Three of the key members of Winona’s championship football team have signed to continue their careers at the junior college level. In a ceremony at the school cafeteria, Dre Bays and Jacob Welch inked with Northeast Mississippi and Jalen Campbell with Copiah-Lincoln.
Coach Joey Tomkins was effusive with his praise for the trio. “They are good football players and even better people. You can’t say enough about them being good kids. They’re always their teachers’ favorites.”
Campbell was named as Overall MVP for Region 5-3A and was second team 3A all state after leading the Tigers to the region title in Winona’s first year as a 3A school. As a linebacker, he led Winona in tackles with 114, including 24 for losses. He was also the team’s short yardage specialist on offense, carrying 30 times for 256 yards eighth touchdowns.
“I love the family atmosphere down there,” Campbell said of Co-Lin. “They want me to come and make a difference. I’m going to bring leadership and excitement to the team.”
He was recruited by Co-Lin as a linebacker, but said “If they want me to play offense, I will.”
“I hate that nobody gave him a chance in D-1 (Division I),” Tompkins said. “I think after a year someone will give him a chance. He was the guy we counted on for everything, whether it was making tackles or running the ball. In short yardage situations, he’s the guy we always depended on.”
Bays, a defensive back, had an outstanding senior year with eight interceptions. He was named 5-3A Best Defensive Back, was 3A first team all state and was MVP of the Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Game.
“I chose Northeast because I felt it was the best decision for me and my family. On my visit it felt like home.”
Tompkins described Bays as a smart player. “You don’t have to coach him a whole lot because he does a lot of things on instinct. He uses that to his advantage.”
Welch was chosen as 5-3A Best Offensive lineman. “I like the campus and I like the coaches,” he said of Northeast. “It felt like it would be a good fit for me.”
Winona finished 13-1 in the fall and was the only team in Mississippi to beat two state champions. The Tigers had regular season wins against 3A champion Water Valley and 1A winner Nanih Waiya.
