&uot;Is this a great country or what?&uot;

That was the reaction of Vidalia High athletic director and head football coach Dee Faircloth after the Supreme Court, ruled Monday that public school districts cannot let students lead stadium crowds in prayer before high school football games.

Justice Paul Stevens was quoted by The Associated Press as saying. &uot;The delivery of such a message (prayer) – over the school’s public address system by a speaker representing the student body, under the supervision of school faculty and pursuant to a school policy that explicitly and implicitly encourages public prayer – is not properly characterized as private speech.&uot;

The 6-3 decision in a Texas case said such prayers violate the constitutionally required separation of government and religion.

An invocation has been given before every football game at Vidalia at least since Faircloth has been there the last 32 years.

&uot;We have gone to the dogs,&uot; Faircloth said. &uot;That’s sorry. In other words, everybody has to do what a few people want. We’ve come a long way from our founding fathers in a society where criminals have the advantage. What’s next? Stop playing the Star Spangled Banner or stop saying prayers at funerals?&uot;

Faircloth said every school his team has played over the last few years has had a pre-game prayer.

As for how he will handle future games, Faircloth is looking into the possibility of having a moment of silence before the game for everyone to pray to themselves.

&uot;We’ll still have prayer, even if we have to have it in the lockerroom before the game,&uot; he said. &uot;What are they going to do, knock down our door. And we always have the Lord’s Prayer after the game. Or we going to have to stop doing that?&uot;

Natchez High has not had a pregame prayer for the past several years.

&uot;Now we allow players to pray to themselves, but there is no announcement,&uot; said Natchez High head football coach Elbert &uot;Mo&uot; Lyles.

Ferriday principal Anthony Moore said he is still unclear on several issues.

Mississippi High School Athletic Association executive director Ennis Proctor told the AP that the ruling is a ”giant step backward for our schools and our children.”

Proctor said the majority of state schools have prayer before football games

”And I think 90 percent of Mississippians would disagree with this ruling,” he said.

Proctor said the it would be up to local school district administrators to enforce the prayer prohibition at sporting events.

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