By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Aug. 29, 2003
Meridian High School head football coach Ed Stanley has named Dominique Spinks the starting quarterback for tonight's game against the Clinton High School Arrows.
The 182-pound junior was competing for the starting spot with senior Ken Mitts, last year's starter, throughout preseason practice.
Spinks' will lead Meridian High's offense against a team the program hasn't seen in a long time during the regular season.
The last time the Arrows squared off against the Wildcats on a football field was a couple of years ago in a spring game, before Stanley took over the Meridian High program.
Though the second-year MHS coach hasn't seen his current team compete against the Arrows, Stanley is very familiar with Clinton's program from his days at South Panola High School.
Clinton's offensive push will be led by one of the state's top running backs Paul Cavett.
The 180-pound senior rushed for over 1,800 yards last year and he will be a big challenge for a strong Wildcats linebacking corps.
Junior Brodrik Coleman will lead the defensive unit from the middle linebacker spot, as the Wildcats try to slow down Cavett.
Coleman will be joined by seniors E.J. Hampton and Thomas Smith, juniors Anouk Jackson, Kendrick Phillips and Lee Hester, and sophomores Jamie Hill, Rashad Byrd, Brandon Davis and Lemorio Hopson in the deep linebacking corps.
Meridian High will not be able to limit its defensive attention to Clinton's ground game.
Arrows quarterback Brandon Boone also has plenty of weapons in the wide receiving unit.
Meridian High is coming off a 3-8 season, but with one year under the tutelage of Stanley and his coaching staff, the Wildcats are ready to roar in 2003.
The Wildcats will kick off against the Arrows at 7:30 p..m. at Ray Stadium. The game will be broadcasted on WJXM 105.7 FM and WZKR 103.3 FM.