• 64°
franklin county times

Newton strong in beating Jefferson Co.

By By Rocky Higginbotham/The Meridian Star
June 22, 2001
DECATUR Crandel Porter isn't exactly in the predicament that most head coaches find themselves when taking over a basketball program.
Porter, who took Louisville to the Class 4A playoffs a year ago, will guide Newton High next season, returning to the school where he coached the junior high boys team in 1999-2000.
"I coached all of these guys in junior high, so they've all played for me," Porter said after Newton knocked off Jefferson County 66-61 Thursday in first-round State Games of Mississippi hoops action at East Central Community College.
The Tigers and Porter have had quite a busy summer, and it paid off Thursday with five Newton players reaching double figures.
"That's what we're going to have to do," Porter said of the Tigers, who made the Class 2A State Tournament last spring but lost four starters. "We're not going to have that one guy that we can go to all the time.
"We went to Millsaps and went 4-2 over there and lost to (Class 5As) Clinton and Forest Hill, and we've been practicing a little two times a week. They've been doing a pretty good job."
In Thursday's other first-day scores from ECCC's Brackeen-Wood Gymnasium, Kossuth's girls beat Neshoba Central 48-40, Cleveland's girls topped Crystal Springs 53-47 and Jackson Prep's boys rolled past Lake 61-28.
There are nine games on tap today at ECCC, with action beginning at 9:30 a.m.
In the Newton win, Daniel McNair scored 15 points, while Bobby Lindsey and Keon Johnson put in 12 apiece with all 12 of Lindsey's points coming in the second half. Ladarrian Blaylock scored 11 and David Edwards also reached double figures with 10 points for the Tigers.
Newton was up by seven before Jefferson County's Tremond Banks nailed a 3-pointer with about a minute left to make it interesting. But the Tigers got two free throws and a putback of another missed freebie in the final seconds to seal the win.
Banks led Jefferson with 12 points.
In other games:
Kossuth's girls built an eight-point lead through the first three quarters of play and made it stand up in a 48-40 win over Neshoba Central.
Mary Alison Potts scored 16 points for the victorious Lady Aggies, while Heather Nalls had 13 and Tasha Essary nine.
India Backstrom scored 17 and Miranda Rosar chipped in 13 to lead Neshoba, which made the Class 4A semifinals last spring.
Cleveland outscored Crystal Springs 19-7 in the final quarter to take a come-from behind, 53-47 victory over the defending Class 4A state runnerup.
Three players scored in double figures for Cleveland, while Ebonee Jenkins led Crystal Springs with 15.
Jackson Prep's boys jumped to a 12-point lead in the opening half of play and had no trouble downing Lake 61-28, holding the Hornets without a field goal for more than six minutes in the second half.
Rocky Higginbotham is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at rhigginbotham@themeridianstar.com.

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x