1996

WEEK 0 F __ - ;;;..:; J -....;;2:....5.L...:;.9J.....jt~.r----

: Eecc picks ·up six signees I . ! East Mississippi softball team earns first-ever state tournament berth . I .

is being held at Koscuisko. EMCC finished third in the North Division after not winning a single game (0-30) last season. . j • Lad y Lion n ewcom ers: The East Mississippi Community College Lady Lion basketball team has signed two area players. Clarkdale's Nicole Dancy and Kemper Academy's Marie McDade will be joining the Lady Lions on the hardwood next season. Both are guards. "Both are outstanding young

: · It's the time ofyear coaches love and hate: Recruiting. l · In the junior college ra,nks, it is prime time to recruit I and sign basketball players." and area schools are working : hard t.o build next year's squ~d. 1 Coach Marty Cooper recently announced that six play– ; ers have signed with the East Central Community College : basketball team. . , , . ' The signees include Geo'rge McGee and Chuck Croft : from Newton County High, Desmond Reed from Carthage,

: H.erbert Mongomery from Acadian (La.) t High, and Danielle Johnson and Gilberta : Venzen , both of Dodge County (Ga.) I High. : "(McGee) is really quick and he ere–

ladies off the court, they do well academi– cally," EMCC coach Dale Peay said. "It's, important to us to bring quality people into our program." "Nicole bas a lot of athletic abili– ty," Peay said. "She is an outstanding shooter and she penatrates well." Dancy was just named to the Meridian Star All-Area Team. McDade sat out most of her sea· son with a knee injury, but she had

' ates opportunities for other players," l coach Cooper said. "He can get the ball to l people and he is also a quick defender." i Croft is a hard-working forward. He : w~ighs around 200 pounds, making him l a strong physical presence. · ~ "(Croft) has a great attitude," Cooper . said. "He11 come and work hard f.or us every day.r Reed has the ability to play either guard )>osition. He .ean shoot the three and penetrate. . , . · . · Montgomery, 6-foot, 165 lbs., averaged 19 points per game as a senior at Acadiana High in Lafayette, La. . Johnson and Venzen. were teammates on a Dodge County High team that finished with a record of 28-2. They ?Non the 2A State Championship their junior year and lost . QUt to the the eventual champion this season. .. . Johnson, a 5-foot-8, 150-pound point guard, was named tqe regional player of the year in Class 2A. · ..·. Venzen has good size for a forward- 6-foot-5, 225. A versatile player, be can post up and hit the three. · . • EMCC softball: After a dismal inaugural season in :,i~95, East Mississippi Community College bas advanced to .{he State Junior College Softbal Tournament this time. _: The Lady Lions, with a record of 13-11, will begin play hi the eight-team, double-elimination tournament Friday. J'pe two-day event, hosted by Holmes Community College,

surgery and is well on her way to a complete recovery. "I've talked to her doctors and they say the knee is rebabing well," Peay said. "' don't think the the knee wiD be a problem. "She shoots the ball really well," be said. "She workl hard and will do whatever she needs to do to get better." • ECCC netters: East Central Community College ten nis coach Natalie Vance has announced that two player have signed with the Lady Warriors. -Ginny Calhoun and Fran Jones, who both play tenni for Forest IDgh School, have accepted scholarships to pls atECCC. • Area players honored: East Central Lady W arri Melody Reed and Jones County Bobcat Louis Richardst were named to the National Junior College Athlet Association All-America second-team in basketball. Reed, who helped the Lady Warriors qualify for Regi 23, was also honored in Mississippi's South Division Player of the Year.

APPEARED IN: CARTHAGIN~-----------­ NESHOBA DEMOCRAT ------ NEWTON RECORD ------ CLARION-LEDGER ·------

SCOTT COUN1Y TIMES ------ UNION APPEAL_____ WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL________ MERIDIAN STAR 1 --- - - --