The Rev. Mitchell Foster of the Tried Stone Baptist Church said it was more than a winning record being celebrated.
“This team brought unity to our community,” Foster said. “Many of these young men attend this church. We wanted to do something to recognize what they have done for us.”
The banquet featured a dinner buffet, city proclamation and photo slide show of memorable moments from the Middies 2009 winning season.
“Middie Mom” Rhonda Hamilton came to the event although her son, MHS running back Antonio Banks, finished school early to attend Indiana University. Hamilton said the slide show moved her more than she expected.
“I’d already seen it during the team’s award ceremony a few months ago,” Hamilton said. “But now, with Antonio gone, it touches me in a different way. You can really see they’ve gone from being boys to being men.”
Michelle Jones said her son, senior Eric Redding, and Banks grew up playing football together. It was their journey through the years that made this season so special, she said.
“These boys had a special relationship,” Jones said. “To see them go from peewee football all the way through high school — then to see their senior year end on such a positive note — is such a wonderful experience.”
Redding said it meant a lot to the team to have the community come out and honor their accomplishments.
“This season brought us all together and I think everyone came here because we gave them something to talk about this year,” Redding said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or mrossiter@coxohio.com.
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