By DREW GRANTHUM/Staff Writer

The Maplesville town council helped the Maplesville High School football team inch closer to its goal of outfitting the entire team with rings commemorating its recent AHSAA Class 1A state football championship.

In a ceremony held in the south endzone of George Walker Jr. Stadium at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Mayor W.C. Hayes Jr. as well as council members Sheila Hall, Hilda Atchison, Richard Davis and Hal Harrison presented head coach Brent Hubbert with a donation from the town of $5,000 toward the purchase of the rings.

The council voted to provide the donation for the team in its Dec. 8 meeting, with Hayes citing the fact the school cannot purchase the rings.

The money will help pay for an estimated 60 rings, all valued at about $175-200 dollars.

At the ceremony, Hayes was quick to compliment the team, as well as inform them of the sense of pride their performance brought the town.

“Y’all have the best defense I have ever seen,” he said. “That defense was tough. I played here 50-something years ago, and we were undefeated and untied. We didn’t have any playoffs, so y’all have done something here (that’s) only been done one time. I’m proud of you, and the whole town is, or they would have never given you $5,000.”

Hayes said he understood the commitment the players underwent to represent not only the school, but the town as well when they put on a Red Devil jersey.

“I finished here in ’57, and we were undefeated and untied, and that was the first team here in ’56 football season,” he said. “They’ve had about 10 or 12 since then, but they’ve only won one state championship since then, in ‘96.”

Hubbert said the opportunity to take a concrete reminder of the memories made on the team this season could serve a player well after they’ve left the program.

“It’s something they can tell their kids (and) their grandkids,” he said. “They were a part of something that took a commitment, something that took hard work, teamwork and accomplished something. (It’s) a valuable teaching lesson for them for years to come, and something they can look back on too, for some self-motivation at times.”

Hubbert said that the program appreciated the donation from the town, and were also hoping that MHS alumni could help out the team with similar monetary donations.

“We’ve got alumni from many years (back) that played ball here, in any sport, and hope they step up with some donations,” he said. “Our athletic club is still in the process of fundraising, and (we’ll) try to make it affordable and hopefully you can could raise enough to where no kid has to pay anything.”

Hubbert also said that anyone could donate to the cause.

“We have a ring fund set up, if they’ll contact the school office (at 334-366-2531) and they can be led in that direction, or the Maplesvile athletic club,” he said.