2013 S Anthony Conner Updates

“We’re not happy about the results, but we had a lot of chances and just didn’t capitalize,” said South Panola coach Lance Pogue. “But saying that would be taking away from Hoover.”

Antonio Connor scored both touchdowns for the Tigers (1-1), ranked No. 1 in The Clarion-Ledger Super 10. Connor, a junior, scored on a 78-yard kickoff return and a 5-yard run for South Panola, which trailed 10-0 at halftime.

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USA Today's defending national champions, ranked No. 12 in this preseason, had not lost since falling to Memphis University School early in the 2009 season. But South Panola returned just seven starters from last year's Class 6A state champions.

The Tigers (1-1) opened the season last week with a convincing 37-17 win at West Point but trailed on Saturday 10-0 after giving up a 4-yard scoring pass just 16 second before halftime. The touchdown came after Hoover stopped South Panola on fourth-and-goal from the Buccaneers' 3. Junior Antonio Connor scored a pair of second-half touchdowns for the Tigers, on a 78-yard punt return and a 5-yard run.

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HOOVER, Ala. -- In a game when they really needed him Antonio Conner did all he could for South Panola High School. But in the end, he and his Tigers teammates fell short against Hoover (Ala.) 24-13. Conner, a junior standout, had a breakout performance in all three phases of the game and showed why he will potentially be one of the most coveted prospects in the country next season.

"That No. 12 is a heck of a player," Hoover coach Josh Niblett said. "You know he's going to get his. He's something else."

Conner, 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, tried to put the Tigers on his back. The standout safety had a couple of huge hits in the secondary, on offense he got loose on the perimeter and showcased his terrific speed and he made his presence felt on special teams as well, returning one punt 75 yards for the Tigers' first score. He also scored on a 5-yard run late in the contest.

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230kv_barehand said:

He's the real deal thats for sure.

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"We have some football players out there you know," Pogue said. "We just need to do a better job of putting them in a position to succeed and getting some of the guys some support."

Some of the guys could be interpreted as one guy: Antonio Connor.

The junior player was all over the field for South Panola.

He lined up at quarterback, running back, safety, cornerback, and kick and punt returner.

"Antonio is a special player," Pogue said. "But if we keep asking to him to do everything, it will be our own undoing. One player, no matter the skill level, can not carry a team."

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DurdenTider said:

I haven't seen much from him yet but he was pretty good in that game and if he continues in the path that he's going I'm definitely excited about him. Wonder what position UA is recruiting him for. We're pretty stacked at Safety but maybe by 2013 we could use some more help

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RTR91 said:

Flame me for saying this if you want, but I'm not that big of a fan of recruiting Mississippi players. What is Alabama's recent history with players from the state? They haven't produced on the field if they were able to step on the field. We all got high hopes for Rod Woodson and Zo Lawerence; They played a very important role during last season, didn't they? We wanted Pat Patterson, but he chose Ole Miss. Now, he's off the team.

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sanjosecrimson said:

I'm hoping Anthony Steen and Kevin Norwood can erase some of the disappointment Bama has had with players from the Magnolia State.

look out for Michael Faciane to make an impact down the line.

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sanjosecrimson said:

I'm hoping Anthony Steen and Kevin Norwood can erase some of the disappointment Bama has had with players from the Magnolia State.

look out for Michael Faciane to make an impact down the line.

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Crimson Surfer said:

He was the standout on the their team, that is for sure. I am glad to see he has an early Bama offer and with him sporting those Alabama gloves things are looking good.

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DurdenTider said:

I haven't seen much from him yet but he was pretty good in that game and if he continues in the path that he's going I'm definitely excited about him. Wonder what position UA is recruiting him for. We're pretty stacked at Safety but maybe by 2013 we could use some more help

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TheRealPokeChop said:

Theyve yet to let depth stop them from recruiting top talent. Id say safety may be his best position (I imagine thats where Saban would want him anyway), plays similar to Barron when he was in High School

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It is very rare for any sophomore to be considered by some experts as the best player in any state, but that is exactly what the whispers were last season when Tony Conner continually dominated the outcome of a game on a consistent basis like nobody else had in Mississippi.

**Tony Conner took over the starting role at safety for the "University of South Panola" before the start of his freshman season so you knew then that something very special could be brewing. The Tiger's roster is usually deep in numbers (dress over 100 players year in and year out) and talent is never a problem.

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