2007

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Back home at ECCC Cheatham bac~ for second stint with Warriors By Robbie Robertson Tht \(h'(('tl RtHI/d assistant Steve Cheatham, who was the head coach at Neshoba Central.

to Clemson to become a graduate assistant under Ken Hatfield. After working there. he later came back to Neshoba County and became the head coach at Philadelphia High School. After leaving Philadelphia, he became an assitant at East Central. Then in a sud– den move, he was named head of football operations at Ole Miss under David Cutcliffe. After Cutcliffe left the program, Cheatham wasn't far behind and went back to his alma matter and became the head coach at Neshoba Central for the last two years.

East Central may have several new assistant coaches, but there is noth– ing new about them. After suffering through a two-win season, coach Terry Underwood decided to take the program in a dif– ferent direction. Offensive coordiantor Mike Volarvich took his tal– ents elsewhere and Underwood took over con– trol of the Warrior offense, changing to the other side of the football after serving as defensive coordinator the year before. That left him with an opening and he didn't have to look far to find the replacement in former

"Steve and I have coached together before and it was a blessing to get him back here... Underwood said. "He's coached on the high school, junior college and college level. He's like hav– ing another head coach and he's somebody that I have a lot of confidence in. He's got a great relationship with the players and the other coaches. He's certain– ly and asset to our pro– gram." Cheatam has been around the world. so to speak. After serving as an assistant at Neshoba Central for more than 10 years. the Neshoba native stepped out and went

See CHEATHAM on page 32

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