CRAWFORD — This isn’t the best time of year to ask East Oktibbeha County High School football and track and field coach Randy Brooks to take a fishing trip or to help with a fix-up project.
In addition to his classroom duties, Brooks is coaching another highly successful track season for the Titans and working 45 football players through spring drills.
“It is the busiest time of year. Sometimes it is hard to keep up,” Brooks said. “I know the summer is coming, but we got a whole lot of East Oktibbeha sports going on right now. It is a big finish to a great school year.”
The Titans placed second at the Region 4, District 1 track and field meet last weekend at Winona. It is the third straight year East Oktibbeha has placed second at the region meet.
“We thought we had a really good chance at winning the region title,” Brooks said. “Ray Brooks edged us by three points. We placed second and were five points out two years ago and then four points out last year, so we have gotten closer. I am proud of our overall performance.”
Eighteen Titans qualified for the Class 1A North State meet Saturday at Coldwater High School. The overall state championships will be May 11 at Pearl High.
“It starts with the relay teams,” Brooks said. “The mile relay team has not lost in three years. We placed either first or second in every relay race. The relays are sprints are our specialties. We are making strides in other areas, too, and that is a testament to the hard work the kids have put in.”
Juwan Roberts, Jawon Brown, Kortland Petty, and Renaldo Harris anchor the region champion 4×100-meter relay team. Terrence Wright, John Outlaw, Lanathan Brown, and Petty took home top honors in the 4×400 relay.
Steve Bell placed second in the high jump, making him the first EOCHS high jumper to advance to the North State meet. Sheneka James finished first in the girls long jump.
“Considering we don’t have high jump or long jump equipment at our school, I am proud of both of those accomplishments,” Brooks said.
Also on the girls side, Juanita Peppers finished first in the 100 high hurdles, while Chansity Evans won the 200.
“It was an overall strong performance,” Brooks said. “We also had some standout performances from some eighth and ninth graders, so that is a good sign.”
On the football field, the Titans are learning on the fly.
“Oh boy, we are going to be young,” Brooks said. “It is an energetic group and they are enjoying being out there. We are teaching a lot of things. The attitude has been real good. We are about ready to start installing the offense.”
The Titans will wrap up spring drills May 12 with a jamboree against Clarkdale and West Lowndes at East Mississippi Community College’s Sullivan-Windham Field in Scooba.
“We are starting over from scratch because we lost 13 seniors who had been in the program for four years,” Brooks said. “We are going to bigger and younger. Our offensive line is going to average between 280 and 300 pounds, which is unheard of for us. We are going to be really big.”
Brooks added the main purpose of spring drills is to teach fundamentals and to help build team chemistry, which will be important as the squad tries to improve on a 5-6 mark last season.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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