Why is it Always The Good Ones?
I never met Rajaan Bennett, but I’ve met many young men like him. I have coached on teams where your greatest hope as a coach, is that young men in your sphere of influence stay in the game. By staying in the game I mean, keep their priorities straight long enough to get their diploma and if they worked hard and were fortunate, and chance to go to college. Football can provide that dream and that focus.
From everything I am hearing, Rajaan had his priorities in order. A scholarship to Vanderbilt is solid evidence. The fervent hope and the security a degree would afford he and his future family. That future ended today. His mother’s ex-boyfriend took that away from Rajaan and then killed himself.
I never understood the selfishness of a murder-suicide.
If you want to go, by all means go, but leave the innocent to their own pursuit of happiness. Young black men in America have enough hurdles to overcome. Most can be negotiated with the right focus and determination.
But bullets are one threat no one can outrun.
Stephenson Was Loaded
Georgia Bulldogs fans were thrilled that Stephenson’s Mike Thornton signed with the Dawgs February 3rd. Thornton became the icing on the cake when Dawg fans thought they would have to eat their’s dry. What I didn’t realize is the sheer number of quality football players that were on this 11-1 Stephenson Squad. Most teams would love to have a senior class this large, much less 29 kids that could play on the next level.
Below you’ll find a list of Jaguar signees. I’m curious, what is the largest signing class in the history of Georgia High School Football?
STEPHENSON SIGNEES
- Martin Adebowale – Presbyterian
- Miles Ashmon – Fort Valley State
- Kelvin Billups – Johnson C. Smith
- Tyrone Cornileus – Miami (FL)
- James Farmer – Tusculum
- Idris French – Concordia (AL)
- Denzel Hartley – Johnson C. Smith
- Thomas Hubbard – St. Francis (IL)
- Jabari Johnson – Kentucky
- Jacob Johnson – Tusculum
- Kenny Ladler – Vanderbilt
- Jeremiah Mahoney – Concordia (AL)
- Gary McIndoe – LaGrange
- Armond Mitchell – Belhaven
- Edward Passmore – Concordia (AL)
- Joshua Polk – Presbyterian
- Blake Rennels – Belhaven
- Jordan Rhinehart – Tusculum
- Raymond Sanders – Kentucky
- Chris Sharpe – Middle Tennessee State
- Ronnie Shields – Kentucky
- Brandon Smith – Miles
- Quinton Spencer – Johnson C. Smith
- Malcolm Strong – Marshall
- Steven Thomas – Tusculum
- Mike Thornton – Georgia
- Ephesia Tisdale – Concordia (AL)
- Franchot West – Southern
- Doral White – Valdosta State
A New “Day” at Marietta?
I got a call Friday night about James “Friday” Richards decision to retire as head coach of the Marietta Blue Devils. Some of you may not realize that Marietta is my Alma mater, so this coaching change is of some import to me. Coach Friday graduated from MHS in 1972 and came back from the University of Florida just in time for my senior season(1976).
I’ll never forget his encouragement in a triple overtime classic against Douglas County that fall. My extra point made the difference after the Tigers kicker missed his to make it 38-37. He started teaching and coaching officially the next year and the rest is history. As the head coach for 15 years, his record at Marietta was 107-58.
When I started selling sporting goods six years ago, everywhere I went around the state, coaches wanted to know when “Friday was going to retire”? A few years ago, he started talking to me about it some, but this fall his mentions of retirement accelerated. I was at Marietta Thursday and it came up again, but some details had yet to fall into place. That happened Friday and again, one of his assistants called me that night with the news.
Suffice it to say, Marietta will be inundated with applications for this job. When coaches think of Marietta, they think of the Dexter Wood years and the success they enjoyed in the early 90′s. It will be very interesting to see the direction the administration goes with the new hire.
Athletic Director Paul Hall is half-way through his first year on the job and now will be involved in hiring someone for a job that was ear-marked for him a couple of years ago. Friday mentioned that possibility on more than one occasion to me. Hall was a long-time assistant coach for Richards and would have been a great choice. The x-factor at this point is a school administration that may or may not be committed to excellence on the field. They have already made a let’s say, “interesting” choice in replacing another legend, basketball coach Charlie Hood, with a first time head coach. The team is 3-8 in Region 5-AAAAA and 5-13 over-all.
The kids of Marietta deserve the best opportunity to succeed,
academically and athletically.
I hope that is kept in mind.
Tell me what you really think!