Freshmen Take Early Lead in “Eagle Cup”

(MERIDIAN) - Overcast skies and humid temperatures greeted the players on opening day of “Eagle Cup IX” Monday at historic Northwood Country Club.

The “Sophomore” team, captained by Clemens Dvorak, faced off Monday afternoon against the “Freshman” team, captained by Easton Key, in a four ball match play format with each match being played for one point. A total of three points were up for grabs on Day One.

The first match of the day featured MCC golf team chaplain Tom Sikes and Brandt Garon of the sophomore team against two former MCC alumni golfers, Daniel Boles and Randy warden, who represented the freshmen team.

Thanks to three birdies by “Preacher Man” (Sikes), the sophomore team jumped out to an early 2 UP lead after eight holes, but Boles/Warden hung in to make the match close only to see Garon/Sikes close it out on the 16th hole earning the sophomore team the first point of the Eagle Cup with a 3&2 victory.

Match two featured sophomore Bo Reed and Adam Monsen versus freshmen Easton Key and Ruston Smith.

The Reed/Monsen v. Key/Smith match would be the only one during Four Ball play to reach the 18th hole. A close match all the way around, Key/Smith closed it our on the final hole to even up the match 1-1 with a 1 UP victory for the freshmen team.

The drama reached a crescendo in the final match of the day which featured an international flavor as Austrian Clemens Dvorak teamed up with Bolivian Oscar Mariscal on the sophomore team as they faced freshmen Jake Stirling from Australia and Alex Grannon somewhat from Denmark (and Mississippi).

A back and forth match the entire day, Stirling/Grannon put the match away with a birdie on the 17th hole to win 2 UP, and thus giving the Freshmen Team a 2-1 advantage after Day One.

Day Two of the three day event continues tomorrow with alternate shot match play being held at Briarwood CC. Play beings at 2 PM with the freshmen leading 2-1.
Results:
Day One
Four-Ball Match play
Match 1- Tom Sikes/Brandt Garon defeated Daniel Boles/Randy Warden 3&2
Match 2- Easton Key/Ruston Smith defeated Bo reed/Oscar Mariscal 1 UP
Match 3- Jake Sirling/Alex Grannon defeated Clemens Dvorak/Oscar Mariscal 2&1

Point Totals
(after Rd 1)
Freshmen 2
Sophomores 1
Day Two
Alternate shot match play
Match 1- Brandt Garon/Tom Sikes vs. Alex Grannon/Ruston
Match 2- Bo Reed/Adam Monsen vs. Daniel Boles/Clinton Hales
Match 3- Clemens Dvorak/Oscar Mariscal vs. Easton Key/Jake Striling


Format:
• Monday, August 30th- Four-Ball match-play Northwood CC
• Tuesday, August 31st- Alternate shot match-play Briarwood CC
• Wednesday, September 1st- Singles match-play Northwood CC


Captains:
• Sophomore Team- Clemens Dvorak
• Freshman Team- Easton Key

History:
Cup Date Winner
I Fall 2006: Sophomores
II Spring 2007: Sophomores
III Fall 2007: Sophomores
IV Spring 2008: Sophomores
V Fall 2008: Sophomores
VI Spring 2009: Sophomores
VII Fall 2009: Sophomores
VIII Spring 2010: Freshmen
IX Fall 2010: ?????

'Don't Blink': Walker promises up-tempo, successful style at MCC

By Jamie Wachter / Sports Editor
The Meridian Star


(MERIDIAN) - Jeff Walker has a directive for Meridian Community College basketball fans: Don't blink.

In his introductory press conference Monday afternoon at Ivy Hall on the MCC campus, the coaching veteran of 20-plus years promised a style of basketball that would not only be exciting, but also successful.

"Don't blink because it's going to be fast," Walker said. "We're going to play extremely fast. Every league I've coached in, we've led the league in scoring.

"If there was a motto, and this is what I told coach (Hillary Allen) during the interview, our motto would be 'Defend, rebound and run.' We're going to get easy basket off of transition, we're going to press half court and full court, we're going to press zone and man-to-man, the whole thing. But we're also going to get in the habit of get it and go. My philosophy has always been with a 35-second clock, why wait 30 seconds to get a shot if you can get that same shot within five seconds, if it's a good shot.

"It should be fun to watch. It's fun for players to play, fun for fans to watch, and most importantly, it wins games."

That frantic pace doesn't just describe Walker's game plan on the court, but also his courtship with the Eagles. His hiring, which was first announced Friday, comes just 10 days after George Brooks left to join Rick Stansbury's staff at Mississippi State, his alma mater. Brooks' late departure didn't leave MCC much time to find a replacement, as athletic director and women's basketball coach Hillary Allen was also serving as caretaker of the men's program.

"My directive from President (Dr. Scott Elliott) was to get it done as quickly as possible," Allen said. "So, it was a priority of mine to get it done quickly. It was very tough, in just a 10-day process, to go through resumes from several applicants, talk to hundreds of coaches as recommendations for those applying for the job.

"I was in charge of that (overseeing the men's program), and I knew the names but didn't know the faces to go along with the names. It has been a challenge and it just feels good to have someone onboard now."

The Eagles, who made it to the NJCAA national tournament in 1998, have fallen on hard times in recent years, towards the end of Brooks' 13-year tenure at the helm of MCC.

That doesn't change Walker's expectations at all. The noted expert at turning programs around expects his Eagles to contend, not just for Miss-Lou Conference championships, but the big hardware at Hutchinson, Kan.

"One of the things I pride myself on is turning programs around and doing that fairly quickly," he said. "That is the objective here. We're going to be about championships. We're going to be about conference championships, like coach (Hillary) Allen mentioned, but also the goal in junior college is getting to Hutchinson, Kan., and being able to compete for a national championship on a yearly basis. That's what we hope to do and plan to do."

Prior to coming to MCC, Walker has served as the athletic director at Indiana Tech since 2009. It was before that, during his 160-86 career college coaching mark, that he made his mark at turning programs around.

After Hiawassee College in Tennessee went 4-23 in 1997-98, Walker went 24-5 and 22-9, winning the conference title in 1999-2000. He then took over a Grayson County College team in Texas coming off a 1-29 mark, instantly going 17-13 in 2000-01 before improving to 20-10 and earning a No. 13 ranking in the country. After a stint as an assistant at Middle Tennessee State, Walker coached Crichton College in Memphis, winning the TranSouth Conference title in 2006-07 before becoming the No. 2 team in the NAIA the following season.

That past was definitely an attraction to MCC according to Allen.

"I think the main thing is that he has shown he can take a program that has been a little bit down and at times in the past, turned into a contender," Allen noted. "We've been struggling with our men's program now for awhile, and we were looking for someone to come in and put us at a competitive level.

"Coach Walker's stood out above everyone that was on the list, has been coaching at a wide variety of places from junior colleges to NAIA schools to the professional level. We just couldn't find that experience anywhere else with our candidates"

To get the Eagles to join that list of turnaround successes, Walker knows what is key — not only getting to know the current Eagles, who he was first meeting Monday evening, but also hitting the recruiting trail. That aspect could be aided by the roots the Nashville, Tenn., native has developed in the south.

"In the next week or so, I'm looking forward to getting out in the area and meeting the high school coaches here in Meridian and Lauderdale County and know them, know their program and their teams," he said. "Getting familiar with them and then moving ahead with this thing here at MCC.

"Being a Southern guy. I've coached all over the country and there's no place I'd rather be than in the South, and my family's in the South. And just from a recruiting base, the two places I've always done well in through the years have been Memphis and Atlanta, and both are within just about four hours from here. And then throughout Alabama and Mississippi. It's right there and the network of coaches and recruiting base are already there.

"I just think this is an opportunity where you can compete for a national championship every year, and that's the goal and that's why I wanted to do it."

Walker Slated To Take MCC Men’s Basketball Reins

(MERIDIAN) - Jeff Walker, a coach with over 20 years experience on the high school, college and professional levels, has been selected as Meridian Community College’s new head men’s basketball coach, according to MCC President Dr. Scott Elliott.

Walker comes to MCC from Indiana Tech University, where he has served as athletic director since 2009. Prior to that, Walker had head coaching stints at Crichton College in Memphis, Grayson County College in Texas, and Hiwassee College in Tennessee, among other hardwood experiences. His collegiate head coaching record stands at 160-86.

“We are very excited about Jeff Walker becoming our head coach,” Elliott said.

“First and foremost, Jeff is a quality individual who will be an excellent role model for our players, emphasizing classroom achievement and good citizenship. Beyond that, he is a proven winner. If you examine his record, he has a history of molding successful programs, including consistently building nationally-ranked teams. He also has a track record of turning around struggling programs. We’ve had some good teams at MCC over the last 10 years, but we haven’t produced a national tournament team since the late ‘90s. We feel Jeff Walker is the coach who can get MCC back to Hutchinson, Kansas (annual site of the NJCAA tournament).”

Specifically, Walker has coached seven players who went on to the National Basketball Association (NBA); 12 NBA draft picks; 13 college All-Americans; and 19 high school All-Americans.

“I’m very much looking forward to the challenge of building MCC men’s basketball into a program that consistently competes on a national level,” Walker said. “I believe I know what it takes to accomplish that from a standpoint of team discipline, basketball fundamentals, game coaching, and recruiting. I expect our program to be successful in the classroom and on the court, well representing the college and community.”

As Indiana Tech’s athletic director, Walker has been responsible for managing a 24-sport, $5.2 million athletic department featuring 585 student-athletes.

“I enjoyed my tenure at Indiana Tech, but the truth is my first love is teaching the game of basketball,” Walker said. “Being athletic director of a 24-sport program was a full-time job and then some. However, I’ve found that I really miss working with the players. So, I can’t wait to get back on the court in Graham Gymnasium at MCC.”

Some of Walker’s career highlights include:
• His 2006-07 Crichton team amassed a 29-7 record, winning the TranSouth Conference championship.
• His 2008-09 Crichton team achieved a No. 2 national NAIA ranking, the highest in school history.
• He inherited a Grayson County team that went 1-29 in 1999-2000, and finished 17-13 and 20-10 the next two seasons, ranking 13th in the nation in 2001-02.
• He inherited a Hiawassee program that had gone 4-23 in 1997-98, but achieved 24-5 and 22-9 records under Walker, including winning the conference title in 1999-2000.
• He inherited a Raleigh-Egypt High School (Memphis) program that went 1-26 in 1988-89, and within two years amassed a school record 18-9 season.
• As an assistant coach at Middle Tennessee State University in 2002-04, Walker helped sign a class of players that was ranked 11th in NCAA Division 1 basketball recruiting.

Walker holds a B.S. degree from Belmont University in Nashville, where he played guard on the basketball team, and a master’s from Tennessee State University in health and physical education. Moreover, he has considerable work toward another master’s degree in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA.

“Obviously, we lost Coach George Brooks (to Mississippi State University) at an inopportune time because the fall semester had already started,” Elliott assessed.

“So, to get a coach of Jeff Walker’s considerable experience and record in a short time frame is a real plus for MCC. We currently have about 24 players on the roster, including a nucleus of three returning sophomores. We are anxious for Coach Walker to get on board officially and meet with the team.”

MCC soccer completes regular season opener road trip‏

(JACKSONVILLE, TX) - After competing their pre-season schedule, the Meridian Community College soccer teams kicked off their 2010 regular season with a road trip to Texas to face a pair of Lone Star teams, Hill College and Lon Morris College.

On Friday, the Lady Eagles tied Hill (TX) College 1-1. MCC sophomore Kelsey Edwards scored the lone goal for the Lady Eagles.

In the nightcap on Friday, the Eagles also tied Hill College 2-2 in the men's game.
Sophomore Leon Powell and freshman Jake Watkins each scored for MCC.

Both games on Friday featured two ten minute overtime periods.

On Saturday afternoon, the Lady Eagles defeated Lon Morris (TX) College 3-2 for their first win of the season.

Sophomore Anastasia Vogel scored two goals for MCC while freshman Chassity Robertson added a goal for the Lady Eagles on Saturday.

MCC's men won 1-0 over Lon Morris (TX) College as sophomore Leon Powell scored the lone goal for the Eagles.

Both the men and women are now 1-0-1 on the season. The men will face in-state rival Jones County at 2 p.m. on Saturday at C.D. Smith Field.

Soccer wraps up pre-season, ready for regular season road trip

(MERIDIAN) – The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles defeated Mississippi College 2-1 Tuesday night in a scrimmage game played at C.D. Smith Field.

Sophomore Kelsey Edwards led the way for MCC as she scored both goals for the Lady Eagles.

In men’s action, the visiting MC Choctaws defeated MCC 6-0, also a scrimmage contest.

Both MCC teams have now wrapped up their pre-season scrimmage schedule and prepare for their regular season openers this Friday and Saturday as they travel Texas to face Hill College and Lon Morris College.

Friday, the Lady Eagles take on Hill College at 4:00 pm and then the Eagles face Hill College at 6:00 pm.

Saturday, MCC’s women play Lon Morris at 1:00 pm and the men close out the road trip at 3:00 pm against Lon Morris.

MCC will then return home to face in-state rival, Jones County on Saturday, Sept. 4th at 2:00 pm.

MCC Men Defeat Holmes in Pre Season Scrimmage No. 2

(MERIDIAN) - The Meridian Community College Eagles took a 4-2 win Friday against Holmes Community College at C. D. Smith field in their second pre-season scrimmage.

Sophomore Leon Powel scored two goals, while sophomore Valentino Fogo and freshman jake Watkins each scored a goal for MCC.

Both MCC soccer teams will be in action tomorrow when they host Mississippi College.

The Lady Eagles take on MC at 5 p.m. while the men play the nightcap vs. the Choctaws starting at 7 p.m.

The matches will take place at MCC’s C.D. Smith Field.

UL Golf adds two time All American, former MCC Golfer- Garrett Westbrook

Louisiana's golf coach, Theo Sliman, has made an addition to his 2010-11 squad. Garrett Westbrook, a junior college transfer, has signed a grant-in-aid to play for the Cajuns this upcoming season.

Westbrook, a native of Baton Rouge, comes to UL from Meridian Community College in Meridian, Miss.

"I'm extremely excited," said Sliman. "He's not only a mature player but he has gained some great experience after rising up through the ranks. Coming in as a seasoned veteran, Garrett should be able to contribute for us right away."

As a member of the Eagles' golf team, Westbrook was tabbed as a two-time Junior College All-American after playing in every tournament during his freshman and sophomore seasons.

This past year at the NJCCA National Championships, he was named to the All-Tournament Team for the second straight season as Meridian claimed runner-up honors in the team competition. Added to his list of accomplishments, Westbrook was tabbed to the 2009 NJCCA All-Region team.

MCC splits scrimmage with Delta State

(MERIDIAN) - The Meridian Community College soccer teams hosted Delta State University on Wednesday for a scrimmage at C.D. Smith Field.

The Lady Eagles defeated Delta State 3-1 in their scrimmage game, freshman Paige Stewart scored one goal while sophomore Kelsey Edwards scored two goals.

In the men’s game, the Eagles fell 2-1 to Delta State. Sophomore Leon Powell scored MCC’s lone goal.

MCC women’s match scheduled for tomorrow versus Holmes Community College has been cancelled and the me will move the their match with Holmes to the 2 pm slot on Friday.

The MCC v. Holmes men’s game will be played at C.D. Smith Field.

MCC soccer set for scrimmage versus Delta State University

The Meridian Community College soccer teams will host Delta State University this afternoon at C.D. Smith Field.

The Lady Eagles kick off at 1 pm while the Eagles play at 3 pm.

Following today’s action, MCC will host in-state foe Holmes Community College on Friday at 2 pm/4 pm.

MCC’s Brooks named new Assistant Coach at Mississippi State

(MERIDIAN) - Meridian Community College head men’s basketball coach, George Brooks, has been named an assistant men’s basketball coach at Mississippi State University where he will work under Bulldog head coach, Rick Stansbury.

As a player, Brooks attended MSU from 1992-1994 and played under Coach Richard Williams.

Brooks was then named student assistant coach for MSU and helped coach the Bulldogs to the 1996 NCAA Final Four.

In 1997-98, Brooks was named assistant coach for MCC and helped lead the Eagles to the NJCAA National Championship Tournament and a fifth place national finish.

Brooks was apart of MCC basketball for 13 years, serving 2 years as an assistant and then 11 seasons as the head coach.

Brooks coached 33 MCC players that signed with NCAA basketball programs including First Team NJCAA All America selection Tajudeen Soyoye, who signed with NCAA Div I program, Missouri. In addition, as the main recruiter for MCC basketball since 1998, Brooks signed and coached two players that have played in the NBA (Jamario Moon and Ronald Murray).

As head coach, Brooks led MCC to multiple Miss-Lou Conference Championships and numerous appearances in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.

Recently in 2008, starting four freshman, Brooks led a young squad to a Runner Up finish in the MACJC South Division and appearances in both the MACJC State Tournament and the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.

“All of us at MCC are happy for George,” said Dr. Scott Elliott, college president.

“It’s the opportunity of as coaching lifetime for George to return to MSU and re-affiliate with a top-flight NCAA program. We’re sorry to lose him at MCC, but we’re also proud that through the years so many of our coaches have earned the opportunity to ascend to the highest level of intercollegiate athletics – people like Corky Palmer, Scott Berry, Russ McNickel, Mike Federico, Chad Calliet (baseball); Joe Walker, Jr. (track and field); Sandy Pugh (basketball) and now George Brooks. That’s a pretty impressive coaching legacy for any junior college athletic program.”

Elliott said the search for a new coach has already begun and that he hoped to name Brooks’ successor in a short time frame, given that the fall semester is already under way. Until a new coach is named, MCC Athletic Director Hilary Allen will be coordinating the men’s basketball program as well as the women’s.


Coaching career for George Brooks
Years Position School
1995-1997 Student Assistant Mississippi State
1997-1999 Assistant Coach Meridian Community College
1999-2010 Head Coach Meridian Community College

MCC Soccer ready for Eagle Day, releases 2010 schedule

(MERIDIAN) - The Meridian Community College soccer team has set their annual Eagle Day festivities for this Saturday beginning at 10 am.

The fan friendly event features lunch, door prizes and scrimmage games. In addition, fans are introduced to both 2010 MCC Eagles and Lady Eagles soccer teams.

The two-time defending Region 23 champion Lady Eagles take the field at 11:30 am to face Belhaven in a scrimmage while at 1 pm the Eagles will take on former MCC players in an alumni match.

The 2010 MCC soccer schedule has also been released this week and features 18 home games played at C.D. Smith Field. The annual Rush Invitational is scheduled for October 1 and 2 and will feature eight games in two days with host-MCC, in-state rival Hinds and out-of-state teams Gordon (GA) College and Lon Morris (TX) College.

For more information on the Eagle Day festivities or the 2010 MCC soccer schedule, please contact MCC soccer coach, Alex George at ageorge@meridaincc.edu or at 601-484-8697.