Ole Brook senior quarterback Jimmy Johns called it a dream cometrue. Brookhaven’s path to the MHSAA Class 4A state footballchampionship captured the imagination of the community, the countyand southwest Mississippi plus the respect of the entire MagnoliaState.

Thanks for the memories. As the years pass by, that statechampionship and what the Panthers accomplished on that chilly,Dec. 4 Saturday night will grow larger every time it is talkedabout.

“I remember it well. I was sitting on the 25th row, seat 18,when Brookhaven won the state championship.”

After that statement grabs the attention of his listeners, thePanther fan will continue a long dialogue about how the teamaccomplished their victory. He’ll talk players, big plays and thecoaches.

Nostalgia will overflow.

Brookhaven has established a winning, state playoff tradition inrecent years. When you pause and think about it, that state titlemilestone can bring lots of hope to other football teams in thearea. “If Brookhaven can do it, we can, too.”

When Coach Tucker Peavey arrived on the scene three years ago,it was a happy homecoming for him and his family. He has enjoyedremarkable success in three years at the helm.

Peavey sought to establish a tradition and it began in the newfield house. Above the door which opens to King Field from thelocker room is an iron piece of old goal post. Written upon it arethe words “Honoring Those Before Us.”

Immediately to the right, just inside the door, is a large,painted paw print with some words of encouragement. “Play like achampion today. Whatever it takes.”

Ole Brook players pass through that door each day, either goingto practice or going to a game. They slap the paw and reach up andtouch the goal post before crossing the threshold.

“The goal post reminds us about how good we have it,” saidsenior right guard Tyler Gatlin. “We have a great field house and agreat playing field.”

Senior left guard Aaron Moore agreed. “It’s a tradition for us.We have great fans and a great atmosphere to play in.

“The backboard encourages us to go out on the field and playhard.”

Peavey, a 1980 BHS grad, remembers the hard times on King Field.As a sophomore, he was part of the Panther squad that finished 1-9under Larry Thomas. As a junior, he was 1-9 under first-year headcoach Les Bumgarner. Peavey’s senior year saw the Panthers finish4-6 and beat McComb 21-0 in the season finale.

Certainly, 2004 will be remembered as Brookhaven’s mostsuccessful (14-1) campaign. In another era, the 1951 team went 9-1and won the Big Eight Conference, considered a state title at thattime.

Peavey talked about the goal post remnant and the paw printbackboard. “The sign went up when I got here. The goal post wasplaced there before last season.

“Whether it’s game day or not, anytime the players go out of thedoor, they hit it.”

Johns said the goal post was something special to him, too.”That piece of goal post had been up 69 or 70 years. We want to doit for the older people and the community.”

Senior defensive tackle Jessie Bowman said he appreciatedPeavey’s goal post idea. “Coach Peavey cut the goal post to honorthose who came before us.”

Senior running back Ronny McNulty echoed the sentiments of histeammates. “It’s tradition. They (former players) went through thehard times, just like we did. They give us motivation.”

Ole Brook defensive coordinator Rod Henderson graduated from BHSin 1990 and was a 4-year starter for Grambling State. He enduredsome of those hard times, going 0-10 as a sophomore under coachJames McCollum. Better days were ahead for the Panthers when DonColeman became head coach in 1988.

BHS head coach Bud O’Hara initiated the paw presence on helmetsand decals in the early 1980s. Les Henning painted the large paw onthe east side of Sinclair Gymnasium. facing King Field.

“The backboard encourages us go to out on the field and playhard,” said Henderson. “The goal posts had been there so long. Itmeans a lot to the players.”

Early in O’Hara’s tenure, he conducted a funeral ceremony behindthe south end zone. Old game films of losing seasons were buriedand a tombstone was placed on top, reading “1981, 2-8 and seasonspast.”

Players would touch the stone before entering the playing field,borrowing a Clemson University tradition. The tombstonemysteriously disappeared after O’Hara left for Florida in 1985. Itresurfaced briefly and then vanished forever when Rusty Funk becamehead coach in 1993.

Ahhhhh, traditions. They are priceless.