I checked in with three academy teams, who open their season next Friday. We also had an update on Tupelo, which scrimmaged Friday. And Tupelo’s softball team hosted a tournament.
Also, here’s an update on the Tupelo 49ers, who won again in Enid, Okla.
It’s my wife’s 30th birthday today, so I’m checking out. Be back Monday.
Itawamba AHS tailback Deshaun McGaughy is one of the area's top juniors. (Photo by Deste Lee)
Boy, this Football Journal is trying to sneak up on me. It goes to press Aug. 22, publishes Aug. 24. I know it’ll all get done, but until it does, I’ll be stressing.
One element I’m trying to finish up is the Players to Watch list. I’ve about got my 12 seniors nailed down, but I’m still seeking info on the area’s top juniors. I know about a few of the guys – Erik Buchanan (Aberdeen), Michael Carr (West Point), Eric Johnson (New Albany), Deshaun McGaughy (Itawamba AHS), to name a few – but I’ve not had the chance to get the full picture.
This is where you can help me out a little. I know a lot of teams will be depending on juniors, because that’s the year a lot of guys first earn a starting role. Which juniors out there do you think will have a good, or great, season?
Thanks to Oxford coach Johnny Hill for providing me with the lineup for the Ole Miss Jamboree, to be held Aug. 22 and 23 (Friday and Saturday of next week). I don’t think they’ve done it over a two-day span before.
Friday
4 p.m., Senatobia vs. North Pontotoc
6 p.m., Clarksdale vs. Itawamba AHS
8 p.m., Olive Branch vs. Shannon
Saturday
8 a.m., Oxford vs. DeSoto Central
10 a.m., Southaven vs. Noxubee Co.
Noon, Center Hill vs. Ripley
I am lovin’ that Clarksdale-IAHS matchup. Olive Branch-Shannon was a good one last year. I’m not sure, but I think admission is $5, which is what it was last year.
If you’ve been paying attention since last season ended, you know that Itawamba AHS has a promising young quarterback named Maikhail Miller. He’s just a sophomore, but he has a world of potential. To begin with, he’s big and has a cannon for an arm.
But he’s trying to replace Bret Jefcoat, the Daily Journal All-Area first-teamer who’s now at Southern Miss. Coach Jamie Mitchell said Miller is starting to understand just what he’s gotten himself into. “I think he’s finally realized the importance of his job,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said Miller has improved his work ethic since the spring and is getting his head wrapped around the offense. As good as he might be, Miller won’t have to shoulder a heavy load. That’s because RB Deshaun McGaughy and FB William Shumpert are top-notch ball carriers.
“He’s just got to understand how to manage the game for us,” said Mitchell, who led IAHS to an 11-2 mark and the third round of the Class 4A playoffs last year. “Let these other guys play around him and he do his part.”
Yeah, I know, I’ve been slacking off the last few days. I have been working, just not on bloggable stuff (I just invented a new word!).
In case you missed these stories over the weekend, we had a Week 1 football practice update, and we covered a Mooreville-Saltillo softball game. In Tuesday’s Journal, look for a prep notebook, especially if you’re a Tishomingo County or Smithville fan.
I’ve got to get out to some practices this week: Okolona, Aberdeen, Tupelo Christian, among others. We’re less than two weeks from the publication of the Football Journal (Aug. 24). Stuff’s slowly coming together.
I chatted with West Point coach Chris Chambless today, hoping for an update on transfer Markell Lee. All Chambless could tell me is that the 6-foot-5 linebacker, formerly of Corinth, is not yet practicing with the team. He’s apparently taking summer classes to get academically eligible.
Speaking of West Point, ICC and East Mississippi will play a football game there Oct. 18. That’s kind of cool.
I also spoke with Aberdeen coach Chris Duncan, who said his Bulldogs are much further along than they were this time last year in regards to getting schemes put together and learned. Duncan is entering his second season at the helm.
Baldwyn hopes to bust out with an opening win over Booneville on Aug. 28. (Photo by C. Todd Sherman)
Got a little news. Holly Springs RB Jay Isom has left the team for personal reasons. He’s not happy about it, and his coach, Clifford Brown, said, “I’m a little dejected myself now.” That’s going to hurt the Hawks, who will now have to depend more heavily on quarterback Demetri Oliver. Senior Chris Scales, among others, will try to fill Isom’s shoes.
We’ll have a Week 1 practice update in Saturday’s Journal. I picked five schools at random – well, mostly random – and will have a little on each. By all means, if any of y’all have been out to your team’s practices, let us all know how things are looking.
I was looking closely at the Week 1 schedule and realized how many great matchups there are: Booneville at Baldwyn, Calhoun City at Vardaman, Ripley at New Albany, Madison Central at Lafayette Co., Shannon at West Point … it’ll be a fun opening weekend. Of course, we’re already planning our coverage, both the content and the quality thereof. But more on that later.
Tupelo CB James McAuley – underrated. (Photo by C. Todd Sherman)
I had a column today on Shannon WR William Green, who led the area in receiving yards last season and will be a senior. Being only 5-foot-8, he’s overlooked by a lot of folks, particularly SEC schools. Yeah, well, Bob Sanders is 5-8, too. Hmm.
Green is not alone. Several NeMiss football players are “under the radar” sorts, including RB Richard Freelon of Bruce. Of course, once the season begins, a lot of these guys could start drawing more interest; let’s hope so. Who are some of those other underappreciated players? Off the top of my head, here are a few: LB Rudy Cox, Itawamba AHS; QB Marcus Hinton, Aberdeen; WR/RB/FS Brandon Lawrence, Calhoun City; and CB James McAuley, Tupelo.
Like I said, that’s just off the top of my head. Help me fill in the blanks: Who are some of the area’s best players that almost no one knows about?
Chad Cook was 10-2 last season, his first at Shannon. (Photo by Deste Lee)
I stopped by Shannon yesterday to chat with head coach Chad Cook, who’s entering his second season there. Last year, his Red Raiders went 10-2 and lost to Kosciusko in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.
Chad’s a talkative fellow, which is good for me. I want all the material I can get. We talked mostly about the four offensive starters he has returning, three of which are skill players: WR William Green, RB Keon McGaughy and QB Alex Thornton. Thornton played receiver last year, but he played quarterback in some big games the last two years when Michael Ledbetter was injured.
Though Green is a heck of a receiver, Thornton’s not the passer Ledbetter is, which means we’ll likely see Green run the ball a little more (he had 184 rushing yards to go with his 1,108 receiving yards last season). McGaughy will have to stay healthy (he had a nagging ankle injury last year). Some people think Shannon will be down this year because of its losses on offense, but defense wins championships, and the Red Raiders have nine back on that side.
I think Shannon will be pretty strong. Do you think they’re strong enough to be in my Top 5 preseason rankings?
A Tupelo football player takes a break from the heat during Monday's practice. (Photo by C. Todd Sherman)
Things went well last night at Tupelo High. Caught a bit of practice, then went to the District I coaches meeting. Had a story in today’s Journal talking about Day 1 of preseason drills; I believe the coaches we talked with were the only ones to make it to the meeting. Not the best day to have it.
Adam Gore and friends put together an all-tournament team from the Senior Legion State Tournament. It’s as follows:
P Chris Stratton, Tupelo
P Lee Paine, Pontotoc
RP Matthew Shaw, Pontotoc
C Evan Weibel, Tupelo
1B Cody Brownlee, Amory
2B Philip Matthews, Tupelo
3B Clint Alford, Tupelo
SS Neal Tice, Booneville
OF Will Wallis, Booneville
OF Gardner Richey, Tupelo
OF Hunter Leech, Amory
UTL David Bowen, Pontotoc
DH Chris Gullick, Booneville
And finally, the Jeremy Newsome saga is officially over. Judge Glen Davidson dismissed Newsome’s lawsuit against the MHSAA on Monday. Surprised it took so long. As Davidson wrote, “The plaintiffs’ request for injunctive relief is plainly moot.” Newsome has signed to play ball at ICC. Best wishes, kid.
Yeah, I’m a little excited about football practice starting today. I wrote a column in today’s Journal asking 10 questions about the upcoming season. What questions do you want to see answered this fall?
I plan on making it out to Tupelo’s practice today, then heading over to the cafeteria for the District I coaches meeting to eat some catfish and ask some of the guys how Day 1 went. By the way, the Football Journal publishes Aug. 24, not Aug. 17 as we originally stated (some miscommunication between us and advertising). So now I’ve got a whole extra week to second-guess my preseason rankings. Yay! (Still working on them.)
Also, congrats to the Tupelo 49ers for winning the Senior Legion State Tournament (sorry, no link available right now). They head next to Enid, Okla., for the regional starting Aug. 14.
