By Staff
From staff reports
Aug. 25, 2002
With the football season opener at Laurel just a week away, the Meridian High School roster is brimming to the top. Ninety-one players have made the squad for the 2002 season.
Thirty-three of the players are sophomores. Evidently, Ed Stanley and his staff did the job in encouraging players to committ to playing.
Last season, Meridian finished the season with roughly 57 players.
Jeff Byrd
Three looking for four
The Newton County Cougars have won three straight Division 5-3A football championships and are the prohibitive favorites to do it again this fall with 17 returning starters and 19 seniors on the roster.
Over the last three years, the Cougars are 18-0 in the league and 19-0 against 5-3A foes counting a 40-10 playoff win over West Lauderdale last season.
Marty Stamper
We get no respect
In a county that features softball powers West Lauderdale, Northeast Lauderdale and Clarkdale, the Meridian High Lady Wildcats feel they get no respect some times.
Meridian is off to a 6-1 start after going 3-1 in the Meridian Invitational.
Jeff Byrd
Barr killed in wreck
The youngest son of Oak Grove High School head football coach Nevil Barr was killed in an automobile accident Wednesday when his truck lost control and collided with a dump truck near Elkins, W. Va.
Matt Barr, 16, and an unidentified passenger were pronounced dead at the scene by West Virginia State Police. Barr was Nevil Barr's son from a previous marriage and lived with his mother in West Virginia.
Funeral arrangements were scheduled to be made Thursday.
Oak Grove postponed its "Meet the Warriors" ceremony, originally planned for Thursday, in light of the tragedy.
Marty Stamper
All in the family at SEL
Dwane Taylor has been coaching football at Southeast Lauderdale for 24 years. He is also a 1972 graduate of Southeast where he played quarterback.
Not only that, Taylor's wife of 29 years Becky is also a graduate of Southeast. The couple's son Dwane, Jr., is the current Tigers defensive coordinator on his dad's staff. The other son, Ryan, is a student at Mississippi State.
Jeff Byrd
NE Jones returns 12
Northeast Jones has 60 players out this fall for football including 15 lettermen and 12 starters. The Tigers have six returning starters on each side of the ball.
Marty Stamper
Sunflower fields dozen
The North Sunflower Academy Rebels should be able to get plenty of seconds at this year's pre-game meals as only 13 players, not counting ninth graders, are on the roster for head coach Mike Corbin. Most will be playing both ways for the entire game every week.
NSA, located at Drew, opens at home against Humphreys Academy tonight at 7:30.
Marty Stamper
West Jones has 70 out
The West Jones Mustangs have 70 players out for football this fall. The Mustangs also have 50 players on both the ninth grade and eighth grade teams.
West Jones opens with Taylorsville on Aug. 30.
Marty Stamper
Adams moans speed
South Jones first-year head coach Danny Adams could open a comedy act when he gets out of coaching.
His team's biggest weakness this fall is a lack of team speed, while the offensive line is its strength.
Marty Stamper
Laurel missing about 20
The Laurel Golden Tornadoes have 64 players out this fall, down about 20 from the usual number.
Laurel hosts Meridian in its season opener on Aug. 30.
Marty Stamper