imafootballfreak

Pretty funny stuff - you should check out unauthorized website.com - Memphis had a West TN combine this past weekend and he stole the show from the lineman group - he is featured on the site's front page. Rivals interviewed him and there is about a 3 min video on him at the All-American combine in San Antonio and at the Memphis thing and theyt alk about a lot of stuff. you might find it interesting this thing wouldn't let me type the website - so I'll try again - T N V A R S I T Y . C O M

good luck to you guys as well - we have certainly stepped up in classification this year, but since our entire O-line and 8 of 11 skill players return, we feel pretty good about the prospects. I think I remember reading you - or maybe your buddy Butchie, talking about our #77, OC Brown after the game. I thought Id update you. He is now a Unapproved Website four star and top 250 nationally at all positions. Ranked 5th natioanlly at his position and is reciveing offers weekly - most recently from the University of Colorado. You should check his you tube clip out or look his stuff up on rivals website - it is pretty exciting stuff and frankly a testament to your win last year - it was the first time in 2 years that we were held under 300 yards of total offense and under 20 points - we really thought we could beat you and had you at the end - what a gutsy group of kids you had to make that stand. We really felt like if we beat yall we could've made a run at state. Good luck again to you next year, we wish you all the best. Oh, also, if you will forward me a photo of yourself, I'll be more than happy to post it on the Gay Hawk's bullitine board and you can catch up with some of the new friends you made during your visit to BTW. Im sure they would love to hear from you.

We will certainly keep him in our thoughts and prayers and good luck with next season

Good greetings from Manassas Tigers. You folks from McKenzie are hilarious. Its the "GAY HAWK", not the gay parrot and unfortunately you probably will never return as I don't see us playing you guys ever again with the new classifications and all. Shame really, although we are 0-2 with you guys, we feel like we have made enough strides to compete now with the best, and we certainly consider your program one of the best. It was a great game, and I suggest if you ever return, finding a different parking lot - God almighty I don't even know you, but the thought of you good ole boys from Mckenzie rolling up to the Gay Hawk in the south Memphis Hood is hilarious. The trophy cabinet sure would have looked good this year with a gold EGG propped up right next to that gold basketball we just brought home - but you guys kept that from happening - what a game! Anyway, we were wondering who Max was and what happened. Did he play against us in the playoff game and if so, what was his number? How did he get hurt? Just some of us Manassas folk were wondering.

Man this is a great thread. The 78-79 teams were very good. I remember playing in a tournament as a 13-14 year old in Millington against TEAM COCA COLA and then hustling over with my coach to the Bolton gym to watch them play. Those teams had awsome guard play. The were good in the open court, but at that time were more of a half court team both defensively and offensively. I remember them running some 1-3-1 half court trap stuff and running out of it, but when their opponent did score, they got into a half court offense - again I think this is because they were so "point guard" oriented. The 84-86 team ran fst breaks off MADE baskets. They were the first team that I remeber really working on not letting the ball, off a made basket, bounce. Honest to God, they would snatch the ball as it came through the net, hit one of 2 guards who were flared somwhere between the old 5 second timeline and half court who would then hit a runner in the middle of the floor and 3 seconds later they had scored and were in your face pressing again and the ball hadn't touched the ground ever since their opponent had dribbled it in the prior possesion - it was WAY ahead of its time. What made them really standout was that Syl would be the runner half the time and finished with authority. They also were one of the first that I saw penetrate and kick out. Back then, if you drove to the goal you simply went to the @@@@ or maybe feed the ball to an opposite post, but the idea of getting three feet from the goal to them pass it back 15 feet was absurd, but they did it. I just think because of the talent, the coaching, the style of play that they had, which changed the way many people in the Memphis area looked at the game, and their complete dominace - even over AA and AAA teams, that they were just a cut above the 70's teams.

Wish I had seen this post earlier - but here you go. The Joe Branch coached Bolton teams from 1984-1986 were the teams anchored by Sylvester Gray aka Syl. They beat Rodrick Watson's, who played at Wake Forest, West Side teams, Marvin Alexander's, Who Played at Memphis State, Whitehaven teams, Richard Madison's aka the Master Blaster's teams and won State Championships with ease. In 1986, Sylvester played the 4 and Lang Wiseman, of The University of Tenn, played the 2. Next to Syl, the 5 was 6-10. At point was a guy whose name I can't recall, but ended up at a junior college and played 6 years professionally in Spian. They dressed 15 and played 11 and ran the court in ways that were ahead of their time. The 2 guard looked like a young Curley Neal and was deadly anywhere inside about 23 feet. There was no three point line back then. If there was he would have been even more incredible. I played AAU ball, have coached AAU ball, coached for a living in the past, seen basketball all over the US, and played against some of these guys. The 1986 Bolton team was so far and away the best A basketball team ever fielded, that second place is in another galaxy. These guys, coincidentally, all grew up in the Bolton/Arlington area, went to Barret's Chaple Middle school together and lost 4 games in 6 years. It simply doesn't and hasn't ever gotten any better than this group. I hated them back then, but have grown to respect and appreciate just how unbelievable they were now.

I have to add to this comment. Manassas had to hear this stuff in football, too. First, Westside High School was shut down 2 years ago. The majority of those students went to Trezvant and Frayser. In football, Manassas had 2 former Westside players on last year's team and none on this year's. The basketball team had three from last year's and none on this year's team. So, you can argue that the school being shut down did help the basketball team last year, but it had no effect this year on basketball, and very little effect either year in football. Also, the freshman class at Manassas is larger than the Sophomore, junior, and senior classses all combined. It is very true that enrollment has doubled, but it is all in the freshman class. This might help in a copule of years, but for this year's football team, no freshman started and only three lettered. On the basketball team, I don't think any even played - ever, so the enrollment being AA arguement holds NO WATER. Lastly, the recruiting talk is ridiculous. The only recruiting that goes on at Manassas is to keep kids from the neighborhood in the neighborhood school. MUS, Briarcrest, Harding, CBHS, and most of the other wealthy private schools try to stink the life out of the inner city talent pool. Manassas and many other inner city Memphis schools have to fight this every year. And to say that the coaches at Manassas recruit is absurd. What do they have to offer? How would you sell going to school in one of the most impoverished areas in the country. How do you sell a lack of funding? How do you sell smaller fan bases and crowds because the $5 to get into a game is too big of a financial stretch for most and the cost of going to an away game, especially an overnight thing like the state tournament, is completely out of the question? How do you sell walking through a metal detector every morning? What exactly would the coaches recruit to? I appreciate that rumors run rampant, but the facts are the facts and to say that Manassas has excelled the last couple of years because old schools consolidating, increased enrollment, and recruiting all over the city is just wrong. Maybe, just maybe, the coaches are doing a very good job in a very trying atmosphere and the kids are responding. Maybe an inner city school has people trying to get it right for a change, and maybe folks aren't very used to seeing that so they come up with a bunch of reasons other than the truth, which is that the kids and coaches at Manassas have simply worked hard to be better.

GREAT POST The only thing is, from an actual Manassas football fan , although football did struggle for a long while, please not ethe recent history: 16-6 over the last 2 years and 2 playoff berths with a Rivals 4 star offensive lineman and the top recruit in the city for next year. We are back in football , TOO! Go Tigers

lol

MTiger and Legend - PLEASE tell these folks how it works in New Chicago!

UMMMM..... that is interesting. From this post, you make it sound like he just walked up and punched someone. First, none of this is confirmed. Second, if he really punched a 15 year old girl in the face, she would be hospitalized. He is 6-7 230lbs and strong. I have a hard time believing that this happened, or she would be in the hospital, he would be in jail , and it would be all over the news. Sounds to me like some loud mouth, crying Humbolt fan got up in his face and he got them out of it. Ya'll been talking about lazt this, overrated that, inner city this, can't do that. Manassas won, fair and square with early foul trouble. Ya'll thought you were better - that is better at basketball, and the way many of you talk just better people. We are used to that, so keep talking. But here are the facts. Humbolt lost, so we are better at basketball. And if there was an altercation, it looks like we are better at backing up the smack, too. What do you expect when you get in a kids face? Sounds like he was restrained, because agian, if a 15 year old girl was dead PUNCHED in the face by a 18 year old, 6-7 230 lb young man, she would be getting wired jaws right about now - I just don't buy it, and don't believe for a second Humbolt were just little angels getting pick offed by the big, bad inner city kids. Play if you want to, but we ain't listening!

Not bad for a football freak, huh - I missed by 1 point - Must have been that I went to church on the 15th when I made this prediction and I was spoken to. All these folks expecting a game in the 70s had their heads in the clouds - Of coruse there were lots of turnovers and missed 3-pointers. It is highschool, first round, top 2 teams and TONS of nerves. GO TIGERS! The best team won today, folks.

I am Very proud of our Manassas Tigers. After last year's choke job, this was a heck of a way to win. Having said that, Humbolt's kids are probably devestated, but should be VERY proud of their season. Handshakes or not, congrats to them on a super season and WAY TO GO TIGERS - GET THE GOLD!!!!!!!!!!

that is reasonable - except I give the edge to Manassas - 63-59 - Good luck!