East Oktibbeha pair ink with Holmes CC

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East Oktibbeha football players Eddie Young, seated left, and Steven Bell, right, celebrate signing with Holmes Community College as witnessed by coach Randy Brooks. (Photo by Jason Edwards, SDN)

CRAWFORD – A couple of East Oktibbeha Titans will be taking their talents to the next level.

On Friday, Steven Bell and Eddie Young both inked letters of intent to play football for Holmes Community College.

“This is a proud day for East Oktibbeha,” Titans coach Randy Brooks said. “We had a lot of negativity and uncertainty surrounding our school district and our school, so this is a very positive thing for us.”

Bell enters Holmes Community College following a stellar senior season that saw the defensive end and running back secure 68 solo tackles, 53 assists and bring down seven sacks.

Now that his days in the East Oktibbeha uniform are over, Bell is looking forward to the opportunity to suit up for the Bulldogs.

“It is a good opportunity to be able to go, to have a scholarship to prepare for the next level and it’s really a better opportunity that I get to share it with one of my family members,” Bell said. “I know that the next level is not going to be like the level we just left. It is going to be a little more complicated, but we should be able to handle it.”

The success that Bell saw while competing for the Titans was a result of hard work on his part, but can also be traced to his coach.

“(Coach Brooks) kept us on track,” Bell said. “He conditioned us a lot. He just basically kept us straight. I thank him for giving me the opportunity to play out here at East Oktibbeha.”

Young’s senior season was highlighted by success. The tight end and defensive end recorded 56 solo tackles, 27 assists and posted four sacks.
Just as his teammate is grateful to be moving on to the next level, Young is also excited about the opportunity to compete on a higher playing field.

“It’s a good opportunity,” Young said. “I just like the college. I like the campus, (and) everything looks great to me. I like the football program. I always wanted to go to the next level (and) see if I can improve my game a little bit.”

Brooks knows East Oktibbeha will certainly miss having Bell and Young on the team, but knows that great things lie ahead for the pair as they embark on their career with the Bulldogs.

“These two were leaders on our football team,” Brooks said. “They are big kids and with the right weightlifting program, they can do some special things at the next level. There have been times this year when you can see it in them. They can really be an asset to Holmes Community College.”