1968 Olympic and Civil Rights Legend Tommie Smith Visits Hampton to Kick Off Track Meet Which Bears His Name

The best thing about getting into the writing business is having the potential opportunity to meet people who have done, or continue to do amazing things. As a track reporter, I feel fortunate to have interviewed perhaps 25 Olympic medal winners, world and American (and other countries) record holders and a host of coaches, some who have transferred their skills to the NFL (Roger Kingdom), and the college ranks (Greg Foster, Johnny Gray). In fact, one athlete, Ato Boldon, is carving out quite a notable second career as an NBC broadcaster and international sports diplomat (take a second to Google "Doha Goals").

To date, my most memorable interviewing experience has been spending 40 minutes on the phone with 1964 gold medalist Billy Mills as he walked me through the final lap of his historic 10,000 meter race. But last Sunday provided for an occurrence which will now top the list. This is because, on that day, I got to not just meet, but spend a solid three hours with Dr. Tommie Smith and his wife Delois.

Tommie Smith is one of those rare athletes who transcended sports, and by doing so, etched a permanent mark into the fabric of American society. By taking a stand, on the Olympic medal stand, in Mexico City, he and USA teammate John Carlos created an image which is as powerful today as it was 46 years ago. It inspired a large number of people, and infuriated many others. But to state that their "Black Power" salute was simply significant would be a gross understatement.

It should be no surprise, that the Smith's, along with Dr. Charlie Hill, and some of the other good people I met that day, had little trouble recruiting me to help with the Health and Wellness Initiative. With that said, I look forward to attending the Tommie Smith meet in D.C. this May, as well as the meet at Hampton U., which will also be attended by the Smith's.

(Original version of article which appeared in the DAILY PRESS on Wednesday, January 21, 2015. Many thanks to sports editor Andi Petrini for passing this assignment to me)

_______________________________________________________________________________

On October 16, 1968, Tommie Smith stepped on to an Olympic track in Mexico City and officially became the fastest man in the world, winning the gold medal in the 200-meter dash with a time of 19.83, a mark that would stand as the world record for 11 years.

It was the second most significant thing he did on that day.

With Tommie Smith (center) and Maurice Pierce
(right), head track coach at Hampton University, as
well as coach of several Olympians, including gold
medalist and women's indoor 400-meter world
record holder Francena McCorory.
You may need help with the names, but you know the picture. After winning the race, Smith, flanked on the medal podium by college and USA teammate John Carlos, and Australian silver medalist Peter Norman, thrust a black-gloved fist toward the humid Mexico City sky. The picture that captured Smith’s right fist and Carlos’ left became an iconic image of the Olympics, and a key event of the Civil Rights movement.

On Sunday, Smith raised his arm in another gesture, but this one was to fire the starting pistol for the first race at the first annual Tommie Smith Indoor Youth Track Meet and Health Fair, held at the Boo Williams Sportsplex. The meet, hosted by Hampton’s William and Charlene Moore and the Technique Track Club, hosted over 600 athletes from four states and the District of Columbia. There will be a similar outdoor meet in late May at HU’s Armstrong Stadium.

While the historical event of 1968 may have been recognized by more people, the meet, the first indoor event to bear Tommie Smith’s name, is fueled by another great cause – the need for youths to exercise and eat healthy.

“This brings about positive change,” said Smith, who at 70 (born on D-Day, June 6, 1944) still bears a strong athletic presence. “We focus on health, but we also look at things of organization, like the importance of being prompt. We use track and field as part of the program.”

It’s a message that Smith, and his wife Delois are taking around the world. They are based in Atlanta, but “probably make two or three trips each month,” said Mrs. Jordan-Smith.

While the travel is burdensome, the by-products of their presence are evident.

“Because of the involvement of Dr. Smith (he recently retired after 33 years as a sociology professor) and other representatives, we have the opportunity to give our kids a chance to make healthy choices in life. It would seem like we’re only focused on SOL’s (Standards of Learning) and grades, but we want to work with the social and emotional development of each child, to create a well rounded individual,” said Kimberly Judge, principal of Newsome Park Elementary in Newport News, one of two pilot schools which will receive health and educational services as part of the Youth Movement Initiative of 100 Black Men of America.

“We focus on how to address our youth’s health and wellness,” said Dr. Jeremiah Williams, president of the Virginia Peninsula chapter of 100 Black Men of America. “We take care of health first, but we’ll also visit the schools weekly to read with the students, and we do things such as Secret Santa every Christmas. We commit a lot of resources to this, and our aim is to get the community involved. I love it.”

The Health and Wellness initiative started 14 years ago in Oakland, CA, but has branched out to several other cities, making the most impact in the District of Columbia, and now hopefully, Hampton Roads.

Health screenings, conducted by biology and nursing students from Hampton University, gave an indication of some of the program’s elements.

“We will meet weekly with students and their parents,” said Dr. Michelle Penn-Marshall, biology chairperson at Hampton. “We’ll measure their height, weight and BMI (body mass index), give them cooking lessons, and show them how to prepare healthy snacks. We also show them how to budget their money and eat healthy.”

The significance of the event was not lost on many spectators. Newport News mayor McKinley Price was in attendance, as well as chairman of the organizations' International Prostate Cancer Initiative, Dr. Charlie Hill, and track Olympians LaTasha Colander and Bershawn “Batman” Jackson.

Colander, a Portsmouth native (Manor/Wilson HS) who anchored the gold medal 4x400 women’s team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, spoke of the importance of the inaugural meet.

“This ignites the flame and inspires youths,” said Colander, who was recently inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. “The younger generation hasn’t experienced the track and field world. They don’t realize that we run track meets in football stadiums all over Europe. It’s bigger than what we see, and they should know that you can have a future, and a profession in track.”

Hampton University track coach Maurice Pierce mirrored the feeling.

“Tommie Smith is my childhood hero,” said Pierce, who has coached several Olympians, including Francena McCorory, whose 49.48 in the 400-meters was the fastest women’s time in the world last year. “I hope that people realize the historical significance of today.”

Before the meet, all of the competitors were summoned to the infield, where Smith addressed the youngsters.

“Today is a day of historic recognition. You have a legacy that will last for the rest of your life. Consider yourself to be winners, regardless of your time or place. Today, in you, a winner is born!”

After the opening race, Smith met with fans, both young and old, in the auxiliary area near the front entrance. While the older visitors spoke of his impact on their lives, some of the younger kids in line gained a valuable history lesson.

Nine-year old Amirah Critz had her first opportunity to speak with Smith. As she received her autographed picture of the three Olympic medal winners on the medal stand, her eyes brightened up and the young lady announced her newfound revelation.


“You’re famous!”



IWA's Benny Vaughan Wins #600

Congratulations to Isle of Wight Academy boys basketball coach Benny Vaughan, who won his 600th game last night with a 47-35 victory over Denbigh Baptist. I have had the pleasure of spending some time with this fine gentleman over the past month, and am happy to see the IWA coach (and Headmaster!) achieve this rare plateau.

Vaughan has been coaching at IWA for 39 years, and this win makes him the first independent high school coach in Virginia history to reach 600. Congratulations Coach Vaughan!!

Life Treats You...Interview with Author D'Shawn Wright

For Poquoson, Virginia Duals is a Hometown Affair

For the fourth straight year, I was asked by the DAILY PRESS to help with coverage of the Virginia Duals, one of the premier wrestling events on the East Coast, and one which just happens to be held in nearby Hampton Coliseum. There are a couple of reasons why I like this gig. First, it's a big deal locally, and in some regions of the U.S., as high school and college teams come in from all over the country, some from as far away as Nevada and Arizona. The paper devotes a lot of space and resources to the event, and as many as eight reporters, editors and photographers will contribute to the collective cause.


The other reason I've liked the Duals is no secret. The food is awesome. So, when given a choice to present a feature topic, I went with the hometown flavor of the meet, featuring the three schools who have competed in most (or in Poquoson's case, all) of the 35 Duals. It gave me a chance to thank the people who generally cause me to gain a few pounds each Duals weekend.

Original version of story which ran in DAILY PRESS sports, January 11, 2015.



In many respects, the Virginia Duals is a family affair. There are constants within the competition that friends, fans and competitors can always rely on.

As the Duals turn 35 this year, Poquoson can lay a claim as the home team, one that has been there to celebrate every year. Among the high schools, it is the only one who can claim to have competed in every event.

After all, it’s their show.

“The Duals started with a bunch of Poquoson people,” says Islander coach Eric Decker, himself a native of Binghamton, NY. “The proceeds from the meet go to fund the PWA (Peninsula Wrestling Association), and that money is used to fund the wrestlers when we go to meets in North Dakota and such.

As a unit, the Poquoson contingent is a large and tight one. Insiders know that one of the best features with working at the Duals is the quality of the food in the hospitality room. Feeding the masses requires a large coordinated effort, one that involves spreading a series of dishes out every two hours to match the breaks between matches. The Poquoson parents and children, dozens of them, cook, serve and clean.

It would seem that such a large and a formal association, such as a Poquoson athletic booster club, would underwrite such a massive undertaking.

Lynn Dunagan laughs at the concept. Between rounds of serving the workers lined up on a stage eight feet above and along the sideline, Dunagan freely admits, “We’re just a bunch of parents who have been doing this for years.”

And the continuity of kitchen workers comes from the Bull Island tradition. Names such as Graham, McCormick and Hennessy denote that a new generation of Islander grapplers (and their parents) is now leading the team. When Poquoson wrestles at the Duals, the kitchen empties out.

Although the hospitality room is a sea of Islander Maroon and Gold, some Tabb parent shirts are visible as bowls of chowder and deep dishes of spaghetti and potato salad get lined up and knocked down.

In the end, as it has been since the Duals inception in 1971, the undertaking of maintaining such a large meet has been a group effort, and one which has focused on three schools – the host Poquoson, Tabb, and Gloucester. The Tigers (33) and Dukes (29) stand among the teams with the most Duals appearances. And it’s for good reason.

Gloucester coach Ricky Pierce can attest to that.

“I wrestled for Ferguson (High) back in the day,” says Pierce, hedging before admitting that the time period in question is “sometime in the 1990’s.” We had a Virginia Duals club, and after the season ended, around March, we’d get together and wrestle as a team. We had people from Tabb and Poquoson… they came from all over. It was a freestyle Greco-Roman team and a good way for guys to stay competitive in the offseason.”

The Duals club would later be given a formal name, and the Poquoson Wrestling Association was born.

All of the teams have enjoyed success at the Duals. Since the event started its current format of three high school divisions in 1996, Tabb has won two Black and Blue championships (1996, 2000), while Gloucester has earned two berths in the Division finals (1996, 2004).

Poquoson (career Duals mark of 58-49) has enjoyed more recent success, winning last year’s Black and Blue championship, a win that, by rule, forced them to upgrade to the American High School Division this year.

Tabb and Gloucester have had a harder time earning wins at the Duals, but both teams enjoy successful moments each year and have not embarrassed themselves. Given the high level of competition, Tabb’s 39-54 record and Gloucester’s 28-48 career Duals records show competitiveness.

Tabb coach Doug Roper explained the draw of the Duals.

“Our kids walk in (to Hampton Coliseum) and they’re a little in awe. The colleges are here, and a lot of our alumni show up. It started as a local thing, but now it’s expanded and more teams from out of the area are here. But, even if we lose, you hope as a coach that they will see something that will motivate them to work out harder – to go to the weight room and put in more effort.”

Twenty years ago, Jason Bryant skipped school on a Friday to attend the Duals, and he’s been hooked ever since. Now a print and broadcast journalist, one who has turned his passion into a media business, he has also recognized subtle changes.

Says Bryant, “Nothing drastic has changed, but it has grown. Since I started coming here, we’ve gone from six, to eight and now ten mats. And before, a lot of the high school matches were planned in advance. The colleges were always bracketed, but high schools could come and see how they would do against teams they might see later in the season.”

On Saturday, two of the Old Guard schools squared off as Poquoson drew Gloucester in a consolation semifinal. The match was close through the 145-lb. match, but a 21-point run by Poquoson opened up a sizable lead and the Islanders won 50-27. Afterwards, the teams shook hands and went their separate ways. For now.

Decker explained why. “Greg Todd (Gloucester assistant) helps me coach with the PWA.” We have a good-natured competition with Gloucester. Ricky’s a fun guy to compete against. But he is competitive.”

And who knows? They might compete against each other again next year.



IWA's Vaughan's Nudging Toward 600th HS Basketball Win

Honestly, I'm feeling bad for Coach Benny Vaughan of Isle of Wight Academy, but better that I'm not bugging him right now. About five weeks ago, I was given a potential assignment from Lynn Burke, our community sports editor at the Daily Press. The message was -- Coach Vaughan started the same year I did with the Daily Press - 1971. He has 598 wins, and is about to get 600.

The Isle of Wight Academy boys
team warms up before a recent
game against StoneBridge.
A win would have given coach
Benny Vaughan his 600th win.
At the time, the Chargers were 2-4, and getting ready for a three game tournament at Peninsula Catholic, which is not terribly far from home. They lost the first and won the second, putting the tally at 599. However, they lost the third and have been on a tailspin, now sporting a 3-13 record. Surely, his players are feeling some pressure, so I was happy to file this article and move on. The team will get the win, and soon. It will be a great act to honor a great educator and coach.

Unedited version of article which appeared in Daily Press sports section - Jan. 10, 2015


For the past 44 years, Isle of Wight Academy’s Benjamin Vaughan has built a reputation based on excellence. As he stood on the sidelines in the gym at StoneBridge School on Thursday evening, the veteran educator projected the look of his scholarly role in a brown suit with matching tie and loafers. While maintaining a genteel demeanor, Vaughan has been successful in all phases of academia, whether serving as a teacher, guidance counselor, or the position he has held for the past 25 years, school headmaster.

But Vaughan has also carved out a unique career in the 39 years he has served as the boys basketball coach at IWA, and just one evening after Tabb coach Doug Baggett earned his 500th basketball victory, “Benny” Vaughan aimed to raise the ante, going for career victory #600, as his squad squared off against the host Cavaliers in a Metro Conference matchup.

For the Chargers, it has been a long struggle to get the historic win for their coach. After beginning the season 2-4, they stumbled into Thursday’s contest with a 3-11 record (1-5 Metro), making the last two wins of this adventure a tough ride. And on this night, they would fall behind 51-40 in the game’s last five minutes, then valiantly fight back before dropping a 59-57 decision.

But the journey has been well worth it, because it has given the longtime coach an opportunity to reflect on his past and appreciate the present. He shows little resistance when he states that he has no plans to try and reach 700 wins. Over the past three weeks, Vaughan has been quick to note that “every win we have this year has been a challenge,” but even quicker to credit his colleagues and opponents.

Reflecting over his long career, Vaughan relishes the early days. “We still have basketball alumni from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s that come to our games. He rattles off four names – Wendy Williams, Michael King, Everette Scott and Steve Chambliss as being on the team for IWA’s first ever win. “I have coached many second generation players, including the sons of Williams and King. Many of our former players still feel connected to the school and to IWA basketball.”

He also talked of his relationship with Baggett. “He’s a good coach. I don’t know him really well, but we worked together at a CNU camp a couple of years ago.” 

In another ironic twist, the historic win almost came against one of Vaughan’s contemporaries, Cavalier coach R. Cal Woolard. With a smile, he noted that “he’s older than me, but it just goes to show that we’ve been at it for a while.”

A couple of sentences later, with the IWA girls team putting the finishing touches on a 52-27 victory, he added, “Chris (Hooper, the IWA girls coach) has done a great job with this team, acknowledging their 6-5 (3-2 Metro) record after Thursday’s victory.

Before leaving to join his team, Vaughan pointed out “they (StoneBridge) played very well in their last game. Their guard, Caleb Dawkins, is the son of (former Duke guard) Andre Dawkins. He’s really good for an eighth grader.”

Ironically, it was two key free throws by Dawkins that helped seal the win for StoneBridge. The Cavaliers, smaller than IWA, proved to be too quick as Dawkins and Shaun Faulk got ahead of many transitions to set up easy lay-ups, and drove through the lane with authority to set up other scores. Combined with Terrick Philpot’s four bullets from the three-point range, even center Bryce Casey’s 33 points were not enough to counter the StoneBridge offensive attack.

The journey for IWA and Coach Benny Vaughan will continue tonight in Smithfield as the Chargers host Alliance Christian.




Full Place Results From Santa Slam -- Newport News Warriors Overtake Great Bridge and Poquoson

Over 200 wrestlers took part in Sunday’s Santa Slam, held at Woodside High. The event, which drew grapplers from as far away as Ohio, was sponsored by the Newport News Warriors and was open to athletes in three different categories – Pee Wee (K-2nd grade), Elementary (3-5) and Intermediate (6-8).

The host Warriors, behind the strength of four Pee-Wee titles from Gabe Izzo (46-47 lb.), Carmine McDaniel (55-59), Christian Corbin (73-86) and Troy Solomon (94-107), won the team competition with 298.5 points. Great Bridge placed second with 199.5, and  Poquoson took third with 198.5.

2014 Santa Slam Tournament Results 

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 36-40

1st Place - Kameron Harrell of Raider Nation                                   
2nd Place - Skiles Burkhead of Kellam Mat Rats 
3rd Place - Kaiden Sutton of Great Bridge 
4th Place - Justice Collins of Great Bridge 
5th Place - Wade Burroughs of Newport News Warriors 



PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 41-42 


1st Place - Logan Keesee of Poquoson 

2nd Place - Brayden Bunting of Poquoson 

3rd Place - Gavin Dewitt of Smithfield Wrestling Club 

4th Place - James Cravey of Newport News Warriors 

5th Place - Tyson Solomona of Newport News Warriors 
6th Place - Aiden Layman of Newport News Warriors

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 43-45 

1st Place - Manley Nalls of Team Cobra 
2nd Place - Camden Yonamine of Ocean Lakes 
3rd Place - Aiden Kehoe of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - Alex Ebersole of Newport News Warriors 
5th Place - Kai Smith of Newport News Warriors 

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 46-47 

1st Place - Gabe Izzo of Newport News Warriors 
2nd Place - Keegan Webb of Poquoson 
3rd Place - Dralon Wooley of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - Evan Zimmerman of Guerrilla 
5th Place - Corey Skay of Guerrilla 

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 48-49 

1st Place - Darryl Hawkins of Ocean Lakes 
2nd Place - Issac Drummond of Williamsburg 
3rd Place - Caden Stokes of Guerrilla 
4th Place - Brayden Muniz of Williamsburg 
5th Place - Gage Gibson of Raider Nation 
6th Place - Landon Peck of Newport News Warriors 

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 50 

1st Place - Jackson Fitzpatrick of Poquoson 
2nd Place - Isaiah Barringer of Williamsburg 
3rd Place - Roman Izzo of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - Cooper Coleman of Williamsburg 
5th Place - Kodiak Kehoe of Newport News Warriors 
6th Place - Stone Wagner of Kellam Mat Rats 

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 51-52 

1st Place - Jarod Goodson of Poquoson 
2nd Place - Fisher Plessinger of Guerrilla 
3rd Place - Bryson Floyd of Fort Lee 
4th Place - Levi Knight of Poquoson 
5th Place - Josiah Turner of Individual 

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 52.6-54 

1st Place - Mason Deas of Poquoson 
2nd Place - James Miller of Pin 2 Win 
3rd Place - Zephariah Palicious of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - Tyler Hawkey of Guerrilla 
5th Place - Everett Tennant of Newport News Warriors

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 55-59 

1st Place - Carmine McDaniel of Newport News Warriors 
2nd Place - Joshua Ray of Newport News Warriors 
3rd Place - Diontrae Barkers of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - Clyton Smith of Guerrilla 
5th Place - John Mattox of Guerrilla 

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 61-65 

1st Place - Isaiah Elliott of Williamsburg 
2nd Place - Caleb Wood of Poquoson 
3rd Place - Treavyon Ellison of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - Owen Bates of Smithfield Wrestling Club 
5th Place - Brayden Agnese of Poquoson 

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 73-86

1st Place - Christian Corbin of Newport News Warriors
2nd Place - Aj DiMiceli of Ocean Lakes 

PEE WEE (K-2nd) - 94-107 

1st Place - Troy Solomona of Newport News Warriors 
2nd Place - Jr Jones of Guerrilla 
3rd Place - Juan Gayden of Newport News Warriors 

Elementary (3rd-5th) - 50.0-54.0

1st Place - Jase Roberts of Williamsburg 
2nd Place - Carson Ashe of Raider Nation 
3rd Place - Jordyn Anderson of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - William Mattox of Guerrilla 
5th Place - Ethan Dewitt of Smithfield Wrestling Club 
6th Place - Cayden Floyd of Fort Lee 

Elementary (3rd-5th) - 56.0-58.6 

1st Place - Shamar Sutton of Great Bridge 
2nd Place - Jacob Dooley of Great Bridge 
3rd Place - Ashton Withrow of Poquoson 
4th Place - David Rhoads of Newport News Warriors 
5th Place - Shane Reimann of Newport News Warriors 
6th Place - Jalen Flores of Newport News Warriors

Elementary (3rd-5th) - 59.0-61.0 

1st Place - Austin Pollard of Powerhouse 2nd Place - Brady Norris of Raider Nation
3rd Place - Cedric Griffin of Newport News Warriors
4th Place - Ashland Rasmussen of Great Bridge 
5th Place - Carter Chapin of Raider Nation 
6th Place - Ray Artega of Great Bridge

Elementary (3rd-5th) - 61.2-64.0 

1st Place - Owen Rawls of Smithfield Wrestling Club 
2nd Place - Zack Lake of Guerrilla 
3rd Place - Zack Smith of Smithfield Wrestling Club 
4th Place - Matthew Wornom of Poquoson 
5th Place - Corey Fazekas of Great Bridge 
6th Place - Jeremiah Palicious of Newport News Warriors 

Elementary (3rd-5th) - 65.6-70.8 

1st Place - Carson Hicks of Raider Nation 
2nd Place - Jayden Bryant of Great Bridge 
3rd Place - Tyler Reimann of Newport News Warriors
4th Place - Sharrod Taylor of Newport News Warriors
5th Place - William Marsh of Great Bridge 
6th Place - Hunter Roche of Kellam Mat Rats

Elementary (3rd-5th) - 72.0-77.50 

1st Place - Joseph Chiappazzi of Poquoson 
2nd Place - Max Martin of Great Bridge 
3rd Place - Zachary Ray, Jr. of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - Parker Gourley of Great Bridge 

Elementary (3rd-5th) - 79.0-81.70 

1st Place - Brooks Coleman of Williamsburg 
2nd Place - Marlon Lawson of Newport News Warriors 
3rd Place - Jack McAdoo of Smithfield Wrestling Club 
4th Place - Caleb Hogge of Raider Nation 
5th Place - Julianna Burkett-Erice of Rangers Wrestling Club 
6th Place - John Turner of Individual 

Elementary (3rd-5th) - 83.0-88.2 

1st Place - William Fay of SWYC 
2nd Place - Josh Seaton of Guerrilla 
3rd Place - Cole Richardson of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - Connar Ellison of Newport News Warriors 
5th Place - Seth Murphy of Smithfield Wrestling Club 
6th Place - Casen Shifflett of Newport News Warriors 

Elementary (3rd-5th) - 92.0-98.60 

1st Place - Shane Shirley of Powerhouse 
2nd Place - Cameryn Heath of Great Bridge 
3rd Place - Bryan Hunt of Newport News Warriors 

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 62.0-67.0

1st Place - Karon Smith of Newport News Warriors 
2nd Place - Carson Hicks of Raider Nation 
3rd Place - Jack Creamer of Rangers Wrestling Club 
4th Place - Trevon Gray of Newport News Warriors 
5th Place - Jacob Seale of Raider Nation 
6th Place - Evan Malanson of Smithfield Wrestling Club

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 70.5-76.0 

1st Place - Josh Whitow of Great Bridge 
2nd Place - Jamey Saunders of Poquoson 
3rd Place - Evan Rawls of Smithfield Wrestling Club 
4th Place - Damon Tenney of Raider Nation

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 80.0-84.1 

1st Place - Temonte Gray of Newport News Warriors 
2nd Place - Bradyn Waddell of Raider Nation 
3rd Place - Hayden Head of Raider Nation 
4th Place - Hunter Edwards of Smithfield Wrestling Club 
5th Place - Dan Coffey of Great Bridge 

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 85.0-90.9 

1st Place - Riley Starcher of Great Bridge 
2nd Place - Harrison Smith of Great Bridge 
3rd Place - David Reid of Raider Nation

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 93.0-98.8 

1st Place - Kolby Allred of Great Bridge 
2nd Place - Gannon Jones of Pin 2 Win 
3rd Place - Josh Lake of Guerrilla 
4th Place - Ethan Bates of Smithfield Wrestling Club 

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 101.0-107.0 

1st Place - Jackson Desaulniers of Smithfield Wrestling Club 
2nd Place - D`Angelo Wilson of Newport News Warriors 
3rd Place - Caleb Filicko of Williamsburg 
4th Place - Jessienna Burkett-Erice of Rangers Wrestling Club 
5th Place - Kieran O`Dell of Bandits 

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 109.0-114.8

1st Place - Chris O`Brien of Great Bridge
2nd Place - Darryl Patrick of Individual 
3rd Place - Traigan Bealer of Newport News Warriors 
4th Place - Kieran O`Dell of Bandits 

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 115.0-121.0 

1st Place - Luke Grubbs of Poquoson 
2nd Place - Keyel Halls of Raider Nation 
3rd Place - Christian Shoemaker of Great Bridge 
4th Place - Finn O`Dell of Bandits 

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 129.0-136 

1st Place - Robert Creamer of Rangers Wrestling Club 
2nd Place - Turner Johnson of Williamsburg 
3rd Place - Finn O`Dell of Bandits 
4th Place - Braden Akers of Great Bridge 

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 137.0-144.7 

1st Place - Carson Yogi of Amelia County 
2nd Place - Donte Collins of Newport News Warriors 
3rd Place - Samantha Ellis of Newport News Warriors 

MIDDLE SCHOOL (6th-8th) - 148.0-159.0 

1st Place - Cameron Holt of Great Bridge 
2nd Place - Corbin Ansarob of Great Bridge 
3rd Place - Douglas Pruim of Guerrilla 




Yes Virginia, I'm Still On The Wall; Southeastern (Wrestling) Slam Tomorrow 12/28 at Woodside

These past six weeks have been a whirlwind. Between thirteen consecutive weekends of covering high school and college football games, the completion of classes at William and Mary, the launching of our book, Christmas, and a series of tests for my students at DOC, there has been little room to do much of anything else. Unfortunately, after the middle of November, this wall bore the brunt of most my extracurricular activity; hence, I haven't posted in six weeks.

Get up and get busy!! Happy Holidays!
Oh yeah, Happy Holidays!!!!

I am happy to report that this will be changing soon. 2015 is already priming to be a game changer, and in future weeks I'll be happily explaining the reasons why. There are a couple of things I shouldn't talk about yet. But, others are open for conversation. Obviously (as if the hundred or so reminders didn't give you a clue) "Life Treats You.." is alive and kicking. We got out just in time for the holidays, and last Saturday's book launch went very well. There is a lot of work to be done. D'Shawn, Derrick Jamison (who did an awesome job with the cover!) and I met this afternoon to start the process of getting the book on Amazon and Kindle. Barnes and Noble is on the way, as well as some other outlets. And now that we have identified some editing and printing mistakes, we're going to get the minor bumps and scrapes out of the way before starting another printing run. Fortunately, our first run of 200 books is almost sold out.

Tomorrow, I will be visiting the Southeastern Virginia Santa Slam. It's a youth wrestling tournament co-hosted by the Newport News Warriors team and the directorate duo of Corey Beckner and Oliver
Southeastern Santa Slam - Sunday, December 28th at
Woodside High School in Newport News
Walmon. We just saw Oliver last weekend with the Adidas 757 All-Star Football Game, and that event is going to be a keeper. Almost 3,000 fans showed up to ODU's Powhatan Field on a cold, blustery Christmas shopping day to see the Peninsula guys lose a 7-6 nailbiter to the team from Southside. That event will gain momentum, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the attendance double next year. Anyhow, here's a blurb about tomorrow's match:

"The 2nd Annual Santa Slam is Back!!! December 28, 2014 at Woodside High School! Exceeding the 328 that attended last year!! See you there and please share on your page!!"





I'll be visiting the tournament tomorrow and providing some results on this site come Monday. I promise to be back in a regular swing in 2015, with the intention of having a post ready for every Monday. On tap for next week is the Tabb H.S. Holiday Basketball Tournament in Yorktown, VA on Monday and Tuesday, and then the inevitable 600th coaching win for Isle of Wight's Benny Vaughan, a story I have been following for three weeks now, as the Chargers have hit a mild slump and holiday break. Coach Vaughn, who pulls double duty as the school's headmaster, is on #599, and they will start up the schedule again on January 8th against Stonebridge School in Chesapeake.


"Life Treats You the Way You Treat It" -- Book Finished!!!!


Available at 

www.dshawnwright.com. 

The book IS finished! We will have the launch party this Saturday at Body By D Gym in Yorktown from 2-5 PM. Stay tuned for ordering details, but the plan is to be available on Amazon by next week. Thank you all again for your support.


Please bear with me. Because I am spending a great deal of my "free" time editing and formatting the book, there wasn't really time to write a post this week. BUT, for next week, I'd like to highlight something quite important to me -- that is, the progress of the girls cross-country team at Menchville. I coached the Monarch girls two years ago, and am thrilled to see their progress, which culminated in a 9th place finish at the 5A state meet a couple of weeks ago! Stay tuned for that story.

We are getting there. Today, I'll be meeting with D'Shawn Wright and going over some of the final adjustments. In my case, this means finishing one more profile (of the seven which will be featured) while awaiting some information to complete the seventh and final one.

This week, I'll be in the process of editing and alignment. In other words, putting the chapters together. The book isn't long, about 32,000 words, but the idea is to format it as something that can be carried around. Anyhow, I am aiming to present the final product to D'Shawn for a final read through just before Thanksgiving.