Feb. 11, 2016

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oxfordcitizen.com

Volume 2 | Issue 85

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Inside 2 News

Man's best friend really applies to OPD's unique duo

7 Business

PETRE THOMAS

Lee Earl Robinson is the pastor at Toby Tubby Creek Church. He has been serving in that role for the past 10 years.

Proper perspective Robinson offers wisdom to current generation

BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN

Pastor Lee Earl Robinson can make an hour conversation feel like just a few minutes. His personality is outgoing and engaging. Robinson is descriptive and sincere in how he speaks. The words he uses have impact without having to be shocking. His knowledge of the world, and his sense of place, is refreshingly old fashioned.

For the past 10 years, Robinson has been a minister at Toby Tubby Baptist Church. And for much, much longer than that, the Lafayette County native has been educating and leading through his actions and manners.

History is a subject that Robinson is well versed on, even the subjects that don’t get as much, or any, mention in textbooks. Through his 65 years on earth, Robinson has seen a lot of change. He graduated from Central

High School in 1969 at the age of 18. He left for Flint, Michigan immediately and returned back home a year later where he went back to school at Northwest Mississippi Community College.

“It sure is fine to visit there in the summer time, but I didn’t want to live there,” he said. “If I had stayed there in Michigan, maybe that was an opportunity I passed up. I could have been retired TURN TO ROBINSON PAGE 15

Valentine's Day revokes around planning and customer service at Mimosa.

16 Sports

It was a historic year on the pitch for girls soccer at both Lafayette and Oxford. This year’s All-Citizen soccer team features some of the state’s best players.

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 2

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OXFORD CITIZEN

A whistle and a command brought Matt Stevens in close contact with his Oxford Police Department partner Monday morning. Stevens is one of the K-9 officers for the agency, and his partner is great at detecting explosives.

“He was actually a military dog,” Stevens said of his black german shepard.

“He went to Afghanistan for two different deployments. The military evaluated the dogs and if they could still work, they made it where law enforcement could come in and sign up to get a dog and give it to law enforcement so they could use him on the street.”

Stevens, who is a native of Water Valley, has been in law enforcement for almost 10 years. He started his career with the University Police Department in August of 2006. He was there for eight years and during that time, he got paired up with a Belgian Malinois, Truss, that specialized in searching for narcotics. Truss had previously worked with Robert Langley, who was killed in the line of service in October, 2006. Stevens and Truss worked together for

Matt Stevens four years before she retired.

The best part of law enforcement for Stevens is being attached and working with his dog.

“There is so much that they can do. You can always learn from them. You have to stay on top of your game because they are trying to get by and do stuff the easy way,” he said. “They will test you.

They don’t to work any harder than they have to work. That’s why you have to stay up on their training. We do training four hours per week. It’s every Monday and it’s basic obedience, tracking, working on their order and suspect apprehension.”

Lafayette High is where Stevens graduated from in 2001. Stevens still remembers when saw an opening on the UPD’s website, and how that essentially changed his life from an occupation standpoint.

“I didn’t know anything about law enforcement.

My mother’s cousin is in

law enforcement. That’s the only police officer in my family that I knew about,” Stevens said.

“Once I started at UPD, there isn’t another job I would rather do. Even before you go to the academy, you ride for a little bit. You see what it’s about and then academy is what does it for you, I think. It’s a different lifestyle. I wasn’t the pt (physical training) person growing up. I never did a bunch of push ups. When I got down there at the academy, fitness became one of the highlights of being in law enforcement.”

Staying in shape is a big thing for Stevens, who took part in the Law Fit competition which is geared specifically for members of law enforcement. Officers are measured in how many reps they can do in bench press, while other things like an agility run are used to determine a winner.

TURN TO BEAT PAGE 8

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

PAGE 3

A desire to serve, help fueled Addy is committed to Oxford Bankhead to run for Ward 1 seat

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN

Less than a week from now, Jordan Bankhead will know for sure if his hard work, and the time spent on the campaign trail, will pay off with a spot on the Oxford Board of Aldermen. Tuesday is the special election for Ward 1, the position that Bankhead is running for. Jay Hughes is off serving the area in the state legislature after he won his election this past November.

Bankhead, an Oxford resident since 2002, never had an inkling to run for the post as long as Hughes was in office. That way of thinking changed when Hughes moved on.

“I just felt like someone needed to get in there that had planning experience and was prepared to do the kind of work we needed in order to move the city forward for the next several years,” Bankhead said. “In

PETRE THOMAS

Real estate lawyer Jordan Bankhead is running to join the Oxford Board of Alderdmen in Ward 1. The special election is Tuesday.

Ward 1, we have a lot of pressures on our neighborhoods. I was meeting with a constituent, Wendy Carmean, about a development that is literally in her back yard and looks down on them. There were some trees cut and these are just

some of the concerns that people have.”

For those aren’t exactly familiar with where Ward 1 is located, it starts at the Square and moves north up Lamar. Jefferson Avenue, TURN TO BANKHEAD PAGE 6

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Rick Addy is running for alderman for Ward I of the city of Oxford. Addy has lived in Oxford since the age of 12 and is a photographer and business owner.

Addy Photography takes school pictures for more than 85 different schools in North Mississippi, making it the largest business of its kind in the area. Addy is facing off for the aldermen seat against 39-year-old attorney Jordan Bankhead in a special election taking place Feb. 16.

Addy said that he is running for alderman out of his love for the city of Oxford. He is currently raising three children in Oxford and hopes to help the town grow in a positive direction that will leave a prosperous city for his children, if they so choose to remain here.

“Preserving the neighborhoods, but at the same time, we know we’re growing,” Addy said, when asked what he wants to focus on as alderman. “We’ve got huge developments in Ward I. We have Oxford Commons. We have a huge corridor coming out of North Lamar that we know is going to grow. We’re growing. We’ve got to be aware of all the different areas in which we’re growing. We need to make sure we’re aware of which way we need to grow in and how to keep our city moving in the right direction.”

COURTESY OF ADDY PHOTOGRAPHY

Addy has been working as a photographer in North Mississippi since he was 16, when he photographed his first wedding. He now takes photos of over 45,000 students, twice a year. About 40 percent of the money Addy Photography makes off of school pictures goes directly back into the schools. In the fall, they do yearbook photos, and in the spring, they do photos specifically to raise money for the individual schools TURN TO REALITY PAGE 9

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 4

OBITUARIES MINNIE V. BISHOP Minnie V. “Jennie” Bishop, 98, passed away Monday, Feb. 8, 2016, at her home in New Albany. The funeral service was Wednesday, Feb. 10 in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Rev. David Bishop officiating. Burial followed in Philadelphia Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Mrs. Bishop’s memory may be made to Philadelphia Baptist Church, 456 CR 255, Etta, MS 38627.

ELIZABETH HARVEY LESLIE Elizabeth Harvey Leslie, 90, passed away Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016.

The visitation will be held at First Baptist Church, Oxford, Mississippi on Feb. 17, 2016, from noon to 2 p.m. with a graveside service following at 2:30 p.m. It will be held at Oxford Memorial Cemetery with The Rev. Arnold A. Bush and Rev. Brad Burnett officiating.

Rev. Bush is a retired Episcopal Priest, serving as Interim Rector of St. Paul's, Meridian and was married to Elizabeth's first cousin for 53 years. Rev. Burnett serves as a hospice chaplain for Gentiva Hospice.

Memorials may be made to Friends of the Oxford Library, 401 Bramlett, Oxford, MS 38655 or First Baptist Church Library, 800 Van Buren Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Input from residents, business leaders key to new county plan

BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a two-part series talking with Mike Slaughter of Slaugher & Associates. He was hired by the board of supervisors to construct a new comprehensive plan for Lafayette County.

Mike Slaughter borrowed a phrase from the U.S. Army when talking about the comprehensive plan he has started on for the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors. “Be all you can be” is the key to everything. Input from the community is vital to coming up with a good plan, Slaughter said, and having every detail covered is vital moving forward.

“We need to do it in a way that is professional, prepared and easy to read and understand,” Slaughter said. “It needs to cover all the bases and can be implemented, will be implemented with community input.”

The city of Oxford is a huge part of county, and Slaughter said if you are resident of the Oxford, you’re a resident of the county.

“Those residents will not be excluded at all. Ole Miss is a major part of this county, we encourage their input. We want to hear from you,” Slaughter said.

“If there is a better way of doing things and making this a better place to live and work and shop, then we want your input.”

There are several steps in preparing the plan Slaughter was hired to produce. He said the first step is inventory. Information from the county and the state and all the federal agencies that deal with flood plain, or different types of soil that could inhibit different types of growth, are collected. Transportation plans that are stored with the Mississippi Department of Transportation will be used in crafting the plan. Of course the department heads that run the county, the public works, fire and sheriff, will also be included in

PETRE THOMAS

the inventory process.

“Then we like to get the initial involvement from the county officials, indirect and directly, and then move to the public input and if it takes more than one meeting, we’ll do whatever it takes,” Slaughter said. “At some point, we will complete a draft plan that we will circulate. At a minimum to the board of supervisors, but as they so direct. If there are other players they want us to direct it, then we certainly can.”

Slaughter made sure to emphasize that anyone who invests large amounts of money into the community, your input is wanted as well. Questions are welcomed, or will be, once the plan gets to the point that it can be presented. In order for the plan to be fine tuned, edits are going to be a part of the process.

“In the end, we want the board, as best we can, to be pleased with this plan before we recommend that they adopt it,” Slaughter said. “We will talk about the implementation tools about the plan, which are zoning ordinances and subdivision reg-

70,000 662-801-9607.

ulation, sign ordinances, historic preservation. Architecture design, landscaping, whatever.

There will be a number of implementation tools we talk about.”

By the middle of August, Slaughter was looking for the plan to be completed and ready to be put to use. If not in August, Slaughter felt by the first of September.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State may compete in the same conference in athletics, but Lafayette and Oktibbeha counties differ from a planning standpoint.

Slaughter worked with the officials in Starkville on a plan, and he said there are things that are similar and things he learned from those dealings there.

“Really though, we’re going in with Lafayette County with a clean slate. We do have our experience and knowledge of working in other areas,” Slaughter said.

“We want to be open minded.

Some of the things that Oktibbeha county are concerned with like major apartment complexes, roads that are narrow and can’t handle the traffic they are

right now, what they’re worried about there is the county has to pay for improving a road because of development pressures they couldn’t control. I know there is development pressure that spills over outside of the city limits here. I think that is the thing that will be similar even though Oktibbeha and Lafayette counties are different. Development pressure is the thing that is similar and how it physically develops and grows. We were taught in planning school that there is just the highest and best use of a piece of property. If you develop apartments in area that would have been prime for an industrial development or industrial park, you have taken that piece of property off the market for a long, long time typically.”

Good development, or the kinds of projects that enhance property values and keep taxes low, is a key part of this plan.

Keeping the sales tax strong is another vital part. That’s why having just the right amount of shopping and businesses that promote service is ideal.

“You get to keep 18 percent of the seven percent that is collected, that comes back to the city, so they can spend on police and fire protection, parks and recreation,” Slaughter said. “We want to take everything into account and to provide the best services possible.”

The thing that also needs to be protected are the two school districts that perform at a high level.

“You can go all over the state, and you don’t have to go very far from here, but you see school systems that are struggling and often times there is a direct correlation,” Slaughter said. “There are lot of blessings to be had inside the boundary of Lafayette County. Personally, I recognize those. Professionally, I recognize those. I’m excited about being a part of the future of this county.”

John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

PAGE 5

Teacher of the Year feels right at home instructing first grade

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

Kerri Greene has been selected as Oxford Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year. Greene is a first grade teacher at the school and is currently in her 17th year of teaching, all but one of those years were spent working in the Oxford School District.

Greene originally attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison but transferred to Ole Miss during her junior year. Her parents decided to retire in Oxford and when she saw the town, she fell in love. She completed her bachelor’s in elementary education and, after a year of teaching second grade in Walls, Mississippi, she returned and began teaching kindergarten at Bramlett Elementary School.

In inclusion classrooms like Greene’s, regular education students are put in the same learning environment with special education students. She said that this is her favorite style of teaching because it gives everyone in

COURTESY OF THE OXFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT.

Kerri Greene classroom,Oxford Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year, Kerri Greene, and her students and teaching assistants pose for a photo. the class the opportunity to work together towards a common learning goal and teaches the kids a lot about emotional intelligence.

“I have several different skill levels in my classroom,” Greene said. “I cannot remember ever teaching a class where I did not teach inclusion. It’s the perfect classroom situation because you have very high skill level learners as well as some learners that have some emotional or cognitive hin-

drances. When we all work together, it’s really an incredible situation. They are able learn how to work in world where everyone is an individual. That’s what I love most about it. It brings out the best in people, no matter the skill level.”

Growing up, Greene’s family moved around a bit.

She said that she was a very shy child and always hated the sound of her own voice.

When she was in the third grade, her family relocated

to just outside of Nashville and that was when she met the third grade teacher that inspired her to go into the profession, Mrs. Ball. Greene said she met Mrs. Ball when she went to register for classes and Mrs. Ball promised she would have Greene in her class.

“She was loud and boisterous and had strawberry blonde hair,” Greene said, remembering her late teacher. “She completely broke me out of my shell,

and I have no idea how she did it. Mrs. Ball just loved me. She sent me those little birthday certificates you get when you’re in school. I was a teenager when I was still getting those. She always kept in touch.”

After having Mrs. Ball as a teacher, Greene said that while she knew she wanted to be a teacher, she never had the confidence to think that she could do the job.

While attending college in Wisconsin, Greene became involved with theater and had the opportunity to work with the local children’s theater. She loved it, and she was good at it. She said it helped her to realize that she definitely wanted to be a teacher and that she actually could do it.

Greene said she has loved every class that she has taught, but that she feels very at home teaching first grade.

“I love that they’re at an age where their curiosity is really starting to spark,” she said. “Even if a child maybe hasn’t had as much background experience as another, maybe they haven’t

traveled as much or been able to do as much, they have the common background of school. They’re figuring out that this is place where if I have a question, this is where I can learn how to find the answer. Their excitement for learning and their curiosity is what makes me excited to be here.”

Amy King is the school counselor with Oxford Elementary School and has been working in the Oxford School District for over 20 years. She said that Greene is one of the best teachers she has ever worked with.

“Without a doubt, she’s one of the most patient people I have ever met,” King said. “She can work with any child. Public schools today have many different types of learners, and she can handle them all. She knows how celebrate each person and bring out the very best in them. She’s so positive to be around that she’s a role model to all of us. It’s really humbling. She might actually be an angel.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 6

Bankhead FROM PAGE 3

Elm and a small part of Martin Luther King Drive are some of the other roads that are included. Molly Barr to the Square to Highway 7 to the middle school is the heart of the district.

Bankhead talked about the rate of growth in the city and how it has impacted the area he is looking to represent.

“It had been a historic district that had been largely untouched and now we have the proposed development on North Lamar that is mixed commercial and condo. People are saying to do we really want condos next to our family homes,” Bankhead said. “These are a lot of moms and dads that are concerned about their children and their safety.”

The best way to campaign, even as Oxford has grown, is still face-toface. Bankhead has knocked on doors, and done his best to meet people in their comfort zone.

“That is where my emphasis has been. I’m also doing other things, but I go and meet with people every single day except on Sunday,” Bankhead said. “I try to catch them when they’re at home which isn’t always easy. There are a lot of retired residents and I have talked to quite a bit of them.”

Bankhead was included into the winter planning meeting discussion

by Oxford Mayor George “Pat” Patterson, which he appreciated. There were major projects discussed there, according to Bankhead, and he felt like that was good in order to get familiarized with the issues in case he does earn the victory. Some of the topics discussed involved a new police station and reconfiguring Price street and looking at West Oxford Loop.

“I feel like the aldermen are trying to catch up with infrastructure with all the growth that has gone on,” said Bankhead, who has over a decade of experience working with planning, building, developing and real estate.

“I’m for public safety. I have met with Chief (Joey) East and I support what they’re doing. They’re going to need more resources. We are going to have more challenges coming with more property crimes and unfortunately, more violent crimes. That’s something we’re seeing in Ward 1. As someone who has children, I’m hearing mothers say they never had to worry about going down the street or to the Square and there are concerns sometimes about their children doing that. I think we do need to be smart about the way we grow and make sure that it’s in a way that community comes together. I know Chief East works with community leaders to do community policing.

People need to be vigilant.”

Four years ago, Bankhead ran for the house of representatives at the state level as what he called a political novice.

“I’ve always had this heart for service. I want to help. My wife would say I was out of mind but I decided to run,” he said. “At that time, I lived in Lakeway Gardens and I decided to run for Panola County, a little part of Lafayette County and Tallahatchie County. I was running across the district and I was finding that views in Oxford didn’t always match up well with the views in Panola let alone Tallahatchie. I told my wife then that it was eye opening and that if I ever did this again, I would do it at the local level. We live in Oxford, we love this community. We have thrived here and we know people here.

There are two ways to do business, you can be out for the fast buck.

There are approximately 2,300 voters in the ward. Bankhead thought people cared enough to make it a larger turnout for a special election, but he didn’t think it would be anything like a normal election as far as voters at the poll.

“We’re banking on turnout and we’re working on get the vote out efforts. We were out this weekend and we’re getting good feedback,” Bankhead said. “I think this race has a certain character. I’m trying to build my skill set and what I’ve done in my career to bearing on this job.”

The Oxford Conference Center is the place for those in the ward to vote. The poll will be open from 7 in the morning until 7 that night.

John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Theater Oxford to debut production of "Lend Me a Tenor" Thursday

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

This Thursday, Theater Oxford is debuting its production of “Lend Me a Tenor.”

The show has been in production since early January and is under the direction of Theater Oxford Co-Founder Christopher Schager.

The play is set in a hotel room. A world famous tenor comes to stay at the hotel, but through a serious of hilarious mishaps, the tenor becomes incapacitated by a double dose of tranquilizers. The general manager of the hotel thinks they have just killed the world famous singer that was set to preform that very night. But, the show must go on, and it does.

Schager said that he is most looking forward to the challenge the play presents to the company.

“The farce and the physical challenge are what’s most exciting about it,” he said. “The cast are slamming doors and

running around the room. A lot of our cast members are playing roles that are not normally in their range, so it’s really nice to see the community theater, as a whole, push themselves.”

“Lend Me a Tenor” was written by the famous American playwright Ken Ludwig and has received critical acclaim on both Broadway and London’s West End. This particular production is dedicated in honor of Jim Shollenberger. Shollenberger was a staple of the Oxford and Ole Miss theater communities. He retired from the university in 2010 after chairing the Department of Theater Arts for 18 years. He passed away on Jan. 30 after a battle with cancer.

The show will be playing at the Powerhouse from Feb. 11-13 at 7:30 p.m. with a Sunday matinée at 2 p.m. on Feb. 14. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

PAGE 7

Valentine's Day revokes around planning, customer service at Mimosa

BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN

Behind the almost endless supply of ribbon and glitter, employees of Mimosa’s Flowers, Gifts & Gourmet huddled up to talk about the busy week ahead. Everything at the store revolves around planning and Valentine’s Day is the Super Bowl to owner Natalie Hodges. Customer service is always stressed by Hodges, but when the month of February hits the middle of the calendar, taking care of things for people is an even bigger item.

The ultimate day for a man to give flowers to a woman falls on a Sunday this year, and Hodges said that only amplifies the “wow” factor involved.

“It’s do I do early, late or on the day because we are going to deliver on Sunday. We won’t deliver until after church is out but truthfully, with a man, it’s who gets the prettiest flowers at work,” Hodges said. “They want to out do the next person. Sunday, it will have to be to homes. We will still deliver to businesses on Saturdays if they work.”

Valentine’s Day falling on a Sun-

PETRE THOMAS

Natalie Hodges, the owner of Mimosa Flowers, Gifts & Gourmet, and her staff are gearing up for Valentine's Day, which is like the Super Bowl for There is a large assortment of gifts that can be purchased to go along with pro football players. the flowers. day makes Hodges’ Monday very busy. The reason?

“The man that forgot,” she said.

“And who didn’t want it come to the house and that it has to go to work. Then she will have it all week to look at where as her girlfriends, or co workers, got it last week. He may have forgotten, but they usually spend twice what they were going to spend.”

Last minute purchases define Valentine weekends, especially with Ole Miss students. Sunday is

usually a day that Mimosa is not open.

“It’s seasonal. For rush, we are open on Sundays and things like that. We have to be open for what is going on,” Hodges said. “My friend at Kroger who runs the floral department says the day after is always really big because it’s the guy that forgot or he got mom something and he forgot the kids.

When you have little girls, it’s ‘Why didn’t I get a flower daddy?’ So he will have to run back out. I think a

lot of people think it’s going to drag because it’s on a Sunday and that they won’t do a lot of things but there are restaurants that will be open just because. When it’s on a Sunday, it’s that much more. It’s one more day.”

Next year, Valentine’s Day will be on a Tuesday because 2016 is a leap year. Hodges said there was a lot of “hustle and bustle” when it falls during the week as opposed to the weekend.

“Even last year when it was on a

Saturday, we did things on a Thursday. This year, we’re broken up onb Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so we kind of get four days to get it all in instead of being pushed and rushed to do it all in that one specific day,” Hodges added. “It’s a good thing, and a bad thing because Sunday we may stand around without anybody. We do have delivery orders already for Sunday and several TURN TO MIMOSA PAGE 8

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 8

Mimosa FROM PAGE 7

people who called last week asked if we were delivering on Sunday. I have a feeling if I would have said no, they wouldn’t have ordered.”

Hodges said that she and the other florists in town actually work together to serve the university because of the requirements that is placed on them.

“We have had to get together the last three years.

We have people sit in the

dorms to man the tables because they don’t want anything left unattended,” she said. “We’re not out to sabotage each other. We kind of all work together and we work well together all year.

We have to do this during rush each year.”

Sending flowers, to Hodges, is about the thought as oppossed to the actual day they are delivered.

“It’s not a true anniversary where you need to be day specific. Valentine’s Day can be rolled in several days,”

she said. “She can get her flowers at work on Friday, go to dinner on Saturday and then do something with the kids on Sunday. Or vice versa if the favorite restaurant is going to be open on Sunday and we’re going to actually do it on the day, which does make it a little nicer when they can celebrate on the actual day.”

Regardless of the day flowers are delivered or the night couples actually decide to spend together, Mimosa has a number of gifts that can be purchased to

make the entire occasion just right. Hodges has flower arrangements that start at $35. All the arrangements are custom made, she said.

“If she does not like roses and only likes gerbers, we will not put any roses in her arrangement,” she said.

“Some people just want that standard dozen red roses.

That is probably the top thing ordered with everybody collectively. I do have customers that are getting away from that. Some want a mix of red, white and pink.

Some of our regular customers want something different now.”

Teddy bears and chocolate and a Valentine T-shirt are some of the items that can fill up a basket. Kelli’s Cakes is assisting with the baked goods, and there are chocolate covered strawberries available as well.

“They don’t just order flowers and I don’t think there is such a thing as just a florist anymore,” Hodges said. “We have nick nacks and what nots and picture frames and chocolates and balloons and sweets on top of flowers. Sometimes it’s just a little bit of everything.

This year metallic vases are

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

PETRE THOMAS

Workers sort flowers for different arangements before Valentines Day. big and it’s first come, first serve for people that call ahead.”

More options are available for a classy Valentine’s Day thanks to more space.

Two years ago, Hodges moved to 1620 Jackson Avenue West, a half mile closer to the center of Oxford.

“I had people walk in a year ago and say ‘Yay, a florist on this side of town. I don’t get on the other side of town much and how long have you been here?’”

Hodges said. “At the time we moved, Mimosa had actually been an established business for seven years. It just shows you how road frontage and a sign makes a

difference. The foot traffic hasn’t changed. The ladies leaving Kabuki or renting a car at Enterprise, they come down and shop. Plus the college kids that go work, especially the men. They now know right next door to the gym, I can get her flowers after I work out. I can go order them before I go in, get my workout in and then go by and pick them up. It’s worked out very well.”

For more information on ordering flowers for Valentine’s Day, or any other special occasion, visit http://mimosaoxford.com. john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

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OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Beat FROM PAGE 2

“It’s for the whole nation. People come from Virginia, other parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, whoever wants to come to it,” Stevens said. “When I was at UPD, I did it three years in a row and this fourth year was my first at OPD. Basically you train all year to go there and show out.”

Beat One is where Stevens patrols mainly, but he takes his dog all over town if needed. Back when Stevens worked for UPD, he was called to assist the OPD during a search for a suspect following a wreck that took place in front of Appelebee’s. Stevens said one suspect was taken into custody, but the second was on the loose, and believed to be hiding out somehwere. That’s when Stevens got the call to assist his fellow officers.

“We started tracking and the dog went off into some kudzu and I was thinking that there was no way that he was off in there,” Stevens

said. “I was following him and when you work K-9, you have to trust your dog.

Whether you think it happened or not, you have to trust your dog and go with the flow and see what happens. We were crawling, hands and knees going through the bushes. I couldn’t get my flashlight out. My dog starts pulling on my lead. I was pulling him back trying to get the lead from being wrapped around a tree. I finally got my flashlight and there is a hispanic male laying in front of me and the dog was trying to get him. The other officers came in and get him. That was my first track where I found somebody.”

When you work with a dog, Stevens said ideal arrest involves no bite on the part of the animal. In the case of a tracking situation, Stevens added that unless the suspect has a way to escape, or a ride, they usually hunker down and avoid detection. Until he was called that night, OPD officers had been searching the area for 20 minutes. Stevens said you can’t put a price tag on the

importance of a dog.

“They do so much for you. It’s a lot training and a lot of money to take care of them and you do have vet bills and dog food but the community loves the dog and what they can do,” Stevens said. “When I’m on day shift, I’m going to the schools or a church group and showing them what the dog can do. I don’t think you can put a price tag on them.”

To put in perspective how specialized Stevens’ dog is, he is the only animal that can detect explosives between Tupelo and the metro DeSoto County area. When other agencies need help in such a situation, Stevens is there ready to help.

“Batesville called the other day. The state fire marshall also has a bomb dog, but he is all over the state so it may be an hour, two hours, three hours away,” Stevens said. “If someone at the university calls or someone in Ecru, or Water Valley needs it, we can be there to help.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

PAGE 9

Addy FROM PAGE 3

participating.

If elected, Addy plans on keeping up the spirit of giving back to the community by donating 100 percent his alderman salary to Oxford charities and nonprofits. He said that he has no particular organizations in mind, but, ideally, each check would go to a different local cause. Addy said that he plans to sit with his wife and three children and decide where to donate each check.

The main part of Addy’s campaign has been him getting out into the community and meeting as many people in

Ward I he possibly can. He said he’s knocked on 90 percent of the doors in Ward I and has tried to be in every neighborhood.

“From a two minute conversations to the two and a half hour conversations, I’ve gotten such positive reactions. It’s just been fun,” Addy said. “I’ve heard people in politics say ‘I hate going door to door.’ I thought the same thing at first, until I got going and started actually speaking with people. I could really see what a great town this is. People love this town. They’re committed to this town. I’m committed to this town.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 10

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Year of the Geezer $3.2 million in ad dollars. And speaking of Old School, what could be more throwback, more anti-dab, more 1970 than drinking Budweiser? It’s your father’s beer.

It’s a brand advertised with a horse-drawn carriage and a firehouse dog. In a craft beer world of flavors and fruit, Budweiser is Geezer Juice, a non-cute, blue collar brew; a perfect fit for Peyton Manning and the entire city of Omaha, Nebraska. (If you don’t get the “Omaha” reference, ask a football fan).

Peyton has his late career championship and his Hall of Fame status is more than secured. He turns 40 next month and many pundits and fans assume he will retire, owing not only to his Super Bowl win, but also to his various injuries.

Why not go out on top? With his non-flashy ways, business-like approach and throwback haircut, Peyton seems out of touch with today’s feelings-on-sleeve social media, like a novel in a Snapchat world.

Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers are to be commended, not only for their sterling season, losing only one regular season game, but for the youthful excitement they brought to the stadium.

Seeing the awe on young fans’s faces as they received those touchdown footballs brought a wel-

Jim Dees Tales of the Town

eyton Manning, at age 39, becomes the oldest quarterback to win the Super Bowl; Bernie Sanders is a political hero to millions at age 74 and for the first time, “old” music (catalog sales) sold more than new music in 2015. Even cassette tapes and flip phones are said to be coming back. What’s going on here? Has America, notorious for youth worship and age derision, become enamored of life’s golden years?

Could we be teetering on the threshold of the Year of the Geezer?

Generational lines were drawn for last Sunday’s Super Bowl which was the second-most watched ever, now in its 50th year. Pot-stirring sportswriters ginned up click bait for their websites by painting the Big Game as one pitting the young, cheery Cam Newton and the selfie-taking, dab-dancing Carolina Panthers against Old School Peyton Manning and the all-business Denver Broncos. As usual with Big Media, the truth wasn’t so stark. Many fans (this one included) appreciated the great sea-

P

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"Budweiser is Geezer Juice, a perfect fit for Peyton Manning and the entire city of Omaha." son the Panthers had and the exuberance for the game they showed.

I was a bigger fan of their giving away football souvenirs to young fans than I was of their posing for team photos before the final whistle or their interminable touchdown dances.

Let the record show the Broncos pretty much put the whip on the Panther’s nae nae.

Many fans of a certain age adhere to the late Bear Bryant’s admonition: “When you get to the

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Newton noted that he had received hate mail for his on-field histrionics and he suggested some of it might be rooted in his being African-American. He’s probably right.

Part of growing older is resistance to change or new ideas. If I didn’t appreciate the Panthers’s dance moves, there were millions of young fans who did and you can bet the NFL honchos took notice.

In the coming years, if your team can’t cop some creative moves, or star in a video, they may find themselves lost in cyberspace, a team in search of a trend.

Forbes magazine reports that the eight-ounce glass Coke bottle turns 100 this year and the soft drink giant is already pushing sales by “using nostalgic messaging to encourage shoppers to purchase bottles not only for themselves, but also for friends, family and coworkers.”

If eight-ounce glass bottles can make a come-back in our supersize, plastic-driven world, hold on to your knickers. Anything is possible, even cassette tapes. Maybe even scoring touchdowns and casually flipping the ball to the ref before trotting back to the bench.

Hurray for the Geezers! This Bud’s for you – if you can drink on your medication.

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OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

PAGE 11

Martin Mesecke Tupelo/Oxford Cell: 662.771.1155 Office: 662.842.3844

Email: martin@tmhomes.com 326 Winners Circle MLS#133892

Thaddeus Hooper

Oxford - Steeplechase is a great place to be a homeowner. It's the only gated development in Oxford where you can get 1.53 acre lots, a brand new home in a great subdivision on the west side of town. The lot sits on top of a hill on a wooded lot in a private area. The home features granite countertops, walk in closets, stainless steel appliances, tall ceilings, and a concrete driveway. The majority of the living space is on the ground floor with a bonus room located on upper floor. The professionally landscaped property features an outdoor wood burning fireplace that will truly make you feel at home. $399,900. Call Martin Mesecke – 662-715-1111

2039 W Wellsgate

MLS#134156

Oxford - Majestic 2-story home in Wellsgate subdivision.

Home has views of the lake across the street. 4BR/3.5BA. Formal dining room leads to a spacious kitchen w/ granite counters which opens to the Great Room w/ cathedral ceiling & fireplace. Lg deck surrounded by fruit trees sits through French doors of the Great Room. Finished basement w/ sauna, wired for media, plumbed for a bathroom; built as a safe/storm room. Master bedroom & 1 bedroom on first floor. 2nd has 2 bedrooms, media/family room & potential art studio/office. Call 662.234.5344

Sadie Smith

Tupelo/Oxford Cell: 662.678.3033 Office: 662.842.3844

Oxford Cell: 601.934.0572 Office: 662.234.5344

Email: sadie@tmhomes.com

Email: thaddeus@tmhomes.com

Paula Crum

Oxford Cell: 662.701.7789 Office: 662.234.5344

Email: paula@tmhomes.com CR 430

MLS#134789

Oxford - These 2 parcels of wooded acreage (225-21001.00 @12 acres); (224-20-004.00 @134.5 acres) includes +/- 0.75 mile of road frontage on CR 430, just past CR 445 for a total of 146.5 acres of untouched nature. Whether a farm or home site or your private place to hunt. You must see this beautiful countryside.

Just a few miles from Lafayette County High School. $366,250. Call Paula Crum – 662.701.7789

Hwy 278

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Oxford - Over 22 acres of Prime Development Property on south side of Hwy 6, where University Ave ends. Ideal for commercial development of hotel/resort, retail, or office complex. Does not include the 3.8 acre homesite tract on North side of Hwy 6 that is part of this tax parcel. $3,200,000.

Call Mark Prince-662-871-1971.

PAGE 12

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Kaye Ladd

Broker, Trainer and Recruiter Oxford Cell: 662.891.5837 Office: 662.234.5344 Email: kaye@tmhomes.com

PAGE 13

Blake Thompson Oxford Cell: 662.801.7014 Office: 662.234.5344

Email: blake@tmhomes.com

Nicole Cain Wright Oxford Cell: 662.617.5744 Office: 662.234.5344

Email: nicolec@tmhomes.com 300 Thacker Loop

MLS#134771

Oxford - Fantastic home in Thacker Heights, sits on a corner lot with a picket fence and nice yard. it's located in a quiet neighbor hood with a great floor plan. Fireplace and 2 sky lights in the living room. There is an eat in bar between the kitchen and dining room. a great starter home or weekend home.

Call 662.234.5344

308 West Veterans Ave MLS#135328

Calhoun City - Great starter home! Corner lot.

3 bedroom, 2 bath, with spacious rooms and hardwood floors in all bedrooms. 2 car carport. Lot features mature shade trees. Partial basement with additional crawlspace. $110,000.

Call Nicole Cain Wright – 662-617-5744.

Polina Wheeler

Weesie Biedenharn

Email: polina@tmhomes.com

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Oxford Cell: 662.401.4632 Office: 662.234.5344

Oxford Cell: 662.638.5332 Office: 662.234.5344

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 14

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

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Oxford - Beautiful home in a cozy popular Oxford neighborhood. The home features open and bright floor plan with high vaulted and arched ceilings and hard wood lamented floors in the living and dining areas with a gas log fireplace, and 3 bedrooms all on one level. Two walk-in closets. Breakfast Nook. There is a screened porch for casual entertaining, and a large backyard that is to be soon professionally landscaped

by Seller. A 2 car attached garage. This is a clean, welcoming and vacant home. Call 662.234.5344

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OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

PAGE 15

PETRE THOMAS

Pastor Lee Robinson is happy to talk about Black History Month, but wishes that the month isn't the only talk about contributions from members of the black community.

Robinson FROM PAGE 1

from General Motors drawing a big check and all that kind of stuff. Even when I was there, I realized that money wasn’t everything. I would rather be a broke happy man than a rich miserable man.”

Perspective is something that Robinson has in abundance. He said that young people now get out of school and they have no idea about a career.

“It seems like all they want to do is just get by. I wish all people, not just black people, would work to try and improve their lives,” Robinson said. “I wish we could instill in them some core values in their lives. I want to see people try and prosper even if they don’t. Try to achieve something even if everybody is not going to make it.”

Robinson talked about his upbringing and added that children need to know how their parents were raised.

“Our parents taught us the alphabet and how to add and subtract the best that they could.

Many of them didn’t have much schooling,” Robinson said who

also used like pride and work ethic and self respect. “Parental education is a thing that we are suffering for. I’m not degrading about our children today. I think we as a people, and I don’t just mean black people but all people, we need to spend more time in letting our children know where we come from. I think society has really become to accept a lot of stuff that really isn’t moral. I think our government, as a whole, along with the clergy, need to start to bring this whole United States back a more meaningful moral spectrum than what they got. People are beginning to think that anything is acceptable now.”

One of the things Robinson isn’t keen on is passing children off that have a harder time in the classroom. When Robinson was going through school, he said the teachers would work hard to get the child through.

“Right now, if the child is slow, they take them and put them in the alternative school and that child is marked for life,” Robinson said. “He may not have the academic ability but he may the mechanical ability to do stuff. When he gets out of school, they see he doesn’t get a diploma any more

and just gets a cerftificate and that has branded that child for life. There are some who did not excel academically but they found a trade and something they could do. We had some undisciplined people when I was coming through school but they didn’t expel them unless they did something awfully bad.”

Discipline in the classroom was expected in Robinson’s day, and he didn’t want to make a mistake there because he would get it at home as well.

“If there was such a thing as as abuse, then my daddy abused me but it kept me out of jail. I’ve never been jail. I got a few speeding tickets that he didn’t know anything about because I paid them myself,” Robinson said. “My father told me that if I ever went to jail, I was going to sit there and that he wasn’t coming to get me if it was something I had done. If I was caught up in a situation when you hanging around the wrong crowd or a victim of circumstance, he might get me out one time, but he taught me to stay away from those kind of people. I believed him. Right now, the situation in our schools, the students are disciplining the teachers. There

was no such thing as talking back to a teacher and the problem has gotten so bad that it bothers me. When a teacher tries to discipline or say something about doing wrong, they call their parents and they come down and curse the teacher out.

If my child is doing something wrong, discipline my child and then tell me about it. And I’ll discipline them again.”

When it comes time to talk Black History Month, Robinson wished that February wasn’t the only time that people learned about the contributions of black people on the American way of life.

“I’m glad that there is a Black History Month, even if that’s the only time that the United States or the world as a whole wants to pick out a small segment of the year to learn about black history,” Robinson said. “I think it’s a segreated situation because black history is around us everyday. You look at the stop lights. A black man invented that. You look at open heart surgery, a black man did that. If you look at cell phones, many people don’t tell you, but a black man invented that. There are number of things that black people

played a part in that people take for granted. I am thankful there is a Black History Month, but I also don’t think black history should be singled out for just one month. I think it ought to be taught more. In our history books, you read about Columbus and you talk about all the different explorers but how often is George Washington Carver mentioned except during black history?

“I understand that there were others who made contributions but because they were under slavery they were considered property of the slave owners and they would get credit for whatever came off his plantation. If this is the only time we’ve got to reflect on where we came from, I think we ought to rejoice at that. At the same time, just as other history is being taught, that when we mention other people, black people should be recorded also. Print the real history in the books about Jim Crow laws so that when you’re studying history, you can study the entire history instead of just a segment of it.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

PAGE 16

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

John Davis Sports Editor

February may be small, but it's packed full of sports

ebruary may be small in the amount of days but it’s packed full of sports action and events to cover that are long lasting. National Signing Day is literally an all-day affair. Players that live in places like Florida can sign and fax in their letters even before most people here in Mississippi are functioning let alone at work.

It’s not uncommon for our local high school standouts to sign all over the state, and this year was no exception. Lafayette had three pairs of Commodores head to Northeast, Coahoma and East Mississippi to play community college football. That included linebacker Quin Jones and running back Tyrell Price (EMCC) and wide receiver Rashaun Rockette and safety Zeke Liggins (NECC) and wide receiver Juwan Kinds and linebacker Keontre Toles (Coahoma).

Eli Johnson is off to play center at Ole Miss, while defensive end Vincent Lewis was able to land at Pearl River. That produced enough stories to fill up a section. Oxford was just as busy. Quarterback Jack Abraham and tight end Zach Cousar are headed to play at Louisiana Tech. Offensive lineman Tag Gatlin is off to Mississippi College. Defensive end Korbin Harmon chose to stay close and continue his pursuit of a scholarship at Ole Miss.

Then there were three scholarships signed at Lafayette for soccer. Alley Houghton is headed to Ole Miss. She signed on her birthday, which made the whole affair even more special. Ana Branch and Nikki Kesler will stay together at Itawamba CC. Oxford’s Zoe Scruggs is the only one of a talent bunch of seniors to move on to the next level. She will be playing at Delta State.

Signing Day is never complete without drama, both in a good and bad way. Ole Miss landed Starkville’s talented wide receiver, AJ Brown, in the morning. The QB Club was hosting its annual party at the Oxford Conference Center. It erupted when Brown made his choice for the Rebels, instead of Alabama or even Mississippi State, which he said didn’t do a great job of recruiting him.

Hugh Freeze was unable to go the entire day without disappointment, however. Noxubee County defensive end Jeffrey Simmons picking MSU was a big blow, and much larger than losing out for Jonathan Kongbo.

Nobody gets all they want was the message.

And it’s hard to be upset with a signing class that is ranked anywhere from No. 4 to No. 7 in the nation. Even bigger than the rankings

F

TURN TO FEBRUARY PAGE 20

PETRE THOMAS

Members of the 2016 Oxford Citizen soccer include, front row, from left, Lafayette's Nikki Kesler, Rachel Watkins, Alley Houghton, Oxford's Ally Shinall, Jordyn Repka and Zoe Scruggs and back row, from left, Kirkland Pruitt, Emma Wilson, Maddy Houghton, Oxford's Bailey O'Connor, Moran O'Connor and Anna Dennis.

All-Citizen Soccer Special group highlights special season

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

It was a historic year on the pitch for girls soccer at both Lafayette and Oxford. Both teams played for the state championships in their respective classes. On the same day. Oxford won its first title in the sport to make the day even sweeter.

Oh, and Alley Houghton became the all-time leader in goals scored in the history of Mississippi soccer. She also signed with Ole Miss on her birthday.

The 2015-16 season was indeed memorable. From both teams winning 20 games to the two classic head-to-head matchups, the Lady Chargers and Lady Commodores made soccer a lot of fun.

This year’s All-Citizen soccer team features some of the state’s best players. Anna Dennis, sisters Morgan and Bailey O’Connor, Ally Shinall, Zoe Scruggs and Jordyn Repka represent Oxford. Dennis and Bailey O’Connor are juniors. Shinall is a sophomore.

Scruggs and Repka are seniors.

Leading Lafayette is another sister combo, Alley and Maddy Houghton.

Nikki Kesler, Emma Wilson, Rachel Watkins and Kirkland Pruitt represent the Lady Commodores. Kesler, Alley Houghton and Watkins were seniors.

Pruitt was a junior, Maddy Houghton and Wilson were sophomores.

“Each one of them have special traits in and of themselves and when you put them together collectively, they can do do some special things,” Lafayette coach Melinda Scruggs said.

“I think they are all well deserving of getting on the team.”

Oxford’s Lady Chargers were coach

by Hunter Crane, who was able to bring together a group and make them very close, just like sisters. His best scorer, Morgan O’Connor, finished with 27 goals, including the game-winner in the 5A title match. Not bad for anyone let alone a player who still technically isn’t even in high school.

“It’s really not as big of a surprise.

I’ve known Morgan and her family since they got to Oxford. For her to be the focal point of the offense like she was was very special,” Crane said.

“She’s a hard worker who is very humble. That’s all you can ask for from your players. She doesn’t get star struck or a big head. She is always looking to get her teammates involved in a play and things like that. She was clutch down the stretch for us and she was a very important factor in our championship run.”

Alley Houghton finished the season with 65 goals scored, her second best

overall effort in high school. The Lady Commodores were one of the top offensive teams in the state, and they finished with a 20-3 overall mark as well as with the MHSAA Class 4A north state title.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more from any of them in the past two years,” Scruggs said. “To at least get there and be in second is pretty darn awesome as well considering all the competition we have in this state. It’s hard to do back-to-back. I do think we were up for the challenge and we at least got ourselves there. We played a very good team, but that doesn’t take anything away from what we have accomplished so far at Lafayette. They put in so much hard work, effort, time in the effort to get themselves back there. And we were able to achieve that.”

Scruggs, who played her college soccer at Ole Miss, is very familiar with the Oxford players. She and Crane get along well, and she was very happy for what the Lady Chargers accomplished this season.

“I am so thrilled for a few things.

One, to see these kids develop from 10 or 12 years old when I first met a lot of them on the club scene or at OPC,” TURN TO SOCCER PAGE 21

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

PAGE 17

Rebels land versatile TE from Florida's West Coast

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Ole Miss gave Jacob Mathis his first college offer. Hugh Freeze, and tight ends coach Maurice Harris, are both hoping that Mathis can turn out to be as productive as Evan Engram has been at the spot in the future. Mathis will get his chance to impress when he arrives in the summer. He chose the Rebels over a number of other offers including Michigan, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Dominick Ciao coached Mathis at Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Florida.

He saw the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Mathis develop from just a good athlete on the football field and into a standout player, and a true threat in the passing game.

“I know that Ole Miss has had sincere interest for a long time and what they do offensively really fits what Jacob does well so that was really one of the intriguing parts of being there,” Ciao said adding that the school Mathis signed with had to be just the right fit. “It’s a great coaching staff at Ole Miss. He felt very impressed with all the coaches. Jacob is over 6-4, closer to 6-5 and he played about 232. He basically can be as big as he needs to be. He’s a move guy, an H-back

KNOW YOUR RECRUIT

Jacob Mathis guy and I think that’s what intrigued him about the offense of Ole Miss.”

This past season, Mathis averaged 17.4 yards per catch. And since he’s been playing at the varsity level, Ciao said Mathis has not dropped any balls.

“It’s amazing. He catches the ball away from his body and there are only a few guys relative to me that have done as tremendous of a job catching the ball away from their bodies,” Ciao said. “I think that is one of his special traits. He’s physical. He’s hard to bring down. I’m not a big stat guy, but ever since his freshman year, he’s averaged right at 15 yards per catch. For us we were able to split him out as a

COURTESY

Ole Miss signed tight end Jacob Mathis, middle, on Feb. 3. Mathis is one of the nation's top players in the nation, who was a very reliable target for his high school team at Berkley Prep in Tampa, Florida. wideout and a slot like guy.”

The connection to Ole Miss really started when Mathis attended the Rebels’ win over Mississippi State in 2014. He came for camp and then the weekend before National Signing Day, Mathis, an ESPN Top 300 prospect, returned to Oxford with a host of other top recruits.

“His words were that it was an awesome visit when he got back and that he was fully impressed with everything,” Ciao said. “From academics, to the facilities, to the players and the coaches, he just

loved everything about Ole Miss.

When he came the first time, he went with quite a few of his teammates and they just loved the special day there.”

This past season, Mathis was named to the Associated Press Class 3A second team on offense in Florida. He started all four years, in football and in basketball, Ciao said.

“He’s been a great leader for us and been a tremendous worker,” he added. “He had close to 50 catches this year for us. We were a Power I team so we didn’t wing it

all over the place. We even played him in the backfield a little bit because he is physical and because he has great, natural strength. I think he has a tremendous upside because he’s gone from football to basketball and then to basketball in the summer. He’s never really been in the weight room or even been a one-sport guy that does it all year around. I think he will have tremendous growth just playing one sport now.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

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PAGE 18

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Special shooter Sandroni shares unique bond with Chargers, Tyler

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

The night of January 15, 2016 is one that Christopher Sandroni will never forget.

The Oxford Chargers were playing New Hope at home.

Sandroni hit three straight 3-pointers, scoring the first nine points of the game. It was his father’s birthday, and a special moment for him to share with his mother who was watching up in the stands.

“I felt him. When I hit that third 3 in a row, I looked up in the stands at my mom and we looked at each other. That was for him,” Sandroni said about his father Stan, who passed away the September before his junior season got going.

“That is the game that I will always remember. It felt special.”

Sandroni is a special member of the Chargers.

Simply put, they love the player better known as “Tojo.” The team was there to support him in his biggest time of need, when he was hurting and looking to make sense of his loss.

“He brings a lot to the team shooting wise and character, too. He keeps everyone up, and we have to keep him up, to keep shooting the ball,” said Jarkel Joiner, the team’s leading scorer. “We were all there for Tojo, being brothers and

teammates. We spend time with Tojo and ask him how he’s doing. Sometimes we go to his house and talk to him. He’s doing good. That’s him, he’s growing up. He rolled with it.”

Joiner added that he likes when Sandroni gets animated on the court. It’s a sign to Joiner, and the other Chargers, to feed him the ball.

“When he makes those 3s and gets fired up, he fires the entire team up,” Joiner said.

“He brought a lot to the table when (DK) Metcalf was gone and we didn’t have all the guards that we have with us now. I’m glad Tojo is doing well and having his brothers on the basketball team, he talks to us.

He lets us know what is going on, instead of keeping us out. He has confidence.”

Drew Tyler has coached Sandroni for years, and known him for his entire life. He’s seen tremendous growth from his fiery sharpshooter, which is very pleasing since this is his last season playing the sport that he picked to focus on when he was leaving middle school.

“He’s gone from just being one of the pieces of the puzzle to completing the puzzle,” Tyler said. “His ability to shoot from the perimeter is definitely a part of offensive game plan, night in and night out. Early into the sea-

PETRE THOMAS

Oxford senior guard Christopher Sandroni has had a special year from a shooting and leadership standpoint. son, he was averaging five 3s a game, which is unheard of.

The thing about Christopher is that he’s a streaky shooter. You just don’t know when that on time is. And it has been on a lot more consistent.”

A more business like approach to shooting, and playing, was the difference in the role that Sandroni has played for the Chargers, who will host Senior Night against Coldwater tonight.

“He really improved his game in the preseason and the summer. He just had a more serious approach and it’s rubbed off on his teammates so he’s been a senior leader, too,” Tyler said.

“When we talk about team bonding, Christopher holds us together. When it’s time to lighten the mood, he knows how to do it. When it’s time to get serious, he knows how to do it.

“He has stepped up and

not only been a senior leader through his performance, but off the court, too.

That shows what kind of person he is,” Tyler added.

“He is constantly asking people how they are and he wants to help others. That’s a trait that is becoming extinct in today’s world, a person that is putting himself aside to help others. In return, his teammates give him the same treatment and attention back to him.”

There have been games where the opposing coach has centered the game plan around stopping Sandroni, and Oxford’s 3-point shooters overall, Tyler said. It’s a tremendous complement, and just another sign of what this senior year has meant to Sandroni.

“Coach Tyler believed in me. He kept pushing me.

Ever since my father passed, he’s been like a second father figure to me,” Sandroni said. “Him pushing me has paid off this year. Even though I’m in a slump now, it’s just been a blessing and it’s been because of Coach Tyler.”

Sandroni added that he felt his father looking down at him during games. It’s been an adjustment not having his father at everything anymore because he always was, even when he was a freshman and maybe in for just a minute of action due to all the veterans

ahead on the roster.

“It’s hard not to go over what I did good or what I did wrong during the game and talk about it when I got home,” Sandroni said. “It’s just different.”

Once the basketball season started a little more than a month after his father passed is when Sandroni noticed his head coming back around.

“I was back with my team, my brothers. They were there for me,” Sandroni said.

“They have meant a lot to me. You can’t even imagine.”

Oxford hosts the Division 2-5A Tournament this next week. It’s postseason, do or die in almost every way, moving forward. Sandroni, who added that his senior season has gone by too fast, felt like the Chargers were up to the challenge, and ready to play West Point for the third time on Tuesday.

“I think we can definitely make a run. We haven’t been playing our best ball.

Everyone in our division is real balanced,” Sandroni said. “The fact that we at least get another shot at West Point, it’s hard to beat a team three times in a year.

We’re going bring it at them and do our best to come out with the victory. I want to see this place loaded, packed this next week.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

Oxford's cheerleaders take fifth in national competition

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Oxford cheerleaders may not have been as peppy as normal walking around the halls of the high school on Wednesday. Don’t blame them, they had a whirlwind of last five days and a very focused competition to take part in.

Months of hard work paid off for the Lady Chargers as they took fifth place in the Universal Cheerleader Association’s Game Day competition held at Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports. It was the first time that Oxford traveled to Florida to take part in the event, which is noteworthy alone.

“There were nine finalists there while we were competing, but you had to qualify into by winning and placing in a regional which we did

in October,” said Oxford coach Allison Wally with a big smile on her face. “Even just going to nationals, that was our goal to qualify. And to place is huge. We’ve worked very hard.”

Dedication to doing well was the key to the success this season, Wally said.

“We had a long talk at the beginning of the year this year and we said that we had to commit to this and be present at practice,” she added. “We set a certain schedule and they knew they had to be there and that they could do all their extra stuff on the other days. They stuck with it, and they wanted it.

Their desire and their commitment got it done.”

The cheerleaders were graded on difficulty, and routine. The Game Day competition is more of a fa-

vorite, Wally said, because it focuses in on what they are best at, which is leading and pumping up a crowd.

“We have signs and getting them to yell with us, which is cheerleading is supposed to be about,” Wally said. “That’s really what the competition is. I think we fed off the crowd’s energy. Our parents were really, really into us. When we hit the stage, they were there for us and I think when they felt that from the crowd, the girls got more and more into it.”

Oxford’s competition day was this past Sunday. They also took part in a different event the day before. They did get a couple of days in Disney park, and a few hours on days they competed.

COURTESY

John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

Oxford's cheerleaders finished fifth in the national competition held at Disney World's Wide World of Sports this past weekend.

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

PAGE 19

Sensational seniors Lafayette has talent, experience in 2016

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Talent rules every sport, but there is no substitute for experience. Lafayette’s softball team has both, and coach Katie Jenkins upbeat about her five seniors and what they bring to the mix.

Three of them — Emily Robinson, Kylie Glass and Hope Patton — have been with the varsity squad since they were in the eighth grade.

Robinson has been a starter since then, Glass was on the roster that whole spring, while Patton was inserted into the lineup after the middle school year came to an end.

“They are definitely veterans of the program and they know the routine of everything out there,” Jenkins said.

The other two seniors, Shelbi Buford and Bailey Purvis, came to the team under a little different circumstances. Purvis joined as a ninth grader, while Buford came out when she was a junior.

“It’s like having the most seasoned players I’ve ever had with experience and then talent,” Jenkins said.

“The year before was hard when we lost eight of them at a one time because if felt like you lost the whole core of a team. It’s like having kids that you have raised from the get go. It’s a little more difficult to think what it will like without them.”

That moment can wait a few more months as Jenkins still has an entire season left to play with the group she has coached since she arrived on campus.

What she likes about her seniors, outside of their ability, is the leadership they bring to the table. She has seen each of them tutoring a younger player, helping pass the tradition down the line.

“They understand that they can teach and they can help and mentor and show and I see a lot more leadership out of them,” Jenkins said. “Hitting wise, we as coaches don’t have to be at every station all the time. I can look up and see my

PETRE THOMAS

Lafayette softball seniors Bailey Purvis, Emily Robinson Kylie Glass and Hope Patton as well as Shelbi Buford, not pictured, are the players that coach Katie Jenkins is counting on this season. seniors are helping my ninth grader. They are saying ‘This is what she means.’ I see a lot more mentorship out of this group than I have from others in the past. I’ve seen a lot more of the younger ones mix with the younger ones. I’m not sure if they hang out or anything, but I have seen a lot more of them be around in small groups.”

What the mentorship means to Jenkins is a sign that the team could be better. The Lady Commodores are still young from a pitching standpoint, but freshman Lauren Jean Rives did pitch a lot as an eighth grader. Chloe Russell, a ninth grader, pitched some at Oxford. Jenkins felt like she could help on top of some others, including Madisyn Cobbs, a seventh grader who caught the eye of Jenkins during tryouts.

“She could get some pitching time in there and

she will definitely throw every JV game,” Jenkins said who agreed that all her pitchers will garner time in the circle the first few weeks. “I’ve told them before it’s who hits their spots and who can take the pressure on the field and think that’s where Lauren Jean and Chloe, with the experience of playing at Oxford last year, have a little bit more on the other two because they have experienced that pressure.”

Two seasons ago, the Lady Commodores had a team that competed for the 4A north state title title and Jenkins felt this year’s group was more like that bunch overall.

“That’s the one I would compare it to. This one has a lot of speed in it and we’ve picked up some other girls who joined their junior year. I think we have speed for the short game and then still have the big hits,” Jenkins said. “We have more

balance through the lineup.”

Pontotoc has joined the Lady Commodores in the division race. Senatobia, New Albany and Ripley are the other teams that will compete to gain a spot in the playoffs. Senatobia lost a lot from the 2015 season and are much younger across the board. Jenkins felt like the race was open, but very competitive.

“I think it’s one of the toughest divisions I have ever coached in,” she said.

“You always have to play at your best. You never have that one game that’s a breather. We can compete with them if our pitching and our communication on the field is there. The drive these girls have, I see them being able to compete.”

Robinson, who signed on to play with Jones Junior College, is the heavy hitter in the lineup along with Patton, who his headed to

play at ICC. Jenkins felt like Glass would be in the leadoff position.

“Either Hope will be right before Emily or right after, those three are the ones I’m looking at offensively,” Jenkins said. “Usually, Hope does better being ahead of Emily. You can never tell. It might be a nutter flop with them. In between that is where I see Bailey Purvis and Shelbi. Both have worked on a left handed stuff this year and slapping and both of them mixed in with the speed and those three big bats.”

Glass will mostly be at first base, Jenkins said.

Robinson will play shortstop. Patton is set at catcher.

Buford is at second, while Purvis is in left field. Cylie Robertson is likely the third baseman. Mariah Holland is back in center. T “Third and right field are still a toss up right now,” Jenkins said. “I told them the other day on the field

that it would be hard to pick nine defensive players because they were all really good. But I need the ones that can bat. So in the end, who is going to show me that can get the hits because defense doesn’t win the game. We have to win offensively, so I need nine of you that can hit.”

Xhiir Burgess is another name to keep an eye on from an offensive standpoint. She will be the designated hitter, a role she filled last year, and she has a lot of power to provide.

There are two new coaches helping out this year. Lee Gray is the new hitting coach, replacing Greg Lewis who is now leading the baseball team.

Jenkins praised his job, saying the Lady Commodores really like him. Carlie Wilkerson is also assisting along with Cathy Worley.

John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 20

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Golsan ready to deliver for Rebels at first base

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

It doesn’t matter to Ole Miss sophomore Will Golsan where he plays, as long as he is on the field at Oxford-University Stadium. A season after playing second for head coach Mike Bianco, Golsan will be the new first baseman for the Rebels in 2016. He will replace Sikes Orvis at the position that usually features a larger player.

“Wherever they need me to go, I’ll go anywhere in the lineup. If it’s at first base, if it’s in the outfield, I’m ready play,” he said as the Rebels got spring practices going.

Playing baseball is in Golsan’s blood. When you live in New Hope, and you’re a Trojan, baseball is life.

“Our coach, Lee Boyd, told us to go have fun everyday and be great out there,” Golsan said adding that his background with the sport helped his talent which led to success as a freshman. “I think the state of Mississippi and the baseball programs here are great.

A lot of people come D-1 out of Mississippi. It’s a good state to play baseball in. I do think a little of that got me ready for this. Other than that, it’s just hard work.”

It was hard for Golsan to put a grade on his 2015 season. He did think that he learned things, and took to his role well. He ended up playing in 53 games, starting 45 and hitting .290 with 26 RBIs. “I tried to be who I could be out there and I think I did a pretty good job of just staying in the moment,” Golsan said. “Once I got in there and got the feel for it, I felt like I could do it. Repetition got me ready for the rest of the season.”

Baseball America was the only national poll that gave the Rebels even a little respect, placing them at No. 24 in the preseason. Golsan said a little respect was good, and added that even though the team has some young pitchers, he thought they

February FROM PAGE 15

is the fact that eight of the 24 signees are already in school and can participate in spring drills.

That’s a huge plus as Freeze and his staff work to keep the program in top-level bowl games, and competing for the biggest championships in the sport.

Of course signing day didn’t just end with Freeze’s press conference.

Lafayette and Oxford played soccer that night at home. Both won to advance to last Saturday’s state championship matches that were

PETRE THOMAS

First base will be Will Golsan's new position for the Ole Miss Rebels. He played second base last year as a freshman. were ready for the challenge.

“I think the veterans coming back, position player wise, we know what is expected and we know what we can do for this program,” Golsan said. “I think the respect is good, but we still have things to improve. I want to com-

pete on the field and to help my team do whatever our goals are which are 40 wins, SEC championship, regional, super regional, national championship. That’s our main goals for the season.”

Two years ago, the Rebels broke through and advanced to the Col-

lege World Series. Golsan wasn’t a part of that club, but he said the team talks about making Omaha, Nebraska to play in the CWS. “We talk about it just about everyday in the weight room. Our goals are to get back there and compete and the talk around here

played at Madison Central. It was a significant moment for both. The Lady Commodores were looking to win a second straight title, while the Lady Chargers had never played for a title.

Only Oxford took home the trophy as Lafayette went down to West Lauderdale in the first match of the day. It was an amazing season for all four soccer teams. All four made the playoffs and continued to take steps as programs.

High school basketball will dominate the second half of the month. The Chargers and Lady Chargers will host the 2-5A tournament this next week, and tour-

nament basketball is a lot of fun to watch. In his first year leading the Lady Chargers, Cliff Ormon led Oxford’s girls to a regular season title. Impressive for sure.

Oxford’s Chargers have always risen to the occasion in the postseason under Drew Tyler, so it’s going to be an interesting few weeks to see how all of it plays out.

Lafayette will be off to play in Ripley. The Lady Commodores finished second behind Byhalia in 24A play. Shaniyah and Shelbi Buford are both formidable scorers, and Orianna Shaw has come on to be a much more complete player for Shayne Linzy. And don’t

count out the Commodores when John Sherman is on the sideline.

His knowledge of the game can turn a close encounter into a win for sure.

February wouldn’t be set without baseball and softball. And not just at the high school level, either.

Ole Miss softball has already started the year, while the Diamond Rebels are set to host Florida International next weekend at Oxford-University Stadium. Bigger things are expected for both teams this year. Mike Smith, who leads the softball team, is thinking regionals.

Bianco is surely hoping to host

is that we know we can do it and that we are going to do it,” he said.

Learning curve (subhead) As for playing first base, Golsan said there were more things for him to learn, and that it was a little more difficult than second.

“I have to learn bunt coverages and where I need to be on certain plays. Picking, holding people on, just the little things which are the hardest things,” Golsan said.

“Other than that, position wise, it’s just like being in the infield. Catching ground balls, people throwing you the ball. I like it because it’s reaction. You’re not really thinking about it. You have to make the play, so you make the play instead of of sitting back on it.”

Golsan added that he had long legs in order to stretch out for throws.

“I’m 6 foot, 6-1. I am smaller than Sikes but I have the range,” Golsan said joking that a lot of players are smaller than Orvis. “I think the stretch is getting there.

I’ve realized when to be on the base at a specific time. All the coaches have taught me what I needed to do. They’ve gotten me ready. Now it’s about figuring all the nit picky fundamentals over there and keeping my footwork.”

An extra year in the weight rooom has Golsan feeling stronger and it has impacted at the plate.

“They said that the balls have come off my bat a little harder just because of being in the weight room,” Golsan said. “Just putting in the hard work has gotten me a lot better and fundamentally stronger. I’m going to try and be an on-base guy. I’m just trying to do anything I can to get on base and steal and score runs. I think that’s going to be my big role like it was last year. Our fall was good.

Our strikeouts were down and I think we’re going to be pretty good offensively.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

the NCAAs in Oxford, just like all his fans are.

The Chargers are going to be fantastic in baseball again. There is too much talent on the team for them not to. It will be hard to duplicate a 35-1 record again, but it’s all about repeating for this focused bunch. They’re up for the challenge, that’s for sure.

Stay tuned for results on all the teams, and get ready to see how all the spring sports mesh once March gets going. That’s another busy month as well.

John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

SPORTS IN DEPTH THIS WEEK AT OLE MISS Thursday, Feb. 11 Women's basketball vs. Auburn, 6 p.m. (SEC Plus) Softball vs. UMKC in Honolulu, Hawaii, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 12 Softball vs. St. Mary's in Honolulu, Hawaii 4 p.m.

Softball at Hawaii, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13 Men's basketball vs. Arkansas, 1 p.m.

(ESPNU) Monday, Feb. 15 Women's basketball vs. Texas A&M, 6 p.m.

(SEC) Tuesday, Feb. 16 Men's basketball at Texas A&M, 8 p.m.

(ESPNU)

THIS WEEK AT OXFORD Thursday, Feb. 11 Varsity girls basketball vs. Coldwater, 6 p.m.

Varsity boys basketball vs. Coldwater, 7:30 p.m.

SEC MEN'S BASKETBALL STADINGS Team LSU South Carolina Kentucky Texas A&M Florida Georgia Vanderbilt Ole Miss Arkansas Tennessee Alabama Miss. State Auburn Missouri

Conference Overall 8-2 15-8 7-3 20-3 8-3 18-6 7-3 18-5 7-4 16-8 6-5 13-9 5-5 13-10 5-6 15-9 5-6 12-12 5-6 12-12 4-6 13-9 3-8 10-13 3-8 9-14 8-15 1-9

2016 LAFAYETTE SOFTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time Feb. 20 Scrimmage TBA

Feb. 27 Classic Tournament TBA March 1 West Union 5:30, 6:30 p.m.

March 3 at South Pontotoc 5:30, 6:30 p.m.

March 4-5 Tupelo Tournament TBA March 8 Oxford 5:30, 7 p.m.

March 10 at Ripley 5:30, 7 p.m. * & Mach 14-18 Spring Break Tournament March 22 at Senatobia 5:30, 7 p.m. * & March 24 Byhalia 5:30, 7 p.m. * March 29 New Albany 5:30, 7 p.m. * March 31 at Pontotoc 5:30, 7 p.m. * April 5 Ripley 5:30, 7 p.m. * April 7 Senatobia 5:30, 7 p.m. * April 12 at Byhalia 5:30, 7 p.m.

April 18 at New Albany, 5:30, 7 p.m. * April 18 at Oxford 5, 6:30 p.m. & April 19 Pontotoc 5:30, 7 p.m. * *-Denotes 2-4A contest & -Denotes varsity contest played first

2016 OXFORD SOFTBALL SCHEDULE Feb. 29 Myrtle 5, 6 p.m.

March 8 at Lafayette 5:30, 7 p.m.

March 22 Cleveland, 5, 6:15 p.m.

March 24 at West Point, 6:30 p.m. * March 28 at Myrtle 5:30 p.m.

April 15 West Point 6:30 p.m.

April 18 Lafayette 5, 6:30 p.m. & April 19 at Cleveland, 5 p.m. & & - Denotes varsity contest played first * – Denotes 2-5A contest

DIVISION 2-5A BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Oxford High School Girls Tuesday's Games No. 1 Oxford vs. No. 4 Saltillo, 4 p.m.

No. 2 West Point vs. No. 3 New Hope, 7 p.m.

Boys No. 1 West Point vs. No. 4 Oxford, 5:30 p.m.

No. 2 Saltillo vs. No. 3 New Hope, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday's Games Loser of Game 1, Loser of Game 3, 6 p.m.

Loser of Game 2, Loser of Game 4, 7:30 p.m.

Friday's Games Girls championship, 6 p.m.

Boys championship, 7:30 p.m.

Soccer FROM PAGE 15

Scruggs said. “To see them go from that age to now be developed soccer players and some going on to play college ball or some still being in high school. To see what they achieved at Oxford High School and what we have at Lafayette, if we combine those groups, I can’t imagine. It would be a stellar group together. It would be tough to beat.

There is such talent in this town and it’s grown so much since I’ve been here when I came to Ole Miss as a player. It was non existent from a club team standpoint and you can see it making a difference at the high school level, too. To have two

PAGE 21

teams down in Jackson was super exciting for me.”

Crane agreed that two teams, and what they accomplished, showed just how good the players in the area had become.

“The group in total speaks volumes to just how far Oxford soccer has come, the city of Oxford and I’ve said it before but the city has really embraced soccer. It’s a huge factor with the clubs and stuff like that being in Oxford,” Crane said. “The interest we have in it, and the talent level that we have here is amazing.

This group, as a whole, is very star studded. And they would definitely be able to play with anybody in the state.”

Shinall was second on the team with 15 goals scored, and Crane said

she played a lot more mature than her class status as a sophomore.

“She doesn’t shy away from being one of the younger players. I think she plays with a chip on her shoulder and I think the girls do look up to her as a leader,” Crane said. “She is a special talent as well. She has speed and the track and cross country coaches love her as well. They want to have her all the time, but soccer is first love. She just brings it every single day. She was running with cross country when the season started and she missed all the preseason work. She had to come in and earn spot, it wasn’t given to her and she hasn’t looked back.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

Lady 'Dores show promise in powerlifting

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Early success is something the Lafayette Lady Commodores have garnered in powerlifting so far this winter. After a few first-place finishes in the Calhoun City meet, Sandra Smith saw her team finish third out of eight teams in the regional meet, which was held Feb. 4. With only 10 lifters, four advanced on to the MHSAA Class 4A north state powerlifting meet on March 1.

Shelbie Buford and Makailah Littlejohn each finished first. Shamiah Mathis took second as did Madisyn Herron. Buford is a senior. Littlejohn and Mathis are both juniors, while Herron is a freshman. Smith felt like all of her lifters progressed after the first meet that was held in Calhoun City.

“I thought we showed up pretty well. It’s a good jump off place,” Smith said after that first meet. “The regional meet is the earliest it had ever been.”

Smith was upbeat about what Her-

ron could do for the team during the other meets.

“She doesn’t know her own strength yet. She is deadlifting 350,” Smith said.

“I have a young team. I don’t have any lightweight girls which is usually where we get a lot of our success. My lightest girl is 114. We don’t have as much depth. I thought we would get several girls out of regional and into the north half.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

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