MCC Sweeps Past Southwest

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles continued its hot streak to open the 2011 season with a narrow 4-3 victory over Southwest Mississippi Community College on Tuesday night in local junior college soccer action. The Lady Eagles carried a 2-1 lead heading into the second half of play and fought off several furious comebacks by the Lady Bears to secure the one-goal victory.

“We weren’t clicking on all cylinders tonight, but it was a great victory for our ladies tonight,” said MCC head coach Alex George. “We have had a great start to the season and I was very proud of how we held on for another huge win.”

MCC cracked the scoreboard first with a goal with 34:19 left in the opening half to take a 1-0 lead over Southwest. Sophomore Courtney Green scored the opening goal for the Lady Eagles in the opening ten minutes of play, but the Lady Bears battled back to tie the game later in the half. Bria Jackson scored the only goal for Southwest in the first half to tie the game at 1-1 with 17:39 left in the first half.

The Lady Eagles were able to retake the lead with a goal from the leading scorer for Meridian. Freshman striker Pam Gean scored her seventh goal of the 2011 season with 3:25 left in the first half to give MCC a 2-1 lead. Gean entered play on Tuesday night tied for the NJCAA lead with six goals scored.

Southwest came roaring back in the opening minutes of the second half to tie the game at 2-2. Jackson scored her second goal of the game with 42:25 left in the second half to bring some life to the Lady Bears. Meridian would answer the goal by Jackson, as Green scored her second goal of the game with 37:46 left in the second half to give the Lady Eagles a 3-2 lead.

MCC extended its lead with 20:37 left in the game with a goal from Claire Bolen to give the Lady Eagles a 4-2 lead over Southwest. Casey Brumfield added one final goal in the game for Southwest with 31 seconds remaining, but MCC was able to hold on for a 4-3 victory.
MCC (3-0) returns to action next Tuesday on the road at Holmes Community College at p.m.

MCC 4
Southwest 2

Freshman Tony Chapel secured his first hat trick of the season as MCC notched its first victory of the 2011 season with a two-goal victory over Southwest. MCC scored the only goal of the first half, which came from freshman striker Kellen Roberts to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead over one half. Chapel scored his first goal of the night with 34:54 left in the second half to extend the MCC lead to 2-0. Conor Weiman scored a goal for the Bears later in the half to cut the Meridian lead to 2-1.

Weiman scored on a free kick with 26:08 left in the second half to bring SWCC to within one goal. Chapel added his second of three goals with 19:54 left to extend the MCC lead to 3-1. Chapel put the match away for good with a goal with just 5:00 left to lead the Eagles to victory. Weiman added a late goal with 4:20 left for Southwest, but MCC held on for the 4-2 win.

MCC (1-2) returns to action next Tuesday on the road at Holmes Community College beginning at 4 p.m.

MCC Soccer Opens 2011 Regular Season

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles enjoyed a great deal of success in its opening games of the 2011 regular season, but the MCC men’s team would like to quickly forget its first two games of the season. The Lady Eagles secured a pair of victories over the weekend against Lon Morris (4-0) and Northeastern Texas (5-0) to begin the regular season with a pair of shutouts.

The MCC Eagles came up on the losing end in its first two games of the regular season with loses to Lon Morris (6-0) and Northeastern Texas (2-0) to open the 2011 regular season on a mild two-game losing streak. Meridian will return to action this Tuesday against Southwest Mississippi Community College at C.D. Smith on the campus of Meridian Community College. The Lady Eagles will look to win its third straight to start the season against Southwest with the match set to begin at 5 p.m. The MCC men will look to get into the win column against Southwest with its home match beginning at 7 p.m.

The Lady Eagles started the weekend with a 4-0 on Friday against Lon Morris College. MCC struck first in the match with a goal from freshman striker Pam Gean with 14:00 left in the first half to give the Lady Eagles a 1-0 lead. MCC extended its lead with another goal with 17:00 left in the second half to make the score 2-0.

Sophomore striker Chelsea Byrd gave MCC the two-goal advantage with the score, but the Lady Eagles would continue to build its lead later in the half.
Gean scored her second goal of the match on a penalty kick after a hand ball by Lon Morris to give the Lady Eagles a 3-0 edge with 15:00 left in the match. Gean secured the hat trick with another goal with just 12:00 left in the match to lead MCC to the 4-0 victory over Lon Morris on Friday.

The Lady Eagles made it a clean sweep with a victory over Northeastern Texas on Saturday with a 5-0 victory. Gean continued her great play on Saturday with a goal in the opening five minutes of play to give MCC a 1-0 lead over Northeastern Texas.

Gean added two more goals in the first half to put together another hat trick and give MCC a 3-0 lead at the end of the first half. The Lady Eagles put the game away for good with two more goals in the second half and roll to a 5-0 win over Northeastern Texas.

Melanie McCaskill scored one of the two goals in the second half for the Lady Eagles, while Claire Bolen added a goal in the final minute of play for MCC.

The MCC Eagles didn’t have the same success as the women, as the MCC men dropped its first two matches of the regular season. The Eagles dropped its opener on Friday to

Lon Morris by a final score of 6-0. Lon Morris scored three goals in the first half and three goals in the second half to roll to the convincing victory over MCC.

The Eagles couldn’t bounce back on Saturday as Northeastern Texas took a 2-0 victory to send MCC back to Meridian with two losses for the weekend. The game was scoreless after one half of play, but Northeastern Texas scored with 13:00 left in the match on a penalty kick after a hand ball by Meridian to make the score 1-0. Northeastern Texas added an insurance goal later in the half to take a 2-0 win over MCC.

MCC Golf Gears Up For Fall Season

From School Reports

First year head coach, Clinton Hales, and his 2011-2012 Eagle golf team will wrap up preseason preparations next week with their bi-annual Eagle Cup and a road scrimmage at Old Waverly Golf Club against Southeastern Conference power, Mississippi State University.

The Eagle Cup is a “Ryder Cup” style format that matches freshmen versus sophomores. The sophomore squad has had the upper hand as of late, taking the previous three Eagle Cups. MCC will travel to West Point on August 30 for a scrimmage match against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at their home course. The Eagles will have the opportunity to be reunited with current MSU assistant coach, and former MCC head coach Sean Covich.

The Eagles will be led by a trio of returning sophomores: All-American Jake Stirling, Easton Key, and Alex Grannon. Newcomers Dylan Brown, TJ Morgan, Leighton Greer, Drew Boston, and Bryce Monroe will also be making the trip to play on one of the south’s best golf courses. “It’s really a unique opportunity that not many community colleges have to be able to play a Division 1 school from time to time. It really shows the strength and depth of our program and how much exposure our golfers have to showcase their game to coaches on the next level, “ said Hales.

This will be the fourth match over the last 2 years that MCC has been invited to play an SEC school. “We’re really excited at this opportunity and hope to get the season started on the right note, “ said Hales. The Eagles first regular season tournament will be September 12 – 13 at the Wallace State Fall Invitational at Cullman Golf Course, in Cullman, Alabama.

2011 MCC Men's Soccer Preview

The Meridian Community College men’s soccer season will be filled with many questions, but several newcomers may provide quick answers. The Eagles are hoping to bounce back from a loss to Mississippi Gulf Coast in the Region 23 playoffs last season and secure another championship of its own in 2011.

“We have some great talent coming to the team this season to go along with several players returning to the lineup,” said MCC head coach Alex George. “We had one of our best years on the recruiting trail and these guys that are coming in this season have the potential to do some very special things for our program.”

MCC will return seven starters from the 2010 team, but the most notable newcomer to the roster in 2011 is Ducky Troutman from Ocean Srpings. Troutman comes to Meridian after posting a very successful senior season that earned him the highest honor in the state of Mississippi Gatorade Player of The Year.

“He (Troutman) is a pure athlete and we are very excited to have him come to MCC,” added George. “He can make some big plays and has worked very hard since he has been on campus to get ready for the season. We will be looking for him to make an immediate impact for us this season.”

Troutman will anchor the midfield for the Eagles and will join a very experienced lineup in 2011. Former Meridian High standout Reed Scarbrough returns for his sophomore season and will play a key role at defender for the Eagles. The position that MCC will have the most depth this season will be a goal keeper. The Eagles return former Philadelphia High standout Matthew Goudie to the 2011 team and the sophomore will see the most action in goal for the Eagles.

MCC will also welcome former Warren Central standout Marlo Brinnon to the team and could see some action during the season at keeper for the Eagles.

“We have two talented guys that we can put at that position and during a long season depth at any position is a plus for our team. Injuries can happen at any point during the year and having two quality players at the position is very important for our club.”

Former Lamar standout Tripp Sims will also see action this season for the Eagles and will see action at defender.

“We worked very hard during the offseason to bring in some quality talent and we have a good mix coming into the season. We hope to come back from a tough end to the 2010 season and win a championship for this program.”

The MCC men's soccer team will open its 2011 season at home August 22 against Holmes Community College. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m.

2011 MCC Women's Soccer Preview

From School Reports

The 2011 Meridian Community College soccer season is just around the corner and Lady Eagles are looking to have their most successful season in school history. MCC will look to return to the postseason for the fourth straight season and all of the pieces of the puzzles are in place for a fourth consecutive appearance in the playoffs.

“This may be our best group we have had in 10 years here at MCC,” said MCC head coach Alex George. “We have brought a great recruiting class to campus this season and a lot of these new faces will contribute to our success this season.”
MCC will return seven starters from the 2010 squad which lost in the 2010 Region 23 Tournament to Jones and the Lady Eagles will be looking to rebound from a disappointing end to last season.

“It left a bad taste in our mouth and our team has been working very hard since they have returned to campus to get ready for the long season ahead. We have one goal in mind and this group has its sights set on winning a championship this season. We have a very good chance of making this a very special season for our program.”

The Lady Eagles return several starters to the lineup this season, but one of the most important returning players is goal keeper Chasity Robertson of Byram, MS. Robertson will bring a wealth of experience back to the team and is one of the key components for MCC to be successful in 2011.

“She (Robertson) may be one of the best keepers in the region,” added George. “She is a great athlete in goal and she should have a very good season for us. We will be looking for big stops from her during the season.

The one area that will be exciting for fans in the Meridian area is the number of local players that will be a part of the MCC Lady Eagle team in 2011. The most familiar face to join the team this season will be former Meridian High standout Maggie Freyaldenhoven. The freshman will see plenty of action this season for the Lady Eagles and will start in the midfield.

Chelsea Byrd, another former Meridian High standout, will be another key spot in the lineup this season for MCC. Byrd will draw starts in the lineup at striker and will bring a ton of talent to the lineup for the Lady Eagles. Former Northeast Lauderdale standout Malley Gullette joins the 2011 squad and rounds out an impressive list of local players for the Lady Eagles. Gullette will play a role on the team as a defender for MCC.

Two other players that will carry a large amount of the load on offense for MCC will be Pam Gean and Shana Kay Durant. Gean comes to MCC from Olive Branch High School and Durant comes to Meridian by way of Kingston, Jamaica. Both players will be in the lineup for MCC at striker.

“I think we have the right mix of players to have a great season,” said George. “We can’t overlook any team this season because every team on our schedule this season has a ton of talent. It should be a very exciting season.

The MCC Lady Eagles open the season August 22 against Holmes Community College at 5 p.m.

Jason Smith Joins MCC Baseball Coaching Staff

From School Reports

Meridian Community College has announed the hiring of former MCC standout Jason Smith to its baseball coaching staff. Smith joins the staff after spending the past 13 seasons playing professional baseball for a number of different organizations. Smith played junior college baseball at Meridian Community College and was a member of the 1996 squad that finished second in the country under former MCC head coach Corky Palmer.

Smith will join the staff under the direction of current MCC head coach Chris Curry. Smith is joining the staff as a volunteer coach and will coach first base for the Eagles, while working with infielder's as a part of the staff. Smith will also assist current assitant coach Dillon Sudduth with hitting duties.

Corky Palmer Inducted into Hall of Fame

From School Reports and The Clarion Ledger

Before Corky Palmer, there was Punchy Palmer, or as the joke around Hattiesburg goes: Corky Palmer is just Punchy Palmer with a college education.
Carlton Van "Corky" Palmer will be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame on Friday. Nobody would be more proud than his dad, Carl Milton "Punchy" Palmer, who died in 1972 when Corky, his oldest son, was but 18. Father and son shared a love of all sports, especially baseball and particularly the New York Yankees.
"Dad gave me the best advice I ever got when I was 9 years old," Corky Palmer says. "He told me, Son, 'I know you love Mickey Mantle, but you got Yogi Berra's body. If you're going to play baseball, you gotta be a catcher.'"
Corky Palmer became a catcher, all through the Hattiesburg youth leagues, at Hattiesburg High School and then Southern Miss. Nobody loved baseball more than Corky, unless it was Punchy. And catcher was the perfect position for Corky, who was long on baseball smarts but short on foot speed. The entire game was in front of him. He was involved in every play. He became pretty much a coach while he was playing.
Punchy Palmer had played all sports at Hattiesburg High. He was the football team's quarterback, the baseball team's centerfielder, the basketball team's point guard and the track team's star hurdler.
"I got some of his hand-eye coordination," Corky Palmer says. "The speed part didn't take."
From field to dugout
But Corky Palmer will tell you he had opportunities his daddy, a shift worker at a Petal petroleum company, never had.
"When my daddy finished high school he went right to work to support his family," Corky Palmer says. "I always thought he should have been a coach. Nobody loved it more. Nobody knew how to teach it better. He just didn't have the education."
But Punchy Palmer was a fixture at baseball parks around Hattiesburg. His homespun baseball wisdom, which he dispensed gladly, with a country twang and at length, benefitted any kid who would listen. Nobody listened more than Corky.
Corky Palmer's baseball career has a one-year blank line. That was the 1972-73 school year, the year after his high school graduation when his father died in December of 1972 and, says Corky Palmer, "It knocked me for a loop. It took me a while to get over it."
After taking a year off, Palmer became USM's starting catcher for four straight years. You hear coaches talk these days about how a player is so smart that "he's like having a coach on the field."
Corky Palmer really was. Unlike today's college baseball players, he called all the pitches and set the infield. The signals didn't come from the dugout.
So it was only natural he would go into coaching. He did so immediately upon graduation from USM.
First, he guided Columbus Lee High School to three straight Little 10 Conference titles. Then he moved closer to home to Columbia High, where his 1983 team won a south state championship.
Palmer returned to USM as an assistant coach for the 1985-86 seasons before moving to Meridian Community College, where his career really took off.
Over 10 seasons, his Meridian teams won 409 games, lost just 160 and made three appearances in the national juco world series.

In 1996, Palmer led MCC to its best season in its history with a runner-up finish in the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.
In 1997, Palmer returned to USM as the head coach, succeeding Hill Denson. In 12 seasons, his teams won 458 games, lost 281 and made the NCAA Tournament field eight times.
Storybook finish
There's an old saying about our national pasttime that "baseball finds you."
Despite Palmer's earlier success, well-chronicled regionally, the baseball world discovered Corky Palmer in 2009 after he had already announced his retirement as baseball coach at USM. After a fast start, that 2009 USM team was decimated by injuries and seemingly headed nowhere when Palmer announced his retirement in May. Then, Palmer's last team got blistering hot, finished second to Rice in the Conference USA Tournament, won an NCAA Regional at Georgia Tech and then a Super Regional at Florida. In his last season, Palmer made it to Omaha and the College World Series.
Naturally, his folksy, homespun humor and storytelling were a hit with the national media. Corky Palmer pretty much stole the show at the pre-College World Series press conference, and the other coaches, many famous, seemed to enjoy it even more than he did.
USM took eventual runner-up Texas to the limit before losing 7-6 in the opening round. North Carolina then blistered USM 11-4 in the elimination round.
Said North Carolina coach Mike Fox, afterward: "First of all, I would like to echo everything that has been said about Corky Palmer. He has had a very distinguished career. It was just an honor to be on the field with him today. It was just a terrific ride his team took him on."
It was. And it was a storybook end to a terrific baseball career. So, what would Punchy Palmer say?
"I think what would make him most proud," Corky Palmer says, "is that I was fairly successful at something I loved doing so much. I think he'd tell me I done good."