Posted on 11/13/2005 9:08:49 AM PST by DollyCali
Went to high school playoff games at Brown's stadium yesterday - Saturday November 12, 2005. Can this be fall in Ohio.. November 11th & the temps over 60 ! Wow. Had it been 30, I would not have been there & this story not written. Yup, fair weather fan!
There were about 25K folks there. Many of them first time EVER in brown's wonderful facility on the shores of Lake Erie. And for four teams of athletes the JOY to play there most it will be the only time to play there.
First game was St Ed's of Lakewood.. always a contender against Brush (Euclid,Lyndhurst) ..a team that some really felt should have been there. But they were & they played their hearts out for the thousands of supporters present. Score 49/0.. St. Eds on top.. Predictable & sad that is was so unbalanced. Well, NOT sad to the St. Ed's fans who were crazy, wild happy the whole game.
A game of the economically Privileged Players vs Poor Players
Solon is a wealthy community that had a wonderful swing band (one of the Hudson copy- cat bands) and a superb team that handily whooped my team Hudson this year. I am basically a band groupie, but love the drive of the young athletes & so the game is a great addition to the band. I have followed Hudson HS marching band (300+ strong) for 14 years.. Rarely missing a game/performance/band show etc.
The band of Solon of over 150had classy uniforms.. the cheerleaders were polished & beautiful and all looked like they had just stepped out of a spa. Glenville does not have a strong music program to bring up players/bands. Most of the folks in school could not afford instruments or lessons.
On the Solon there were professional signs all over. Balloons were released when they scored. The halftime show (just Solon went out) would challenge any college show. The school is probably 25 %minority & that will be a combo of black, Hispanic, mid east & Asian backgrounds. The spirit of the athletes, parents, fans etc. was wonderful & upbeat. We sat on this side only because the sun was here when we arrived at the Brown’s stadium .. when we went over we had no idea which side was which.
The second team Glenville was from the poorest of poor areas (economically) in East Cleveland. the school is about 95 black & these people by and large are very poor. This team is regularly a state contender & often a winner. They were polled 9th in nation when the playoffs began.
Expected it to be another 49/0 game. These kids are hot, confident & for most, the athletic achievements they attain are the highlight /center of their lives. When they came out to practice I was in awe of what I saw. The quarterback looked like he was 7 foot tall(was only 6'4" but because of the shorter coaches seemed a towering giant).. but there were bigger players.. and they too came out confident, bouncy & smiling.
Interestingly the head coach looked like a fine preacher.. dark suit, had, colorful shirt tie... while the team worked out he walked among them, spoke to & addressed each player & shook their hand. At this time I had no clue who the dressed up dude was.. but you could tell the kids liked him! I only realized he was the head coach when I saw his pix w/team on front page of paper.
The game was fairly balanced with both teams being sloppy first half & often the other team could capitalize in a minor/major way. I had pretty much expected a blowout score wise.. but the end score was 34/14 Glenville...
The poor outscored the privileged.
But the main reason for starting this little dialog was to tell you about a FRONT page article in Cleveland's paper this week.. with LARGE pictures. It was of the strong spiritual/Christian bond of the Glenville team. It was showing 9 of the players who this week became Christians & all decided to become baptized together.
This is a team of faith that prays often together, has bible study together & are good kids. REALLY good kids. Most live in areas that most here wouldn't even feel safe driving in.. they do NOT have much of what is normal for teens but they have the inner stuff of excellence & centering.
So at the game their supporters had crude handmade signs(like I would have BTW), a small marching band with spirit & excitement (but I guess didn't perform on the field much)but the team has the Lord.
.Commentary on Glennville’s future
Well those are my comments.. No, not from a football expert.. But a marching band enthusiast who was a PE teacher way back when & loves to see the development of young athletes & loves to follow the human interest stories around them..along the way. The following article is about the baptism of the Glenville athletes.. Thanks for stopping in.. your comments of course are welcome (and even if they weren’t, if you post an article here.. They will arrive!!!)
Dolly Howard…. AKA DollyCali
here are some snippets from the article on the baptism
The linebackers and run ning backs came two by two. Then came a hard- hitting safety and a cornerback. The baptismal pool at Calvary Hill Baptist Church was servicing the Glenville High School Tarblooders on Sunday morning.
Coach Ted Ginn Sr. perched himself on the side of the pool and watched intently. Rather than breaking down game tape of the Solon Comets, his powerful opponent in next Saturday's Region 1 semifinal game, he watched as nine of his warriors lined up single file to be submerged into water at the front of the church.
"What sense does it make to win a game and lose your soul?" Ginn said softly as enormous offensive tackle Eric Simmons prepared to take his dip.
The Rev. John W. Ribbins III, a hulk of a man himself, understood well that something special was happening on his watch and in his pulpit. Saturday night he watched the Glenville Tarblooders destroy the Euclid Panthers, 46-0, in a quarterfinal playoff game. Sunday morning he watched some of these same players submit themselves to his hands as he placed towels over their faces and dunked them into the pool.
Boys in long white T-shirts have never looked better.
Ginn wasn't the only one who skipped a Sunday morning film session. His entire coaching staff put football on the back burner and made the trek to East 103rd Street and Cedar Avenue. They deemed the water more important than the gridiron. So did more than 50 teammates, young men who chose to forfeit a deserved long night's rest to witness the baptisms. Unity appears to be the Glenville way.
Players shook off whatever aches and bruises they picked up in the previous night's victory and put on suits and ties and bore witness to teammates surrendering to God. This wasn't about football. This was about life. This wasn't compulsory. They wanted to be there.
So why is this important? Nine black boys got baptized in the 'hood yesterday morning at a church that shares a block with the sprawl known as the Cleveland Clinic. So what?
Pastor Ribbins perhaps summed it best before lowering sophomore linebacker Jamel "FuFu" Johnson into the water: "It's been said that Cleveland public schools aren't producing anything other than gangbangers and undereducated students. But Coach Ginn, you're producing young men of character. You're producing leaders." That appears to be his aim. Ginn, who is familiar with haute couture, doesn't wear religion on his sleeve.
But there is no doubt where he stands. He builds the man first. The football player follows. "Our program is not about Xs and Os," Ginn said. "This is about saving lives. We operate out of a different kind of playbook."."At Glenville, we might not have a lot of the material stuff that other schools have, but we have a system that we believe in. And we have our faith," said Ginn.
But simple faith did not get Glenville to 11-0 or earn it a trip to Cleveland Browns Stadium for this Saturday's regional semifinal showdown. There's something very special going on within Ted Ginn's program. And his work is bearing fruit both on and off the field.
Young black men figure prominently in the tales of crime, violence and despair that daily wrack this city. Far less often told are the inspirational stories of young men who take control of their lives, accept responsibility, succeed and work to build their character. But because the stories aren't told doesn't mean they don't exist. They do.
Senior safety Larry Whitner, brother of Ohio State University safety Donte Whitner, is a beautiful young man with Allan Iversonesque braids and intense eyes. Before Ribbins submerged him, he spoke of Larry's "caring heart."
Larry took it upon himself to drop off homework and to constantly check the well-being of Eric Haislah, a classmate and fellow player who was injured earlier in the season and missed a week of school. Larry was his brother's keeper. That's not only fellowship, it's leadership.After his baptism, he spoke of his motivation for being baptized.
"I felt like I needed God in my life. I feel like I can go further in my life and succeed with the help of God."
And his advice to other young men:
"Don't be afraid to let people know that you need help. We all do. Don't be afraid to let God be a part of your life," said the senior A-student. The people of this city need a revival: A revival of life, a revival of souls and a revival of purpose. Such a revival is occurring in Ted Ginn's swatch of Glenville. The swirling water at Calvary gave powerful testimony Sunday.
thanks for checking in Billie.. as I mentioned I am primarily a swing marching band groupie.. but I am getting more & more enthusiased when I follow this type of story.
are you still in massilon area? great teams over the years. In high school years ago(too many years ago) I was a debater & massilon always had a great debate/speech team.
Here is one of a Solon athlete dad & of the St.Ed's team following their game.
No, I'm in the Cleveland 'burbs now. Gotta go where the jobs are.
>
understand re location. you will have to attend some of our Heritage club meetings. conservatives.. Lake County . 2nd Thursday each month. Nice group and quite a few FReepers attend.
you were THERE???? Sweet!
Awesome stuff Dolly!!
Roger that. While the Browns tend to lose more games than they win, the Browns play a good game.
The Stadium could seat 10% of Cuyahoga County, and its always sold out. Too bad this is not an all weather stadium, it could host many other events.
Cheers,
OLA
The schools in our surrounding area made up 4 missed games because of the hurricane by playing on Tues. & Sat. We won the first playoff game.
We lost state last year by one point.
one point!!!! wow.. that is pity party big time!!! good luck this year.. keep us posted how your kids do
I haven't had the chance to meet the young man yet, but Ted Ginn, JR, who is also with the BUckeyes, is apparently a very level headed man as well.
I hope he keeps it up this weekend :)
I hope to be there this Sat.. hoping the Glenville game is early. I have a play in Hudson to attend (Forever Plaid) at 8.. so would need to leave stadium before 2nd game would be finished, no doubt.
If any FReepers will be there, we need to try to find each other - make arrangements ahead. maybe lunch before somewhere in area
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