Heidelberg Academy hopes to continue title tradition

By By Dale McKee / EMG sports writer
Nov. 20, 2002
Heidelberg Academy will be gunning for its fifth state 1A football championship Thursday afternoon when the Rebels battle Prentiss Christian School in the 2002 championship game at Robinson-Hale field on the campus of Mississippi College.
Heidelberg Academy head coach Tom Lewis has been part of the previous four state championships. He led the Rebels to the 1994 and 2000 titles as their head coach. In 1980 and 1981 he was an assistant to BuddySauls when they won back-to-back titles.
Lewis has been the head coach of the Rebels for 15 years and has won 127 games and lost only 50.
HA won its last state championship in 2000 as the Rebels dominated Tri-County 27-7. In that game it was a mismatch from the opening kickoff. Rebel running backs Heath Ainsworth and Matt Windham each gained 126 yards in the mud as HA ran behind their huge offensive line of Marcus McKee, Joe Conner, John Hayes, Matthew Boggan, Scott Maples, and Joseph VandeWalker.
The Rebels kicked off and held Tri County's offense and forced a punt. HA took over on their own 42 and marched 58 yards in only five plays to score on an Ainsworth run of 20 yards.
On their next offensive series HA drove 75 yards in 15 plays to score on a one yard sneak by Rebel quarterback Derek McKee.
HA came right back after forcing another Tri-County punt and moved 55 yards in 11 plays to score when McKee hit his favorite receiver Scott McInnis on a 16-yard TD pass that caused some discussions by the officials. The officials on the spot called the catch by McInnis good while another official 15 yards away ruled it a no-catch. After a brief discussion the catch was ruled a TD. The pass play came on a fourth and six play with 3:20 to play in the opening half. It was the 10th time during the season that the M&M boys had teamed up for a score.
HA came out in the second half and marched 71 yards in 17 plays to score their final TD when Ainsworth ran four yards. HA converted five third down conversions and one fourth down conversion in using up almost nine minutes of the period.
For the game HA ran 73 plays to TC 29. The Rebels were 10 of 17 on third down conversions and were three of four on fourth down plays.
HA also won titles in 1994, 1981, and 1980. In 1994 Heidelberg won over Strider 42-24. In 1980 the Rebels whipped West Panola (North Delta) 36-0. In 1981 they repeated with a 41-18 win over Manchester.
HA lost to Strider in 1972 and 1974 in the finals.
The Rebels lost to Prentiss in the South State finals in 1993 and the Saints went on to win the crown. The last time Prentiss and HA met was in the 1999 playoffs when the homestanding Saints blocked a HA field goal on the last play of the game to win 9-7.
Earlier in that same year HA won a regular-season contest 20-14 in overtime.