#1 - Mike McGhee
Mike McGhee is my top-ranked student-athlete in this year's Dandy Dozen. This was about as clear cut as who it was going to be in any of the three years I have done this. Besides just being an animal on the Football field, he is also the two-time defending State Champion in the Shot Put for Boys Track.
McGhee led the team in Tackles with 153 (an average of roughly 11 per game in 14 games played last year), with 35 being solo tackles (which was 2nd on the team behind Conery Meagher). He had 8 Tackles-for-loss (TFL) which was 2nd on the team behind Darrius Liggins. McGhee also had 5 sacks last year - third on the team behind Liggins and Korbin Harmon.
Among other things, he "blocked" (or rather caught) a punt that was a line drive straight to him as he was attempting to block the punt and took it the other way for his only Touchdown last year against New Hope. McGhee scored 8 of the 9 first points in that game scoring a Safety not too long after that in a game where the offense struggled early on (who was without DK Metcalf for that game). The 8 points were the only 8 points he scored all year. He also had one Interception (the one pictured to the middle left - one of 11 who had an INT last year) and a Fumble Recovery last year. McGhee looks to lead a defense to its first Gold Ball in Football - something that slipped away last year...
While he is largely regarded at school to be the stud defensive player he is in Football, there is one other thing he is really good at: throwing a big heavy ball some 15+ yards.
McGhee rarely ever loses in the Shot Put. He is the defending back-to-back 5A State Champion in the event throwing nearly 53 feet two years ago and threw a personal best 54 feet 2-1/4 inches to win the event last year earning a critical 10 points in Oxford's route to the overall State Championship. It will be just as critical to get those 10 points next year if they look to repeat. He is also a member of the 2x defending State Champion Boys Powerlifting team.
Now that once again I have wasted your summer waiting week in and week out on this year's Top 12, it is time to start focusing on Football, Volleyball, Cross Country, Slow-Pitch Softball and Swimming seasons. I'll see you back on the Dandy Dozen list countdown for the 2016 student-athletes in May - and there are a BUNCH of REALLY good athletes in the current Junior class.
**Editor's Note: This is the twelfth and last of 12 Dandy Dozen Seniors I have released over the course of the last 12 weeks. You can see all 12 Oxford Dandy Dozen Seniors and their write-ups HERE. Mike McGhee and the rest of the Oxford Chargers open the season next Friday at Jackson Prep. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM. See his team compete tonight at the Ole Miss Jamboree against 10-time State Champion South Panola. Kickoff is set for 8:00 PM.