Backyard Brawl Promotes Awareness for Animal Shelter
While MC escaped with a narrow 27-26 comeback victory over Millsaps, dozens of needy dogs paraded around Robinson-Hale Stadium during the evening. The Brawl between the two Mississippi rivals raised money for a good cause and increased awareness for the animal shelter in Jackson.
"I love animals. I want to save the world,'' said Audrey Harrison, 19, an MC sophomore biology major who attended the opening game of the 2007 football season. Just before the contest, Harrison and other members of her Kissimee Social Tribe took part in a tailgating party outside Nelson Hall.
Harrison has two dogs at home in Corinth, a laborador retriever and a rat terrier. It was great be part of a charity fund-raiser, she said. "I love what they did. It is so important.''
The MC-Millsaps event involving the two Division III football games was designed to make a difference for 300 dogs in need of rescue, event organizers say.
Some were obvious with their school spirit hours before the game in Clinton. MC senior Shawn Konstant, 23, a biology major from Waverly, New York was painted in blue and gold, MC's school colors, as he flexed his muscles outside the MC cafeteria during pre-game festivities. Cheerleaders did their routines to rev up the crowd .
Others, like students Tressie Smith, a sophomore from Brandon, and seniors Lauren McDaniel of Memphis and April Gooch of Pearl, members of the Laguna Social tribe trotted out their "I Love the Choctaws'' sign.
Some like alums Bill and Mary Ellis Smith, both 1959 MC grads from Tupelo, got to the game early and didn't lose faith even when the Choctaws were down 20 to 3 at the start of the third quarter.
During the Brawl, at least one dog, an American Eskimo named Cane, was spotted in the stands wearing MC's colors. The dog belonged to one of the Choctaws' players from Tennessee.
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