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County athletes play for West
• Coach Kirkland inducted into Hall of Fame By BARRY BURLESON
Editor  | All-stars
From
left are girls 1A-2A participants Lamonica Ingram, Kenyotta Jenkins,
coach Tana Miller and Brionne Gulledge. Not pictured is Marcus Rayford,
who played for the 1A-2A boys all-stars. |
Some 2010 Marshall County graduates closed out their high school basketball careers by competing in all-star games Saturday. Kenyotta
Jenkins and Lamonica Ingram, both of Potts Camp, and Brionne Gulledge
and Marcus Rayford, both of H.W. Byers, played in the Northeast
Mississippi Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Games at Itawamba
Community College in Fulton. Tana Miller of Potts Camp coached the 1A-2A West girls all-stars. “It was a fun experience – such a good group of kids,” she said. “We all enjoyed it.” The West girls lost 60-49 to the East. Gulledge
scored nine points, hitting three of six shots from beyond the
three-point stripe. Jenkins added six points and Ingram five. Coach
Miller said East All-Star Bree Harris of New Site “ate us alive.”
Harris had 17 points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two
steals and was named the game’s most valuable player. The West boys dropped a 61-51 decision to the East. Rayford
was second in scoring for the West with 10 points. He also placed
second in some pre-game activities – the three-point shootout and the
dunking competition. “Our kids from Marshall
County gave a great effort,” said Byers coach Jason Thompson, who
attended the games. “They represented us well. It was a good way for
them to close out their high school careers.” Also
in pre-game festivities, former H.W. Byers boys coach Gerone Kirkland
was inducted into the Northeast Mississippi Basketball Coaches
Association Hall of Fame. Kirkland retired in 2006 with 813 career victories. He coached 40 years – seven of those at Byers. Kirkland won two state championships at Rosa Fort – one in Class 3A and another in 4A. At
Byers, his Lions twice played in the Class 1A title contest. They made
the state tournament five straight seasons from 2001-2005. |
