Former Choctaw County High School standout Ja’Marcus Bradley will apparently get a chance to fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL.
While he wasn’t chosen during the seven rounds of last week’s draft, he was reportedly signed by the Cleveland Browns to a free agent contract.
Bradley, who put up video game stats while playing high school football at CCHS, also had a great career at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. After catching 10 touchdown passes his senior year, Bradley finished with 23 for his career.
In his final season for the Ragin’ Cajuns, the 6-foot-1 wide receiver caught 60 passes for 906 yards.
— Austin Bishop
EX-HCC STAR SIGNS WITH STEELERS
Former Holmes Community College Bulldog and Ole Miss Rebel Josiah Coatney had to wait longer than expected during this week’s NFL Draft but finally got the call he wanted after the draft ended as the Pittsburgh Steelers signed him as an undrafted free agent Saturday night.
In his only season at Holmes, Coatney was a first-team All-State selection with 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He finished with 46 tackles including 23 solo and 23 assists. He also had one fumble recovery for a four-yard touchdown and one interception for a 30-yard touchdown. As a sophomore, he finished with 65 tackles including eight for loss and 3.5 sacks in 12 games. During his junior year, he had 63 tackles including four tackles for loss and one sack in 12 games. As a senior, he finished with 46 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 12 games.
— Steve Diffey
TOP 5 STORIES
NOMINATIONS
Beginning with next week’s edition, the Choctaw Plaindealer will count down the top five sports stories during the 2019-20 school season for Choctaw County High School and French Camp Academy.
And above all, we need your help. Athletic Directors, administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans of Choctaw County and French camp are encouraged to e-mail starsportsboss@yahoo.com with their nominations by noon Saturday.
After the nominations are sent in they will be added to those of the sports staff then the top five stories will be selected. They will be revealed one week at at a time, beginning with No. 5. Each school will have it’s own individual story each week.
Of course, the No 1 story for each of the schools is not much of a secret at the Coronavirus Pandemics has all be but wiped out the spring sports season. But the other four are still up for grabs. Make sure to send in your ideas so they can be considered.
— Austin Bishop
MOORE ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL
A former Louisville High School All-American is on the move in college football yet again.
Defensive end Charles Moore is transferring from Oregon State just months after transferring to Corvallis from Auburn. Moore was slated to redshirt his first year on campus at Auburn but entered the transfer portal in September, just a few weeks after the season began.
He initially announced he was going to transfer to Jones College before deciding to go west and play for the Beavers. He didn’t get to play a down for either team.
Moore was a staple on the Louisville defense dating back to his eighth-grade season. He had become a five star prospect nationally heading into his junior season before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in a jamboree against Starkville a week before the start of the season. He missed all of that junior year but returned in 2018 to help lead the Wildcats to the Class 4A state championship with 79 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a sack.
— Robbie Faulk
VIRTUAL
CHEERLEADER
TRYOUTS
East Mississippi Community College will be conducting virtual cheer and mascot tryouts for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year during a week-long (May 8-15) span next month.
Video submissions are due to EMCC head cheerleading coach Laura Posey via email (lposey@eastms.edu) by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 15th. Entries for EMCC’s upcoming virtual cheer and mascot tryouts are open to graduating male and female high school seniors and college transfer students with eligibility remaining.
Videos should consist of challenging standing skills and running tumbling passes as well as advanced stunts, as outlined in tryout guidelines available on EMCC’s athletics website, www.EMCCAthletics.com. Submitted videos for the mascot tryout can be from this past sports season or newly generated with an at-home skit.
Along with submitting a tryout video via email by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 15th, EMCC cheer and mascot tryout participants must also send in proof of admission into East Mississippi Community College or indicate what method was used in applying to EMCC.
— David Rosinski
ECCC TENNIS RANKED
Although their seasons were cut short due to the Coronavirus, the East Central Community College men’s and women’s tennis teams both are included in the final Oracle/ITA JUCO Top 25 polls.
The ECCC men are ranked No. 20 in the most recent poll and third among Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges men’s teams. Sophomore Chris Lawrance (York, Western Australia) is ranked No. 37 in the nation and No. 11 in Region III in singles. The doubles team of Lawrance and Isaac Santitto (Innisfail, Queensland, Australia) is ranked No. 24 in the nation and No. 7 in Region III, the highest ranked doubles team in the MACJC.
The East Central women are ranked No. 21 in the nation and also third among MACJC women’s teams. The Lady Warriors are ranked No. 7 in Region III.
Freshman Natalia Beltran (Bogota, Colombia) is ranked No. 19 in singles in Region III.
This is the second year in a row that both teams have received a final national ranking.
— Bill Wagnon
