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Sunday EDITION

oxfordcitizen.com

Volume 2 | Issue 80

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Inside 5 News

Roberson discusses OHS Cares and the importance of loving your people

7 News

JOEY BRENT

Two inches of snow made the Lafayette County Courthouse a quiet place Friday morning.

Snow Day

Snow Day 2016 pictures

14 Sports

Caution pays off with few weather-related problems

BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN

Oxford and Lafayette County was relatively quiet outside of the sleds of children racing up and down the hills and parks Friday. As resi-

dents of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast dealt with record amounts of snow heavy winds and flooding along the coast, Oxford and other parts of North Mississippi dealt with two inches of the fluffy white stuff. It was just enough to

make a good snowman or two.

Some parts of North Mississippi avoided snow all together making Winter Storm Jonas a lot less impactful locally than in other southern states such as Tennessee,

North Carolina and Kentucky, which declared a state of emergency over the weekend.

Heavy rain pelted local streets on Thursday, causing many to wonder what kind of TURN TO SNOW PAGE 6

Defensive 'Dores: Back line, Hudgins set tone on field

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 2

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

Good Food for Oxford Schools hosts family cooking class

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

Good Food for Oxford Schools hosted a family cooking class at Della Davidson Elementary School’s cafeteria Thursday night. The event was the first of several the organization has planned for 2016.

Parents brought kids showed up and each family paid $10 to cover food costs. On the menu that night was simple and healthy guacamole and vegetarian chili.

Food Corps member Mary Elizabeth Smithson and Good Food For Oxford Schools intern Ansley Lance lead the cooking class. Smithson did most of the cooking and demonstrating while Lance assisted and instructed the three families that were participating in the class.

Everyone was provided with fresh vegetables, cutlery and a large pot that sat on an electric, portable eye.

For the guacamole, participants combined onion, chopped red

cilantro, sun-dried tomatoes and avocados into a bowl and then ground the ingredients together until it was at a satisfying consistency.

Smithson has been the program since the beginning of September and enjoys her job.

“I love it here,” Smithson said. “I went to Ole Miss and after I graduated, I worked with AmeriCorps in Jackson but I missed Oxford so I applied here and got in. I’m super excited to be working with this program and I love working with the kids on practical skills.”

The families ate the guacamole with tortilla chips and everyone seemed to enjoy it, especially the kids.

They next began sautéing onions in olive oil to begin the chili. Everyone then added tomatoes and a few types of beans to the mix along with tomato paste.

Once the chili had been brought to a boil and then allowed to simmer for a while, everyone scooped up bowlfuls and topped it

with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and began chowing down.

Lance is currently interning with Good Food for Oxford Schools as a part of her master’s degree in Health Promotion. She had to choose a local organization that was doing something that she herself would like to do be involved with upon graduation. She chose Good Food for Oxford Schools because she wants to help combat childhood obesity.

“We decided to go with vegetarian chili because most people know how to cook with meat but can sometimes feel intimidated when it comes to a vegetarian dish,” Lance said while rinsing off canned beans for the chili.

Rinsing them washes off some of the excess sodium.

“Also, the weather’s pretty nasty tonight so hot chili just sounded like a good idea.”

Natalie Lewellen is a music teacher at Oxford Elementary School and brought her daughter

CHANING GREEN

Siblings enjoy guacamole they made as a part of Good Food for Oxford Schools family cooking class.

Olivia to the cooking class.

Lewellen said that she is a big fan of what Good Food for Oxford Schools does in the community and wanted to experience some of their work firsthand.

“We wanted to come out and learn to cook something that would be easy for us and healthy and to just spend some time together,” Lewellen said.

“Good Food for Oxford Schools is just such a great

program and it benefits our schools and as a parent and a teacher, I get to see those benefits this program is bringing about.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

Healthy ingredients used to prepare the recipes made by the families participating in the class.

OXFORD CITIZEN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

PAGE 3

Rural Legal Services, law clinics celebrate anniversaries

BY ERROL CASTENS OXFORD CITIZEN

Founders and supporters of an agency that provides legal help for the poor joined with those of local law school clinics on Thursday to celebrate milestone anniversaries for both organizations.

Oxford-based North Mississippi Rural Legal Services (NMRLS), which serves residents of 39 counties, will complete its 50th year of work this year, while law clinics at the University of Mississippi School of Law mark their 25th year of service.

“There should be no reason that anyone should go to bed hungry, suffer abuse at the hands of an intimate partner, be treated discriminatorily because of physical disability, be forced to endure mistreatment (due to advanced age) or be homeless – all based upon the fact that they can’t afford an attorney,” said Harrison D. McIver III, a former NMRLS executive director and the event’s master of ceremonies.

“There are 254,000 in North Mississippi Rural Legal Services’ 39 counties who are eligible for legal services,” said McIver, who now heads Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc. “What would happen to a mother and child who are living in a violent home and need help to be safe? What would become of them if NMRLS ceases to exist?

“Take a moment and imagine if we did not strive to achieve justice for all.

‘All’ does not mean only for those who can afford it,” he

said. “Without justice, are we really a moral nation at all? NMRLS fights every day to give hope to those that feel hopeless and have lost faith in our system.

North Mississippi Rural Legal Services has contributed immensely to our system of justice for onehalf century.”

Ben Thomas Cole II, the current executive director at NMRLS, said it was especially poignant to be holding the observance at the Robert C. Khayat Law Center at Ole Miss.

“This is the genesis of North Mississippi Rural Legal Services. It started from the Ole Miss Law School,” he said. “Several of the professors saw the need to try develop a curriculum involving the legal problems of the poor. The idea was to incorporate the training that they received at the law school with the practical experience where they interacted with real clients, did legal research, wrote briefs and motions, and went to court with the law professors.”

In the middle of the country’s struggle over civil rights for black citizens, Cole said, “One of the things that became real clear was that legal aid to the poor was one of the most significant programs and actually provided people an opportunity to get to the courthouse if they had legal problems.

“They realized that most people are law-abiding citizens, and if they have a day in court, even if they lose, if they feel like they have had their day in court, they feel like they can move on,” he said. “During that

time there were a number of riots going on across the country, and one of the problems was that people had gotten to where they didn’t feel like they had access to the courts to address their problems.”

Deborah Bell, interim dean of the UM School of Law, was unaware that NMRLS was still a struggling 10-year-old organization when she entered law school four decades ago.

“I’ve had 40 years to watch NMRLS, and you have … truly made an amazing difference in this state,” she said. “It is an interesting circle. NMRLS was started here. It was another 25 years before our modern clinical program.

“Our tax clinic is a joint program of the clinical program and NMRLS. We trade back and forth, and we support one another,” Bell said. “I love the synchronicity that you’re having your 50th anniversary, and we’re having our 25th.”

Law Professor Emeritus John Robin Bradley gave a brief history of NMRLS, including the courageous stands of some law school personnel against an entrenched white power structure that saw such a service as a detriment to its members.

“Josh Morse was dean of law school from 1963 to 1969. It was Morse who was the midwife of what is now NMRLS. One feature was to provide legal services to people who otherwise would not have access to legal services,” Bradley said. “The other was that law students would have the educational and clinical experience of working

with lawyers to provide (those) legal services.

“Morse got here just about the same time James Meredith got here. His first year was one of turbulence,” Bradley added with ironic understatement.

He said that even the previous dean, Robert J. Farley, had been targeted because he was too sympathetic to the plight of poor blacks who faced family law matters, tenant-landlord disputes or other civil legal challenges without representation.

“The dominant voices in the Legislature, in IHL and among the influential law alumni were people I would most kindly call ‘mossbacks,’” Bradley said.

“For them, maintaining legal racial segregation was a ditch they thought they ought to die in. Farley was pushed out.

“Farley was a man who had principles. He was not in that chorus of the Ross Barnett group, and they knew it,” he said. “Morse followed him immediately as dean. Morse understood who Farley was and what he stood for.”

While Farley was not directly involved in the creation of NMRLS’ first iteration, “he was surely in support of this notion,” Bradley said. “In my view, both Farley and Morse were great men.”

One moment of crisis came in NMRLS’ early days, when Ole Miss refused any longer to administer the grant that kept the agency afloat. According to the federal grant’s conditions, it had to be administered by a college, and Mary Holmes College, a

two-year, predominantly black institution in West Point, took on that role for a time.

Over the years the agency has been involved in some major cases, such as one that forced integration of Holly Springs schools. Its most prominent win was the Ayers case, led by attorney Alvin Chambliss, which was settled with an agreement for $503 million to be shared

by Mississippi’s three historically black universities.

“This program has flourished, and it has come back to a close association with the Law School because of the clients,” Bradley said.

Constance SlaughterHarvey, the first black female graduate of Ole Miss’ law school, offered her recollections live online.

“North Mississippi Rural Legal Services was a home for me, for several other black students as well,” she said. “There were days when it was very difficult to breathe at the law school, when there were individual law students who found it necessary to remind black students that we were different and that we were not wanted. That attitude was conveyed by many students during my tenure at the law school.

“When you went to North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, you could breathe another kind of air,” Slaughter-Harvey said.

“We were taught that if you prepare your case and the law was on your side and your witnesses were together, you could win your case.”

Slaughter-Harvey noted

an incident in which she was a passenger when Cole, driving them to argue a case, employed a highspeed maneuver around several Klansmen who were trying to stop their car. She also gave a nod to the famously irascible Chambliss.

“I would be remiss if I did not thank Alvin Chambliss,” she said. “Sometimes it seemed he was fighting everybody. I know the University of Mississippi played a role in that attitude.”

Jess Dickinson, presiding justice on the Mississippi Supreme Court, said his life was transformed at a legal conference where he first learned about the legal plights of the rural poor.

“If they gave us every dime the Rural Legal Services Corporation is asking for, we’d still have to turn away half the people who come to rural legal services for help,” he said. “It is the right of poor people to stand equal beside other people in court. They’re going to have to look at legal counsel as a constitutional right, the same way they look at the right to counsel (in criminal cases).”

State Rep. Willie Perkins, chairman of the NMRLS board, noted the firm’s work on many cases dealing with election redistricting, police brutality and other civil rights issues. He expressed optimism for continuing the work despite ongoing challenges.

“This is a celebration,” he said, “not a funeral.”

Food and beverage taxes - a two-percent levy on restaurant meals and drinks used to promote tourism - was up 11 percent last year over Fiscal Year 2014.

More dramatic was the jump in revenue from the two-percent hotel-motel tax, with a 34-percent increase.

Visit Oxford Director Mary Allyn Hedges said the trend is likely to continue with last fall’s opening of The Graduate hotel

just north of the Square and this spring’s expected opening of a new Courtyard by Marriott between downtown and the University of Mississippi campus on Jackson Avenue.

In addition, Hedges said, the Visit Oxford website (www.visitoxfordms.com) saw a 73.19-percent increase in new sessions during FY 2015. The site accounted for 242,768 sessions and 582,172 pageviews representing 181,244 distinct users.

errol.castens@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenec

BRIEFING Arts Crawl set for Tuesday The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council’s monthly Arts Crawl will be Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m.

Featured locations in this month’s Arts Crawl include the following: • University of Mississippi Museum, featuring Kate Freeman Clark • Powerhouse Community Arts Center, featuring Piecemakers Quilt Exhibit • Southside Gallery

on the phone app it released last year. Among the features are the following: • “Healthy Mississippi” exercise features guided directions to popular sites from walking tours • Yocona Sculpture Trail • bike routes and trails • “what’s near you” popup feature Visit Oxford app • calendar with custo get upgrades tomized notifications • custom icons added Visit Oxford will add sevfor points of interest eral features to the maps

• High Point Coffee, featuring Claire Whitehurst • The Shelter on Van Buren • North Light Gallery at the Orchard Church A special pre-Crawl event will be "Fiber-izing: Local Fiber Artists" at North Light Gallery at 5 p.m.

• restaurant hours and menus • music and arts venue events An initial test of the upgrade is expected about the time of the Double Decker Festival in late April, with a final release in early July.

Tourism up sharply Oxford tourism was sharply up in 2015 over the previous year.

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 4

OBITUARIES

Virginia Cornelius named State Finalist in PAEMST

MELBA BOLDING DUNCAN

BY CHANING GREEN

Melba Bolding Duncan, 87, passed away Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, at Oxford Health and Rehab. The funeral service will be held Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m., at Yellow Leaf Baptist Church with Rev. Wesley Hughes officiating. Burial will follow in Yellow Leaf Cemetery. Visitation will take place from 12:30 to 2 prior to the service at the church. Waller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorial contributions in Mrs. Duncan’s memory may be made to the Yellow Leaf Cemetery Fund, c/o Martha May, 221 Highway 334, Oxford, MS 38655.

NEWS WRITER

REBECCA LARCHE MORETON Rebecca Larche Moreton, 78, passed away Monday, Jan. 18, 2016 in Simpson County as a result of an automobile accident. A funeral service was held Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, at 3 p.m. at Oxford-University United Methodist Church with Rev. Eddie Rester and Rev. Warren Black officiating. Visitation was held prior to the service. Burial will take place Monday, Jan. 25 at Oxford Memorial Cemetery. The graveside ceremony will be held at 12:45 p.m.

All friends and family are invited to gather at Oxford-University United Methodist Church at 11:45 a.m. to walk to the cemetery for the ceremony, in memory of the daily walks that the Moreton’s made around Oxford. The walk may be joined at any point on the route, or at the graveside.

Waller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorial contributions in Mrs. Moreton’s memory may be made to plant trees in his beloved Oxford via the CREATE Foundation/Loft for the Oxford releaf project, P.O. Box 1053, Tupelo, MS 38802, http://loftms.org/donate (specifying the Moretons in the instructions).

ALFRED ELLIOTT MORETON Alfred Elliott Moreton, III, 81, passed away Monday, Jan. 18, 2016, in Simpson County as the result of an automobile accident. A funeral service was Saturday, January 23, at Oxford-University United Methodist Church with Rev. Eddie Rester and Rev. Warren Black officiating. Burial will take place Monday, Jan. 25, 2016 at Oxford Memorial Cemetery.

Mr. Moreton served in the United States Navy from 1952 to 1956 as a quartermaster’s mate on the U.S.S. Hawk (AMS-17).

He was the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi from 1962 to 1963 and 1969 to 2004. In his first months on the job, he prosecuted rioters who were trying to block the integration of the University of Mississippi by James Meredith.

Memorial contributions in Mr. Moreton’s memory may be made to plant trees in his beloved Oxford via the CREATE Foundation/Loft for the Oxford re-leaf project, P.O. Box 1053, Tupelo, MS 38802, http://loftms.org/donate (specifying the Moretons in the instructions).

In memory of Mr. Moreton’s service to his country the flag of the United States Navy will be flown at Waller Funeral Home.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

Lafayette High School math instructor Virginia Cornelius has been named as a State Finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. A casual ceremony was held in her honor Wednesday afternoon in the LHS Library and was attended by many of her peers, colleagues and family.

Trecina Green, Executive Director of Professional Development at the Mississippi Department of Education, was the speaker at the gathering and also presented Cornelius with a framed certificate. Green spoke of Cornelius’s credentials, awards and honors.

“I think she’s an awesome, awesome individual,” Green said. “Just talking to her I can tell that she is very passionate about teaching. I’m a former math teacher and I tend to connect with math teachers and I’m very, very proud of her.”

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teacher is given to up to 108 teachers in America every year. Cornelius is one of seven educators in the state of Mississippi to become a State Finalist.

The way the selection process works is that members of the community nominate teachers they see as deserving of the award. The nominated teachers are then encouraged to fill out a formal application, which will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of a diverse group of teachers across the state. The process continues to the national level and the winner is awarded $10,000 and a certificate signed by the president. The winner then participates in professional development programs and discussions with policy-makers about how best to improve mathematics and science teaching.

Shelly Hollis formerly worked at Lafayette in IT and was the person who nominated Cornelius for this honor. Hollis said

that Cornelius made math much more than a class for students and made it real tool for to be used in everyday life.

“She’s a fabulous teacher. I have four children and they all had her,” Hollis said. “She made a huge difference in my kids’ lives and education. She taught them an understanding and love of math that they didn’t have before. One of my sons went in to her class thinking he was no good at math and when he came out, he was an ace at it. His grades dramatically improved.

We recently moved and my youngest is currently in high school. I think one of his biggest disappoints about moving was that he wasn’t going to have Ms. Cornelius as a math teacher.”

Cornelius obtained her undergraduate degree in math and art from Smith College before going on to earn her master’s in education from Harvard. After teaching in Massachusetts for 10 years, Cornelius moved to Oxford with her husband in 2000.

She has been named a STAR

Teacher five times and was awarded the Siemens AP Excellence Award in 2009.

She has been teaching for 26 years and is currently teaches Algebra I and Advanced Placement Calculus. Cornelius spends her summers teaching at the prestigious Wolfeboro Summer Boarding School in New Hampshire.

Cornelius said that though she is grateful for the award, it won’t change the way she does her job.

“It is a milestone,” Cornelius said. “I don’t know if you follow Rebel hoops, but [Head Coach] Andy Kennedy is having all these milestones. The team is winning all these games and they’re in the Pavilion now. But he every day feels like a terrible coach because every day you’re struggling to bring these kids to the next level. And I feel like a very average teacher most days. This [award] doesn’t stop anything I would have to do tomorrow.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen

Conference Center sees bright future

BY ERROL CASTENS OXFORD CITIZEN

Just over two years ago, Oxford officials actually considered selling, repurposing or even closing outright the Oxford Conference Center. The facility was bleeding red ink, costing the city nearly $350,000 a year and taking in less than half its expenses in fees.

The past two years that’s changed in dramatic fashion, and Hollis Green, the facility’s director, says Fiscal Year 2016 will likely surpass them.

“Our last 24 months have been particularly strong, and in (Fiscal Year) 2016 the first three months are, frankly, off the charts for us,” he said. “Our pipeline for this year is as strong as we’ve ever seen it in terms of what we’ve already got booked and what’s coming.”

Oxford Conference Center’s sales from bookings of banquet, conferences, receptions, weddings, church meetings and other gatherings were just $365,635 in 2012. The next year they were higher at $482,331, but in 2014 OCC had its first million-dollar year with $1,002,272. Sales were “only” $837,731 last year with temporary cutbacks by OCC’s biggest conference customer, but Green said it will return this spring. The 16th Annual Oxford International Conference on the Science of Botanicals will occupy

the facility April 11-14, bringing hundreds of scientists to Oxford.

“Our best year ever was our 2014 year, and I don’t think there’s any question that unless we see some major cancellations we’ll see a new record,” Green said.

“April will be bonkers for us. For a couple of weeks there, basically it’ll be 24/7 turning and flipping. I think I’ve got eight proms booked this year, and of course then I have (Pinelake) Church. We have to flip everything into a full facility for church on Sunday, so I have a crew that, if we have a Saturday night event, they’re going typically going to work midnight to 6 a.m. flipping and cleaning. They have church, and then we flip right back out of (that setup).”

Oxford Tourism Council Chairman Stefano Capomazza told Green, “Either it’s our advertising dollars, or y’all are doing something really different.” (Visit Oxford boosted its advertising by more than one-third last year after receiving a $50,000 grant.)

Green said seeds were planted for some of the reversal of fortunes began when Charter Road Hospitality opened the Hampton Inn and Suites across Ed Perry Boulevard from the conference center in late 2011, but such enhancements take time to pay off.

“Y’all were all around when we went through the shenanigans of maybe shutting us down,” Green

told Tourism Council members.

“I kept saying, ‘Our pipeline’s strong; there’s a lot of business coming.’ When we opened the new hotel, it took two years to get conferences. We’re booking conferences now for 2017. They choose two years in advance: We knew that it was coming.” (Charter Road opened another hotel, Towne Suites by Marriott, on adjacent property last year.)

Another major change under Green’s leadership is the center’s use of a stable of pre-screened caterers, who pay an application fee, submit insurance and health department certifications and provide menus and prices for the conference center’s sales team to offer potential clients. The Conference Center handles billing and takes a 15-percent commission.

“The caterers love it for this reason: I’m the client,” Green said.

“Every two weeks they get a check from the City of Oxford paying them. They never have to worry about collecting money; that falls to me, although we don’t lose money.”

Green credited one other factor for Oxford Conference Center’s turnaround – an excellent staff, whose service leads to repeat business. He offered a list of nearly three dozen clients, from Pinelake Church and Baptist Memorial Hospital to several University of Mississippi departments and both state and federal law enforcement groups, that will each host multiple events at the facility this year. errol.castens@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenec

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OXFORD CITIZEN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

PAGE 5

Roberson discusses OHS Cares and the importance of loving your people Thursday night, Principal Bradley Roberson of Oxford High School held an informational community meeting to discuss OHS’s new vision, mission and foundation principles.

This plan has been in place for about a year now and has been considered quite effective.

Despite the weather and school cancellations, Roberson called us from his office at the school Friday morning to discuss the community meeting and his plans for the school.

High School. Unfortunately, due to the weather last night, not everyone was able to attend. I’m hoping to hold another one in the next few weeks and possibly even live stream it so that people at home can watch.

lationships. This was a very research-based decision. In John Hattie’s book “Visible Learning” there’s a study that names student-teacher relationships as the 11th most important factor in student achievement. So it’s a really important part of the learning environment.

GREEN: Talk about this idea of OHS Cares and how it came about.

ROBERSON: We wanted a plan that would be effective in terms of increasing student achievement, but our ultimate goal was to come up with a plan that would put quality citizens back into the Oxford community. This idea of OHS Cares is mainly built around three foundational principles: loving, teaching and inspiring. We think the order of these principles is very important. In terms of the loving component, we want to create an environment where a student can come to Oxford High School and be treated with respect and kindness. We want them to feel safe, comfortable and nurtured. If we

CHANING GREEN: What was the meeting last night?

BRADLEY ROBERSON: We had a community meeting for the stakeholders in the Oxford School District to discuss the new vision, mission and possible culture change at Oxford

GREEN: What are you guys doing to help enforce this?

ROBERSON: We have a theme this year called Love Your People. It’s built around eight phrases that help us to be conscience of the way we treat each other each and every day.

That includes teachers to students, students to teachers, students to students and teachers to The eight teachers. phrases of Love Your People are contribute and everyone do their part, be patient with one another, be kind to one another, be honest, be encouraging to one another, be apologetic if you make a mistake, be forgiving if of someone who makes a mistake and

JOEY BRENT

Bradley Roberson, Principal at Oxford High School. can establish and maintain that kind of environment, these students can focus on what’s important and that is their education. That is why we think this is the most important component.

GREEN: How do you guys ensure this component is effectively put into practice?

ROBERSON: One of the main things we’ve been working on is building strong student-teacher re-

thank people when they do something for you. This is how we are expected to treat each other in every situation. There are going to be situations where we don’t all agree and that’s okay, as long as we follow those eight principles of how we treat each other as individuals. When we have a disciplinary issue with a student, we first relate the situation back to those eight principles before moving on to actual policy issues. We think this is really important because we want to be a school that’s driven by values rather than policy and procedures.

GREEN: Is this affecting students in any measurable way?

ROBERSON: If you look at the number of discipline referrals from last year to this year, there has been about a 33 percent decrease. That’s a significant change and we’re hoping to continue that trend. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen

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OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 6

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

JOEY BRENT

The West Jackson Avenue entrance to The University of Mississippi was dusted with snow that fell early Friday morning.

FROM PAGE 1

damage ice or snow could bring. Larson’s Cash Saver and Kroger filled with residents prepared to deal with impassable roads or even the loss of power. Too many remember the results of the 1994 ice storm that impacted the area for over a month.

“I’m just trying to be ready. You never know what could happen,” said Susan Thomas as she picked up items around Cash Saver, which had long lines of people in several lines purchasing bread, milk and other staples.

The threat of ice, sleet and heavier amounts of snow was enough of a threat to cancel school for children that live inside the Lafayette and Oxford

school districts. All athletic events for Friday were canceled as well, making the coming week that much longer as games were rescheduled. The snow also pushed back the formal announcement of Oxford introducing the new head football coach at a press conference inside the new gym.

The threat of inclement weather also called off work at The University of Mississippi, just three days before the start of the spring semester and a day before students were scheduled to move back into dorms and housing in the area.

“There were very, very said few problems,” Lafayette County Emergency Management Director David Shaw. “I talked to dispatch, and they counted four accidents – all on Highway 6 – and none of them resulted in

“

There were very, very few problems. I talked to dispatch, and they counted four accidents – all on Highway 6 – and none of them resulted in any injuries that were reported to them.

“

Snow

David Shaw , Lafayette County Emergency Management Director any injuries that were reported to them.

“The fact that the schools, county offices and most state offices were closed contributed to fewer cars on the road, especially given everybody would have been going to work was when the weather was worst,” he added. “It started snowing here about 5:15 to 5:30 a.m., and bridges and roads starting icing up almost immediately. If normal traffic had been out at that time, it would have been a problem.”

Only the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors avoided the widespread shutdown of government offices and schools in the county.

Board members held a public meeting as scheduled to interview planning firms A2H/Clarion and Slaughter & Associates regarding the updating of the county’s comprehensive plan. (See related story in this issue.) All other county offices are expected to reopen Monday as usual.

Neither Oxford nor Lafayette County ran

cording to the National Weather Service, no injuries occurred from those tornadoes. The two tornadoes did damage homes as well as took down trees and power lines.

Things were set to get back to normal from an event standpoint tonight as Brad Paisley’s concert inside The Pavilion at Ole Miss was scheduled to continue as planned. The first live concert, presented

by Zaxby’s, was free to attend. The first 2,000 Ole Miss students will be issued a wristband upon entrance, giving them access to the floor. Wristbands will be issued beginning at 4. The concert begins at 7:30 with singer/songwriter Cam.

garbage routes Friday due to the snow. Oxford residents on the Tuesday/Friday routes will not have a make-up run; their next pickup will be next Tuesday. Lafayette County’s Friday routes could not be run on Saturday, either, and will be picked up on Wednesday instead.

Roads were driveable on Friday, and by Saturday morning, the sun was back out and any remaining News writer Errol Castens consnow was melting. Some tributed to the report. parts of the state dealt with tornadoes in South MissisJohn.davis@journalinc.com sippi due to the storm. AcTwitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

OXFORD CITIZEN

SNOW DAY 2016 PICTURES PHOTOS BY JOEY BRENT

PAGE 7

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 8

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

Planning firms make their case to county

BY ERROL CASTENS OXFORD CITIZEN

Two planning firms vying for the job of updating Lafayette County’s comprehensive plan reiterated their cases Friday to the Board of Supervisors.

The plan, which is required under state law and is aimed at guiding the county’s long-term decisions regarding overall goals and objectives, land use, transportation and facilities, was last updated in 2008.

SLAUGHTER & ASSOCIATES Mike Slaughter, principal of Oxford-based Slaughter & Associates, emphasized that his three-person firm has worked throughout Mississippi.

“My firm is now a 100percent planning firm and has been for 15 years, but I do have that background in civil engineering,” he said.

Slaughter, whose price offer is $60,000 for the plan update and $10-20,000 for implementation of a zoning ordinance if that is chosen, recommended a modest approach to the document.

“My proposal for the county is really a simple proposal. The very first thing we have to do is have community input. We don’t want to provide a consultant’s plan. If it’s not a community’s plan it won’t be effective, and the county’s

money will be wasted,” he said. “Lafayette County is not a county of a million or two million people where you need a voluminous document. … I do think you need a plan that’s simple, easy to understand and most importantly easy to implement.”

Slaughter said the process would start with interviews of county department leaders and community leaders before extending to public meetings, both to explain the purpose of the plan and to get public input.

He added that the update process is a time to think in ambitious terms about the county’s future, even if some of the ideas are later discarded.

“This is a time, when you’re preparing a comprehensive plan, to think outside the box. Let’s make some good things happen.

If you limit yourselves in this plan, you’ll limit yourself in the long run,” Slaughter said.

Even ambitious ideas, though, have a limit.

“If the sheriff asks for a helicopter, that might be a little outside reason,” he said. “But if we don’t know where the funding’s coming from, that’s OK.” District 1 Supervisor Kevin Frye questioned the wisdom of hiring the same firm that is conducting the City of Oxford’s current annexation study.

“I’ve looked at your qualifications, but I do have

concerns about the differences between the county and the city and how that would play out in the long run,” he said. “When you put your proposal out, you had not been hired by the city.”

Frye handed out a map of the areas identified for study for possible annexation and noted that if Oxford annexed subdivisions near its current limits, the county would lose the neighborhoods that are easiest and least expensive to service for fire protection and garbage pickup. It would also lose the garbage fees, fire protection levies and fire insurance rebates.

“Annexation is litigation,” he said. Since litigation matters can be discussed by public boards in executive session, he questioned whether Slaughter would be able to represent both the county and the city fairly if an adversarial situation arose between them.

Slaughter said any annexation ordinance would eventually be aired both in open board meetings and in chancery court.

“Ultimately in the annexation process, it will be heard at a regular public meeting and adopted,” he said, adding that the county would continue to get ad valorem taxes from annexed areas while no longer being responsible for fire protection, street maintenance and other ex-

penses.

Board of Supervisors Attorney David O’Donnell said while Mississippi counties do occasionally oppose annexations, it’s a rarity. “What Kevin’s talking about would hinge on whether the county would or would not take an adverse position on annexation,” he said.

A2H/CLARION Andy Reynolds, a landscape architect with A2H Engineers/Architects/Plan ners, a Memphis-based company with offices in Oxford and several other Mid-South cities, brought traffic engineer Mike Waters and architect Debbie Cherry to emphasize their 90-person firm’s broad expertise. A2H’s proposal includes the partnership of North Carolina-based Clarion Associates, which specializes in planning and land use regulation.

“Four basic areas that the state requires in the comprehensive plan are goals and objectives, a land use plan, a transportation plan, and a facilities plan,” Reynolds said. “There are four other items we are suggesting - fiscal and economic strategies, an implementation plan, interjurisdictional opportunities (Oxford, Taylor, Abbeville, other counties) and a zoning ordinance as an option.

“Obviously zoning right around Oxford will be different from that farther out

in the county,” he said.

A2H/Clarion’ price offer was $57,000 for the basic comp plan update. Interjurisdictional and economic development studies would add $5,000 each, while an implementation plan would cost $30,000, and the price for zoning the county (outside municipal limits) would be $40,000.

“I have two firms standing in front of me with considerable cost differences,” District 4 Supervisor Chad McLarty said. “I think both firms would do a good job.

What makes A2H/Clarion that much better?”

Reynolds said while Slaughter & Associates has offered to bring in outside experts as needed, his firm has them in-house.

“We’re not a phone call away; we work in the next cubicle,” he said. “That team is going to bring a lot of expertise to the comprehensive plan.”

A2H architect Debbie Cherry said her experience in facilities planning at the University of Mississippi would illustrate part of the difference.

“It’s not just looking at facilities and going, ‘This is what we need’; it’s how you’re going make these changes,” she said. Planning how to keep offices and courts functioning while facilities are being renovated or locations change would be part of A2H’s expertise, she said, noting that she “did that on

campus with 200 buildings and 20,000 students.”

A2H traffic engineer Mike Waters said the firm’s expertise would benefit the county from prioritizing new roads to negotiating with state transportation officials.

When Frye and Reynolds pointed to years-long delays in major projects already identified as needs, Board of Supervisors President Jeff Busby countered that both a new major road and expanding the Sheriff’s Department are already in process.

“Toby Tubby Parkway was going to be funded by MDOT. They pulled funding,” he said, adding that county and city officials worked out a solution. An architect has already offered preliminary ideas for a new Justice Court facility that would free up its current building for the Sheriff’s Department.

“I don’t want to mislead the people that we’re sitting still on this,” Busby said.

District 5 Supervisor Mike Roberts added, “The hard part is not taking advice; it’s managing things on the tax base that we have.”

Supervisors took both presentations under advisement and will likely choose between them at an upcoming regular meeting. errol.castens@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenec

BRIEFING Mississippi Social Business Challenge

www.oxfordcitizen.com CONTACT US • Sports Editor, John Davis, john.davis@journalinc.com • News reporter, Errol Castens, errol.castens@journalinc.com, (662) 816-1282 • News Writer, Chaning Green, chaning.green@journalinc.com • Advertising, Sarah Brooke Bishop, sarahbrooke.bishop @journalinc.com, 662-801-9607 CORRECTIONS The Oxford Citizen will correct any error found in the newspaper.To request a correction or clarification, call (662) 8161282.A correction or clarification will appear in the next issue.

cused on reducing obesity and related health issues rather than making a profit.

Now in its second year, the Challenge asks each Blue Cross & Blue Shield team to outline how the of Mississippi will join with proposed business will help reach one of the nine students from Mississippi public universities to tackle goals identified by Blueprint Mississippi aimed at a one of Mississippi’s most pressing problems, obesity more prosperous, vibrant, and resilient Mississippi and related health issues. built upon a foundation of The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Social economic opportunity for all citizens.

Business Challenge will The nine Blueprint Misgive students from Mississippi public universities the sissippi goals include: 1. Increase the educaopportunity to showcase tional achievement of Mistheir ideas, creativity and sissippians ingenuity as they present 2. Cultivate a more roideas for businesses fo-

bust workforce in Mississippi 3. Strengthen and expand Mississippi’s economy 4. Promote healthcare as an economic driver 5. Support Mississippi’s creative economy 6. Continually develop the infrastructure for a competitive economy 7. Increase availability of financial capital 8. Cultivate diversity, community cooperation and racial reconciliation 9. Improve communication and coordination among public, private and nonprofit leaders

More information is posted online: http://www.mississippi.ed u/msbc/.

Public meetings Scheduled public meetings this week include three on Monday: • Oxford School Board - 5 p.m., Oxford Middle School Lecture Center • Oxford Pathways Commission - 5 p.m., City Hall first-floor conference room • Lafayette County Planning Commission - 5:30 p.m., Chancery Building board room

OXFORD CITIZEN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

Children's Chorus to hold auditions and first rehearsal All interested singers in grades 4-6 are invited to come to an open rehearsal of the Oxford Children’s Chorus. Singers who wish to join are welcome to audition immediately after rehearsal.

The Oxford Children’s Chorus builds musicians through collaborative music-making. Singers build music literacy skills that will last throughout their lifetimes. Each rehearsal includes time developing music reading and writing skills. Concerts highlight singers’ musical development and their production of beautiful, expressive singing.

Each rehearsal is planned to foster growth through fun, lively, and challenging musical activities.

Professionally trained musicians help young singers develop

AUDITIONS Oxford Children’s Chorus Open Rehearsal and Auditions Date: Monday, January 25 Time: 4 p.m.

Location: Choir Room, University of Mississippi Music Building basic musicianship skills (reading, writing, singing, harmony, and more), under the leadership of Dr. Andy Paney, Associate Professor of Music Education.

The chorus rehearses every Monday from 4:005:15 pm in the Music Building at Ole Miss. Tuition for the semester is $35. There is no commitment and no cost to come to the open rehearsal Monday. More information is available at www.oxfordchildrenschorus.org

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• blankets and extra warm clothing • cell phone and charger Drivers are encour• road salt or cat litter aged to pay attention to what’s in their trunk dur- to help with tire traction • brightly colored flag ing the winter months.

State Farm Insurance ad- or "Help" sign • flashlight (with workvises everyone to rid your trunk of “junk” and ing batteries), matches load up items you’ll need or lighter • tarp for sitting or in the event of a roadkneeling in the snow for side emergency. “It’s alexterior work like a tire ways a good idea to be change prepared for the unex• small tool kit or pected in the event of an multi-tool accident or car trouble • duct tape - for temin the cold,” says State Farm spokesman Roszell porary fixes • high-calorie, nonGadson.

Suggested trunk trans- perishable food • water formation items include • crucial medication the following: State Farm suggests • hazard triangle (with storing the items in a reflectors) or road flares bag, box or tub with a lid • day/night reflective to prevent them from vest or jacket becoming projectiles in • first aid kit the event of a sudden • jumper cables or stop, especially in vehismall battery charger cles with an open cargo • windshield scraper area, like SUVs or pickup and brush • spare tire (make sure trucks. This will also keep everything tojack and lug wrench are gether, making your in vehicle) emergency supplies easy • tow strap

CIVIC LX

to find when you need them.

If you’re ahead of the game and already travel with an emergency kit, take inventory of your items to be sure everything is still working well, such as flashlight batteries. Check whether any food or medications may have expired.

teers with USDOT-approved helmets may use their personal ATVs (without passengers) to haul the trees and stakes out to the lake’s bottom.

Volunteers are encouraged to dress for muddy conditions. Volunteers are also encouraged to bring items such as protective eyewear, protective gloves, sledge Fish Habitat Day hammer, fence post driver, etc.

This event will be an The public is invited to participate in the annual excellent opportunity for a beginner or experiFish Habitat Day to be held Feb. 20 at Arkabutla enced fishermen to improve their knowledge of Lake. This annual event the fishing structures at will be the hauling of Arkabutla Lake while endiscarded Christmas hancing the protection trees to the bottom of of natural resources for the lake and making future generations. (The stake beds in the coves date for this event is subto create and improve ject to change if unfavorfish habitat. able conditions occur or Volunteers should if the lake level becomes meet at the old Arkabutla Lake Field Office, too high).

For more information 3905 Arkabutla Dam on Fish Habitat Day at Road in Coldwater, at Arkabutla Lake please 7:30 a.m. for a briefing and to sign the appropri- contact Clayton Buford at (662) 562-6261, ext. ate volunteer forms.

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OXFORD CITIZEN

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OXFORD CITIZEN

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OXFORD CITIZEN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

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PAGE 14

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

AND THE

AROUND SQUARE BEYOND JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN

Bortles has enjoyed Oxford, being a team leader for Rebels ne of the best things Colby Bortles likes about Ole Miss, and Oxford for that matter, is that he can be his own person. His brother, Blake, is the starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s a well known sports personality, and when Colby is back at home in Orlando, Florida, he gets a lot questions about his brother.

“That’s one of the things I like about this place mainly. My brother is famous, everyone knows who he is, but they don’t know my brother, they know me in Oxford,” said the junior third baseman. “It’s a small town and they don’t care who he is. They would still like me for who I am. My brother is famous and going to be famous for a while. When I’m back home, people are like ‘That’s Blake’s brother.’

When I’m here, it’s ‘There’s Colby.’ I like that because I’m trying to make a name for myself.”

Being your own person is just one of the many reasons why Bortles is all about Ole Miss. Of course, he really enjoys his teammates and coaches and playing in the SEC. Before he went back home for the Christmas holidays, Bortles felt like he had a good showing in the fall.

“I was trying to do a different role, be more of a leader and try to do different things,” he said. “I thought I played pretty well doing that.

I thought we played pretty well together offensively. I thought we hit really well. I was impressed with what we did in the fall.”

Seven of the nine starters from last year have returned for the 2016 season. Bortles added “I think we’re going to be good, no doubt about it” when asked about the seven starters returning from a batting/field standpoint.

Last season, Bortles hit .281 with seven home runs and 47 RBIs. He also had 11 doubles, and had at least one hit per game (56 in 56 games played). Bortles felt like the team was much more mature.

“We know what we’re doing when we get into the box. We know how to set up different pitchers and things like that,” he said. “We know more about which pitches are coming,

O

TURN TO BORTLES PAGE 16

PETRE THOMAS

Lafayette's defense is made up of, from left, Tucker Anderson, Jonathan Page, Robbie Langley, Drew Mulkey and Grayson Mays and goalies Elliot Jones and Brelynn Hudgins.

Defensive 'Dores Back line, Hudgins set tone on field

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Gene Anderson is an offensive minded soccer coach. But he’s grown accustomed to winning games with great defensive efforts. The Commodores are a gritty bunch this year on the pitch compared to past years when Austin Fikes terrorized opponents from his forward spot.

Heading into the season, Anderson was concerned about his defense. He lost three of four starters there, and he had a number of new players in general in the back line. Everything has worked out well, and the depth that competition created, has been a huge key to it all.

Tuesday night, the Commodores had another defensive grinder, defeating Senatobia 2-1.

“We just worked a bunch of guys in. I do think we added some depth. We’re still young. We have one guy, Drew Mulkey, who is a senior, but it’s his first year starting on defense,” Anderson said.

“Then we have Jonathan Page and Robbie Langley who are both sophomores.

Robbie was a midfielder last year, and JP played right back, but he only had one year starting on varsity. Then we have

Grayson Mays, who is also in his first year of starting. Then we have an eighth grader, Cole Fortner, and he’s been playing some and done a good job.”

There are a few others that Anderson has rotated in on defense, and all of them have improved greatly since September, he said.

“Even though nobody really had the experience, the competition that went with it, and having six to eight guys going for it, they all stepped it up,” Anderson said. “In the last couple of years, I’ve always focused on possession and scoring and this year, having lost three of four back there, we just focused on fundamentals and how to play defense. It’s helped out tremendously.”

Mays said it took a few weeks for everybody to mesh together, and that everyone was starting to become best friends.

“Our defense has been very physical most of the year. That’s how team know us, our physicality,” Mays said. “Last Friday when we played North Pontotoc, we were aggressive on them and that made them flustered and made them mess up more.”

As for his role, Mays said he like stopping people, and how things fell

on his shoulders.

“I like stopping people and knowing that you are the last line of defense, that the pressure is on you,” Mays said.

The anchor to the entire defense is goalie Brelynn Hudgins, who started for Anderson last season.

“His stats aren’t as nice as they were last year, but he’s getting fewer saves per game which tells you that there are fewer shots per game,” Anderson said. “So that from aspect, the defense has taken a little pressure off of him, which has allowed him to grow as a player.”

Hudgins felt the defense had been pretty consistent most of the year. And anytime the defense has made some mistakes, they are quick to adjust.

“They have been outstanding, more than last year,” Hudgins said. “The defense has worked together. The ones that are starting this year are about as good as they were last year.”

“I’m just confident with him being back there,” Mays said of Hudgins, who had eight saves against Senatobia. “If anything gets past me, I trust him to take care of it.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

OXFORD CITIZEN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

PAGE 15

Talented Triangle Midfield trio makes things go for LHS

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Lafayette’s Lady Commodores are set to begin defense of their MHSAA Class 4A state title in soccer. Coach Melinda Scruggs has seen her team come together, adding that they were eager to get the playoffs rolling.

In order for the Lady Commodores to repeat as champions, the three starting midfielders — Maddy Houghton, Halle Moore and Emma Wilson — have to continue to set the tone, just like they have all season long for LHS. “They just completely control the midfield. They play basically a triangle. There is an attacking mid and two defending. I think with Emma and Halle, they play side by side. I honestly joke about how quiet they are, but they are just workhorses on the field,” Scruggs said. “They are the kind of players that just run and run. They are going to give you 100 percent no matter what. They could get completely clobbered and they’re not coming off the field. That’s how our center mids are. They are just a core group of our team.”

If the three girls are not on the field, then Scruggs sees a difference in how the team plays.

“They’re like the glue that holds us together,” she added. “They can distribute the ball phenomenally well. They put balls that are diagonal across the field. They can play the balls that are down the line.

Even the short passes, they get the ball, and do it again. They do the give and go. They just create so many opportunities. It’s not just Alley that’s getting it up top. Our outside mids are also getting shots.

They have all concentrated on their longer range shots, too. They are more focused on hitting those

PETRE THOMAS

Halle Moore (15), Maddy Houghton and Emma Wilson make up the midfield for Lafayette. The trio have set the tone for how the Lady Commodores have fared, match in and match out. shots that are between 20 and 25 yards out.”

Houghton is the goal scorer of the trio since she is the attacking mid. She also has the biggest leg on the team and she is deadly even from 25 to 30 yards out.

“She definitely has power for those shots, but those other girls are doing the same thing. That’s something we started working on last year,” Scruggs said. “They are really starting to perfect it. They hit that ball and you just know it’s going to be close or at least on frame. We’ve had some gone in. I know Emma’s had some goals this year. Halle has had one or two, so they’re starting to put those balls in the back of the net.”

When the midfielders can score goals, it only makes the Lafayette offense that much more danger-

ous, Scruggs said.

“Those balls that the play to the outside mids, when they cross, they’re getting in the box and just creating a lot of opportunities,” Scruggs said.

Moore, a sophomore, said she and Wilson, also a sophomore, can control the ball in the middle, and the tempo.

“Last year, it was similar with me and Maddy and Emma in the middle. We like to give it to Alley up top because we can make the through balls and kick them up to her because she can run them down,” Moore said. “We’re all pretty close and good friends. We get along.”

Houghton felt like the midfielders kept the team connected. The big reason for that was a longstanding relationship.

“We’ve grown up together,

played together since seventh grade and we know how each other plays and we’re able to connect much better,” Houghton said.

“We’re playing a lot different. Halle and Emma are finding ways to connect with the forwards. We trust each other and connecting with feet to the outside.”

If the midfielders aren’t able to get the ball through to the forwards, Houghton said the midfield does have the ability to score from longer distances, catching the goalie off guard. The goal that Houghton remembers the best was one from 30 yards out that hit the upper 90 degree angle of the goal.

“I’ve had a lot of free kicks and they’re all like that kind of,” she said.

The Lady Commodores are

geared up for the playoffs. They were 15-2 overall heading into the final match with Cleveland and the top seed from the division. Moore thought the team was similar to last season but she added that every single person had to be at their best.

“We can’t get frustrated and fall apart. We can’t let that happen,” Moore said. “Our team is pretty close and we all get along. We do things outside of soccer to get close so that we can work better on the field together. The best part of the season has been the way we’ve been winning and get big wins that we may not have gotten last year.

Just improving, and losing just two games is pretty good.”

The big thing Houghton said the Lady Commodores had to do was connect on several passes.

“We have to keep the pressure high. If we don’t pressure as well, the teams will usually get around us and the ones that have pressure on them, they can’t do as much,” she said. “It’s kind of been hard to judge if we’re ready since some of the teams we have played haven’t been the best matches. We wanted to play tougher teams but we weren’t able to get the tougher teams in by the deadline. Last year we played tougher teams towards the end of the season right before the playoffs and I think that really helped.”

In order to make up for that, Houghton was expecting some tough practices from Scruggs today and then on Monday before playing Corinth on Tuesday.

“We have to practice well and put in the hard work. I know we’ll be getting that extra practice in,” she said.

John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

Board agenda spoils OHS coach announcement

BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN

Johnny Hill's replacement as football coach at Oxford High School comes from across the meeting room and the same sideline.

Chris Cutcliffe, his wide receivers coach, co-offensive coordinator and former quarterback over a decade ago, will be the Chargers' new head coach. After a month-long search, and a concerted effort to keep the candidates' names out of spotlight, Cutcliffe's name appeared on

the school board agenda for Monday night, pending approval for him to be named the next coach.

Snow cancelled school in the Oxford School District Friday, preventing superintendent Brian Harvey and principal Bradley Roberson from formally announcing Cutcliffe as Hill's replacement. The decision to hire Cutcliffe was made Thursday, or at least circulated by those with connections to the search once the other candidates were informed. The original plan was for the school board to approve

the recommendation before the press conference.

The press conference was rescheduled for Tuesday due to the weather, but the board agenda included Cutcliffe's name in the personnel part of the meeting. Once the agenda went public Friday afternoon, the enormous amount of secrecy, and plans to announce at a press conference, disappeared.

Cutcliffe, who helped lead the Chargers to the 2003 Class 4A state title game, has been heavily involved with the football program since he arrived back from

Duke University coaching for his father David.

The younger Cutcliffe, who is married to the former Molly Shivers of Oxford, has helped extensively with the ninth grade football team as well as with the powerlifting squads. Cutcliffe was one of three to interview from within the program, and one of seven that actually were called for a series of interviews that started two weeks ago once the district resumed a normal schedule following the Christmas holidays.

Harvey said in an interview on Jan. 7, he was looking for a person

with character who could help shape the players more than he was worried about the wins and losses.

“Wins and losses will take care of themselves, but I count wins and losses in how we deal with young people,” Harvey said.

“There are a lot of other things that come into play, but we are looking for a quality person that can lead our young people. If we have that, the rest will take care of itself.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 16

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

Relentless approach has made WR a standout

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

There are a lot of things to like about Houston, Texas wide receiver Quartney Davis. His speed. His height (6-foot-2 1/2). His hands.

Maybe the thing the Langham Creek High standout does the best is go after the ball.

Todd Thompson coached Davis during his prep career.

He’s seen Davis develop, both on the field and off.

“He was on some people’s radar last year, but this year, this has really been when he’s exploded,” Thompson said. “He’s amazing. We knew what kind of ability he had and known it all along.

We want our kids to be better every year so that their senior year is their best year.

Nowadays people sometimes get away from that with the early offers. The kid ends up having a great junior year and then his senior year, he’s more about being recruited.”

That’s not the case of Davis, who only continued to push himself during his final fall playing for the Lobos.

“It’s been a process of getting a little better each year

KNOW YOUR RECRUIT

Quartney Davis and that means you’re going to improve and that your senior year should be your best. Thompson’s receiver coach, Milton Wynn, played college at Washington State and then went on to play in the NFL with the Rams, the Buccaneers and then with the Ravens.

“He told me that when Q was a freshman that he had a chance to be a Division I receiver, that he was going to be big time,” Thompson said. “He has developed and he’s a good, good kid. He’s an extremely hard worker. He loves playing football. He loves practice and running around and being active. It’s refreshing to be around him because he doesn’t like play-

Bortles FROM PAGE 14

so I think we’re going to be good offensively.”

Bortles is offensive minded just because of his role on the team. He said that if pitcher Brady Bramlett was asked, he thought Bramlett would answer that the team is pitching minded.

“I think that’s good considering we have both aspects,” Bortles said agreeing that the team had games where pitching did well but the offense didn’t do as well and vice versa. “I don’t think that’s going to happen this year. We have a lot more pitching where we can be consistent all the time. All of our hitters are back, so I think we’re going to be way more consistent this year offensively.”

Third base is a position that requires great skill, and athleticism.

Bortles, who is 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds, moves very well at the hot corner. Still, stabbing a ball and then firing it across the diamond is more reactionary than anything else.

“You actually don’t have time to react,” he said. “At the same time,

COURTESY

Wide receiver Quartney Davis of Houston, Texas was scheduled to visit Oxford for his official this weekend. ing video games or watching TV. “He wants to play. He works out in the athletic period and then he comes back in after school and get another workout in. Then he goes to track practice and he will go work with a speed coach to work on his foot-

you don’t have time to think about what you’re going to do either.

That’s what I like about it. If a shortstop gets a slow ground ball, he has to wait on it and has time to think about it. There is too much stuff in your head that could cause for errors. Playing third, everything is hit hard at you and you don’t have time to think about it. You just stick your glove down there and make the play.”

Bortles grew up playing shortstop when he was younger, which he said is hard for some to believe.

“Up until my freshman and sophomore years in high school, I played shortstop and then I just got bigger,” Bortles said. “I had good hands so I could play different positions. I also played a little first just because I got bigger and stuff. I do think playing shortstop definitely helped me have better hands and become more fluid. Coach (Mike Bianco) always tells me I need to play defense like a little guy and play offense like a big guy and that’s what I try to do.”

Home runs have defined Bortles with the fans as much as anything in his two seasons.

“Home runs are really cool, especially at Ole Miss when you see the

work. It’s all day for him, non stop.”

Thompson felt like Davis could grow another inch. He added that it seems like Davis has gotten faster each year.

“He was always pretty fast but I remember about this time last year, my track

coach came in and said ‘Coach, have you seen Q run?’ I said ‘Yeah, I’ve seen him run.’ They said ‘No, he got really fast,’” Thompson said with a laugh. “He’s in the 4.4s. He ran a 4.42 on the laser at the Nike camp this past summer, which is very fast. And he runs on all three of the relays in track.”

Davis didn’t leave the field this past fall, Thompson said. Davis was the leading kick and punt returner in the district and he also played cornerback on defense.

“He played corner the whole game and he didn’t really do much there because no one would throw the ball over there,” Thompson said adding he felt like Ole Miss would look at him at returner. “He’s great at it.

Some of his highlight video is in the return game.”

It was harder for Thompson to pinpoint a player in college or in the NFL that Davis reminds him of. He did think Davis reminded of Laquon Treadwell in the way he pursues the football when it’s in the air.

“In regards to his competitiveness and going after every football, Q reminds me of that in the way he plays,” Thompson said. “Is

he as big and fast and strong as that right now? No, but he goes after every ball.”

Corey Batoon and Grant Heard are the two Ole Miss coaches that have directly dealt with Davis during the recruiting process. Thompson said that the Rebels, and the SEC, are well thought of in the Houston area.

“The SEC is the popular place to, conference wise, if you live in any part of the South. I think our kids watch the SEC mostly and Ole Miss is exciting to watch play. And they’re good,” Thompson said. “It’s an exciting brand of football. It looks like those guys are playing hard and having fun, so I think that is enticing to kids to want to be a part of that.”

Heard has related well to Davis, Thompson said. And Ole Miss, overall, has been “super” to deal with Thompson added.

“They have done an excellent job. Coach Batoon has also come in a couple of times because I think this is his area,” Thompson said adding that he and Davis talk everyday. “I’m not trying to tell him what to do but I am trying to give him some TURN TO RECRUIT PAGE 19

PHOTO BY JOSHUA MCCOY/OLE MISS ATHLETICS

Junior Colby Bortles loves playing third base for the Ole Miss Rebels. showers going around the bases,” Bortles said. “I do like to think of myself with an all-around game.

I’m a really good defender. I like to hit doubles and I like to have RBIs.” The little details about the game will be the things that define the Rebels in 2016. From the first practice until the final play of the year, doing the little things were actually the biggest reasons for wins, Bortles believes.

“We play 56 games during the

PHOTO BY JOSHUA MCCOY/OLE MISS ATHLETICS

Home runs have helped make Colby Bortles a popular player with the Ole Miss fan base. regular season. People get tired and people get injured. We can’t be complacent about that and we have to play each day, every practice, and go as hard as we can play,” Bortles said. “One game could mean the difference in hosting a regional or not. I think the biggest thing is the leadership and know-

ing that everyone has your back.

We’re a family and I’m going to do something for you and you’re going to do something for me knowing that if I mess up, you’re going to pick me up.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

OXFORD CITIZEN

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

PAGE 17

Vocal leader Repka has helped key OHS Lady Chargers

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

When you’re a senior, perspective means so much more. For Oxford’s Jordyn Repka, the Lady Chargers are much closer this season compared to other campaigns. She said the players are more friendly, and that the team has bonded earlier, which ultimately brought them closer together.

“I think we all kind of came together. We all wanted to know who was going to be our coach. I was worried because we didn’t know who it was going to be,” Repka said. “We all came together and started talking about it and that’s when we first started bonding and things like that.”

Being in school for a final time also has a way of focusing players. Repka said all the seniors knew it was their last chance to win some games, and do well in the playoffs.

“We knew we had to come together no matter who it was. We had to talk and do our best,” she said

before talking about her role for the Lady Chargers. “I’m a center defender. I make sure I talk with everyone else on the field. I see the field. I try to keep everyone together.

They know what they’re doing, but if I see someone out of place or something they can’t see, I let them know.”

Her other job is to pep everyone up on the team.

It’s also her favorite part of being a Lady Charger.

“I think that’s important and you can’t have just one.

We just have fun together.

It’s not a one person kind of thing,” Repka said. “We all have this vibe that is real positive. We had moments last year where things weren’t as positive and now that we’re a year later, we realize that’s not worth it and just be friends.”

Oxford coach Hunter Crane said that Repka was more of a vocal leader rather than a player who leads by example.

“She has been around soccer her entire life and she is one of the smartest players I have ever seen,” Crane said. “I’m excited to have

PETRE THOMAS

Oxford senior Jordyn Repka is a defender and one of the leaders for the Lady Chargers on the field. her. She brings stability to that back line. I don’t have to worry about things when she’s in the game from a center-back standpoint. She keeps the line where it needs to be. She just plays solid. She’s had several offers to go and play in college and she has just decided to hang it up after this year.”

The ending to the 2014-15

season was very tough. The Lady Chargers lost in the playoffs, on the road at Germantown, in a shootout, to a team that finished second in Class 5A. “That was a tough way to end. Definitely not fun,” she said. “There was tension. I think we were more frustrated as opposed to not liking each other. I think that

we were frustrated that we were so close and that we were getting frustrated when we didn’t want to be.

It was like we almost had it and just didn’t and I think that’s where most of it came from.”

Repka is closest with fellow senior Zoe Scruggs. The two have been playing together since they were in the

smallest Oxford Park Commission teams.

“We are the complete opposites so we just balance each other out,” Repka said.

“We’ve been best friends and we just work well together. We kind of know what each other is going to do and that’s how it goes.”

Fear was a word Repka used to describe the thing that held the Lady Chargers back as much as anything.

“I think we have it, we just have to do what we have to do. What sets us back is fear and I don’t think that’s a good thing,” Repka said.

“We have to get past that, we have to get past the fear.

Again, I like how we’re closer this year. I feel like we’re deeper, more complete.

When (Crane) came, I think we just came together physically, too. We had a fitness test we didn’t last year and it’s like we all had to come together and tell each other ‘You’re almost there, you’re almost there.’ Push each other, not just physically, but also emotionally.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

Lafayette reflects on successful season with annual banquet

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Eric Robertson got to look back at the successful season his Lafayette Commodores had Thursday night. The annual football banquet was about the success the players garnered during the year, and it was one last chance to get everyone together in the same room like they had for almost five months.

“When the season is first over, you feel the hurt of losing and not playing next Friday night. When you've been away from it and have the football banquet, you're able to see that successful season,” Robertson said. “You're able to see that you had some really talented football players by the awards they've gotten and picked on by media and the other coaches. It's

refreshing to look back on the season during the banquet.”

The Commodores won 10 of their 13 games and advanced to the MHSAA Class 4A playoffs. They finished ranked No. 20 in the state in the Maxpreps.com poll. Three players — linebacker Quin Jones, running back Tyrell Price and offensive lineman Eli Johnson — were all selected to play in the annual Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic. Only Meridian had as many players take part in the game. Vincent Lewis end) and (defensive Rashaun Rockette (defensive back) were also selected to play in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star game.

There were also a number of players that were selected to the All-Division 2-4A team, while others

made the MAC 4A All-State team.

“We had several kids first team all region, all district, second team offense and defense. We had the MVP of the region in Tyrell Price, the co-Defensive Player of the Year in Quin Jones and I think we had six all state guys and four of them were first team,” Robertson said.

“We were one of the two teams that had three kids play in the MS-AL game and all three played well.

Then we had Vincent and Rashaun play in the Bernard Blackwell and had good games. I know Vincent blocked a punt and a had a sack and tackles for a loss. I think Rashaun only had one pass completed on his side and it only went for 4 or 5 yards. All five of those guys were very sucTURN TO LAFAYETTE PAGE 19

JOEY BRENT

Members of the Lafayette High football team that were named to the 2-4A team were honored with plaques by coach Eric Robertson Thursday night at the annual banquet.

Citizen

PAGE 18

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Recruit FROM PAGE 16

advice and I have told him … I’ve never been to Ole Miss personally. I’ve visited Alabama and Auburn, but I’ve heard it’s a place you want to go. You want to go watch a game there.

I’ve told Q don’t you do anything until you go see Ole Miss. Even if you like or don’t like it, it doesn’t matter. You need to see it.

Because if you go somewhere and you go some

Lafayette FROM PAGE 17

cessful in the All-Star games, so that was good to see. We had some good players and as a result, we had a good football team.”

Robertson pointed out that the Commodores were three or four plays away from being undefeated.

“And it's because of how hard the kids worked, and how talented they were, the success they had,” Robertson said.

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rough times and you start wondering what would it have been like at this other school.”

Texas A&M was the school that Davis had been committed to. Davis de-committed after all the change on offense and with the quarterbacks leaving. A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin was through to see him this past Tuesday.

“They’re still trying to get him back,” Thompson said. “Coach (Mike) Gundy was here (Thurs-

day) to see him because Q just got back from a visit there. UCLA has been really late and I don’t think they will be a factor really.

And Oklahoma is trying to get him to go there really hard. Honestly, I think Ole Miss is in the top 2.”

Another thing Ole Miss has working in its favor is defensive tackle Ross Donelly, who is from Houston and played against Langham Creek.

Donelly was the defensive coordinator for a pee wee football team that

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follow us @oxfordcitizen @oxfordcitizenjd @oxfordcitizenec Thompson’s son played on.

“I know Ross and his high school is our rival. It’s five minutes away. Ross is a great young man and great with kids,” Thompson said. “I got Q in touch with Ross last week and they spoke. Ross said that he loved it and I told (Davis) that you both have a lot in common. He’s excited about getting there and seeing it.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

gives the parents a time to reflect and their teammates a time to reflect because not everyone gets an award, but they're still a big part of it.

Every single one of them.,” Robertson said.

“It's also a time for us to send our seniors off one last time and recognize them as they go on to the next phase of their life.

This is also our time to JOEY BRENT encourage our junior Lafayette's Tyrell Price, Vincent Lewis, Tyler Williams, Quin class, that they're now Jones, Eli Johnson and Jordan Jamison were named to the the leaders of this footClass 4A all-state team this past fall. ball team and to build on the success that we've “We give them the had.” of the banquet is to publicly reward the players plaque that they won john.davis@journalinc.com for their accomplish- something so they can Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd put on the wall and it ments.

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SPORTS IN DEPTH MISSISSIPPI ST. 83, OLE MISS 77 OLE MISS (12-7) Hymon 3-9 2-4 8, Gielo 2-7 0-1 6, Perez 3-10 5-6 14, Brooks 8-15 0-0 20, Fitzpatrick-Dorsey 5-9 66 16, Davis 1-3 0-0 3, Finley 2-9 6-6 10, Brutus 01 0-0 0. Totals 24-63 19-23 77.

MISSISSIPPI ST. (8-10) Ware 5-8 4-4 14,Weatherspoon 7-10 2-3 18, Newman 8-16 2-2 25, Ready 1-5 4-4 7, Sword 4-7 22 10, Thomas 2-5 1-2 6, Zuppardo 1-3 0-0 3, Holman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-54 15-17 83.

Halftime – Ole Miss 38-36. 3-Point Goals – Ole Miss 10-20 (Brooks 4-7, Perez 3-3, Gielo 2-4, Davis 1-2, Fitzpatrick-Dorsey 0-1, Finley 0-3), Mississippi St. 12-24 (Newman 7-10, Weatherspoon 2-4, Zuppardo 1-2, Ready 1-2, Thomas 1-4, Sword 0-2).

Fouled Out – None. Rebounds – Ole Miss 36 (Hymon, Perez 10), Mississippi St. 31 (Sword 8).Assists – Ole Miss 13 (Fitzpatrick-Dorsey 4), Mississippi St. 16 (Ready, Sword 5).Total Fouls – Ole Miss 15, Mississippi St. 18.Technicals – Davis, Newman.

A – 8,932.

THIS WEEK AT OLE MISS Wednesday, Jan. 27 • Men's basketball vs. Auburn, 6 p.m. (SEC) Thursday, Jan. 28 • Women's basketball at South Carolina, 6 p.m.

(SEC Plus) Friday, Jan. 29 • Women's tennis vs. Stanford, Nashville, Tennessee Saturday, Jan. 30 • Men's basketball at Kansas State, 1 p.m. (ESPNU) Sunday, Jan. 31 • Women's basketball vs. Missouri, 4 p.m. (SEC)

THIS WEEK AT OXFORD Monday, Jan. 25 • 9th grade boys basketball vs. Saltillo, 5 p.m.

• Varsity girls soccer vs. West Point, 5 p.m.

• Varisty girls basketball vs. Saltillo, 6 p.m.

• Varsity boys soccer vs. West Point, 7 p.m.

• Varsity boys basketball vs. Saltillo, 7:30 p.m.

• Class 5A soccer playoffs, varsity girls, TBA Tuesday, Jan. 26 • Varsity boys basketball vs.Amanda Elzy, 7:30 p.m.

• Class 5A soccer playoffs, varsity boys, TBA Friday, Jan. 29 • 9th grade boys basketball vs. West Point, 5 p.m.

• Varsity girls basketball vs. West Point, 6 p.m.

• Varsity boys basketball vs. West Point, 7:30 p.m.

THIS WEEK AT LAFAYETTE Tuesday, Jan. 26 • Junior varsity boys basketball vs. Byhalia, 5 p.m.

• Varsity girls basketball vs. Byhalia, 6 p.m.

• Varsity girls soccer in 4A playoffs vs.Corinth,7 p.m.

• Varsity boys soccer in 4A playoffs at Ripley, 7 p.m.

• Varsity boys basketball vs. Byhalia, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 29 • Junior varsity girls basketball vs. Senatobia, 4 p.m.

• Junior varsity girls basketball vs. Senatobia, 5 p.m.

• Varsity girls basketball vs. Senatobia, 6 p.m.

• Varsity boys basketball vs. Senatobia, 7:30 p.m.

SEC MEN'S BASKETBALL STADINGS Team Conference Overall • Texas A&M 6-0 16-2 • South Carolina 4-1 17-1 • Kentucky 4-2 14-4 • Florida 4-2 12-6 • LSU 4-2 11-7 • Georiga 3-3 10-6 • Vanderbilt 3-3 11-7 • Auburn 3-3 9-8 • Arkansas 3-3 9-9 • Ole Miss 2-5 12-7 • Tennessee 2-4 9-9 • Alabama 1-4 10-7 • Missouri 1-4 8-10 • Miss. State 1-5 8-10

2016 LAFAYETTE TENNIS SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time Feb. 27 Heritage Academy 10 a.m.

4 p.m.

Feb. 29 Ripley March 3 East Webster 4 p.m.

4 p.m.

March 7 Tupelo Christian March 10 Mooreville 4 p.m.

March 22 Senatobia 4 p.m.

4 p.m.

March 24 New Albany TBA March 25 Oxford March 28 Rosa Fort 4:30 p.m.

4 p.m.

March 29 at Grenada March 31 Saltillo 4 p.m.

April 1 Northwest Rankin 3:30 p.m.

April 2 Meridian Tournament TBA 4 p.m.

April 5 Cleveland April 6 South Panola 3 p.m.

4 p.m.

April 7 Pontotoc 7 p.m.

April 8 Newton County April 12 Individual 2-4A tournament 8:30 a.m.

April 18 First round 4A playoffs * All home matches played at John Leslie Tennis Center

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 20

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016

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2008 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTI

Stock #14196 Sunroof, Leather, Loaded

Stock #13823, Crew, 4WD, 5.0 V8, Leather, Loaded

Stock #11753 Long Wheel Base, V8, Towing Pkg.

Stock #14019 Crew, Z71, 4x4

$1,500 down

$14,980

$25,900

$6,980

$23,980

2008 Chrysler Town 2006 GMC Sierra & Country Touring 1500 SLE 2

2011 Ford F-150 Lariat Crew

2010 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE

2006 Chevrolet 2006 Volkswagen Silverado 2500 HD LT1 Jetta TDI

Stock #14071, Leather, Rear Entertainment

Stock #104988 Crew, Z71, 4x4

Stock #13281 4WD, Eco. Boost, Like New

Stock #13636, Crewcab, Z71, Leather, Loaded.

Stock #13741, Turbo, Diesel, Sunroof, Leather

Stock #13684, Crewcab, 4 Wheel Drive

$8,980

$15,500

$7,880

$18,980

$7,980

$20,980

2008 Mini Cooper Convertible

2009 Dodge Ram 2500 SLT

2004 Ford Escape XLT

2010 Dodge Charger SE

Stock #12843 Loaded

Stock #563762, 4 Door, 4WD, Diesel, Sharp

Stock #13807, Leather, Power Package

Stock #14177, Chrome Wheels, Nice

$163* per mo.

$26,500

$4,980

$148.71* per mo.

1999 Dodge 2007 Chevrolet Dakota Club Cab Silverado 1500 LT2

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Stock #186428 4WD, V6, Ext. Cab

Stock #14018 Crew, 4x4, Leather, TV

Stock #13835 Crew, Z-71, 4x4, Loaded

$5,500

$15,980

$20,980

2011 Ford F-150 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Lariat Crew Stock #13939 4WD, Navigation, Loaded

Stock #14259 Convertible, Loaded, 56K Miles

$24,980

$9,800

2007 Chevrolet 2007 Chevy Silverado 2013 Chevrolet 1500 Classic LS Silverado 1500 LT2 Silverado 1500 LT Stock #14167 Stock #545136 4WD, Z-71, Crew, Sharp!

4WD, Ext. Cab, Z-71

Stock #14169 4WD, Ext. Cab, Loaded

$17,920

$11,980

$23,980

487 Hwy 6 Oxford, MS 38655

662-236-7773 w w w. m o o r e b r o t h e r s a u t o s . c o m

FREE 3 MONTH, 3000 MILE WARRANTY ON ALL 2004 AND NEWER VEHICLES WITH LESS THAN 150,000 MILES.