Here is the upcoming Soccer Schedule for Oxford Girls Soccer and for the defending 5A Champion Boys Soccer teams. In all cases where both Boys and Girls are playing, Girls will play first (with their kickoff time listed) followed by the Boys 2 hours later.

Key: Date - Opponent - Place - Time

November 12 - Pontotoc - Away - 5:00 PM
November 16 - New Albany - Away - 11:00 AM (Both JV teams will play first)
November 18 - Tupelo - Away - 5:00 PM (JV only)
November 19 - Horn Lake - Away - 5:00 PM
November 23 - Center Hill - Away - TBA
November 23 - Desoto Central - Neutral (@ Center Hill) - TBA
November 30 - TBA^ (2 Games each) - Neutral - TBA
December 2 - New Albany - Home - 5:00 PM (JV only)
December 3 - New Albany - Home - 5:00 PM
December 6/7 - The Show Tournament# - Neutral - TBA
December 10 - Lafayette - Home - TBA (JV & Varsity Girls ONLY)
December 13 - Saltillo* - Away - 5:00 PM
December 14 - Pontotoc - Home - 5:00 PM
December 20 - New Hope - Away - 1:00 PM
December 20 - West Point* - Away - 5:30 PM
January 4 - Oxford Round Robin$ - Home - TBA (Both JV & Varsity will participate)
January 6 - Lewisburg - Home - TBA
January 9 - Tupelo - Home - 5:00 PM (JV only)
January 10 - Saltillo* - Home - 5:00 PM
January 11 - Corinth - Home - 11:00 AM (Both JV teams will play first)
January 17 - West Point*% - Home - 5:00 PM
January 18 - Lafayette - Away - TBA (Both JV teams will play first)

Key: ^ - Southaven Tournament / # - The Show Tournament in Brandon, MS / $ - Oxford Round Robin (2 Games for Varsity) / % - Senior Night / * - Region 2-5A Match

Key: MP = Maxpreps, MPB = Mississippi Public Broadcasting Poll, CL = Clarion-Ledger, NR = Not Ranked
Note* - For the sake of priority ranking, MPB - which was polled by the media - will be used for ranking purposes. Maxpreps uses computer rankings. If the Clarion-Ledger ranks one team but the other is not ranked in the MPB poll, the CL will be used.

Who's Playing?: Oxford (1-0, #16 MPB, #8 MP, #4 in 5A - MP) @ Starkville (1-0, #10 CL, #9 MPB, #5 MP, #4 in 6A - MP)
What?: First Road Game
Where?: Starkville High School Football Field
When?: Friday, August 30th @ 7:00 PM
How can you keep yourself updated?: 95.5 FM Radio, Bullseye955.com, @OxChargerSports Twitter Account, Channel 97 (Metrocast) Monday @ 6 PM, Gamecast on Maxpreps at this LINK.

The lowdown: Starkville-area newspapers might be calling this the "Lil' Egg Bowl" - but they think both schools are calling it that which is beyond false (as are most of the things they say down near the Starkville area).

The Oxford football team is thinking nothing of the sort - like Ole Miss did when they destroyed Mississippi State last year. Both Oxford and the Ole Miss Football teams had one thing in common when asked about "Egg Bowl" questions: "It is just another game on our schedule". Unlike last year where both of the teams' seasons were on the line, it really is "just another game on the schedule" this time - there is nothing at stake beyond a win that will have no meaning come playoff time. Keep in mind, the main reason this game is scheduled is because both head coaches know each other real well - as is the same reason Jackson Prep and Cleveland East Side (next week) are scheduled - and that they are not a 5A opponent anymore.

Last year's loss did have some meaning: It ended the Chargers season. Unlike other "Egg Bowl" games where Oxford entered that contest at 11-1 last year, they didn't have a "Bowl" game to look forward to afterward.

Last year's final was a 28-7 Starkville win en route to their 5A State Championship run, but you wouldn't know it was a 0-0 halftime score last year with that final result. Starkville cannot defend their title in 5A as they have been bumped up to 6A again in the reclassification.

There may be nothing real at stake as far as playoffs is concerned, but Oxford will be playing for a lost life that occurred Saturday Night - Senior Sarah Bial was killed in a car wreck on Highway Miss-310 in NE Panola County (about 3 miles east of Como) this past Saturday night. Four other girls were also injured in the wreck. That is a hair-bit more important to play for than some made up name Starkville-area papers made for this game.

Weather (For Starkville, MS location): At kickoff, 88*F (Heat Index: 95*F) and Clear (no rain chance), Temperatures expected to drop near 80*F by the end of the game (Heat Index around mid 80s). Very light winds from the SW (Calm-5 MPH).

Other Notes: Starkville is currently on a 12-game winning streak - the last time the Yellowjackets lost was when they dropped to 1-3 to begin the year when their starting QB was just coming back from an injury in their first meeting against West Point last year. Oxford is 3-0 in their past 14 games when facing teams with winning streaks in the double-digits (Charleston - 14, Lafayette - 34, Jackson Prep - 13) - however, none of those wins came on the road.

Key: MP = Maxpreps, MPB = Mississippi Public Broadcasting Poll, CL = Clarion-Ledger
Note* - For the sake of priority ranking, MPB - which was polled by the media - will be used for ranking purposes. Maxpreps uses computer rankings.

Who's Playing?: Oxford (#18 MPB, #13 MP, #4 in 5A - MP) vs. Jackson Prep (#23 MPB, #8 MP, #1 in AAA MAIS - CL, MP)
What?: Season Opening Game
Where?: Bobby Holcomb Field @ OHS
When?: Friday, August 23rd @ 7:00 PM
How can you keep yourself updated?: 95.5 FM Radio, Bullseye955.com, @OxChargerSports Twitter Account, Channel 97 (Metrocast) Monday @ 6 PM, Gamecast on Maxpreps at this LINK.

Jackson Prep had the pleasure of not having a Jamboree game (it wasn't made public if they did), so they will be coming in without having played a scrimmage snap against an opposing team beyond themselves with their new Quarterback. Oxford last week was able to do so against Corinth, so the Chargers have had the chance to get rid of their kinks before this game - especially when Oxford has a new Quarterback getting into its system.

These two teams return defenses that have a lot of talent. Prep is coming off a season where their defense pitched 5 shutouts last year and only gave up 95 points. Oxford pitched 3 shutouts last season, the most since the 2004 season and averaged giving up 15 points per game on a team that will have several players with D1 talent, two of which have already committed to SEC schools and nearly returns everyone that was on that defense last year.

Whatever the case may be, the Charger football players have waited all football season for this game and is anxious to get out to the field to finally show off all of their offseason hard work put to use. They'll need to against the defending MAIS AAA Champion.

For Oxford to win, they must: Get Up to Speed - OHS QB Jack Abraham has been unbelievable this offseason leading the Chargers to a 4th place finish in the National 7-on-7 Championship Tournament in Hoover, AL against many elite teams that are in this season's preseason Top 100 Nationally Ranked teams. He has already made headlines being one of the top 2016 prospects to watch for in the nation being looked at by Ole Miss, MSU, Duke, and South Carolina. However, he has yet to play meaningful Varsity snaps to this point, playing in garbage time last season behind Parker Adamson after being bumped up from his 9th Grade team who has been dismantling every 9th Grade team they have faced last year. The only other experience was this past Friday against Corinth in the Jamboree. Abraham and the rest of this young offense needs to gradually get to Varsity speed in this game and get used to the tempo of High School football. If his 9th Grade team last year has any indication at all, the rest of this schedule should need to be on the lookout for this shocking group (no pun intended).

Play Fundamental Defense - Abraham wasn't the only one making headlines, two defensive players committed to SEC schools this summer in DK Metcalf - another Sophomore - and Senior Darrius Liggins, last year's leading tackler, to Ole Miss and Mississippi State respectively. Also Conrey Meagher, Mike McGhee, KT McCollins are also very skilled on defense in their positions - all of which should find D1 colleges to play for once they leave high school. For this game, they shouldn't try to do anything crazy but just do your job. Prep is a team that has not lost since the 2011 season to their arch-rival Jackson Academy having won 13 in a row.

For Jackson Prep to win, they must: Also Get Up to Speed - They are also bringing in a new QB after Ryan Buchanan graduated and is on the Ole Miss campus on scholarship for football (and likely will come over to watch this game). This offense must also find its groove if they want to win this game against this Charger defense. Junior Gene Wood is the new QB who is going to lead the Patriots in their quest to repeat as AAA Champions in the MAIS. Oxford's defense is a good test to see where they stand on offense. However Wood is not without experienced people surrounding him (especially his offensive line where they have a player that made the Athlon Sports 2nd Team OL for Mississippi). More than 30 Seniors are on this squad. The only person that really has to get up to speed is the Quarterback Wood. If he does, this offense can be dangerous.

Tire Oxford Out - The Patriots have 91 players on its football team. That alone should say enough that they have depth at every position, a luxury many schools - especially private schools - do not have. If someone were to get hurt, they can throw somebody else out there without fear of loss of production in most every spot. With that in mind, that should be part of their game plan - although that may actually be harder than it appears when Oxford also has the depth to keep up with Prep.

Weather: At kickoff - 83*F, Partly Cloudy to Clear (less than 10% chance for rain), winds from the NE @ 4-8 MPH (Wind will be moving towards the school building). Temperatures are expected to drop to the mid-70s by the end of the game.

Other Notes: Oxford is coming off an 11-2 2nd Round playoff loss season last year considered to be a majorly successful season by many after rebounding from a 5-6 season the previous year before and not making the playoffs. Jackson Prep is 4-3 against MHSAA schools in the last 3 years. Oxford will start a Sophomore QB for the first time since 2008 (Guy Cameron Billups) - but the first time to begin a Sophomore Campaign at QB since beyond 2003 (not aware of who was QB @ OHS before 2003).

Here is the list for the 2014 Oxford's Dandy Dozen. The release for each story on each student-athlete will be made here. Each name is linked to its story on this site.

12. Anna Kathryn Kessinger
11. Joey Walden
10. Michael Bianco
9. Darrius Liggins
8. Jarius Barnes
7. Cody Mills
6. Brooks Krouse
5. Pittman Phillips
4. Mary Kathryn Pearson
3. Hunter Roth
2. Chadwick Lamar
1. Conrey Meagher

I'll be honest, it was hard to pick a #1 this year, the talent was pretty even throughout the Class of 2014. Chadwick Lamar and Hunter Roth were both right there and I fiddled around with it - they all have their pros in their sports.

But the reason this honor goes to Conrey Meagher: The best overall athlete I believe this class has this year - and most would probably pronounce his name wrong on the first try. (Meagher is pronounced as "Mar" - and yes, I did when I attempted at it)

He's one not to complain, and one of the very few on this list that didn't ask me a thousand times if he was on this list. That is like him on the football field, he plays just about everywhere Coach Johnny Hill needs him at and he goes out there and does it.

He plays Running Back/Wide Receiver on offense, an area in which I think he should play a little more at Running Back but has been reported that he will play more at Wide Receiver. He had 3 Rushing Touchdowns (2nd on the team) on just 16 carries and was effective every time he touched it on offense (which was just 23 touches). He plays Cornerback/Free Safety on defense (which is his main position) and is arguably the best secondary player on the team - he was second on the team with 4 Interceptions last year (behind KT McCollins). Let's not forget he also threw for a touchdown on offense as well. All those numbers came in just 11 games played (missed 2 due to injury).

He does have colleges turning some heads, among them are all the Big 3 Mississippi schools (Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Southern Miss) but also from other colleges like Navy, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale - all where degrees are not easy to get. He does not have an offer yet however that I am aware of.

He made the MAC Coaches' 2nd-Team in 5A at Free Safety for good reason and is looking toward more colleges to turn some more heads other than the Ivy League schools and schools from Mississippi with the upcoming season.

He also runs Boys Track as a sprinter on the team (when I searched through the sites, he was listed running a 4.5 40 time), meaning he runs events like the 100m, 200m, 4x100 relay, 4x200 relay - not sure if he runs ALL those events but those are the events he would run on the team (sorry, have not been able to get around Track last year). He helped the Boys team get 2nd this past year at the 5A State Meet in Pearl. Meagher also played Baseball once upon a time early in his high school career before deciding not to return to the team to focus more on his other sports.

With this list in the books, we are now just 1 week away from OXFORD FOOTBALL! See? I made summer just fly making you wonder who was in this Dandy Dozen - and I'll do it again next year. (*evil laugh*) (and hopefully do a better job than last year)

Major League Baseball has reported today that Instant Replay will be expanded in 2014.

That's good news for those that want it - and I am one of them. Especially after watching a Little League Baseball game today between Panama and Puerto Rico.

In the LLWS, Managers have a challenge they can use if they believe a call made on the field is incorrect and can be corrected (such as a force-out or a play at the plate that would otherwise end the play for that sequence. If the challenge fails, that team can no longer challenge another play. If the challenge is successful, the team retains the challenge and can challenge another play should the chance arises later on in the game. MLB has proposed that Managers are given 1 challenge for the first six innings, then given an additional challenge in the 7th inning (having at most 2 challenges in the game)

Here is the situation faced today: With Panama leading 8-4 in the top of the 5th (Puerto Rico batting), bases are loaded, and 1 out, batter hits a ground ball to the pitcher, who throws to home plate to get the lead runner for 1 out then throws to first base to attempt to catch the batter and end the inning with a double play.

The batter was called safe on the play that was extremely close. The Panama Manager comes out to first argue the play, then quickly challenging the play at first believing the batter to be out. Video replay gave clear evidence that the batter was about a quarter step short of the bag when the ball made it to the first baseman's mitt, thus the batter is out. The umpire did give the ruling of an out after about 45 seconds looking at replay, ending that half of the inning.

The argument of having instant replay is keeping the human element in the game and that it will waste more time adding on to the game than what it already is.

While keeping the human element in baseball is critical, the fact is this: Technology today has made umpiring more difficult where there are times where umpires could make a bad call and not have it blasted on Sportscenter. Now every single game can be view by anyone today, which means every umpire if they make a bad call that wins or loses the game is viewed by everyone on ESPN or other channels that would broadcast highlights.

The other reason being that games will last longer I believe is hogwash. The reason? The situation I presented today actually DECREASED the amount of time that game took. Why did it decrease? If the "Safe" call stood, another batter comes up to the plate in the Top of the 5th instead of the game moving to the bottom of the 5th. It would take at least a minute for that batter to complete his at bat, an average of probably 2 minutes during a normal game if that next batter happens to be an out. If not, then it would go to another batter before eventually ending the inning, adding 5 minutes or so of unneeded game time when they weren't supposed to bat on the out call.

Now will there be calls challenged to prevent an out? Yes, and those situations will even itself out and in the long run will barely (if any) increase the amount of time to play the game by virtue of instant replay. I would love to see the stats on game times when replay is used in the next few years. I seriously doubt I will see any increase.

The first year I did a top list, I did 11 without mentioning others who could have made the list until May.

This time, I did 12 and several others I saw could have also made this list, which is what this post is for.

Here are among the OHS student-athletes to also watch for this upcoming school year (not in any order):

Aulyshia Booker - Girls Basketball / Fast-Pitch Softball - She is the lone senior on the Girls Basketball team this upcoming year (barring someone transferring and being able to play) and will be one of several on the Softball team. She will really have to be a good leader on the court with Alexus Malone and Amber Sisk departing with this still young basketball team and will have to step up her game if Oxford wants another run at the Gold Ball. In Softball, she was in the lineup early in the year but fell out late - Booker batted .265 which isn't bad (it was 4th best on the team) but had a .727 fielding percentage which might stand to why she got put out of the lineup (or it might have been an injury - I didn't follow their season that closely due to Baseball). That obviously has to improve.

Tyler Jackson - Baseball - The biggest reason why he wasn't in the Dandy Dozen was not because he wasn't good enough, but he hasn't played enough and this is the only sport he plays. Jackson had to play behind William Elliott in Right Field, Brooks Krouse in Left Field, and played behind others as well such as Steven Whitfield and Chadwick Lamar in the outfield positions early in the year. If you haven't seen him this summer though, Oxford may have found a very good replacement in the lineup and earn that spot in the outfield next year where Oxford needs to replace 2 regulars and a pair of backups in Steven Whitfield and Tyler Hallam (who moved to Ohio). In the games I recorded in the summer, Jackson batted .454 and did better than that in the summer. He should find a spot in next year's lineup.

Ty Barber - Boys Soccer - One of the very few seniors that is going to need to be a leader this upcoming soccer year with the departure of the Stewart Twins, Goalkeeper Henry Webb and company that made last year special - and the unexpected firing of Coach Jamie Perkins after having led the Chargers to a 17-3-3 record and the first Soccer State Title by either gender in school history. (There is STILL no reason as to WHY he was fired outside of unexplained "personal reasons.") Barber plays the midfielder position and did a fine job being aggressive on the pitch helping the middle line keep the ball up the field. He will play a more important role next year without the 70-yard leg of Webb punting it over him and getting it to the forwards without much trouble. Although he will have to learn a new system with new coach Jonathan Branch coming in this season - all in trying to defend their 5A title.

Glenn Gordan - Football / Boys Track - His speed for Boys Track speaks for itself in what he does for the Boys Track program. On the Football field, he can be a deadly weapon - however for his reason of being listed here is all the dropped passes he had this past year at wide receiver that could have made the offense even better than last year. He probably dropped around 300-400 yards worth of passes last year, a number that could have gone for touchdowns. He is a gifted athlete and has speed with him, now we just need to put some glue on his hands.

Ann Olivia Spragins - Girls Soccer - She will be the lone Senior on the team next season and was one of just three upperclassmen on the team last season. She will have to lead a still young group of girls to reclaim the division title from Saltillo that went to the ever thought about coin flip which slipped Oxford to the 2-seed. Oxford Girls Soccer have seemingly slipped in recent years from routinely challenging Ridgeland and scoring upwards of 5-7 goals or more a game to getting knocked out of the first round of the playoffs. Spragins and the Lady Chargers need to find that magic if they are going to be any threat in 5A like they have been in the past. Although luckily, not having to tone down as many distractions as the Boys team is suffering through (State Championship, New Coach, New System, replacing 6 starters) should make this an easier accomplishment. Being this is her only sport (that I am aware of) is one of the reasons she is listed here.

Darryl King & Tony Lyles - Boys Basketball - I've listed them both because to my knowledge this is the only sport they play. Both played off the bench last year (save for an occasional start) and both are likely to start when the season gets going. No stats were listed on Maxpreps (thanks a lot...). It's not every year you go through a list of the best athletes Oxford has and the top 12 does not include a Boys (or Girls for that matter) Basketball player (Bianco has since revealed that he will not be on the Basketball team this upcoming season). King and Lyles just went through one of the roughest years record-wise Oxford has had in a long time going just 14-14, but was able to reach the 2nd Round of the playoffs and fell to eventual 5A Champion Callaway and was able to capture the regular season 2-5A title. These two will lead the Charge in the upcoming 2013-14 Basketball Season that looks to do better than going .500 and looking to lead a VERY talented group of Juniors and Sophomores that show lots of promise.

Rachel Bayles & Savana Nelson - Slow-Pitch Softball / Fast-Pitch Softball - These two Seniors will have the distinction of being two of the Seniors to play Oxford's newest sport (or returning sport I've been told): Slow-Pitch Softball. While it obviously won't help pitching for the Fast-Pitch season, it will help with their fielding. They both play the infield (Bayles is the Catcher who was the only player to play the position last year) and Nelson needs some experience before the Fast-Pitch season rolls around where she is expected to step up this year as a Senior.

Kendall Jenkins - Boys Cross Country / Boys Track - A distance runner for the Chargers, is (I think) the lone Senior returning for this squad in Cross Country. He should do well with the Boys Track program as well in distance events. He is one to watch for in both sports this year and should score well at the State Meet this year in Cross Country.

Ethan Holmes - Boys Golf / Football - Has had a hand in the last two State Championships Boys Golf had in the past two years and looks to lead to a third straight championship. Holmes is returning to the football field this fall after quitting the team after his Sophomore year in which he was a starter and a backup QB. Expect him to have an impact on defense.

Here is the schedule for the 2013 Cross Country Season:

Key - Date, Meet, Place (All times have not been announced)

August 31 - Brooks Twilight - Memphis, TN (Varsity Only)
September 7 - Intersquad Meet - Home
September 14 - Pontotoc Invitational - Pontotoc, MS
September 21 - Saltillo Invitational - Saltillo, MS
October 5 - Jesse Owens Meet - Oakville, AL (Varsity Only)
October 19 - Corinth Invitational - Corinth, MS
October 26 - Tupelo Invitational - Tupelo, MS (Ballard Park)
November 2 - Regional Meet - TBA (Varsity Only)
November 9 - State Meet - Clinton, MS (Varsity Only)

Here is the schedule for Oxford's newest sport: Slow-Pitch Softball. If JV is to play, they will play after Varsity (unless noted).

Key - Date, Opponent, Place, Time

August 17 - Ingomar^ - Neutral - 11:30 AM (Varsity Only)
August 17 - West Union^ - Away - 2:00 PM (Varsity Only)
August 19 - Tishomingo Co. - Home - 5:00 PM
August 20 - Myrtle - Away - 5:30 PM
August 24 - Bruce - Home - 11:00 AM
August 27 - Tupelo* - Away - 5:00 PM (JV plays first)
August 31 - Bruce - Away - 11:00 AM
September 3 - Itawamba - Away - 5:00 PM (JV plays first)
September 5 - Myrtle - Home - 5:30 PM
September 7 - TBA# (3 Games) - New Albany, MS - TBA
September 10 - Tishomingo Co. - Away - 5:00 PM
September 12 - South Panola* - Away - 4:30 PM (Varsity Only)
September 14 - TBA$ (3 Games) - New Albany, MS - TBA
September 16 - Tupelo* - Home - 5:00 PM
September 19 - Saltillo* - Home - 5:30 PM
September 24 - West Union - Home - 5:00 PM
September 28 - Greenville-Weston - Away - 1:00 PM (JV plays first)
October 1 - Itawamba - Home - 5:00 PM (JV plays first)
October 4 - Saltillo* - Away - 5:30 PM (JV plays first)
October 10 - South Panola* - Home (Senior Night) - 5:30 PM (Varsity Only)

Key: ^ - West Union Tournament / # - Robertson's Tournament / $ - New Albany Tournament / * - Region 2-5/6A Game

Here is the upcoming Oxford Jamboree Schedule to be held at Ole Miss' Vaught-Hemingway Stadium:

Friday - August 16
4:00 PM - Oxford vs. Corinth
6:00 PM - Potts Camp vs. Okolona
8:00 PM - Charleston vs. Center Hill

Saturday - August 17
9:00 AM - Oxford (9th) vs. Saltillo (9th)
11:00 AM - North Pontotoc vs. Saltillo
1:00 PM - Senatobia vs. Baldwyn
3:00 PM - Winona vs. Lewisburg
5:00 PM - Clarksdale vs. Cleveland
7:00 PM - Water Valley vs. Philadelphia
9:00 PM - Faulkner vs. Marshall Academy

Here is the schedule to the 2013-14 Girls and Boys Basketball Season - a Key to all the symbols can be found below. The games listed are for both Boys & Girls unless otherwise listed as Boys only or Girls only. 9th Grade & JV can be found below this schedule. Girls Varisty tip-off time will be listed first with the Boys Varsity listed second.

November 12 - Calhoun City - Home - 6:00/7:30
November 16 - Pontotoc^ - Away - TBA (Girls only)
November 16 - Houlka^ - Neutral - TBA (Boys only)
November 18 - Hernando - Home - 6:00/7:30
November 21 - Shannon# - Home - 6:30 (Girls only)
November 23 - TBA# - Home - TBA (Girls only)
November 23 - Germantown% - Home - 5:30 (Boys only)
November 25 - TBA# - Home - TBA (Girls only)
November 25 - Cleveland% - Home - TBA (Boys only)
December 3 - Ashland - Home - 6:00/7:30
December 6 - Tupelo - Home - 6:00/7:30
December 10 - Charleston - Away - 6:00/7:30
December 14 - Amory - Home - 5:00/6:30
December 20 - Lafayette - Away - 6:00/7:30
December 27-29 - TBA& - Neutral - TBA (Boys only)
December 27,28, & 30 - TBA@ - Neutral - TBA (Girls only)
January 2-4 - TBA - Home** - TBA (Boys only)
January 7 - Olive Branch - Away - 6:00/7:30
January 10 - New Site - Home - 6:00/7:30
January 14 - North Pontotoc - Away - 6:00/7:30
January 17 - New Hope* - Home - 6:00/7:30
January 21 - West Point* - Away - 6:00/7:30
January 24 - Saltillo* - Home - 6:00/7:30
January 28 - Calhoun City - Away - 6:00/7:30
January 31 - West Point* - Home - 6:00/7:30
February 4 - Saltillo* - Away - 6:00/7:30
February 7 - New Hope* - Away - 6:00/7:30
February 14 - Coldwater - Home (Senior Night) - 6:00/7:45
February 18 & 21 - Region 2-5A Tournament - Saltillo, MS - TBA

Key: ^ - Pontotoc Classic / # - Oxford Girls Tournament / % - Oxford Boys tournament / & - in Jefferson City, MO / @ - Gibson County Tournament at Dyer, TN / ** - O-Town Showdown / * - Region 2-5A Game

Here is the JV Girls Schedule:

November 12 - Calhoun City - Home - 4:00
November 18 - Hernando - Home - 5:00
December 6 - Tupelo - Home - 4:00
December 20 - Lafayette - Away - 4:00
January 7 - Olive Branch - Away - 4:00
January 17 - New Hope - Home - 4:00
January 24 - Saltillo - Home - 5:00
January 28 - Calhoun City - Away - 4:00
February 4 - Saltillo - Away - 4:00
February 7 - New Hope - Away - 4:00

JV Boys Schedule:

December 3 - Ashland - Home - 5:00
December 6 - Tupelo - Home - 5:00
December 10 - Charleston - Away - 5:00
December 14 - Amory - Home - 5:00
December 20 - Lafayette - Away - 5:00
January 7 - Olive Branch - Away - 5:00
January 11 - Olive Branch* - Home - 12:30
January 11 - Pontotoc* - Home - 2:30
January 14 - North Pontotoc - Away - 5:00
January 17 - New Hope - Home - 5:00
January 21 - West Point - Away - 5:00
January 28 - Calhoun City - Away - 5:00
January 31 - West Point - Home - 5:00
February 4 - Saltillo - Away - 5:00
February 7 - New Hope - Away - 5:00

Key: * - JV Boys Oxford Round Robin Tournament

Chadwick Lamar is not too shabby on the diamond, but that is not the only reason why he is all the way up at #2.

He's a pretty darn good long-snapper on the football team - good enough to have 3 scouts come to the Spring Game, a game which he did not dress out because of a baseball playoff game he was in the day before, and he was on the MAC Coaches' 2nd-Team at Long Snapper this past year. In fact, he is so good at long-snapper that he has won awards at various special teams summer camps he has participated in and was invited to the Kohl's National Camp because of it in Orlando, FL.

Lamar is currently ranked nationally the 30th best Long-Snapper among the 2014 Class (and the top ranked public school snapper in Mississippi) in the Kohl's Snapper Rating System and has a star rating of 4-1/2 stars out of 5 on the same site.

This makes Cody Mills' job a lot easier and a lot more prepared should Mills choose to play for a college - because often times the transition for a punter between high school and college, the ball velocity from the snapper is the biggest challenge because most don't have the velocity to get it to the punter as quick as Lamar does and then be able to handle that snap.

Mills' height makes Lamar actually better at his job - he did not have a high snap, as in snaps Mills wasn't able to handle, last season. Mills only stands at 5'5" (according to last year's height), obviously much shorter than an average punter that is around 6'1"-6'2". This also shows Lamar's accuracy with the Long Snap which must travel about 15 yards to the punter, he has less room for error than other long-snappers. Lamar should get college offers at some point during the year - there are teams that want to be sure of a long-snapper and not have to worry about it for four years.

Lamar also plays baseball, started in Right Field while William Elliott was out but ended up being the Designated Hitter later on in the year when there was not a spot for him in the outfield. With two seniors leaving in the outfield, he should see some more time out there when he is not the DH.

Lamar, like Pittman Phillips and Brooks Krouse before him, likes to swing the bat - although unlike those two, he actually has some success. He led the team in "First Pitch Swing Success" percentage, getting a hit 30% of the time when swinging at the first pitch, more than twice than the team that averaged 14.7% when swinging on the first pitch. Lamar was also third on the team in Batting Average w/ RISP at .379. He has flirted with being on the pitching staff, but may as well stick to JV when pitching. He pitched 0.1 varsity IP last season and gave up 2 runs - giving him a 42 ERA. It happened in a blowout loss during the Spring Break Tournament when the coaches wanted to save the pitching for the rest of the week.

While Lamar has a future with a football team when he goes to college, he will probably have more fun on the diamond.

After making the Top 11 list the year I started up my site last year, I did not really have many people asking who was left out, who was too low or high - because that was answered on the field.

This year, the interest has picked up. I've lost count how many times I've been asked who's on it. (For the record, it's a secret until it's revealed). At this point with just the top 2 spots left, you can easily guess who is left on it because I go in descending order from the 12th person to the top.

When I pick those 12, that's it. Mind you, when they are picked, they are picked in May. It does not take into account whatever summer workouts/games players may have done to otherwise earn a spot in their starting lineup.

I have been asked what factors into picking the 12. Well the first prerequisite is that they have to be a Senior - you can only be on it once. If that wasn't the case, Jason Barber would easily be on the list - Jack Abraham would give a run for his money to be up there too, but they are both Sophomores right now. This is not like the Clarion-Ledger's Dandy Dozen for each sport where they pick the 12 best high school athletes regardless of grade although that is where I got the name from. Next year, I will pick 12 for the Class of 2015 - and that will not be easy. Right now I have a list of 24 I'm watching for next year's Seniors. I don't want to imagine 2016 when they come up - that list is already growing beyond 12.

The next factor and probably the biggest factor is that how does this player contribute to their sport or sports. If the player contributes a lot in more than one sport, that greatly helps their chances in making it. It is likely that player would receive college interest as well because of their contributions and that also factors into some of the decisions being made.

The next one is to attempt to make it as evenly divided between Boys and Girls - and to that degree, it hasn't been that way with the Girls. Not because I'm biased or a sexiest, but because there is simply not that many Senior Female athletes the past two years like there has been in the past. Part of it is that more guys participate in sports than girls - and Football is the main reason. A rather good ratio should be 2 boys for every girl (making the total makeup 8 Boys and 4 Girls ideally on the Dandy Dozen) on the list simply because football has 70 Varsity members on the team and Volleyball has around 15 Varsity members - it is just uneven and will always be that way. Both years I've done it I have only had two girls on each list, I want to increase that number and it will next year as many good female athletes are in the Class of 2015. The main reason for the low number is the low number of Seniors that have been on the Girls Varsity teams the past two years and the high number of Seniors in the Boys Varsity teams in that span. (In Girls Soccer, there have been just 3 Seniors on a team that has 30 or so Varsity members on it and in Baseball there has been around 11 or so on a roster that has 29 members on it just to give an example as to how lopsided it has been the past two years)

The last one that I try to do is making sure every sport is mentioned. This past year I think I failed on that regard. Among the sports I left out were both Soccer and both Basketball teams (which for Basketball in itself is a shocker) - although beforehand I had one for Boys Basketball would later decide to quit in favor of his dominant sport. I also did not have any for either Softball teams, Swimming (normally for not knowing the classifications of those on the team), Boys Cross Country (mainly because of the lack of Seniors), and the Golf Team - who usually doesn't have that many members to begins with. This year I had 6 for Football, 5 for Baseball, 2 for Volleyball, 2 for Boys Track, 1 for Girls Track and Girls Cross Country. Had several on the Powerlifting team usually due to being on the Football team. Now that obviously doesn't add up to 12 because a few athletes do a couple sports or is a tri-sport athlete.

This year was harder to pick 12 out. I had about 18-20 student athletes that had a legit shot I believe of making the list, not only that but I was having trouble picking out a No. 1 because the parity of talent at the top was not that far apart - which is why I will be making out an honorable mention post before I release the No. 1 athlete in the Dandy Dozen.

I am hoping by the next time I do this, I can get some help (adult help) and have a system in place where I am not the only one picking out 12 student-athletes that deserve to be mentioned. There are opinions out there and right now only 1 opinion is in place and that is mine as to who makes it and who doesn't. Some have taken it rather well joking around about making it a "Bakers Dandy Dozen" (which is 13) and having their name slip in there and some rather hard that shouldn't be taking it as hard. I like every Oxford athlete and all I want is to make sure they represent Oxford well when they leave OHS and excel in whatever sport or career they decide. (Take for example Sam Kendricks)

So if you do not make it, don't fret about it. I only have room for 12 to make it. I consider every athlete someone who will contribute and in my hope more than what I thought when the season starts and the make for a special season is there. Oxford is fortunate to have as much talent as it has every single year to win Championship after Championship - not Region Championships but State Championships. It will continue to be that way as well.

Hunter Roth - behind probably Jason Barber - is likely the best all-around baseball player Oxford has on the team.

Roth is one of the top 2 pitchers, has become a pretty good third baseman, and can hit the ball at the plate. That's pretty close to all-around as you can get. The only thing stopping him is playing in the outfield and the catcher spot from that "all-around" status.

Roth managed to put up the most "official" at bats on the team (at 109), led the team with 31 RBI's (to my count). He also reached base an astonishing 14 times because of a Fielder's Choice (by far led the team). The reason why Roth led the team in RBI's (and Fielder's Choices) is because the players in front of him in the lineup get on base pretty often. Roth had 69 plate appearances in which he had a chance to drive in a run or two - which was 54% of the time. That's credit given to William Elliott, Henry Webb and Brooks Krouse getting on base ahead of him so that he has those chances. There is a reason why he bats in the "clean up" spot.

Although he had 13 errors last year on the field (the majority being in-between hops that he has learned late in the season to avoid), he has become a reliable third baseman; his best game coming against Amory being responsible for 1/3 of the total outs made in that game (8 out of 24) and made three SportsCenter Top 10 snags to help record 4 of those outs. He led the team playing all but 3 defensive outs last season (coming out for his brother Houston on the mound during Game 1 of the Starkville series).

And let's not forget what he does on the mound for Oxford - entering as the team's No. 2 pitcher next season (again behind Barber). This past season he had an 8-2 pitching record and recorded 2 Saves (both best on the team) with a 2.32 ERA. He had 47 strikeouts versus 19 walks and 8 Hit-by-Pitches in 51.1 Innings Pitched. He led the staff in "First Pitch Strike" percentage at .597 and had a total of 5 Complete Game outings.

This may be the only sport he plays for Oxford, but he is good at it.