DEFENSIVE PROSPECTS SHINE IN WEST MONROE VS CARENCRO 5A TITLE MATCH

Last Saturday night I attended my last high school game of the 2011 season as the Carencro Golden Bears and West Monroe Rebels squared off for the Louisiana 5A Championship in the Merdedes-Benz Superdome.  My decision to attend was very spur of the moment.  Having spent so much time recently in New Orleans overindulging myself, I thought it would be best to give my liver, finances and gas tank a break. 

While exercising discipline, I would still get my football fix by watching the Mississippi/Alabama High School All Star game, which was played in Montgomery but televised across Mississippi.  However, while watching the Alabama All Stars pound Mississippi while sitting in my apartment, I felt I could do better and the obvious solution was to watch one more game in the 2011 season live, which would of course be just 70 miles away in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and kicking off in about three hours.  So, I threw some clothes into my duffle bag and called my good friends Lauren and Ney to see if they accomodate my presence in their home, which they graciously accepted at a moment's notice.  I crash with them often for festivals and other sporting events, so my last minute call wasn't unexpected.

After dropping off my luggage at their house, I headed to the Dome and made it inside as the captains were making their way to the middle of the field for the coin-toss.  While all 70,000 seats were not occupied, each side was well represented with a strong fan base wearing their gold and red and blue team colors respectively.  With similar colors to their college level mascot namesakes, it actually looked like a high school version of Ole Miss and the University of California playing each other, except that each team was good.

Despite being a North Louisiana team, the Superdome was a familiar sight for West Monroe.  It was the Rebels 4th straight appearance in the 5A State Championship game, and the second consecutive year they were facing a team from Lafayette.  In 2010, in a game that I also attended, heavily favored West Monroe faced a charged up Acadiana team that came storming right out of the gate and fell to the Rams 21-14.  Consequently, Acadiana is Carencro's biggest rival and had dealth the Golden Bears their only loss of the regular season 21-14. 

Carencro's last appearance playing for the state championship was 1996.  Their opponent 15 years ago was the same as it was on Saturday night, losing to West Monroe then too 24-21.  Golden Bears running back Alex Johnson was definitely one key player I was interested in watching.  With over 2300 rushing yards on the season, Johnson was the state's leading rusher.  And as the Alma Mater to former LSU All-American and 13 Year NFL Veteran Kevin Faulk, Carencro had a strong track record of producing great running backs, and I was curious to see how Johnson stacked up.

Johnson may go on  and have a great college career, but with the exception of some quality yards he picked up on couple of swing passes late in the game, the Rebel defense shut him down.  West Monroe really didn't have just one single, standout defensive player.  The defense as a whole showed no weaknesses with each unit playing with agression and stopping Carencro's offense cold with eveything they tried to do.  That being noted, defensive ends James McFarland and Terrell Lathan were a presence in the Golden Bears offensive backfield all night, and middle linebacker Deano Casola was a tackling machine.  At 6-2 and 240 lbs and projected to be an outside linebacker in college, McFarland is ranked as a 3 Star prospect by Scout.com with offers from Arkansas, Mississippi State, TCU and Louisiana Tech. 

The West Monroe secondary also impressed.  Free Safety Alex Yount returned an interception 40 yards to set up a Rebel score, and junior cornerback Xavier Woods displayed some quality playmaking potential twisting in the opposite direction to snag a sideline interception to snag a sideline interception and preventing the ball from going out of bounds.  Woods also made an acrobatic catch at wide receiver and did a good job returning punts.  It will be interesting to see how highly recruited he is next season.     

While the run-heavy Golden Bears offense was stuck in neutral for most of the night,  Carencro's defense definitely made the Rebels earn every yard they got.  The only real success that West Monroe had offensively were the two option touchdown runs of 40 and 14 yards that quarterback Connor Osbborne executed perfectly, which turned out was all they needed.  Junior Carencro linebackers Tim Albert and Kye Poole were quite the duo causing and recovering four Rebel fumbles.  The stocky 5-9, 225 lb Poole was selected as the Golden Bears player of the game and is definitely one to watch on the recruiting radar next season despite his lack of height.

Doing the most damage for the Carencro defense in my opinion though was senior defensive end Jacoby Briscoe.  At 6-3 and 295 lbs, Briscoe is built more like an interior lineman than an end.  However, he didn't seem to suffer from any lack of quickness, while using his size to power his way into the West Monroe backfield all night for twelve tackles and two quarterback sacks.  Briscoe is ranked as a 3-Star recruit by Scout.Com with offers from Louisiana-Lafayette, University of Memphis, Texas Tech and Tulane.  I'm definitely very surprised that he does not have any SEC offers.  

Daphne's Ryan Anderson Bonds With Other Future Crimson Tide Linebackers During All-Star Practice

By Josh Bean, Mobile Press-Register

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Ryan Anderson rushed the passer, Reggie Ragland absorbed a block from an oncoming offensive lineman, and Tyler Hayes shuffled left into the hole to tackle the running back.
That single snap during an Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic practice this week appeared routine, but it provided a glimpse at the future of Alabama Crimson Tide football.
Anderson, Ragland and Hayes — all linebackers who are ranked on the Press-Register's Elite 18 — have committed to Alabama, and this week's all-star practices provided the threesome with a chance to develop an on-field comfort level long before they wear crimson and white.

For full article: 
http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/6926969833430705766/future-crimson-tide-linebackers-building-bond-at-practices-for-alabama-mississippi-all-star-classic/

Petal QB Anthony Alford And Long Beach LB Richie Brown Key Figures To Mississippi Ending All-Star Skid VS Alabama

Mississippi stars out to end state's skid

By Rod Walker
Petal Dandy Dozen quarterback Anthony Alford knows the Magnolia State's history in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic.
So does Long Beach Dandy Dozen linebacker Richie Brown and everyone else who will be suiting up for Mississippi today in the 25th border war all-star game
Three straight losses for Mississippi. Five of the last six. Thirteen of the last 16.

For full article:   http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20111210/SPORTS06/112100330/Mississippi-stars-out-end-state-s-skid?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|s

With Their Focus On Winnfield, John Curtis Patriots Seek To End Championship Drought

It's not often that John Curtis plays back-to-back "revenge" games. But that's the case for the Patriots today.
A week after eliminating Evangel, the team which had beaten them for the 2009 and 2010 Class 2A state championships, the Patriots get another shot at Winnfield today in the State Farm Prep Classic at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
It has been 29 years since Winnfield's 29-14 victory against Curtis for the Class 2A title in 1982, and the two schools haven't met since. So emotions on both sides may have dulled somewhat

To continue reading:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/-1478073770354210986/motivation-not-a-problem-for-curtis/

Monroe And Lafayette Schools Battle Once Again For 5A Crown

West Monroe faces challenges in well-grounded Carencro

By Dan McDonald

In last year's Class 5A state championship game, West Monroe faced a Lafayette-based team that liked to run the football, and only threw as a diversion.
This year, the Rebels will face a Lafayette-based team that likes to run the football, and rarely throws. Only the names have changed.
Perennial finalist West Monroe, which fell to Acadiana in a 21-14 classic in last year's title game, will face Acadiana's District 3-5A rival, Carencro, tonight at 7 in the State Farm Prep Classic finale at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. And just like last year, West Monroe's primary task will be to stop the running game.

For full article:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/4223720836281860550/west-monroe-faces-challenges-in-well-grounded-carencro/

Neville Of Monroe Defeat New Orleans Edna Karr 27-6 For Class 4A State Championship

Neville scored 17 third quarter points, 14 off Karr turnovers, as the top-seeded undefeated Tigers claimed the Class 4A state championship with a 27-6 victory against the seventh-seeded Cougars in the State Farm Prep Classic at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Friday.
Karr (11-4) was plagued by five turnovers in the game, including three interceptions.
Leading 13-6 in the quarter, Tigers linebacker Ricky Wyatt, named his team's game MVP, intercepted a pass by Karr quarterback Jarrell Bennett and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown to give Neville (14-0) a 20-6 lead with 1:08 left in the third quarter.

For full article:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/1196301942599665260/neville-knocks-off-karr-27-6-in-class-4a-state-championship-contest/

Richie Brown vs T.J. Yeldon

Look for two Gulf Coast natives and high prized recruits to become very acquainted with each other this Saturday at the Mississippi vs Alabama High School All Star game.  Tackling machine LB Richie Brown of Long Beach is expected to lead the Mississippi defense while 5-Star RB T.J. Yeldon of Daphne (Auburn) is considered to be Alabama's best offensive weapon.

Here is more from Rivals.com on the matchup:

Daphne five-star running back T.J. Yeldon is capable of dominating on the field. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder has a great combination of speed and size, which combined with his patience and vision, equate to the ability to hit a home run every time he touches the ball. The Auburn commitment is able to bang out yards between the tackles or sprint to the edge and outrun the fastest of defenders. He is simply a handful for defenses to handle.
Tasked with helping to stop the Alabama rushing attack will be the linebackers of the Mississippi squad. Their segment is led by Long Beach four-star inside linebacker Richie Brown. Brown is an instinctive linebacker with a knack for always being around the ball. He is a very good tackler and physical in the gap. He is also capable of playing downfield with a back in the passing game.
For full article go to:  http://mississippistate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1304455

Fairhope OT Kyron Samuels Lists Mississippi State As His Top Choice

The Mississippi and Alabama High School All Star game is this Saturday in Montgomery.  One player that Bulldog fans may want to keep their eye on wont be playing for the Magnolia State.  Fairhope OT Kyron Samuels, who is the nephew of former Alabama All-American and Washington Redskin Chris Samuels, lists Mississippi State as his top choice.  In the following link from Rivals.com, Samuels discusses his recruiting and what it has been like preparing for the All Star game:  http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/press-and-news-football/MississippiState/Kyron-Samuels-weighing-several-options-1100877 

Biloxi QB Jaylen Woullard Is Region MVP

Biloxi, the Region 4-6A champion, gained three of the top individual honors as the Region 4-6 football team was announced.
Biloxi quarterback Jaylen Woullard was named the Region 4-6A Most Valuable Player while Biloxi’s John Shannon was named Coach of the Year.
Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/12/06/3617421/woullard-named-region-mvp.html#ixzz1ftB88sOX

Picayune Cruises Past Starkville For 5A Championship

JACKSON -- Quarterback Benjamin Hickman brought a different dimension to Picayune’s offense.
The senior threw two touchdown passes as the Maroon Tide drubbed Starkville 38-21 to win the Class 5A State championship on Saturday night at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Picayune (13-2) won its first state championship since 1986, when coach Dodd Lee was an assistant. Picayune’s other state titles came in 1922, 1943 and 1948.
Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/12/03/3611478/picayune-romps-to-class-5a-state.html#ixzz1faNbeJUw

Seeking 5A Championship, Picayune RB Deronte Magee Breaks Out With Big Senior Season

JACKSON -- The Magee surname is quickly becoming a family for talented athletes on the Coast.
Picayune running back Dereonte Magee is the latest family member to excel in prep sports. The senior has rushed for a Coast-leading 1,834 yards and 14 touchdowns, helping lead Picayune (12-2) into the 5A State championship game against Starkville on Saturday.
Magee’s two cousins -- Justin Magee and Stanley Magee -- were both All-South Mississippi performers. Justin Magee was the Sun Herald’s football player of the year in 2003 for the Maroon Tide. Stanley Magee made the All-South Mississippi basketball team three straight years at Pass Christian.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/11/29/3603175/run-for-success.html#ixzz1fIfVmPuf

Mobile Vigor Faces Undefeated Hartselle For 5A State Championship At Bryant-Denny Tonight

Once-talented freshmen class now seniors leading Vigor on run at championship

By Josh Bean, The Mobile Press-Register
In 2008, Vigor’s freshman team finished undefeated and allowed just one touchdown all season.
Not many people noticed, as the Wolves’ varsity — led by Jalston Fowler, Ken Houston and Marvin Shinn — roared through the season undefeated and captured the Class 5A state championship.

Vigor coach Kerry Stevenson sensed something special in the freshman class, a group that today features South Alabama commitment Paul Kyles, Arkansas commitment Jamichael Winston, Kentucky commitment Jacoby Glenn and Alabama commitment Darius Philon.
To continue reading:  http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/1712606040578144571/once-talented-freshmen-class-now-seniors-leading-vigor-on-run-at-championship/

Mandeville Skippers Make Playoff Seminfinals For First Time In School History

Written by Ted Lewis of The Times-Picayune:

Since two of his players’ fathers are Saints assistants, Mandeville Coach Guy Lecompte probably could have scored tickets to Monday’s game.

“What game?” Lecompte asked in all innocence Monday morning. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know they were playing.”

Such is the tunnel vision for a coach whose team has made it to the semifinal round of the playoffs, especially for the first time in school history.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Lecompte, whose team travels to West Monroe on Friday for their Class 5A game. “But you want to keep winning so you work and work until you get a game plan in place.

For full article:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/4744179918360266058/five-metro-area-teams-prepare-for-semifinal-football-round-friday/

Picayune Linebacker Duo Reminiscent Of Sam Mills

Written by Rick Cleveland of The Clarion Ledger:

Mighty mites: Picayune duo packs a wallop

The last time this 5-foot, 10-inch sports writer interviewed a linebacker who looked up at me, he was the late, so very great Sam Mills, an All-Pro for first the New Orleans Saints and then the Carolina Panthers.

His teammates called Mills Mighty Mouse. Saints fans called him PacMan. Opposing running backs called him Sir. He was a tackling machine. The program listed Mills at 5 feet, 9 inches tall, and I still believe the program was fudging.

To continue reading:  http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20111129/COL0504/111290324/Mighty-mites-Picayune-duo-packs-wallop-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

Coach's Daughter Caught In The Middle Of Picayune-PRC 5A Semifinal

PICAYUNE -- Devin Smith of Picayune is a home economics instructor at Pearl River Central. Two doors down from her classroom is her husband of nearly 10 years, Seth Smith, defensive coordinator for the Blue Devils football team.
This season, Devin Smith has witnessed her husband -- along with the rest of the PRC coaching staff -- sacrifice to turn a losing program into a modern-day Cinderella story.
Finally after months of hard work, it all comes down to Friday night, the South State championship against county rivalry Picayune. She’s nervous. What coach’s wife wouldn’t be? But there is one little factor that makes her situation all the more nerve-racking.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/11/22/3592229/shes-right-in-the-middle-of-this.html#ixzz1eWzMxysE

Versatile Quarterbacks Highlight Petal vs Biloxi Second Round Playoff Match Up

Looking forward to hitting tonight's 2nd round 6A Playoff Game between Biloxi and Petal at Biloxi High School.  After stumbling early in the season, both teams are riding an 8 game win streak with the Petal Panthers coming in at 9-3 while the Biloxi Indians are 10-2.  In addition to both teams being red hot at the moment, another common denominator is versatility at QB.  Petal QB Anthony Alford, who is uncommitted, was a preseason Dandy Dozen pick by The Clarion Ledger and Scout.Com has him ranked as the state's third highest recruit.  Alford has definitely lived up to those expectations demonstrating his dual weapon capability with 1550 passing yards and 1324 rushing yards on the season. 

Biloxi junior Quarterback Jaylen Woullard may have had the biggest breakthrough season of any player in the whole state and is sure to be a top recruit for 2013.  While leading the Indians to their most team wins since 1968, Woullard has provided plenty of razzle-dazzle throwing for 1899 yards and rushing for 1013.  He has also pushed scoreboard operators to their limits accounting for 37 total touchdowns with 23 coming through the air and 14 on the ground. 

Kickoff is in two hours .  Gotta go get ready!

PETAL VS BILOXI

Coast high school football focuses on three games Friday night, and the second-round matchups are quite intriguing.
Biloxi, the lone Coast representative in the Class 6A playoffs, goes for its ninth straight victory Friday when the Region 4 champion Indians (10-2) host Petal at Biloxi Stadium.
In Class 5A, the names are all familiar in the South State playoffs. It is an all-Region 4-5A affair as Long Beach (8-3) visits Pearl River Central (8-4), and Pascagoula (9-3) entertains Region 4 champ Picayune (10-2).
Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/11/15/3577571/playoff-focus-is-on-3-games.html#storylink=omni_popular#ixzz1dvn22uVt

Pascagoula Ends Playoff Victory Drought

PEARL -- For the first time since most of its players were in diapers, Pascagoula High School has won a football playoff game.
Will Tomes' 21-yard touchdown pass to Breland Hoye with 8:19 left provided the winning points in a 28-21 victory over Pearl on Friday night. The win was Pascagoula's first in the postseason since they beat Meridian 14-7 in the first round in 1995.
To continue reading:  http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-sports/2011/11/pascagoula_football_wins_first.html#incart_mce

WILL THIS BE THE YEAR FOR A MS COAST TEAM TO WIN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Historically, political candidates from the Mississippi Gulf Coast have not fared well in statewide elections, and yesterday's election results were not exception.  Maybe the high school football teams representing the Coast will do better.  With the exception of the 4A State Championship won by the Saint Stanislaus
Rock-A-Chaws of Bay St. Louis in 2009 under record setting quarterback Dylan Favre, coast teams have also strugged to bring a title back with them on the drive back on Highway 49 South.  A big reason has been the 6A Dynasty that the South Panola Tigers have established up in Batesville, in addition to having to get past Meridian to even face them.  However, at 8-3, the Tigers' griplock on the state championship seems vulnerable.  Plus, there are eight different teams from the Coast represented in the Mississippi 5A and 6A playoffs, so the region has numbers in its favor.  It will probably be Friday when I decide about which one to attend.   The Brookhaven-Long Beach rematch from last year's playoff interests me as does Biloxi vs Hattiesburg, with the Indians riding a  7 game win streak soaring to the #1 spot in The Sun Herald. 

Which game would you choose?  Here is a breakdown on all the matches from Doug Barber of The Sun Herald to help you decide:

High school playoffs: Intrigue ahead

The Class 6A and Class 5A state football playoffs kick off Friday with some intrigue that includes first-time meetings and rematches of a sort.
And here are some of the punctuation points on Friday:
In Biloxi hosts its first home state playoff game since 2001 when the Indians entertain Hattiesburg, the No. 4 seed from Region 3.
Continue reading:  http://www.sunherald.com/2011/11/08/3562233/intrigue-ahead.html

 

COASTAL CLASH: GULFPORT, BILOXI TO SETTLE DIFFERENCES WITH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP AT STAKE

Gulfport and Biloxi. Two cities that share a common border along the Mississippi Sound but differ greatly in terms of priorities and personality.  Gulfport is about industrial sites and downtown development, while Biloxi'S economic development priorities focus on casinos and tourism.  The Port of Gulfport is geared towards accomodating large cargo ships coming into dock drop off consumer goods into 18 Wheelers to be transported all across the country (Ship Island being an exception).  The harbors scattered around Biloxi are built to accomodate shrimp boats, speedboat races, fishing tournaments and delivery trucks for the seafood processors located all along Biloxi's Back Bay.  Gulfport is more Anglo, while Biloxi's population is comprised of numerous ethic groups who migrated there during different periods of its history, to work in the city's heavily labor intensive seafood industry.  Growing up in Jackson, when people traveled to the Coast, they went to Gulfport to attend meetings and Biloxi to party.  While public corruption in Gulfport has historically been mainly scandal free, gambling took place in Biloxi long before the State Legislature legalized it, and consequently it had aspects of organized crime associated with it.  Gulfport is the serious older brother while Biloxi is the mischief, carefree younger brother.  Gulfport is Wally.  Biloxi is the Beaver.  And if you want to take this analogy further, with its closeness to New Orleans, Hancock County is Eddie Haskell while reliable ol' Jackson County is Lumpy.
 Once a year these two coastal city sibling rivals, both offspring from the Mother Gulf of Mexico, get to settle their differences face to face and tonight is the night.  The venue is the Biloxi High Indians Stadium.  While these two programs annually face off in the final regular season game this year the stakes are much higher as the winner will be named Region 4-6A Champions and get a better state playoff seeding.  In their short tenures at each school, both Gulfport Coach Mike Justice and Biloxi Coach John Shannon have done remarkable rebuilding jobs as the Admirals of Gulfport come in with a 7-3 record while the Indians are 8-2.  This fierce rivalry, which at one time was discontinued for a 10 year period from 1958-1967 due to a fight, has been dominted by the Admirals in recent years.  However, Biloxi, which is riding a 6 game win streak in which they have pushed the scoreboard to its limits, comes in as the hotter team and ranked #1 in the Sun Herald, while the physical, grind-it-out Admirals hit a road block last week with a 27-7 loss to Ocean Springs. 
 The scoring range for the Indians during this six game winning streak goes from a low of 42 points to a high of 63 points.  They have obviously improved greatly since the 41-24 thrashing they took from Pascagoula in the Shrimp Bowl season opener.  Most impressive has been the play of junior quarterback Jaylen Woullard.  Last Friday, in the Indians 56-14 domination over Hancock County, Woullard had an amazing 257 yards rushing on 9 carries with four touchdowns, in addition to completing 10 of 13 passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns.  Yes, that's right 257 yards rushing on 9 carries by a quarterback.  With those kind of rushing statistics, Woullard makes Michael Vick look like he has the mobility of Peyton Manning.      
 You know Coach Justice will have the Admirals prepared after last Friday's disappointment.  Two weeks ago Gulport brought down #1 D'Iberville with a big thud 45-7.  It wouldn't be a surprise if they took down #1 again. 
- Win    

Louisiana 5A #1 St. Paul Shoots For Undefeated Regular Season Against Fountainbleau Tonight

The St. Paul Wolves of Covington are ranked #1 in the Louisiana 5A Classification and are shooting for an undefeated regular season tonight against rival Fountainbleau.  It would be the 29th consecutive regular season victory for the Wolves.  Early in the season I watched St. Paul's defeat defending State Champion Acadiana in the Sugar Bowl Prep Classic 15-14 in a last minute thriller at the Superdome.  The article below from The Times-Picayune mentions that despite the Wolves' success they have a shortage of Division I college prospects with only senior running back Dylan Long getting his sole offer from McNeese State.  While the Wolves may lack superstars they play very well as a team together with no real weaknesses. Quarterback Patrick Duncan is an effective passer and provides strong leadership making the players around him better.  The Wolves also brought a very large and enthusiastic fan base to the Superdome that September evening with a big time band all which helped bring a college football atmosphere to their style of play.  As far as future recruiting prospects for the Wolves, keep an eye on junior defensive back Jay Washington.  While it was hard to gauge his cover skills because of Acadiana's few passing attempts, Washington provided excellent running support in the Sugar Bowl Prep Classic and displayed the necessary physical style of play to become a top notch SEC cornerback or safety.

Here is more on the Wolves from Ted Lewis on Nola.Com:

St. Paul's regular-season run of success has gotten to the point where it's being taken for granted, at least by the outside world.
But it has reached this point — 28 straight games during the last three seasons going into tonight's finale against Fontainebleau — precisely because the Wolves don't take anything for granted.
"We go out each week knowing each team we play is going to give us their best game," senior running back Dylan Long said. "So we understand that if we want to keep winning, we've got to prepare right and do all of the little things right.
For full article:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/6484925052653218491/st-pauls-football-team-seeks-to-finish-unbeaten-once-again/

JESUIT PUMMELS RUMMEL

Undefeated New Orleans Catholic Conference rivals Jesuit and Archbishop Rummel faced off in a 12 noon Saturday matchup with the Blue Jays blasting the Raiders 42-21.  I attended last week's Jesuit/Brother Martin game at Tad Gormley Stadium in which the Blue Jays won 41-3 and was very impressed with Jesuit's scrambling Quarterback Cameron Dobbins who also shined yesterday with 205 yards rushing in addition to linebacker Deon Jones who has committed to Nebraska.  Here is Andrew Lopez's report on the game from Nola.Com.

Jesuit quarterback Cameron Dobbins came up with big plays when his team needed them as the Blue Jays came away with at least a share of the 16th district championship in school history Saturday.
Dobbins finished with 205 yards rushing and three scores as Jesuit topped Rummel 42-21 at Joe Yenni Stadium. The win kept the Blue Jays undefeated at 9-0 and 3-0 in district and guaranteed a share of the 9-5A title.
For full article:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/4196440943288666154/jesuit-remains-undefeated-clinches-at-least-share-of-district-9-5a-title/

OCEAN SPRINGS DEFENSE ENFORCES NO RUNNING ALLOWED RULE ON GULFPORT GROUND GAME

Damn those Ocean Springs Greyhounds can play some smash mouth football!  The fluid, pass-happy Greyhounds have definitely added an element of toughness to their game and on a chilly, blisterfully Gulf Coast night it was definitely needed.  The Greyhounds seemed more like Pit Bulls as they went into Milner Stadium against the #1 ranked Gulfport Admirals (Sun Herald Poll) and just physically whipped them 27-7.  The Admirals, who were coming off of a five game winning streak by steamrolling over opponents, got a taste taste of their own medicine.  The punishing ground game that they rely so heavy on to wear down opponents could rarely find any running room as the holes would quickly collapse as the Admiral running backs would hit the line of scrimmage.  The defensive front four of Tyrin Spencer, Kenneth Cole, David Howell and Romario Cobb just ate up space as if was an all you can eat seafood buffet, and when the Admirals did decide to throw quarterback Chandler Malley usually found himself with Greyhound defenders all over him.  Only a late touchdown from Malley on a quarterback sneak late in the game prevented a shutout.

The Greyhound offense also performed well.  Talented Junior quarterback Wes Windham was a highly effective field general throwing touchdown strikes of 44 and 25 yards to wideouts Donovan Smith and Ismel Morrow.  Smith also played quarterback for several series and scored the Greyounds first touchdown on a three yard run from a direct shotgun snap with 6:34 remaining in the first quarter.  Morrow, who just looks like a true speedster out on the field, showed off some impressive play making ability picking up additional yardage after each catch.  I may be getting ahead of myself, but I assume he is the younger brother of former Ocean Springs wide receiver and current Mississippi State Bulldog Joe Morrow.  Both Morrow and Windham should rank high among Mississippi's top recruits for the Class of 2013.

Kicker Mickey Alizzo also earned special kudos.  Alizzo booted a 50 Yard Field Goal with 3:25 remaining in the second quarter to give the Greyhounds a 17-0 halftime lead.  He then later kicked a 23 yard field goal early in the 4th quarter increasing the lead to 27-0.  Alizzo's kickoffs after each Greyhound score also continually went out of the end zone to help Ocean Springs win the field position battle as well.

Next week both teams close out the regular season with big rival games.  Gulfport visits the red hot Biloxi Indians next week while things should be a little easier for Ocean Springs who finish against George County.  However, with all of the upsets that have occurred during this cut-throat season along the Mississippi Coast, a Rebel victory would not be far-fetched.

- Win











- Win

Picayune And Long Beach Meet Tonight For Division Championship

The Region 4-5A championship will be at stake tonight when Long Beach entertains Picayune at Lumpkin Magee Stadium.
Long Beach (6-2, 4-1) and Picayune (7-2, 4-1) are tied for first place.
A high-scoring contest is possible, with each squad having potent offensive attacks. Picayune’s power running game is led by Dereonte Magee, who has 1,094 yards rushing. Quarterback Thad Miller leads the Bearcats’ spread offense, throwing for a Coast-leading 1,915 yards.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/10/27/3536714/maroon-tide-bearcats-meet-for.html#ixzz1c6dtWSnP

Panhandle Rivals Milton And Pace Meet Tonight With Playoffs At Stake

By Brady Aymond of the Pensacola News Journal

No matter the circumstances, the Milton-Pace football game always is a momentous occasion.
It's just one of those rivalries that stands out — one which doesn't need any added motivation to make it exciting.
But during those moments when there's a playoff spot riding on the outcome, it takes on a whole new meaning.
"There's definitely a buzz in the community during the Pace week," Milton coach Chafan Marsh said. "There's always a buzz when Milton and Pace play. But this is the first time in a while that it's had playoff implications.
Read more:  http://saxo.highschoolsports.net/article/20111028/SPORTS10/110280335/Tonight-s-Pace-Milton-football-game-buzz-worthy-matchup?Avis=DP

J.T. Curtis Wins 500th Game

The outcome was never in doubt.
Before the game started, the celebration had already begun. Bag of Donuts played at a party on the East Jefferson baseball field. Fans were already in victory mode. Of course, that is the way it typically is prior to John Curtis games. After all, the Patriots win approximately 90 percent of their football games.
Clark was the proverbial lamb led to the slaughter. Mercifully, the man of the moment spared the slaughter.
John Curtis scored 26 points in the first 7:13, pulled starters and coasted to an easy 49-6 victory over Clark at Joe Yenni Stadium Thursday night.
Read more:  http://www.sportsnola.com/sports/prep-sports/blogs/curtis-cruises-past-clark-secures-coachs-500th-win.html

High Profile Prep Games Abound Across The Gulf Coast This Weekend

There is no shortage of big time high school football matchups this weekend across southern Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, as region rivals get set to clash and jockey for playoff position in what appears to be the Friday Night Lights version of Showdown Saturday.

The best game I believe will take place in Mobile, as the undefeated and defending state champion Daphne Trojans make their way back across the Eastern Shore and visit the undefeated McGill-Toolen Yellow Jackets, who like Daphne enter the contest at 8-0.  Daphne, loaded with Division I college prospects, has to be considered the favorite, but look for the Yellow Jackets to give them their strongest challenge this season.

It's been cut-throat this year over on the Mississippi Coast.  No team has been unable to go through the season without any blemishes on their record.  Tonight's menu of games featurs a rare #1 vs #2 matchup with the #1 ranked 7-1 D'Iberville Warriors hosting the #2 ranked 6-2 Gulfport Admirals.  As an added treat, this game also features two Mississippi coaching legends going against each other in D'Iberville's Buddy Singleton and Gulfport's Mike Justice.  

Saturday night at Tad Gormely Stadium New Orleans Catholic Conference rivals Jesuit and Brother Martin will square off.  7-0 Jesuit is ranked #5 in The Times Picayune's statewide poll while 6-1 Brother Martin comes in at #10.  This game will feature a couple of college prospects in Nebraska committ LB Deion Jones of Jesuit while Brother Martin Defensive End Julien Obioha has committed to new SEC member Texas A&M.

Prime time matchups are taking place in Cajun Country as well.  Saint Thomas Moore of Lafayette, the #1 ranked 4A team by The Times Picayune, visits #5 Breaux Bridge.  And in 5A action, #3 ranked Carencro (7-0) visits defending state champion #8 Acadiana (5-2). 

Reflections On Coaching Legend J.T. Curtis

New Orleans coaching legend J.T. Curtis of the John Curtis Christian Patriots will be going for his 500th win on October 28th following a bye week.  In his blog on http://www.sportsnola.com/, Bill Bumgarner recently sat down with Curtis's sons, Johnny and Jeff, who serve as his assistants to get some extra insight on their father's coaching style and personality.

Sons of a Legend: Johnny and Jeff Curtis reflect on father J.T.'s coaching career

The first one took place in 1970, on the heels of 11 consecutive losses, in the second game of his second season, with a 14-0 decision on the road at Buras against Delta Heritage -- one of eight schools among those first 12 opponents that no longer exists.
The 499th took place Friday night, Oct. 14, against Newman by a final score of 41-0, thus setting the stage for a likely 500th victory against Clark on Thursday, Oct. 28 following a bye week.
For full story:  http://www.sportsnola.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=576287&Itemid=578

Auburn Commit TJ Yeldon Runs For 363 Yards In 45-24 Daphne Win Over Fairhope

My football watching career began in the fall of 1979 when I was in the second grade.  It was a monumental year and I can recite the record of every SEC team, although I won't do it.  But to prove my point, Mississippi State finished with a 3-8 record while Ole Miss finished at 4-7, with Ole Miss beating State in the Egg Bowl 14-9. 

Don't believe me?  Go ahead and look it up.  I'm sure it is on the internet somewhere, and as you and I both know everything on the internet is true.  Sorry, its Friday and I couldn't resist from engaging in a little football nerd smack talk, and what a better way to do that than recite scores and records from losing teams 32 years ago.

I make the point of mentioning my interest in football coinciding with second grade because it actually established a long term academic significance.  My obsession with football didn't end with just watching it on tv, or in person when I got the opportunity to see State or Ole Miss play in person at Memorial Stadium, located only a mile away from where we lived.  It also continued with the daily reading of the Clarion Ledger sports page to see the scores from the day before and the teams' records and standings, within their conferences and divisions.  One observation that stood out to me in both college football and the NFL was how all the conferences and divisions were divided up geographically.  This actually led to a curiousity about where the teams I was following so closey were actually located, whicch I would look up in the Rand-McNally Map booklet.  Geography then became relevant to me in school even though it was never taught as a subject on its own, but usually as a part of History or Social Studies.  It was really the only subject I was ever genuinely good at because I had done so much homework on my own from reading the sports page each day and watching football on TV.

I mean what kid really cares about what X is or what the Periodic Table of Elements are?  And even later on when I became introduced to the concept of Pie Squared, I never could break my mind free of two slices of Lemon Meringue.  When I watched SEC Football however, I really wanted to know why Florida and Georgia played in Jacksonville each year instead of Gainesville and Athens, even though I was a fan of neither.  Knowing that Jacksonville was on the border of Florida and Georgia was something that related to actual life for me.

Despite my deep interest in football and the connections that the teams have to cultures of the fan bases in which they were located, one team that confused me early on was Auburn.  Until I got to 4th Grade, I actually thought Auburn was another state.  A few year later after I realized Auburn was not the 51st State, I gained some clarity that Auburn was Alabama's version of Mississppi State.  Except it would have been like if Mississippi State was named Starkville University instead.

Even though I may have been unable to grasp the concept of Auburn's statehood status, one thing that was not ambiguous about the War Eagles/Tigers/Plainsmen in my early football fandom career was their strong running back tradition.  The first great Auburn running back I remember was James Brooks who later stared in the NFL.  In addition, when I started watching football there were already two great NFL running backs who had already done their time at Jordan-Hare in William Andrews of the Atlanta Falcons and Joe Cribbs of the Buffalo Bills.  After Brooks this trend of top notch running backs really took off with Lionel "Little Train" James, BO JACKSON, Brent Fullwood, Stephen Davis, Rudy Johnson, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, Ronnie Brown, current Houston Texan Ben Tate, and even today with sophomore sensation Michael Dyer.

Last night I believe I saw the next great Auburn running back.  Fox Sports South did an excellent broadcast of the "War on the Shore" between the Daphne Trojans and Fairhope Pirates.  The game between the Eastern Shore rivals featured many Division I college prospects, but the one who shined the brightest was Daphne running back TJ Yeldon who has committed to Auburn.  Yeldon proved that his rating as the number #1 running back in Alabama is no hype, as he ran for an amazing 363 yards and 4 touchdowns against a 6-1 Fairhope Pirates team.  Yeldon did it all.  He ran over, around and past Pirate defenders all night.  At 6-2 and 210 lbs, Yeldon is a big back type with speed, power and amazing cutting ability.  With his size, I find him very similar to former Auburn great Stephen Davis, who excelled under Terry Bowden's regime.                                   

I eventually not only found Auburn on the map but also got to visit it in person.  Four years ago over Labor Day Weekend, I flew from DC to visit my good friends Heather and Hood Harris in Birmingham.  Hood is an Auburn Alum and a big fan and took me to their opener against the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe (Warhawks vs War Eagle, how ironic).  Through a good friend of his, Hood was able to get me in the press box for the first half of the game to sit in the booth with Auburn's radio broadcast team and watch them announce the game.  It was quite a treat to see how it all came together.

However, this now brings back most recent memory of Jordan-Hare, which was watching Mississippi State quarterback Chris Relf get tackled just short of the goal line as time expired and my Bulldogs fell 41-34.  Better let sleeping dogs lie and sign off now. 

Keep your eye on Yeldon though. 

FOX SPORTS SOUTH TO BROADCAST DAPHNE VS FAIRHOPE TONIGHT

Who says you have to wait for Friday night for great high school football.  The "War on the Shore" between the Daphne Trojans and Fairhope Pirates will be broacasted nationally tonight on Fox Sports South.  Look for numerous Division I prospects to be all over the field between the 7-0 Trojans and 6-1 Pirates.  Standouts for Daphne include running back TJ Yeldon (Auburn) and linebacker Ryan Anderson (Alabama), while Fairhope features one of the state's top offensive lineman in Kyron Samuels.  Kickoff is scheduled for
7 PM at Fairhope.

VANCLEAVE TACKLING MACHINE COMMITS TO GOLDEN EAGLES

Considered a "sleeper" prospect, Southern Mississippi has gotten a commitment from linebacker Jerry McCorvey of Vancleave, who had a whopping 147 tackles during his junior year.  McCorvey has a strong mentor in fellow Vancleave Alum and former Mississippi State All SEC linebacker Chris White.  He has bloodlines working for him too as his cousin is former Florida State wide receiver Kez McCorvey, who starred for the great Seminole teams of the early 90's and was a teammate of Shane Matthews and Terrell Buckley at Pascagoula.

Here is more on McCorvey from The Sun Herald:

“I’m real excited about going to Southern Miss,” McCorvey said. “I love the coaching staff, players and atmosphere. I can’t wait to get there. Southern Miss was the only place for me.
Recruiting analysts believe that Southern Miss landed one of the state’s sleeper prospects in McCorvey, who has already qualified academically to play as a college freshman next year. He has a 3.3 GPA and scored 20 on the ACT.
Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/10/11/3501222/destined-for-greatness.html#ixzz1acX711CD

St. Paul's Covington Retains Top Spot In Louisiana High School Football Polls

For full listing with each classification go to:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/3093710317759565946/week-6-lswa-high-school-football-polls/

THE MISSISSIPPI COAST'S YOUNG GUNSLINGERS

Fans at Long Beach and Biloxi are still buzzing over a pair of big wins last Friday and two excellent young quarterbacks.
Long Beach sophomore quarterback Thad Miller completed 24 of 29 passes for 467 yards and seven touchdowns in the Bearcats’ wild 56-42 victory over Moss Point. Miller has thrown for approximately 1,340 yards.
Biloxi junior quarterback Jaylen Woullard accounted for more than 300 yards in total offense in the Indians’ 46-14 romp past Ocean Springs. Woullard has now thrown for 1,309 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/10/10/3498320/sun-herald-south-mississippi-top.html#ixzz1aWrKalYY

Brother Martin Knocks Off Unbeaten West Jefferson

Crusaders’ running back Jabbar Singleton ran for 132 yards and three touchdowns Friday night, helping to lead Brother Martin past West Jefferson 34-22 at Tad Gormley Stadium.

“I’ve been trying to get him out to play football the last couple of years,” Crusaders’ Coach Mark Bonis said. “He’s a basketball guy and we finally got him out this year. The reason why we went after him is we knew what kind of a man he could be as a running back. Before the game, we told him, ‘This is going to be on you. You’ve got to get it done tonight.’ He really stepped it up and did a tremendous job.”

Read more:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/-7246642925865989779/brother-martin-turns-back-west-jefferson-34-22/

 

 

FAIRHOPE VS FOLEY

Big battle on Mobile's Eastern Shore tonight between Fairhope and Foley.  The top college prospect in this game is Fairhope OL Kyron Samuels who is the nephew of former Alabama All American OT Chris Samuels and former All Pro with the Washington Redskins.

Fairhope visits Foley in Blue-Gold Trophy game

Robert Ladnier, Press-Register

FOLEY, Alabama — Bragging rights and playoff positioning will both be at stake when the annual Blue-Gold game takes place between Foley High and visiting Fairhope High at Ivan Jones Stadium at 7 p.m. today.
"Anytime you get into a rivalry or big game you have to be able to go in and prepare during the week without getting caught up emotionally in the game and spend all of your emotions or play the game too early," Fairhope coach David Faulkner said. "You have to pace yourself and work on the preparations so you can go out and play well on game day."
To continue reading: 
http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/5344555616445774365/fairhope-visits-foley-in-blue-gold-trophy-game/

Battle For The Crab Trap

As the article from the Sun Herald below indicates, many great games across the Mississippi Gulf Coast are taking place this evening, including two county rival contests.  I haven't seen Ocean Springs play yet this year and they had been #1 in the Sun Herald poll before falling to D'Iberville 36-35 last week.  The Biloxi Indians are not regarded as highly, but they definitely appear to be a program on the rise under Coach John Shannon, so it could be a pretty good matchup.

And while I have seen the Saint Stanislaus Rock-a-Chaws play many times in my two years of living on the Coast, especially during their 2009 State Championship season when they were led by record setting Quarterback Dylan Favre, I have yet to see them play their biggest rival the Bay High Tigers.  The schools are located less than two miles from each other and it is definitely appropriate that the prize between the Bay St. Louis rivals is a crab trap.  I'm not sure whether the crab trap is real or figurative, but I will find out soon enough, and if it is real, does it come with crabs already in it?  Both teams enter the game with identical 3-3 records, so it should be a pretty good contest even with St. Stanislaus winning the last 8 in a row.   

The Rock-a-Chaws of St. Stanislaus have two college prospects on their offensive line in Taylor Borne and Craig Frigo.  Frigo's father is the Rock-a-Chaws offensive line coach, Dr. Chris Frigo, who is an orthodontist in Gulfport and was a defensive lineman on LSU's 1986 SEC Championship Team.  His intense old school on field demeanor is definitely fun to watch.  Borne and Frigo carry on St. Stanislaus's strong tradition of producing top rated offensive linemen, as current Detroit Lions offensive guard and former LSU great Stephen Peterman is also a Rock-a-Chaw Alumnus.  Admittedly, I have not seen the Bay High Tigers in action yet and do not know as much about their tradition, but look forward to learning more about them tonight.  They did have that good player from a few years back who went to Stanford where he excelled at defensive back, but my internet search can't produce his name. 

County rivals take center stage

Bay High-St. Stanislaus and D’Iberville-Harrison Central highlight lineup

By JAMES JONES

St. Stanislaus has won 25 of the 42 games played between the two Bay St. Louis schools, including the last eight. Rockachaws coach Gabe Fertitta gets his first crack at the rivalry tonight.

“I’ve heard people say it’s an exciting rivalry,” Fertitta said. “Records don’t mean anything in a rivalry. Both sides are looking forward to the game. After tonight, I’ll know more about the rivalry.”

 

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/10/06/3491422/county-rivals-take-center-stage.html#ixzz1a6oaimAm

Insight On Dutchtown's Landon Collins

By: Bill Bumgarner, Sportsnola.Com 
I was ready for another brand of entertainment. But for some reason, I watched one more play.
Glad I did.
On the next snap, the quarterback was intercepted by a defensive back who had the build of an Adonis, who coasted down the sidelines effortlessly, with long, smooth strides. After he scored, I waited for his identity.
"Returning the interception for a touchdown," said the broadcaster, "was Landon Collins of Dutchtown, Louisiana."
For full article:  http://www.sportsnola.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=575894&Itemid=578

St. Paul's Covington Tops Louisiana High School Football Ranking

For full Top 25 list go to:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/-2595309038523204499/nolacom-class-5a-football-power-rankings-week-5/ 1	St. Paul's (5-0)	8.200
2	Dutchtown (5-0)	7.800
3	Carencro (5-0)	7.400
4	Parkway (5-0)	7.200
5	Byrd, C.E. (

Youthful D'Iberville Riding High On 5 Game Winning Streak

D’Iberville football coach Buddy Singleton knows everyone will bring their best shot against his Warriors.
With a stunning 36-35 double overtime victory over Ocean Springs last Friday, the Warriors have solidly put themselves in a position to challenge for the Region 4-6A championship as well as a playoff berth.
D’Iberville (5-1, 1-1) is one game behind region leaders Biloxi and Gulfport, with Harrison Central coming to Warrior Stadium this week.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/10/04/3484776/future-is-now-for-this-team.html#ixzz1ZxHB86bN

Stocked With Alabama And Auburn Commits, Daphne Wears Down Theodore

Last night I made the drive about 20 miles past the state line to glorious Theodore, Alabama to catch my first glimpse of Alabama high school football this season.  Coming in from the other side were the defending state champions and undefeated Daphne Trojans who had marched in from the Eastern Shore take on the underdog Theodore Bobcats.  With clear skies and temperatures in the 70's, it was a perfect night for high school football and the scene at Theodore High School was the perfect setting. 

I was very surprised at how big and nice the stadium was, especially on the home side of course.  Stretching from end zone to end zone and going upward 25-30 rows, you definitely do not have trouble finding a seat.  And with its brick design outlayer instead of the traditional high school stadium metal it definitely resembed that of a small college stadium.   As I was climbing up the middle set of concrete steps to make my entrance for the first time, I could hear a woman's voice in the stands ask, "Bubba where did Daddy go?"  It made me feel at home.  However, I did not catch Bubba's response on the whereabouts of Daddy. 

Unlike many high school games the home and visiting team stands are completely accessible to each other. And positioned mid-way between them was a concession stand the size of mid-size family home.  When it comes to a central base of operations for selling hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos and skittles, I say bigger is better!  However, I was not completely satisfied with the way the concessions went.  My "beef" though is with my fellow patrons and not the volunteer parents working it.  In my multiple visits to purchase $3 hamburgers, the short lines took much longer than anticipated due to the confusion, indecision and lack of planning that seemed to constantly affect the customers in line ahead of me when they reached the ordering window.  I may be unsure of myself in other areas, but when it comes to ordering food at a counter, damn I'm good and I expect the same from others around me!

Next to the concession stand just outside the fence to the North End Zone was the Bobcats practice field.  I can only assume this was the North End Zone.  In my hands and distributed between my three pockets were a pen, notepad, wallot, camera, blackberry, mini tape recorder and flip phone, all pulling my $10 Khaki Target shorts halfway down my ass, but no compass.  I actually believe it was the east end zone, but end zones are always referred to as north and south not east and west, and far be it from me to use any inaccurate references.

Fortunately for spectators and specifically younger non-attentive fans, the Bobcats practice field was also completely accessible with the blocking sleds located out of the way on the far end.  This is where the real game took place between the 10 and 11 year olds.  But it wasn't just one game.  There were at least a half a dozen unofficial pick-up games going on out out there simultaneously, with a half-breed, no collar German Shepherd that was running between all of them.  The Beijing Summer Olympics did not have as much action taking place at one time as that which was occurring on the Bobcats practice field last night.

Unfortunately for the Bobcats, their nice facilites could not bring them an upset victory over the defending state champions, as they fell to the Trojans 41-20 in a very hard fought game.  The contest had the makings of a blowout early when junior wide receiver Jonathan McGaster scored on a 60 yard run, but the tough, straight ahead running of Bobcats running back Dylan Busby (5-10, 195 lbs) kept his team in the game, and the score was tied at 14 at the half.  Also impressive for the Bobcats was 6-2, 195 lb sophomore tight end Jerry Gibson who caught a 56 yard touchdown pass in double coverage from quarterback Jimmy Jones.  He is definitely one to keep on the recruiting radar for the next few years.

The size advantage definitely belonged to the Trojans and in the second half they just wore the Bobcats down.  Auburn commit, 6-2, 210 lb tailback TJ Yeldon, who was held in check in the first half, pounded his way through the Bobcats defense in the second half.  Running with more authority from the start of the 3rd quarter, Yeldon broke tackles, cut into the open field and scored on two long touchdowns to give the Trojans a 28-14 lead in which they never looked back.  Not sure if Yeldon will be the next great running back to come out of Auburn, but he definitely has a running style that resembles that of  former Auburn great Stephen Davis. 

The Daphne defense was led by Alabama commit Ryan Anderson.  The 6-3, 250 lb Anderson alternated between middle linebacker and defensive end.  His size makes him a looming force at middle linebacker as he appears to be cut from the same mold as current Crimson Tide Preseason All-SEC LB Dont'a Hightower (6-4, 260 lb).  Anderson also had two 4th quarter sacks lined up as defensive end when the Bobcats were passing more and trying to play catch up.  It will be interesting to see where Nick Saban uses Anderson, and to see he and Yeldon go at each other in the Iron Bowl in the next few years, should they develop and progress as expected.

- Win

                                               

Facing Tragic Loss, D'Iberville Honors Fallen Teammate, Gets Big Win Over Long Beach

It was an emotional night for the D'Iberville Warriors football team who experienced tragedy in last Friday's win over Gautier when junior fullback Latrell Dunbar died after collapsing on the field following a play.  News reports indicate it was from a preexisting heart condition.  The D'Iberville community responded with incredible generosity in honoring Dunbar, as did the players and fans of the visiting Long Beach Bearcats.  Warrior supporters and cheerleaders had shirts with Dunbar's name and number 18 on them, while fans of both teams wore buttons and bracelets in his memory.  Pregame ceremonies honoring Dunbar included a moment of silence, the placement of black lines at each 18 yard line and 18 pushups in unison from the D'Iberville High School Jr. ROTC Unit of which Dunbar was a member.

The greatest tribute to Dunbar, however, came from the his teammates who dedicated the game to him.  An inspiring on-field perfomance by the Warrior players resulted in a 26-20 upset victory over the previously undefeated and Number 1 ranked Long Beach Bearcats that featured Division 1 college recruits defensive tackle Nick James and FB/LB Richie Brown.  Especially impressive was the player Dunbar shared the offensive backfield with in good friend and senior running back Justin Brister.  Despite his lean
6-0, 175 pound frame, Brister's tough running broke the tackles of Bearcat defenders all night, as he constantly picked up additional yardage after contact and finished with 144 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

The Warriors Defense also did their part, particularly in the secondary where three different defensive backs each had an interception of Long Beach sophomore quarterback Thad Miller.  The first and last interceptions impacted the game significantly.  Senior Cornerback Marcellus Henderson scored the game's first points with a 35 yard return first quarter pick six and Elija Wilson's snag of a deep Miller throw with 1:14 left to play ended the Bearcats hopes for a winning touchdown drive.  Prior to Wilson's interception, the Bearcats went on a fourth quarter surge scoring two touchdowns in less than 4 minutes to cutdown on the Warriors commanding 26-6 lead.  The Bearcats final touchdown was a 40 yard punt return by lightening quick 138 pound junior Chad Cook who scooped the ball off the bounce, found a seam and sprinted through the D'Iberville punt coverage igniting the Long Beach stands and sideline.

Also impressive was D'Ibervile Senior Quarterback Garrett Landrum who effectively commanded the Warriors offensive attack throwing two touchdowns, one on a screen to Brister and the other a 33 yard strike to junior fullback Tyler Schankin.  In looking at potential future stars, two players that are bound to make heads turn on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the next two years are beefy sophomore defensive ends Anthony Santos and JC Caldwell.  They are listed at 6-3, 280 and 6-5, 295 respectively and constantly put pressure on Miller greatly contributing to the Warriors 3 interceptions.

D'Iberville advances to 4-0 while Long Beach falls to 2-1.   

- Win             

The Big Easy vs Cajun Country

Usually you have to wait for the championship games at the end of the year to watch back-to-back high school football games when the state title contests between the different classifications are held consecutively at one designated stadium traditionally reserved for college or professional teams. Last season, I spent a whole weekend in early December camped out at Mississippi Memorial Stadium watching each state championship game. It actually started on Friday morning around 11 for the IA title match up between Durant and Mount Olive, and then ended around 10:30 Saturday Night with South Panola defeating Meridian for the 6A championship.
The following weekend I spent seveb quality hours in the Superdome for the Louisiana State Championships. Despite having only seen the final two games, I didn’t get out until well after midnight after Acadiana High School of Lafayette upset the heavily favored West Monroe Rebels 21-14 in the 5A championship. Unlike Saints games with no alcohol being served, let’s just say there was a lot of coke and popcorn involved.
This year you don’t have to wait until the final weekend of the season to watch back to back high school football games in person. The Allstate Sugar Bowl is hosting their inaugural prep classic this evening with a doubleheader between New Orleans area schools and Lafayette area schools, and a couple of participants in the 2010 state championship games will be making a quick return trip to the Superdome. In the opener, 2A runner up John Curtis Christian of Kenner takes on consistent playoff contender Westgate of New Iberia. John Curtis is a small school powerhouse that produces numerous big time college prospects. It will be interesting to see how they match up against a school in a classification three times larger that is also a quality program. Curtis has already gotten off to an impressive start shutting out 2010 4A Champ Franklinton 34-0. Westgate fell in their opener to Breaux Bridge 35-10.
In the finale, Acadiana returns to the Dome and takes on St. Paul’s of Covington, who they knocked out of the state playoffs last year 41-20, giving the Wolves their only loss of the season. Acadiana was victorious in their opener against Northside of Lafayette 36-13, while St. Paul’s defeated 4A runner up and New Orleans public school powerhouse Edna Karr 38-7.
According to the listings on Scout.com, most of the college prospects from tonight’s games come from John Curtis with the highest rated recruit being LSU commit TE Dillon Gordon, who is ranked #9 in the whole state. Other Curtis prospects include DT Marcel Andry (undecided) and OLB Torrey Bell (Mississippi State). I was a little surprised to not see anybody from St. Paul’s listed considering how successful they have been, but I do see that they return a over 1000 yard rusher in 6-2, 220 lb Dylan Long so it will be interesting to see how well he does.
It will be a perfect night for high school football, and to an extent I am disappointed I will be watching it all indoors. However, I am confident that while standing on the platform outside of the Superdome, I will still catch a whiff of that crisp, early autumn air we are experiencing this week which compliments the sport so well.

Gulfport, South Panola Clash On Saturday

Just as the Gulf Coast was experiencing beautiful fall weather after being pounded over Labor Day weekend by Tropical Storm Lee, another force of nature is preparing to strike.  However, this surge is not building up in the Tropics, but rather Batesville.

This will be a special weekend for high school football on the Mississippi Gulf Coast as "The University of South Panola" makes the long trip from Batesville to face the Gulfport Admirals in a rare late Saturday afternoon game at Milner Stadium.  The South Panola Tigers have established themselves as the dominant program in Mississippi High School football only losing three times in their last 123 games, and winning 7 out of the last 8 state championships.  They are also consistently ranked among the top teams in the nation.  This season, however, the Tigers have experienced something that rarely occurs - a loss.  In their second game, the Tigers fell to Alabama powerhouse Hoover during a national  ESPN broadcast.  It was a contest in which South Panola could not ever get their tough, physical rushing attack going against a seemingly smaller, faster Hoover defense.

Gulfport appears to be surging program under coaching legend Mike Justice who faced off against South Panola in many playoff games during his days at Madison Central.  However, the Admirals also encountered an early season hiccup losing to a lean, mean Picayune team 17-14 in their opener.  The Admirals would respond strong the following week demolishing traditional powerhouse Moss Point 43-0.  One of the most interesting battles I see in this game is between 6-2, 260 pound LB/DE Jamison Goins of Gulfport and lightening fast RB Tony Connor of South Panola, who is also a ball hawking Free Safety.  Goins is a tackling maching, leading the Admirals in tackles in 2010 and already has 20 this season according to The Sun Herald.  Connor, who is only a Junior, is Mr. Everything for the Tigers returning kicks and playing some QB in addition to his roles as running back and defensive back.  It is also a safe prediction he will be the state's top recruit for the Class of 2013.  

I realize it may be hard to pull away from college football this Saturday, but this is an excellent opportunity for Mississippi Coast residents to come watch one of the country's most successful high school football programs play, and they may just witness an upset in the process.

Here is the thorough game preview from The Sun Herald:

We’re excited and ready to play,’’ Admiral defensive end Jamison Goins said. “We’ve got to go out and play our hardest. We know their game. They are going to run it at you ‘till you get tired. We have to keep playing. We have to stop their running game. We want them to pass the ball.’’

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/09/06/3405002/a-mighty-big-game.html#ixzz1XKRIdtKD

Picayune Overcomes Dandy Dozen QB Anthony Alford, Defeats Petal

What an impressive start to the season by the Picayune Maroon Tide going 2-0 winning both games on the road against ranked opponents with last minute scores.  Last night they defeated the Petal Panthers who featured one of the top Quarterbacks in the Southeast in Anthony Alford.  The mobile Alford still finished with 148 yards on 14 carries, but two field goals by Dalton O'Meara and 245 yard Maroon Tide rushing attack brought them the victory.

Field goal on final play lifts Picayune over Petal

By Jason Munz, Hattiesburg American
PETAL – For 44 minutes Saturday night at Panther Stadium, Petal High essentially played mistake-free football against Picayune.
The Panthers committed just five penalties through the first three-and-a-half quarters compared to the Maroon Tide’s eight. Petal hadn’t turned the ball over, while Picayune had thrown one interception up to that point.
But Petal committed two crucial turnovers in the last 3 1/2 minutes of the game, with the second one sealing the victory for Picayune.
To continue reading:  http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20110828/SPORTS/110827026/Field-goal-final-play-lifts-Picayune-over-Petal?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

Biloxi Unleashes Passing Attack To Spoil Gabe Fertitta's Debut At St. Stanislaus 33-20.

Just two years removed from winning the 4A State Championship under Head Coach Forest Williams and record setting QB Dylan Favre, the Rock-A-Chaws began a new coaching regime under Gabe Fertittta when Williams left to become the new head coach at Madison Ridgeland Academy.  A New Orleans native, Fertitta moves closer to home after coming to St. Stanislaus from Itawamba Community College where he was the Offensive Coordinator.  With an offensive mindset, Fertitta inherited a talented, proven passer in QB Bo Brennan who did an excellent job of following up Favre last season and is also very mobile as demonstrated by his three rushing touchdowns last night.

However, it was the Biloxi Indians passing attack who put on the best show Friday Night with a 4 touchdown performance from QB Jaylen Woullard to spoil Fertitta's debut with a 33-20 victory.  Nice recovery by the Indians who were beaten handidly in their opener last week by Pascagoula 41-24 in the Shrimp Bowl.  One bright spot for the Indians last week was the two touchdown performance by Wide Receiver Tevaris McCormick, including one on a punt return.  The 5-9, 170 pound junior also had a touchdown reception against St. Stanislaus, and if you are a recruitng junkie is definitely on to keep on the radar for the Class of 213, even if his size limits him to being a small school prospect.

Similar coaching circumstances between Biloxi and St. Stanislaus.  Biloxi Coach John Shannon is just in his second year and came to the Indians after being the Offensive Coordinator at Marshall University.  Shannon is also the former Offensive Coordinator at Jackson State, Troy State and Toledo.  Pretty good pedigree I must say.

Okay, enough of the past and more on the present.  Here is the intro and full article link from the game on the Sun Herald.  Copyright issues prevent me from pasting the whole story.  

BILOXI -- Biloxi’s ability to strike quickly proved to be the difference Friday night at Indian Stadium.
Indians quarterback Jaylen Woullard threw four touchdown passes as Biloxi roared to a 33-20 victory over St. Stanislaus.
Biloxi (1-1) jumped to a 33-0 lead before SSC rallied in Coach Gabe Fertitta’s debut with the Rockchaws. Quarterback Bo Brennan ran for three touchdowns to cut the lead to 33-20 with 6:20 remaining in the game.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/08/26/3379184/a-passing-fancy.html#ixzz1WEoU7aAD

St. Joseph Madison Dominates St. Patrick's Biloxi 38-7

While the purpose of this website is to highlight the rich heritage of football throughout the Gulf Coast Region, ironically in the first week of making this site public, my own alma mater, St. Joseph High School, made the long drive from Madison to face St. Patrick's of Biloxi, located only 5 miles from where I live.  So, instead of going to the high profile Long Beach/Hancock County matchup which featured multiple Division 1 prospects, I went to see my own high school play and it may have been their best performance I have ever seen. 

Then, in total defiance of my promotion on the quality of high school football on the Gulf Coast, the St. Joseph Bruins whipped the St. Patrick's Fighting Irish of Biloxi 38-7 in the inaugural match up between the two schools.  The Bruins thoroughly dominated, going up 28-0 at the end of the First Quarter. 

Most impressive was 6-2, 190 Pound Junior WR Nick Beasley, who led the Bruins with 3 touchdowns.  Beasley was a human highlight reel.  His most exciting touchdown was the first score of the game when he weaved his way through the St. Patrick's defense for 40 yards after quickly snagging an interception that bounced off the chest of a Fighting Irish WR after a bullet throw from QB Rickey Malone.  Beasley's other two touchdowns came off of long passes he hauled in from QB Peyton Willoughby after clearly beating the Fighting Irish defensive backs.  By the time Beasley becomes a Senior, he could be the first Blue Chip Recruit in the history of St. Joe.  It will just be interesting to see which side of the ball he lines up on.          

Pascagoula vs Ocean Springs Highlights MS Coast Week 2 Preview

Prep Week 2: Past meets present

By JAMES JONES, The Sun Herald

For the first time in three decades, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula (1-0) won’t be region rivals. The Panthers, which hammered Biloxi 41-10 in the Shrimp Bowl last week, dropped down to 5A this season.
“They have a good football team,” Panthers coach Lewis Sims said. “Ocean Springs is big and physical up front on offense and defense. Their running backs run hard and low, receivers catch well and run great routes.
“Linebackers play downhill with great aggression. Defensive backs are physical and tackle well. They are a well-coached team that plays hard from whistle to whistle. Special teams are phenomenal as always. We know we will need to compete on every play in order to have a chance to be successful. Coach (Ryan) Ross has done a great job preparing his team. We are in for a monumental challenge.”
Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/08/25/3376748/past-meets-present.html#ixzz1W9t0i4de

Domino Delivers In Fairhope Win Over Reigning 5A State Champ Spanish Fort

Chase Domino passes, runs Fairhope past rival Spanish Fort in season opener

By Robert Ladnier, Mobile Press-Register

FAIRHOPE, Alabama — Fairhope used a long fourth-quarter drive and a late goal line stand to hold off Class 5A No. 3 Spanish Fort 35-21 in the season opener for both teams at W.C. Majors Field on Thursday night.
The Pirates drove 80 yards in 12 plays for a late touchdown, chewing up 5:41 off the clock. Quarterback Chase Domino capped the drive on a 2-yard run with 6:12 left in the game, giving his team a two-touchdown lead.
Domino finished 11-for-16 passing for 179 yards and two touchdowns and added 55 yards on seven carries and two more scores.
To continue reading:  http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/-4054283813710093380/chase-domino-passes-runs-fairhope-past-rival-spanish-fort-in-season-opener/

Davidson Gets Ugly Opening Win Over LeFlore In School-Night Struggle

Davidson clamps down on LeFlore despite struggling offense

By Josh Bean, Mobile Press-Register

MOBILE, Alabama -- If defense wins championships, Davidson might be on to something this season.
The Class 6A No. 5 Warriors (1-0) limited LeFlore to only 192 yards — and just 44 yards in the second half — and recorded six sacks in Thursday’s season-opening 13-7 victory over the Rattlers (0-1) at Archbishop Lipscomb Stadium.
“Pretty much, the defense won that game for us,” Davidson quarterback Cam Jackson said
For full article:  http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/-4054283813710093379/davidson-clamps-down-on-leflore-despite-struggling-offense/

Reigning 6A Champion Daphne Opens Against Tradition Rich Alma Bryant

Daphne football kicks off title defense tonight

By David Lee

Daphne’s football team has a target on its back this season.
The Trojans, who open the 2011 season today at 7 p.m. at Jubilee Stadium against visiting Alma Bryant enter this year’s campaign with a 6A No. 1-ranking after capturing the 6A state championship a year ago.
That means no teams are going to overlook them this time around and Daphne can’t afford to make any mistakes.
For full article:  http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/-8129503520260173809/daphne-football-kicks-off-title-defense-tonight/

Numerous Mobile Area Prospects Getting Early Scholarship Offers

High school stars must impress early to stand out in the high-stake world of recruiting

By Josh Bean, The Mobile Press Register

St. Paul’s linebacker Tre Williams first heard from Florida State assistant coach Dameyune Craig last winter.
    Fresh off a freshman season in which Williams led the Saints in tackles, Craig sat next to Williams’ mom during a basketball game and casually discussed Tre’s football future.
    A few months later, Williams received a scholarship offer from Florida State. Offers from Auburn and Alabama followed this summer.
For full article:  http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/1406053726744582430/high-school-stars-must-impress-early-to-stand-out-in-the-high-stake-world-of-recruiting/

QB Darian Monroe of East St. John Is Time Picayune's Preason Offensive Player Of The Year

Here is the link to The Times Picayune's all metro football team selection:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/-6159015582488096149/preseason-prep-football-all-metro-teams/

Karr and Curtis Grab Tops Spots In New Orleans Preseason Football Rankings

Edna Karr and John Curtis are ranked #1 in the Times Picayune's preseason polls for big schools and small schools in the metro New Orleans area.  Here is the link for top 10 in each category:
http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/-4954021397401553317/new-orleans-prep-football-preseason-rankings/

Maroon Tide Outlasts Admirals

Although heavily undersized and unable to capitalize on multiple scoring opportunities, the Picayune Maroon Tide hung tight against the favored Gulfport Admirals and emerged victorious 17-14 with a one yard touchdown run by fullback Desmond Taylor with 25 seconds left to play.  Key players included senior running back Dereonte Magee who seems to be a suitable replacement for 2000 yard rusher Jamal Hall, and junior defensive end JaCorea Poole, who despite being just 5-10 and 183 pounds was in the Admirals backfield all night long.  A player recruiters may want to keep an eye on is 6-5, 270 pound Sophomore Offensive Tackle Demarcus Haralson.

Here is the article from the Sun Herald:

“

Sports

Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011

0 comments

Maroon Tide rises over Admirals

1-yard scoring run with 25 seconds left is the difference

By JAMES JONES

I’ve been fortunate to have won a lot of big games over the years, but this win over Gulfport was fun,” Picayune coach Dodd Lee said. “Both teams showed a lot of heart.”

The game went back and forth in the fourth quarter, which the lead changed hands three times.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/08/19/3362842/maroon-tide-rises-over-admirals.html#ixzz1VbiIEZJx

Roman Rolls Over Biloxi

While he was not included on any preseason watch lists, Pascagoula Senior Running Back Roman Patton certainly made his case that he should have been, shredding the Biloxi defense for 204 yards rushing as the Panthers dominated the Indians 41-24 in the opening game of the Shrimp Bowl doubleheader.  It didn't matter whether Patton lined up at fullback or tailback, Biloxi couldn't stop him as he continually broke into the open field and right through the Indians defense.

Here is the article on the game from the Sun Herald:

Pascagoula’s Roman candle

Panther RB lights up Biloxi’s defense for 204 yards in opening win

By AL JONES -

GULFPORT -- The Lewis Sims era at Pascagoula got off to a dazzling start Friday in the opening game of the Shrimp Bowl at Milner Stadium.
Sims, who coached at Moss Point last year, guided the Panthers to a 41-24 whipping of the Indians behind a 204-yard rushing performance and three-touchdown performance from senior running back Roman Patton.
“It’s always about the players, not me,” Sims said. “Every game is important and our satisfaction will come in December.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/08/19/3362540/pascagoulas-roman-candle.html#ixzz1VbZt7RJk

Shrimp Bowl Makes Its Return This Friday

Coast fans excited over renewal of Shrimp Bowl

By DOUG BARBER

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/08/16/3354859/coast-fans-excited-over-renewal.html#ixzz1VHuK1gsp

A Coast tradition returns Friday night as the 2011 high school football season kicks off.
The Shrimp Bowl Classic returns as a kickoff classic Friday night at Milner Stadium in Gulfport as Biloxi takes on Pascagoula while Gulfport duels Picayune.
The Indians face the Panthers at 5 p.m. The Admirals battle the Maroon Tide at 7:45 p.m.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/08/16/3354859/coast-fans-excited-over-renewal.html#ixzz1VHu03q8M

DB Landon Collins Of Dutchtown Is Louisiana's Only 5 Star Recruit

Louisiana is not flush with Blue Chip recruits this year

Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune, August 07, 2011 5:14 a.m.

While helping rank the top players in the country for Rivals.com, Mike Farrell oddly enough, didn't look too often at the list of prospects from Louisiana.
Farrell, the national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, said the state isn't as flush with blue-chip prospects as it has been in recent years.
In fact, Rivals and Scout.com rated just one Louisiana player -- Dutchtown safety Landon Collins -- as a five-star recruit.
Four full article go to:  http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/-4451967729919916095/louisiana-is-not-flush-with-blue-chip-recruits-this-year/

Florida State Gets Commitment From Nation's Top QB Right Out Of Alabama's Own Backyard

Signs of a resurgence Florida State program keep popping up on the recruiting scene as Jameis Winston, the nation's top Quarterback from Hueytown, Alabama announced on ESPN yesterday that he will be play for the Seminoles.  Now the big challenge for Head Coach Jimbo Fisher is to convince Winston, who is also a top baseball prospect, to stick with football and not accept any offers professional baseball offers as he is expected to be a high pick in the Major League Baseball Draft.

Here is the link to the video clip of Winston announcing his selection:
http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/44460/fsu-lands-nations-top-quarterback

Long Beach DT Nick James "Commits" To MSU

Here is the beginning of the Clarion Ledger's report on Dandy Dozen DL Nick James of Long Beach committing to Mississippi State, yet will still visit other schools.

Dandy Dozen star commits to MSU, still plans to visit schools

By Brandon Marcello

So much for waiting.

Defensive tackle Nick James pulled the trigger this afternoon, phoning in his commitment to Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen less than a week after he was selected to The Clarion-Ledger‘s Dandy Dozen.

Long Beach defensive tackle Nick James, right, answers a question during a Q&A with other members of The Clarion-Ledger's Dandy Dozen. (Vickie D. King/The Clarion-Ledger)

James was expected to wait to commit to a school later this year, but decided against that stance Tuesday so “I can focus on football more.”
For full article go to:  http://blogs.clarionledger.com/msu/2011/08/02/dandy-dozen-star-commits-to-msu-still-plans-to-visit-schools/