Coahoma Early College High School officially closed last week.
A lawsuit in Hinds County Chancery Court against the Mississippi Department of Education in an attempt to keep the school open was dismissed last week.
Many of the students at CECHS are expected to transfer to Coahoma County, Clarksdale, Rosa Fort or Madison Palmer high school.
The football program was eliminated prior to the 2020-21 school year. However, there was a basketball program in 2020-21.
Former Tigers athletes reflected on their experiences at playing sports at CECHS.
It was Coahoma Agricultural High School until the 2017-18 school year when the Early College program went into effect.
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“I tried to tell people 5 YEARS AGO!! From the principal to the advisor to the President of CAHS &CCC. They never had good intentions for AGGIE. This is THE MAIN reason I didn’t attend CCC? and went elsewhere. When I made that status a few years ago I had so many people commenting and inboxing me about how I was misinformed. This is sad and my school was THE ONLY HISTORICALLY BLACK high school in the county.
?? #AGGIEstrong #52”
Untareo Johnson,
2016 graduate
from Jonestown,
linebacker for East Mississippi Community College and then Bethune-Cookman University and
current NFL prospect
“I was very, very pleased that I was a part of the athletic program out there, the greatest athletic program in Coahoma County. As a matter of fact, the winningest program in Coahoma County going to school out there and during my coaching career out there. We had a terrific program. I feel that education is a terrible thing to waste. When I was at Aggie, they were not only competitive on the floor, they were competitive academically, athletically as well and the kids went on and graduated and competed and former graduates of Aggie are all over the country right now. I was pleased in two ways to have been a part of that. I think it’s a shame that we come down to the point that we could not maintain Aggie. We really don’t blame anybody, but the graduates themselves because we must learn as a graduate of the institution, we have got to be able to give back. They gave to us when we were coming along. They were struggling and we did not support them including myself. I’m not blaming anybody, but I am proud to be a Tiger and I will forever be a Tiger and support Coahoma in any way that I can.”
James Washington Sr.,
1968 graduate
from Friars Point and current mayor of Friars Point,
1970 Coahoma Community College graduate
all positions on both basketball teams,
CECHS boys coach for 28 years,
CCC men’s coach for 21 years
“Aggie was a great school. I played basketball there. It's devastating to me that they're closing. My daughter was attending that school now and she was one of the students who actually was on track to graduate high school and junior college at the same time. That threw a loop into what we were trying to get accomplished for her. It's just heartbreaking, really. Aggie has been there for a long time. It’s just devastating to see that school closing. My parents, sisters, everybody went to Aggie in my family.”
When asked where his daughter would attend school for her senior year, he said, “That's the thing, we don't even know right now. We're puzzled right now.”
Charles Thomas,
1999 graduate from
Friars Point, wide receiver on the football team, point guard on the basketball team, father of high school senior Charlandia Thomas
“It saddens me to know that my former school is closing. I have so many good memories there. I started off as a PA announcer then was an assistant girls and boys coach and scout for the girls and boys. I helped coach in state championship game with Coach Thomas vs. West Tally, helped Aggie girls to they district title under Coach Morris was an assistant under Coach George we went 50-5 n the two years under him. I became an assistant coach under Coach Thomas. I am not bragging or anything, but when I came aboard we went straight to the championship game. I forgot I was a key driving force to getting Terry Henderson back to Aggie from County. I mentored a lot of players at Aggie. I bleed maroon and white. My brother won MVP for Aggie under Coach Cross my son made a all district under Coach George two years in a row. Aggie will always be home to me. It’s just a sad time to be a former Tiger. Words can’t describe how I’m feeling now for Tiger nation.”
Thomas Williams Sr.,
1995 graduate from
Friars Point, sports editor of the yearbook for three years,
small forward on
basketball team and wore No. 24 all four years, the same
number as his son
Thomas Williams Jr.
