2014 15 nemcc basketball media guide by Northeast Mississippi Community College

2014-15 Basketball Media Guide

Northeast

Basketball

Northeast Mississippi Community College

Northeast

Basketball

Table of Contents Letter from President Dr. Johnny L. Allen, Ed.D..........................4 2013-14 Tiger Roster....................................................................19 Northeast Board of Trustees...........................................................5 2013-14 Tiger Player Bios.......................................................20-21 Letter from Athletic Director David Robbins................................6 Bonner Arnold Coliseum Feature.............................................22-23 Athletic Director David Robbins Biography..................................7 Assistant Athletic Director Kent Farris Biography..........................8 Athletic Support Staff....................................................................9 Lady Tiger Head Coach Brian Alexander Biography....................10

2014-15 Cheerleaders...................................................................24 Social Media Accounts.................................................................25 NEMCC All-Americans...........................................................26-27 Retired Jerseys...............................................................................28

Tiger Head Coach Cord Wright Biography..................................11 Fight Song....................................................................................28 Lady Tiger Assistant Coach Edwond Eddings Biography.............12 Tiger Assistant Coach Kyle Morris Biography..............................13 Athletic Trainer Hope Kingsley Biography...................................14 Cheerleading Coach Karri Davis Biography.................................14

2013-14 Athletic Year in Review....................................................29 MACJC Community Colleges...................................................30 Distances to MACJC Community Colleges..............................31

Sports Information Director Blake Long Biography.....................15 NEMCC Sports Hall of Fame..............................................32-33 Mascot History............................................................................15 JucoWeekly.org Ad.....................................................................34 2013-14 Lady Tiger Player Bios..............................................16-17 NEMCCTV Ad........................................................................35 2013-14 Lady Tiger Roster............................................................18 2014-15 Basketball Schedule.....................................................36

Program Credits

2014-15 Basketball Media Guide

The 2013-14 Northeast Mississippi Community College Basketball Media Guide was produced in the Public Information Office of the college under the direction of Associate Vice President of Public Information Tony Finch and Sports Information Director Blake Long. Layout and design was handled by Michael H. Miller.

Northeast Mississippi Community College

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Letter from the President

Dear Friends of Northeast:

Thank you for your support of the athletic efforts of Northeast Mississippi Community College. Each coach and each athlete has worked hard to ensure that our teams are ready to give performances that make you proud to be a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tiger Fan.â&#x20AC;? Northeast exists to provide educational, recreational and social resources for students and supporters to grow and enjoy their accomplishments. While you are on campus, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable visit. I trust you will use this opportunity to get to know our students, coaches and staff. We are always ready to assist you to enjoy your time with us. Thank you for everything that you do to encourage and support our efforts. We are always glad to have you on our campus.

Sincerely,

Johnny L. Allen

President 4

Northeast Board of Trustees

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T. Jack Ramsey

Bill Breedlove

Chairman Tenure of Service: 1983 Tishomingo County/Banker

Ken Basil

Tenure of Service: 2008 Union County Superintendent of Education

Troy Holliday

Tenure of Service: 1964 Tippah County Businessman

Sam McCoy

Tenure of Service: 1988 Prentiss County Businessman

Alvie Blakney

Tenure of Service: 2011 Tishomingo County Retired Businessman

Christie Holly

Tenure of Service: 2014 Tishomingo County Superintendent of Education

Gina Smith

Tenure of Service: 2012 Alcorn County Superintendent of Education

Vice Chairman Tenure of Service: 1999 Prentiss County Businessman

Randle Downs

Tenure of Service: 2012 Prentiss County Superintendent of Education

Douglas Jackson

Tenure of Service: 1995 Tippah County Retired Educator

Luzene Triplett

Tenure of Service: 2002 Prentiss County Retired Educator

John O. Cunningham Secretary Tenure of Service: 1995 Prentiss County Businessman

Tonya Butler Farris

Tenure of Service: 2012 Alcorn County Businesswoman

Tracie Langston

Tenure of Service: 2004 Prentiss County Businesswoman

Vance Witt

Tenure of Service: 2007 Union County Businessman

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Letter from the Athletic Director

Parents, Fans, Supporters, Alumni;

On behalf of the Athletic Department at Northeast Mississippi Community College, I want to welcome you to this athletic event. We hope that your visit today will create an interest that will encourage you to come back. As we strive for excellence in the classroom and in the athletic arena, we would like to encourage every one of you to become involved in all aspects of our athletic department. As we try to reach the highest level with all of our sports programs we must continue to work very hard to be the very best we can be. We are looking for all avenues of resources to build on our already competitive programs. Within the last five (5) years, we have steadily improved every one of our athletic teams. We now have great leadership in all of our athletic programs and we are very excited about what the future holds for all of them. We would like to invite you to become a part of our Athletic booster club and help us as we strive to reach the highest level. Our goal is to educate our student/athletes to a level that will put them at the very top in their perspective sport. In addition, we want our athletes to be some of our most productive citizens. Again, welcome to the NEMCC campus and we hope you have a very enjoyable visit and we welcome you back at any time either to visit our campus or to attend another athletic event.

Thanks! David Robbins Athletic Director, NEMCC 6

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Athletic Director David Robbins

David Robbins When David Robbins accepted the position of head men’s basketball coach at Northeast in the spring of 2005, he enthusiastically accepted the challenge of returning the tradition-rich program to a place of prominence in the state and nation. With an emphasis on doing things the right way on and off the floor, the Tigers (15-9) recorded their first winning season since the 1999-2000 season. After stumbling in 2006-07 with nine freshmen and only four sophomores on the court, Robbins and company burst onto the MACJC scene in 2007-08. The Tigers went 15-10, 7-5 during the regular season and captured a runner-up finish in the MACJC North Division. After making semifinal runs in the State and Region 23 tournament, Robbins led the 2008-09 Tiger basketball team to a 1213 record, and the 2009-10 team to a 1211, 7-5 record. On the hardwood in 2010-11, David Robbins led the Tiger basketball team to appearances in the MACJC State Tournament and the NJCAA Region XXIII Tournament after finishing as the North Division runner-up with a 7-5 mark in the North Division and an 11-14 mark overall. The Tigers found the same opponent awaiting them in both the state and region tournaments – 19th-ranked Pearl River Community College – and the Tigers gave the Wildcats a run in the state tournament before falling in overtime 92-83. Robbins’ team reached the national rankings during the 2012-13 season as the Tigers started the season strong and posted a 7-1 mark at the Christmas holiday break and carried a 10-2 overall record into the

Years Position School/Organization 2013-Present Dean of Students/Athletic Director NEMCC 2005-2013 Head Men’s Basketball Coach NEMCC 2002-2005 Head Coach/Athletic Director Corinth High School 1991-2002 Head Men’s Basketball Coach Corinth High School 1987-91 Assistant Coach/ NEMCC Assistant Director of Student Activities

January 18, 2012 NJCAA Top 20 poll where the Tigers were ranked thirteenth in the nation. Northeast continued to build on its early success and finished the year with a 14-9 mark and tied for fourth in the North Division but lost out on a tiebreaker with Itawamba for a spot in the MACJC State Basketball Tournament. However, the Tigers did have three players selected to the MACJC All-State team with Acie Vance (Ripley), Lavon Hooks (Atlanta, Georgia) and Jermaine Hollimon (Memphis, Tenn.) all being selected for postseason accolades. Vance was the North Division’s leading scorer with 16.9 points per game and finished second in the MACJC while Hooks led the North Division and the MACJC with 8.6 rebounds per game. Hollimon and Cedric Janes of Dyersburg, Tenn., were also selected to play in the MACJC North-South All-Star game in Decatur. Before returning to his alma mater, Robbins spent 14 seasons as head boy’s basketball coach at Corinth High school. During that time, Robbins led the Warriors to a 310-147 overall record, including four 30-win seasons, eight 20-win seasons, nine Alcorn County championships (seven straight from ‘99-’05), three North Half titles and three State Championship trophies. Robbins’ teams appeared in five State Tournaments and eight North Half Tournaments en route to a 44-15 record in post season play, a .745 winning percentage. In only his second season at CHS, Robbins guided the Warriors to the State

Championship and a 36-5 overall mark, a school record for wins in a season. He became the winningest coach in Warrior history with win number 267 in 2003 and picked up win number 300 with a 50-46 victory over Ripley on Jan. 11, 2005 Robbins was named the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2003, and was selected to coach in the 2002 North/South All-Star Game. Initially, Robbins also served as a physical education instructor, but left the classroom to become athletic director in 2002. As AD, Robbins supervised every aspect of the athletic programs at Corinth High and Junior High Schools. A Tippah County native, Blue Mountain High School graduate and former basketball player and team captain at Northeast Mississippi Junior College, Robbins worked at Northeast, assisting both former men’s basketball coach Harvey Childers and women’s basketball coach Ricky Ford (1987-89). His duties included on-the-floor coaching and recruiting in-district as well as outof-state players. Robbins also worked as an assistant director of student activities at Northeast (1987-1991). Robbins earned an Associate in Arts Degree from Northeast in 1985, a Bachelor of Science degree from Millsaps College in 1987 and a master’s degree from Mississippi College in 1989. Robbins played two seasons for the Millsaps Majors and was selected the 1987 team captain. David and his wife Pam have three children, Brandon, Mary Beth, and Brody. 7

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Asst. Athletic Director Kent Farris

Kent Farris Kent Farris has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the Northeast Mississippi Community College baseball program. Farris led the Tigers to the 2013 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division championship with an 18-6 mark in league play and 30-18 overall record. It was the first division title in the sport of baseball at Northeast since 1992. The Tigers then took their opening round playoff series over Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College at Harold T. White Field by winning the final two games of the best-of-three series to clinch a spot in the MACJC State Tournament. Seven members of that squad were named to the MACJC All-State team, including Will Robertson (Falkner), Josh Mills (Lafayette County) and Tanner Gaines (Baldwyn) to the first-team. Justin Neal (Southaven), Kyle Stephenson (Booneville), Ethan Estes (Biggersville) and Heath Wood (Kossuth) made the second-team list. In addition to those honors, a number of Tigers that learned the game for two years under Farris signed with four-year schools. Gaines signed at Arkansas State University, Stephenson moved on to the University of North Alabama, Estes inked with the University of West Alabama and Neal landed at Christian Brothers University. Dalton Sims (DeSoto Central), Hunt Halford (Oxford) and Stephenson were also selected by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for academic awards. Stephenson garnered Superior Academic Achievement status for his 3.86 grade point average (GPA) while Halford and Sims received Exemplary Academic Achievement for their 3.70 and 3.66 GPAs, respectively. The longtime veteran of the Mississippi coaching fraternity also hit a personal milestone during the 2013 campaign when he won his 150th game as Northeast headman with a 10-0 victory against East Central Community College on March 9. Farris’ teams have consistently qualified for the MACJC playoffs since he came to Northeast 8

from Columbus High School before the 2007 season. Within three years of taking the reigns of the program, Farris had the Tigers in a hosting role for the state postseason for the initial time since the 1992 campaign. That 2009 squad finished as the MACJC North Division runner-up for the second straight season with a 33-14 record and 17-7 standing against conference competition. The year before could be Farris’ most successful season to date. The 2008 edition of the Tigers tallied a 32-18 record with appearances in both the MACJC State Tournament and the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament after concluding the regular season in second-place in the MACJC North Division. Northeast against made the postseason under the tutelage of Farris during the 2010 campaign after claiming the third-place spot in the MACJC North Division. The Tigers were unable to get by Hinds Community College in the first round, best-of-three series and ended with an overall record of 25-27. Farris had a quintet of players selected to the 2010 MACJC All-State first and second teams. Sophomores Brandon Farley (Cookeville, Tenn.) and Michael Collie (Houston, Tenn.) made the first-team while freshmen Ben Wallis (Ripley), Jordan Gurley (Corinth), and Blake Powell (Germantown, Tenn.) landed secondteam honors. Farris replaced Northeast Hall of Fame coach Ray Scott when he accepted the position at Northeast from Columbus, where he spent the two seasons as head coach. Under Farris, the Falcons recorded an 18-11 record in 2006. That Columbus squad won the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Division 2, Class 5A championship and hosted a first round playoff series for the inaugural time in school history. His 2005 team went 14-16, which was a 12-win improvement over its 2004 total. During his tenure with the Falcons, five players signed community college scholarships and two athletes participated in the Crossroads Diamond Club All-Star Game in Jackson. Farris was named the Commercial Dispatch Coach of the Year in 2006. Before taking over the Columbus program, Farris was head coach at Caledonia High School from 2002-2004. He worked as an assistant baseball coach at New Hope High School in Columbus from 1996-2002, where he was a part of two state championship teams and one of three Mississippi high school squads to ever end a season without a loss in 1996 when the Trojans went 43-0. Farris’ most extensive head coaching experience came at Alcorn Central High School, where

he served as headman for both from 1984-95. While with the Golden Bears, Farris compiled a 265-162-7 record. His teams qualified for the MHSAA Class 3A State Playoffs in 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1990. Alcorn Central won the MHSAA Class 3A State championship in 1988; the 3A North Half crown in 1988 and 1990; and the division title in 1988. Farris was selected as the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Coach of the Year in 1988. Nineteen of his players from Alcorn Central signed college scholarships and two signed professional contracts. Farris was an assistant baseball coach at the University of North Alabama from 1983-84 and helped lead the Lions to the Gulf South Conference (GSC) title for the first time in school history in 1984. That team also finished second in the NCAA Division II South Central Region and featured five men that signed professional baseball contracts. An active coach in American Legion Baseball during his career, Farris also began working as an associate scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates Professional Baseball Club in 1998. Farris earned a Bachelor of Science degree from North Alabama in 1981 and a Master of Arts in secondary education from the same institution in 1983. He also completed teaching certification requirements in health from the Mississippi Department of Education in 1994 and in driver’s education from Mississippi State University in 2001. Professionally, Farris is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), the Crossroads Diamond Club, the Baseball Coaches Association (national high school), the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC), the Mississippi Association of Professional Educators and is a founding member of the Northeast Mississippi Coaches Association for Better Baseball (NEMCABB). Farris’ other professional honors and awards include being named a Crossroads Diamond Club All-Star Game coach in 1989, a NEMCABB All-Star coach in 1992 and 2002, and a Junior Sunbelt Classic coach from 1979-99 and in 2001. Farris has one son, Keaton, and is happily married to his wife, Joye.

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Athletic Support Staff Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Students/ Athletic Director Joye Farris

Jeremy Kennedy

Athletic Facilities Equipment Manager Matt Werner

Voice of the Tigers

Operations Manager

NEMCC TV

Sodexo USA Don Knowles

Bus Drivers Phillip Moore (left) Marvin Ozbirn (right)

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Women’s Head Coach Brian Alexander

Brian Alexander When Northeast began the search for a new women’s basketball head basketball coach, it turned to the pro ranks and hired Northeast alumnus and Tupelo Rock-N-Roller’s head coach Brian Alexander. Upon his hiring on April 20, 2011, Alexander became the only head coach in the history of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) to have previous professional head coaching experience. Alexander can also claim the accomplishment of being the only MACJC coach to take two different programs to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament. He guided Northeast’s men in 1994-95 and the Itawamba Community College men’s team on back-to-back occasions starting during the 2006-07 campaign. During his first season in Booneville, the Lady Tiger basketball team adapted to Alexander’s style of play and gave Copiah-Lincoln Community College a run during the first round of the MACJC State Tournament. Northeast qualified for the MACJC State Tournament in Fulton with a dramatic 104-102 overtime win against Mississippi Delta Community College on sophomore night at Bonner Arnold Coliseum. Northeast not only became a force on the hardwood, but also stewards in the classroom as well with Anna Brooke Page and Bree Harris selected for NJCAA Student-Athlete Academic Awards at the end of the season. In addition to the NJCAA Student-Athlete Academic Awards, a handful of Lady Tigers were also inducted as members of the Iota Zeta chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. Page and Jackson signed to play on the four-year level at Blue Mountain College and William Carey University, respectively. His second campaign saw the Lady Tigers push farther into postseason play. After recording a third place finish in the MACJC North Division, Northeast caught fire at the MACJC State Tournament and ran the tables to the championship game at Pearl River Community College. The Lady Tigers swept by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Jones County Junior College in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, respec10

Years Position School/Organization 2011-Present Head Coach NEMCC 2009-2011 Head Coach Tupelo Rock-N-Rollers 2006-2009 Assistant Coach (W&M) Itawamba Community College 2003-2006 Assistant Coach Campbell University 2001-2003 Assistant Coach Southeastern Louisiana University 1998-2001 Assistant Coach University of Southern Mississippi 1996-1998 Assistant Coach Columbus High School 1994-1996 Student Assistant NEMCC tively, before falling to Copiah-Lincoln in the championship contest. One week later, the Lady Tigers made their first appearance in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament under the direction of Alexander. A late comeback forced overtime in the opener against Mississippi Gulf Coast, but the Lady Bulldogs concluded Northeast’s season with a two-point win. Freshman guard Angelia Allen was named to the All-Region 23 Tournament team as well as garnering first-team MACJC All-State honors. Alexander also sent his first student-athlete to the NCAA Division I level after Talisa Boyd signed at McNeese State (La.) University. Allen wrapped up her outstanding career by signing with Long Island University (N.Y.) at Brooklyn following the 2013-14 season. Antionette Riddle captured MACJC All-State status after recording over 500 points as a Lady Tiger and inked with Delta State University. Throughout his career, Alexander has played a vital role in seven programs that have set school records for victories and won championships. Overall, Alexander has helped his teams win 14 championships, make 20 postseason appearances, and been on staffs that have been named Coach of the Year eight times. The coaching veteran spent eight of his seasons working as an NCAA Division I assistant at the University of Southern Mississippi, Southeastern Louisiana University, and Campbell University. From 2006-2009, Alexander worked as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for both the women’s and men’s squads at Itawamba. Alexander assisted Itawamba to five MACJC North Division championships, two MACJC State championships, two NJCAA Region 23 championships, two appearances at the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchison, Kan., five coach of the year awards, and two final national rankings. From 2003-06, Alexander worked at Campbell as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. In 2005-06, the Fighting Camels broke school season records for most three-pointers made and offensive scoring average. They finished first in the Atlantic Sun Conference and second in the nation.

Alexander spent two years at Southeastern Louisiana as an assistant coach from 2001-03. The 2002-03 Lions club broke a school record for victories in the Southland Conference for the second year in a row. During Alexander’s time at Southeastern Louisiana, he worked under Billy Kennedy, who is now a head men’s coach in the Southeastern Conference at Texas A&M University. From 1998-2001, Alexander travelled to Hattiesburg and instructed at the University of Southern Mississippi for three seasons. During the 2001 campaign, the Eagles posted a 22-9 record and won their first Conference USA regular season championships en route to a berth in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). While at Southern Miss, Alexander helped develop four All-Conference USA selections, including Vandarel Jones, the 2001 league Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. From 1996-98, Alexander lifted Columbus High School to a 41-13 overall record as an assistant coach. The 1997-98 team advanced to the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) North Half Tournament. From 1994-96, Alexander spent two seasons as a student assistant for the Tigers working under Northeast Sports Hall of Fame member Mike Lewis. Northeast won the 1995 MACJC North Division Championship and the NJCAA Region 23 title. That club also earned a berth in the 1995 NJCAA National Tournament and finished ranked tenth in the nation. While at Northeast, Alexander worked with 1995 National Junior College Player of the Year Dontae Jones, who went on to Mississippi State University and was a first-round pick of the New York Knicks in the 1996 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft. Alexander received his A.A. degree from Northeast, his B.S. degree from Mississippi State, and his M.S. and Ed.S. from Southern Mississippi. He garnered his Ph.D. in Community College Leadership from Mississippi State. Alexander is married to the former Cassie James of Ripley. The couple have three children, Kinsley, Colson and Noah.

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Men’s Head Coach Cord Wright

Cord Wright Cord Wright enters his second season as the headman of the Northeast Mississippi Community College’s tradition-rich men’s basketball coach. He replaced David Robbins, who accepted the role of athletic director, before the start of the 2013-14 campaign. Wright claimed his first victory with the Tigers in dramatic fashion on November 4, 2013. Sophomore Marcus Hogan, who signed with Voorhees (S.C.) College after an excellent year, connected on a half court desperation attempt that bounced off the backboard and through the hoop to give Northeast a 79-78 win at Gadsden State (Ala.) Community College. His inaugural triumph inside the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division was just as thrilling. Keldrick Lesley’s free throw sent the game into overtime and Dimario Jackson drained the second of two attempts from the charity stripe with under a minute left to seal a 90-89 decision over Mississippi Delta Community College on January 27, 2014. Jackson was an MACJC All-State selection as a freshman under the guidance of Wright. In addition, Cameron Shorty was chosen to participate in the annual MACJC All-Star Game on the campus of East Central Community College during Wright’s initial campaign on the Tigers’ bench. He came to Northeast from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he served as an assistant coach on Keith Richards’ staff

Years Position School/Organization 2013-Present Head Coach NEMCC 2010-2013 Assistant Coach UL-Monroe 2005-2010 Assistant Coach Univ. of North Alabama 2003-2005 Graduate Assistant Coach Univ. of North Alabama 2002-2003 Assistant Coach Spartanburg Methodist College 2001-2002 Student Assistant Limestone College for three years. However, Wright knows the community college environment and the Hill Country region very well. Before joining the Louisiana-Monroe staff, Wright served as an assistant at the University of North Alabama under headman Bobby Champagne. While with the Lions, Wright helped North Alabama earn a pair of berths in the NCAA Division II Tournament. In 2006, Wright and the Lions earned a bid into the NCAA’s South Regional. It was the first appearance by North Alabama in the NCAA Tournament since 1996. Wright helped lead the Lions back to the NCAA Tournament one year later when they advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight after posting a solid 27-9 record. Under Wright’s tutelage, a quartet of North Alabama players were elected to the All-Gulf South Conference first-team including Kenny Johnson, who earned the league’s Player of the Year award in 2008-09. In addition to four first-team honorees, five Lions were named to the All-Gulf South Conference second-team and three earned Academic All-Gulf South Conference recognition under Wright’s leadership. Before becoming a full-time assistant with the Lions in 2006, Wright spent a pair of seasons as a graduate assistant (2003-05) on Champagne’s staff while earning a master’s degree in health promotions and human performance.

Wright coached at Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.) College for one season before joining the staff at North Alabama and got his coaching start as a student assistant coach at his alma mater Limestone (S.C.) College. The Lafayette, La., native was named an AllCarolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference (now Conference Carolinas) selection and an allconference academic honoree during his two years with the Saints. In addition to his All-CVAC selections for his work on the hardwood and in the classroom, Wright paced Limestone in scoring and rebounding while earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a minor in biology. Wright got his collegiate playing career started at tradition-rich Danville Area (Ill.) Community College where he starred for the Jaguars from 1997-99. He was a threat beyond the arc for the Jaguars and ranked as the second-best three-point shooter in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) as a sophomore. When not busy coaching, Wright works a variety of basketball camps throughout the country at locations in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Wright is also a founder of the “Yours in Hoops” basketball camp. Wright, a graduate of Saint Thomas More (La.) Catholic High School, is a dedicated family man. He and his wife Kelly have two sons, Cooper and Cannon.

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Women’s Assistant Coach Edwond Eddings

Edwond Eddings Edwond Eddings is returning to his native state with the goal of helping Northeast Mississippi Community College’s traditionrich women’s basketball program continue to thrive. Eddings, who holds over one decade of playing and coaching experience at the collegiate level, was chosen as the Lady Tigers’ new assistant coach beginning with the quickly approaching 2014-15 campaign. Eddings comes to the City of Hospitality from over 1,300 miles away at Colorado Northwestern Community College, where he served in the same capacity with the Lady Spartans for one season. He started his coaching career as part of the men’s basketball staff at Arkansas Tech University in the fall of 2007. The Wonder Boys compiled a winning record of 18-11 during his inaugural campaign on the bench and placed Jamar Flowers and Darren Tarver on the AllGulf South Conference (GSC) team. Arkansas Tech rose into the national spotlight over the next two seasons with the help of Eddings’ instruction. The Wonder Boys were victorious in three straight games during the 2009 Gulf South Tournament to claim its first league championship since winning the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) title 14 years earlier. Gulf South Tournament Most Valuable

Player Renard Allen led Arkansas Tech into the NCAA Tournament in Lakeland, Fla., against nationally ranked Benedict (S.C.) College. Eddings and the Wonder Boys bested the Tigers before falling to No. 11 Florida Southern College in their second round contest. Eddings led his squad to its best season in school history during the 2009-10 campaign. Arkansas Tech won 25 consecutive matchups to begin the year before losing its first matchup to instate rival the University of Arkansas at Monticello. The defeat at the hands of the Boll Weevils did not deter the Wonder Boys’ efforts. They tallied a 13-1 mark versus league opponents to garner the GSC West Division crown and then edged the University of Alabama at Huntsville 64-63 at the DeSoto Civic Center to capture its second Gulf South Tournament title in a row. Arkansas Tech earned the privilege of hosting the 2010 NCAA Tournament regional round. The Wonder Boys opened the event with a 34-point triumph against Tuskegee (Ala.) University at Tucker Coliseum, but fell to No. 6 Valdosta State (Ga.) University to end its record-breaking season. Eddings’ group set a program record with 30 victories and had three student-athletes selected to the All-GSC team, including Brandon Friedel, Laithe Massey and Allen. Friedel, who connected on 98 three-pointers that year, was also named an NCAA Division II AllAmerican for his efforts. The Columbus native moved closer to home and received his first taste of coaching in the rugged Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) when he accepted a position on the women’s hoops staff at East Mississippi Community College in 2010. Eddings expected excellence in the class-

room as well as in the gymnasium while at Scooba. His first two squads were recognized as All-Academic Teams by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale. The veteran coach turned a MACJC North Division championship during the 2011 campaign into a pair of top notch recruiting classes over the next few years. Eddings landed two players that were ranked in the top 100 countrywide, including Jeraldine Campbell and Shukurah Washington, and a handful of others that were billed as the Magnolia State’s finest hoops standouts. Eddings left the Lady Lions and made the 21-plus hour trip to Rangely, Colo., to assume the responsibilities of assistant coach at Colorado Northwestern. His duties included scouting, film breakdown and coordinating the Lady Spartans’ strength and conditioning program. He was a standout basketball athlete himself. Eddings collected Columbus High School’s sportsmanship award in 2003 and was its team captain that same season. Eddings signed a scholarship with East Mississippi following a phenomenal career with the Falcons in which he won the 2001 Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A North Half Tournament. He was elected to participate in the annual MACJC All-Star Basketball Game at the Brackeen-Wood Physical Education Building in Decatur following his sophomore campaign. He completed an Associate’s degree at East Mississippi and a Bachelor’s degree through Arkansas Tech, where he wrapped up his playing days from 2005-07.

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Men’s Assistant Coach Kyle Morris

Kyle Morris Kyle Morris is enthusiastic about reunifying with a longtime companion and joining one of the most tradition-rich men’s basketball programs in the Magnolia State. Morris, who brings an intense and dynamic attitude to the court, has been selected as the new assistant coach for Northeast Mississippi Community College beginning with the upcoming 2014-15 campaign. Morris enters his eighth season in the coaching profession at Northeast following successful stops at his collegiate alma mater, the University of Pikeville (Ky.), and the University of North Alabama. Morris landed his first position as an assistant coach at Pikeville during the 2007-08 season. He guided the Bears to a solid 22-9 record and fourth-place finish in the Mid-South Conference. Pikeville compiled an impressive 14-game winning streak that spanned three months. The Bears defeated their opponents in that stretch by an average score of 77-53. Under the tutelage of Morris, Jeff Ferguson was named a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Honorable Mention AllAmerican while William Harris, Justin Hicks and Morris each earned all-conference honors. After an outstanding campaign at Pikeville, Morris travelled further south and accepted a post at North Alabama. He served as an assistant coach for the next six years and aided in the Lions’ return to countrywide prominence. Morris and Wright worked together in Flor-

ence, Ala., from 2008-10. The duo pushed the Lions to a pair of Gulf South Conference (GSC) Tournament appearances at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven and also instructed Kenny Johnson, who is one of only four men’s basketball players in North Alabama history to receive AllAmerican status. The 2010-11 edition of the Lions tallied a 1316 mark, but still had two athletes in Ricky Davison and Marcus Landry tabbed to the All-Gulf South Team with Wes Long obtaining GSC East Division Freshman of the Year recognition. North Alabama improved to 15-12 one season later with sweeps of league rivals Delta State University, Valdosta State (Ga.) University and the University of West Georgia. Beaumont Beasley and Theron Jenkins, which both averaged 16 points per outing, grabbed All-Gulf South Team prestige for their actions during that campaign. Morris, whose hometown is Dayton, Ohio, left his imprint on North Alabama’s history books by guiding the Lions to back-to-back National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Tournaments in his final two years on the sidelines inside Flowers Hall. Following an eight-game winning streak to open the season, North Alabama drew an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament with a 19-9 record and 12-6 mark versus conference foes. The Lions were eliminated in the opening round by NCAA South Regional host Florida Southern College. North Alabama eclipsed the 20-win plateau during the 2013-14 campaign with victories in nine of their final 10 league contests. The Lions used that momentum near the end of the year to capture the sixth Gulf South Tournament championship in program history. Rashaun Claiborne nearly notched a doubledouble with 28 points and eight rebounds in North Alabama’s title matchup against Christian Brothers (Tenn.) University. Claiborne was designated as the Most Valuable Player of the event while teammate Bruce Adams garnered Gulf South All-Tournament Team accolades. The Lions, with Morris on the bench, entered

the NCAA South Regional in Lakeland, Fla., as the No. 4 seed. North Alabama outscored the University of Tampa (Fla.) 47-37 in the second half to claim a close triumph and advance past the first round for the initial time since 2008. Former Northeast guard Tyler Pritchard started and Adams dropped in a team-high 21 points, but the Lions could not overcome Tuskegee (Ala.) University in their second round game and were eliminated from the tournament. After the conclusion of the season, Claiborne was chosen to participate in the 2014 Reese’s NCAA Division II All-Star Game in Evansville, Ind. at the Ford Center. He is one of only four players ever from North Alabama to compete in this event. Overall, North Alabama amassed a record of 101-70, or a winning percentage of 69, during Morris’ tenure at that institution. His primary responsibilities with the Lions included developing exercise routines, individual skill development, recruiting and to monitor the academic progress of their student-athletes. Morris lettered at Pikeville for three years and was named an Academic All-Mid-South Conference selection. Before his collegiate career began, he won three Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Ohio state championships for Dayton Salvation Army. In his spare time, Morris works a variety of basketball camps across the nation, including at the University of Dayton (Ohio), the University of Tennessee, Wright State (Ohio) University and Capital (Ohio) University. Morris’ background in community service is extensive. He organized a Red Cross blood drive while at North Alabama, volunteered at both the Salvation Army and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and spoken to junior high school students during Red Ribbon Week about the dangers involved with drugs and alcohol. A graduate of Springboro (Ohio) High School, Morris holds a Bachelor’s degree from Pikeville and a Master’s degree from North Alabama.

Northeast

Basketball

Athletic Trainer Hope Kingsley Hope Kingsley, a north Mississippi native begin her third year as Northeast Mississippi Community College’s athletic trainer during the 2014-15 academic year. Kingsley graduated from Nettleton High School in May 2009 and was a member of the Lady Tiger cheerleading squad and powerlifting team. She helped set the stage for Nettleton’s Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) powerlifting state championship just a year later. After her varsity career, Kingsley carried her talents to the University of Southern Mississippi. While in the Pine Belt, she helped their athletic training department with various sports including its successful football team. Before moving to Hattiesburg, Kingsley was awarded the Haskell Scholarship, which was named by Amory native and Hollywood veteran Sam Haskell for his mother and is given to a senior at each of the Monroe County high schools plus selected seniors at Amory High School. The Haskell Foundation chooses Haskell Scholarship recipients and awards are based upon student achievement, academics, activities and other criteria. Kingsley was also a part of the nurse mentorship academy at Nettleton that partnered with the North Mississippi Medical Center to train certified nursing assistants (CNAs).

Hope Kingsley She extended her high academic standards at Southern Mississippi and finished her degree in three years including all prerequisite work while splitting time with the Golden Eagle sports program along with Oak Grove High School’s teams. Kingsley graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training in May 2012. At Southern Mississippi, Kingsley was a member of various clubs and organizations including Eagles for Life, the Legacy and the Student Sports Medicine Association. Even after graduation, Kingsley was instrumental in helping high school athletes by serving as one of the athletic trainers for the youth football camps at Southern Mississippi.

Cheerleading Coach Karri Davis

Karri Davis returns for her third season as Northeast Mississippi Community College’s cheerleading coach at the start of the 2014-15 academic year. Davis’ vision for an expanded squad came to fruition this season. The Tigers boast a 14-member team for the first time since it dropped its co-ed status in 2010. Northeast returns five ladies from its last campaign on the sidelines, including Halie Carpenter (Leighton, Ala.), Lindsey Clark (Olive Branch), Lexie Gamble (New Site), Kayla Thomason (Olive Branch) and AnnaClar Wooley (Ingomar), and features nine newcomers. After taking over mid-year during the 2012-13 season, Davis looks forward to a full year with the cheerleading unit. 14

Davis came to Northeast as a seasoned veteran in athletics and the Booneville resident looks forward to expanding the talents of the young ladies under her direction. Prior to arriving in the City of Hospitality, Davis accumulated over 13 years of experience in the fields of higher education and state government. Davis brings not only a common sense approach to the Northeast cheerleading club but looks forward to applying her business background to fostering a learning environment between the squad members. She plans on making the cheerleading team more visible throughout Booneville and Northeast’s five-county service area. Davis is married to Tiger assistant football coach Greg Davis and the pair has two sons, Reed and Rece.

Karri Davis

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Basketball

Sports Information Director Blake Long

One of northeast Mississippi’s native sons has returned to the area to take over the role of Assistant Public Information Officer and Sports Information Director at Northeast Mississippi Community College. Blake Long, a native of Tishomingo County, accepted the position in August 2013 – taking over from M. Joseph Miller, who had held the title for the previous five years. Long is no stranger to the northeast Mississippi region or Northeast Mississippi Community College and graduated from the Booneville-based college in 2011 with an associate of arts degree with an area of concentration in communication…mainly journalism and other related programs. During his time at Northeast, Long was instrumental in helping to get the student newspaper, The Beacon, back in print and served as the periodical’s sports writer during his time in Booneville. When not writing for The Beacon, Long dedicated his time to the Northeast baseball team serving countless hours in the field house at Harold T. White Field at Booneville City Park as the team’s top-ranking manager. While Long was a member of The Beacon’s staff, he was awarded the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi’s (CPRAM) annual scholarship based on his writing capabilities and recommendations by current CPRAM members. Long parlayed his managerial skills with the Northeast baseball team on the four-year level where the Tishomingo County High School graduate served as a manager for the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) women’s softball program for two months.

Blake Long

During his time under Windy Thees at Ole Miss, Long had the pleasure of visiting almost every venue in the Southeastern Conference – with the exception of the University of Florida and University of Kentucky complexes – and clocked miles across the country with one of the top softball programs in the Magnolia State. Long earned his Bachelors of Arts in Journalism with an emphasis in print journalism and a minor in history while at Ole Miss and used his experience in the sports world to begin a stringer career for various local media outlets. One of Long’s main writing positions was a contributing sports writer role with the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo where the Northeast alum was able to gain valuable skills and expertise such as multi-tasking, meeting deadlines, teamwork and leadership attributes. During his time with the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal and its parent company Journal Inc., Long had the opportunity to cover a variety of sporting events throughout the

northeast Mississippi region from swimming to ice hockey to the Mississippi High School Activities Association’s (MHSAA) Bowling State Championships. While most of Long’s work featured mainly varsity athletes, Long ventured from the high school realm to aid the newspaper in its coverage of the local junior college sports scene as well. Long is a graduate of Tishomingo County High School where he starred on the baseball diamond for his father and long-time Brave baseball and softball coach Jerry Long. Under his father’s tutelage, Long helped lead the Braves baseball team to the MHSAA Class 4A North Half Championship Series against Vicksburg in the spring of 2008. When not working, Long enjoys the annual “Long Family Vacations” where the Tishomingo County native and his family visit various sporting icon arena such as the Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Long Family Vacations have also seen the TCHS graduate end up on the west coast and earned him one of his more prized stories – being able to interview former New Albany High School catcher Eli Whiteside as Whiteside and the San Francisco Giants made a push for a World Series Championship. In total, Long has visited all 48 continental states during the “Long Family Vacations.” Long and his wife Leslie, who was the starting catcher for the Northeast softball program from 2010-11, were married in June 2014 and are members of Maud Church of Christ.

“TIGERS”

Arnold Arnold

When Northeast was founded in 1948, Bonner Arnold served as physical education instructor, men’ basketball coach and athletic director. Arnold and legendary University of Kentucky Wildcat men’s basketball coach Adolph Rupp were friends and as a result of this friendship and the success of the Kentucky basketball program, Arnold wanted the school’s athletic teams to sport a similar nickname. “Fighting Tigers” was adopted as the school’s mascot. Later, the school’s athletic program grew to include men’s and women’s varsity sports. “Fighting” was dropped and the teams became known as the “Tigers” and “Lady Tigers.” 15

Northeast

Basketball

2014-15 Lady Tiger Basketball Team

#11 Alivia Hughes Freshman Guard Clinton

#12 Baylee Turner Freshman Guard Kossuth

#14 Ayana Ragin Sophomore Forward Baldwyn

#15 Daisha Williams Sophomore Guard Columbus

#20 Arianna Simms Freshman Guard Crestview, Fla.

#22 LaKeiya Lane Freshman Guard Southaven

#23 Harper Newell Freshman Guard Bolton

#24 Natasha Jones Freshman Guard Tishomingo

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Basketball

2014-15 Lady Tiger Basketball Team #30 Dashiyah Agnew Freshman Guard Booneville

#31 Anna Fryar Freshman Forward Dumas

#32 Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;lenchia Farmer Freshman Forward Derma

#33 Aushiana Ivy Sophomore Forward Tupelo

#35 Jasmine Allen Sophomore Guard Booneville

#45 Bridgejae Patterson Freshman Center Prattville, Ala.

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Basketball

Women’s Head Coach: Brian Alexander, Ph.D. (4th year - Mississippi State University) Women’s Assistant Coach: Edwond Eddings (1st year - Arkansas Tech University) Women’s Student Assistants: Kiki Gwyn, Khalil Patterson Statisticians: Bryson Ward, Seth Crocker, Sarah Grace Moore, Daniel Rowland President:

(10th year - Mississippi State University)

2014-15 Lady Tigers

Athletic Director:

Player

Ht.

Class

Pos.

Hometown

David Robbins

Alivia Hughes

5-7

Freshman

Guard

Clinton

(2nd year - Millsaps College)

Baylee Turner

5-6

Freshman

Guard

Corinth

Kossuth

Ayana Ragin

5-10

Sophomore

Forward

Baldwyn

Dr. Johnny L. Allen, Ed.D.

Assistant Athletic Director: Kent Farris (1st year - University of North Alabama)

High School

15 Daisha Williams 5-8 Sophomore Guard Columbus Columbus

Sports Information Director:

Arianna Simms

5-8

Freshman

Guard

Crestview, Fla.

Crestview

Blake Long

LaKeiya Lane

5-7

Freshman

Guard

Southaven

(2nd year - University of Mississippi)

Harper Newell

5-7

Freshman

Guard

Bolton

Clinton

Head Equipment Manager:

Natasha Jones

5-7

Freshman

Guard

Tishomingo

Belmont

Dashiyah Agnew

5-2

Freshman

Guard

Booneville

Anna Fryar

5-8

Freshman

Forward

Dumas

Pine Grove

Hope Barnes

V’lenchia Farmer

5-9

Freshman

Forward

Derma

Calhoun City

(3rd year - University of Southern Miss.)

Aushiana Ivy

5-10

Sophomore

Forward

Tupelo

Shannon

Student Trainer:

Jasmine Allen

5-8

Sophomore

Guard

Booneville

Bethany Elmore

Bridgejae Patterson

6-3

Freshman

Center

Prattville, Ala.

Matt Werner (2nd year - NEMCC) Athletic Trainer:

Booneville Prattville

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Basketball

Men’s Head Coach: Cord Wright (2nd year - Limestone College) Men’s Assistant Coach: Kyle Morris (1st year - University of Pikeville) Men’s Volunteer Coach: Derrick Bails (1st year - Univ. of Ark. at Little Rock) Men’s Managers: Dakota Jasch, Thomas Logan Agnew, Kendall Fisher Statisticians:

2014-15 Tigers Wt.

Class

Pos.

Hometown

Bryson Ward, Seth Crocker, Sarah Grace Moore, Daniel Rowland

Player

Ht.

High School

Al Azulphar

6-11 250 Sophomore

Center Norwalk, Conn. Brien McMahon

Tyre Mallard

6-4

183 Sophomore

Guard

Caledonia

Antonio Dodson

6-0

160

Guard

Olive Branch

Cannon Edwards

6-3

175 Sophomore

Guard

Petal

Desmin Harris

6-2

180

Freshman

Guard

Corinth

Chase Carroll

6-2

180

Freshman

Guard

Madison

Madison Central

Dimario Jackson

6-0

160 Sophomore

Guard

Brusly, La.

Brusly

Jack Nichols

6-3

175

Freshman

Guard

Booneville

Chris Ward

6-7

215

Freshman

Forward

Horn Lake

Raheem Sorrell

6-5

210

Freshman

Forward

Corinth

Dexter Stafford

6-4

190 Sophomore

Forward

Corinth

Biggersville

Chris Echols

6-0

183 Sophomore

Guard

Lamar

H.W. Byers

President: Dr. Johnny L. Allen, Ed.D. (10th year - Mississippi State University) Athletic Director:

Freshman

Caledonia Olive Branch

David Robbins (2nd year - Millsaps College) Assistant Athletic Director:

Petal

Kent Farris (1st year - University of North Alabama) Sports Information Director: Blake Long (2nd year - University of Mississippi) Head Equipment Manager: Matt Werner (3rd year - NEMCC) Athletic Trainer: Hope Barnes (3rd year - University of Southern Miss.) Student Trainer: Bethany Elmore 19

Northeast

Basketball

2014-15 Tiger Basketball Team

#0 Al Azulphar Sophomore Center Norwalk, Conn.

#1 Tyre Mallard Sophomore Guard Caledonia

#2 Antonio Dodson Freshman Guard Olive Branch

#3 Cannon Edwards Sophomore Guard Petal

#5 Desmin Harris Freshman Guard Corinth

#10 Chase Carroll Freshman Guard Madison

#11 Dimario Jackson Sophomore Guard Brusly, La.

#12 Jack Nichols Freshman Guard Booneville

Northeast

Basketball

2014-15 Tiger Basketball Team #21 Chris Ward Freshman Forward Horn Lake

#22 Raheem Sorrell Freshman Forward Corinth

#24 Dexter Stafford Sophomore Forward Corinth

#33 Chris Echols Sophomore Guard Lamar

Follow all Northeast athletics at nemccathletics.com

Northeast

Basketball

Home Sweet Home: Bonner Arnold Coliseum

Bonner Arnold Coliseum, home to the Lady Tiger and Tiger basketball team, underwent intensive changes during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 season with renovations completing in August 2009. Northeast invested nearly $1.5 million into renovation Bonner Arnold Coliseum that has seen its share of memorable events.

Northeast Mississippi Community College’s home for its men and women’s basketball teams underwent extensive changes prior to the 2009-10 season and former men’s basketball coach David Robbins’ Tiger team christened the newly-renovated Bonner Arnold Coliseum with a 91-87 win over Northwest-Shoals (Ala.) Community College on November 5, 2009. Bonner Arnold Coliseum, home to both the Lady Tiger and Tiger basketball teams, underwent intensive changes during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 season with renovations completing in August 2009. Northeast invested nearly $1.5 million into renovation Bonner Arnold Coliseum that has seen its share of memorable events. During the 1999-2000 season the Lady Tigers and Tigers re-established Bonner Arnold Coliseum as one of the toughest basketball venues among Mississippi’s community/junior colleges by claiming both the women and men’s North Division titles for the first time since the end of the 1992-93 season. The two teams finished the 1999-2000 campaign with a combined record of 27-4. The Tigers went on the capture the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Col22

leges (MACJC) State Championship in front of the home crowd as they did in 1994. The Lady Tigers won back-to-back-to-back North Division crowns during the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons while posting a 28-4 mark in the legendary building. Built in part by the Northeast Mississippi

Junior College Trades Training group, Bonner Arnold Coliseum opened its doors in 1951. During the three previous years, the Lady Tigers and Tigers played their home games at the old Booneville High School gymnasium. From November 1988 to February 1990,

Northeast

Basketball

the Tigers put together a 29-game home winning streak at Bonner Arnold Coliseum, which included a National Junior Colleges Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 Tournament championship in March of 1989. Hinds Community College snapped the streak in the 1990 State Championship game. In the early 1970s, Bonner Arnold Coliseum was completely renovated. The most significant addition during that renovation was twelve air conditioning units. In 1988, 1,000 chair back seats were installed on the east side of Bonner Arnold Coliseum that were the original box seats at the University of Mississippi’s Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Bonner Arnold Coliseum’s most recent updates include the repair and renovation of the men and women’s dressing rooms along with the painting of interior and exterior trim. A new roof was installed on the building to go along with a repair to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Bonner Arnold Coliseum’s exterior also got a facelift with tuckpointing and repair to mortar joints in the brickwork. Fans will also notice two changes to the coliseum’s inside. Both sides of the gymnasium have been equipped with padded chair-back seating donated by the University of Mississippi. The floor of Bonner Arnold Coliseum was also updated with repair to the hardwood and the playing surface was completely refinished with a new paint job. When set up for basketball, BAC will accommodate 1,000 spectators on each side of the floor and 600 in the pullout bleachers traditionally set up on the north end. The south end will seat 400 in folding chairs, bringing capacity to 3,000. Although the three-court facility was designed primarily for basketball, Bonner Arnold Coliseum is used for commencement exercises, assemblies, concerts and the District 4 Science Fair.

Northeast

Basketball

2014-15 Cheerleaders

Northeastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2014-15 cheerleading squad boasted 14 members for the first time since the squad dropped from co-ed status four years ago. Individuals of the 14-person squad included (front row, l-r) Lexie Gamble of Booneville, Lindsey Clark of Olive Branch, Halie Carpenter of Leighton, Ala., Kayla Thomason of Olive Branch, AnnaClar Wooley of New Albany, Shelbi Barnes of Kossuth along with (back row, l-r) Tatum Emmons of Booneville, Yasmin Young of Tupelo, Carli Bullard of Booneville, Ryleigh Follin of Kossuth, Kameron Talley of Iuka, Sadie Johnson of Corinth, Hannah Knight of Corinth and Alyssa Trulove of Kossuth.

Shelbi Barnes Freshman Kossuth HS Kossuth

Carli Bullard Freshman Booneville HS Booneville

Halie Carpenter Sophomore Colbert Co. HS Leighton, Ala.

Lindsey Clark Sophomore Olive Branch HS Olive Branch

Tatum Emmon Sophomore Thrasher HS Booneville

Ryleigh Follin Freshman Kossuth HS Kossuth

Lexie Gamble Sophomore New Site HS Booneville

Sadie Johnson Sophomore Corinth HS Corinth

Hannah Knight Freshman Tish. County HS Corinth

Kameron Talley Freshman Tish. County HS Iuka

Kayla Thomason Sophomore Center Hill HS Olive Branch

Ayssa Trulove Freshman Kossuth HS Kossuth

Anna-Clar Wooley Sophomore Ingomar HS Ingomar

Yasmin Young Freshman Tupelo HS Tupelo

Northeast

Basketball

Social media

For fans that cannot make it to the games in Booneville or away contests, Northeast athletics and individual teams have made it easier for family, friends and fans to keep up with their favorite sport via various social media accounts.

Twitter:

@NEMCCTigers - General athletic news & live game updates for all nine intercollegiate athletic programs from SID Blake Long. Interact by using the hashtags #TigerPower and #NEMCC @NETigerFootball - Tiger football team @NEMCCBaseball - Tiger baseball team @NETigerSB - Tiger softball team @NEMCCGolf - Tiger golf team @NEMCCcheer - Tiger cheerleading squad

Facebook:

For updates on each of Northeastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s athletic programs, including links to videos and news stories, like the Tigers at www. facebook.com/NEMCCTigers Fans can also follow the Tiger softball team at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Northeast-Mississippi-CommunityCollege-Softball-Team

General Information:

As a reminder, general information about the college can be found at the Northeast website at http://www.nemcc.edu

Athletic News:

Athletic news will be posted at http://www.nemccathletics.com

Videos:

For those wishing for those wishing to view videos highlights of Northeast athletics, videos can be found at http://www. youtube.com/nemcctigers while news articles can be found at http://www.youtube.com/nemcctv You can also find short behind-the-scenes and game day videos on Vine by searching and following NEMCCTigers

Photos:

Small snippet photos can be found via Instagram at @nemcctigers or at the web address http://www.instagram.com/ nemcctigers Photos from athletic and campus events from staff photographer Michael H. Miller can be found on the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SmugMug site at http://nemcctigers.smugmug.com 25

Northeast

Basketball

All-Americans

Throughout the history of Northeast Mississippi Community College, superior athletes have been named to the All-American team, the highest honor bestowed upon any player. National Junior College Athletic Association All-American recipients of this honor are chosen by the 23 regional directors of the national organization. Other All-American honors are chosen by their respective organization and are evaluated at the national level as well. Student-athletes selected for the All-American team, second team and honorable mention are made only after careful evaluation of the hundreds of nominations which are submitted by community/junior college coaches from across the country. We are proud to salute those who brought honor to themselves as young men and women and to Northeast Mississippi Community College for the time to come.

Baseball 2008 Chase Porch Designated Hitter Third Team East Union

Fast-Pitch Softball 2001 Lori Wilson First Base 1st Team NJCAA All-American Blue Mountain 2001 Lori Wilson First Base 2nd Team NFCA All-American Blue Mountain 2001 Lindsey D. Thompson Catcher 2nd Team NFCA All-America Mooreville 2001 Lindsey D. Thompson Catcher Honorable Mention NJCAA All-American Mooreville 2002 Jessica Spain Shortstop First Team All-American NFCA Louisville Slugger Booneville 2002 Jessica Spain Shortstop Honorable Mention NJCAA All-American Booneville 2002 Tanya Gordon Outfield 2nd Team NFCA All-American New Albany 2002 Katie Moore 2nd Team NFCA All-American Booneville

2002 Lauren Chunn Pitcher Honorable Mention NFCA All-American New Albany

2004 Paige Wright Shortstop First Team NFCA All-American Southaven

2002 Amy Whitley Outfield Honorable Mention NFCA All-American New Site

2005 Paige Wright Shortstop 3rd Team NJCAA All-American Southaven

2003 Brandi Vondenstein Third Base 1st Team NFCA All-American Rayne, La.

2005 Torie Malone Catcher 2nd Team NFCA All-American Hernando

2003 Brandi Vondenstein Third Base Honorable Mention NJCAA All-American Rayne, La.

2005 Amber Hass First Base 2nd Team NFCA All-American Hamilton

2003 Jocelyn McGolrick Pitcher 2nd Team NFCA All-America Richmond, BC, Canada

2007 Shanika Randle Outfielder NFCA All-American Houston 2008 Callie Weaver Shortstop 2nd Team NFCA All-American Houston

2003 Charity Graham Outfielder 2nd Team NFCA All-American Mantachie

2013 Andrea Cutts Utility 2nd Team NJCAA All-American Ackerman

2004 Josie Lindgrin Pitcher 1st Team NFCA All-American Vancouver, BC, Canada

Football

2004 Josie Lindgrin Pitcher Honorable Mention NJCAA All-American Vancouver, BC, Canada

1956 Jerry King Running Back All-American Chattanooga, Tenn

2004 Staranna Fraizer Outfielder Second Team NFCA All-American New Albany 2004 Staranna Fraizer Outfielder Honorable Mention NJCAA All-American New Albany

1969 Johnny Buskirk Quarterback Honorable Mention New Albany

1969 Donnie Clayton Tight End Honorable Mention Ripley

Northeast

1977 Larry Parker Running Back Honorable Mention Rogersville, Ala. 1977 Barry Todd Defensive Back Second Team Memphis, Tenn. 1979 Maury Hill Defensive Back Second Team Ripley 1980 Paul Rhodes Defensive Lineman Second Team Kossuth

1980 Anthony Norman Running Back Honorable Mention Morrow, Ga. 2010 Antonio Foster Offensive Lineman Honorabal Mention Valdosta, Ga. 2011 Deion Belue Defensive Back Honorable Mention Deshler, Ala. 2012 Jonathan Harrison Punter First-Team Belmont 2012 Lavon Hooks Defensive End Honorable Mention Atlanta, Ga.

Golf 1990 Craig Lauderdale All-American Booneville 2007 Chase Williams All-American Corinth

2010 Blake Hatfield All-American Booneville

Men's Basketball 1950 Gene Garrett Guard All-American LaCenter, Ky.

Basketball 1951 Ken Lindsey Forward All-American Booneville 1954 Charles “Doodle” Floyd Forward All-American Water Valley, Ky. 1956 Adrian “Odie” Smith Guard All-American Kirksey, Ky. 1959 Vincent Del Negro Forward All-American Springfield, Mass. 1968 Gaylon Baird Forward All-American Myrtle 1982 Maurice Stafford Forward Honorable Mention Biggersville 1984 Anthony Anderson Guard Second Team New Albany 1989 Anthony Gamble Forward All-American Booneville 1989 Clay Johnson Guard All-American Booneville 1995 Dontae Jones Forward All-American Nashville, Tenn. 1998 Tim Cole Guard All-American Memphis, Tenn. 2000 Eric Batchelor Forward All-American Memphis, Tenn. 2002 Qyntel Woods Forward All-American Memphis, Tenn.

Slow-Pitch Softball 2000 Stephanie Stubblefield Infielder All-American Ecru

Women’s Basketball 1986 Jackie Perry Forward All-American Jackson, Tenn. 1986 Kunshinge Sorrell Point Guard All-American Booneville 1987 Sherry Slayton Forward All-American Belmont 1987 Phyllis Stafford Center All-American Biggersville 1988 Evelyn Thompson Forward All-American LaGrange, Ga. 1998 Tiffany Sitton Forward All-American Glen 2001 Tamica Pierce Forward All-American Decatur, Ga. 2004 Marqueciqa Thomas Forward All-American Jackson 2006 Jessica Hooker Forward All-American Brownsville, Tenn. 2006 Krystal Robinson Forward All-American Covington, Tenn.

Northeast

Basketball

Retired Jerseys

Northeast athletic department officials have announced the retirement of nine jerseys worn by former Tiger athletes who played or are currently playing on the professional level.

David “Nub” Strickland (‘55) Holly Springs Denver Broncos (NFL)

Adrian Smith (‘56) Kirksey, KY Cincinnati Royals (NBA)

Mike Williams (‘81) Atmore, AL Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)

Jackie Perry (‘86) Jackson, TN Int’l Women’s Basketball League

Jerome Woods (‘93) Memphis, TN Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)

Mitch McNeely (‘94) New Albany Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)

Dontae Jones (‘95) Nashville, TN New York Knicks (NBA)

Michael Boireau (‘98) North Miami, FL Minnesota Vikings (NFL)

Qyntel Woods (‘02) Memphis, TN Portland Trailblazers (NBA)

Go, Fight, Win “Go --- Tigers, We’re behind you. Fight --- till the battle’s over. Win --- for --- the pride of Northeast Gain the Victory! Go!......................... Fight!..................... Win!....................... N.E.M.C.C. Lyrics by former Northeast director of bands and ‘74 alumnus Ricky Bishop. Sung to the tune of “The Victors,” (L.Elbel) the University of Michigan fight song. 28

Boa-Viagem, Portugal

Northeast

Basketball

Athletics bring hope, excitement in 2013-14

Supporters of Northeast Mississippi Community College’s nine intercollegiate sports programs once again had plenty of reasons to cheer for the Lady Tigers and Tigers during the institution’s 65th year of athletic competition. Northeast recorded yet another successful overall campaign that featured two Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division runner-up finishes, five teams seeing action in the postseason and a number of fantastic victories in a span of 10 months. The Tiger baseball squad made history once again in 2014 by hosting the MACJC State Tournament for the first time in its current format. East Central Community College, Hinds Community College and then-top ranked Jones County Junior College ventured to the City of Hospitality for a great weekend of action on the diamond. Approximately 1,250 fans packed Harold T. White Field over a three-day period that featured seven games. Three of the teams that qualified for the event either appeared in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) countrywide poll or were receiving votes. Northeast, which rose as high as No. 19 in the NJCAA’s rankings during the regular season, finished with a 27-20 record. The Tigers also swept rival Itawamba Community College in its annual four-game series. Six members of the 2014 baseball squad were selected for postseason honors. Trent Turner led the group with NJCAA All-Region 23 recognition while Luke Stanley, Heath Wood, Riley Alef, Easton Hall and Evan Hickman each earned a spot on the MACJC All-State team. Turner, who hails from Brandon, placed himself among the best in the country and state in multiple offensive categories. He was tops in the NJCAA with nine sacrifice flies, 12th in slugging percentage (.701) and 23rd in batting average (.423). Wood concluded his career at Northeast with 100 hits and 100 runs scored. The Kossuth High School product made perhaps the most memorable play of the year as well when he climbed the left field wall and robbed Itawamba of a two-run homer to propel the Tigers to a sweep of the Indians in Booneville. New Albany’s Alef developed into one of the best catchers in the entire country as a sophomore. He caught 21 men attempting to steal, more than any other athlete in the Magnolia State and third most in the NJCAA, and held an even 50 percent success rate of nailing runners from behind the plate. Hickman was the most reliable arm out of Northeast’s bullpen with a 1.74 earned run average (ERA) in 20.2 innings of work. The Marshall Academy graduate accumulated eight saves, which was ninth best in the nation, in nine opportunities and compiled a perfect 4-0 record. Eighth-year head coach Kent Farris also etched his name into the Northeast record books after garnering his 200th victory in a Tiger uniform on May 2 in a 9-8 decision against Pearl River Community College in the MACJC State Playoffs. Jody Long’s softball program made its fourth consecutive playoff appearance and the 12th trip in the 13-year history of the fast-pitch program during the 2014 campaign. Under a new format that featured a two out of three series to start the postseason, the Tigers traveled to eventual national runner-up Jones County in the opening round and made their mark before falling to the Bobcats. Yasmeen Cooper (Houston) blasted a solo home run just to the side of the scoreboard in left field while Bianca Chagolla (Riverside, Calif.) collected the 100th hit of her illustrious career with a RBI double in the second contest of the series. Northeast also upset then nationally ranked Itawamba in Fulton on March 31 behind a brilliant performance in the circle from Alcorn Central High School alumnus Chelsea Buntin and a game winning RBI single by Houston’s Avery Springer in the seventh inning. The Tigers earned weekly conference honors five times this year. Bre Agnew (Booneville) claimed MACJC Player of the Week designation after smashing three home runs in one game versus Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) Community College on March 8 in the Cardinal Spring Fling. Buntin and Chagolla both received MACJC Pitcher of the Week accolades twice throughout the season. The duo also tossed one no-hitter apiece during the campaign as well. Buntin conceded only one base runner on a fielding error and struck out four in a run-rule triumph over MACJC North Division foe Coahoma Community College while Chagolla kept Jackson State (Tenn.) Community College out of rhythm with an even seven groundouts and seven flyouts to complete the no-hitter in her final pitching performance ever at David Carnell Memorial Field. Six Tigers garnered postseason awards, topped by a pair of MACJC All-State selections in Buntin and Chagolla. Buntin was also named the MACJC North Division Most Valuable Player while Trenisha King, Whittney Gee, Agnew, Chagolla and Cooper each achieved MACJC All-North Division status. Northeast improved on the tennis courts under the tutelage of Ben Shappley and advanced multiple men and women to the second round of the 2014 MACJC State Tournament at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. In singles action, No. 5 Wesley Tye downed Connor Wilson of Holmes Community College 6-1, 6-4 while No. 6 Noah Wright bested Hinds representative Melvin McNair 6-3, 6-1. The two Booneville natives earned a first round bye in No. 3 doubles competition as well. Top seeded doubles players Micah Page and Wesley Brandon, both of Belmont, defeated Juan Miranda and Daniel Giles of East Central 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. On the women’s side, the No. 2 doubles team of Haley Brown (Iuka) and Erica Whitten (Booneville) edged past the Holmes pair of Jennifer Rule and Katherine Wood 6-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-4. Nikki Baird (Houston) and Lindsey Clark (Olive Branch) also narrowly triumphed over Lauren Peterson and Kristine Jenkins of East Central 3-6, 6-6 (7-2), 7-5. Headman Nick Coln and the Northeast golf program came close to advancing to the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament after a strong opening afternoon on the links at the 2014

MACJC State Tournament at Pine Burr Country Club in Wiggins. The Tigers were in a tie with East Central for sixth place following day one of the event, but a strong push by Jones County on the second morning pushed Northeast to eighth place. Chase Little carded a two-day total of 15-over-par 159 to tie for 26th place individually while another Corinth standout in Blake Farris followed close behind at 74-87-161. Northeast’s football club claimed the runner-up position in the MACJC North Division for the seventh time in school history and the third occasion in four years during the 2013 campaign. The Tigers carried a 4-5 overall record, but all five losses came to opponents ranked by the NJCAA at some point. Northeast was 4-2 in the MACJC North Division, which included back-to-back victories against Holmes and Northwest Mississippi Community College. A pair of freshmen in Jamel Dennis (Oxford) and Marcus Robinson (Memphis, Tenn.) paced Ricky Smither’s Tigers on defense with a combined 160 tackles. Dennis tallied the seventh most tackles in the entire country at 96. Nettleton’s Corbin White was the lone Northeast gridiron star to earn MACJC Player of the Week honors. He ran for 161 yards on 13 carries and cut down the sidelines for a 63-yard touchdown in a 30-9 victory by the Tigers against Mississippi Delta Community College in the season finale. Eight men were named MACJC All-North Division for their part in the historical campaign. Kortilous Ellis (Charleston) and Mitchell Cunningham (Ecru) received first-team status while Chris Cooper (Madison), Dequinten Spraggins (West Point), Khalil Stinson (College Park, Ga.), Daniel Ross (Louisville, Ky.), Dennis and Robinson each grabbed second-team recognition. Twelve Tigers signed scholarships to continue their careers at four-year schools. They include Martice Buckley (Missouri Southern State), Ellis (Arkansas Tech), Miguel Graham (Northwestern State), Parrish Huddleston (UAB), Nick Johnson (North Alabama), Gregdrecus Leland (West Alabama), Jeremy Liggins (Ole Miss), Razean Prather (Missouri Southern State), Jerrard Randall (Arizona), Spraggins (Murray State), Jaquille White (UT Martin) and Romia Wilson (Bethune-Cookman). Northeast’s tradition-rich basketball programs compiled a number of thrilling wins and moments during the 2013-14 season. The Lady Tigers with coach Brian Alexander at the helm snapped a 10-game winning streak by Wallace State (Ala.) Community College at Hanceville with a 61-56 triumph inside Bonner Arnold Coliseum on January 9. The Tigers delivered first-year headman Cord Wright’s first MACJC North Division victory in exciting fashion. Northeast scored the final five points of overtime, four of them from center Al Azulphar (Norwalk, Conn.), to claim a 90-89 battle with Mississippi Delta. Both squads had a positive ending to the campaign after sweeping Holmes on sophomore night. Hometown product Keldrick Lesley of Booneville scored a career-high 19 points to help the Tigers down the Bulldogs 68-67 while Antionette Riddle added 24 points to the Lady Tigers’ 83-77 victory. Belmont’s Angelia Allen, who averaged a double-double from November 18-24, and Aushiana Ivy, who tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds against Columbia State (Tenn.) Community College on November 25, both earned MACJC Player of the Week on the women’s side while Azulphar blocked 12 shots in a two-game stretch from November 18-24 to pick up the league honor as well. Riddle reached double figures in 18 matchups in a row to conclude the year and was named to the MACJC All-State team alongside fellow Tupelo native Ivy. Riddle, who signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) with Delta State University, compiled a total of 596 points in two seasons at Northeast. Dimario Jackson (Brusly, La.), who topped the Tigers with 15.2 points per game and a field goal percentage of 41.5 as a freshman, also collected MACJC All-State prestige. Karri Davis entered her second year as coach of the cheerleading squad, which continued to provide constant support for the Northeast football and basketball programs. From pep rallies on Thursday afternoons in the fall to the final whistle inside legendary Bonner Arnold Coliseum, Northeast’s cheerleaders were on duty to encourage the home crowds to cheer on the Lady Tigers and Tigers. Seventeen student-athletes received academic honors from either the MACJC or NJCAA for their efforts in the classroom during the 2013-14 school year. Booneville’s Allie Downs, who was one of only five women’s tennis players in the nation to hold a flawless 4.0 grade point average (GPA), led the group while nine others notched NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Awards as well. In addition, six of Northeast’s eight sports that are sanctioned by the NJCAA garnered recognition as an All-Academic Team for maintaining a GPA above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Northeast

Basketball

Mississippi Community & Junior Colleges COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (CLARKSDALE) COUNTIES SERVED: Coahoma, Sunflower, Bolivar, Quitman FOUNDED: 1949 PRESIDENT: Dr. Valmadge Towner COLORS: Maroon & White MASCOT: Tiger

COPIAH-LINCOLN COMMUNITY COLLEGE (WESSON) COUNTIES SERVED: Copiah, Jefferson, Franklink, Lincoln, Simpson, Adams, Lawrence FOUNDED: 1928 PRESIDENT: Dr. Ronnie Nettles COLORS: Royal Blue & Gray MASCOT: Wolf

EAST CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE (DECATUR) COUNTIES SERVED: Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott, Winston FOUNDED: 1928 PRESIDENT: Dr. Billy W. Stewart COLORS: Black & Old Gold MASCOT: Warrior

EAST MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE (SCOOBA) COUNTIES SERVED: Lauderdale, Clay, Kemper, Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Noxubee FOUNDED: 1927 PRESIDENT: Dr. Rick Young COLORS: Red & Black MASCOT: Lion

HINDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE (RAYMOND) COUNTIES SERVED: Hinds, Rankin, Warren, Claiborne FOUNDED: 1917 PRESIDENT: Dr. Clyde Muse COLORS: Maroon & White MASCOT: Eagle-Football; Bulldog-Basketball

HOLMES COMMUNITY COLLEGE (GOODMAN) COUNTIES SERVED: Attala, Grenada, Holmes, Yazoo, Madison, Choctaw, Webster, Carroll, Montgomery FOUNDED: 1925 PRESIDENT: Dr. David Cole (Interim) COLORS: Cardinal, Black & White MASCOT: Bulldog

ITAWAMBA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (FULTON) COUNTIES SERVED: Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc FOUNDED: 1948 PRESIDENT: Mike Eaton COLORS: Blue, Red & White MASCOT: Indian

JONES COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE (ELLISVILLE) COUNTIES SERVED: Clarke, Covington, Greene, Jasper, Jones, Perry, Smith Wayne FOUNDED: 1911 PRESIDENT: Dr. Jesse Smith COLORS: Cardinal & Gold MASCOT: Bobcat

MERIDIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE (MERIDIAN) COUNTIES SERVED: Lauderdale FOUNDED: 1937 PRESIDENT: Dr. Scott D. Elliott COLORS: Green & White MASCOT: Eagle

MISSISSIPPI DELTA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (MOORHEAD) COUNTIES SERVED: Washington, Sunflower, Bolivar, Humphries, Leflore, Sharkey, Issaquena, Coahoma FOUNDED: 1926 PRESIDENT: Dr. Larry Nabors COLORS: Black & Red MASCOT: Trojan

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE (PERKINSTON) COUNTIES SERVED: George, Jackson, Harrison, Stone FOUNDED: 1911 PRESIDENT: Dr. Mary S. Graham COLORS: Blue & Gold MASCOT: Bulldog

NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE (BOONEVILLE) COUNTIES SERVED: Alcorn, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union FOUNDED: 1948 PRESIDENT: Dr. Johnny L. Allen COLORS: Black & Gold MASCOT: Tiger

NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE (SENATOBIA) COUNTIES SERVED: Lafayette, DeSoto, Tate, Tunica, Yalobusha, Marshall, Benton, Panola, Quitman, Calhoun, Tallahatchie FOUNDED: 1927 PRESIDENT: Dr. Gary Lee Spears COLORS: Cardinal & Navy MASCOT: Ranger

PEARL RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE (POPLARVILLE) COUNTIES SERVED: Pearl River, Forrest, Lamar, Jefferson Davis, Marion, Hancock FOUNDED: 1908 (Ag. HS); 1924 ( Jr. College) PRESIDENT: Dr. William Lewis COLORS: Maroon & Gold MASCOT: Wildcat

SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE (SUMMIT) COUNTIES SERVED: Amite, Pike, Walthall, Wilkinson FOUNDED: 1929 PRESIDENT: Dr. J. Steven Bishop COLORS: Royal Blue & Cardinal MASCOT: Bear

Northeast

Basketball

Distances from Northeast

(101 Cunningham Boulevard, Booneville, Miss., 38829)

to other community colleges in the Magnolia State

Northwest School

City

Mileage Coahoma

North Div. Itawamba

Fulton

Northwest

Senatobia

101

East Miss.

Scooba

137

Coahoma

Clarksdale

146

Holmes

Goodman

172

Miss. Delta

Moorhead

178

Itawamba

Miss. Delta

South Div. Meridian

Meridian

179

East Central

Decatur

184

Hinds

Raymond

232

Jones Co.

Ellisville

240

Co-Lin

Wesson

275

Pearl River

Poplarville

301

Southwest

Summit

304

Gulf Coast

Perkinston

305

East Miss.

Holmes East Central Hinds

Meridian

Copiah-Lincoln Jones County Southwest Pearl River Gulf Coast

Northeast

Basketball

NE welcomes five into Sports Hall of Fame

Northeast Mississippi Community College has selected its seventh class of honorees to be enshrined into

its Sports Hall of Fame

Gaylon Baird, Ned Davis, Jerry Long, Brenda Mayes and Chase Porch were inducted during a ceremony

in the Claude Wright Room of the Haney Union at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 28.

These five standouts were recognized before the 3 p.m. kickoff of the Tigers’ homecoming football game

versus Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division foe Coahoma Community College.

This group of men and women together account for two National Junior College Athletic Association

(NJCAA) All-American awards, four MACJC All-State selections and multiple postseason appearances in their respective sports

Corinth following its final scheduled contest. The Tigers battled the Bulldogs to a 20-20 tie in their first-ever postseason appearance.

Doug Hamley took the reigns of the team in 1950 and led Northeast to a 6-2-2 record. Davis guided the

Tigers to a 2-1-2 mark in their final five contests with nice wins over Pearl River Junior College and Sunflower Junior College.

Davis was also a member of the 1949-50 men’s basketball squad that won the National Junior College

Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 7 championship in Lake Charles, La., and finished as the runner-up to City College of Los Angeles (Calif.) in the national championship tilt.

He was named Mr. Northeast Mississippi Junior College for the 1951 graduating class and later served

our country in the United States Army.

Gaylon Baird

(Men’s Basketball, 1967-68, 1968-69)

Gaylon Baird used his tall and athletic body frame to outwork his opposition and secure immediate at

Jerry Long

(Baseball, 1977)

Jerry Long continued a stellar baseball career when he arrived on the campus of then-Northeast Missis-

then-Northeast Mississippi Junior College.

sippi Junior College after transferring from Delta State University.

ber Kenneth Lindsey as a freshman and quickly earned a permanent spot in the starting lineup.

paign of 1977. He paced the Tigers with eight home runs, 35 RBIs, 40 hits and a solid .500 batting average.

The 6-6 center thrived under the direction of legendary coach and Northeast Sports Hall of Fame memBaird led the Tigers to a 19-7 record during the 1967-68

Long led coach William Southward’s club in numerous statistical categories during his sophomore camHe was voted by his teammates as Northeast’s Most

campaign, which included victories over both the Mississippi

Valuable Player and also received Mississippi Junior College

State University and University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) fresh-

Conference All-State status for his efforts with the Tigers.

men squads.

Long, who won back-to-back state championships at

Northeast scored 80 or more points in 18 contests that year

Iuka High School as well from 1973-74, signed a scholarship

the century line on four occasions as well in a pair of triumphs

son with the Tigers. He became a two-year starter at shortstop

and recorded a 16-2 mark in those matchups. The Tigers crossed

with the University of North Alabama following his lone sea-

versus Northwest Alabama Junior College and wins against

and in the outfield for the Lions and coach Mike Galloway.

Itawamba Junior College and Copiah-Lincoln Junior College.

He compiled a .302 batting average with 10 home runs,

The West Union High School graduate led Northeast to

10 stolen bases and 25 RBIs as a senior at North Alabama. His

victories in nine of its final 10 regular season outings. Baird and

long ball total was the second best in the rugged Gulf South

the Tigers used that momentum to capture the second state

Conference.

championship in program history.

Long became the first athlete in program history to be

Baird was tabbed as the sixth NJCAA All-American

named the GSC Player of the Week on April 19, 1980 when

from Northeast after totaling an incredible 726 points during

he helped the Lions defeat top ranked Birmingham Southern

his inaugural campaign in the City of Hospitality. He averaged

(Ala.) College with a pair of home runs.

a double-double with 28 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.

He completed tryout sessions with the Cincinnati Reds

He was named to both the Mississippi Junior College

and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) be-

Conference All-State and NJCAA All-Region 7 teams for a

fore returning to his hometown to serve as the baseball coach

second straight year in 1968-69. Baird tallied 25 points and 13

at Iuka High School.

rebounds each contest as a sophomore.

Long won over 200 ballgames and played for a state

Baird also earned the prestigious Tiger Award, which

championship three times within a period of seven years. He

is given to a student-athlete that represents Northeast with a

positive attitude on-and-off the field or court and is actively

was selected as the statewide Coach of the Year by The Clari-

on-Ledger after directing the 1989 edition of the Chieftains to

involved in school functions and organizations.

the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 2A title.

season. The Rebels compiled a 21-30 record with headman Cob Jarvis at the helm during Baird’s pair of

consolidation in 1991. Long’s squads have played for multiple MHSAA Class 4A North Half crowns during

The Myrtle native signed a scholarship with Ole Miss and joined its basketball squad for the 1969-70

campaigns in Oxford.

Ole Miss notched its highest scoring average in program history at 90.8 points and its second best free

throw percentage ever at 75.2 during Baird’s senior year.

Baird became a notable coach once his time with the Rebels was complete. He was a two-time Chickasaw

Conference Coach of the Year while at Horn Lake High School from 1974-79. Nathan “Ned” Davis

(Football, 1949, 1950; Men’s Basketball 1949-50)

Nathan “Ned” Davis helped set the foundation of the Northeast Mississippi Community College football

program by providing unparalleled leadership in its initial two seasons.

The West Memphis, Ark., product was selected as the first team captain for the Tigers as a sophomore

during the 1950 campaign. Northeast won its second straight Mississippi Valley Conference championship

He became the head baseball and slowpitch softball coach at Tishomingo County High School after

his tenure with the Braves.

Long is one of only a handful of coaches in the Magnolia State to win over 1,000 games during his 30-

year career. He reached the milestone on September 22, 2011 with an extra inning victory over Amory High School on the slowpitch softball diamond.

Over 40 of his baseball players have received collegiate scholarships, including former Northeast stand-

outs Blake Holley, Ricky Lambert, Wes Dotson and Seth Kennedy.

Long was a 2006 inductee into the Crossroads Diamond Club Hall of Fame and a 2013 honoree for the

Northeast Mississippi Coaches Association for Better Baseball (NEMCABB) Hall of Fame. Brenda Mayes

(Women’s Basketball, 1981-82; 1982-83; Softball 1982, 1983)

Brenda Mayes started the process of transforming the Northeast Mississippi Community College wom-

that year with Davis as its on-field leader.

en’s basketball program into a national powerhouse.

Martin (Tenn.) College (37-0) and Fulton Junior College (41-0) in 1949.

in chief of the Lady Tigers in 1981. Northeast produced a 14-11 record and qualified for the Mississippi Junior

Davis and the Tigers tied a school record with three shutouts versus Senatobia Junior College (34-0), Only two other Northeast squads have posted a trio of shutouts in one season, including Horace Mc-

Cool’s 1956 group that posted a program-best 10 victories.

The 6-2, 178-pound defensive end starred alongside future Tiger head coach and NJCAA Hall of Famer

W.B. “Bill” Ward during Northeast’s inaugural campaign. The Tigers went 5-5 under the tutelage of Woody Johnson during the regular season to claim the league crown.

Northeast accepted an invitation to participate in a playoff game against Union (Tenn.) University in

She was part of Northeast Sports Hall of Fame member Ricky Ford’s first recruiting class as commander

College Conference North Half Tournament in her initial season on the Booneville campus.

The Lady Tigers improved tremendously during the 1982-83 campaign with Mayes in the post. Northeast

compiled a 26-8 overall record and finished just short of claiming a state and regional championship.

She was selected to the MJCC All-State team for her efforts as the leading scorer and rebounder for a

Lady Tiger squad that averaged 74.2 points and 40.8 boards per contest, respectively.

The Biggersville High School alumnae averaged a double-double that year with 21 points and 10.5 re-

Northeast

Basketball

Sports Hall of Fame Inductees MACJC Sports Hall of Fame

Northeast Sports Hall of Fame 2008

David ‘Nub’ Strickland, Football W.B. “Bill” Ward, Football coach/Athletic Director Kenneth “Cat” Robbins, Basketball Coach Kenneth Lindsey, Men’s Basketball Chuck “Doodle” Floyd, Men’s Basketball Gene Garrett, Men’s Basketball Adrian Smith, Men’s Basketball Bonner Arnold, Basketball Coach/Athletic Director Harold T. White, Football/College President Earline “Woodsie” Woods, Supporter

2009

Harvey Childers, Men’s Basketball Coach Gerald Caveness, Men’s Basketball Clyde Jones, Men’s Basketball Larry Parker, Football Evelyn Thompson, Women’s Basketball

2010

Michael Grier, Football Kunshigne Sorrell Howard, Women’s Basketball Phyllis Stafford Dilworth, Women’s Basketball Jack Martin, Men’s Basketball David Carnell, Sr., Softball Coach/Athletic Director

2011

Ricky Ford, Women’s Basketball Coach/Athletic Dir.

Jim Drewry, Football Johnny Buskirk, Football Vincent Del Negro, Men’s Basketball Sherry Slayton, Women’s Basketball

2012

Audrey Covington, Women’s Basketball Benjamin Guy Gardner, Men’s Basketball Freddie Copeland, Men’s Basketball Bandi Vondenstein Dannelly, Softball Malcolm Kuykendall, Alumni

2014

Mike Lewis, Baseball, Men’s Basketball Coach

2013 David Carnell, Sr., Softball Coach/Athletic Director

2012 Ricky Ford, Women’s Basketball Coach/Athletic Dir.

2013

2011

Harry T. Cosby, Football

Kunshigne Sorrell Howard, Women’s Basketball

Ellis “Myrl” Crowe, Men’s Basketball, Baseball Mike Lewis, Baseball, Men’s Basketball Coach Larry “Jerry” Reno, Men’s Basketball Ray Scott, Baseball Coach

2010 David “Nub” Strickland, Football

2009 Harvey Childers, Men’s Basketball Coach

2008

2014

Kenneth Lindsey, Men’s Basketball

Gaylon Baird, Men’s Basketball

Harold T. White, Football/College President

Nathan ‘Ned’ Davis, Football, Men’s Basketball

2007

Jerry Long, Baseball

Adrian Smith, Men’s Basketball

Brenda Mayes, Women’s Basketball, Softball

Bonner Arnold, Basketball Coach/Athletic Director

Chase Porch, Baseball

W.B. “Bill” Ward, Football Coach/Athletic Director

bounds each outing. Mayes totaled an outstanding 697 points for the entire season.

munity College.

at Northeast. She flourished with the Lady Lions as well and connected on over 50 percent of her shot attempts

American. He accomplished the feat as a sophomore during the 2008 campaign at Northeast.

Mayes signed a scholarship with the University of North Alabama following her excellent pair of seasons

for 919 career points.

The Corinth native led North Alabama to its initial trip to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball

Tournament in 1984. One year later, Mayes and the Lady Lions claimed their inaugural Gulf South Conference (GSC) regular season and tournament titles and returned to the NCAA Tournament.

Mayes and teammate LaConger Cohran were the first ladies to be recognized as All-GSC for two straight

campaigns. She was also named to the 1985 NCAA South Region All-Tournament team and the Kodak NCAA Division II All-American lineup.

She was a founding member of the Northeast softball program as well and starred for two seasons under

the watch of coach Millard Lothenore. The Tigers, who played at the slowpitch level in the 1980s, compiled an 11-13 record in their opening campaign with victories over North Alabama and Blue Mountain College.

Porch is the lone Tiger to be selected as a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) AllThe Blue Springs native wielded a powerful stick and notched a team-high .431 batting average with 72 hits in 167 at bats. Porch also accounted for 10 home runs, 10 doubles, five triples and 48 RBIs. Porch guided the Tigers and coach Kent Farris to appearances in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State Tournament and the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament that year after wrapping up the regular season with a 32-17 record. Northeast also climbed its way into the national rankings with the help of Porch’s leadership and outstanding numbers. The Tigers were No. 9 in the NJCAA’s poll during the week of April 2, 2008. Porch signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to join the University of North Alabama’s baseball program following his lone season in the City of Hospitality. He instantly became a reliable force for legendary

Northeast’s 1983 edition that featured Mayes qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Associa-

headman Mike Lane and started in 45 of the Lions’ 46 contests as a junior.

Mayes was the recipient of the Tiger Award, which is given to a student-athlete that represents Northeast

.980 fielding percentage in 198 total chances.

tion (NJCAA) National Tournament in Cullman, Ala., with a 24-7 overall mark.

with a positive attitude on-and-off the field or court and is actively involved in school functions and organizations, for both softball and women’s basketball.

She has enjoyed a large amount of success as a coach at Muscle Shoals (Ala.) High School since graduat-

ing from North Alabama. Mayes won four Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) volleyball state crowns and qualified for the AHSAA Elite Eight in girls basketball.

Mayes has been tabbed as Coach of the Year in both sports that she currently instructs by The Times Daily

and in volleyball only by The Birmingham News, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association.

She is also a member of the North Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame and the Colbert County (Ala.) Sports

Hall of Fame.

He hit .327 with 53 hits, 46 runs scored and 43 RBIs for North Alabama and also registered an incredible Porch was named to both the All-Gulf South Conference and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region teams during his senior year. He was tabbed as the GSC East Division Player of the Week on March 16, 2010 as well. The East Union High School product signed a contract with the Pensacola Pelicans after graduating from North Alabama. Porch amassed a .286 batting average with 40 RBIs to earn the American Association’s Rookie of the Year award. He also inked deals with the Amarillo Sox and the Windy City Thunder in the American Association before retiring from professional baseball. Porch was a seven-year starter at East Union, where he was drafted out of by the Atlanta Braves in the 32nd round of the 2006 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft. He earned the Northeast

Chase Porch (Baseball, 2008)

Chase Porch’s name currently stands alone in the baseball history book at Northeast Mississippi Com-

Mississippi Coaches Association for Better Baseball (NEMCABB) Class 1A/2A Player of the Year that season as well.

Northeast

Basketball

Your One Source for Mississippi Junior College Scores, Statistics & News • • • • •

MACJC School News MACJC Team Rosters MACJC Sport Schedules MACJC Coaching Bios MACJC League Statistics

• • • • •

In-Game Score Updates Instantaneous Final Scores Post-Game Statistics Post-Game News Release Game of the Week Coverage

Log onto www.jucoweekly.org and join our Facebook page and view photos of your Tigers and Lady Tigers Coahoma • Copiah-Lincoln • East Central • East Mississippi • Hinds • Holmes Itawamba • Jones County • Mississippi Delta • Mississippi Gulf Coast • Northeast Mississippi Northwest Mississippi • Pearl River • Southwest Mississippi www.jucoweekly.org 34

Northeast

Basketball

Northeast

Basketball

2014-15 Schedule Preseason Jamborees

OCTOBER 5 Battle of the South Jamboree! TBA vs. South Georgia Technical, Chattahoochee Valley, Albany Technical 19 Scenic City Jamboree% TBA Hiwassee, Chattanooga State, Catawba Valley 21 Freed-Hardeman! TBA at Blue Mountain% TBA

Regular Season

NOVEMBER

Northeast Tipoff Classic

3 Southwest Mississippi 4 Baton Rouge 11 Mid-South# 13 at Baton Rouge 15 Martin Methodist JV$ 17 at Volunteer State 20 West Kentucky$ DECEMBER 2 Arkansas Baptist 4 East Mississippi* 8 at Miss. Delta* 12 Snead State 15 at Columbia State JANUARY 6 at Snead State 8 Jackson State# Ft. Benning$ 12 at Northwest* 15 Itawamba* 19 at Jackson State# 22 at Coahoma* 26 Holmes* 29 at East Mississippi* FEBRUARY 2 Mississippi Delta* 5 Northwest* 9 at Itawamba* 16 Coahoma* 19 at Holmes*

! Men Only Scrimmage

% Women Only Scrimmage

5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 2 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 5/7 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 6/8 p.m. 5:30/7:30 p.m. 6/8 p.m.

# Women Only Contest $ Men Only Contest

* North Division Game

Northeast Mississippi Community College