Cianne
12-17-2006, 05:30 AM
Ole Miss' commit LB Chris Strong was awarded Mr. Football for Mississippi today. This breaks Alabama's two year hold on garnering the services of the title holder. It would have been nice to see Drexler Johnson of Wayne County win the award too. The guy led his team to the state championship at QB despite tearing his ACL half way through the season and opting to forego surgery.
http://clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/SPORTS06/612170353
The Hit Parade
South Panola linebacker smashing success
By Todd Kelly
tkelly@clarionledger.com
Mississippi's Mr. Football for 2006 owns three state championship rings, has another on order and couldn't tell you what it feels like to lose a high school game.
Yet all those victories - five dozen since the first time he took the field for South Panola's mighty Tigers - can be narrowed to a pair of snapshots that best illustrate the impact of Chris Strong's prep career.
Two big rivals. Two huge games. Two defining hits Nat King Cole might call Unforgettable.
Season opener. No. 1 SP at No. 2 Clarksdale. Wildcats run a screen pass for tough-as-nails junior fullback Tim Jackson, who is crushed like an empty Coke can by Strong, SP's 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior linebacker.
"They were in the shotgun on third-and-5, so I knew it was something fishy," Strong said. "I just stuck in the middle to see what was coming around. I just ran up there untouched and took him out of the game."
Jackson eventually returned to the field that night, but Strong's next victim didn't.
Much-anticipated Class 5A semifinal between South Panola and Olive Branch, which gave the Tigers a 12-7 scare in the sixth week of the season.
This time, though, SP leads comfortably in the fourth quarter when Strong blitzes OB's crafty senior quarterback Cannon Smith, the son of the FedEx founder, who like Strong, has verbally committed to play for Ole Miss. Smith is in a daze as he's helped off the field.
"My coach knew he was going on a three-step drop, so he sent me up the middle," Strong said. "After he did that three-step drop I was dead in his face - and it was too late.
"They were calling him the million-dollar baby, but he's a pretty nice guy. People wanted me to hit him hard to see what he's about. I just gave the fans what they want."
According to South Panola coach Ricky Woods, the easygoing linebacker is eager to please.
"Chris is happy-go-lucky; he's smiling all the time," Woods said. "You wouldn't think he has a mean bone in his body. All my memories of him will be good. He's been such a positive influence on his teammates. He's a young man who's not going to get into any trouble at school. He's very dependable and a great football player - and sometimes that's a very hard combination to find."
Because of Strong, Woods and SP defensive coordinator Willis Wright redesigned the defense for 2006 with their star player patrolling the middle. The Tigers allowed one or fewer touchdowns in the final nine games of their fifth straight perfect regular season.
In the playoffs, South Panola beat Provine, Clinton, Olive Branch and Meridian en route to the Class 5A title, yet another 15-0 season and an unprecedented fourth consecutive MHSAA state championship.
"Chris always has been a dominating factor," Woods said. "He's so physical a lot of teams didn't even try to run up the middle. They'd just work the corners instead. His presence helped other players on the team make a lot of tackles."
Woods compares Strong's "intimidation factor" to former Wayne County noseguard Jerrell Powe, whom Woods coached in the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Classic in Mobile.
"I want to set a tone early," Strong said. "I try to hit 'em hard before they hit me. I want to let them know I'll be there waiting, so they can't run my way."
Powe signed with Ole Miss but has yet to meet NCAA academic eligibility requirements. Woods is optimistic Strong will qualify, giving him a shot at replacing departing All-American Patrick Willis. "I think Chris has a good chance to qualify. I really do," Woods said.
Strong - whose uncle and mentor, Eddie, played for Ole Miss and was a three-time All-SEC pick by the league's coaches - looks forward to his next challenge, but he won't ever forget his high school days in Batesville.
"Winning Mr. Football is really good," Strong said, "but I'm just one of the guys. I'm the same old South Panola player just like everybody else."
http://clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/SPORTS06/612170353
The Hit Parade
South Panola linebacker smashing success
By Todd Kelly
tkelly@clarionledger.com
Mississippi's Mr. Football for 2006 owns three state championship rings, has another on order and couldn't tell you what it feels like to lose a high school game.
Yet all those victories - five dozen since the first time he took the field for South Panola's mighty Tigers - can be narrowed to a pair of snapshots that best illustrate the impact of Chris Strong's prep career.
Two big rivals. Two huge games. Two defining hits Nat King Cole might call Unforgettable.
Season opener. No. 1 SP at No. 2 Clarksdale. Wildcats run a screen pass for tough-as-nails junior fullback Tim Jackson, who is crushed like an empty Coke can by Strong, SP's 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior linebacker.
"They were in the shotgun on third-and-5, so I knew it was something fishy," Strong said. "I just stuck in the middle to see what was coming around. I just ran up there untouched and took him out of the game."
Jackson eventually returned to the field that night, but Strong's next victim didn't.
Much-anticipated Class 5A semifinal between South Panola and Olive Branch, which gave the Tigers a 12-7 scare in the sixth week of the season.
This time, though, SP leads comfortably in the fourth quarter when Strong blitzes OB's crafty senior quarterback Cannon Smith, the son of the FedEx founder, who like Strong, has verbally committed to play for Ole Miss. Smith is in a daze as he's helped off the field.
"My coach knew he was going on a three-step drop, so he sent me up the middle," Strong said. "After he did that three-step drop I was dead in his face - and it was too late.
"They were calling him the million-dollar baby, but he's a pretty nice guy. People wanted me to hit him hard to see what he's about. I just gave the fans what they want."
According to South Panola coach Ricky Woods, the easygoing linebacker is eager to please.
"Chris is happy-go-lucky; he's smiling all the time," Woods said. "You wouldn't think he has a mean bone in his body. All my memories of him will be good. He's been such a positive influence on his teammates. He's a young man who's not going to get into any trouble at school. He's very dependable and a great football player - and sometimes that's a very hard combination to find."
Because of Strong, Woods and SP defensive coordinator Willis Wright redesigned the defense for 2006 with their star player patrolling the middle. The Tigers allowed one or fewer touchdowns in the final nine games of their fifth straight perfect regular season.
In the playoffs, South Panola beat Provine, Clinton, Olive Branch and Meridian en route to the Class 5A title, yet another 15-0 season and an unprecedented fourth consecutive MHSAA state championship.
"Chris always has been a dominating factor," Woods said. "He's so physical a lot of teams didn't even try to run up the middle. They'd just work the corners instead. His presence helped other players on the team make a lot of tackles."
Woods compares Strong's "intimidation factor" to former Wayne County noseguard Jerrell Powe, whom Woods coached in the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Classic in Mobile.
"I want to set a tone early," Strong said. "I try to hit 'em hard before they hit me. I want to let them know I'll be there waiting, so they can't run my way."
Powe signed with Ole Miss but has yet to meet NCAA academic eligibility requirements. Woods is optimistic Strong will qualify, giving him a shot at replacing departing All-American Patrick Willis. "I think Chris has a good chance to qualify. I really do," Woods said.
Strong - whose uncle and mentor, Eddie, played for Ole Miss and was a three-time All-SEC pick by the league's coaches - looks forward to his next challenge, but he won't ever forget his high school days in Batesville.
"Winning Mr. Football is really good," Strong said, "but I'm just one of the guys. I'm the same old South Panola player just like everybody else."