Much has been written over the years, by yours truly and many others, about the magic of high school football in the South. For those of you who ascribe to that mystique, a new book by a Mississippi writer will be a treat for you.
Magnolia Gridiron Cathedrals (love the title), by Nash Nunnery, takes us on a journey around the state to view and reminisce about 47 legendary high school football stadiums in Mississippi. With striking photos, artwork by renowned Mississippi cartoonist Marshall Ramsey, and commentary from locals about their cherished ball fields, this volume might become an instant coffee table classic.
Nunnery was clearly the right man to take on this research project and ultimate publication. He was born in the Mississippi Delta town of Hollandale and then moved to Clinton in the fourth grade. There, he played offensive line for Clinton High, one of the most consistent football programs over the years in Mississippi. The Arrows then played their games at Roy Burkett Field, one of the venues featured in the book.
“The idea for ‘Magnolia Gridiron Cathedrals’ was sparked by a daily journal I kept my senior year at CHS,” said Nash, who went on to play at Delta State and has since become a noted freelance writer. “As sports editor of the student newspaper, I was probably one of the few sports journalists in history to cover his own team. I found this journal during the pandemic and discovered how descriptive I was of the various fields I played on in the old Little Dixie Conference. I thought to myself that I’d never seen a book on high school football fields, and, voila, I had the idea for Magnolia Gridiron Cathedrals”
“One coach I interviewed told me this: ‘Coming to our field on Friday night is second only to church in the community.’ That quote says it all. Every region in the state — Delta, Northeast, Central, Southwest, Pine Belt, Gulf Coast — has its own vibe when it comes to culture and its high school football fields.”
With the rich history of high school football in Mississippi and all the historic stadiums, Mr. Nunnery had quite a task in front of him while choosing sites to be included. I once did a column about my favorite stadiums and really struggled with my choices of inclusion. Nash has done a yeoman’s job with that somewhat impossible mission.
Local citizens will be proud to find that War Memorial Stadium in Pascagoula, Dantzler Field in Moss Point, Gill-Martin Stadium in Lucedale, and Milner Stadium in Gulfport made the cut, as they should have. We’ve always known that our football venues are some of the best and most historic, and inclusion in Magnolia Gridiron Cathedrals, written and compiled by an accomplished neutral journalist in Nunnery, only adds credence to that belief.
Some other personal favorites of mine which made the book are George Blair Field in Laurel (“Between the Bricks”), and Ray Stadium in Meridian with its 13,000 capacity. I also learned factoids about many other stadiums that I have not visited, particularly those in the northern part of the state.
Yeah, but I still go back to my bias about our local ball fields when thinking about Friday night lights. War Memorial/Dutch Binion Field, with capacity crowds shaking down the thunder back in the day, the lights towering over the whole of central Pascagoula as you drive down Market Street. “Up at the lake” at Dantzler Field with the marshes and river basin in the background. Of course, it helps that PHS and MPHS have had so many outstanding teams to watch, but the venues also speak for themselves.
“Oh my, high school football in this state is a staple of communities big and small,” said Nash. “It’s the tie that binds many of these communities together, be it rich or poor, black or white. High school football matters in Mississippi. During our tour of the 47 fields, no matter who I interviewed, the excitement and pride for their school and football field was palpable. For instance, I can’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but I can recall the exact play we ran to beat Mendenhall for the conference championship in ’72.”
“The reaction to the book has been overwhelmingly tremendous. Can you believe we had to order a second printing 54 days after its debut? It’s very satisfying to know that folks share my love of these old vintage football fields.”
My suggestion, if this kind of thing is your bag: go find a copy of Magnolia Gridiron Cathedrals and enjoy. This collection, which highlights our state’s exceptional Friday night legacy, will take you back to memories from the past, and will also send you into the future looking forward to more trips to the hallowed stadiums of your choice.
