Parten leads local signees

By Staff
In Decatur, East Central Community College head coach Terry Underwood announced the signing of 15 more members from his 6-4 2001 team on Wednesday, running to 23 the total number of last fall's Warriors to ink with four-year schools.
The Warriors moving up to four-year schools are linebacker Dwight Agee (5-9, 185) with Belhaven College, defensive back Josh Chaney (5-10, 185) with Mississippi College, defensive back Cedric Cotton (6-1, 220) with Southwest Missouri State University, offensive lineman Chad Crowe (6-5, 285) with Mississippi College, defensive end Keith Curry (6-3, 225) with Nicholls State, fullback Terrance DeGraffenried (5-10, 235) with Tuskegee University, kicker Danny Haynes (5-10, 212) with the University of Memphis, offensive lineman Kenneth Hurt (6-5, 310) with Florida A&M, linebacker Howard Jackson (5-11, 220) with Belhaven, defensive lineman Johnny Jackson (6-7, 256) with Troy State, running back/wide receiver Marcus Lee (5-9, 175) with Belhaven, offensive lineman Cedric McAfee (6-3, 320) with Tuskegee, running back Patrick Prince (5-9, 197) with West Georgia University, wide receiver Dontay Spillman (6-2, 195) with the University of Louisville, and fullback Chad Warren (5-10, 225) with Alcorn State University.
ECCC's December signees include linebacker John Bibb (5-11, 225) with Northwestern Oklahoma State University, defensive back Marco Cole (6-0, 170) with Harding University, linebacker Melvin Cotton (6-0, 225) with the University of West Alabama, defensive lineman Jon Gusman (6-4, 250) with Illinois State University, free safety Chris Hooper (6-4, 220) with Central Missouri State University, tight end Fredrick Knighten (6-1, 245) with the University of Tennessee-Martin, offensive lineman Jerry Spencer (6-4, 315) with Louisville, and defensive back Darrius Thames (5-11, 172) with Harding.
Jones Junior College continued its history of supplying senior
colleges with quality football talent.
Eight Bobcats signed scholarships here on campus Wednesday afternoon. Six others had signed and enrolled at their respective senior college schools for the spring semester and another player walked-on at a major university.
Among the eight players signing Wednesday were two prospects headed for West Virginia University South Jones quarterback Charles Hales, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound prospect, and Fred Blueford, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive
lineman from Hermitage, Ark.
Willie Page, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive lineman from Bay Springs signed with the University of Southern Mississippi. David Scott, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound defensive back from Homestead, Fla., signed with Alabama. Three Bobcats are headed to North Alabama. Rashard Phillips, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound running back, Bryan Bester, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound wide receiver from Taylorsville and Patrick Craig, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end from Morton all inked with the Lions.
Darrius Livingston, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound offensive lineman from Crestview,
Fla., signed with Louisiana Tech. John Hill, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound tight end from Wayne County is expected to sign soon with Missouri-Rolla.
Among the Bobcats already signed and enrolled at senior college are Kory Thigpen, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound tight end from Taylorsville, who signed with Jacksonville (Ala.) State; Nate Hardage, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker from Warwick, Ga., who signed with Florida State University; Mark Barron, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound offensive lineman from West Jones, who signed with Delta State University; Johnny Rushing, a 6-foot-3, 330-pound offensive lineman from Heidelberg, who signed with Lane College; Ralph Davis, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back from Quitman, who signed with Louisiana Tech; and Jammal Barnett, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound defensive back from Heidelberg, who signed with Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
Laurel product Ryan Earnest, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound wide receiver, walked-on
at Southern Mississippi this semester.
Dykes added that three Bobcats Ryan Higdon, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound offensive lineman from Heidelberg Academy; Will Parker, a 5-foot-11, 160-pound sophomore from Northeast Jones; and Chan Poore, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound sophomore from Heidelberg Academy n will sign with Mississippi College.
Wayne County's Fred Miller (5-11, 200, LB), Toran Chambers (6-0, 170, DB), and Greg Moore (5-11, 230, DT) all inked with former War Eagles head coach Bobby Hall at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville.