Whether you’re a fan of Pickens County high school football or not, you probably know who’s on the team. But who are the other players on the team, and how important are they?
Despite the fact that Elmore did not play in the NFL, his passing record, 611 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, was a ringer. He was also a recipient of the All-State award in 1956 and the highest of all, a scholarship to the University of Alabama. He was a three-sport aficionado who excelled in football, basketball and baseball.
A plethora of accolades followed, including an invitation to play in the Coaches Association All-America Bowl. He was named to the All-SEC team and earned All-American honors in the field of baseball, a feat that is not always associated with quarterbacks. He was named to the All-SEC first team in the aforementioned 1957 season and received all-conference honors in 1960. He was also named to the All-Alabama first team, a feat that is not easy to accomplish. He also was inducted into the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and 1990. He died in Jackson on Friday. He was survived by his wife, Linda Ritter Elmore, and his son, Jimmy. His legacy lives on through the foundation he created for the children of veterans. Several of his games are televised today. A memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday, at the Wright and Ferguson Parkway. The aforementioned one will be followed by a celebration of his life at Briarwood Presbyterian Church. The following day, his wife will be laid to rest.
Hundreds of people gathered in the Pickens County High School stadium Saturday night to remember Jordan Matthew Simonds, the young man who was killed in a car crash the day before. He was a sophomore at Pickens County High School and a member of the Dragons football team. His death is now being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol. The GSP reports that he was speeding when he was involved in the accident, but it is not clear what caused the crash.
A male passenger was thrown from the vehicle and taken to Kennestone Hospital, but he remains in critical condition. He was not wearing a seat belt. The GSP reports that the driver of the vehicle, Jordan Simonds, careened off a steep embankment and landed on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Several first responders were at the scene and reported that the male passenger was alert and talking to them.
The Pickens County Sheriff’s Department posted a notice about the accident on Facebook. The accident occurred on Salem Church Road. The GSP reports that he was in the eastbound lane when he overcorrected to return to the westbound lane.
The GSP is currently investigating the incident and will release a report later this week. The investigation will also examine the driver’s behavior as it relates to the crash. The driver was wearing a learner’s license at the time of the accident.
Throughout his 27-year tenure as Pickens County High School football coach, Bill Isaacs led the Blue Flame to an 181-109-5 record and nine conference titles. He was the winningest coach in the school’s history. His teams also won five straight Western AAA region championships.
The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 9:50 a.m. reporting a gunshot victim. It was confirmed that the call was for the man identified as Isaacs, who was lying face down on the ground. At this time, the incident was still under investigation.
In the months prior to this incident, residents of the Isaacs neighborhood reported receiving multiple gunshots. The Sheriff’s Office has not determined the reason for the shootings.
The shootings were allegedly carried out by Albert Leon Bowen, a neighbor of Isaacs. He was arrested Monday and charged with two counts of murder. His arrest warrants identify the victims as Dickie Stewart and Bill Isaacs.
The incident was described as a double homicide, and authorities have not decided whether to pursue capital punishment. The 13th Circuit Solicitor, Walt Wilkins, said the incident was “an unfortunate and gruesome case of murder.”
Isaacs coached football, basketball, baseball, and softball at Pickens High School. He also served as the school’s athletic director. He was also named coach of the year nine times, and his team won five straight Western AAA region championships.
His team won 57 consecutive regular season games between 1969 and 1975. He was also inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame.
Whether you are from Leroy or Pickens County, high school football is a great sport to watch. This season, four teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 are in the playoffs. The championship games are broadcast on the NFHS Network. You can watch the game online for free with an HDTV antenna.
The Bears have now won five consecutive Class 2A titles. Their state title is their sixth overall. They are one of only eight schools to win three consecutive state championships in the last seven years. They were led by quarterback Brayden Huebner, who rushed for 270 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 81 yards on the ground in the second half.
Leroy took an early lead with a three-touchdown drive. The first score came on a 38-yard pass from Demarkis Giles to Kemaurion Plott. Another score came on a 13-yard run by Taylor Crumedy.
The Bears outgained Pickens County 211-44 in the first half. The Bears led 26-6 at halftime. The team added a safety in the fourth quarter to seal the game.
Leroy’s defense held Pickens County to 110 yards rushing. The Bears converted nine rushing plays of 10 yards or more. The defense held the Rebels to 3-of-11 on third-down conversions.
In the first half, the Bears had three takeaways. The defensive line allowed only 22 yards rushing on 14 carries. In the first quarter, Pickens County turned the ball over on three of its four possessions.
During the last two weeks of the regular season, the Pickens County Trojans have had their fair share of success. They have defeated West Point 44-13, and have beaten French Camp Academy 28-7. The Trojans are now 3-0 on the season, and will be facing Olive Branch this week. They will also travel to play West Lowndes on Friday. The winner of that game will go to the championship game in the state.
The Pickens County defense has shown that it can be tough to stop. They have allowed 121 points in three games, including a three-point victory over Berry Wildcats in Week 8.
The Rebels did their part in the first half by snagging an interception at the goal line. Then they did the big-play by bringing back a fumble for a touchdown. They also put an extra defender in the box to slow down the running game. The odometer threw in a few other fun facts, but the Leake Academy Rebels won the most important one.
The Rebels also showed they could score the most – which they did. Rhett Atkinson ran for 59 yards on five carries. He added two touchdowns, including a 24-yard pass to Tyjavian Ferguson. His rushing total was the second-highest of the year.
The Trojans also had a big kickoff return by Syborris Pippins. The kickoff was recovered by Parks at the goal line for a touchdown, and Arthur hit the PAT.
During a 10-year span from 2009-18, East Mississippi Community College and Pickens County High School football teams combined for nine state championships, seven MACCC titles and 30 NJCAA All-Americans. Now, the Wildcats are back in the regular season.
EMCC is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association and the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges. EMCC is also affiliated with the American Council on Education and the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges. The school also operates the Center for Manufacturing Technology Excellence. The school accepts active duty military and civilians from Lauderdale County, Lowndes County and Lauderdale County areas.
The EMCC Golden Triangle campus will be hosting six home games this season. They will host Copiah-Lincoln on Sept. 1 and Itawamba on Oct. 8. The Tigers will play six MACCC North Division opponents and will play three MACCC South Division opponents.
EMCC has a full football schedule under head coach Buddy Stephens. He is the fifth-winningest head coach in junior college football history.
The Tigers will face five opponents during the month of September. The school will also host Mississippi Gulf Coast in a home game on Sept. 22. Then, the Wildcats will travel to Itawamba for a homecoming game on October 1.
In the fall, the Wildcats will participate in a men’s basketball tournament. The ECCC Rangers have defeated the Rangers in the last two seasons. In the men’s state basketball tournament, EMCC lost to Pearl River C.C. in a 61-58 decision.
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