Cinderella was dressed in maroon and white. Surrounded by acat-quick, rip-saw defense, the belle of the ball was attractive tothe eye. Fast and explosive on offense, the Hazlehurst Indians werea rare combination of speed and toughness.

Hazlehurst’s foot speed impressed a host of scribes from aroundMississippi. They had gathered in Mississippi Veterans MemorialStadium to witness the MHSAA State Football Championshipweekend.

The Indians rode home with the Class 3A state title lastSaturday afternoon. To say the least, their dominant 14-0 shutoutvictory over Charleston was impressive. The Tigers also were stouton defense and boasted a powerful rushing attack.

In future years, when folks gather around the campfire, they’llreminisce about that 2005 Hazlehurst squad which finished 13-0. “Iremember the night Hazlehurst beat South Pike 22-19 for the SouthState championship. It was a war. Man, it was a snot-popping,smash-mouthed game.”

Personally, I wondered if the Indians would have anything leftfor the state title game. The Indians had defeated an exceptionallystrong South Pike squad that had not lost in 13 games.

Would the bumps, bruises and emotions heal in time for the statetitle showdown with Charleston?

Not to worry, Hazlehurst played more stingy defense and stuck toits team motto: “No guts. No glory.”

Senior linebacker Johnny Sanders spearheaded a hard-hittingdefense. On many occasions, the Indians tackled Charleston’s two1,000-yard running backs for losses.

Offensively, Hazlehurst used two big plays to score touchdowns.Kynshun Reese rumbled 52 yards for a TD and quarterback DamienAnderson scrambled 58 yards for the second TD.

Hazlehurst’s defense limited Charleston to just 109 yards totaloffense, 99 on the ground. A 30-yard run was the Tigers’ longestplay from scrimmage.

Savoring the victorious moment, players took turns holding thegold football which served as the championship trophy. They posedwith teammates, relatives and friends, their smiles lighting up agray, overcast day.

Then came the talk of championship rings. Wow! Those rings areexpensive, especially when you have 40 players, plus the coachingstaff and managers.

Hazlehurst athletic director Gary Tabor confidently believes thecommunity will respond and help purchase rings for the team.

“We are trying to raise funds right now,” said Tabor. “We havesent letters out to our merchants. We are selling t-shirts andbumper stickers.

“We have a booster club and we think they can help us some.

“Our kids certainly deserve it.” Tabor continued. “This could besomething that never happens again.”

However, confidence builds confidence. Tabor said Coach WillieBrown loses a talented group of seniors but some very good playersare returning.

Winning is great but once the fans are spoiled by a high levelof success, they have a tendency to want more of the same. Ofcourse, it’s better to aim high instead of thinking mediocrity.

There is talk of building a new field house for the footballteam. The Indians presently have their locker room andweightlifting area in the school’s old gymnasium.

Hazlehurst superintendent of schools Henry Dorsey is enthusedabout the future, too. Dorsey is looking at the feasibility of anew field house for the state champions. It’s fun riding a hugewave of success.

Brookhaven’s Panthers won the Class 4A state footballchampionship last year and the community support was tremendous.Crowds continued to grow at home and on the road all season as thePanthers marched through the playoffs.

Ole Brook made the best of a major rebuilding season in 2005 andfinished 6-5. The Panthers achieved the state playoffs as the No. 3team in Region 6-4A and lost to Picayune in the opening round.

Panther head coach Tucker Peavey and his staff did a remarkablejob and prospects are bright for 2006.

In case you missed it, South Panola whipped Meridian for theClass 5A football crown, making it a 3-peat as the Tigers won their45th straight game. West Point knocked off previously unbeatenWayne County for the 4A crown.

Lumberton’s unbeaten Panthers roared to a second straight Class2A crown. In Class 1A, Benoit Ray Brooks smashed Mount Olive in ameeting of unbeaten powers.

Write to sports editor Tom Goetz, c/o The DAILY LEADER, P.O.BOX 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602, or e-mailsports@dailyleader.com