By By Rocky Higginbotham/The Meridian Star
Dec. 20, 2000
Kemper Academy boys coach Russell Cruise has been looking forward to taking on University Christian School since KA added UCS to its schedule just prior to the start of this season.
But after Tuesday night's contest was postponed, Cruise will have to wait a bit longer.
University, after a death in the family of veteran head coach Coyte Vance and Tuesday morning snow flurries in the Brandon area, postponed its game with Kemper. No makeup date is expected.
Since a season-opening loss to Simpson Academy, Kemper's Rams have reeled off 11 straight wins. KA's next action now will be in the MPSA tournament at East Central Community College next week.
All-Division 5-1A announced: Area coaches have announced the All-Division 5-1A football honors, which are dominated by local schools.
Lake head man Steve Nelson and assistants Bill Ingersoll, Mark Ginard and Jimmy McClendon were tabbed the division's Coaching Staff of the Year, while the 5-1A Most Valuable Player Award went to Lake's Jake Nester.
Artie Shaw took Best Offensive Player honors, while Clevester McKee was chosen as the Best Defensive Player. Nick Laster won Best Punter and Bryan Williamson was chosen as the Best Kicker.
Other offensive players honored included Leroy Anderson, Kris Usry, Craig Martin, Jeffery Ickom and Henry Sanders of Lake; Tecorye Robinson, Earl Bradford, Kenielle Washington and Kyle Brantley of Scott Central; Aaron Marcum, Justin Edwards and Curtis Price of Sebastopol; Chris Gordon and Tony Warren of Union; and Curtis Truss and Timmy Eakes of Edinburg.
Other defensive honorees included Jamie Gay, Jason Wilkerson, Casey Johnson and Jason McGee of Lake; Devin Cooper, Cedric Gray, Neugene McClendon and Jacques Lewis of Scott Central; Bobby Wilson, Tim Hawkins and Jason Watkins of Sebastopol; Lee Warren and Derric Harris of Union; and Ronnie Pettit and Justin Hamilton of Edinburg.
Special teams awards went to LaDonovan Towner of Lake, Jon Nichols of Scott Central, Eric James of Sebastopol, Lee Hardy of Union and Joel Manuel of Edinburg.
Honorable mention selections included Justin Butler, Lee Dooley, Billy Wooten and Willie Hickman of Lake; Matthew White, Henry Darby, Matthew Odom and James Washington of Scott Central; Shawn Giard and Quincy Patrick of Union; Alex Fisher and Todd Smith of Sebastopol; and Jessie Algood, Chris Verry, Todd Verry and Brandon Lang of Edinburg.
Bundles of talent: While there was plenty of talent on display on the court during last week's Frazier-Yarbrough Memorial/Coca-Cola Classic basketball tournament, a pretty good team of observers could have been thrown together, as well.
During a two-night span last Thursday and Friday, coaches and fans in attendance at MHS' Turnage Gymnasium included Rosalyn Spann, Nedra Hosey, Michelle Tangle, Joni Crenshaw and the former Hazel Temple.
Spann, now an assistant at Noxubee County, led the Tigerettes to back-to-back state championships before going on to a stellar career at Jackson State, where she scored more than 2,000 points and was a two-time SWAC Player of the Year.
Hosey won a title at Bay Springs before a standout career at Southern Miss, and she is now the head coach at Heidelberg. Tangle, an assistant at Choctaw Central, helped the Lady Warriors win their first state title before heading to Memphis.
Crenshaw, the ex-Mississippi Player of the Year at Meridian, is now at Alabama, while the former Temple who starred at Northeast Lauderdale is a Meridian assistant.
Rocky Higginbotham is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at rhigginbotham@themeridianstar.com.