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Press Release Archives for August 1998

PRCC Kicks off New School Year with Welcome to PRCC Day

The String of Pearls lead the parade with the Sprit of the River, PRCC's outstanding marching band, following up.  Cheerleaders pumped up school spirit from one of Poplarville's Fire trucks.  The parade led to the mall where the cafeteria provided a picnic lunch.

Daniels Says His Wildcats Will Rely Heavily On New Recruits
Touts Freshmen Group As Best Recruiting Class In His Three Years As PRCC Head Football Coach

POPLARVILLE—Sophomore players will provide a solid nucleus for the 1998 Pearl River Community College Wildcats, but fourth year head coach Keith Daniels says success will depend heavily on newcomers.

Pre season drills started Monday, August 9, with 70 prospects reporting here on the Poplarville campus and Daniels is looking for answers to numerous questions. But he says his 1998 recruiting class should provide plenty of talent to fill in the gaps.

"If things work out like we hope, this could be the best recruiting class we've had since I've been here," Daniels said.

Daniels said his team, which includes 50 freshmen, reported in "reasonably good shape, but we still have a lot of conditioning work to do.

"I've been very impressed with their enthusiasm and desire to learn. Our returning players have done a fine job in taking up where we left off. They have been able to recall what we were doing last season," he said.

Forty-three of Daniels' freshman prospects are from PRCC's supporting district of Forrest, Hancock, Jefferson Davis, Lamar, Marion, and Pearl River counties.

"Obviously there are several freshmen that are going to play big roles this year and a large number of them should play immediately," said Daniels.

Daniels took over the Wildcat reins in the spring of 1995 when former Wildcat mentor Willie Coats left The River for East Central Community College in Decatur. Daniels' team produced a 7-3 mark his inaugural season, but fell to 2-8 the following year. Last season, the Wildcats finished 5-5.

Daniels says his offensive unit, which will run out of the "Pro I," is ahead of the defense primarily because of the Wildcats' experience on the offensive line.

"The offensive line is what makes your offense click and we've got needed experience there," Daniels said.

Sophomores David Fielder (6-2, 275) of Oak Grove, Derrick Franklin (5-10, 234) of Columbia, Chris Johnson (6-2, 275) of Grand Bay, Ala.; Greg Shuler (6-3, 235) of Carriere (Pearl River Central), Robbie Stewart (6-2, 285) of Hattiesburg (North Forrest), and Alan Thompson (6-2, 265) of Bay St. Louis (Hancock County) all had valuable playing time on the offensive front last season. Transfer Jeremy Drummond (6-3, 265) of Picayune, who redshirted at Nicholls State last season, will also figure into the mix, along with 7 talented freshmen.

"All of these guys have great work habits and the desire to succeed," Daniels said. "We're expecting solid play in that area."

Offensive-defensive line coach Mark Anderton says all of his freshman prospects have the ability to contribute this season, noting the likes of Robbie Miller (6-2, 270) of Hattiesburg, Brandon Smith (6-3, 230) of Diamondhead (Hancock County), Kris Strebeck (6-1, 255) of Poplarville, Jeffery Thomas (6-2, 210) of Hattiesburg, Mark Williams (6-3, 240) of Diamondhead (Hancock County), and Andrew Willis (6-2, 265) of Picayune.

"Robbie played in the Mississippi-Alabama All Star Game in Mobile earlier this summer, while Daniel played in the Mississippi All Star Game in Clinton," Anderton said. "All of these guys can be contributors this season."

A big question mark heading into the season is sophomore quarterback Travis Cunningham (6-2, 180) of Waterloo, S.C., who underwent shoulder surgery last spring.

"Travis is a talented, athletic quarterback, but we're still not sure about how he will react under fire following his shoulder operation," Daniels said. "He participated in our spring drills and did well, but had to leave early for his surgery."

Cunningham shared back-up QB duties with Ricky Fremin of Belle Chase, La. (now the starter at Belhaven College in Jackson) for two-year starter Shane Tapper of Petal, who will take snaps for Mississippi College in Clinton this fall. Cunningham tossed only 7 passes in 1997, but completed 6 for 119 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also rushed for 83 yards on 25 carries and 2 TDs.

"Travis learned a lot last year and with his great athletic abilities, he should come through for us," Daniels said.

There is a heated race to decide on Cunningham's back-up with 3 freshman prospects in the Wildcat camp in Durrell Burkett (5-10, 170) of Purvis, Jonathan Lott (5-11, 185) of Picayune, and Jason Jones (6-0, 180) of Lumberton.

"I'm impressed with all of them," Daniels said. "Durrell is a pure athlete and has an outstanding desire to learn and achieve. Jonathan has outstanding leadership abilities, confidence and the intangibles you want in a quarterback, while Jason has impressed us all with his arm.

"It will be a difficult decision to make."

Cunningham will target "big play" flanker Desmond Bolar (6-0, 180) of Purvis, who should provide plenty of spark to the Wildcat offense this season. A year ago, the talented speedster paced PRCC with 561 receiving yards on 26 catches, but missed the season finale against Jones due to an ankle injury suffered the seventh week of the season. He played only sparingly the eighth week of the season against Hinds.

"We have high expectations for Desmond," Daniels said. "He has big play talent and will play a very significant role in the success of our football team."

Bolar finished 1997 as the No. 4 scorer on the team with 5 touchdowns (30 points) and was also PRCC's second best kickoff returner with 8 returns for 160 yards. Against Mississippi Gulf Coast last season, Bolar snagged 6 Tapper passes for 175 yards (season high) and 2 TDs in a 61-55 South Division romp played in Perkinston. He also had a 150 yard game against East Central last year. Bolar's season yardage total is the second highest in PRCC history behind Reggie Austin's 661 in 1990.

Freshmen Chris Marshall (5-8, 160) of Petal and Shaun Magee (5-9, 170) of Foxworth (West Marion) have both proven they can play the position on the JuCo level.

"Chris has excellent hands," Daniels said. "Shaun started out in the defensive secondary and at running back, but we will probably use him at flanker because we have practically no depth there. He's one of those all-round guys."

Freshman Larry Morrow (6-3, 185) of Oak Grove and Greg Mitchell (5-11, 175) of Picayune are in heated competition for the split end spot and Daniels says both will see plenty of playing time.

"Larry has great hands and athletic ability and, in time, should prove to be a big contributor to our offense," Daniel said. "Greg picks things up well and is a real competitive type kid. He would be an asset to any team."

Tight end Nate Williams (6-5, 240) of Hattiesburg "has the size and ability you look for in a tight end," said Daniels.

"Nate has the athletic talent and potential to be an outstanding player for us and somebody else on down the road. He is an outstanding receiver and blocker."

Williams played in all 10 games last season and took over the starting spot after Juan Mariner of Oakvale was killed in an automobile accident following the second game of the year. Williams finished the season with 12 catches for 142 yards and 1 TD.

Koury Dickerson (6-3, 240) of Purvis was the Wildcats' deep snapper a year ago and retains those duties in 1998, but Daniels says he will see extra duty at tight end.

"Koury is new to the tight end position, but showed progress during spring training," Daniels said. "He will play some end and we're hoping that as the season progresses he will continue to progress."

Linebacker-tight end coach Deke Adams said freshman Jeffery Thomas (6-2, 210) of Hattiesburg has also progressed well in the pre season and "could easily move up the depth chart."

Experience in the backfield is limited this season, but sophomore fullbacks Anthony Davis (6-1, 182) of Waterloo, S.C., and Cornelius Thornton (5-10, 165) of Blakely, Ga., should come through for the Wildcats.

Davis, who has been moved from tailback to fullback, played in all 10 games a year ago as a back-up and finished with 278 yards. He had a 144 yard game against Itawamba last year. Thornton, who was a defensive back last season, was moved to the offensive side during the spring.

"Anthony is new to the fullback position, but he is a very hard worker. We don't expect any problems there, particularly with the solid back-ups we have at the position," Daniels said. "Cornelius was a solid defensive guy, but with his athletic talents he has a much better chance of contributing to our team on the offensive side of the ball," Daniels said.

Freshmen Michael Shelby (6-0, 240) of Petal, who redshirted at Nicholls State last season before transferring to PRCC, and Deshonzo Franklin (5-10, 190) of Columbia have both been impressive in camp.

"Michael is by far the biggest of the three and is a very strong player, while Deshonzo has excellent feet and balance. We're pretty solid at fullback," Daniels said.

Freshman tailback Jimmy Rax (5-8, 180) of Alexandria, La., caught Daniels' eye in the spring and continues to impress the Wildcat staff.

"He (Rax) has good instincts. He has what you're looking for...good feet and good acceleration," said Daniels.

Freshman Jonathan Hopkins (5-11, 200) of Hattiesburg has "really been impressive with his work ethic and attitude.

"Jonathan is the kind of player you have to find a spot for," Daniels continued. "He is the kind of guy anybody would want on their team."

Defensively, the Wildcats will retain their "4-3" alignment and are blessed with an experienced secondary in the likes of Derick Rankin (5-10, 185) of Oak Grove, Delvin Peters (5-10, 180) of Columbia (West Marion), and Brian Travis (6-1, 185) of Poplarville return.

"We expect Delvin to be one of our better DBs this year. He had a good freshman year and we have high expectations for him," Daniels said. "Brian is a true athlete and is one of the fastest guys we've got. He should anchor one of the corners."

Defensive coordinator Mike Humphreys has tagged three freshmen that will see plenty of reserve action in the secondary in Kenny Hubbard (6-0, 200) of Hattiesburg, Paul Purvis (5-11, 180) of Purvis, and Nick Wilkes (6-0, 175) of Picayune.

"We're only two deep in the secondary so these guys will have to play in a reserve capacity," Humphreys said. "Kenny is a very physical player with good speed, while Paul has a lot of quickness. Nick is quick, fast, and a great competitor, but he still needs to mature a bit to compete on this level."

Rankin finished 1997 with 18 solo tackles, 16 assists, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass break-up, while Peters finished 1997 with 16 tackles, 5 assists, and 3 pass break-ups. Travis had 13 tackles, 1 assist, 2 pass break-ups, and 2 interceptions.

Adams will rely heavily on newcomers. Sophomore Bill Hartzog (5-11, 185) of Prentiss (Prentiss Christian Academy) was the Wildcats' sole returner to linebacker, but he has since been moved to safety. But Daniels says Hartzog is "a hard worker with a lot of football savvy.

"We expect him to be one of our team leaders and set the example for our new people," Daniels said, noting Hartzog had 8 solo tackles, 8 assists, and 2 tackles for losses a year ago.

Adams cited three newcomers -- Shondell Hill (6-1, 225) of Ridgely, Tenn., Guerre Fabacher (6-0, 220) of Poplarville (Rommell High School in New Orleans), and Terrell Robinson (6-1, 210) of Slidell, La. -- as the cream of the crop.

"All three of these guys are very aggressive players and will be immediate factors," Adams said. "Fabacher is very, very aggressive and we're hoping he will set the tone for the remainder of the team. Shondell is a very talented athlete and Terrell is the fastest of the three and extremely loose and quick on the feet. He can play the run or the pass equally well.

"The bottom line is our entire line backing corps will be very young and with their youth they will make mistakes, but they all have the ability to learn from those mistakes and move on."

Adams is looking for solid reserve backer play from Ben Guy (6-2, 220) of Bay St. Louis (St. Stanislaus), Michael Watts (5-11, 195) of Picayune, and Corey Johnson (6-0, 200) of Picayune.

"Even though those three probably won't see starting roles, they are going to play and they are all learning fast."

Things look solid at the ends with the return of Chris Gistorb (6-3, 240) of Alexandria, La., who was impressive last season and is touted as a potential All-State candidate. He finished the season with 23 solo tackles, 30 assists, 2 1/2 quarterback sacks, 2 tackles for losses, 6 pass hurries, and blocked 1 punt.

"Chris is a player that we need to come through for us," Daniels said. "He has excellent work habits and if he continues to improve, he will be an excellent defensive end."

Purvis High graduate Victor Hogan (6-3, 210) also drew praise.

"Last year, Victor improved as the season progressed and he was probably our biggest surprise during the spring," Daniels said. "He has the potential to be a solid contributor."

Hogan finished 1998 with 11 solo tackles, 12 assists, and 4 pass hurries.

Tackle Bernard Loftin (6-2, 250) of Bassfield is also a key defensive ingredient.

"Bernard is a talented player, but needs to bear down and play up to his potential," Daniels said. "I feel he will. He should be a big contributor to our defense."

Loftin had 6 solo tackles, 5 assists, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass hurry during his freshman season.

Freshmen defensive linemen that will figure heavily into the mix this season include ends Zach Ensminger (6-1, 220) of Picayune, Tony Jackson (6-3, 250) of Slidell, La., and Jamako Cobbert (6-6, 215) of Purvis; nose tackles Sedric Ingram (6-4, 230) of Brooklyn (Forrest County AHS) and Daniel Hart (5-11, 290) of Picayune, and tackle Tarone Patterson (6-4, 249) of Inmon, S.C.

Specialty teams are still up in the air, but sophomore Nando Lopes of Carriere returns to handle the PATs and field goals. Lopes, who wound-up at Pearl River Central High School as an exchange student from Portugal, finished the 1997 season with 29 points -- the fourth highest total on the squad. Lopes hit on 75 percent of the 3 point attempts (6 of 8) with his longest being 37 yards. He hit on 92 percent of his extra points (11 of 12).

Daniels is in search of a punter after the departure of two-year starter Shawn Grigsby of Picayune, who inked a grant-in-aid with Northeast Louisiana last spring. He was one of 12 members of the 1997 squad to sign senior college pacts. Durrell Burkett, Morrow, and Mitchell are all vying for the position.

Pearl River finished the 1997 season with 3,336 offensive yards (333.6 yards per game). The Wildcats completed 126 of 239 passes for 1,777 yards, including 10 interceptions and 15 touchdowns, while generating for 1,559 rushing yards (155.9 yards per game) on 442 carries.

Defensively, the Wildcats allowed 3,716 yards (371.6 yards per game). Opposing offenses completed 78 of 184 pass attempts for 1,229 yards, while PRCC picked off 13 passes and allowed only 7 TD passes. PRCC allowed 2,487 yards rushing (248.7 yards per game) on 442 carries.

The coaching staff will have to trim the team to 55 by the time the Wildcats open their season at home against North Division rival Itawamba on Thursday, September 3.

POPLARVILLE—Hattiesburg native Mike Smith has been named men's assistant basketball coach here at Pearl River Community College, according to Wildcat head coach Richard Mathis.

Smith, a 1983 graduate of Hattiesburg High School, has vast playing experience both college level and professionally. Mathis said Smith will be a big asset to his program.

"Mike has lots of playing experience and will relate well to our players," Mathis said. "He is very anxious to come in to work and learn. His ambition is to become a college basketball head coach and this job will give him great experience."

Smith, who played under Coach Johnny Hurt at HHS, signed with Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, Ky., out of high school, but transferred to Tulane in New Orleans after one semester. After three semesters with the Green Wave, he moved across town to the University of New Orleans (UNO) where he was a two-year starter at center and power forward for Coach Benny Dees.

UNO's 1989 team finished with a 26-3 record and was the school's first team to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament. UNO defeated Brigham Young in the first round of the NCAA, but fell to Alabama in the second round. He averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds per game at UNO.

After earning his bachelor of science degree in communications from UNO in 1989, he briefly interned with the Cable News Network (CNN) in Atlanta, Ga., but opted for professional basketball in Europe.

Smith played professionally as a small and big forward from 1990 until 1997 in Turkey, Belgium, Holland, Finland, Austria, and Japan, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds during his pro career. He led the Turkish league in rebounding, averaging 15 boards per game and was the league's seventh highest scorer, averaging 20 points per game.

"Mike is going to be a great role model and he will be doing a lot of individual work with our players," Mathis said. "And he will help me stay on top of our players' academics and supervise our weight program.

"He has worked with numerous basketball camps throughout the South and has even conducted his own camps in Europe," Mathis said. "He is going to be a great asset to us and I'm really looking forward to working with him."

Smith is excited about his new job.

"This is a great opportunity for me to learn the coaching profession under an excellent coach at a school that has many Division I caliber players," Smith said.

Mathis' Wildcats won the 1995 and 1998 state championship, as well as back-to-back South Division titles in 1997 and 1998. Last season, PRCC was runner-up in the Region 23 Tournament.

Smith is the son of Jesse and Mamie Smith of Hattiesburg. His mother was an English teacher at Hattiesburg High for 29 years before retiring three years ago, while his father has worked with the United Parcel Service for the past 28 years.

POPLARVILLE—Pearl River Community College's Board of Trustees took care of the school's business in less than 40 minutes here Tuesday during the regular August meeting.

For the first time since 1986, the year Dr. Ted Alexander became president, the 16 board members were on their way home in less than an hour.

The board had to consider and approve only one employment position and only one bid during the meeting.

Lori Anderson was approved as respiratory therapy instructor for the Hattiesburg campus. Anderson's employment noted the last faculty position to be filled for the current school year.

Pearl River College faculty and staff members reported to campus early Tuesday to signal the official start of the new school year.

In other business, the PRCC board:

approved the July minutes and claim docket.

heard a progress report on phase one of the renovation of Huff and Pearl River dormitories.

heard a report on President Alexander's meeting with the Forrest Board of Supervisors.

heard a report from President Alexander on the possibility of working out a solution for the Advanced Training Technology Center.

recognized board members Zeno Carter of Carriere and Charles Speed of Prentiss for placing third in the annual Mississippi Community and Junior College Trustees golf tournament.

reviewed July 31, 1998 reconciled bank balances and unrestricted current fund statement of expenditures.

heard a report about the summer graduation exercise which was held in the White Coliseum. It was reported that there were 93 graduates and more than 1000 family and friends of the graduates in attendance.

heard reports from the college's deans and directors.

POPLARVILLE—A special Pearl River Community College football player will suit up in a special jersey this season.

Former Wildcat Juan Mariner's No. 18 will be worn by a Wildcat in honor of the tight end, who was killed in an automobile accident September 13 of last year.

Mariner, the son of Charles and Joyce Mariner of Oakvale (in Marion County), was signed to the Wildcat squad as a linebacker and tight end after his graduation from Prentiss High School in the spring of 1996. He earned a letter his freshman season and the starting tight end position his sophomore year.

PRCC head coach Keith Daniels said the move is designed to be a tribute to Mariner, who "was a very special person."

"Juan was extremely well liked by his teammates and the coaching staff and this is an appropriate way to show what he meant to the team and the school while he was here," Daniels said. "Juan was a person who had an appreciation for life and the opportunity to play football here. He got along with everybody and you immediately had respect for him."

Mariner was killed in a one car accident near Lumberton just two days after the Wildcats' second game of the 1997 season. Another Wildcat player, starting sophomore linebacker Freddie White of Lumberton, was critically injured in the accident, but recovered and is currently enrolled at PRCC. Another Pearl River student, Jerry Williams of Hattiesburg, was also killed in the crash.

Daniels said the special player will be selected before the start of the 1998 season, but noted the selection cannot include offensive lineman, as regulations prevent offensive lineman such a number.

"The selection will be based on the player's attitude, work habits, and commitment to the Wildcat team," Daniels said. "Juan had all those positive attributes. He was a joy to coach and be around and was seldom ever discouraged about anything. He was an outstanding human being."

Daniels said the selection will be a sophomore.

"Logically, that is the way it should be," Daniels said. "As a coaching staff, we felt we could better evaluate sophomore candidates rather than freshmen."

POPLARVILLE—Pearl River's 1998 fall semester began Monday with President Ted Alexander welcoming new staff members. The PRCC workforce now includes English instructor Greg Underwood, English instructor Robyn Preston, Electronics instructor Bruce Lampe, Wellness Center assistant Jason Lee, Music instructor Pamela Jones, and President Alexander. Other newcomers include Mathematics instructor Patty Hurt, Criminal Justice instructor Tina Jerome, ABE/GED coordinator Jackanell Smith, Occupational Therapy Assistant instructor Wanda Bobo, Wellness Center assistant Tara Rouse, Surgical Technology instructor Tammy Allhoff, Workforce Curriculum developer Candace Sumner Probst, Dental Hygiene instructor Michele Giles, Dental Assistant instructor Karen Carlisle, and Speech instructor Patricia Cone. Respiratory Therapy instructor Lori Anderson and Director of student activities Sandy Smith.

Meet the Wildcats pep rally set for Tuesday in coliseum

POPLARVILLE—Pearl River Community College's annual "Meet the Wildcats" pep rally is set for 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1 in the White Coliseum. The 1998 Wildcats will be introduced, along with the Spirit of the Wildcat band, cheerleaders, and String of Pearls dance team. PRCC will entertain the Itawamba Indians at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3 in the Dobie Holden Stadium. The Wildcat Club will hold its first meeting of the year following the Tuesday pep rally.

The public is invited to the pep rally and Wildcat Club meeting.

WILDCAT CHEERLEADERS

POPLARVILLE—Pearl River Community College's cheer leading squad received a superior special rating and picked up two other awards during the United Cheerleaders Association (UNC). The PRCC squad, directed by Sandy Smith, placed third in both the cheer and fight song competitions. The 1998 squad includes (front row, from left) Robin Kelley of Poplarville, Karen Wheat of Hattiesburg, Trinity Adam of Pass Christian, Anna Edmonds of Poplarville and Amber Smith of Poplarville, (back row, from left) Eric Newson of Columbia, Beau Wiltshire of Poplarville, Wendell Humphres of Bay ST. Louis, Trai Thompson of Picayune, and Jared Baucum of Picayune. The mascot is Tom Huck of Picayune.

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