High school football somewhat made a return in Mississippi over the weekend, with public school programs across the state playing jamboree matchups ahead of the regular season, but not without controversy.
In Philadelphia, Neshoba Central hosted reigning 5A state champion West Point for varsity and junior varsity scrimmages on Friday. While no player injuries, altercations in the stands, or any other major incident occurred, there was an instance of music with profane lyrics being played over the loudspeakers. Rocket head coach Shannon Ruffin took to Facebook on Sunday to address the matter.
“As the Head Football Coach at Neshoba Central, I want to take full responsibility for the music that was played during our recent event,” the second-year frontman wrote. “It is my job to ensure that everything we present to our community reflects the standards and values of our school, and that includes making sure all music is appropriate and family-friendly.”
Ruffin, whose remarks were almost unanimously met with gracious replies and words of encouragement from commenters under the social media post, apologized to Neshoba Central’s student media and the football team’s announcer while also attempting to absolve them of any blame for the unspecified song lyrics. He vowed to vet all music set to be played at home games in 2025.
“I want to sincerely apologize to our students in NC Rocket Media and to our announcer, Wright Griffis, who works hard to represent our program with class. This mistake does not fall on them — it falls on me,” Ruffin continued. “Moving forward, I will personally make sure that all music is reviewed and approved so that our fans, players, and community have the best experience possible. Thank you for holding me accountable and for your continued support of Neshoba Central Football.”
Neshoba Central will open the regular season at home against Kosciusko on Friday at 7 p.m.