Shannon Fagan: ESPN analyst to pay visit in Centre
by Shannon Fagan
Jan 31, 2011 | 1269 views | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend | print
ESPN Recruiting Analyst Tom Luginbill is sure to be busy with National Signing Day now upon us, but his many stops gathering information on the top prep athletes throughout the nation will include one in Centre.

Luginbill will be the guest speaker at the Centre Recreational Outreach Center (ROC) Feb. 19 at 6 p.m., part of a fundraising event for the Youth of First Baptist Church. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10 each.

A special group rate of 10 or more youth, team or club members is also available at $7 per ticket.

For more information, contact Steven Langford at the First Baptist Church at (256) 927-3316 or (256) 266-3456.

******

Speaking of National Signing Day, only two football athletes have been confirmed to sign on Wednesday, and both are from Piedmont.

All-purpose threat Jamaal Johnson and defensive lineman Mickey Jackson are both expected to sign with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the Piedmont High School gym at 2:30 p.m.

Johnson (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) played a variety of positions for the Bulldogs (12-2) last season, mainly at defensive back. For the season, Johnson posted 97 tackles with five interceptions, one of which went for a touchdown. He also rushed for 430 yards on 63 carries with seven touchdowns and caught 24 passes for 281 yards and nine scores.

Johnson concluded his prep football career by garnering a spot at defensive back on the 2010 Class 3A All-State Football Team. His other offers included Southern Mississippi and Memphis.

Jackson (6-1, 305) recorded 77 tackles (17 for lost yardage) and led the Bulldogs with 12 sacks last season. He also caused a fumble, recovered another and blocked a kick.

Jackson also ended his prep football career as an All-State selection on the defensive line. His other offers also included Southern Mississippi, Memphis, UAB and Louisiana Tech.

Several other Cherokee County and area athletes hold offers, but their signings will come at a later date.

******

Joel Helms Lions Eye Clinic in Gadsden is sponsoring a charity basketball game with the Harlem Ambassadors on Feb. 9 at Gadsden City High School. Doors open at 6:20 p.m., with the game starting at 7 p.m.

The Ambassadors are a team of former college men and women basketball players who travel the country playing charity basketball games with local celebrities in a fun-filled basketball show. There will be an autograph/picture session following the game.

Advance tickets are $5 for kids ages 5-12 and $10 for adults 13 and up. Tickets at the door are $6 (ages 5-12) and $12 (13 and up). Children under 4 are free with a paid adult ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at the following locations: Professional Opticians, Generations Bank, Regions Bank, Keystone Bank, Fuller Medical, Kerry Wilson Insurance, Boys and Girls Clubs and area high schools.

All proceeds benefit the Joel Helms Lions Eye Clinic. Sponsorships are also available at Professional Opticians and are tax deductible.

For more information, call (256) 547-0406.

******

The Central Board of the Alabama High School Athletic Association recently held its quarterly meeting in Montgomery. Among the proposals passed were revised outdoor track qualifying procedures and the reinstatement of indoor track.

Under the revised outdoor track qualifying procedure, the top five performances meeting qualifying standards for each event per class at each of four sectionals will qualify for the state meet, in addition to the next four best performances meeting qualifying standards from all four sectionals for each classification event.

This procedure continues to place a maximum of 24 qualifiers (3 heats) in each state meet event.

The board also approved indoor track to be added to its athletic lineup. The sport was discontinued after the 2007 season until adequate facilities became available. It will resume as a championship sport Feb. 3-4, 2012, at a new multi-purpose facility being constructed in Birmingham. The regular season will again be during the month of January.

Molley McGregor, coordinator for the new facility, made a presentation to the Central Board describing the world-class facility that will also present other site opportunities for swimming and volleyball events.

Among other items the Central Board approved include a return to a football playoff bracket rotation beginning in the first round.

South regions 1 through 4 and North regions 5 through 8 will rotate first-round opponents annually, beginning next football season. North and South bracket opponents will meet only in the Super 6 finals.
Comments
(0)
Comments-icon Post a Comment
No Comments Yet
Shannon Fagan: ESPN analyst to pay visit in Centre
by Shannon Fagan
Jan 31, 2011 | 1269 views | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend | print
ESPN Recruiting Analyst Tom Luginbill is sure to be busy with National Signing Day now upon us, but his many stops gathering information on the top prep athletes throughout the nation will include one in Centre.

Luginbill will be the guest speaker at the Centre Recreational Outreach Center (ROC) Feb. 19 at 6 p.m., part of a fundraising event for the Youth of First Baptist Church. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10 each.

A special group rate of 10 or more youth, team or club members is also available at $7 per ticket.

For more information, contact Steven Langford at the First Baptist Church at (256) 927-3316 or (256) 266-3456.

******

Speaking of National Signing Day, only two football athletes have been confirmed to sign on Wednesday, and both are from Piedmont.

All-purpose threat Jamaal Johnson and defensive lineman Mickey Jackson are both expected to sign with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the Piedmont High School gym at 2:30 p.m.

Johnson (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) played a variety of positions for the Bulldogs (12-2) last season, mainly at defensive back. For the season, Johnson posted 97 tackles with five interceptions, one of which went for a touchdown. He also rushed for 430 yards on 63 carries with seven touchdowns and caught 24 passes for 281 yards and nine scores.

Johnson concluded his prep football career by garnering a spot at defensive back on the 2010 Class 3A All-State Football Team. His other offers included Southern Mississippi and Memphis.

Jackson (6-1, 305) recorded 77 tackles (17 for lost yardage) and led the Bulldogs with 12 sacks last season. He also caused a fumble, recovered another and blocked a kick.

Jackson also ended his prep football career as an All-State selection on the defensive line. His other offers also included Southern Mississippi, Memphis, UAB and Louisiana Tech.

Several other Cherokee County and area athletes hold offers, but their signings will come at a later date.

******

Joel Helms Lions Eye Clinic in Gadsden is sponsoring a charity basketball game with the Harlem Ambassadors on Feb. 9 at Gadsden City High School. Doors open at 6:20 p.m., with the game starting at 7 p.m.

The Ambassadors are a team of former college men and women basketball players who travel the country playing charity basketball games with local celebrities in a fun-filled basketball show. There will be an autograph/picture session following the game.

Advance tickets are $5 for kids ages 5-12 and $10 for adults 13 and up. Tickets at the door are $6 (ages 5-12) and $12 (13 and up). Children under 4 are free with a paid adult ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at the following locations: Professional Opticians, Generations Bank, Regions Bank, Keystone Bank, Fuller Medical, Kerry Wilson Insurance, Boys and Girls Clubs and area high schools.

All proceeds benefit the Joel Helms Lions Eye Clinic. Sponsorships are also available at Professional Opticians and are tax deductible.

For more information, call (256) 547-0406.

******

The Central Board of the Alabama High School Athletic Association recently held its quarterly meeting in Montgomery. Among the proposals passed were revised outdoor track qualifying procedures and the reinstatement of indoor track.

Under the revised outdoor track qualifying procedure, the top five performances meeting qualifying standards for each event per class at each of four sectionals will qualify for the state meet, in addition to the next four best performances meeting qualifying standards from all four sectionals for each classification event.

This procedure continues to place a maximum of 24 qualifiers (3 heats) in each state meet event.

The board also approved indoor track to be added to its athletic lineup. The sport was discontinued after the 2007 season until adequate facilities became available. It will resume as a championship sport Feb. 3-4, 2012, at a new multi-purpose facility being constructed in Birmingham. The regular season will again be during the month of January.

Molley McGregor, coordinator for the new facility, made a presentation to the Central Board describing the world-class facility that will also present other site opportunities for swimming and volleyball events.

Among other items the Central Board approved include a return to a football playoff bracket rotation beginning in the first round.

South regions 1 through 4 and North regions 5 through 8 will rotate first-round opponents annually, beginning next football season. North and South bracket opponents will meet only in the Super 6 finals.
Comments
(0)
Comments-icon Post a Comment
No Comments Yet