By Staff
From Staff Reports
Jan. 24, 2002
Powerful center Kenny Boyd of Kemper County has committed to sign with the Meridian Community College men's basketball program in April.
MCC Head Coach George Brooks confirmed Boyd's commitment on Wednesday morning.
Boyd is one of the biggest players in the Meridian Star's area standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing in at 280 pounds.
Kemper County head coach Charles Jackson says Boyd is a big reason behind the Wildcats being in first place in the Division 5-2A race.
Boyd has put up some monster numbers this season for the Wildcats.
He is averaging 19.7 points per game while grabbing 15.2 rebounds. He also has made 3.4 assists per game.
Kemper County is currently 20-6 on the season after beating Newton High School 79-65 on Tuesday night.
The official signing period for winter and spring sports for high school athletes begins on the second Wednesday in April.
Brooks says he is expecting another local commitment from Northeast Lauderdale post player Marcus Betts.
MCC is currently 9-10 on the season. They will host Wallace-Hanceville tonight at the Ivy Sports Center.
Jeff Byrd
Robinson going for No. 500
Philadelphia boys' basketball coach Keith Robinson will be out to record his 500th career victory Friday when the Tornadoes host Carthage in a Division 5-3A contest.
Robinson got win No. 499 Tuesday with a 61-55 division victory at Choctaw Central as his team improved to 16-6.
He is downplaying the pending milestone.
He began his career at Runnelstown for one year before going to Northeast Jones for a 15-year stint. While at Northeast, his teams were a fixture among the state's elite as they finished in the Top 10 nine of the 15 years.
Robinson's 1984 Northeast team won the Class AA South State championship, but lost 90-83 to eventual AA state champion North Natchez in the state semifinals.
His top player was Kenny Payne, who went on to a stellar career at the University of Louisville.
Robinson's 1994 Tigers won the Class 4A state championship, beating Starkville 64-57 in the semifinals and Indianola Gentry 59-56 in the finals.
Robinson's 1996-97 Philadelphia team advanced to the Class 2A state tournament where it lost 68-55 to eventual state runner-up Booneville in the quarterfinals.
This is his sixth year to coach at Philadelphia. The Tornadoes are 6-3 in Division 5-3A, a league that has Heidelberg (18-5), West Lauderdale (18-7), Newton County (10-8), Choctaw Central (9-11), Carthage (7-12), and Southeast Lauderdale (4-20), along with Robinson's Tornadoes.
Philadelphia moved up to Class 3A this year after a 10-year stint in Class 2A.
Marty Stamper
Need a new pencil?
The Trinity Episcopal Saints of Natchez probably wore the scorekeeper's pencil down to a nub Tuesday night as they racked up 134 points in ripping Ben's Ford of Bogalusa, La., 134-73.
Trinity, which beat Wayne Academy for the Academy Class A state football championship in the fall, improved to 14-4 with the win.
Trinity got 35 points from Dudley Guice and 29 apiece from Chad Ridley and Chase Brown.
Marty Stamper
Natchez honors Garcia
Natchez Cathedral School recently named its gym for longtime coach and current athletic director Roy Garcia, Sr.
Garcia has worked at the school for nearly four decades.
Marty Stamper
Battles steps down at Biloxi
Biloxi head football coach and athletic director Mike Battles resigned last week. He posted a 17-28 record in four years with the Indians. The 2001 Biloxi team went 6-6 and knocked off Wayne County in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. The Indians were eliminated by eventual 5A state runner-up Moss Point.
Two of the Indians' losses were by forfeit for the use of ineligible players.
Ken Hall had been recently been named the athletic director, splitting the two positions and Battles didn't like the move.
Marty Stamper
Neshoba to host North 4A
If the Neshoba Central Rockets are still alive at that point, they'll host the Class 4A North State boys' tournament, Feb. 22-23.
Neshoba will also host the Division 2-4A Tournament, giving the Rockets a pretty decent shot at making their first trip to the Class 4A State Tournament since 1972.
Marty Stamper