Wednesday sports page: National Signing Day, Peacock to leave Center Hill, Hustle win
Photo: This table awaited the two DeSoto Central football players ahead of their signing to play college football next season on Monday afternoon at the school. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
There were a few DeSoto County high school football players who took advantage of Wednesday as National Signing Day round two to commit to college programs for next fall.
Among the group on Wednesday were two players from DeSoto Central and coach Will Wolfe, who finished his first season with the Jaguars this fall. DeSoto Central reached the first round of the 7A playoffs, losing in that game to Madison Central.
Two seniors that were key for the Jags last fall were wide receiver Jacob Holmes and offensive tackle Roman Womack. Holmes committed to Millsaps and Womack to Northwest Mississippi Community College.
The former Hernando head coach who assisted at Lafayette (Oxford) before coming to Central Parkway said Holmes and Womack were among the group he could count on.
“In year one, you’re always worried about buy-in from your players,” Wolfe said. “This group of seniors, all of them, including these two, you know, they bought in from day one and did a great job for us. They were a huge part of us having a really nice year.”
Holmes was second for the Jaguars in pass receiving yards and scored two touchdowns.
“He’s such a good route runner, and, you know, smart kid recognizing the coverages and going where he’s supposed to be and finding those open areas,” Wolfe said of Holmes. “He was a huge part of what we were able to do offensively this year.”
Womack was a key lineman in pass protection and run blocking, Wolfe said.
“We knew that Roman was going to take care of that,” said Wolfe. “That’s a big deal for a quarterback to know that his blind side is protected and Roman did just a great job of protecting his blind side, while being a really run blocker, too.”
Olive Branch signings
Lake Cormorant signings
Center Hill signings
Southaven signings
East Central – Nathaniel Johnson Jr.
HUSTLE COMPLETE SWEEP OF IOWA
The Memphis Hustle posted 140 points or more for the second straight game and completed a two-game sweep of the Iowa Wolves in Wednesday night’s 142-120 NBA G League victory. Memphis forward Miles Norris equaled his season high of 26 points among seven Hustle players who scored in double figures, guard D.J. Steward struck for 22 points and David Johnson provided 18 points off the bench for Memphis in the win at the Landers Center. Iowa, which dropped to 2-14 for the season and lost for the seventh straight time, got 26 from Trevor Keels and another 24 from Nojel Eastern
As in the previous contest on Monday afternoon, Memphis again started fast, taking a 41-22 lead to the first quarter break.
“When you play a team again, you may have a tendency to start out slow when you play a team two straight games,” Hustle coach T.C. Swirsky said. “I think it was a huge message to our team, since we hadn’t won both games of a doubleheader, that we needed to start out strong and just try to put them away from the start.”
Iowa never got closer than 14 and the Hustle built as much as a 28-point lead in the victory. Memphis got within five points of the team’s season high for offense, which was 147 in Monday afternoon’s series-opening 147-118 victory over the Wolves. Memphis now meets the Maine Celtics in the first of five remaining home games in the current home stand, Monday night, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.
SPORTS ETC.
Peacock resigns at Center Hill
Center Hill football coach Alan Peacock, who has led the Mustangs for 14 seasons and during his time instituted the Flexbone offense with his squad, announced Wednesday that he was stepping down from the position.
