2018-2019

These are my articles from the 2018-2019 school year when I served as sports editor. Since becoming an editor, I learned that there are new roles and responsibilities I must serve as. I have enjoyed helping edit fellow sports writers' articles along with teaching the new and younger staff members how to excel in print journalism. Serving as a leader has not only taught me how to teach but also how to communicate with my other writers and editors in order to have an outstanding newspaper.

OSD works to close student achievement gap (August 2018 Issue)

The Oxford School District recently dropped from the no. 1 spot in the largest achievement gap category. However, for this category, Oxford is not striving to be the first place holder.

“We’ve carried the moniker of having the school district with the largest achievement gap but we no longer carry that,” Superintendent Brian Harvey said.

The achievement gap is defined as the difference in proficiency levels between the majority and subgroups such as economical disadvantages and racial ethnicity according to Harvey.

“Because when you look at it, our overall proficiency in 2017 was 53.1 percent and our overall proficiency in 2018 was 58.3 percent so our proficiency for everybody went up,” Harvey said. “All of these numbers are better than they were in 2017, which is good.”

According to Assistant Superintendent Bradley Roberson, the new information about the achievement gap reveals more than proficiency levels.

“The statistics provided by the Mississippi Department of Education shows that the gap continues to shrink which means more and more of our students are prepared to attend college and enter the workforce after graduation,” Roberson said.

While there are a total of eight subgroups that are considered as factors for the achievement gap, the district has set their focus on African American, economical standing, and disabilities.

“I think historically here we are focused on the difference between our white and black students and our economically disadvantaged and our students with disabilities,” Harvey said. “Your limited English proficiency -that is another focus that we have- but they are a smaller subgroup than the students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged and our African American subgroups. All of those are the largest focus just because of the number of people.”

The district has put into place a goal known as the “95 in 5”. This means the district wants to have 95 percent of students proficient in five years.

“We got a long way to go particularly in math, almost 45, 47 points. But thats where we want to go and we are seeing gradual increases,” Harvey said.

According to Harvey, this increase in proficiency can correlate with many programs at OSD, such as AVID, intervention systems, and efforts the school district and the Carnegie Foundation has made to diminish the gap. The Carnegie Foundation is a partnership with the University of Mississippi.

“Mr. Harvey, Mrs. [Marni] Herrington, and I are working with the University of Mississippi School of Education and the Carnegie Foundation on implementing improvement science practices in our schools,” Roberson said. “Improvement science is a methodology that assists organizations in identifying root cases of issues and possible change agents to address them. Simply put, it is a methodology that shows us how to get better at getting better.”

Oxford School District has had previous issues with having the largest achievement gap between subgroups. Starkville’s district now has the largest achievement gap in the state.

“You look and see who is at the top, they are university towns and that’s just one of the things that college towns have to deal with. We are number two in English and number four in math. That’s the big thing. We have seen small improvements and we are at the tipping point of seeing big gains,” Harvey said.

Both Harvey and the school district are focused on using the research and resources to grow the district and shrink the achievement gap between the different subgroups.

“We have to focus our efforts and provide support necessary for all our students to achieve,” Harvey said. “All means all. It is our responsibility to make sure that all children learn at high levels, no excuses, and that is something we are committed to be doing.”

Charger football season begins with annual Little Egg Bowl (August 2018 Issue)

OHS football began their season with a home loss against the Starkville Yellow Jackets in the 6th annual Little Egg Bowl.

“[Starkville] is a very talented team, so we knew coming in that they were a tough opponent,” head coach Chris Cutcliffe said. “It creates a lot of excitement for the first home game to have a rivalry game like that for sure.”

According to starting quarterback John Meagher, having Starkville as the first home football game was important to see where the players stand and how effective they are as a team.

“Playing Starkville showed us that there are definitely areas that we need to improve on,” Meagher said. “One area the team can improve on as a whole is just doing your job. One man can’t do everything, but if everyone does their part, then we will be successful.”

The Yellow Jackets beat Oxford 56-7, making it Starkville’s 5th straight win against Oxford. Despite the score, Meagher was pleased with the momentum the team started the game with.

“We came out real quick,” Meagher said. “The past couple games we’ve gotten a slow start, but against Starkville we were able to get our mojo real quick.”

The Starkville game was technically the Chargers first game of the season after their game against Vicksburg the previous week was called in the second quarter due to weather conditions.

“Our goal this time of year [is to] just get better every week we go out in non-district games to play really, really well when we get to district play,” Cutcliffe said. “We wanted to play better than we did before against Warren Central.”

Because of Starkville’s defensive skill, Oxford ran an offense without the quarterback at times.

“We felt like a physical running game would be the best way to move the ball on Starkville’s defense, and I think that’s how we found our most success with that style of play,” Cutcliffe said. “Starkville is probably the fastest team in the state, so our approach was to be more physical.”

Along with Starkville’s athleticism, key players, such as tight end JJ Pegues, were injured later on in the game. Pegues rushed 55 yards in the first half.

“I think it definitely can affect the momentum in the game, but that happens in football,” Cutcliffe said. “There always has to be someone ready to step up if someone does get hurt.”

Cutcliffe believes there are some improvements to make throughout the season in order to be successful in district play.

“We want to see our team tackle better,” Cutcliffe said. “Defensively, we didn’t tackle well at all. Some of that is credit to some good players on Starkville’s team, which is certainly something we need to work on. Offensively I feel like we had too many turnovers and too many mistakes. Our special teams was really close to making some big plays. We just got to get over that hump and really create a big plan.”

As a player and one of the four captains, Meagher also feels the team has some room for growth throughout the season;however he is looking forward to taking it game-by-game.

“I feel great about this team because I know the potential we have, and we haven’t gotten anywhere near it yet. That makes me excited looking forward to the rest of the year.”

The Chargers will travel to take on Grenada Aug. 31, and according to Cutcliffe, the team’s focus is now on the next week.

“[The loss] is not something we are going to dwell on too long. It happened. It’s over,” Cutcliffe said. “We need to correct what we need to correct. It sounds like a cliché, but really this time of year you have to take one week at a time and look at each week as its own week and try and get better than you were last week.”

Chargers defeat Lafayette during annual Crosstown Classic (September 2018 Issue)

The Chargers came out victorious against the Lafayette Commodores in the annual Crosstown Classic on Sept. 7.

“This rivalry is unique because of the proximity of the schools,” head coach Chris Cutcliffe said. “The players on each team know each other outside of school, many are even related to each other. It certainly makes it an exciting atmosphere.”

The score went back and forth throughout the game and ended on a 27 yard field goal made by kicker Jack Tannehill. The Chargers won 29-27.

“I was really excited after I hit the kick, I knew it was in right off of my foot,” Tannehill said. “We ran back to the sideline and I forgot that I had to kickoff, but after the kickoff I got to go back on the sideline and start celebrating with the rest of the team.”

Tannehill did not anticpate having to kick the winning score until “late in the fourth quarter.”

“I started to kick into the net and preparing for the kick and the special teams’ coach told me that we were going to kick it instead of going for the touchdown,” Tannehill said. “I had enough time to get my nerves under control, but not get rid of them.”

While he did make the kick, Tannehill gave credit to his success to his fellow teammates.

“I couldn’t have made the field goal without the offense to get me in position, the line blocking, a good snap, and a good hold,” Tannehill said.

According to Cutcliffe, Tannehill’s kick had a huge impact on the game along with other positions.

“I felt like we gained a big advantage in special teams play throughout the game,” Cutcliffe said. “Each of our special teams units played a big part in the victory.”

Despite the closeness of the score, according to Cutcliffe, the team’s mindset was consistent.

“I thought our team was focused and prepared to play well,” Cutcliffe said. “I don’t think we let any of the emotions of a rivalry game get in the way of playing a good football game.”

Along with the high intensity of the game, the hometown crowd of both teams affected the atmosphere of the game.

“There was an outstanding atmosphere with big crowds from both teams coming out for the game,” Cutcliffe said. “There’s no doubt that the support from our crowd had an enormous impact on our team.”

The win over the Commodores was an important win for the team, but according to Cutcliffe, the team is focused on the next game.

“A win in a rivalry game is always a lot of fun for the players, but ultimately this game is just a step in the process of our team improving each week during non- district games,” Cutcliffe said. “Our goal during this part of the season is to be playing at a high level when we begin our district schedule.”

Cutcliffe and the team look to take away from the game that improvements still need to be made. For Tannehill, the game was more than a game.

“This is one of our biggest games of the year, so this win means a lot to us,” Tannehill said. “I also think it means a lot around the state considering that it was an upset.”

Powder Puff returns with a senior victory (October 2018)

Class of 2019 won the championship in the renewed tradition of a powder-puff game on Oct. 17.

“I have been wanting to play powderpuff for years, so when we actually did it this year, I was determined to play hard and win,” senior Katelyn Rock said. “This win is especially important for the seniors, since this was the first but last year we could do this.“

Each grade had a staff of four student coaches, one general manager, and around 25 girls per team. The teams practiced at different times, which were organized by the coaches. For junior Hannah Randall, her favorite part was the preparation.

“We would have a lot of fun at practice, and it was fun getting to know and spend time with different people outside of school,” Randall said.

The night consisted of three games total with seniors beating the freshman and juniors winning in overtime against the sophomores to head to the championship. Randall scored the winning touchdown for the juniors.

“After scoring the winning touchdown, I felt overjoyed and so proud of my teammates the we made it into the championship game,” Randall said. “We had worked so hard, and I was glad I could do my part.”

Powder-puff, this year, was a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. $670 was raised for the cause.

“We knew that many people would be attending the game and thought that it would be a great opportunity to ask people to donate,” Student Body President Olivia Rychlak said. “We wanted to make sure that this tournament would have a great cause alongside its fun atmosphere.”

The win for the seniors, according to Rychlak, was a bonding experience for the grade.

“We all came together and celebrated while smiling ear–to–ear, even though we may not have known each other a few weeks ago,” Rychlak said.

Rock, who played safety for the seniors, scored a pick six in the championship game against the Class of 2020 to seal the win.

“I felt especially competitive against the juniors since I personally know a lot of them,” Rock said. “I had been waiting all night to make a game-changing play, and I was finally able to do it.”

According to Rychlak, there is a a good possibility of becoming an annual event during Homecoming week again.

“After seeing the good sportsmanship, competitiveness, and light-hearted atmosphere of our powder puff event, I have no doubt that this will continue to be a successful and fun event for years to come,” Rychlak said. “Future participants need to make sure that they follow the good example set this year, so that this event will continue to bring grades together and benefit St. Jude.”

Basketball faces new challenges in 2018-2019 season (November/December 2018 Issue)

Basketball season is in full swing for both of OHS’ programs and the young teams are ready for the new challenges that face them. According to boys’ head coach Drew Tyler, the team is looking to the young players.

“It is kind of the land of the youth,” Tyler said. “We have got a lot of sophomores and juniors so [I look forward to] seeing those guys and their level of play go through November and March and growing as a team and becoming better basketball players through the season.”

Last year’s team was led by seniors Tucker Scott, Drew Bianco, Hiram Wadlington and, according to Tyler, they did a “great job leading the team.”

“They were kind of like assistant coaches that were on the floor playing so [losing them] is a challenge as far as Coach [Tyler] Reed and I are concerned as we are putting on our junior group to help with that leadership,” Tyler said.

According to junior and guard Kylan Blackmon, he is excited for the season to progress.

“I look forward to getting a lot of wins and spending time with my teammates and building a relationship with them,” Blackmon said. “We lost a lot of experience last year and this year we have young guys. I mean, we have experience, just we just don’t have as much as we used to.”

As a team, the boys have grown throughout the season both on and off the court.

“Within our program, we do a lot of stuff off the court and becoming one clique because when you are coaching teenagers, they can be teammates and not know each other and I really feel like our boys basketball team is a true representation of our Oxford public school system when you look at our team and the makeup of our team,” Tyler said. “We are taking the team to play Fayette Ware [high school] and then taking the team to a Memphis Grizzlies game so that will be a good pre-Christmas get together that I hope creates more team bonding like how we have always done.”

For the girls’ team, head coach Cliff Orman and the players have put in the work in the off season.

“We focused in the spring on our shots and have been putting them in pressure situations in practice and in competition drills, just making them want to compete at a higher level but also under pressure because that’s how the teams in our division are going to play,” Ormon said. “It is going to be an up and down game and we are going to have to be able to execute in those types of situations and a lot of times without me having to call every play.”

Like the boys’ team, the girls are working to build off of the previous season and grow.

“Last year we started the season with a couple of girls who had experience but got injured before the season started, so we had a lot of younger players who got experience maybe before they were ready,” Ormon said. “Now, this year, that will hopefully pay off for those girls being in those games and knowing what it takes to compete, and going through a 6A division. Now we know what our opponents are about.”

As captain of the girls’ team, senior Kelsey Wilbourn is working to bring the team together.

“I am trying to hear everyone’s voice and voice everyone’s opinion, because you know, I am like a spokesman for them,” Wilbourn said.

Tyler, as he looks to his underclassman for leadership, believes the responsibility improves the boys as players.

“So many players these days want a shortcut to being good and a lot of times it can become more talk than it is walk,” Tyler said. “Through practices and a lot of conditioning and holding players accountable, it weeds out who wants to work and who wants to be average.”

Blackmon chosen for 2019 North Mississippi All Star team (January 2019 Issue)

Junior and OHS basketball team captain Kylan Blackmon has been chosen as one of the 12 players from 4A, 5A and 6A division to play for the North Mississippi team in the 2019 All-Star game.

“I think it is warranted based on his stats this year and from the way he represents his school and his team and now he will represent the North of the state,” head coach Drew Tyler said.

Blackmon serves as captain as a junior and according to Tyler is “always eyes and ears.”

“He is like a human sponge,” Tyler said. “He is very coachable and teachable. He makes today count for tomorrow.”

Blackmon believes that his role as captain means that he is capable.

“Being a captain this year just means that it is a leadership role for me on and off the court for my younger teammates but also the upperclassmen,” Blackmon said.

Don Frugé, junior and Blackmon’s fellow teammate, says he has respect for Blackmon.

“Kylan is a great captain and role model because he handles his business on and off the court, and is the first to congratulate others,” Frugé said. “He leads by example. He pushes himself to be better and go harder in drills or games, and it makes the rest of the team follow.”

From an injury his freshman year to leading the team as a junior, Blackmon, according to Tyler, has had to play different roles within the program.

“He understands and does not mind his leadership role because at times he has to take an approach with his teammates and say things that they may not like at the time but will respect,” Tyler said.

Along with Tyler, Frugé thinks that Blackmon is a reliable teammate and captain.

“He pushes himself, and that makes others around him better,” Frugé said. “You can rely on Kylan to give 110 percent every time he is on the court. You can rely on him to meet you and help with anything, no matter how big or small the problem. His reliability helps make him a good teammate and captain.”

For Blackmon, basketball has affected his life in many ways.

“It keeps me out of trouble and keeps my mind off of things,” Blackmon said. “I know school comes first and all, but basketball just takes me to another place.”

Blackmon wants to be known by his teammates and community as a “hard worker and dedicated to whatever he does.”

“Whatever I put my mind to, I just want to try my best at,” Blackmon said.

The North-South 4A, 5A, 6A All-Star game will be Mar. 23 at Mississippi College after the conclusion of the regular season. For now, Blackmon said he is focusing on finishing out the season.

“This season we are going to make a run to Jackson,” Blackmon said.

From a coach’s perspective, the All-Star game will catapult Blackmon into his senior year.

“I really think he will take even a more serious approach since college is nearing, and he has the potential to play at a college level,” Tyler said.