By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

A major mark was made in Mississippi prep football circles twenty five years ago this week.

On Friday, Aug., 31st 2001, George County met Jackson Prep in the first-ever game on the gridiron between a public school and a private school ever in the Magnolia State.

The well documented contest was played at in Mississippi’s Capital City, and the Rebels went in and bounced the Patriots 27-14 on the own home campus.

Prep had tried twice before to schedule a public school opponent, but those efforts were rebuffed by the private school association.

Then Mississippi High School Activities Director Ennis Proctor told this sports writer earlier in the year that the foundation for the milestone game was set in place the previous December, when Prep officials approached him about the idea on a type of fact finding mission.

The MHSAA Board of Directors then unanimously approved such a game on their end.

And it just so happened that George County officials were looking for a game to kick off the 2001 season on the Friday of Labor Day weekend.

“It was the luck fo the draw,” said then GCHS first-year head football coach Al Jones. Jones currently serves as Mayor of the city of Lucedale.

“We weren’t looking for an historical game,” he added.

Then Prep head coach Ricky Black also approved of the game.

“I’ve coached at public schools and private schools and I always thought the avenues to do this should be open,” Black told The Sun Herald. “This opens up new possibilities if you want to compete.”

The two schools signed a contract early in 2001 to officially seal the deal.

“I think it’s very honorable and very historic for us to be involved in such a game,”then GCHS principal and interim Athletics Director Ronnie Miller told this sports writer then. “I hope when the MHSAA contacted us to be a part of it they thought we would be a very good representative for the public schools.”

The Rebels proved to be more than that.

Jackson Prep was the defending state champ in the largest classification in its association and had won two of the last three state titles.

But George County standout quarterback Cory Fryfogle accounted for four touchdowns and the visitors jumped out to a 13-0 halftime lead and never trailed in earning the win.

Fryfogle was 10-of-18 through the air for 288 yards and three scores, including a 66-yard touchdown toss to Justin Jackson to open the scoring.

His 96-yard pass and run to Anthony Perine made it 13-0.

“They played hard, it was agreat high school football game.” Jones said after the nig win. “They lived up to expectations.”