It is not an uncommon occurrence for a large number of Louisville High School athletes to sign to play football when National Signing Day comes around each year. In fact, it’s expected. It was no different on Wednesday, as nine Wildcats signed letters of intents to play on the junior college level.
Hinds Community College was the big winner, signing five players including a trio of wide receivers, while Northwest Mississippi picked up two Wildcats, and East Central and Coahoma signed one each.
While first-year LHS head coach Tyrone Shorter was excited about seeing his young athletes get the opportunity to play football for at least two more years, he was more interested in encouraging them to do something positive with the opportunity.
“I’m trying to get these guys to understand that the air going to be let out of the football one day,” he said. “The most important thing is going to school and getting an education. If the NFL is meant for them, then it’s going to happen. But, they can be a pro at something. They can get an education and do something positive with their lives.”
Louisville is home to a combined nine MHSAA 3A and 4A state football championships, while Shorter has coached state championship teams himself at Noxubee County High School. But he said what happened in the LHS auditorium on Wednesday in front of family and friends is one fo the biggest things his Wildcats will do.
“I have been doing this for 22 years and this day (signing day) right here is more important to me than winning championships. When you have a kid get a chance to further his education and football career, that’s big.”
Signing with Hinds were wide receivers Kaleb Mosley, David Haynes and Niselbyion Kirk, along with offensive lineman Nasir Brown and linebacker Jehmiah Harden.
Defensive lineman Jy’keveous Hibbler and QB/WR/STH Drea Shumaker signed with Northwest Mississippi Community College, while defensive back Rankevious Johnson inked with Coahoma Community College and linebacker Kristian Hopkins signed with East Central Community College.
ECCC Football Welcomes 20 New Players During National Signing Day
From press reports
East Central Community College head football coach Ken Karcher announced the addition of 20 new members to the Warrior football team on National Signing Day Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The newcomers are all high school seniors.
“We are excited to welcome these 20 young men to our football family,” said Karcher. “Our staff once again did an excellent job in finding young men who are good football players and a good fit our mission at East Central. We are looking forward to working with each one of them. We will continue to look to meet other needs as we work through the spring.”
Players signing with ECCC Feb. 5 included:
• Rish Alford, a 5-9, 195-pound linebacker from Houston High School.
• Ethan Bond, a 6-3, 270-pound offensive lineman from Columbia High School.
• Keyser Booth, a 5-7, 155-pound running back from Jefferson Davis County High School in Bassfield.
• Juke Boozer, a 6-3, 190-pound wide receiver from Rockmart High School, Ga.
• Kyle Brewer, a 5-11, 190-pound athlete from Magnolia Heights School in Senatobia.
• Demarquese Gibson, a 5-11, 190-pound running back from Grenada High School.
• Ray Gibson, a 6-2, 270-pound defensive lineman from Neshoba Central High School.
• Eli Gooden, a 6-0, 270-pound offensive lineman from Hartfield Academy in Flowood.
• Kristian Hopkins, a 5-11, 200-pound linebacker from Louisville High School.
• Kedrick Horton, a 6-3, 235-pound tight end from Mize High School.
• Manuel Hillman, a 6-0, 185-pound long snapper from Petal High School.
• Josten James, a 5-9, 165-pound defensive back from Stone High School in Wiggins.
• Phameko James, a 6-2, 185-pound wide receiver from Hazlehurst High School.
• Ke’Sean Johnson, a 5-11, 205-pound athlete from Quitman High School.
• Sadarion Magee, a 5-10, 170-pound defensive back from Columbia High School.
• RJ Proctor, a 6-1, 260-pound defensive lineman from Petal High School.
• Michael Rush, a 6-1, 285-pound offensive lineman from Union High School.
• Deandre Shorts, a 5-10, 170-pound defensive back from Jefferson Davis County High School in Bassfield.
• Kevin Walters, a 6-1, 300-pound defensive lineman from Petal High School.
• Larry Wilson, a 5-9, 160-pound running back from Hazlehurst High School.
The East Central Community College Warriors open the 2020 season on Thursday, Aug. 27, when they host East Mississippi Community College at 6:30 p.m. in Bailey Stadium on the ECCC campus in Decatur.
ECCC to Officially Open New Football Operations Center with Ribbon Cutting
East Central Community College will officially open its new Warrior Hall football operations center with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, on the campus in Decatur.
The 12,300-square-foot facility is located just outside the north end zone of Warrior Field at Bailey Stadium.
The ceremony will include remarks by ECCC President Dr. Billy Stewart, Board Chair Dr. Jimmy Hollingsworth, Head Football Coach Ken Karcher, and Director of Athletics Paul Nixon in the Thomas E. Hannah and Ray E. Hannah Team Meeting Room, followed by the ribbon cutting and self-guided tours.
Warrior Hall contains locker rooms for players and for coaches, a team meeting room, position conference rooms, coaches’ offices, an equipment room, a players’ lounge, and a laundry room. It will also house a state-of-the-art training room with hydrotherapy pool to be used by student-athletes in all nine varsity sports at the college.
The architect for Warrior Hall was Eley Guild Hardy Architects of Biloxi. The contractor was J&J Contractors Inc. of Collinsville.
Jones Completes Season Basketball Sweep of East Central
Jones College completed the season basketball sweep of East Central Community College with a pair of wins Monday, Feb. 10, on their home court of A.B. Howard Gymnasium in Ellisville.
The No. 10 Jones Lady Bobcats won the opener over the Lady Warriors 72-59. The Jones Bobcats picked up a 93-65 win over the ECCC Warriors in the second game of the night.
The women’s contest was tied twice early in the opening period before Jones took control of the game. East Central managed just six points in the second period which helped the Lady Bobcats pull away to a 42-23 halftime lead. The Lady Warriors outscored Jones by six points in the final two periods, but could not overcome the low-scoring second period.
The Lady Warriors were led by three players in double figures. Sophomore guard Jariyah Covington (Starkville) had 20 points, sophomore guard Mylisha Hammond (McComb) had 11 points and seven assists, and sophomore guard/forward KeiMoya Walker (Jackson, Murrah) added 10.
The Lady Warriors fall to 8-12 overall and 3-8 in the South Division. The Jones Lady Bobcats are now 17-2 overall and remain atop the MACJC South Division standings with a perfect 11-0 record.
In the men’s action, the game was close throughout most of the first half. East Central trailed by just two, 35-33, with a minute to play in the first half before a 7-0 Jones run gave the Bobcats a 42-33 halftime lead. Jones outscored East Central 51-32 in the final 20 minutes for the 28-point win. Jones shot 60 percent from the floor in the win to just 33 percent for East Central.
The Warriors were led by freshman guard JaMichael Wilson (Rayville, La.) with 14 points and freshman guard Kareem Thompson (Florence, Ala.) with 12.
With the loss, East Central is now 8-12 overall and 3-8 in the MACJC South Division. Jones improves to 14-5 overall and 6-5 in the division.
East Central will host Meridian on Thursday, Feb. 13, in Brackeen-Wood Gym on the campus in Decatur. Those games tip off at 5:30/7:30 p.m.
All home games can be heard on WKOZ “Cruisin” 98.3 or watched via live stream video at www.eccc.edu/eccc-media.
