6/18/2008 6:00:00 PM
Miko to throw out first pitch in Atlanta
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By STEVE SWOGETINSKY
Sports Editor
If you are watching the Atlanta Braves Saturday and see a familiar face on the pitching mound, don't adjust your television set.
Miko Beasley Denson, leader of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, will be throwing out the first pitch when the Braves take on the Seattle Mariners. Denson, who was a pitcher when he played baseball while growing up, says he is ready for the challenge.
"I need to be practicing," Denson said.
The tribe and the Atlanta Braves have been working on a promotion for the Golden Moon Casino. Billboards promoting the Golden Moon along with the Silver Star Casino, the Dancing Rabbit Golf Course and the Geyser Falls Water Park have been placed on the suite-level at Turner Field.
"We want to let the people in the Atlanta area to know what is available to them, all within a 5 hour drive," Denson said.
Denson added that about 100 members of the Choctaw tribe, including 80 students, will be attending the game in Atlanta.
Football in June
Because he will be in Atlanta, Miko Denson won't be attending the Native American All-Star football game which is being hosted Saturday at Choctaw Central. But the tribe will be well represented in the game by five 2008 graduates from Choctaw Central.
They are Colton Wilson, Jamie Willis, Emmanuel Hickman, Lance Gibson and Justin Peace Willis. Wilson, who quarterbacked the 2007 Choctaw Central football team, said he didn't think he would ever get to play another game at his alma mater.
"I'm glad to get to play in front of my family and friends one more time," Wilson said. "It is an honor to be selected to play in this game. I look forward to meeting the other players and starting practice."
While the Choctaw Central players won't have far to travel to play in this game, the same can't be said about the other players and coaches.
In fact, coach Sonny Martin of Green Bay, Wisc., was having trouble getting past the Iowa floods while he was driving down on Monday.
"He called and said he was going one way and then another way," said organizer John Harjo. "But he's going to make it."
Harjo, the coaching staff and others spent most of Monday acting as travel agents. They either arranged transportation to have players picked up at the bus station or the airport in Jackson, or they went and got them.
"One guy called from Oklahoma and said he was coming in late tonight," Harjo said. "I told him to be patient, we would be there to pick him up."
One of the players, Bryan Davis of the Navaho Indian Tribe, rode the bus 1,500 miles to get to Philadelphia. He changed buses four times and started his journey at 2 a.m. Sunday morning.
"I am glad I got invited to come," Davis said. "When I found out that I was selected, I got a job and started saving money for my bus ticket.
"Football is my favorite sport and I'm glad to be playing again."
Davis noted that his cousin played in the game last year.
Coming to East Mississippi is a learning experience for many of the players who have never visited here before.
"I didn't know where I was going," said running back Scott Dou of Sapulpa, Okla. "I drove here and followed the map. I got lost but I finally found it."
Choctaw Central has some history with this all-star game. Last year, former Warrior Josh Parkhurst scored the winning points to lead his team to a 15-13 victory.
"He had an awesome game," recalled Dave Brown, who coached Parkhurst's team. "He was a great player."
Brown is back this year to coach the Red team.
For me, I'm looking forward to the game. It's rare that you get to go to a football game in June and this will get me through the summer until August. Kickoff is at 7:05 p.m.
Steve Swogetinsky is the sports editor of The Neshoba Democrat. Contact him at swog@hotmail.com.
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