* MSHAA Region 1 - 5A Game

(For a printable schedule, click on the "Downloads" section on the upper left portion of this homepage).

 MONDAY, OCTOBER 20th at 6:30 PM in OLD TOWNE at 7059 DEPOT ST. "WRAY'S FINS & FEATHERS RESTAURANT"

The Olive Branch Football Letterman's Club is proud to announce the next installment of the "2008 Speaker Series".  This event is open to the public and will be held on Monday, October 20th at Wray's Fins & Feathers Restaurant, 7059 Depot Street in the Old Towne District of Olive Branch.  The doors open at 6:15 PM and the speaker begins at 7:00 PM.

Come enjoy a night of fun food and football, as the Letterman’s Club presents Browning Nagle former MVP of the 1991 Fiesta Bowl.  Browning earned the MVP award while playing for Coach Howard Schellenberger during the Louisville Cardinals 34-7 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide.  Louisville posted a 9-1-1 season in 1991 and finished in both the AP and Coaches polls at #18.

The New York Jets selected Browning in the 2nd round of the 1991 NFL draft. After his days with the Jets, Browning also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons as well as the Orlando Predators and Buffalo Destroyers of the AFL.

Browning who was born in Philadelphia, PA and later moved with his family to Florida during his early years, now resides outside Memphis, TN.  He is an avid golfer and loves to talk football.  So please make your plans now to attend this event and enjoy hearing Pro and College football talk from one who has worn the pads and excelled in all levels of competition.  Special note: the Monday Night Football game will be shown!

There will be a $10 admission fee which includes the ever popular Wray's Fins & Feathers catfish buffet.  The Lettermen's Club would like to urge the public and former players to be in attendance and show your support of Olive Branch football, past and present.  So plan now to join us for a fun night of football, food and fellowship.

For more information, contact:
Terry Jobe  901-553-0944
Coach Scott Samsel  662-895-3350
Don Dickerson  901-491-0581

Olive Branch High School would appreciate your donation to help with the renovation to Leslie Pool Field.  All Olive Branch High School students, alumni, Boosters, former Lettermen, parents, friends and neighbors are invited and encouraged to participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity.

The Spirit Brick program will establish a "Bricked Courtyard" at the main gate into Pool Field.  Your customized Spirit Brick will be placed in the Pool Field Courtyard to become a permanent piece of OBHS legacy.  We want you to have an opportunity to commemorate a special event in someone's life, honor a friend or family member or memoralize someone special to show your Conquistador spirit.

With OBHS Spirit Bricks, you can be one of the first to forever immoralize your school spirit and show your support for Olive Branch High School and the Pool Field renovation project.  Donate a piece of history with your personalized brick and for Conquistadors past, present and future.

Click on the banner above for additional information.

You can catch the OBHS Conquistador varsity football games on Comcast Cable OBTV Network (Channel 19) every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 AM, 12 Noon, 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM.  The games will also be re-played at 8:00 PM - Monday through Friday evenings.  Mr. Jimmy Woods and Mr. Phil Lachaussee both have come out of retirement for the 2008 season to bring you the play-by-play broadcast this year.

The book was released on August 15th and are now available locally at two Olive Branch locations.  Copies of Y'all vs Us may be purchased for $34.95 each from:

1)  Olive Branch High School - 9366 East Sandidge Road - through OBHS Principal Kyle Brigance (Phone 662-893-3344).

2)  Jackibel's - 9094 Goodman Road west of the Old Towne Square off Pigeon Roost Road (next to the Sonic Drive-in) in Olive Branch (Phone 662-890-4686).

The authors of the highly successful book Gridiron Gold released in 2007, X.M. Frascogna Jr. and his two sons, Mike III and Marty, recently announced they have begun interviews for their new book, Y’all vs Us – "Thrilling Tales of Mississippi’s Hottest High School Football Rivalries".

Continuing to tap into Mississippi’s rich high school football culture, the Frascognas’ next book will explore the dynamics driving fifteen of Mississippi’s hottest football rivalries.  By relating the many untold stories behind these annual gridiron contests, the authors will explore how and why these games have become so important to their respective communities.

Told from the various perspectives of current and former players, coaches, cheerleaders and school administrators, together with insights from mayors, sports journalists and fans connected to each of the teams, Y’all vs Us will provide readers with a colorful backdrop on fifteen of today’s big games in the Magnolia State.

 Y’all vs Us is sure to capture the reader’s attention and imagination with insights about the people, the pageantry and the pride of towns and communities engaged in the fiercely competitive gridiron wars waged on Mississippi’s high school football fields.

The Olive Branch – South Panola series has been selected as one of the rivalries to appear in the book which is expected to be released this August.  For the first 60 days it will be available exclusively through the booster clubs of the schools featured in the book.  Thereafter, it will be available at bookstores and gift shops in your area. You will also be able to purchase copies through the book's official website: www.yallvsus.com/

A recent article on the book appeared in the DeSoto Times newspaper and can be found here: www.desototimes.com/articles/2008/06/05/sports/doc48452e8fe51d9552738673.txt

The Olive Branch Conquistador football players had a chance to test out the new synthetic turf surface of Leslie Pool Field during their practice on Monday, August 18th.

(Photos courtesy of Athletic SurfacesPlus).

The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently ruled that artifical turf fields are safe for kids to play on.  USA Today writer Michael McCarthy provides two articles regarding the commission's findings, which can be found here:

www.usatoday.com/sports/2008-07-29-turf-makers_N.htm?csp=34

www.usatoday.com/sports/2008-07-29-artificial-turf_N.htm

PrepNation, the online home of the National Prep Poll since 2001, recently selected the Olive Branch Conquistadors as number 52 in their pre-season football countdown for 2008. 

Read the July 27th article here: www.prepnation.com/blog/2008/07/prepnation-101-preseason-fb-countdown_4681.html

During the National Select 7-on-7 Passing Tournament, held at Hoover, Alabama on July 24th through the 26th, the Conquistadors got off to a fast start in pool play during the first day to secure a Number 2 seeding.  However, several miscues and bad breaks cost OBHS and the Conquistadors were eventually knocked out of the double elimination tournament.

For the third consecutive year the Quistors won the Nike Sparq Challenge with the top overall team score.  Individual players are rated in five categories during the challenge then the top five players from each team are averaged for the final team score.  Congratulations and hats off to all OBHS players and coaches on another highly successful effort!

Click here for the Nike SPARQ Challenge training photos held at Hoover, AL: www.sparqtraining.com/gallery/view.php?set=72157606401162705

The Conquistadors competed in the 2008 Memphis 7-on-7 Passing League Tournament on July 18th and 19th at Briarcrest Christian School.  OBHS went a perfect 7-0 in the two day tournament and defeated Memphis Fairley High School for the championship title.  Congratulations Olive Branch players and coaching staff!

Since 1989, The Clarion-Ledger newspaper from Jackson, Mississippi has picked a Dandy Dozen, what is considered the top twelve high school football players in Mississippi heading into the season.  Staff writers Todd Kelly and Rod Walker, after interviewing high school coaches and college recruiters, consider the best in the state.

On Wednesday, July 16th, Olive Branch Defensive Back Rod Woodson was selected as one of the twelve Dandy Dozen players for the 2008 season.  obhsfootball.com would like to thank The Clarion-Ledger for its consideration.

Woodson is the fifth Dandy Dozen football player from Olive Branch High School to be selected by The Clarion-Ledger since the selection process began in '89.  He joins 2005 choices QB Anthony Summers, WR Markeith Summers and DB Allen Walker and 1999 pick OL James Campbell.

Check out the C-L article here: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080717/SPORTS06/807170382/1117

The Conquistadors traveled to Madison, AL for the North Alabama Elite 7-on-7 Passing Tournament held June 19th through the 21st.  Twenty teams from across the southeastern section of the nation competed in the three day event.  Olive Branch finished in second place at the tourney behind North Gwinnett, Georgia High School. 

The official website for the tournament: www.naelite7on7.com/

A summary of the event and recent article was covered by The Huntsville Times newspaper: www.al.com/sports/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/sports/1214126224173880.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

The Conquistadors won first place at the recent 7-on-7 Passing League Tournament held at Auburn, AL on June 12th and 13th.  Olive Branch defeated teams from Alpharetta, Georgia and Niceville, Florida to advance to the title game.

The Quistors secured the championship on Friday at the Auburn tournament with a win over Wetumpka, Alabama.  Congratulations players and coaches on a job well done!

The Foundation for Future Development of OBHS, who's motto is "Promoting Excellence in Olive Branch Athletics", currently has a campaign to upgrade the surface of Leslie Pool Field to synthetic turf.

The FFD was established to enhance and improve the athletic facilities at Olive Branch High School.  To no one's fault, Olive Branch High School's growth and limited campus space have increased the demand for a year-round durable surface to accommodate: varsity, junior varsity and ninth grade football, band, boy's and girl's soccer, baseball, softball, cheerleaders, dance team, boy's and girl's track, off season training, community activities & events, physical education, summer camps and little league football.

Our Foundation is committed to the continual facility improvements to help Olive Branch High School have one of the premier athletic facilities in Mississippi.  We are on our way to a very ambitious phased development of our complete athletic facilities.  The community support has been superb!  We need the continued support of businesses, individuals, foundations, alumni and friends, as we make the necessary improvements to assure our facilities are second to none.

Foundation for Future Development of OBHS Campaign Contribution Chart

Any of the first six levels may be pledged over a ten year period.  Levels 7 & 8 are one time gifts.  Benefits such as stadium parking, reserved seating, athletic season passes, program recognition, bronze plaque at the stadium, will be determined for appropriate contribution levels.

Checks can be made out to the OBHS Letterman's Club, a nonprofit corporation which has been certified under USC 501(c)(3) as a charitable organization.  For any additional information or inquiries on the campaign, please contact OBHS Principal Kyle Brigance at (662) 893-3344 or OBHS Head Football Coach Scott Samsel at (662) 893-3350.

Two recent newspaper articles on this campaign, published in the DeSoto County Tribune, can be found here: http://www.dctribune.com/articles/2008/03/27/front/00news01.txt   http://www.dctribune.com/articles/2008/04/03/sports/00news02.txt

Another story regarding the facility upgrades that appeared in the Commercial Appeal, is located here: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/apr/07/ob-hopes-to-redo-field/

Join our effort ..... Pledge your support today!

From late afternoon until the evening on Friday, March 7th, Olive Branch received approximately seven inches of snow.  These are two photos of what "Leslie Pool Field" looked like the next morning.

A total of ten (10) Olive Branch Conquistador senior football players signed scholarships to play at the next level.  A special ceremony was held at Olive Branch High School attended by the news media, player's parents as well as OBHS supporters on Wednesday morning, February 6th for National College Signing Day.

The following OBHS football players signed with their respective schools listed:

University of Tennessee  (Knoxville, TN)
Marlon Walls

Northwest Mississippi Community College  (Senatobia, MS)
Ryan Geeslin
Denny Hansen
Sylvester Hemphill  (will accept a walk-on invitation at Mississippi State University)
Jeremiah Revord
Matt Tarbox

Northeast Mississippi Community College  (Booneville, MS)
D. J. Dodson
Curtis Humphrey

Itawamba Community College  (Fulton, MS)
Arturo Hernandez
Travis Kirk

Congratulations are to be extended to these fine young men.  Best wishes to them in the future.

Back row from left to right: Humphrey, Kirk, Hernandez, Hemphill & Tarbox.
Front row from left to right: Walls, Dodson, Revord, Hansen & Geeslin.

The Olive Branch High School Conquistador football team was recently crowned the 2007 Nike SPARQ Team Challenge National Champions.

Olive Branch High School hosted one of the Nike SPARQ Challenge Combines last July 17th at Leslie Pool Field which included participation from 23 teams from the Mid-South area.  In the event, sponsored by Nike, players are drilled in five different categories: Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness - hence the name SPARQ.

Players are graded in the categories and given an individual grade in each as well as an overall grade.  The seven top finishers from each team are also graded together to form an overall team score.  The Conquistadors obtained an overall 79.36 score which by year's end proved to be the highest team rating in the nation.  The Leander, Texas High School football team was the next closest with a rating of 78.54 to place second in the challenge.

The grand prize for the winner is a banner to be displayed at the school and new Nike football uniforms for the National Champions.  Head Coach Scott Samsel credits the year-round work and commitment by the players in the newly renovated weight room as to the success.

The defending SPARQ Team Challenge National Champion Conquistadors are scheduled to host another local Nike combine on May 8th of this year.  Congratulations OBHS football staff and players on a job well done!

The original article that appeared on the Nike SPARQ website regarding the combine held last year at Olive Branch:  http://sparqtraining.com/features/2007/07/19/olive-branch-sparq-combine/

The final Top Ten National Team Ratings for the 2007 Nike SPARQ Team Challenge can be found here: http://www.sparqtraining.com/football/

A recent story on the Nike SPARQ win by OBHS,  from the Commercial Appeal newspaper, can be found here: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jan/31/sparq-plugs/

Another recent article regarding the Conquistador's National Championship feat, from the DeSoto County Tribune, can be found here: http://www.dctribune.com/articles/2008/02/08/sports/00news02.txt

The annual OBHS football banquet was held at the First Baptist Church in Olive Branch on Saturday night - January 26th.  The plaque at the left was presented to each senior football player to commemorate their accomplishments as having the Most Wins by a Senior Class during their three varsity years while at OBHS.  The following players were selected with team honors and awards for the 2007 season:

B. J. "Red" CHAIN, Sr. ACADEMIC AWARD
Arturo Hernandez

LESLIE POOL QUISTOR AWARD
Carlos Wilson

2007 PERMANENT TEAM CO-CAPTAINS
Sylvester Hemphill & Marlon Walls

A sincere thanks and appreciation to outgoing OBHS Football Booster Club Co-Presidents Karen & Ray Lewis for your caring devotion, hard work and all that you have done for the booster club and its football program over the past four years.