1982-1986

Kilpatrick a winner throughout career By Todd Prillhart The Meridian Star - DECATUR - The word "we" is used extensively through the course of a conversation with East Central Junior College football coach A.J. Kilpatrick. For no matter how much success he's enjoyed in his illustrious 32 years of coaching, Kilpatrick said there have always been others to share in the glory. "I am sincere when I say anything I have ever achieved in this pro- fession can be directly attributed to the quality of people who have surrounded me," Kilpatrick said. And on Aug. 1, Kilpatrick will once again have a quality crowd sur- rounding him a s the highly successful coach is inducted into the Mississippi Association of Coaches' Hall of Fame. "We feel quite honored to be in such select company," said Kilpatrick, who will join the late Sale Lilly of Belzoni, James (Dump) Brock of Jackson, Sim Cooley of Ellisville, Curly Farris of Perkinston and Harrv Rasco of Southaven a s new inductees. "It feels areat to be I chosen among your peers for something like this, but I g u 2 s the big- I gest thing it makes you feel is old." I The 54-year-old Kilpatrick, entering his fourth yeas a t ECJC, has amassed quite a record in his years of high school and junior college coaching. In racking up a lifetime record of 198-95-12,Kilpatrick has coached a t such high schools as Carrollton, Noxubee, Wingfield, Louisville and Hickory before stints a t East Mississippi Junior Col- lege, Northwest Junior College, Holmes Junior College and ECJC. While a t Noxubee High in Macon, Kilpatrick won the Choctaw Con- ference championship in 1961and 1966,was co-champof the South Big 8while a t Wingfield in Jackson and won the Choctaw Conference title at Louisville in 1971and the Northeast Athletic Conference champion- ship in 1974. On the junior college circuit, his EMJC team won the North Division championship in 1969, and turned the trick in 1976 a t Northwest JC. His 1981team a t Holmes won the State Junior College championship and went on to the Garland Junior College Bowl in Garland, Tex. But despite the many accomplishments, Kilpatrick insists it took more than just his coaching to achieve his success. "If you've got the material, that's how you win," he said. "It's not necessarily the coaching. You can say what you want to, but if you don't have the horses you'll wind up losing." Losing. Aword not often associated with Kilpatrick, but a word that still serves a s a measuring stick of coaching knowledge. Kilpatrick says the attitude towards winning and losing has intensified through the years. "It's probably more demanding now than it was when I started," said the Warriors coach "Back in the old davs, the community looked I upon a coach or a school official as a l e a d& r . ' ~ e were there for the purpose of leading and teaching young people. "Now, if you don't wic, you're just not a good coach. People desire to win, and if you don't win (asa coach), you have to move. But I don't retrlly believe anybody could put any more pressure on me than I - - - - - SEE ECJC already put on myself. I've - - --

always felt like I had to win for mvself, for my family, and for livelihood." : And Kilpatrick warns that he certainly isn't through winning yet. There's still more to achieve for this Mississippi coaching legend. "Wherever I'm at, which is now here a t East Central, there's definitely a state championship desire. And I don't think I could ever leave here thinking I haven't accomplished what I came here to do, which is win a state championship for East Cen- tral Junior College. "