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Kossuth Aggies wins 3A
State Championship
Published Sunday, November 8, 2009
By Steve Beavers
Staff Writer
CLINTON -- Kossuth bolted past the competition at the Class 3A State Cross Country Meet.
By a bunch.
The Aggies dominated the boys side of the 3.1 mile event, placing five runners among the top seven finishers at the Choctaw Trails course. Corinth finished second -- 37 points back of the champions -- in the event. On the female side, Corinth saw its six-year streak ended by St. Patrick with 31 points. Ripley collected the runner-up trophy while the Lady Warriors were third. Kossuth's Lady Aggies turned in a 6th place showing.
"The guys just dominated," said KHS Head Coach Chris Butler. "We knocked them out in the first mile ... it was unreal."
Casey Parks, who claimed the silver medal, led the Aggie runners with a time of 17:46. Bronze medalist Nick Thompson crossed in 17:55.
"It was a fast race and our guys were just flat out rolling in the first mile," said Butler.
The 4th, 5th and 7th spots also went to Kossuth runners. Kyle Suitor posted a 4th place time of 18:12 followed by the 18:21 of fellow sophomore Connor Martin. Andy McElyea came home with the 7th place mark of 18:23.
Slater Smith clocked in at 18:37 to finish 11th. Jordan Peters rounded out the Aggie participants with a 22nd place time of 19:27.
The state championship is the second for Kossuth in cross country. KHS also claimed the crown in 2007.
In their eight meets this season, the Aggies won six times. Their lone setbacks were to Lexington, Ala. and Corinth.
- Corinth's Lauren Foropoulos was the gold medalist in the female division. The CHS runner was the lone participant under the 16-minute mark. She crossed in 15:55 to lead the 3rd place Lady Warriors.
Alcorn Central's Kelsea Hendrix finished 4th overall with a time of 16:42. Shelbi Barnes led the Lady Aggies with a time of 17:46. Barnes finished 14th overall.
The trio of female runners along with Corinth's Katie Jones (13th) were named to the All State team.

Boys
1. KOSSUTH (21 points): 2nd -- Casey Parks, 17:46; 3rd -- Nick Thompson, 17:55; 4th -- Kyle Suitor, 18:12; 5th -- Connor Martin, 18:21; 7th -- Andy McElyea, 18:23; 11th -- Slater Smith, 18:37; 22nd -- Jordan Peters, 19:27.
2. CORINTH (58 points): 8th -- Brian McDonnieal, 18:28; 9th -- Evan Blair, 18:35; 12th -- Jackson Cornelius, 18:39; 14th -- Drew Kerby, 18:39; 15th -- Will Napier, 18:44; 23rd -- Taylor Smith, 19:33; 32nd -- Drew Caveness, 20:10.
10. ALCORN CENTRAL (261 points): 28th -- Forrest Crumby, 19:52; 35th -- Chris Gardner, 20:24; 67th -- Tanner Price, 22:55; 68th -- Adam Price, 22:58; 77th -- Samuel Holley, 25:19; 78th -- Jakob Carter, 25:43.

Girls
3. CORINTH (94 points): 1st -- Lauren Foropoulos, 15:55; 13th -- Katie Jones, 17:22; 25th -- Haley McFall, 18:37; 29th -- Brianna Scobey, 18:43; 30th -- Kelsey Ford, 18:52; 31st -- Rebekah Cummins, 19:02; 32nd -- Abby Lambert, 19:08.
6. KOSSUTH (120 points): 14th -- Shelbi Barnes, 17:47; 16th -- Emma Baxter, 18:09; 23rd -- Sayde Turner, 18:30; 26th -- Tiffany Blackard, 18:37; 48th -- Marlee Sue Bradley, 20:40; 49th -- Samantha Null, 20:46; 61st -- Fu Mung, 22:
39. ALCORN CENTRAL: 4th -- Kelsea Hendrix, 16:42; 55th -- Alex Madahar, 21:58.

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Down Goes Frazier: Loss of QB sends CHS to the mat in First Round
Published Sunday, November 8, 2009
By H. Lee Smith II
Sports EditorMurphy's Law came to fruition Friday night.
Corinth gave away eight first-half points and -- already playing without the services of playmaker Deonta Herman -- lost quarterback Parks Frazier late in the first quarter in falling 21-14 to Leland in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs.
Leland (6-5) will host unbeaten Charleston in second-round play on Friday. Corinth, which ended its season at 6-5, was the lone Division 1-3A squad to lose on Friday.
In other action, Belmont claimed a 27-16 win at South Delta, Ripley prevailed 52-44 at Leflore County and Booneville rolled past Marshall 59-6. The Cubs took a 14-3 lead at the break despite totaling just two first downs and 97 yards of offense on 21 plays. Corinth's defense kept things from getting really ugly early, turning away Leland drives that started deep in Warrior territory.
Leland held Corinth to a three-and-out on the game's first series and got its first gift on a 20-yard blocked punt return just 1:07 into the contest. Punter Jordan Parker bobbled the snap, allowing Alfred Moore to swat the ball which led to Tykerrius Kimber's scoop-and-score. After a punt and an interception, Corinth's offense began to click midway of the first. Down 6 0, the Warriors moved from their own 10 to the Cub 24 in nine plays, racking up four first downs along the way.
Facing a third-and-two, Frazier connected with Lew Johnson on a quick hitter and a new set of downs at the Leland 20. Frazier tore the MCL in his left knee on the play and would take just one more snap the final 38:30.
The drive stalled at the 15, but Corinth got on the board on a 38-yard field goal by Parker.
Leland doubled its point total and first-down output on one big play in the second. Donterrius Thomas broke through for a 69-yard score, upping the Cubs lead to 12-3 with 6:28 left in the half.
Corinth's defense stepped it up again, keeping Leland off the board on a drive that began at the Warrior 22 following CHS' third turnover of the half. The Cubs would get two points out of the field position, dropping Johnson in the end zone after a punt pinned the Warriors at their own 5.
The Warriors hurt their own cause midway of the third. A personal foul well behind the play negated a huge punt return by Diante Curlee, forcing Corinth to start at its own 45 as opposed to the Cub 15.
CHS methodically marched down the field, but had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Parker after earning a first-and-goal at the Leland 6. Leland came up with two huge plays on what proved to be the game-winning drive. A 37-yard throw back to the quarterback converted a 2nd-and-18, and put the Cubs at the Corinth 3.
Corinth stopped Leland short on two runs and following a 5-yard penalty, forced an incomplete pass. Leland lined up for a 22-yard field goal, but holder Michael Jones took the snap and sprinted in for six from six yards out.
The Warriors got a 1-yard run by Johnson and converted on the two-point try to pull within 21-14 with 1:10 remaining.
Corinth looked to have recovered the ensuing onside kick near midfield, only to have Leland come out of the pile with the pigskin.
Corinth totaled 17 first downs and 256 yards on 67 plays. The Warriors had the ball inside the Cub 25 on four different drives, put came away with just one touchdown.
Frazier was 7-of-13 -- setting a season mark with 152 completions -- for 53 yards in less than one quarter of action. Johnson finished 7-of-20 for 62 markers. Curlee led a 141-yard ground attack with 64 yards on 12 carries. The senior also hauled in a game-high six passes for 37 yards.
Leland finished with six first downs and 184 yards on 45 plays. The Cubs amassed 130 of their yards on three plays.

Leland 21, Corinth 14
Leland 6 8 0 7 -- 21
Corinth 3 0 3 8 -- 14

1st Quarter
LEL -- Tykerrius Kimber 20 blocked punt return (kick failed), 10:53
COR -- Jordan Parker 38 field goal, 0:20

2nd Quarter
LEL -- Donterrius Thomas 69 run (run failed), 6:28
LEL -- Safety, Bronson Bell tackles Lew Johnson in the end zone, 5:04

3rd Quarter
COR -- Parker 20 field goal, 2:28

4th Quarter
LEL -- Michael Jones 6 run (Davanta Overton kick), 8:41
COR -- Johnson 1 run (Diante Curlee pass from Johnson), 1:10

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Drewry sets mark in rout
Published Sunday, November 8, 2009
By Steve Beavers
Staff Writer
BOONEVILLE -- Jim Drewry has a trip planned for Orlando in January. The Booneville Blue Devils head coach wouldn't mind an excursion to Jackson the first Saturday in December.
Drewry became the state's winningest football coach -- passing Joe Bradshaw at the top of the list -- and his Blue Devils advanced to the 2nd Round of the Class 3A playoffs with a convincing 59-6 romp of S.V. Marshall.
BHS will travel to Nettleton for a 2nd Round date on Friday night. Drewry was named the 2009 Power of Influence Award recipient earlier in the week and will collect the honor in an Orlando awards presentation. Three more displays like the one against Marshall will send the veteran mentor back to Jackson.
"This was a chance to play a lot of people," said Drewry. "Our execution was spotty at best and we have to do a better job of being more consistent."
Booneville (11-0) scored on its first six possessions with all of the scoring drives being six plays or less en route to a 41-6 lead at intermission.
Bo Brown scored two of his four touchdowns in the opening period as the Devils built a 28-6 lead. The senior running back found the end zone on runs of 2 and 17 yards just over a minute apart.
Jeiron Jones had put the host club ahead 7-0 on an 8-yard keeper.
After Marshall (3-9) scored its lone score of the night on a 72-yard pass from Quatez Rowe to Tamarico Wilson, BHS answered with a 68-yard scoring pass from Jones to Tre Welch to make it a 28-6 cushion.
Welch caught two passes for 102 yards to become the first Booneville player to go over the 1,000-yard mark in receiving.
Marshall had only one first down and 45 yards of offense in the first half. Drewry ups his career mark to 344-156-5 in 45 years as head coach.
"All the record means is that I have been able to coach a long time and have had some awful fine kids and coaches," he said. "There is no way in the world I could begin to thank all the people I have been involved with over the years."

Booneville 59, S.V. Marshall 6
Marshall 6 0 0 0 -- 6
Booneville 28 13 6 12 -- 59

First Quarter
BOON -- Jeiron Jones 8 run (Tyler White kick), 9:27
BOON -- Bo Brown 2 run (White kick), 4:56
BOON -- Brown 17 run (White kick), 3:50
MAR -- Tamarico Wilson 72 pass from Quatez Rowe (kick failed), 3:04
BOON -- Tre Welch 68 pass from Jones (White kick), 1:46

Second Quarter
BOON -- Brown 3 run (White kick), 11:47
BOON -- Brown 1 run (kick failed), 5:38

Third Quarter
BOON -- Brendon Pannell 9 run (kick failed), 3:51

Fourth Quarter
BOON -- Zxavier Rogers 7 run (kick failed), 11:52
BOON -- Grant Vandiver 33 run (kick failed), 5:56

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