By Rupert Howell

Accolades continue for the state and national championship high school football team and coaches from South Panola as the school and its board honor them with a reception today from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the school cafeteria and the Mississippi Legislature, led by a resolution from local Senator Nolan Mettetal, will honor them Wednesday at the State Capital in Jackson.

Family, friends, fans and community are invited this afternoon to the cafeteria of South Panola where team members will be recognized along with head coach Lance Pogue

The South Panola District Board of Trustees will present resolutions honoring both the team and Pogue for their accomplishments.

Governor Haley Barbour is expected to name Wednesday South Panola Tiger Day when they will be honored in Senate Chambers by a reading of Senator Mettetal’s resolution which names each player, mentioning many of their accomplishments and refers to the “appropriately named University of South Panola.”

Mettetal noted there was plenty of room in the upstairs gallery  for fans who wanted to attend. He also mentioned that such recognition requires a minimum state championship accomplishment and that the resolution had passed muster of committees and both bodies of the legislature.

Mettetal said the document had to be drafted three times as accolades continued to befall the championship team. He also noted that members from districts with competing teams were all glad that a Mississippi team had claimed a national football championship.

The District 10 senator said he expects team members to gather around the podium after the Lt. Governor has recognized the team as the resolution is being read. He also said he expected the Lt. Governor to recognize coach Lance Pogue who will be asked to share some words with the lawmakers and gallery.

Mettetal said Monday that the very significant accomplishment needs to be etched permanently in Mississippi’s official history and when later prodded, admitted to being a member of the first South Panola Tiger football team as a senior in the 1963-64 school year.