In the second quarter, the score was tied at 10 and again at 12. With 2:15 left in the first half, Marquita Barksdale put the Lady Tigers ahead on a 3-pointer 15-12. That lead did not last long as Southaven fought back and retook the lead 16-15 at halftime with 54 seconds left in the half. 

Anna Brown got hot in the third quarter for the Lady Tigers. She completed a three-point play and gave the Lady Tigers an 18-16 lead with 5:11 left in the third quarter. The Lady Tigers also got some help from Errin Gates, who just finished her freshman season. Gates scored off an interception by Barksdale. Then she stole two back to back possessions from Southaven.  The Lady Tigers outscored Southaven 17-5 in the third quarter and took a 32-21 lead into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Gates had three back to back steals and scored on two of them to further put the game out of Southaven’s reach. The Lady Tigers outscored Southaven 17-9 and thus wiped out the bad taste of the first half.

The Lady Green Wave breezed through Kirk after weathering the first half. Scoring 35 second half points gave the Lady Green Wave what it needed to secure the win. Kirk only scored nine points in the second half.

North Delta had a 14-11 lead at halftime. Lady Green Wave Cameron Belk scored 12 points in the third quarter to lead the Green Wave. Six Lady Green Wave players scored in the fourth quarter to put the game in the win column. Scoring for the Lady Green Wave were Belk, who led all scorers with 18 points; Kerbie Bryant, 10 points; Brooke Addington, 8 points; Ashley Guthrie and Alex Waldrup, 4 points each; Jeri Boren, 3 points; and Shea Golden, 2 points. No Lady Raider scored over seven points in the game.

Johnston said doing a better job with the press and creating turnovers were big keys for the win. "We executed the offense and got the ball in the basket," Johnston added. "Our shots fell, we played good defense, and didn’t turn the ball over as much. Everything just kind of came together." 

A key play in the second half occurred when Barmer was fouled on a one-and-one situation and the Kirk player pulled a technical foul. Barmer made both foul shots and both technical shots which gave the Green Wave the lead for the first time in the game. Barmer also had 13 rebounds to post a double-double for the evening.

Other scorers include Walt Robison, 7 points, 8 rebounds; Hank Spraggins, 5 points, 9 rebounds; and Brian Roberson, 3 points. 

In 2000 Ackerman also went 14-1 under Woods and in 1999 posted a 12-1 season.

A press release from South Panola High School said Woods brings a 90-8 record from Ackerman, which included four State Championship appearances including a 1997 and 2001 2A title. "Coach Woods is a five time District Coach of the Year and the 2001 Mississippi Association of Coaches 2A Coach of the Year," the release said. 

Woods accepted the position Thursday night, January 24, and was introduced to the community at large in an impromptu gathering at the South Panola basketball game Friday, January 25. In a personal interview after the meeting, Woods spoke about taking the position at South Panola. Though his head coaching positions have been in the 2A district, Woods is no stranger to 5A football. He was the defensive coordinator for five years at Columbus-Lee High School before making the move to head coach.

"I am originally from Ackerman, but this is a good move for me and my family," Woods said. "I wanted to coach at South Panola. I have had a lot of job offers in the past. People would call me and I did not go to interview for 5A jobs. This is the only one I interviewed for. This is the only one I really wanted."

Woods and his wife have been married for 23 years and have two sons, 20 and 17.  "My oldest son is a junior at Mississippi State University. The youngest is a junior in high school and will stay in Ackerman. He played football at Ackerman and got injured. He had concussions and other medical problems. The state championship game was his last game, according to Woods. "The doctors advised him not to play any more," Woods said. "He will be valedictorian at Ackerman and does not want to leave. It’s not that he doesn’t want to come, but it’s that he’s got something involved. He will stay with my brother-in-law." 

Woods also head coached three North-South All-Star games. "I coached several guys from here including Kimario Hentz, Kevin Cooper and Kory Chapman," Woods said. "I enjoyed each and every one of them. I saw a few people from South Panola. I remember them, but they may not remember me."

Woods is not available to move immediately. He hopes to move within the next two weeks. He is a biology teacher. He has tendered his resignation at Ackerman and the board will vote to officially accept his resignation tonight, January 29.  "I wish I could come Wednesday, but right now it’s two weeks," Woods said. Woods’ wife will finish out her contract at Ackerman, where she teaches math.

BATESVILLE – With the retirement of Willis Wright, North Delta was once again looking for a head football coach.  Defensive coordinator Rick Johnston was handed the job this week.  

In a Wednesday, January 30, interview Johnston said he was extremely excited about the opportunity. "I told the kids if they were just half as excited as I am, we won’t have any problems," Johnston said. "I don’t see us having a problem. The goal is always to get back to the state championship. That hasn’t changed.

"I was fortunate enough to work under two men who I consider great coaches, Tim Beard and Willis Wright," Johnston said. "They helped prepare me for this situation."

Johnston’s first order of business is to get the players back in the weightroom and ready for the annual lift-a-thon, Friday, March 1.

"Coach [Bobby] Bouchillon has been doing a super job with that," Johnston said. "We started running Monday morning. We are pretty much in full swing. That’s what we have to concentrate on right now. I want it to be the biggest and the best ever."

In addition to losing Wright, assistant coach Dalton LeBleu left after the fall semester. Johnston said finding one or two more coaches is the next item of business.

Johnston has put together a short list and will open up the coaching position on the internet and through the school’s website. "We are a little shorthanded right now with the loss of two coaches, but we are going to make do," Johnston said. "That will not be an excuse. We will take our time," he added.

Whoever is chosen as assistant coach will also need to be teacher. Whether a new era in North Delta football is beginning or a tradition is continuing, according to Johnston, it is a combination of both. "I don’t foresee a lot of changes," he said. "If it’s not broke, we’re not going to fix it. Of course, I have a couple of ideas of my own we will put in the program."

Johnston has had most of the players since they were on the seventh grade football team.  "They’ve all played for me," Johnston said. "They know what to expect from me. It will be a smooth transition. In fact, I think the transition has already been made.

"Transition period or a new era?" Johnston continued. "I don’t think so. I have been involved for eight years. So, I feel like I was part of that era, and I think we will continue that."

As for any new coaches, Johnston said he must feel comfortable with them. "I think that was a main part of the success in the past with the championships – two won in the last eight years and a trip to another one – is the camradarie between coaches," Johnston said. "We worked together. That is a real important part of the success."

As for the returning team members, Johnston said a couple of positions need to be solidified. "We are looking at people who were on the edge of playing some major minutes this past year, who were stepping up," Johnston said. "I feel like that will happen this summer. We’ve got an experienced group.

"In some of the games we played last year, we were fortunate enough to play everybody," Johnston said. "So everybody got some crucial game experience. That was part of the growing up process."

Depth will be one of the major concerns of the coaching staff. "We’re not going to have as much depth," Johnston said. "I’m not going to lie to you. We do not to have as much depth in the skill positions as we have had in the past. We still have good skilled people here. There are just not as many of them.

"When you graduate a Chad McMahan and Dwayne Barmer from the backfield, those kids are hard to replace," Johnston continued. "They are special kids. They’re special to me. We also have some special kids left here. I look for them to step up and accept the challenge just like kids have done in the past."

Johnston came to North Delta in 1994 and coached under Tim Beard. The team won the 2A state championship that year.  He has coached the junior high program for six years. "I pretty much have coached everything but girl’s basketball." Johnston said. "This is a challenge. This is the job I have had my sights set on. I feel like I put in my time. I think the time is right."

Johnston is now coaching the boys basketball team. In the spring, he will coach the girls and boys track teams and the golf team. "We will be stretched, but it is something we have to do," Johnston said. "You just have to step up to the plate and face these things head on. That’s what we have always done around here. That’s what we will do now."

Bouchillon is coaching the baseball team and monitoring the weight program. "Coach Bouchillon has jumped in the weight room and took off running," Johnston said. "He has my full support. We are tag teaming this thing," Johnston added. "We have a couple of young coaches helping us, the Finnie brothers, Barry and Billy."

Both Finnies are helping coach baseball along with Coach Ronald ‘Runt’ McMinn. Barry Finnie is the boys basketball assistant coach. "The Finnies are doing a heck of a job," Johnston said. "They’re eager to learn. They do anything that’s asked of them. That is always a plus."

Official spring practice is expected to start the week before baseball season ends. "As far as I am concerned we have already started," Johnston said. "We are in the weightroom working out. I told the guys yesterday, that July 29 would be here before you know it, so prepare yourself. That’s what we are doing – preparing ourselves for the season. This is when that starts."

The Mississippi Private School Association is working on the 2002-2004 school alignment. What is in the works is to eliminate the 4A class. North Delta will be playing 2A football next year because former 4A teams will be in the 3A category. Proposed district opponents of North Delta are Marvell, West Memphis, Marshall, Kirk and Bayou. The schedule is not expected to be released for another month, but Johnston knows SBEC will be on the schedule because of a two year contract.

He also expects Magnolia Heights and Clarksdale Lee to remain on the schedule due to longstanding rivalries. "It will be a little bit different football than in the past," Johnston said. "In the past couple of years in the realignment, we have only had three conference games. You might go three or four weeks and play a non-conference schedule. 

"It’s going to be different as far as preparing," Johnston added. "One out of two Friday nights we will be playing a conference game. I kind of like it. I think in the last couple of years we have done a great deal of traveling. This will limit our travel."

Corps of Engineer Biologist recently completed the annual wood duck nesting box inventory.  Each year personnel check the 183 nesting boxes around the lake for usage and also replace nesting materials in preparation for the nesting season.

Also, boaters should be aware that Corps personnel are doing everything possible to mark signs, guardrails and other man-made features that have become inundated. It is difficult to maintain buoys in many locations, so boater are advised to be on the alert, particularly near boat ramps and
recreation areas.