Beginning with next week’s edition, the Winston County Journal will count down the top five sports stories during the 2019-20 school season for Louisville High School, Nanih Waiya, Noxapater, Winston Academy, and Grace Christian.
And above all, we need your help. Athletic Directors, administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans of the five schools 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
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
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
FORMER ECCC STAR DRAFTED
Former East Central Community College football standout Antonio Gibson was selected in the third round by the Washington Redskins in the 2020 National Football League Draft Friday, April 24.
The product of Eagles Landing High School in Stockbridge, Ga., was the 66th player selected in this year’s NFL draft.
Gibson played for the ECCC Warriors in the 2016 and 2017 seasons and named Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges First Team All-State his sophomore season when he caught 21 passes for 308 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for a score.
He was named MACJC Second Team All-State his freshman season while helping lead the Warriors to their first-ever MACJC South Division title and second consecutive trip to the state playoffs. That season he had 1,089 all-purpose yards and caught nine touchdown passes.
Gibson signed with the University of Memphis where he appeared in all 28 games as a Tiger and was named the 2019 American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year and was an all-conference selection.
— Bill Wagnon
EX-HCC STAR SIGNS WITH STEELER
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
