Mississippi
Vicksburg High trio, Warren Central’s Davis set for Mississippi All-Star Game – The Vicksburg Post
![Vicksburg High trio, Warren Central’s Davis set for Mississippi All-Star Game – The Vicksburg Post Vicksburg High trio, Warren Central’s Davis set for Mississippi All-Star Game – The Vicksburg Post](https://www.vicksburgpost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2023/12/120923-FBH-Blackwell-All-Stars-6-WEB.jpg)
Vicksburg High trio, Warren Central’s Davis set for Mississippi All-Star Game
Published 2:31 pm Friday, December 8, 2023
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Tyler Carter, Demarcus Johnson and Tyler Henderson joined Vicksburg High’s varsity football team at various times over the past few years.
Together, they helped transform a struggling program into one of the best in Mississippi and now they’re ready to ride off into the sunset as a group.
Carter, Johnson and Henderson will represent the Gators in the Mississippi Association of Coaches Bernard Blackwell All-Star Game on Saturday. Kickoff is at 11:30 a.m. at Gulfport High School.
“We really have one more game left, so for it to be an all-star game is an honor,” Carter said. “We got noticed, so that’s a good thing too. We get to put on for the city of Vicksburg, all three of us. It’s a big honor.”
The three seniors were part of an undefeated eighth-grade team that won the Little Six conference championship in 2019, then filtered up to the varsity level at different times.
Johnson was first. The defensive lineman became a starter as a freshman in 2020 and never left the lineup. He totaled 30 sacks and 51 tackles for loss in his four seasons, was the 2022 Vicksburg Post Defensive Player of the Year for Warren County, and earned the MHSAA Region 2-6A Defensive MVP award this season.
Henderson came next. The talented receiver moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore in 2021 and had flashes of greatness, but was often underutilized in a run-heavy offense. He still finished his high school career with 74 receptions for 1,838 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Henderson’s yardage total ranks second all-time in Warren County history, and he is one of only four players with at least 20 career receiving touchdowns.
He had 32 catches for 852 yards and 12 TDs this season.
“It was a breakout season for me that I really needed for my recruiting. I’m very thankful,” said Henderson, who also plays for Vicksburg’s basketball team and won the Class 5A triple jump championship in track last season.
Carter didn’t break out until his junior season in 2022. He did not play in ninth grade, quit football in 2021, then returned in 2022 and became a standout defensive end. The Mississippi State commit had 11.5 sacks the past two years, and 51 total tackles in 2023.
Although their paths were a bit different, Carter said the strong bond of the Gators’ senior Class of 2024 helped them excel. Vicksburg has won 28 games since 2020, reached the playoffs all four years, and won a region title and got to the Class 5A semifinals in 2022.
“The main thing is we stuck together from junior high. Some people left, but it wasn’t the big majority. We all stuck together and that’s what really helped us. It really made it special,” Carter said. “The Class of ‘23 and the Class of ‘24 all stuck together, so that’s what really helped us get to where we are now as a school.”
Johnson said the current group of Gators, which also includes several other three- and four-year starters like quarterback Ronnie Alexander and running back Malik Montgomery, had a plan from the start to put the program back on the map.
“That was the plan, coming in from high school to junior high. We already knew we wanted to be one of the best. If we wanted to be really known for it, we had to change it,” Johnson said. “We kept coming back every day, working hard, off-camera stuff. We dug deep and helped each other.”
The reward at the end is an all-star appearance and, hopefully, more football at the college level.
Carter has committed to Mississippi State. Johnson and Henderson are still sifting through several offers and weren’t sure yet where they’ll end up — other than on the field together, one last time, Saturday in Gulfport.
“I wish it was more of us, but it was still good,” Carter said.
All three players said getting recognized as an all-star, and one of the best in a state rich with football talent, was a big honor.
“It felt great to get recognized for what I’ve been doing on the field,” Henderson said.
The three Vicksburg High players are not the only ones from Warren County who will be on the field in Gulfport. Warren Central offensive lineman Beau Davis was also picked after two outstanding seasons as a starter.
Davis was a second-team Class 6A All-State selection, and also on the All-Region 2-6A team.
“It’s very nice. It gives me a lot of confidence,” said Davis, who plays center. “When I found out it definitely did give me a lot of confidence that not just my coaches, but a lot of other coaches thought I was pretty good.”
Davis isn’t yet sure if Saturday will be his last football game. He has a walk-on offer at Mississippi Valley State and another from Division III Millsaps. The latter does not offer athletic scholarships, but Davis has a 4.0 GPA and a 25 ACT score and has academic offers from Millsaps and other schools.
Davis said he is weighing both his academic and athletic options, and might attend either Ole Miss or Troy if he does not pursue football. That means he’s also taking the time to savor the Mississippi all-star game as potentially his last, and will savor every second of the experience.
“It’s definitely fun. I left the Grenada game knowing it’s probably my last time playing at Warren Central, but it’s not my last time playing this season. So it’s kind of good that you’re not done this season,” Davis said. “And it’s going to be fun playing with different guys from a whole bunch of different schools. I’m looking forward to meeting those guys.”
BERNARD BLACKWELL MISSISSIPPI ALL-STAR GAME
• Saturday, 11 a.m.
• At Gulfport High School
• The game will be livestreamed through FNUTL.com. It will also be available through the MAC Network, Roku, AppleTV and Firestick.
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Mississippi
Mississippi woman killed in two-vehicle crash in Grenada County
GRENADA COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A Mississippi woman was killed during a two-vehicle crash in Grenada County.
Officials with the Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) said the crash occurred on Highway 7 just after 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 7.
Mississippi woman killed in head-on crash in Louisiana
According to MHP, a 2002 Toyota Sequoia was traveling north on the highway when the vehicle collided with a Mercedes van that was also traveling north.
The driver of the Mercedes, 53-year-old Loretta Hopkins, of Winona, died at the scene.
This crash remains under investigation by MHP.
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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV.
Mississippi
Mississippi State’s Loss Doesn’t Stop SEC from Owning Week Two in AP Top 25
![Mississippi State’s Loss Doesn’t Stop SEC from Owning Week Two in AP Top 25 Mississippi State’s Loss Doesn’t Stop SEC from Owning Week Two in AP Top 25](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2748,h_1545,x_411,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/cowbell_corner/01j79mrpwsvvqcvrr5dh.jpg)
Outside of Mississippi State, Arkansas and Auburn, the SEC had a very successful Week Two of the college football season. The latest AP Top 25 poll reflects the strength of the SEC with 6 of the top 7 spots belonging to SEC teams.
Here’s a recap of how the ranked SEC teams fared in the second full week of the college football season:
Click here for a recap of the unranked SEC teams.
With the exception of giving up three points, this was probably exactly how Georgia expected this game to go. Carson Beck threw five touchdowns and the defense held Tennessee Tech to less than 150 yards of total offense. Anything less would be a surprise.
More than 100,000 people saw Texas come into Ann Arbor, Mich. and leave with a huge win. The Longhorns looked like the better team from the first drive of the game where they easily marched down the field. That Oct. 19 game in Austin against Georgia is looking better and better.
It was a lot closer than Alabama would’ve liked, but it’s a win that will fend off the “Nick Saban is gone, we’re doomed” crowd. At the same time, though, there were some things that crowd could point to at a later time.
Two games against inferior competition and Ole Miss has outscored its opponents 129-3. They’ll take a slight step up in competition next week against Wake Forest, but the Rebels are still about a month away from playing a team that will truly test them.
Missouri’s schedule just took an unexpected bump in its level of difficulty with No. 24 Boston College joining the top 25. Bill O’Brien is brilliant at game planning and calling plays (not so much with making trades, but that hasn’t reached the college ranks yet). Missouri needs to be on upset alert (and ready to stop the run).
This happens every year. Tennessee looks really good to start the season and by the end Volunteer fans are saying next year is their year. But maybe this year is their year with the way Nico Iamaleava has been playing.
Of the two SEC newcomers, Texas is getting most of the attention which makes sense based on the current teams. But folks, don’t sleep on the Sooners. They ruined many of my own childhood memories growing up in Texas. This week’s way-too close game doesn’t help that argument, but think long term.
LSU was one of three SEC teams to play FCS schools after playing top 25 teams last week. The Tigers and Texas A&M both lost, while Georgia won. So, it’s not surprising to see each of them play FCS teams and neither were any of the results.
SEC Week 2 Power Rankings: Which Teams Are Contenders or Pretenders?
WATCH: Mississippi State’s Bowl Hopes Take a Hit with Arizona State Defeat
Mississippi State Crumbles in the Trenches: What Went Wrong Against Arizona State?
Mississippi
Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo ‘disrespected’ by Mississippi State football’s defensive game plan
![Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo ‘disrespected’ by Mississippi State football’s defensive game plan Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo ‘disrespected’ by Mississippi State football’s defensive game plan](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/09/08/PKNS/75130225007-usatsi-24184754.jpg?auto=webp&crop=4080,2296,x0,y294&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Cam Skattebo slammed Mississippi State on the football field on Saturday night and also took another jab afterward in his postgame press conference.
The Arizona State running back, following a 30-23 Sun Devils win at Mountain America Stadium, took exception to MSU only utilizing three defenders on the line of scrimmage. The results were damning.
Arizona State (2-0) rushed for 346 yards. It was the most allowed by Mississippi State (1-1) in a game since Arkansas in 2016. Skattebo’s 262 rushing yards on 33 carries were the second-most in ASU history.
“They couldn’t stop us in that three-down front,” Skattebo said when asked what made ASU’s run game successful. “Honestly, we all felt disrespected with them in a three-down front. You can’t come in here and put five guys in the box and expect to stop six. I don’t know. We took that a little disrespectful, and we rushed for what over 300 yards? Something around there. It is what it is.”
Skattebo, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior, also led Arizona State with 35 receiving yards on three catches.
“I knew these dudes were big and heavy,” he said. “We knew going into the game they weren’t as physical as most other teams but they’re heavy. So when they hit you, it hurts, no matter how hard they’re coming — 300 pounds at 10 miles per hour or 16 miles per hour hurts the same. I just kept my feet moving.”
Mississippi State trailed 30-3 in the third quarter but scored 20 unanswered points to cut the score to 30-23 with 5:27 to play. The Bulldogs never touched the ball again, with the Sun Devils running out the clock on 12 plays.
Skattebo had a game-sealing 39-yard rush that allowed ASU to kneel down.
“Until the end, we had our ups and downs there, but that was fun,” he said. “You can ask these guys up front, bullying dudes, grown men that are 300 pounds, that’s fun to us. That’s fun to the front-five, the front-seven and the running back. The quarterback probably hates it. He probably likes watching, but he didn’t complain one time the whole game.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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