The Big Game

By Staff
BETWEEN THE BRICKS – The Meridian Wildcats and the Laurel Tornadoes will play for the 85th time when they meet Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Laurel. Pictured here recently Between the Bricks' at R.H. Watkins Stadium are, from left, Buddy Duke, Mac Barnes, Jimmy Bass and first-year MHS head coach Ed Stanley. PHOTO BY SHAWN WANSLEY / EAST MISSISSIPPI GROUP
By Dale McKee / EMG sports writer
Aug. 27, 2002
When it comes to high school football rivalries, perhaps none has deeper roots than Meridian and Laurel.
The two will meet for the 85th time on Friday in R.H. Watkins stadium in Laurel and many hope that the fire is rekindled between the two schools that helped form the old Big Eight Conference.
Meridian banker Bubba Hampton says he remembers the 1959 championship game in Laurel as a lad.
Hampton says as a sophomore he remembers the great Laurel team of 1961 that won the Big Eight.
against each other,'' recalled Hampton.
The schools resumed playing each other last year after eight years of no competition. The series began in 1909 with Meridian winning 10-0. Then, beginning in 1921 they played each other every year through 1992 when the series ended because of a scheduling conflict.
The Wildcats lead the rivalry 49-31-4.
Present Laurel head coach Buddy Duke was the main reason the teams renewed their series.
When Duke, a former Laurel player in the mid 1970s, was named head coach he wanted to keep the Hattiesburg-Laurel series and renew the Meridian
series.
The state playoff caused some scheduling problems, especially for Laurel. Duke wanted to play quality non-district foes and
preferred to play 5A schools.
The Tornadoes even scheduled out of state opponents from Florida a couple of years. The Tornadoes, through Duke's efforts, play Hattiesburg, Wayne County, and West Jones besides Meridian this season in their non-region games.
Lamar School head football coach Mac Barnes, has seen the rivalry since 1959 the eyes of a fan, player, assistant coach, head coach and athletic director.
big game," said Barnes, the longtime head coach at MHS. When we got together in football it was an exciting event large crowds and some good competition."
Barnes remembers the 1959 playoff game in Laurel when the Wildcats beat the Tornadoes 26-7 to claim the Big Eight Conference championship.
Laurel film man Jimmy Bass who has seen over 50 games says he remembers that game. "I remember Sonny Fisher and what a great game
he had for Meridian that night,'' said Bass. "He ran circles around us. I always appreciated a great performance, and Fisher gave us one that night," Bass said.
Former Laurel head coach George Blair, who coached in 25 games in the series as either a head coach or an assistant, says the 1970 game was his best memory.
With less than 30 seconds to go Laurel stopped the Meridian offense and overtime looked on the horizon. But fate would deal Laurel a bad hand. A
bobble occurred on the first snap after the fumble and the Cats recovered inside the Tornadoes' 10-yard line. McCleon then dazzled the crowd with a brilliant touchdown run.
Laurel then won 13 straight to win the State 4A championship while Meridian struggled to a 1-3 mark before winning 10 straight to win the 5A championship.
Blair says the 1987 game was special when Laurel won 7-0 in Meridian when Gerald Hampton scored the only touchdown.
Barnes says that lining up against Laurel was always intense. "You felt like you were lining up against a quality opponent. It meant a lot to participate in the series. It meant a lot to win a game in the series."
Barnes said that the Big Eight was one of the best-run conferences that he has ever been associated with. Laurel, Hattiesburg, and Meridian formed the
conference in 1925.
Former Tornado player Mike Dewitt says his greatest memory in football was his first high school football game when Laurel stunned the number one ranked Wildcats 7-2. Robert Henry was the defensive coach and, H.N. Shows was the head coach for the Tornadoes.
and played in four bowl games and even a couple of New Year's day bowls, but he says that game tops his list.
Laurel won 8-0 in 1980 when George Blair returned for his second tour of duty as LHS head coach. MHS was ranked number one that year and had a great defense.