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Mississippi judge's heart in right place to limit football practices Temperatures have been over 100 degrees for the past week or so and the heat index has soared to 110 or better. This kind of extreme heat is dangerous and can kill people. But it is high school football season across the south and teams everywhere are practicing despite the heat to be ready for their first games in a few weeks. Over in Mississippi, two players have died at practices, a 17 year old at Mt. Olive and a 16 year old at Collins. Chancery Court Judge Mitchell Lundy last week issued an unusual order, banning outdoor daytime football practices in six north Mississippi counties. "It is our duty to protect the minors from harm when at all possible," Judge Lundy's two-page order stated. "We protect them from others as well as from themselves." His 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ban included football practices, as well as volleyball and band practices, recesses for elementary students and outdoor activities for community college students. Some lauded the judge's order as showing concern for students and said they would support it. Others were vocally opposed from the outset. Sammy Higdon, superintendent of a school district in Yalobusha County fumed, "I think the judge needs to stay out of school business." In the end, even those school officials who initially supported the order filed an appeal to have it overturned and the Mississippi Supreme Court promptly did so, saying the judge did not have jurisdiction in the case. The Supreme Court was probably right from a purely legal viewpoint but you have to give Judge Lundy credit for wanting to protect youngsters. His heart was in the right place. As for Superintendent Higdon, we'd like to see him out pushing a blocking sled at 3 o'clock in the afternoon in 103 degree heat. Locally, our high school football coaches for the most part are respecting the heat and we salute them for it. Teams are practicing early and late, taking frequent breaks and drinking lots of water as they cope with the heat. High school football is popular but it isn't worth dying for, that's for sure.
Jim Cox
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