Stratford only 16 players

[NightStalker]

I saw an article in the Tennessean that said that Stratford only had 16 players at practice on Monday. How can a school of over a thousand only have 16 players? Better yet how can they expect to compete in 4A?

[noonesfool]

The bad news is they probably won't compete very well at all in 4A.

[cbg]

It all starts with the leadership at the top! Let's not forget that Stratford has become an inner city school with little football success the last 5 years. Take a quick survey and see how many kids want to be part of a winning program vs a loosing program: Winning will solve most of the problems!!!!!!!!!

TEAM 2007 RECORD 2008 TEAM MEMBERS

Hillwood

Hillsboro

Glencliff

Pearl Cohn

Antioch

John Overton

McGavock

Mapelwood

Whites Creek

Hunters Lane

[BurroBall]

I saw an article in the Tennessean that said that Stratford only had 16 players at practice on Monday. How can a school of over a thousand only have 16 players? Better yet how can they expect to compete in 4A?

 

 

 

Supposedly, several of Stratford's players in the past have co-opped from East Literature. However, this season East Literature is reviving their program and thus getting their students to play for them instead of Stratford.

 

Also, in that article Stratford's coach is quoted as saying they actually have 29 players on their roster currently. However, only 16 showed up for practice on monday. He said seven didn't have rides and/or didn't know what time practice started. Four more don't have physicals yet. Unacceptable. That kind of attitude will have Stratford in the cellar for a very long time.

 

All I can say is the Stratford coach is going to have the toughest job in Metro to make them competitive, but that is a typical problem for the Metro Boy's Basketball powerhouses. They have the athletes to be competitive....so you know that ain't the problem.

[bigchief]

Supposedly, several of Stratford's players in the past have co-opped from East Literature. However, this season East Literature is reviving their program and thus getting their students to play for them instead of Stratford.

 

Also, in that article Stratford's coach is quoted as saying they actually have 29 players on their roster currently. However, only 16 showed up for practice on monday. He said seven didn't have rides and/or didn't know what time practice started. Four more don't have physicals yet. Unacceptable. That kind of attitude will have Stratford in the cellar for a very long time.

 

All I can say is the Stratford coach is going to have the toughest job in Metro to make them competitive, but that is a typical problem for the Metro Boy's Basketball powerhouses. They have the athletes to be competitive....so you know that ain't the problem.

 

Nothing "supposed" about it. Up until this year East Lit students had a co-op with Stratford for football just like MLK did with Hillsboro (now Pearl Cohn) and Hume Fogg has with Hillwood. About half of Stratford's players from grades 9-12 last year actually attended East Lit. Coaches at Stratford ignored the old saying of "don't bite the hand that feeds you". Live and learn.

 

I hope Stratford can pull it together and be competitive this season.

 

They had 21 at practice on Wednesday. I guess five of the seven found rides.

[BurroBall]

Nothing "supposed" about it. Up until this year East Lit students had a co-op with Stratford for football just like MLK did with Hillsboro (now Pearl Cohn) and Hume Fogg has with Hillwood. About half of Stratford's players from grades 9-12 last year actually attended East Lit. Coaches at Stratford ignored the old saying of "don't bite the hand that feeds you". Live and learn.

 

I hope Stratford can pull it together and be competitive this season.

 

They had 21 at practice on Wednesday. I guess five of the seven found rides.

 

 

 

Good grief! I am glad that Hillsboro didn't have that many kids coming from MLK. We would typically get about 6-10 co-opping in a given year and I am only aware of two varsity players in the last 5 years from MLK that were good enough to receive significant playing time.

[FlyBy]

This is very disappointing to read.

 

Back in my day (and that was a long time ago), Stratford had great athletes and fielded some very good teams. One of the best games that I was ever involved in was the Stratford-MBA game in 1986 at MBA in the monsoon with Joe Campbell (MTSU) and Bernard Womack (I think) leading the way for Stratford. We were very fortunate to beat them that night and move on to Gallatin in the second round of the playoffs.

 

Do whatever it takes to get the kids out there.

 

Good luck, Spartans.

[60spartans]

I was sadden by this story when I read this in the newspaper because I have been with them all this summer. The main reason why they only have 16 players to show up for practice is because their was not one offensive or defensive lineman that have showed up to practice. They never came to the weight room or showed up for conditioning. But I haven't been up there since last week and today I'm going to their scrimmage today @ Hillwood @ 5. So come out and support THE SPARTANS!!!

 

And East Lit did get their own team and they half of our players that's where most of the lineman came from. They bring about 5-6 lineman and about 10-15 skills players. So of course my old school is go be down for right now, but I'm betting anyone that the rest of the players will show up when school starts. I'm hoping and praying my last year school makes it to the playoffs atleast the first round. And I believe they can because they have 2 fastest players in the midstate in Deangelo Gray and Deangelo Bunchan. THEY JUST NEED LINEMEN!!!

[2priceless]

This is very sad. I remember when they were one of the elite programs . I wish them the best of luck this year.

[pking34]

I was sadden by this story when I read this in the newspaper because I have been with them all this summer. The main reason why they only have 16 players to show up for practice is because their was not one offensive or defensive lineman that have showed up to practice. They never came to the weight room or showed up for conditioning. But I haven't been up there since last week and today I'm going to their scrimmage today @ Hillwood @ 5. So come out and support THE SPARTANS!!!

 

And East Lit did get their own team and they half of our players that's where most of the lineman came from. They bring about 5-6 lineman and about 10-15 skills players. So of course my old school is go be down for right now, but I'm betting anyone that the rest of the players will show up when school starts. I'm hoping and praying my last year school makes it to the playoffs atleast the first round. And I believe they can because they have 2 fastest players in the midstate in Deangelo Gray and Deangelo Bunchan. THEY JUST NEED LINEMEN!!!

 

 

Sounds like some of the "bigs" need to get their work ethic back up. There was one "big" in last year's Stratford program that was a real hard-working player (got his bench up to over 400, which is astounding for a HS player), and is now playing at Miles College (I believe he was last year's Stratford center).

 

I'm going to come and check the scrimmage out (Hillwood's just a few blocks from my house).

[Indian]

Any idea about how many of East Lit's players were starters at Stratford last year, if any?

[Footballfan15]

This will be a rough year for the spartans.