College recruiters start filtering in to county|[12/11/06]

Published 12:00 am Monday, December 11, 2006

College football recruiters are beginning to make the rounds in Warren County, looking for qualified players.

Vicksburg coach Alonzo Stevens said he has several that have met academic standards.

&#8220We’ve got six who’ve gotten their grades and have passed the ACT,” Stevens said.

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Alcorn State head coach Johnny Thomas visited both Warren Central and Vicksburg on Thursday. Coaches from Ole Miss and Mississippi State, among others, are expected to make stops before the holiday break.

The three Gators who have drawn the most interest are wide receiver Vernon Wolfe, guard Mark Cabatay and defensive end Dekores Branch.

Wolfe, who had 40 catches for 633 yards this season, had drawn a lot of interest from Louisiana Tech, which fired coach Jack Bicknell last week.

Stevens said Wolfe is still on Tech’s list despite Bicknell’s dismissal.

&#8220The Tech assistant assured us this week, that they still want Vernon. We’ve also heard from Hinds, Southern Miss and (Mississippi) State about him,” Stevens said.

Branch, a 6-foot-3 1/2, combination defensive end/linebacker, got some good news this week.

&#8220I got my test score and it was like, yes, I qualify,” Branch said. He made a 22 and can now look forward to fielding scholarship offers from at least three SWAC schools, including Mississippi Valley, Alcorn and Jackson State.

Cabatay, a three-year starter for the Gators, was already qualified. He has a 26 ACT score and a 2.6 grade point average.

Stevens said the three other Gator qualifiers are lineman David Williams, linebacker Horace Allen and defensive back Marvin Bure.

Warren Central assistant Ross Coley, who is handling the Vikings’ recruiting this winter, says a number of seniors have made their qualifiying scores.

&#8220Of course we’ve got Eric Richards who is committed to Mississippi State. We feel like Hinds is going to protect both Wade Carter and Chris Robinson and three or four others have made their scores.”

At St. Aloysius, linebacker/tight end John Robert Burnett said he and defensive lineman Jordan Granville have been contacted by Belhaven and Mississippi College.