speakerbox2

GREAT NEWS.... KEEP'EM ROLLING.....

Well Stated.. Well Stated. I guess we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water Harrington is a very nice person and one of the finest administrators in Shelby County that I and everyone else respect very much. For that reason I would hate to see him get caught up in the parent/political trap.

Martell, You should call Jason Smith at 901-529-5804, or email him at smithjas@commercialappeal.com. CoachT has nothing to do with the Dandy "really means nothing" Dozen rankings.

These players are getting better every year due to spending their summers playing on an outstanding AAU team that has excellent coaching, college exposure to high-level play and they compete against the best players in the nation. They competed very well at the Nike Nationals and have won and/or placed 2nd at several prestigious events that all the college coaches attend. Harrington has done nothing to advance their basketball skills or presence, if anything he and his worthless staff should be appreciative that these athletes have chosen to pusure their HS academics at Briarcrest.

Sounds like the only one chanting is YOU. To bad, you sound more like a player or the parent of a player that couldn't cut it. So now this is the only way you can critisize the one's who can.

I would agree that Harrington is in over his head, previously they could have said the talent level was lacking, but now its obvious that he's not capable of preparing the team. The asst. coaches he has are mere bumps on a log, so hopefully they can get some help. I don't belive the players are bought or Briarcrest is buying players, generally better players like to play with better players. BCHS offers a great academic prep for college which is why the athletes go there. It's great to get college scholarships, but if you can't do college level academics it's all for nothing.

Mayot1011 and thgrubb89, You guys sound like a lot of cry babies, we can't compete and surmise that they are better than us, so they must be doing something wrong or cheating in order to beat us. Typical looser mentality. As a graduate of BCHS and close relative to the players in question I know exactly what goes on versus what is being reported and perceived to go on. Have either of you seen the canceled checks and bank statements of these parents. Have you seen the 401k loan and withdrawal statements? Have you seen the personal account withdrawals and deposits,, NO you haven't. But guess what I HAVE, so I take your accusations with all of your whining, and add some cheese for flavor. Books are written to sell and make profit $$$$, just remember that. mayor10111, why don't you tell these paying parents to get their over-privileged sorry butt kids in the gym instead of going to Europe, Hawaii, Cancun or Destin, FL. during the spring and summer and learn how to play basketball instead of complaining about those who sacrifice their spring and summers to play basketball on a National level. No parent has the right to be upset or upset-off if their kid doesn't have the ability to compete and play without putting in the work and time in the off-season. No amount of $$$ can solve their or your problem. GET REAL... Take a ride on your crycycles somewhere else ! !

mayor1011, You are totally wrong, none of Briarcrest players have been bought, I know that their parents are paying the full tuition amounts, they just chose Briarcrest because of its academic prep for college. Briarcrest lost to St. Benedict due to coaching, or lack there of. Coach Harrington is a nice guy, but does not know how to coach and prepare 'real' talent. The main problem is that he has let himself succumb to parental and political pressures versus preparing and putting the best players on the court. For instance, parents donate money to the team and expect for their son's to receive playing time in return, and when their son doesn't get to play you have a lot of upset upset-off parents of kids who really can't play complaining to the administration and causing problems. Now insert these high level Div I prospects who can really play and you have a huge dilemma. Do I prepare and put my best athletes on the court or do I play these kids who clearly can't play at the varsity level? Unfortunately money talks and the team is made to suffer. Harrington needs to take a serious look at what he is doing, or not doing. He has lost games to St. George and St. Benedict that the team should have clearly won, but he managed to get out coached. He'd better be careful and start coaching the team to win and not coach to appease parents or he'll suffer the same fate as the football coach. I can think of several coaches in the Memphis area that would love to coach a team with this type of talent.

Coach Powers is a great person, I had the pleasure of playing for him and with his son. He should be able to do good things with the teams. But based on what I'm hearing and being told by current and recent grads he is in for a struggle to have a decent program that directly conflicts with the direction of the school. What's going on is that the administration wants Briarcrest to become a 'liberal arts' school, with optional physical fitness programs after school. It's tough to swallow but it will all have to start from the top if the program is to be turned into a competitive program. Some of them think the sportsplex should be dug up and made into a performance arts and cultural studies center with an attached auditorium. Hmmm....... 2004-05 Div 2 AA State Champ alumni

A friend of mine told me that in his state all High Sschool playoff games are hosted at neutral sites. Has TSSAA ever thought of doing this? TSSAA would put the events out for bid and have High Schools or colleges bid for them.

OMG you've got to be kidding about not being able to wear lettermen jackets to school, this has been a high school tradition in America forever. I wore my father's jacket on throw-back old-school day. This new administration must really want to take the high school experience away from being in high school, this is CRAZY. Does the current administration realize that a student can receive varsity letters in things other than sports. i.e... Marching Band, Pep Club, Cheerleader, POM Squad, Color Guard. These people must really be out of touch, glad I graduated when Briarcrest was a real high school. This sounds like a bunch of people who were never capable, able or willing to participate in any extracurricular high school activities when they were in high school and now as adults they are taking it out on the current students. Looks like a case of someone who is trying to get revenge or exercise their power. 2004-05 AA State Champ Alumni

The facility was built before the current administration was in place. Not to place blame or fault on the current administration, but according to some recent grads and current students there has definitely been a change in the direction of the school in general, not just with its sports programs. The football program is the first example of what may come and how the programs will be managed in the future. High School is not just about sports and it's not just about academics, it’s the overall experience to prepare students for life afterwards, I now realize this at MS State. Some of my best high school memories were from the football team and the State Championship games and playoffs. 2004-05 AA State Champ alumni

Briarcrest at one time meant pride, the pursuit of excellence, compassion towards the helping of others and having a personal relationship with God. This type of environment breeds and attracted quality, teachers, student-athletes and their families. From talking to some recent grads the current administration is going away from that type of environment and is creating a rigid liberal arts type institution and student body that really doesn't care or value school spirit and pride about its sports programs. Coach Hamstra is the beginning of a new era and type of coach the school now wants, someone to just provide the students with nice uniforms and something to do after school. From what I'm told the current students and previous coaches do not participate with the program or they transfer to other private schools. I understand now the coaching staff from the 2004-05 State Champ team has resigned and there's been 200% turnover since Hugh Freezs' departure also. Hamstra should NOT be fired from his academic faculty position, but relieved from the football head coaching position. 2004-05 Champ alumni

My Jr and Sr year we played the big boys in DivI and Div II and either won or competed extremely well. Losing that many kids doesn't sound right, obviously injuries will hurt a team, but quitting and moving was never an option when I played. I know Hugh Freez left after my Sr year to coach at that other college in MS. But the staff was left intact from what I remember. Concerned alumni...

What has happend to Briarcrest, as an alumni and former player on 2004 State AA Champs what the heck is going on?