“Remembering The Generals” A Look Back At A Championship Season

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Throughout Black History Month, we’ve highlighted some of your neighbors who have made history and a big impact.

To wrap up the month long celebration, we highlight the 1970 S. D. Lee High School football team.

The 1970 team is a historic team, and depending on who you ask, they’re the best to ever come through Columbus.

“We had some pretty good guys back then,” said Robert Hinton, who was the team’s starting tailback.

“The football team set the tone,” said Robert Smith, who was the team’s starting defensive end.

That was the first year Hunt and Lee high schools integrated.

Initially, it was a decision that didn’t sit well with many of the students at that time, but that season turned out to be magical.

The 1970 Generals became the first and only football team in Columbus finish the season undefeated as champions.

“Oh it was something special,” Hinton expressed. “At Hunt we was always the champs or co-champs, but we probably ended up losing one game in between there, but it was real special to go 9-0 my senior season.”

“To come over and to play on an integrated team, I mean it was challenging, it was very interesting, it was totally different, and you have to prove yourself,” said Smith.

Hinton and a young man who would grow up to become the top city leader of Columbus, Mayor Smith, were two standouts on that football team.

However, both players admit, when they first heard about the schools integrating, they weren’t too fond of the idea.

“Well I didn’t know whether I was going to be starting, it was just something different,” the starting tailback said.

“When you are used to playing at one place and then all of a sudden here’s a drastic change, you know, you were inquisitive but once you get out there on the field, I mean, either you had the talent or you didn’t have the talent,” said Smith.

When the season kicked off, Hinton and Smith were the only African-American starters on the team.

They said there were challenges as players adjusted to integration, but as the season progressed, there was only one thing everyone on the team cared about, winning.

“We saw an opportunity as to whereas, hey, we can go undefeated with the talent that we had on the team,” the starting defensive end said.

Smith said it was their determination and never-quit attitude that made them stand out, and it all started with their head coach, Billy Brewer.

Players said Brewer knew how to get the most out his team and bring them together as one.

“At that time of integration, yeah, he was the perfect person for the job,” Smith explained. “He didn’t look at color. It was whoever could perform, whoever was the best person at their position that’s who he played.”

The team finished the season 9 -0 and brought home the Gold Ball.

However, winning the championship wasn’t the only thing the team accomplished.

They showed the rest of the student body and community the importance of embracing diversity and coming together as one.

“By the players black-and-white coming together on the football team, I think it helped the integration our first year,” Smith expressed. “From the football team to the basketball team, there was diversity but there was also togetherness, and the football team set the tone.”

The team finished the season as the Big 8 North Champions.

Gulfport finished as the Big 8 South Champions.

Lee high school had a chance to play against Gulfport, but instead, the Generals voted not to play the game.