Who ARE THE TOP 6A TEAMS IN MEMPHIS?

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Whitehaven football motivated by Class 6A semifinal loss to Cane Ridge

 

Pete Wickham, For the Commercial AppealPublished 7:00 a.m. CT Aug. 10, 2018

 

(Whitehaven LB Bryson Eason)

(Whitehaven's Coromantae Hamilton)

Every day they step onto the practice field, or into the weight room at Whitehaven,  Cormontae Hamilton said there’s an invisible post-it note being passed around.

“Memo says, ‘Don’t get ahead of yourself,’ ” said the Ohio State commitment.  “We did that last year, and in came disappointment.”

The Tigers thought they were in position to sweep to a fourth state Class 6A final in six years.

In the bag.

Then they got bagged by Cane Ridge, 14-7, and Hamilton said, “that’s the motivation we come in with every day.”

Whitehaven hard coach Rodney Saulsberry watches his during a recent practice.  (Photo: Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

 

That motivation excites Whitehaven coach Rodney Saulsberry. “This group competes and challenges each other every day in practice,” he said. “They want to compete, to be better every play. You get that and you give yourselves a chance.”

Hiccups aside, Saulsberry’s Tiger dynasty is alive and very well, thank you. They have won two state titles since 2010, failed to reach the semifinals once and have a record of 101-12 after logging an 11-3 mark last season.

National Signing Day will once again stretch tables across the school auditorium stage with a dozen or so seniors set to move on to the next level.

But the scary part of this Tiger team is that the junior class may be what drives it. Especially a linebacking corps led by Bryson Eason, a first-team Commercial Appeal All-Metro pick last year, and second-teamer Martavius French.

“The linebackers will stir the drink for us,” Saulsberry said of the group, which also includes seniors Tyler Hunter and Maleek Thornton.

On offense, junior Keyshawn Harris is pressing for time at the quarterback spot held last year by senior Vincent Guy. Whoever is there will have a sizeable number of athletic targets, such as Hamilton, Vanderbilt commit Devin Boddie plus transfer and South Carolina commit Keveon Mullins, an All-Metro first-teamer at East last year.

The line is anchored by senior Melvin McBride, a Top 10 prospect in the state on the 247Sports list.

“Defense wins championships, but we have the potential to score as well,” Saulsberry said. “If we can be efficient on offense and capitalize on opportunities in the red zone we can score some points, and win with the defense we have.”

The momentum never seems to stop, and Hamilton and Hunter will tell you that it’s because Saulsberry, his staff – and the school’s sizeable heritage never stops.

“You set the expectation and establish the standard for your work starting in the classroom,” Saulsberry said. “Each year is brand new but you have the same goal, the same result in mind.”

 

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Major Wright era ready to start at Memphis Central football

 

Pete Wickham, For The Commercial AppealPublished 5:00 a.m. CT Aug. 10, 2018

 

 

 

 

It’s back to rebuilding for Major Wright – kind of.

The veteran Shelby County coach will be at the helm of the fourth team in his career when the season opens. But the situation he inherits from the retired Lynord Crutchfield at Central is light years removed from his last stop on the carousel.

“You’re always trying to get a new system in, get acclimated to the kids and do a lot of stuff off the field to kind of get a kick-start,” Wright said.

But after four seasons turning around what had been a minefield of a program at Raleigh-Egypt, taking over the Warriors will be a piece of cake.

“In terms of changing the culture I don’t have to worry about that,” Wright said, “Coach Crutchfield left the culture here in a really good state, so I’m just trying to piggyback off that positive momentum. It’s a great mix of kids and you’ve got a little bit of everything here.”

The Warriors stumbled a bit last year, going 5-6 with a Class 6A second round loss to Whitehaven. The team averaged eight wins a season the previous four years. And the Spartans have several elite prospects to help anchor Wright’s first squad.

Defensively, Central will be anchored up front with Memphis commitment Trevis Hopper at defensive tackle, Eric Gregory and Isaac Green at defensive end. He believes Micah Boyland, a 230-pound junior, will draw considerable Division I interest this season surrounded by experience.

Central coach Major Wright instructs his players during practice (Photo: JUSTIN FORD, )

 

Green said the bond is forming quickly with Wright and his staff. “Everything he says he’s going to do he’s done. New locker room, new uniforms … every day he doesn’t stop working with us, helping us become better men, not just football players.”

Green said he enjoys playing the role of team leader helping to develop the younger players – and they can’t develop fast enough.

“If they don’t come along, you’ve got to play the whole game yourself,” he said.

The big question for this team could be at quarterback where senior Sylvester Donerson and sophomore David Poree II are competing for the chance to throw to targets like LSU commit Darin Turner. Wright also likes what he’s seen so far from what he hopes will be a deep pool of running backs.

“If we don’t turn over the ball, and don’t go backward on drives, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win,” he said.

After stints at White Station and Briarcrest, Wright took over a Raleigh-Egypt program that had endured nine losing seasons and forfeited one game because it didn’t have enough players to put on the field.

Four years later, the Pharaohs went 12-0 before losing to perennial power Covington in the Class 3A quarterfinals. And running back Kalyn Grandberry earned Mr. Football honors.

“The most fulfilling part of my time there was having the kids reap the benefits of the work they were willing to commit to doing. And in a setting like Raleigh-Egypt that kind of fulfillment for kids is a little harder to come by.

"But they have seen some concrete evidence now that commitment and hard work pay off. I also had the pleasure of developing some tremendous relationships with those kids. Relationships that will last a lifetime.”

When Wright signed on, Central not only got a football coach – but a basketball scorekeeper as well.

“Everywhere I’ve been my mother has kept the book at basketball games,” he said, “and I imagine it will be no different here.”