LQ signs with LSU ! ! !

[nrgrizzlies]

Surprised it wasn't mentioned already. Former La Vergne High standout LaQuinta Jefferson has signed with LSU, head coach Nikki Caldwell said on Friday.

LQ goes bigtime - signs w/SEC program

 

After her senior class was gone (and an unpopular coaching change) - LHS went from the penthouse to the outhouse in girls hoops. I won't mention some of the margins of losses from last season.

 

Can LHS make hay out of this great news about the most popular female athlete in school history and take this opportunity to re-spark interest in the now downtrodden program? I won't hold my breath since there wasn't much made of their 2002 state championship in baseball. Many current and even past students and long-time LaVergne residents are not even aware they won a state title.

 

I double-dog-dare the administration at LHS to do something with this good news they just got. But no need for any of us to hold our breath that it will happen.

[Hardcourt]

Surprised it wasn't mentioned already. Former La Vergne High standout LaQuinta Jefferson has signed with LSU, head coach Nikki Caldwell said on Friday.

LQ goes bigtime - signs w/SEC program

 

After her senior class was gone (and an unpopular coaching change) - LHS went from the penthouse to the outhouse in girls hoops. I won't mention some of the margins of losses from last season.

 

Can LHS make hay out of this great news about the most popular female athlete in school history and take this opportunity to re-spark interest in the now downtrodden program? I won't hold my breath since there wasn't much made of their 2002 state championship in baseball. Many current and even past students and long-time LaVergne residents are not even aware they won a state title.

 

I double-dog-dare the administration at LHS to do something with this good news they just got. But no need for any of us to hold our breath that it will happen.

 

 

Don't know the girl but honestly, it's girls high school basketball. If the area you live in doesn't support it then it wouldn't matter if she went straight to the WNBA. Girls basketball is a niche. It's big in some places and nothing in others. It's probably more popular in TN then anyplace in the country but that is due to the success of the Lady Vols. In other states you won't find 200 people at the state championship. Even in the SEC most arenas are virtually empty when the girls play and that's college level basketball.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Hardcourt

[icecold06]

Surprised it wasn't mentioned already. Former La Vergne High standout LaQuinta Jefferson has signed with LSU, head coach Nikki Caldwell said on Friday.

LQ goes bigtime - signs w/SEC program

 

After her senior class was gone (and an unpopular coaching change) - LHS went from the penthouse to the outhouse in girls hoops. I won't mention some of the margins of losses from last season.

 

Can LHS make hay out of this great news about the most popular female athlete in school history and take this opportunity to re-spark interest in the now downtrodden program? I won't hold my breath since there wasn't much made of their 2002 state championship in baseball. Many current and even past students and long-time LaVergne residents are not even aware they won a state title.

 

I double-dog-dare the administration at LHS to do something with this good news they just got. But no need for any of us to hold our breath that it will happen.

I'm not sure what you want them to do. Right now they don't have the talent to compete in 7AAA, and Laquinta signing with LSU is not going to change that. There aren't any more Laquinta's walking the halls of Lavergne

[nrgrizzlies]

And why is the next LQ not walking the halls over there? Because she is at Ensworth. Just as Jalen Ramsey, one of the top football players in the state - being recruited by Ohio State, USC, Florida, Alabama, etc. is at Brentwood Academy and not LHS. Several good athletes from that area go out of zone to Oakland too.

 

Let's face it. The condition of the school was neglected for years - mold in classrooms, rotting ceiling tiles ready to fall out of the ceiling, etc. Academics? There was a time when they didn't have enough teachers certified to teach A P classes...the kids had to get up before sunrise to go elsewhere to finish their A P class and THEN go back to LHS and finish the schoolday. There were too many conduct problem kids roaming the halls. Too many classes that were overcrowded to the point of nowhere to sit. And then when a new administration was sent in to fix all those years of neglect, people acted like they wanted the status quo back. They acted like infants who had their pacifier taken away. The troublemakers couldn't accept that the inmates were no longer going to be allowed to run the asylum. They even got together and had a facebook page that threatened violence against the new principal. (until facebook eventually took it down)

 

If you were a top student-athlete (serious about both sports and school) - is this where you would want to go?

I used to take up for the school constantly. But those days are over. If some of those people actually WANT their school to go back to being crappy instead of improving and being comparable to Blackman, Siegel, Oakland,etc. - they will continue to lose good students and athletes to private schools, the magnet school, out-of-zone, etc. (There has been less negative news from over there this last school year, so maybe the reforms put in place by the new administration will work - but the bad reputation from all those other years will take a LONG time fade away.)

[icecold06]

And why is the next LQ not walking the halls over there? Because she is at Ensworth. Just as Jalen Ramsey, one of the top football players in the state - being recruited by Ohio State, USC, Florida, Alabama, etc. is at Brentwood Academy and not LHS. Several good athletes from that area go out of zone to Oakland too.

 

Let's face it. The condition of the school was neglected for years - mold in classrooms, rotting ceiling tiles ready to fall out of the ceiling, etc. Academics? There was a time when they didn't have enough teachers certified to teach A P classes...the kids had to get up before sunrise to go elsewhere to finish their A P class and THEN go back to LHS and finish the schoolday. There were too many conduct problem kids roaming the halls. Too many classes that were overcrowded to the point of nowhere to sit. And then when a new administration was sent in to fix all those years of neglect, people acted like they wanted the status quo back. They acted like infants who had their pacifier taken away. The troublemakers couldn't accept that the inmates were no longer going to be allowed to run the asylum. They even got together and had a facebook page that threatened violence against the new principal. (until facebook eventually took it down)

 

If you were a top student-athlete (serious about both sports and school) - is this where you would want to go?

I used to take up for the school constantly. But those days are over. If some of those people actually WANT their school to go back to being crappy instead of improving and being comparable to Blackman, Siegel, Oakland,etc. - they will continue to lose good students and athletes to private schools, the magnet school, out-of-zone, etc. (There has been less negative news from over there this last school year, so maybe the reforms put in place by the new administration will work - but the bad reputation from all those other years will take a LONG time fade away.)

I understand what you are saying and you make very valid points. Having coached middle school bball in Rutherford county 8 out of the last 9 years I can tell you there wasn't another player the caliber of Laquinta coming through the ranks after she left.

[nrgrizzlies]

Whoever "nic" is...sorry, but my private message inbox seems to not work. If you agree or disagree with any of this - looks like you might to just "shout it out" in a post if that is o.k.

 

Also...was this not the next top player coming up zoned for LHS?

 

Did you ever notice how many better academic athletic kids went to Rock Springs Middle and not the other? Really, why would they want to attend a (at one time) run down and unruly school (LHS) after being at an orderly and organized environment like Rock Springs? For kids to get up an hour or an hour and a half early to go out of zone to Oakland or the magnet school or a private school (it's not easy getting kids out of bed even at the normal school time)...they must want to go somewhere else pretty darn bad.

 

By the way - it took much too long for the school board to finally take the complaints seriously from LHS zone parents and at least seem to try to turn things around over there.

[nic]

Whoever "nic" is...sorry, but my private message inbox seems to not work. If you agree or disagree with any of this - looks like you might to just "shout it out" in a post if that is o.k.

 

Also...was this not the next top player coming up zoned for LHS?

 

Did you ever notice how many better academic athletic kids went to Rock Springs Middle and not the other? Really, why would they want to attend a (at one time) run down and unruly school (LHS) after being at an orderly and organized environment like Rock Springs? For kids to get up an hour or an hour and a half early to go out of zone to Oakland or the magnet school or a private school (it's not easy getting kids out of bed even at the normal school time)...they must want to go somewhere else pretty darn bad.

 

By the way - it took much too long for the school board to finally take the complaints seriously from LHS zone parents and at least seem to try to turn things around over there.

 

Yes Kennesha was the next top athlete to be zoned to LHS with a great group of girls that went to Oakland. Kennesha should not be compared to LQ, she has always been different in her own way. Now there are kids looking up to her trying to improve their game. Why would her parents want to jeopardize her academic career by sending her to LHS? They must have seen some different to pull her out of one of the best basketball counties in the state.

Edited July 1, 2012 by nic

[icecold06]

Gotcha I didn't realize she was zoned for Lavergne. I thought she was zoned for Smyrna

[Indian]

A student can make it academically out of any school, including Lavergne. Just because others at the school may waste their opportunities doesn't mean an individual has to as well.

[wingman10]

A student can make it academically out of any school, including Lavergne. Just because others at the school may waste their opportunities doesn't mean an individual has to as well.

I agree, but a lot of folks in today's world thinks otherwise.

[nrgrizzlies]

A student can make it academically out of any school, including Lavergne. Just because others at the school may waste their opportunities doesn't mean an individual has to as well.

 

Absolutely true.

 

However, things had started to get ridiculous to the point of the entire administration of the school just about was replaced. Why the downhill status quo was let linger for so long by the school board and central office ??? there are several viewpoints on that. On the "glass half full" side of things, some of the kids who graduated during the worst of times over there are actually on the deans list at the various colleges they attend I hear (YES!) and there seems to be less whining over there from the underachievers and malcontents who wanted the crappy status quo to remain. On top of that, when Stew Creek High opens, that should eliminate some of the crowded issues. (you would think)

[nic]

Absolutely true.

 

However, things had started to get ridiculous to the point of the entire administration of the school just about was replaced. Why the downhill status quo was let linger for so long by the school board and central office ??? there are several viewpoints on that. On the "glass half full" side of things, some of the kids who graduated during the worst of times over there are actually on the deans list at the various colleges they attend I hear (YES!) and there seems to be less whining over there from the underachievers and malcontents who wanted the crappy status quo to remain. On top of that, when Stew Creek High opens, that should eliminate some of the crowded issues. (you would think)

Parents have issues sending their kids to La Vergne. But the girls basketball will have problems for at least four more years. Parents have a lot of options for schools to send their girls too. Oakland, Blackman, Smyrna are all young. Riverdale speaks for itself! Also do not forget about the private schools Ensworth and BA.