One of the best games to open 2011 high school season will be played tonight in Tupelo and will feature several top high school prospects, including Lafayette quarterback Jeremy Liggins.
The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Liggins and the rest of the Commodores travel to play the Golden Wave and their top player, junior running back Ashton Shumpert.
Liggins has prepared for the upcoming season by attending various summer camps at Southeastern Conference schools and working with his team in 7-on-7 tournaments. He is regarded as one of the state’s top 10 prospects and has offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama and LSU, just to name a few. Liggins, who threw for 1,662 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for another 1,182 yards and 17 touchdowns last season during the Commodores’ run to a Class 4A state title, has attended a handful of the Rebels preseason practices so far this summer.
He remains uncommitted to a school and is still planning to take all of five of his official visits as the season progresses. Ole Miss’ staff has remained in constant contact with Liggins and it appears the Rebels will be in the mix all the way through the recruiting process.
Liggins said earlier this week he plans to make his decision known after he visits schools officially.
Shumpert, who rushed for 1,328 yards and 15 touchdowns last year as a sophomore, is a dynamic player who is expected to continue to land several offers from schools in the coming year. Ole Miss and Mississippi State have both already offered the 6-foot, 205-pounder, who Shumpert has speed and good size and the athleticism to play multiple positions at the next level. Another player that could factor into recruiting for Ole Miss down the road includes Tupelo junior wide receiver Zach Johnson (6-1, 180), who has blazing speed.
Kickoff in Tupelo is set for 7:30 p.m. The game can be heard locally on 93.7 FM.
OHS-Grenada
Oxford High football fans who attend tonight’s game in Grenada should make sure and pick up a program. Not only will there be several new faces on the sideline for the Chargers, but Grenada is expected to field a young team led by first-year coach Ashley Kuhn.
“We looked at last year’s film but that’s not what they’re going to do, so the only thing we’re going off is what they did in the jamboree. They have new coaches, new philosophies, new offense, so all we can do is prepare for that, plus basic stuff like stopping the option. They ran the option a good bit so hopefully we have our responsibilities on how we plan to attack that,” OHS coach Johnny Hill said, adding that Kuhn still employs the spread like he ran at LHS. “He runs four wides out of the pistol. He will run trips. He’s got a good receiver, a big kid, and that’s who he is going to throw it to. We’re going to do our best to cover him and get to the quarterback.”
Kickoff in Grenada is set for 7:30 and the game can be heard on 95.5 and 102.1 FM. (August 19, 2011, Page 8A)
