This year’s Premier Preps of East Mississippi Presented by Mississippi Power football team features athletes who put up big numbers on both offense and defense.

Whether it was tackles, all-purpose yards, rushing yards or receiving yards, each player listed played a key role in numerous area teams having a successful 2019 season.

BY THE NUMBERS

8 — Number of returning Premier Preps players: Neshoba Central’s Jarquez Hunter and Bryce Parkerson, Lamar’s Jacob Partridge, Union’s Jacob Moore, Philadelphia’s Lideatrick Griffin, Quitman’s Jequvorrus Jones, West Lauderdale’s Braden Luke and Newton County Academy’s Kemp Alderman all made the Premier Preps team in 2018.

1,352 — Combined weight of the offensive line: Neshoba Central’s Bryce Parkerson comes in at 322 pounds, while teammate Eli Moran is listed at 260 pounds. Enterprise’s Brandon Buckley weighs 230 pounds, West Lauderdale’s Aaron Miles is 265 pounds and Union’s Jacob Moore is listed at 275 pounds.

737 — Number of solo tackles tallied by the defense: Members of the 2019 Premier Preps defensive squad did their job in stopping opposing ball carriers, as the 11 defenders finished with a total of 737 solo tackles. Leading the way was Newton County Academy’s Kemp Alderman with 100, followed by Neshoba Central’s Jaharan Griffin with 92 and Newton County’s Colin Crowder with 89.

3,745 — Number of rushing yards between the two running backs: Neshoba Central junior Jarquez Hunter tallied 2,088 yards on the ground for the Rockets, while Newton County junior Carlois Walker finished the season with 1,657 yards rushing. Both teams made it three rounds deep in the playoffs, with the Rockets getting to the Class 5A North State title game, and Hunter and Walker’s performances played a big role in their teams’ success. They also scored 29 (Hunter) and 20 (Walker) touchdowns, respectively.

4,449 — All-purpose yards tallied by the all-purpose players: Coaches love players who show versatility on the field, and Quitman’s Jed Lewis and Choctaw Central’s Gerald Isom seemed to do it all on offense. Lewis played quarterback for the Panthers and rushed for 1,102 yards while passing for 1,762 yards, and Isom finished with 1,585 all-purpose yards while splitting time between quarterback and receiver for the Warriors.

1,863 — Yards receiving by Premier Preps offensive players: Lamar’s Jacob Partridge finished with an impressive 1,216 yards receiving for the Raiders, while Philadelphia’s Lideatrick Griffin, who was selected to play in the UnderArmour All-American Game, had to fight through defenses keying on him to tally 413 yards receiving. Adding to the total was Neshoba Central running back Jarquez Hunter, who had 234 receiving yards this year.

15 — Number of seniors on the team: Nothing can replace senior leadership, and 15 of the team’s 24 players will graduate in the spring: Philadelphia’s Asher Morgan, Lideatrick Griffin and Deiondre Fox; Lamar’s Jacob Partridge; Neshoba Central’s Bryce Parkerson and Eli Moran; West Lauderdale’s Aaron Miles, Jacob Feist and Braden Luke; Enterprise’s Brandon Buckley; Quitman’s Jed Lewis and Jequvorrus Jones; Choctaw Central’s Gerald Isom; Newton County Academy’s Kemp Alderman; and Southeast Lauderdale’s Travis Moore.

OFFENSE

Jarquez Hunter, Junior, Running Back, Neshoba Central

Why he’s here: Hunter was a workhorse for the Rockets, as he tallied 2,088 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns on 197 carries to help Neshoba Central to a 10-4 record and a berth in the Class 5A North State title game. He also caught 14 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter was named Region 2-5A’s player of the year and first-team All-State, and he holds offers from Ole Miss, Tennessee, Southern Miss and Memphis.

Asher Morgan, Senior, Quarterback, Philadelphia

Why he’s here: Morgan played a big hand in Philadelphia’s 12-2 record and third-round berth in the MHSAA Class 2A playoffs. He finished with 2,457 yards passing and 19 touchdowns while also rushing for 120 yards and four touchdowns to earn Most Valuable Offensive Player honors in Region 6-2A. A Samford signee, Morgan was also named first-team All-State and was selected to the Bernard Blackwell North-South All-Star Game. 

Carlois Walker, Junior, Running Back, Newton County

Why he’s here: Walker put together a strong season for the Cougars as he finished with 1,657 yards rushing on 188 carries — good for 8.8 yards per carry. He also scored 20 touchdowns to help the Cougars to an 8-6 record and a berth in the third round of the MHSAA Class 4A postseason. Walker was named the Region 5-4A Offensive Most Valuable Players.

Jacob Partridge, Senior, Wide Receiver, Lamar

Why he’s here: The Raiders’ go-to receiver, Partridge was a key contributor on this year’s 8-5 Lamar team that earned a second-round berth in the MAIS Class 5A playoffs. He tallied 1,216 yards and 14 touchdowns on 64 catches, earning him All-District and All-State honors for the second year in a row. He was also District 2-5A’s Offensive Most Valuable Player and was selected to play in the MAIS All-Star football game.

Lideatrick Griffin, Senior, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia

Why he’s here: Despite defenses keying on him, Griffin was able to rack up 36 rushes for 469 yards and five TDS and also caught 23 passes for 413 yards and three scores. A Dandy Dozen, first-team All-Region 6-2A and All-State selection, Griffin also had three kick returns for touchdowns. He was selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game and the UnderArmour All-American Game. Griffin signed with Mississippi State. 

Gerald Isom, Senior, All-Purpose Athlete, Choctaw Central

Why he’s here: Isom was the Warriors’ most valuable offensive player, as he accumulated 1,585 all-purpose yards for Choctaw Central this past season despite opposing defenses keying on him throughout the fall. He split time at quarterback and wide receiver this season for the Warriors. Isom was named the Most Valuable Athlete in Region 4-4A this past season.

Jed Lewis, Senior, All-Purpose Athlete, Quitman

Why he’s here: Lewis was a dynamic player for the Panthers, as he helped guide Quitman to an 8-5 record and Region 5-4A title. He finished with 1,762 yards and 21 touchdowns passing and also rushed for 1,102 yards and 12 touchdowns. Lewis was an All-State selection as well.

Bryce Parkerson, Senior, Offensive Line, Neshoba Central

Why he’s here: Parkerson helped anchor a Neshoba Central offensive line that opened up lanes for the Rockets’ running backs. He finished with an 84 grade and 31 pancakes and yielded just two sacks all season. Parkerson was named Region 5-2A’s offensive lineman of the year and first-team All-State and was also selected to the Bernard Blackwell North-South All-Star Game. He has offers from EMCC, ECCC, Co-Lin, Northwest Mississippi CC and Alcorn State.

Eli Moran, Senior, Offensive Line, Neshoba Central

Why he’s here: Moran was another key cog on a Rockets offensive line that helped produce more than 3,000 yards from its two leading rushers. He graded at 82 percent and recorded 26 pancakes while allowing just three sacks all season. Moran scored a 34 on the ACT, and his current plans are to attend Mississippi State and major in an engineering field.

Aaron Miles, Senior, Offensive Line, West Lauderdale

Why he’s here: Miles played all 13 games for West Lauderdale this season, helping anchor an offensive line that his team relied upon to help rack up yards on the ground. He finished with a 79 grade and 46 pancakes on the season. Miles was an All-Region selection for the Knights and helped the lead his team to an 8-5 record this season.

Jacob Moore, Junior, Offensive Line, Union

Why he’s here: Moore returns to the Premier Preps lineup after another productive season for the Yellowjackets. He graded at 88 percent this past season with 28 pancakes to help Union to a 6-5 record and a first-round playoff berth in Class 2A. Moore was also an All-Region 6-2A selection. Moore is also a beast in the weight room, where he won the Class 2A powerlifting meet in his classification last year for the second straight year.

Brandon Buckley, Senior, Offensive Line, Enterprise

Why he’s here: Buckley was a standout on an Enterprise offensive line that helped lead the way for a strong Bulldogs rushing attack. He finished with an 88 grade and 18 pancake blocks to help his team to an 11-2 record and a berth in the third round of the MHSAA Class 2A playoffs.

DEFENSE

Kemp Alderman, Senior, Defensive Line, Newton County Academy

Why he’s here: An MAIS All-Star selection, Alderman made things uncomfortable for opposing ball carriers, as he finished the season with 100 tackles and 23 tackles for loss. When he wasn’t on the defensive line, Alderman played tight end for the Generals and had six catches for 33 yards and 21 carries for 94 yards. Alderman is an Ole Miss signee in baseball.

Paxton Woodward, Sophomore, Defensive Line, Neshoba Central

Why he’s here: A first-team All-Region 2-5A selection, Woodward finished the season with 48 solo tackles, 29 assists, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, four quarterback hurries and two sacks. He currently has an offer from Southern Mississippi.

Deiondre Fox, Senior, Defensive Line, Philadelphia

Why he’s here: Fox played a big role for the Tornadoes in their 12-2 season as he finished with 55 tackles and three sacks to help Philadelphia make it to the third round of the MHSAA Class 2A playoffs. For his efforts, Fox was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player in Region 6-2A.

Travis Moore, Senior, Defensive Back, Southeast Lauderdale

Why he’s here: Moore was a key player for the Tigers this year, as he had 40 tackles, two interceptions and three pass breakups for Southeast Lauderdale on defense. Also a receiver, Moore tallied 61 catches for 1,023 yards, and he also had four kickoff returns for touchdowns on special teams. For his efforts, Moore was named the Most Valuable Player in Region 5-3A.

Jequvorrus Jones, Senior, Defensive Back, Quitman

Why he’s here: Jones earned first-team All-Region 5-4A honors after finishing the season with 66 tackles and five tackles for loss to help the Panthers to an 8-4 record and an undefeated season in their division.

Braden Luke, Senior, Punter/placekicker, West Lauderdale

Why he’s here: In 13 games for West Lauderdale, Luke’s 59 kickoffs averaged 53.1 yards per kick, including one 77-yard kickoff, and 29 touchbacks. He also punted 35 times for a 40.5 yards-per-punt average, including a long of 64 yards and nine punts inside the opposing 20-yard line. Luke made 26 of 34 PATs and was 2-for-4 in field goals, with a long field goal of 37 yards.

Jacob Feist, Senior, Defensive Line, West Lauderdale

Why he’s here: Feist played in all 13 games for a stingy West Lauderdale defense, finishing with 43 tackles and 32 assists. He also had 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one blocked punt.

Zach Walker, Junior, Linebacker, West Lauderdale

Why he’s here: In 13 games for the Knights, Walker tallied 77 tackles, 38 assists, seven tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hurry, one pass deflection, one interception return for 19 yards, three fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles and one blocked field goal.

Colin Crowder, Sophomore, Linebacker, Newton County

Why he’s here: Crowder made his presence known to opposing offenses, as the Cougars standout finished with 89 solo tackles and 53 assists on the season while averaging 14.2 tackles per game. He also had 14 tackles for loss to help Newton County reach the third round of the MHSAA Class 4A playoffs.

Kelbee Holmes, Sophomore, Linebacker, Neshoba Central

Why he’s here: Holmes had 76 tackles and 65 assists for Neshoba Central this season along with four pass breakups, one interception, two forced fumbles, four quarterback hurries and three sacks. He was named first-team All-Region 5-2A.

Jaharan Griffin, Sophomore, Linebacker, Neshoba Central

Why he’s here: Griffin was a force on the Rockets’ defense, as he finished with 92 tackles, 65 assists, three pass breakups, one interception, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four quarterback hurries. For his efforts, Griffin was named the Region 2-5A linebacker of the year and was second-team All-State.

Kadarius Calloway, Junior, Defensive Back, Philadelphia

Why he’s here:  Calloway was a ball hawk for the Tornadoes defense, as he tallied 12 interceptions on the season to go along with 51 tackles. He was named first-team All-Region 6-2A and second-team All-State.