Thursday, August 19, 2010Sports

The Brownsville States-GraphicThe Brownsville States-Graphic

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3 August 26th, 25th, & 26th

August 24th, 25th, & 26th

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The Haywood High Golf Team features six boys that have been working hard to better themselves and the team. The team features a new coach, Chris Messer, who believes he has a great group of guys that will represent Haywood well. They feature three returning players in Houston

Cozart, Taylor Jones, and Ross Houghton. The players new to the team are sophomores Drew Baggett, Blake Porch, and Daniel Antwine.

Coach Messer has had the boys working on chipping, putting and getting used to walking the nine holes instead of riding in a cart. Coach Messer says he has a

“great group of guys that has been working hard as much as possible because of the heat index.”

Coach Chris Messer is a 1994 Dyersburg High school graduate and a 2001 graduate of Union University. This is his ninth year of teaching and coaching. He is also the boy’s baseball coach at the High school.

The Haywood High Tomcats are getting prepared for the football season with the return of a veteran team and coaches. The team features 14 seniors that have gained experience and leadership under a second year coaching staff. Coach Tim Seymour has been preparing for this season since the last one ended with a record of four wins and six losses. One of his main goals during the offseason was to prepare the coaches through clinics to learn new things that could unite the team and bring out the best for this season. When talking about the clinics, Coach Seymour said he “feels there is always something to learn.”

The team has been faced with adversity this summer through practices in the sweltering heat and humidity. To deal with the heat indexes that have been ranging in the 100s, the coaches have had to push practices

back to avoid any heat related injuries. To keep the players focused on the season ahead, they have been pushed by watching fi lm and lifting weights earlier in the day to mitigate the heat. Coach Seymour expects to be much improved from last year with it not only being his second year with the team, but also the returning players second year in his system.

Coach Seymour believes that a balanced football team will feature both the running game and passing game to keep opponents guessing and from stacking the box. The defense will feature the 5 2 scheme and the coach believes that the veterans in the trenches will be tough against the run. The secondary has talented guys manning the positions, and the goal for the defense is to be a shutdown three and out terror for the opponents. The offense will feature a running game boosted

by the return of Terry Grandberry who last year received All Region WTN honors and is also a college prospect. The team also boasts the return of OL/DL Jerry Bradford who is preseason All State, Wide outs Jarvis Johnson and George McCray, and OT Travis Richardson.

One of the improvements to look forward to this year will be in the kicking game. Coach Seymour says that the “kicking will be much stronger this year because of the time and effort put into it this offseason.” Place kicker Willie Hardaway will be the one handling the extra points and fi eld goals this season. Last year the Tomcats lost three games by a point, so the kicking game may make the difference this year in tight games. The season opener begins August 20 against JCM at Rothrock Stadium in Jackson, so come out to cheer on the Tomcats.

Tomcats stacked with veteran team

HHS Golf welcomes new coach

Tomcat Profi leTim Seymour, Head CoachHaywood High Class of 1995 OT/DT for 1994 State Runner up Tomcat teamHad scholarship offers from Arkansas, Arkansas State, Memphis, Ole Miss, and MTSU.Accepted scholarship to University of Memphis, was 4 year starter.Two time all conference, one at Guard, one at Center.Most memorable Tomcat moment: Beat Brentwood Academy in the semifi nal to advance to State Championship game against Cleveland.

Photos by Jeff PerryCoach Tim Seymour