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NATCHEZ — In recent board meetings, City of Natchez and Adams County officials have been asked to ponder the idea of creating a “championship row” made up of signs to acknowledge the championship games won by local high school sports teams.

Greg West, a school bus driver and 1980 graduate of North Natchez High School who presented the idea, said he was inspired while he shuttled student-athletes to away games.

“The idea came from seeing signs on the roads acknowledging championships won by other high school sports teams,” he said.

West said he presented this idea to several coaches and community members who supported the project and are helping him piece together a list of every high school championship-winning team in every sport through the decades.

Greg said the group consists of himself, Daye Dearing, Alphaka Moore, Walt Brown and David King.

West said the project would involve putting up at least 50 signs, similar to road signs, that each represents a championship won by past and present schools — including the former Natchez Rebels, Sadie B. Thompson, North and South Natchez High Schools, Trinity Episcopal School, and present-day Cathedral, Adams County Christian School and Natchez High School.

West asked local officials if they would both approve the signs to be displayed on city and county property and support it financially as a means of helping the community.

While he has not received a quote for the full project, West said he estimates it to cost approximately $5,000 to create the signs and display them — which could change depending on the number of signs ordered and their size.

West said he is also discussing locations for the display with both city and county officials to have one display area for the city and one for the county.

Initially, West suggested displaying the signs around the Adams County Safe Room on Liberty Road and on the Natchez bluff. However, some members of the Board of Aldermen said the bluff would not be an appropriate place for the display.

West said if the city and county would support the project, schools and community groups could keep adding to it when other championships are won going forward.

“It would give the student-athletes a place to go that will acknowledge their accomplishments and provide inspiration to present and future sports teams,” West said of the proposed display. “It would also help the coming together of the public and private schools and prove that our city and county officials are supportive of anything that brings unity to our community.”