Perfection!
Philo Middle School's boys
and girls basketball teams
finished the season with
perfect records and city
county basketball champi
onships. The boys team was
coached by Brian Leak and
the girls were coached by
Tonya Oxendine. The cheer
' leading coach is Sabrina
Seventh-grade boys city/county champions:
first row - Shawn Porter, Mark Hairston,
Bryant George, Terrance Curathers; second
row - Lyndon Beat, Rasi Davis, Jacques Bitting,
Patrick Willis, Chris Wall; top row - Coach i
Leak, Jiwan Hall, Tim Williams, Tyshawn Scott. |
i Seventh-grade girls city/county champions:
bottom row - Yasmine Frazier, Nicole Rickard,
Linette Montgomery; second row - Shannon
Harris, Asha Gray, Ladonna Miller, Tabitha
Robinson; top row - Coach Oxendine,
I Tottiana Attride, Brittany Hampton, lashonda
; Pratt, Jamilah Al-Amin.
Crossing 52
from pqge B1
decided that the fates of their
respective teams will be led by
two young people from Win
ston-Sale'm/Forsyth County
Schools.
Porsche Jones of Carver
will step up next year as a can
didate at point guard to lead the
Lady Deacons. The following
season, Chris Paul of West
Forsyth will take a similar role
with the men's team. One play
er lives on the "other side" of
52, while the other has roots
deep in the "other side" of 52.
In fact, on some days, the
fate of the world seems to be
decided on the corner of New
Walkertown Road and Carver
School Road at Paul's grandfa
ther's place of business (Jones
Chevron).
Jones and Paul may impact
nearly all Crossing 52 initia
tives in the upcoming years
based not only their play at
Wake Forest, but based on what
each brings to the table. In the
greas of poise, spiritual life and
overall maturity, these young
people will make the Winston
Salem community take notice
of the solid citizens that have
always come from across 52.
Some segments of this com
munity have not experienced a
great deal of interaction with
their neighbors. But as the for
tunes of Wake Forest teams
improve with the play of these
locals and as young people
from across the city begin to
recognize these young people
as their role models, I would
contend that some attitudes will
change.
Yes, people will be placing
a great deal of expectations on
the two to carry the banner, but
in reality they will not be carry
ing the same banner that has
been producing quality individ
uals from across 52 for many
years.
Now they will be able to
have access to a bigger stage on
which to showcase what hap
pens when young people have
the guidance, love and support
that happens all the time across
52.
These two gifted student
athletes will become "beacons"
to the Deacons for the entire
community. Not only will they
showcase what happens across
52, but what is happening at
Wake Forest, a place that many
people in this community still
regard as foreign territory.
I predict that there will be
more interest from various parts
of the community in the for
tunes of Wake Forest basketball
in the years to come.
There will be more commu
nity interaction with Wake For
rest athletics for kids in this
community. Why? Because two
people the kids go to church
with, have grown up with, par
tied with or just hung out with
will be wearing the Old Gold
and Black uniforms of Wake
Forest. Parents will interact
because they remember the
same little ones from various
gatherings and will be asking
how those kids are doing at
Wake Forest.
There will probably be an
increase in attendance at games,
not because of the team Wake is
playing, but because of who is
playing for Wake.
I believe Winston-Salem
State and Wake Forest students
will interact a little more
because the friendships of these
young people and former class
mates at that school and other
HBCUs will make social gath
erings a little more expansive
and inviting.
Knowing both these young
people, there will be games
played in gyms on both cam
puses involving people from
diverse backgrounds because of
friendly challenges that will
exist between Jones and Paul
and their former classmates,
Sunday school classmates and
friends. Young people will trav
el across 52 to address these
fun-filled and spirited chal
lenges, set down by friends that
have lived across 52.
Finally, so many kids want
to travel a great distance from
home to pursue success. Yet,
now we could find other talent
ed young people staying in one
of the best cities around to pur
sue their dreams.
These two outstanding
young people have their own
goals for their lives, and we
should do everything we can to
encourage and support them.
But we must also realize that
these two young people repre
sent a change and hopefully a
new vision of what happens
when you cross 52. The surprise
on the faces of some and the
beliefs and "I told you so" of
others may just blend into a har
monious sound of people work
ing together and many of us
actually learning the words to
the Deacons' fight song.
By the way, please check
out the new sports report show
that will be held on the corner
of New Walkertown Road and
Carver School Road, beginning
in the fall of 2003. WSJS yvill
have nothing on these commen
tators. In fact, you can even get
your oil changed during the
show.
??LI
? ^?