Who knew the boost, the rallying point we could be seeking lies just a few miles north of town along Friars Point Road?
After a week filled with accusations, finger-pointing, spin control and a great deal of rumor mongering, it was good to sneak away for a bit of Rotary respite Tuesday afternoon.
I was weary from coverage of a story that seems to change not just every day, but every hour, and was hoping that the guest speaker at the weekly Clarksdale Rotary Club would provide a lift to my spirits.
Who knew Coach Steven Miller and his band of ballers could be the one thing this community rallies behind and comes together as one to support?
Miller is starting his third season as the head football coach at Coahoma Community College and while he and his coaching staff have been secluded on a five-day coaching retreat this week, they are well aware that, come Friday, they’ll welcome the 55 players who will make up this year’s football team.
And you can tell there’s some excitement for this year’s squad. While they will be young (the roster will feature 37 newcomers), there is some talent as there are several transfers who have played at the Division One level.
“We’ll be young and new, but we won’t be lacking experience,” Miller said. “We’re excited.”
Some of the players transferring to Coahoma Community College had missteps in their first year of college, whether it was in the classroom or in life. And it is the goal of Miller and his coaching staff to get these players back to a four-year school.
And they’ve been very successful in doing that in Miller’s first two years here.
Out of 30 sophomores on last year’s team, 23 of those were able to obtain a scholarship and advance to a four-year college.
“We’re seeing very, very high numbers in getting our kids from CCC to the next level, and we’re very proud of that,” Miller said.
The Coahoma program received publicity last year during Season Two of the popular Netflix series “Last Chance U.” Miller and his coaching staff seemed to be in stark contrast to the brash and in-your-face style of the coaches at East Mississippi Junior College.
“We don’t feel like we have to do all those theatrical things to motivate our kids,” said the 24-year coaching veteran.
And that message seemed to resonate with viewers.
Miller said he received over 1,000 emails from people all across the country who had viewed the episode and almost all of them were supportive.
“It’s like they tried to portray us as a poor, broken-down community college, but in reality, we’re an upstanding program,” Miller said. “We want to make sure we make a change in a young person’s life.”
They also are well aware of the community in which they live and represent. He said the players do a lot of charity work and community service. Miller invited those present at Tuesday’s meeting to come visit the campus and tour the football facilities, see the renovated locker rooms and the new press box.
This year they’re also offering a new football loyalty foundation in which supporters are rewarded with season tickets, VIP passes, shirts and mini-helmets.
He also encouraged the community to come out and support his team, as all but one of their home games are played on Thursday nights.
“We want you to enjoy some great football on Thursday nights,” Miller said.
And that role of the surrounding community has been one constant in the three seasons of “Last Chance U.” Whether it’s in Scooba or Independence, Kansas, there is a great deal of interest in the fortunes of the local football team.
And that’s something for us all to cheer for.
If anything, Miller’s already a fan of Clarksdale and Coahoma County.
“We’re proud to be in Clarksdale,” he said. “We’re not going to let nobody tell us that we can’t succeed in Clarksdale, because we can.”
Words for us all to embrace and rally behind.
Michael Banks is the publisher/editor of The Clarksdale Press Register. He can be reached by phone at 662-627-2201 or email mbanks@pressregister.com.
