Inside Hotlanta and the SIAC

By Hal Lamar
Photos by Patsy Collier-Lamar

Movie in works on Life of Alonzo S “Jake” Gaither

Alas, the almost unbelievable athletic coaching exploits of Alonzo S “Jake”Gaither are coming to the silver screen thanks to celebrated writer and author Vern Smith.

Taking his cue from a George Curry book “Jake Gaither-America’s most Famous Black Coach” (Curry is another celebrated journalist and former publisher of the cutting-edge magazine Emerge), Smith and award winning producer Monty Ross (Malcolm X, School Daze) have created “A-gile, Mo-bile and Hos-tile (a frequent expression of Jake’s).

”We plan to shoot the movie in Atlanta,” said Smith, a Mississippi native who has called Atlanta home for years.

“We hope to land some big time actors to play Jake and his wife Sadie”. He said he hopes to persuade Samuel L Jackson or Spike Lee to play the role of Jake since both have big ties to black colleges (both graduated from Morehouse College). I’m also thinking that Lawurence Fishburne should be considered. He has played significant African- American characters in the past, to include Thurgood Marshall and Benjamin O Davis Junior. He was born in Augusta Georgia.

GaitherAnother possible candidate is Dorian Harewood (Jesse Owens Story, Roots-The Next Generation, Lemuel Geter Story, Sudden Death)    “This story will help a new generation of college football fans understand how the SEC became the most dominant football conference in America. (could that be because most of the SEC coaches routinely attended a clinic that Jake held on FAMU’s campus in the 1950s and 60s?)

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Jake Gaither’s career as head football coach and later Athletic Director at FAMU is awesome. He came to the school in 1938 as an assistant coach and took the reins of the football program in 1945. For 25 years, he turned out one championship team after another. The Rattler elevens dominated the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. During Jake’s tenure, he won 42 SIAC titles and along the way picked up six national black college crowns. He is credited with creating the split-T formation and made history in 1969 when he pitted his Rattlers against the University of Tampa. It was the first game of its type between a predominately white college and an HBCU.  FAMU won  34-28. This was the start of several matchups between FAMU and majority white schools. In 1979, the Rattlers surprised the University of Miami 19-16 on the strength of a field goal.

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Gaither with teamIn 1978, the sports brotherhood known as the 100% Wrong Club of Atlanta created the Jake Gaither award for the most outstanding football player from an HBCU. For many years, the club brought Gaither to Atlanta to personally present the award. His wife Sadie would often accompany him. It gave this writer an opportunity for some coveted one-on-one conversations with the legend. He also freely shared stories about his coaching days and recalled when a heckler in the stands continually criticized Jake’s play calling. He did so right in front of Mrs Gaither. Gaither’s “go team” worked the oval to the opponent’s one yard line. The heckler suddently became silent. Then, Mrs Gaither turned to him and said flatly, ”now what?’”Well,” the heckler replied. “I got him this far down the field. I guess he can handle it from here.”

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XTRA POINTS:  Morehouse’s quarterback Byron Ingram won’t return for his final year. His coaches tell me he has decided to make himself available to the pros…Meanwhile, Morehouse linebacker Charlie Wilson turned in a head-turning 40 time at last month’s Pro day on campus. He has generated keen interest from CFL teams…

…Congrats to Albany State baseballer John Kenneth Nesbitt  who was named a Peach of an Athlete role model by the Atlanta area council of the Boy Scouts of America. The young brother, an honor student and a starting pitcher, has reached out to the greater Albany-Dougherty County community by organizing food and clothing drives and helping with the make-a-wish foundation…

…If you happen to travel to Montgomery Alabama for a Tuskegee or Alabama State grid game, consider bunking at the Marriott-Express just a few miles from downtown. It’s no five-star but it is comfortable and clean and the staff is courteous and helpful. They also provide a full complimentary breakfast.……

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Inside Hotlanta and the SIAC

By Hal Lamar
Photos by Patsy Collier-Lamar

Valley sistahs, Benedict brothers win SIAC tourney titles

            It’s been four years since Fred Watson and the Benedict boys from Columbia, South Carolina won all the marbles in the SIAC tournament. This year, they decided to take the hardware back to their own trophy case. Behind the 17 points and 14 rebound effort of Marcus Goode, arguably the best player in the conference, the Tigers knocked off the Magicians of LeMoyne –Owen College of Memphis Tennessee 58-42.2012 SIAC Men's Basketball Champions
Benedict College

The scrappy Tennessee Magic men did manage to take a 32-29 lead at 12:30 of the second half but couldn’t seem to build on it despite the near Herculean efforts of senior Calvin Stoudemire who bucketed 20 points to lead all scorers in the March 3 game from Morehouse’s Frank Forbes Arena. Then the Tigers exploded with a 21 point run that surged them forward by 15.

Then with 1:42 remaining, Benedict sealed Lemoyne’s fate, outscoring their opponents 9-3. Goode, named the game’s MVP, said there was no doubt that the team would win and end their four year tournament losing drought. “No doubt,” said the 6-10 junior from Chapin South Carolina.” We just decided to keep playing the way we had been playing all tournament.”

            Goode with SIAC Commissioner Greg MooreGetting to the winners’ circle was no snap, however. The 4^th seeded Tigers skirted past Stillman 86-85 to advance to the semi- finals against Fort Valley, which was probably still flying high on cloud 9 after upsetting number one seed Tuskegee 80-77 on day two of the tourney with a three pointer at the buzzer. The Tigers bested the Wildcats 74-53 for the chance to play LeMoyne, the number two seed which had to get by Albany State and scrappy Paine College to qualify for the big game. “We knew the game (with LOC) would be played from the top of the key to the top of the key,” said Benedict Head Coach Fred Watson. They like to transition and run up and down the court. We figured if we could stop that run and not give up that transition basket, we would have a chance. The team did a good job with that.”

2012 SIAC Women's Basketball Champs
Fort Valley State UniversityThe Lady Wildcats of Fort Valley and most notably the dead serious play of MVP senior Yasheeka Jones, faced a determined Tuskegee five but managed to hang on long enough with a good second half to defeat the Lady Goldens 59-52. It gave Head Coach Lonnie Bartley back-to-back tournament titles and sent him to his 19^th NCAA post-season appearance.

            2012 is the fourth year the tournament has been played in Atlanta after domiciling (and almost dying) in Birmingham Alabama. Although the tourney still wants for a bigger turnout, SIAC Commissioner Greg Moore was pleased. “Morehouse is a great host,” he told INSIDE. We like the way things are operating and we hope to grow the tournament over time.” Although any decision on where the 2013 tourney will be played is a matter to be taken up by the conference council of presidents, Moore says he is “ok with the tournament being in Atlanta.”MVP Yasheeka Jones

EXTRA POINTS: One of LeMoyne-Owens’ big rooters all week at the tourney was their former head basketball coach Jerry Johnson who sat quietly just behind the Magicians’ bench……

At halftime of the men’s game, fans were treated to some close order drill and rifle twirling from the ROTC drill team of Mundy’s Mill High School of Jonesboro Georgia……

Friends, relatives, former athletes, coaches and officials gathered March 3 to applaud the 60 year effort in athletics and education of Raymond “Tweet” Williams. Williams, a graduate of Clark-Atlanta University, taught, coached and was a principal with the Atlanta Public School system for nearly 60 years. His coaching protégés include Marvin Arrington, former president of the Atlanta City Council, one time Atlanta Brave slugger Mack Jones and Hamilton Holmes, who with Charlayne Hunter-Gault, were the first black students on the campus of the University of Georgia. He was a childhood friend of Martin Luther King Jr. and recalled to the near 300 in attendance at his testimonial dinner on the campus of his college alma-mater, a conversation he had with the civil rights icon just a few days before he went to Memphis Tennessee to help striking sanitation workers. “He told me, Tweet, I’m kinda nervous about this, “Williams remembers. “WilliamsWe talked about achieving our rights and the responsibility that goes with winning those rights. He agreed we needed to focus on that and said he would work on that with me when he got back to Atlanta. Well, you know the rest of the story.” Williams’ efforts over the years may soon get their just reward if retired NFL official and APS colleague Frank Glover can have his way. He announced at the dinner sponsored by the Clark-Atlanta Athletic Boosters Association that Williams has been nominated for inclusion into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for a select few. Glover, who sits on the Hall of Fame board, says he will work overtime to get Williams selected for the class of 2013……..

WardFort Valley State University is still searching the woods and beating the bushes for a new athletic director. Truth is, their search could really extend only as far as their own sports information office. Their SID, Charles Ward, is qualified to handle the job. At the very least, the FAMU graduate who holds a law degree should at least be brought in for an interview……

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By: Lamont M. Hinson

A man who is supreme or highly successful in a specific field can be defined as a king. With the 2012 CIAA Tournament quickly approaching; Johnson C. Smith University, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), and the city of Charlotte could witness Trevin Parks earn his crown?

Parks, a native of Hickory, North Carolina, transferred to JCSU from UNC-Charlotte to complete his degree and join the men’s basketball team for his sophomore season. He instantly became the top producer on the floor for the Golden Bulls. In his first season (2010-11), Parks started 26 of 27 games averaging 34 minutes per contest.

He utilized this opportunity to become the team’s top scorer at the point guard position. Parks averaged 21.3 points and 4.4 assists a game. He ranked 17^th in the nation (NCAA Division II) and second in the CIAA conference for scoring. Parks led JCSU to a 17-11 overall record, including an appearance in the conference tournament semifinals. He scored a career-high 36 points during the regular season and a postseason-high 26 points in the CIAA Quarterfinals.

Individually, Parks racked up a ton of accolades last season. He became the first player at Johnson C. Smith to ever be named conference player of the year. He earned DII All-American and first team All-District honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Parks was elected to the Daktronics DII All-Atlantic Regional team, as well as first team All-CIAA and CIAA All-Tournament.

Despite the elite production and high praise, Parks remains focused on reaching higher goals.

“My goal is to help this team win a national championship,” declared the 5’11 guard. “Winning awards and individual honors are nice, but I’m a team guy first. My mind is always centered towards how I can make my teammates better.”

Parks’ first season at JCSU was the senior season for shooting guard Ronald Thornhill. Thornhill was the leading scorer for the Golden Bulls going into the 2010-11 season. He averaged close to 11 points and three assists over the course of his four year collegiate career; including a 13.2 ppg average his junior season. Needless to say, Thornhill was expected to carry the scoring load.

In the first three games of the 2010-11 season, he lived up to those expectations. Thornhill averaged 24.7 points for the first three contests, including a 40-point performance in a victory over Newberry College. He set a new single game school record with 10 made three-point field goals against Newberry. However, after that, his scoring production dropped and Parks became the new “go-to guy”.

“After joining the team, one of my goals was to get Ronald the ball and make sure he finished his senior year on a good note,” said Parks. “I like Ron, because he was always willing to do whatever it took for the team to be successful. It was obvious once we got into conference play that teams respected him. He constantly drew double teams and extra attention coming off screens. With that in mind, I knew I had to step up and provide another source of scoring for the team.”

Transition into JCSU

Parks began his collegiate basketball career at nearby UNC-Charlotte. He had been recruited by then, longtime 49ers’ head coach Bobby Lutz. Lutz spent 12 seasons at the helm of the basketball program at his alma mater UNCC before departing after the 2009-10 season. Parks saw limited action his freshman year. He played in 10 games and only tallied 16 points and four assists.

“My first year at UNCC was such a learning experience,” stated Parks. “In high school I was the star and I had to adjust to being the backup.”

He was the backup to starter and then rising senior guard DiJuan Harris. Harris was a two-starter prior to Parks’ arrival and Charlottean out of Victory Christian Academy. During the 2008-09 season, Harris recorded 223 assists (second most in UNCC history). He ranked fourth in the nation that season for assists.

“Going against DiJuan taught me how to better play the guard position,” Parks mentioned. “He’s the fastest guard I’ve ever faced. From watching him, I noticed point guards don’t really score in college, they distribute. I learned how to better pick my spots and my basketball IQ improved. I started thinking about the game within the game.”

The scholarship situation for Parks’ sophomore season was unsettled, and after the departure of Coach Lutz; the search for a new opportunity began. He was recruited by Division I schools like Gardner-Webb, Appalachian State, Northern Iowa, and the University of Virginia. Lenoir-Rhyne in his hometown of Hickory and Newberry also sought after his talents; both Division II programs.

The DI schools didn’t really spark his interest because he would have to sit out a season; due to the NCAA transfer policy. Newberry was too far and going back home to Lenoir-Rhyne was too close. The option to stay in Charlotte and not have to sit out became available with Johnson C. Smith.

“I had already met Coach Joyner and Coach Sherrill at a high school game, while I was still at UNCC,” commented Parks. “When one of my family members suggested Smith; it just all made sense and came together. After my visit, I knew this was the place for me. Being around the players and the coaching staff, I felt at home; and feeling at home is what you look for with your four years in college.”

Grassroots – The hometown of Hickory

Hickory is a city in Catawba County. It has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. The city's 2010 estimated population was 40,010. The town is home to the Hickory Crawdads, an affiliate of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers, in the Class-A South Atlantic League.

Hickory is also the birthplace and hometown of Trevin Parks. Parks attended Hickory High School and earned plenty of basketball acclaim. He was a three-year letterman under head coach Shawn Johnson.

Parks led Hickory to a 72-17 combined record that included Catawba Valley Athletic 2A-3A Conference regular-season titles in 2008 and 2009. He completed his career with 1,461 points. After his senior season, Parks was named Hickory Daily Record Player of the Year and North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (NCBCA) District 10 Player of the Year, along with a spot on the NCBCA's all-state third team. He averaged 22 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Red Tornadoes.

“Opportunities in Hickory are kind of limited,” Parks indicated. “Besides my family, there aren’t a lot of good outside influences. I would say about 50% of my childhood friends are in a gang now. Growing up there it seemed like you only had three options: play a sport and be an athlete, keep your grades up and go to college, or you fail.”

Currently, the area is home to many leading manufacturers of furniture, fiber optic cable, and pressure sensitive tape. It is estimated 60% of the nation's furniture used to be produced within a 200-mile radius of Hickory. Forty percent of the world's fiber optic cable is made in the Hickory area.

“A lot of my family is in Hickory and I’m glad that I’m still close by so they can see me play,” he continued. “I feel blessed to come from such a strong family core. They push me to be great. My family keeps me humble and working hard. My mom, dad, aunts, uncles, everybody keeps me focused. My family stresses to me not to take the game for granted.”

Learning from a Legend

In his 25^th season as the leader of the JCSU men’s basketball team is head coach Stephen Joyner, Sr. Joyner has accumulated numerous accomplishments during his career. He has the most coaching wins for men's basketball or any other sport at JCSU; having recorded over 400 victories. Joyner has the most victories for any active coach in the CIAA.

In 2001, Joyner coached the Golden Bulls to their first and only NCAA South Atlantic Regional Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight National Tournament. He has led the Golden Bulls to seven CIAA divisional titles. Joyner captured CIAA Tournament Championships in 2001, 2008, and 2009. He has been elected CIAA Coach of the Year on three occasions (1992, 1997, 2001) and NCAA Division II South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in 2001.

Joyner has produced over 25 All-CIAA performers and six All-Americans. In addition, his up-tempo style benefited JCSU's top two career scorers, Columbus "Green Light" Parker and Mark Sherrill (both scored over 2,500 points during their collegiate careers).

“Coach Joyner is the best coach I’ve ever had in my life,” Parks professed. “He’s more than a coach, he’s a good friend. I feel like I can talk to him about anything and he’ll give you good, professional advice. He’s very unique, but unique in a good way. Coach cares about his players outside of basketball. He wants to see his players graduate and be successful in life.”

“I’m pleased to see the success Trevin has had here at Johnson C. Smith,” stated Joyner. “He’s proving to be one of the top scorers in the nation and he’s done it within the team concept. Even though he can score the ball, it shows that wants to keep his teammates involved.”

“Coach provides effective, constructive criticism,” expressed Parks. “His comments can change your whole mental focus during a game. The Wingate game this year is a perfect example.”

The Golden Bulls faced Wingate University this season in their second contest. Parks shot 1-of-11 from the field and had three points in the first half. He finished with a game-high 28 en route to a 73-64 victory.

Can We Get An Encore?

After such an accomplished first season at JCSU, Parks entered the 2011-12 season with some high expectations. Even with the pressure and a bright spotlight over his head, Parks continues to get it done.

He has already been recognized as the conference player of the week five times this season. He set a new career-high with 39 points against Quincy University during their Subway Holiday Tournament. He was named All-Tournament MVP and established new tournament records for points in a game (39), points in the tournament (65), three-point field goals made in a game (7) and in the tournament (11).

Parks currently leads the CIAA in scoring, three-point field goals made, and minutes played. He is averaging 25 points, 36 minutes, and 3 three-pointers per game.

He entered 2012 as the leading scorer in the nation (NCAA DII), averaging 26.5 points per game. His current scoring average has him ranked number two.

“Being the nation’s leading scorer is nice to have on your resume, I can’t lie,” stated Parks. “But I want to be consistent and finish that way. At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to win games.”

Guidance from the Pros

It’s no secret that the top basketball ticket in town goes to the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats. Two of the team’s young, standout talents are forward Tyrus Thomas and guard Kemba Walker. During the offseason, Parks had the chance to train with both and develop relationships.

Thomas spent one season at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he averaged 12.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks en route to being named SEC Freshman of the Year. He was the fourth overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft. He played for the Chicago Bulls for two and half season before being traded to the Bobcats in 2010. Thomas re-signed a five-year deal as a restricted free agent.

Walker was drafted ninth overall by the Bobcats in the 2011 NBA Draft. He enters his rookie season after leading the University of Connecticut (UCONN) to a NCAA DI National Championship and Big East Tournament title as a junior. Walker was a finalist for College Basketball Player of the Year and the nation’s second leading scorer his final season at UCONN.

“Tyrus is like a big brother to me,” uttered Parks. “He’s always telling me to keep my work ethic up. If I talk to him after I have a big game, he asks about the flow of the game and how did I get my teammates involved.”

“Kemba is a big inspiration for me. With him being a smaller guard in the league, he lets me know it can be done. He’s a silent assassin in my opinion and I feel like I’m kind of a similar player. Usually when I talk to Kemba, we talk about things other than basketball; just about life in general.”

The Mark of Parks

Parks is working towards his degree in Sport Management. Although he is definitely interested in exploring a career as a professional basketball player, he really just wants to stay connected to the game in some capacity and help others.

“It would be great to have a pro career, either in the NBA or overseas. But, I understand anything could happen and playing may not be an option. I plan on getting my degree and giving back; either as a mentor or perhaps coaching.”

For now, JCSU serves as the kingdom for this rising ruler and Brayboy Gymnasium is his throne. Like any king, Parks wants to leave a mark of his reign.

“I want to bring a national championship to Johnson C. Smith. I hope to leave my mark as a small guy, with a big heart that played every game to win and made my teammates better.”

Winning the first ever national championship at JCSU is a lofty goal. But if accomplished, undoubtedly everyone would bow down to King Parks and the Golden Bulls.

Inside Hotlanta and the SIAC

By Hal Lamar
Photos by Patsy Collier-Lamar

The man credited with being the first person of color to step out on a National Basketball Association court says his biggest “fear”was letting down parents, friends and supporters. “I knew that if I failed, the first thing our detractors would say was, see , I told you it was a mistake to bring them (black players) into the league .” The mild- mannered native of Alexandria, Virginia has detailed his pioneering efforts in a  book “Moonfixer-The Basketball Journey of Earl Lloyd (Syracuse University Press).

Getting drafted into the NBA in early 1950 was no snap but he felt ready because of his experiences at West Virginia State University which was a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA),a conference with a reputation for competitive basketball.”When people ask me which section of my life was important, I tell them it was West Virginia State and the CIAA,” he told INSIDE during a recent interview. “It was a fiercely competitive conference. When I went to college in 1946, I was a green freshman from a small town and playing with guys returning from World War II. I learned a lot of lessons.”

Those lessons hardened him for life in the NBA which at that time was in its near infancy. After being drafted by the Washington Capitols in the 9th round of the 1950 NBA draft, he played seven games before having to report for military service. When he was discharged in 1952, the Capitols had folded. He got an offer to join the Syracuse (NY) Nationals ( now known as the Philadelphia 76ers)

"I told my captain (in the Army) that I had saved up my leave and wanted to go to Syracuse to try out. He gave me his blessing. I made the trip, made the team and then returned to my outfit for discharge. I then joined the Nationals permanently.” Lloyd says the first days and weeks as a professional basketball player were challenging. He was all too aware of the significance of being among the first of the race to be drafted into an all-white pro league and was bound and determined to make the grade. “ I had a long talk with my alter-ego, self, and I said if you want to make a statement, this is the time to do it. I said to me they been mistreating you and thinking you are not as good as they are.

I told myself I was going to transform myself into the Tasmanian devil.” Perhaps not as wild as the fictional cartoon character, he did make a mark on the NBA. During his ten active years, he scored 4682 points and snatched 3609 rebounds. He also helped Syracuse win the NBA title in 1955.

When his playing days were done, he became an assistant coach and scout for the Detroit Pistons. One of his scouting “finds” was Syracuse standout Dave Bing, now the mayor of Detroit. “Earl was always in my corner,” Bing wrote in the foreward for Lloyd’s book.” That’s how he was. He was always encouraging.”

In 2003, Lloyd joined an elite group of former professional players when he was inducted into the James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.” My acceptance speech was different from most,” he remembered. “ I told the people that getting here was easy for me. There were gasps but then I expanded. I told them I came from a time and place where kids, especially athletes, did what they were told. The break I received was that the people telling me what to do knew what they were talking about. So when the time came, they propelled me right into the Hall of Fame.”

ThomasTHE SIAC: Read a great article on the SIAC web page (thesiac.com) about Miles College senior Sammeika Thomas. She is a shining example of what can be done if you want to do it and have what it takes to get it done. This “sistah” works a full time job, takes a load of classes  and then takes care of two children ages 3 and 4. Her day starts early and ends late but the transfer from Rutgers University and an early childhood education major says she is doing it for her children. The native of Birmingham can also play! She currently is leading the conference in rebounds and named the conference’s player of the week twice. Last year, she was voted the conference’s female player of the year.

XTRA POINTS: A host of black college grid programs have already released their 2012 football schedules. I noticed that Alabama A&M does have Auburn University scheduled but late in the season. The Bulldogs are scheduled to tangle with the Tigers November 17, their final regular season game. Interesting………Buddy Pough’s SC State Bulldogs will kick off the 2012 grid season in Georgia. August 30, they open against Georgia State……..Defending SIAC champ Miles College will open Sunday, September 2 against North Alabama in the 6th Labor Day Classic at Birmingham’s Legion Field……..Carver Bible College of Atlanta, one of only two historically black undergraduate colleges of theology, has been making a wave or two with its basketball team. The Cougars are 10-13 and ranked in the top 20 of the 55 leading colleges playing in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). According to the school’s president, Robert Crummie (Benedict), “this is the best season we’ve ever had.”

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