Lafayette’s D. Dennis runs away with top honor

Teams that win championships always have great players leading the way. In the case of the Lafayette Commodores, there were a handful of players that stood out above the rest on a team that was filled from top to bottom with solid high school athletes. (more…) (December 16, 2010, Page 1B)

Oxford’s Billups wins top award in 5A

Oxford’s success on the football field this season was translated on the Mississippi Association of Coaches Class 5A All-State team that was recently released.

Senior quarterback Guy Cameron Billups was named Player of the Year after throwing for 2,915 yards and 33 touchdowns for the 9-4 Chargers. Billups ranked second in the entire state in both passing yards and touchdowns thrown.

Joining Billups on the first team offense for the MAC team were senior wide receiver DeShaun McNeal and senior tight end Larry Pettis. Senior offensive lineman Terry Johnson was also named to the second team on offense. Johnson will be playing in Saturday’s Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic in Mobile, Ala. (December 10, 2010, Page 6A)

Defense steps up in victory for Chargers

The smile on Oxford defensive back D.J. Blake’s face told the story of the Chargers’ 26-19 win over Lake Cormorant Friday night. Blake was a major factor in why the Chargers earned the important Region 1-5A win, as was several other defenders.

Oxford’s defense definitely made the difference in the win as it forced four second-half turnovers by the Gators (5-4, 2-3), including three on their final three possessions of the game. (October 25, 2010, Page 3B)

Gooch shows knack for finding the end zone

Lafayette’s Anfernee Gooch has been overshadowed for much of the 2010 season by workhorses Jeremy Liggins and Demarkus Dennis.

That may have played a factor in Gooch’s breakout performance on Friday that earned him his second EAGLE Player of the Week honor.

Against the Millington Central Trojans, Gooch caught four passes and converted each into touchdown scores of 9, 55, 59 and 45 yards. (October 19, 2010, Page 8)

OHS bounces back to trounce Wildcats

The Oxford Chargers got the bad taste of losing to New Hope out of their mouths Friday night with a 37-13 win over Clarksdale at Bobby Holcomb Field. The win improved the Chargers to 4-2 overall and an even more important 1-1 in Region 1-5A.

OHS coach Johnny Hill felt his Chargers played “pretty well” against the Wildcats (3-3, 1-1). (October 4, 2010, Page 4B)

Chargers post win over Clarksdale

SPORTS EDITOR BLOG  — Led by the passing of senior quarterback Guy Cameron Billups, the Oxford Chargers were able to bounce back from a disappointing loss to New Hope last week and earn their first Region 1-5A win of the year Friday night. (more…) (October 2, 2010)

‘Dores’ Dennis runs into POW honors

The catalyst for Lafayette’s 52-0 romp over Byhalia on Friday was running back Demarkus Dennis.

The junior rushed for 187 yards and four scores in Lafayette’s Region 2-4A showdown. As a result, Dennis was named the EAGLE’s Player of the Week for the first time this season. (September 28, 2010, Page 6)

Chargers frustrated by loss at New Hope

Friday’s 38-27 loss will be a hard one to swallow for the Oxford Chargers.

Oxford traveled to New Hope’s Trojan Field with the hopes of getting retribution for last year’s sloppy showdown while also opening its region schedule with a win.

Instead, the Chargers solemnly loaded their yellow school buses following the defeat and couldn’t help but feel like they gave the Region 1-5A game away. (September 27, 2010, Page 4B)

Turnovers and miscues lead to OHS loss at New Hope

NEW HOPE — Last night’s 38027 loss at New Hope was a hard one to swallow if you’re a Chargers fan. (more…) (September 25, 2010)

Return to football big for McNeal

A decision to return to the gridiron this season has turned out to be a great thing for both senior wide receiver DeShaun McNeal and the Oxford Chargers.

After not playing football for two seasons, the 6-foot-5 McNeal decided he would give football one more chance. His value to the 3-1 Chargers has been immense, not only from a receiving standpoint, but also from a blocking and defensive standpoint as well. (September 17, 2010, Page 6A)