Six KCHS Wildcats sign to play college football
Last Wednesday (Feb. 2) was a big day for Kemper County High School athletics as a whole and a half-dozen senior football players in particular.
Six members of the KCHS football team gathered in the KCHS gymnasium to sign football scholarships for the 2012-13 school year.
“It was a tremendously big day for us,” said KCHS defensive coordinator Andrew Powell. “It just shows the work that we put in and the kind of kids that we have. We have the kind of kids who can do great things in Kemper.”
Five athletes signed with community colleges, while one signed with an NCAA Division I program. Those signing were E.J. Jackson, Jamar Grace, Heaven Coleman, Kessler Thompson, Aaron Steele, and Junior Miller.
Jackson, a 6-foot-2, 325 pound lineman signed with Mississippi Valley State University. Powell predicted Jackson would make an immediate impact on the MVSU defensive line.
Standout running back Junior Miller signed with East Central Community College.
“He is a special athlete,” Powell said of the 5-foot-10, 195-pounder. “He has good hands and tremendous vision. He is very shifty and much faster than he appears.”
Inking with Southwest Community College was defensive back Kessler Thompson who Powell said would most likely be a slot cornerback. “He just played tremendous for us in the secondary,” he said.
Heaven Coleman, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound defensive back, signed with Mississippi Gulf Coast. He was defensive MVP in the district, recording seven interceptions. “Nobody caught a touchdown against him all year,” Powell noted. “He is a long kid who is extremely talented and he can run well.”
Aaron Steele and Jamar Grace are both set to go to Hinds Community College.
Grace is a big-play receiver and someone Powell describes as an all-around athlete who can play both offense and defense. “He is a big asset on special teams,” Powell said. “He is definitely a big-play guy.”
Steele played quarterback at KCHS but will be converting to wide receiver at HCC.
“He is extremely athletic who was a dual threat for us a quarterback,” he said. “Wide receiver will fit his talent and athleticism.”