Reprinted from the Feb. 1, 2004, edition of The Augusta Chronicle.

By Scott Michaux

Staff Writer

White Road Stadium might not have a retractable roof, and Josey's Sonic Boom of the South band might not measure up to Beyonce Knowles, but Deon Grant wouldn't trade his high school football experience for a dozen Super Bowls.

"I want the Super Bowl bad, but what I did as far as the state put me in the position I'm in now," Grant said of the Georgia Class AAA state championship he won in 1995 with the Eagles. "When I played in the state championship game for Josey coming from southside, I felt more excited then than I did when I won the national championship (at Tennessee)."

How can Grant say that?

"Because guys from inner cities never see nobody win no state championship games," he said. "That was unheard of around our way. So when we was doing it they knew we was talented and undefeated, but guys still didn't believe these guys could go all the way. That we could go down to these country towns like Thomas County or Thomson and beat those cocksure guys, but we did that. That feeling was so much more exciting than the national championship. Especially because we played at Josey."

Josey defeated Cedar Shoals 13-6 on Dec. 16, 1995, the day before the Carolina Panthers wrapped up their inaugural home schedule at Clemson by defeating the Atlanta Falcons. Josey's win was monumental, being the first Augusta school to win a state football championship since Laney won the Georgia Interscholastic Association title during the segregation era in 1966.

"That team was really special because it was made up of dreamers," said former Josey head coach John Starr, who has coached at Chattooga High School in Summerville, Ga., since 1997. "It was the us-against-the-world thing that made us strong. They believed in themselves when no one else did."

Grant was a junior receiver/defensive back on that team, intercepting a late Cedar Shoals pass to prevent a rally and cap Josey's perfect 15-0 season.

"We had talent everywhere," Grant said. "We had great running backs. We had a quarterback who, had he stuck with it, would be in the league somewhere right now - George Brown. He was like a Charlie Ward but quicker. We had the Tolbert brothers (Armark and Troy). We were stacked at every position."

More than any of the specifics, Grant remembers that feeling of playing a championship game at home in front of 8,000 delirious fans. Even running onto the field in an NFL championship game in front of more than 70,000 fans and a worldwide television audience won't compare.

"At Josey, running out from that end zone before the game started and looking at that crowd and seeing that was our people there," he said wistfully. "Not bandwagon jumpers. They were there when we was sorry. When you lose they're going to give it to you, and when you win they hype you and take care of you. That feeling was just great. Our mentality was just winning."

"It wasn't just the Josey fans but the rest of Augusta jumped on this dream and they all were a part of it," Starr said.

Starr and Grant said that team had a special bond that brought out the best in themselves. They spoke often about family and would often hug and cry in the locker room.

"They were a bunch of guys not afraid to say 'I love you,' to a teammate, and they meant it," Starr said. "You don't see that a lot in today's players."

Grant sees that same special bond in this Panthers team, which overcomes the lack of superstar talent with chemistry and solid team play. That small-market Carolina is a touchdown underdog to the New England Patriots doesn't bother a young man who won a title at Josey despite every disadvantage.

"I've always been the underdog so that's why I say it's destined for us to win again this year," he said. "I'm the underdog again."

Starr believes Grant's team will once again surprise everyone and win Sunday.

"When the dream is big enough, the facts don't count," said Starr, speaking of the '95 Josey team while drawing a parallel to these Panthers. "It's destiny. I would always want Deon on my team because he'll always find a way to win championships."