Since the United States of America gained its freedom fromEngland in 1775, the fight for religious freedom has been acontinuous battle that will find its way to local football fieldsFriday night.

Since the Supreme Court’s ruling this summer that ended pregameprayers over the public address systems at public schools, somestudents, parents and concerned citizens have come together tocreate another pregame tradition. Students will lead crowds in theLord’s Prayer before home football games, which begin Friday.

The student-led prayer is considered an acceptable practice,said Bogue Chitto Principal Bobby Allen.

“It is totally student-led, and it will not involve the publicaddress system, which makes it in compliance with the Supreme Courtruling,” added Allen.

After the National Anthem, the plan calls for the crowd toremain standing, join hands and recite the Lord’s Prayer.

The act will be strictly voluntary for those wishing to expressthe religious freedom cited in this country’s constitution, saidPaul Ott, a radio talk show host who stands behind the students’ideas for some type of religious recognition before athleticevents.

“If anyone doesn’t want to participate, they can just sit down,”he said.

Ott plans to help promote the idea when he attends an open houseTuesday at Bogue Chitto. He also will attend the school’s footballgame at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Ott hopes having a student-led Lord’s Prayer before games willbecome a nation-wide practice for all athletic events.

“We’d like for this to start in Bogue Chitto and continue aroundthe nation at other high school and college games,” said Ott, hostof “Listen to the Eagle.”

Ott thinks the idea will reach other school districts quickly asopposing teams witness the unity of home crowds. He hopes opposingteam participation will begin Friday when St. Andrews EpiscopalSchool, located in Jackson, visits Bogue Chitto.

“They’ll be on the opposing side, and we feel like they’ll joinin and help get this started,” he said.

The joining of hands and reciting of the Lord’s Prayer hasalready caught on at other athletic events in Lincoln County.Students have been leading crowds at softball games recently andhave seen good crowd participation, said Allen.

Allen believes the idea will be widely accepted at Bogue Chittobecause of strong Christian practices he has witnessed oncampus.

“This school has such high Christian values, like the girls’softball team has a devotional before the game. . . and ourfootball players voted to get down on their knees and pray wheneversomeone gets hurt on the field,” he said, adding that widespreadparticipation in Bible Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes isalso proof of the students’ faith.

Good crowd participation is anticipated for this Friday’sfootball games, not only because of the beginning of a religiousfreedom trend, but also because Friday marks the start of footballseason at local public schools.

Ott hopes the coming together of all races and nationalities inprayer will be an incentive to get people out to the games.

“If people want to help us draw a line in the sand. . . then weencourage them to come out and join hands with one another and saythe Lord’s Prayer,” he said.