Key: CL - Clarion-Ledger, AP - Associated Press, MP - Maxpreps, NR - Not Ranked. For the sake of priority ranking, AP - which was polled by the media - will be used for ranking purposes. Maxpreps uses computer rankings. If the Clarion-Ledger or AP ranks one team - who uses just a top 10 - but the other is not ranked in the MP poll - who uses a top 25 - the AP/CL will be used. MP poll will be used if teams are ranked outside the AP/CL top 10.

Who's Playing?: Oxford (1-0, #1 CL/MP, #2 AP, #1 in 5A [all polls], #32 Nationally (MP)) vs. Starkville (1-0, #3 CL/AP, #6 MP, #2 in 6A [CL/AP])
What?: Home Opener / New Turf Premiere Game
Where?: Bobby Holcomb Field
When?: Friday, August 29th @ 7:00 PM 
How can you keep yourself updated?: 95.5 FM Radio, Bullseye955.com, @OxChargerSports Twitter account

The Lowdown: Aye, that made up trophy game is back. A trophy made up because of the two colleges that reside in both of these towns.

Both teams are really looking for a high-profile win - it just happens to come with a cheap trophy (as many remember, the trophy broke in half almost immediately after Oxford won it last year). Oxford would really like to play keep away from the team that thought would beat Oxford last year and made it the main reason why this trophy was made up. 

Anyways...

Starkville blew out Noxubee County at their home last Friday 51-19. A far cry from the 17-0 game last year - mainly because of two new cast members. A high-profile transfer RB from Missouri, and a QB who transferred from New Hope who has committed to Memphis. They haven't had the stiff competition yet. Noxubee County - usually a force in 4A - is still not up to snuff after winning it all two years ago. Terry is - well, not that known - who they played in the Jamboree. The Yellow Jacket D surely remembers last year's collapse (almost literally) not being able to slow down Oxford's offensive attack in the second half in the heat. That was the Kenzie Phillips breakout party last year.

But that was last year. This is this year.

Oxford is coming off a 26-21 win over MAIS AAA's two-time defending champion Jackson Prep where they held off a second half rally to win on the road. The heat really did a number more than anything, hospitalizing a Jackson Prep player who would eventually pass away, and cramping up Kyree White and Jack Abraham during the game. The Heat Index was above 90*F throughout much of the game and was above 100*F at kickoff - and to top it off, it was on a artificial turf field which doesn't absorb heat as well as a grass field does. Oxford's D faced an offense known as the Polecat offense last week (as seen on the picture). They likely won't face something like that the rest of the year. It's an offense where the linemen line up near where a wideout would normally be. Oxford (and many other teams) lines up in a variation of it during the point after touchdown attempt called a Lonesome Polecat, usually no play comes from it before everyone lines up in a traditional Field Goal formation.

The critical play in last year's game was a 4th & 1 situation in the Starkville red zone for Oxford where Glenn Gordan - what appeared to be the fifth choice at WR to get the ball on such a big play - made a huge touchdown catch to give Oxford the needed cushion to win that game 35-24. Abraham got into a rhythm in the second half of that game and went on a tear with 4 total TD passes.

SHS QB Brady Davis has never been an accurate QB, completing less than 51% of his passes last year and was 11/18, 183 yards, 3 TD last week in the blowout win. Davis against Oxford last year was just 9/22, 98 yards, TD, INT. Not exactly D1 QB caliber numbers. Abraham overcame a career-high Interception day and had a monster 2nd half going 23/36, 304 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT last year at Starkville.

Whoever wins this game gets a trophy. What are they trying to do? Make this the Egg Bowl? I don't see coach Dan Mullen over there.

Weather: At kickoff - 85*F (Heat Index: 88*F) and Clear (no chance of rain). Winds extremely light, Temps to drop to the upper 70s by the end of the game.

Other Notes: Oxford's biggest deficit out of all the games last year was by 14 points to Starkville (happening at 14-0 - Picayune, Jackson Prep, Vicksburg, and Center Hill who all had leads in their games never led by more than 7). For the record, I do know what this game is dubbed as.

Key: CL - Clarion-Ledger, AP - Associated Press, MPB - Mississippi Public Broadcasting, MP - Maxpreps, NR - Not Ranked. For the sake of priority ranking, AP - which was polled by the media - will be used for ranking purposes. Maxpreps uses computer rankings. If the Clarion-Ledger or AP ranks one team - who uses just a top 10 - but the other is not ranked in the MPB poll - who uses a top 25 - the AP/CL will be used. MPB or MP poll will be used if teams are ranked outside the AP/CL top 10.

*Note: MPB did not release a Top 25 poll before this was released. AP poll will be released after Week 1.

Who's Playing?: Oxford (0-0, #1 CL, #2 MP, #1 in 5A [all polls], #37 Nationally (MP)) @ Jackson Prep (0-0, #7 MP, #1 in MAIS AAA [all polls])
What?: 2014 Season Opener
Where?: Jackson Preparatory School's Football Field in Flowood, MS
When?: Friday, August 22nd @ 7:00 PM 
How can you keep yourself updated?: 95.5 FM Radio, Bullseye955.com, @OxChargerSports Twitter account

The Lowdown: Last year, this game was much anticipated in Oxford. A packed-house in the stands almost like it was the Crosstown Classic. Neither team was ranked real high (neither were in the Top 10 at the time last year). You could even say Jackson Prep came in a little arrogant (when you have fans come into a VISITING stadium in a Double-Decker bus...).

This year, a little bit different besides the change in venue. Both teams are ranked inside the Top 10 of the Maxpreps rankings. Oxford has made it as one of the Top 100 High School teams in the nation regardless of any state's classification entering the year according to Rivals and Maxpreps (as high as 37th). Jackson Prep made it nationally as one of the top 25 "Medium-school" teams in the nation at 21 (Oxford also made it at 13) according to Maxpreps. The teams in this matchup went a combined 26-3 last year.

It should serve easily that Oxford has a target bigger than Mississippi entering this season. For the first time in school history, Oxford is the top-ranked Football team in the state of Mississippi in the CL Super 10 poll. Jackson Prep would love nothing more than to make that the shortest lived trip atop the Super 10 poll. The Jamboree game - usually with no meaning - probably decided the top ranking after beating 10x State Champion South Panola 14-10 last week. South Panola is ranked 2nd in the Super 10. Both spots 1 & 2 in the Super 10 were unrevealed at the time of the game.

It was a Special Teams play that gave Oxford the momentum they held on to until the end of the game with a blocked punt that was scooped up and scored on. Oxford's offense was real young that game, but showed its mettle in the end. Oxford's leading rusher Kenzie Phillips didn't have but 22 yards on 9 carries last year and was not yet a big part of the offense that repeatedly got into the 30s and 40s last year. While a lot will be made about Oxford's passing attack, the running game (Prep's offense is based around their run game) on both sides of the ball will decide a lot about this game with offensive lines that both teams had to retool this year (both sides lost a combined 7 linemen from last year). 

If Prep QB Gene Wood (Alabama Baseball Commit) is having to pass the ball a lot, their chances are not that good. In games where he has to throw the ball at least 24 times, they average 17 points per game (and with a 2-2 record, including last year's loss against the Chargers) - whereas if he doesn't, they average 35.5 points per game (and a perfect 10-0 record). Wood did not throw a lot of Interceptions last year (5, and did not throw one until their 8th game of the year last year - 110+ pass attempts before doing so), his completion % last year was 51%. Although their passing game wasn't all that great, last year they had at least one pass go 30 or more yards in every game. (OHS QB Jack Abraham didn't even have that luck, failing to have at least 1 30-yard pass completion in 3 games last year) Prep WR Parker Caracci is likely going to be the main target as he is the only returning WR that had more than 7 receptions last year.

Oxford returned 5 offensive starters from last year's team (it seems like more) but the main play-makers all return like Abraham, DK Metcalf, Kenzie Phillips, and Kyree White (Colton Skidmore is the only player on the OL returning), but several return that has playing experience such as Zach Cousar. The bulk of the lost starters comes from the offensive line which was tested last week against South Panola. After giving up two early sacks and a couple more hurries, they found the groove late. Phillips - OHS's single-season Touchdown record holder - only had 10 carries for 22 yards in 2 quarters last week, but did punch in a Touchdown. Oxford's Defense kept that vaunted South Panola rushing offense in check - save for a 41-yard Touchdown run that was controversial in that there are claims from several players and coaches of movement prior to the snap allowing an excess delay in reaction to the play. The Charger D held the Tigers to two FG tries in their Red Zone, and had it not been for the narrower college goalposts inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (HS Goalposts are wider than college, and NFL Goalposts are narrower than college), both likely would've been successful. One klanked square off the uprights. If Oxford's speedy offense can get going at the pace it wants, with how hot it will be Friday, Prep might be wiped by the time the 2nd Half rolls around - like Starkville was last year in similar heat.

An upset by Jackson Prep here (even though at home) would be the biggest win by an MAIS school over an MHSAA school in its history. This is a huge game to say the least to start the season - for Oxford to get off the right foot, and for Prep to play in their biggest game against an MHSAA school yet.

Weather: (for Flowood, MS location) at Kickoff - 91*F (Heat Index 102*F) and Partly Cloudy (20% Chance of Rain). Any rain chance will diminish and clouds will clear throughout the game. Temps expected to drop towards 80*F and the Heat Index to the mid-80s by the end of the game.

Other Notes: The 32 points Oxford scored on Jackson Prep last year was the most the Patriots allowed in a single game during the 2013 season. This game was one of only 4 games Oxford played in last year that was decided by 2 possessions or less. Jackson Prep is 6-4 against MHSAA schools the last 4 years. All Football games this year will start at 7:00 PM. (Last year, all games prior to October started at 7:30 PM) Three of Oxford's first four games will be played on an artificial surface - and 6 of Oxford's 11 games will be played on such as Oxford's home turf is now artificial. Oxford in total has played on two artificial surfaces in school history outside of Jamboree games held at Ole Miss (last year at Lafayette and in 2010 at Pearl).

Oxford Football has a big traveling fan base, this year will be no exception. However you may not know how to get to these fields. Here are the traveling directions to all 6 of our away games this year. (Note to Mobile Users: Directions to each location will be shown first followed by the maps in order of the where the school is on the map.)

These Senior student-athletes listed here did not make my list of the Class of 2015 Dandy Dozen, but they will make contributions all the same to their respective teams this athletic year. Here is the list of my "Honorable Mentions" along with a short splurt. These are not in any order.

Wes Snellgrove, Matthew Guyton, & Drew Phillips (Baseball) - with the outfield completely gone from last year, expect Snellgrove to battle for a spot in the lineup with the three positions open. Guyton, who missed most of the remainder of the season after breaking his foot against Tupelo last year, might be forced to move to the outfield - as his bat is really valuable - with the addition of stud SS and Ole Miss commit Grae Kessinger crowding the infield up (replacing Pittman Phillips) which did not really lose anyone but Hunter Roth at third base. Drew Phillips manned 1st base for much of the year this past year, but his inconsistency at the end of the year and throughout summer might cause him to lose his spot. Phillips needs to find the form he had at the start of the year last year if he is to stay in the lineup. Snellgrove quit the Boys Soccer team despite being very successful playing defense and winning a State Title along the way.

Glenn "JR" Anderson (Football / Boys Basketball) - He will make the transition to Safety this season to replace the departed Conrey Meagher - last year's #1 Dandy Dozen student-athlete - but from what I've heard so far, he is better suited for this position instead of the LB position he played last year. He comes off the bench in Basketball and does solid work on the court.

Harland Stewart (Football / Boys Soccer) - Unlike his Twin Soccer brothers (Hunter & Hayden), he doesn't do much on the pitch - being more of an "enforcer" when he enters the game. He's called an enforcer because of his skills at LB for the Football team, along side Mike McGhee and Thomas Allen, they are just forces to be reckoned with. He had HUGE games against New Hope (13 tackles) and Pearl (16 tackles) along with gathering an Interception and a Fumble Recovery last year.

Josh Gibbs (Boys Basketball) - Gibbs is basically your loose firecracker set to go off at any moment. He can catch fire, or he'll shoot himself in the foot. He had big games against West Point last year and a couple others, but on the back end led the team in Turnovers. He has the ability to have great games, it is a matter of being consistent game in and game out.

DK Hutchins (Football) - the "other" DK on the team many don't know about. He will help lead the defense in the secondary along with KT McCollins and Anderson - which makes for a nightmare defense in the secondary if anyone tries to pass on those guys - it doesn't help the opposition that those guys have to practice against DK Metcalf, Kyree White, Zach Cousar and a bunch of other talented guys. He is a strong contributing member of the Football team.

Bre Pettis & Tamera Wadlington (Girls Basketball) - Pettis was one of the few players on the team that avoided the injury bug and started nearly every game this past season playing either the point or shooting guard positions. Her high number of Turnovers help cause her to miss this Dandy Dozen list. Wadlington was injured before the season began last year, one of many that missed the entire year. She was very helpful off the bench her Sophomore year and is expected to be one of the first off the bench if not start this year. Wadlington is in a position much like Tyler Jackson was last year, she didn't make the list because wasn't good, she just hasn't been able to prove anything yet.

Jerrica Hickenbottom (Girls Basketball / Girls Track) - Started in most (if not all) the games played last year and had to step up due to the injuries mentioned previously. She tends to shoot the 3-ball a lot but can get hot if she knocks one down. Also a member of Girls Track along the Field Events.

Gavin Douglas (Boys Cross Country, Boys Soccer, Boys Track) - Rare do I have a Tri-Sport athlete not make the list. Just simply didn't make the cut. Not only that, but he's helped win Championships from all three sports and has rings for them. Vital part of the Cross Country team much like David Dennis and Tristan Orman before him and helped Track win a Title last year. He did not play much of a role with the Soccer team when they won their state title helping him not find the list, but he will play vital roles in all three sports this year.

Emily Morgan (Girls Soccer / Tennis) - Goalkeeper for the Lady Charger Soccer Team who has done her role over the years. A solid Tennis player as well that has helped guided the team to State Titles during every year she has been on the team.

Emily Hankins (Girls Cross Country / Girls Track) - like the others listed in the Dozen, a valuable member of both teams, JUST missing the cut line to make it as the only sport she doesn't play (but two of her teammates does play and excel very well at) is Girls Soccer. She is a State Champion winning the 3200 meter run at the 5A State Meet last year and placing 4th in the 1600, grabbing her team 15 points. Arguably the second-best runner on both teams behind rising-sophomore Swayze Elliott. She place 4th overall in the 5A State Cross Country Meet last year. Those three along with rising Sophomore Swayze Elliott (who won the Individual Crown this past year in Cross Country and won a Individual Title in Track), they stand a threat to take the elusive Cross Country Title that has evaded Oxford for 14 years running after winning 8 of them within a decade.

Quinn Elliot (Boys Cross Country / Tennis) - A member of both teams aiding the Chargers to several State Team Titles since entering as a Freshmen in High School. However unlike the others on the list, his times for Cross Country is high (has not broken 20 minutes). Tennis is his dominant sport as he's been a part of the Starting lineup in some way for the past few years.

Cole Atkins (Tennis) - This being the only sport he plays keeps him from being on the Dozen list. With Elliot, he also rotates in the starting lineup and has aided Oxford with all those State Titles they have earned. He is a longtime member of the Tennis Team.

You could make the argument for 4-5 on this list to have made the Dozen list - but only 12 can make it. Next year will be extremely difficult for the 12 to make that list.

Most everybody saw this coming - just like the Clarksdale Running Back did last year on 4th and 1 and found himself on his back around 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage immediately after getting the ball.

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.

Yes, it is now the summer of 2014. So, like in the past two years, I will waste every Friday of your summer releasing a name for the upcoming Dandy Dozen. The Dandy Dozen list consists of Seniors ONLY. However, unlike the two past editions, I will be randomly releasing the student-athletes instead of releasing them in reverse rank (so that people cannot easily guess). The date each one being released will be associated with the rank. The top 2 will be the last two released. The count starts on May 30th.

#1 - Mike McGhee
#2 - KT McCollins
#3 - Ally Collier
#4 - Tristan Orman
#5 - Shelby McEwen
#6 - Jack McClure
#7 - Gabrielle Joyce
#8 - David Dennis
#9 - Janesha Johnson
#10 - Cortez Jones
#11 - Kate Anderson
#12 - Thomas Murphy

Over this past weekend, Oxford played host to the Deep South Regional USSSA Tournament - a youth baseball tournament that was held at FNC Park in a normally quiet area of the year in early August.

Teams from Oklahoma, Arkansas, and all around Mississippi participated in the event. I had a field the entire weekend regarding the 8/9-year-old division. The teams are basically all-star players from their travel teams participating in the event.

FNC Park - as usual - did a fine job hosting the event. Some of the staff is or at one point was on the OHS Baseball Team or other high school teams. The park itself or the actual tournament was not the problem.

The hotels in the City of Oxford was however.

This bugged me once I heard about it. I had three teams from Oklahoma participating on my field the entire weekend. In local papers such as the Oxford Citizen and Oxford Eagle, it was all about how FNC Park was able to work out with the hotels to block up rooms for the visitors entering Oxford would have rooms for the teams and their parents and to be able to put this tournament on in order to earn the bid.

That's all fine and good - until the price of those rooms came out.

This is not an Ole Miss Football weekend where no matter what the charge is, the rooms will be booked. 60,000 fans are coming in to try and cram into 700 hotel rooms. After Oxford, the nearest ones are in Batesville near I-55.

At the Hampton Inn on the west side of town. I looked up the hotel prices on their website. They range from $119 a night (a normal rate in Oxford during the week) to $169 a night (weekend rate). I have heard from multiple families that the hotel was charging $220 a night - up $100 from a normal weekday rate and $50 of a weekend rate. Why? Because they knew about the tournament and purposely jacked up the prices.

Know what that did? Drive them out of Oxford. Those families were driven out of Oxford and out towards Batesville because they could not find a reasonably priced room in town or the hotel was already booked up. (Worth noting an International Conference was being held by Ole Miss in the science department the previous week causing the other hotel rooms to be booked up). Those families went to Batesville for a hotel room at more than half the price. They are also eating at those restaurants as well as Batesville is a hotbed for travelers on I-55. I'm willing to bet most of the available rooms for the tournament did not sell out.

This is not the first time the money-hungry hotels refused to do what the customers wanted. Oxford tried to place a bid for the Kohl's Cup - a Statewide Youth Soccer Tournament held once a year during the 1st weekend in May. A D3 Tournament where more than 100+ teams would participate. Oxford did not get that bid. You know why? The hotels were going to charge full fare to FNC Park just for the REFEREES to stay in a hotel room. $100 per night (that's for one of the cheaper hotels) - for two nights - to block off about 20 rooms just for the referees and other Mississippi Soccer Association staff members required to run the Tournament. Referees stay two to a room. For those doing the math, that is $4,000 just to spend on traveling referees and other MSA staff members needing to stay the night.

Let's put that into perspective - teams are charged on average around $350 for a Tournament Fee. Sounds like a lot, right? Well, 11-12 teams would have to enter the Kohl's Cup just to pay off the referees to stay at the hotel. That's not including the referee fees to pay for the games (which can cost anywhere from $44 to field a crew to as much as $100 per game - and that adds up quickly for as many games as they put on). If FNC Park could corral rooms for just even $70 a night, that would help decrease the cost by $1,200 - or about 3-4 teams fees' worth.

So let's redo the math: $10,700 (approx) in referee fees for all the games with full crews (a Center plus 2 Assistants) + a $800 assignor fee (is charged $5 per game to assign the refs), $4,000 for referees to stay in hotel rooms. In total team Tournament Fees, the income is around $32,000. Just in referee costs, it would be around $15,500 (enough to buy a new car) - leaving $16,500 for the rest of the Tournament where the Tournament Director gets paid, the staff that keeps all the scores and deals with the other money, not to mention the FNC Park Workers, and the fact that MSA takes some money as it is a major event by them (similiar how the MHSAA does it). At the end of it all, the profit margin does not reach 5 digits. FNC Park's real profit may only come from the parking fee they charge entering the park and whatever is made by the concession stands. The city of Oxford - should - benefit by eating at the restaurants and staying at the hotels (supposedly) because of the 2% food/lodging tax that is put on.

But the tournament doesn't go on if you cannot put the referees - especially those that travel - in a reasonably priced hotel room. If there is not adequate referees to field all the games, there is no tournament or there will be some REALLY poor refereed matches if there is not enough referees to give them some type of rest during the day.

But because the hotels "want their *fair* share", their greedy hands forced Oxford to not be able to host the tournament - and there is no money in their pockets. The teams that would be coming also couldn't stay there because we have hotels charging North of $200 when their regular rates are typically much further south of that mark.

If Oxford is EVER going to really be a hotbed for Soccer Tournaments in Mississippi - let alone along the Southeast - the hotels MUST do their part and accommodate within reason. Baseball has gotten up there, but it won't get much further if our reputation is that we charge the worth of King Midas.

It's odd that this is the 11th student-athlete I've released in this year's Dandy Dozen and this is the FIRST Football player to be mentioned in the list especially after what that team accomplished last year. That is just exactly what has happened this summer.

He is part of a secondary that had 20 Interceptions last year (McCollins was second on the team behind Mark Pegues with 3) and had the only Interception that was returned for a Touchdown.

McCollins helped out on offense when DK Metcalf was hurt totaling 10 receptions for 229 yards (143 of those he earned after the catch - "YAC" yards - 62% of his receiving yards) and 2 Touchdowns. McCollins totaled 343 all-purpose yards last year (229 receiving, 44 INT return yards, 20 punt return yards [all from the one punt block he had and took back for a TD), and 50 kickoff return yards], and 4 Total Touchdowns (2 receiving, 1 INT return, 1 Punt Block return)

He is also the third Boys Basketball player I have listed on this year's Dandy Dozen, a critical player who comes off the bench and has made his fair share of highlights - none bigger than his Sophomore year in the 5A playoffs at Canton.

With less than a minute to play, the game tied at 43 and having trailed for the vast majority of the second half, Canton was dribbling back out to set up an offensive play. With the Tiger guard's back turned, McCollins was able to steal the ball and go the other way for an uncontested go-ahead layup to give Oxford the lead for good with 50 seconds left. The layup was a huge momentum changer as it gave Oxford a cushion they would never relinquished in a 50-45 win. The Chargers would get eliminated in the 2nd Round by Callaway that year.

McCollins is expected to get some offers soon for Football as a Defensive Back for his height and skill at the position. Some publications have considered him one of the top several DB in the state. He has a handful of Interceptions and has a knack for making a key play in the game whatever it'd be on Defense or on Special Teams where he has made a play there more often than not.

With this guy out on the field or the court, you can expect to see 110% effort out of him.

**Editor's Note: This is the eleventh of 12 Dandy Dozen Seniors I am releasing which will be done every Friday. You can see a schedule of which number will be released next HERE. #1 will be released next week.

I've done enough with the forwards and midfielders - now to talk about defense.

Gabrielle Joyce anchors a tough defense proven to keep Oxford in a lot of games for Girls Soccer. The Lady Chargers only allowed 1 goal in 190 playoff minutes to Center Hill and New Hope (where they did not allow a goal) but only lost because of penalty kicks - where the defensive line is taken out of the equation.

She was one of the two underclassman Captains (with now-Junior Zoe Scruggs) last year with only one Senior on the squad last year (thus retaining nearly their entire starting lineup from last year - and returns the entire defense).

It will fall on Joyce and the rest of the D-Line to keep Oxford in games if the offense has as hard of a time scoring like it was last year. They would love to have breathing room when they have to defend their Region 1-5A Title from last year. Out of the 9 games I attended last year, Joyce and the defense held their opponents to 2 goals or fewer 7 times, including both games in the playoffs.

In Cross Country, Joyce has one of the Top 20 times in 5A having broke 17 minutes last year in the Tupelo Invite last year. She needs a time like that at the State Meet next year to give the Girls Cross Country a fighting chance to win the school's 9th title in the sport. She finished 21st last year but 50+ seconds off her personal best she had set in that Tupelo meet.

She also participates in Girls Track having run the 400m dash and 800m run during her career at OHS.

#3-12 have come and gone - #2, then #1 will respectively be released over the next two Fridays. You may have noticed a certain sport hasn't had a student-athlete show itself on this list yet... 

**Editor's Note: This is the tenth of 12 Dandy Dozen Seniors I am releasing which will be done every Friday. This release ends the random number release rankings. You can see a schedule of which number will be released next HERE. #2 will be released next week.