Ben Beckwith plays guard on the offensive line for the Mississippi State Bulldogs — the No. 1 college football team in the nation, just in case you haven’t heard.
He is a 2010 graduate of Benton Academy, where my husband, Steve, serves as headmaster and I teach second grade. The people of Benton and Benton Academy are all so proud of his accomplishments. He went to MSU as a walk-on and earned a starting position last year on the offensive line through hard work and dedication. He recently was named Southeastern Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week for two weeks in a row. One of those games was when he moved to center, a position where he practiced sparingly in the spring.
Last weekend, MSU had a week off, and Ben came home to see his family. We had our last home game against Tri-County Academy, an area rival team. Steve called and asked if he would come and do the coin toss and sign some autographs for all the fans he has back at Benton. He graciously agreed, and that got the ball rolling to welcome him back home and show how proud we are of him — Raider style!
Ben spoke to the team in the locker room before the game. He told the players that there is nothing like Friday night football and to enjoy every moment of those nights. They listened and soaked in every word that he had to say. He went out with our senior captains for the coin toss and received a standing ovation — with cowbells — from a very enthusiastic crowd.
We had set up a Mississippi State tent with a table decorated with MSU memorabilia. Everything was maroon and white. Ben was supposed to sign autographs for the first half. He was still signing autographs after the game was over! He took a brief period of time to go to the press box to be interviewed and watch the game with our radio announcers. The line never let up during the entire game.
I did not know Ben before that night, but I was very impressed with this young man. Not just the athletic football player, but as a warm, generous human being. He signed autographs and took pictures and made every person, young and old, feel as if they were the only person there. He took time to talk to the young children and answer their questions. I didn’t know how many times he could answer the question about how it feels to be playing on the No. 1 team in the nation.
I was particularly amused by a 9-year-old boy who asked Ben if he could explain how a team that was at the bottom of the SEC could end up first in the nation. Several little boys told him they were going to play for State, too. He came up with a heartfelt answer each and every time.
It was such an awesome night! There were TV stations, newspaper reporters, and even a representative from ESPN who was doing a story on Ben. He had told the ESPN reporter that he was going to be at the high school he graduated from that night, so the reporter came and interviewed people and took lots and lots of videos and pictures.
Aside from all that MSU excitement, the other great news is that we beat Tri- County, 14-7!
It’s a great day to be an MSU Bulldog and a BA Raider — one team first in the nation and the other getting ready for playoffs.
Hope you enjoy today’s recipes. Thanks for reading.
CHEESY POTATOES
6 medium potatoes
1 (8-ounce) small curd cottage cheese
1 (8-ounce) carton of French onion dip
Salt
Pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut potatoes into chunks — peeled or unpeeled, whichever you prefer. Cook in boiling water until done, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and mash. Add the cottage cheese, French onion dip and seasonings to taste. Place in a 2-quart shallow casserole dish; bake for 30- 45 minutes or until heated through. About 10 minutes before done, cover the potatoes with grated cheese.
If you prepared this in advance, heat the potatoes up for a few minutes in the microwave before baking.
SWEET BEAN BUNDLES
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 (15-ounce) can whole green beans, drained
half-pound bacon, sliced in half
Melt sugar, butter, Worcestershire and garlic powder in a small saucepan over medium high heat until sugar has dissolved; set aside. Place about six green beans on each half slice of bacon; roll up and secure with a toothpick.
Place on a rimmed baking sheet; spoon butter mixture over bundles. Cover and allow to marinate overnight in refrigerator. Uncover bean bundles and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
BAKED CORN CASSEROLE
1 (17-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
1 (17-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 box Jiffy Corn muffin mix
1 stick butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package sour cream
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Mix corn and dry cornbread mix together. Melt butter; sauté onion and bell pepper and add sour cream. Place corn mixture in a 9-by-13-inch greased baking dish. Spoon onion mixture over the corn; top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
This is better prepared the night before. Add cheese just before baking.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
