to genuinely care for them and I think players see that,” Talbert said.
There’s a different pep in the step of the Columbia Academy Cougars.T.C. Chambliss breathes new life into a program starving for success.“These kids, they’re so hungry,” said Chambliss, who enters his first season as Columbia Academy’s head coach. “It’s not just a catchphrase. They really are, they’re so desperate to turn things around here. They’ve bought into everything I’ve laid out in front of them and they’ve surpassed every expectation so far.”“It’s a lot different than years past,” said senior linebacker Jacob Reid.
