As most of you sports fans have heard, Dream Game II wascanceled late Monday afternoon. The battle between Class 4A champLanier and Class 3A champ Holly Springs will never be decided whereit should be, on the basketball court. Talk about who was betterwill continue but playing on the court would have determined whoreally was the best team.

It’s sad. It would have been a good money-making event for theMHSAA, Lanier and Holly Springs. And of course, the players,coaches and fans were looking forward to it. The MississippiColiseum in Jackson would have been rocking from side-to-side.

But it won’t happen.

Why? Here is the reported facts. Holly Springs head coachNaylond Hayes did not go through proper channels to get the gameapproved. Huh?

As Superintendent for the Holly Springs School District JudyCarter Smith stated, he (Hayes) did not have the approval of highschool principal Dorsey Patterson and athletic director RooseveltHughes as required by district policy.

My question. Where were these two gentleman when the hooplaaround this game was going on last week? At the South Pole? Surelythey knew what was transpiring.

Never mind that Hayes and Lanier head coach Thomas Billups hadagreed to the game. They had the approval of MHSAA executivedirector Dr. Ennis Proctor and the executive committee.

Surely something could have been done within the Holly Springssystem to allow them to play. Somebody up there apparently didn’twant it to happen.

It’s really too bad.

This Dream Game brings back some very fondmemories of the only Dream Game played between the Lawrence CountyCougars and the Murrah Mustangs. The year was 1992.

Talk about a game! WOW! Two-time Class 4A champ Lawrence Countytook on two-time Class 5A champ Murrah in a game that lived up toall of its hoopla. And it delivered more.

Murrah was the No. 1 ranked team in the state and LawrenceCounty was No. 2. Both teams had won their respective classchampionships the weekend before.

The site was the Jackson State Athletic and Assembly Center onthe first Saturday in March. The crowd was estimated at 7,500.

DAILY LEADER Sports Editor Tom Goetz wrote up the game and I hadthe opportunity to shoot it with a camera. And it’s one of myfavorite sports memories ever.

Lawrence County, coached by Bobby Lee, were led by future NBAplayer Erick Dumpier and Vandale Thomas who both signed withMississippi State. Murrah was powered by future NBA player OthellaHarrington, Ronnie Henderson and Jesse Pate.

Dampier (6-11) and Herrington (6-10) were two of the most talkedabout big men in the state at that time and the matchup betweenthese respective teams was a true dream match.

In the end, Lawrence County’s Steve Griffin made two big freethrows that put the Cougars up four points, 58-54, with 18 secondsleft. Murrah’s Charles King nailed a field goal to cut the deficitto two points, 58-56, with nine seconds left to play.

The Cougars were fouled and missed a free throw. The Mustangsrebounded. Henderson’s 3-point shot in the final seconds bouncedoff the rim and into the waiting hands of Thomas who held therebound as time expired.

The picture that ran with the game story featured Dampier goingin for a layup as Harrington tried to block him out. It’s one I amvery proud of.