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Friday
March 19, 2010 Since 1922 |
Eighth-graders set for new high school
By Dave Rogers
“We try to gear everything to the school they’re going to,” said the veteran Gentry head coach.
That has been Sterling.
“They give us a playbook and show us two or three things they want us to do,” Walker said. “We use their formations and their terminology.”
But beginning this year, Gentry eighth-graders will be moving up and splitting up — to either Sterling or Goose Creek Memorial, the new high school opening in August – depending on where they live.
“No one has told us yet,” how to proceed, Walker said.
“Are we going to get two playbooks from two schools? I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
It’s one of a number of details yet to be worked out.
But it was the last thing on the mind of the eighth-graders taking part in last Saturday’s Goose Creek schools basketball tournament at Gentry.
“It’ll be great to be in the first class of students to stay there a full four years,” Isaiah Wimberly of Gentry said.
“We’ll be the first people to set records and everything. I think it’ll be a great experience.”
Chris Cowan of Highlands Junior said pretty much the same as Wimberly.
“I think it’ll be pretty cool to get to start our own thing,” he said.
Terry Vallaire, another of the Highlands players at Saturday’s tournament, had been in the crowd along with Wimberly when Boyd was introduced to the district at a Jan. 7 reception at Sterling High.
“I’m looking forward to football and basketball,” Vallaire said.
“I talked to him (Boyd),” Wimberly said. “I let him know my name.”
Because all of the Highlands students will be attending the new school, Boyd took an early opportunity to meet with them during their in-school athletic period.
“He gave us a workout program,” Cowan said.
Highlands head basketball coach Jack Anderson was impressed with the new coach’s visit.
“It probably gives a lift to a junior high kid that the high school coach is coming to work with them,” Anderson said.
“For the coaches at Highlands, (the new high school) means we’ve got to adjust to a new coaches and what they want. It’s kind of like getting a new coaching staff at Sterling.”
Walker, the Gentry coach, pointed out that, because Sterling had changed offensive coordinators in 2006 and 2007, his eighth-graders (and his coaches) had to learn a different offense each year, just as they will have to under Boyd.
“Our kids adapt very well to the challenge of learning something new,” he said.
And, the coach admitted, teaching the basics of football is more important at the seventh- and eighth-grade level than teaching offenses and defenses.
“We work more on skill work and technique, so they can actually run the plays,” he said. “We work on fundamentals a lot.”
Walker said he hasn’t seen any splintering of his Mustang athletes along the lines of their new high schools.
“There’s no rivalry or anything like that yet,” the coach said. “I think that’s due to their school not being open. There hasn’t been time to establish rivalries.
“But I think those that are able to go (to Goose Creek Memorial) are pretty well excited about the new school.”
Apparently.
“Just a new school,” Vallaire said when asked what most excited him about Goose Creek Memorial. “We finally get a new school.”
“We try to gear everything to the school they’re going to,” said the veteran Gentry head coach.
That has been Sterling.
“They give us a playbook and show us two or three things they want us to do,” Walker said. “We use their formations and their terminology.”
But beginning this year, Gentry eighth-graders will be moving up and splitting up — to either Sterling or Goose Creek Memorial, the new high school opening in August – depending on where they live.
“No one has told us yet,” how to proceed, Walker said.
“Are we going to get two playbooks from two schools? I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
It’s one of a number of details yet to be worked out.
But it was the last thing on the mind of the eighth-graders taking part in last Saturday’s Goose Creek schools basketball tournament at Gentry.
“It’ll be great to be in the first class of students to stay there a full four years,” Isaiah Wimberly of Gentry said.
“We’ll be the first people to set records and everything. I think it’ll be a great experience.”
Chris Cowan of Highlands Junior said pretty much the same as Wimberly.
“I think it’ll be pretty cool to get to start our own thing,” he said.
Terry Vallaire, another of the Highlands players at Saturday’s tournament, had been in the crowd along with Wimberly when Boyd was introduced to the district at a Jan. 7 reception at Sterling High.
“I’m looking forward to football and basketball,” Vallaire said.
“I talked to him (Boyd),” Wimberly said. “I let him know my name.”
Because all of the Highlands students will be attending the new school, Boyd took an early opportunity to meet with them during their in-school athletic period.
“He gave us a workout program,” Cowan said.
Highlands head basketball coach Jack Anderson was impressed with the new coach’s visit.
“It probably gives a lift to a junior high kid that the high school coach is coming to work with them,” Anderson said.
“For the coaches at Highlands, (the new high school) means we’ve got to adjust to a new coaches and what they want. It’s kind of like getting a new coaching staff at Sterling.”
Walker, the Gentry coach, pointed out that, because Sterling had changed offensive coordinators in 2006 and 2007, his eighth-graders (and his coaches) had to learn a different offense each year, just as they will have to under Boyd.
“Our kids adapt very well to the challenge of learning something new,” he said.
And, the coach admitted, teaching the basics of football is more important at the seventh- and eighth-grade level than teaching offenses and defenses.
“We work more on skill work and technique, so they can actually run the plays,” he said. “We work on fundamentals a lot.”
Walker said he hasn’t seen any splintering of his Mustang athletes along the lines of their new high schools.
“There’s no rivalry or anything like that yet,” the coach said. “I think that’s due to their school not being open. There hasn’t been time to establish rivalries.
“But I think those that are able to go (to Goose Creek Memorial) are pretty well excited about the new school.”
Apparently.
“Just a new school,” Vallaire said when asked what most excited him about Goose Creek Memorial. “We finally get a new school.”