1994

WEEK OF

Four years later, ECCC adds This might be the fall East Cen– tral Community College football fans can enjoy watching their team play again.

visors, legislators, and area citizens regarding the amount ofmoney that we spend on out-of-state athletes, we will not implement the 'Tuscaloosa' provision using institutional funds. " Further, we need to make a con– certed effort to reduce the number of out-of-state athletes in all sports to the extent possible from this point forward." Several board members, however, have said the matter never came up in board meetings on an official basis. They had no idea what the 'Tuscaloosa provision' was. This fall, ECCC is finally coming up with the cash for the full allot– ment of 10 Tuscaloosans. " Sure it's a help," said Reese Bridgman, 2-17-1 entering his third season as ECCC head coach. "When you add up the (population) num– bers within our district versus the numbers in other districts;: there is definitely a disparity in the numbers that are available. We don't have as many people to choose from. We don't have the large numbers of 4A and 5A high schools." ECCC's district has no 5Aschools, only two 4As, and four 3As. The re– maining 15 are either 1A or 2A (public and private). Sure Louisville, Neshoba Central, Forest, Carthage, Philadelphia, and Morton have good programs, but would you want to try to make a liv– ing recruiting from Thomastown. Edinburg, Union, Winston Academy, Noxapater, Nanih Waiya, Choctaw Central, Leake Academy, South Leake, Scott Central, Sebastopol, and Newton Coun ty Academy? Count carefully; that's over half of your in-district schools. The situation at ECCC had reach– ed the point where several players from Neshoba County got releases so they could play at another near– by juco. Maybe now, the Warriors' pro– gram will be attractive enough that

SPORTS ~ 06 with Marty Stamper with regard to the out-of-state recruiting areas/quotas are equal– ly as valid as those of Southwest Mississippi Community College," Smith said in that letter to Ward. " We respectfully request your con– sideration for fair and equal treat– ment." In a December 20, 1989, letter to Dr. Billy B. Thames, president of Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Smith echoed those same feelings and concluded, "We believe our past record and the other information related in this letter substantiate our request for consideration. Your help will be greatly a ppreciated." Obviously, it was realized that help was needed. And it came to pass that the other presidents agreed that ECCC and Southwest needed some help if they were to compete with the Hinds, the Joneses, the Gulf Coasts, and the Northwests of the world. Only ECCC never came through with the money for its " Tuscaloosa 10" ... until now ... four long years after the fact. That meant ECCC fans have had to endure some mighty bad football. The four-year record since ECCC could have ·helped itself is 10-29-1 with 11 of the last 17 losses being whippings of 24 points or more. The Warriors were 4..£ in both 1990 and 1991, 1·9 in 1992, and 1-8-1 in 1993. Just when help was apparently on the way, in a May 23, 1990, letter to then head football coach A.J. Kilpatrick, Smith said, "Because of our current budget constraints and because of the prevailing a ttitude of some of our Board members, super-

After four years ot'what basical– ly amounts to self-imposed sanc– tions on its football program, ECCC just might be able to field a com– petitive squad in 1994. Not a national powerhouse, mind you, but a team that can play with more than two or three opponents. ECCC's recent gridiron woes can't aU be blamed on their opponents. Back in February 1990, ECCC and Southwest Mississippi received per– mission from the state association of junior college presidents to add additional out-of-state scholarships to their rosters. For ECCC, it meant 10 players from Tuscaloosa County in Alabama could be added without counting them against its out-of– state total. Southwest traded in St. Helena and East Feliciana parishes for Thngipahoa. ECCC's reasoningwas both sound and rea sonable. In a May 9, 1989, letter to Bill Ward, president of the Mississippi Community and Junior College Athletic Directors, ECCC president Dr. Eddie M. Smith stated the reasons why ECCC needed addi– tional recruiting area. Limited population from which to draw from was one factor. Just like with high schools, all junior college districts aren't created equal in size. Unlike with high schools, however, there are no classifications to take those differences into consideration. Case in pomt. ECCC has five coun– ties in its district, while Northwest bas 11. Why should today's kids be doomed to repeated athletic failure because someone was asleep at the wheel many years ago? It's no fun being the sacrificial lamb week after week after week. "We believe that our reasons for requesting special consideration

APPEARED IN :

sco:: c :.-:~:·: ::..:::

CARTHAGINIAN NESHOBA DE~10CRAT NEWTON RECORD CLARION - LEDGER