By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
May 27, 2004
DECATUR Newton County head football coach Jeff Breland doesn't really care for spring football, but he was pleased with what he saw from his Cougars in a recent matchup with Pearl at Decatur.
Running hasn't been a problem over the years for the Cougars. Passing, on the other hand, has been a question mark at times.
One highlight during the spring was the play of fullback Donnell McDowell, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound transfer from Plano, Texas.
The Cougars will open the 2004 activity with a jamboree at Union against the host Yellowjackets and Newton Tigers. The season opener will be at home
against Kosciusko on Aug. 27.
Breland will have at least one, and likely two, new faces on his football staff next fall. A newcomer to the Cougar staff is Kyle Watson, a Neshoba
Central graduate and a 2002 letter winner at Mississippi State, who will replace Steven Harris, who will be an assistant softball coach to Justin Chaney.
Chaney's place on the football staff has not been filled as of yet. Chaney takes over both the slow-pitch and fast-pitch head coaching jobs following
the recent expected resignation of Mack Fanning.