A matchup 20 years in the making finally took center stage Monday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as East Marion and Columbia Academy squared off at CA in the first-ever Dr. King’s Dream Classic.
Both fan bases packed the seats to take in the history taking place before them and created a great environment to bring the two school communities together.
Columbia Academy won both games with the Lady Cougars topping the Lady Eagles 64-32 and the Cougars narrowly edging the Eagles 49-42.
East Marion head coach Calvin Brown said he really enjoyed the experience and appreciated the opportunity to start the series with CA.
“I’ve always had a lot of respect for what they have going on over there and definitely since (CA head coach Dale Watts) has been at the helm.”
Watts said he gives Brown a lot of credit for initiating the conversation, and even though he had never met the East Marion coach, he got a good feeling about him when they first talked on the phone about potentially scheduling the game.
“I got good vibes from him, and we thought it would be good for the community,” Watts said. “I think it’s great for the community. … Kids from Columbia Academy go to votech, so they know some of those kids like that being in class with them. The sportsmanship was good, and his kids were great.”
Brown said it would be ideal to play the game each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day because it’s fitting.
“From a significance standpoint, it just kind of fits the Martin Luther King holiday with the elephant in the room, with Columbia Academy being predominantly white and East Marion predominantly black,” he said. “Traditionally, they haven’t played each other for whatever reason. This one was 20 years in the making. I’ve approached them multiple times over my tenure here, and coach Watts was the first to be receptive to it.”
However, it may not always work out that way schedule wise. Brown said it should always work for East Marion, but Watts said it could be a challenge for Columbia Academy.
The Midsouth Association of Independent Schools has a set district schedule of playing district games on Tuesdays and Fridays. This year it worked out that CA had a bye this Tuesday, which Watts said was like fate, that kept it from having to play a district game the day after playing East Marion. Watts said as long as the schedule works out that way, which it will next year as well, he is all for keeping it on MLK Day.
Brown said he’s not crazy about playing non-district games in January either, but East Marion can find a way to make it work on the same date.
Both coaches complimented the fans for creating a great environment and keeping the game being about the players and their teams.
The competition between the two schools should only intensify as the years go by as both of them feature extremely young rosters, which should improve with the natural maturation that comes in varsity play.
