posted by: Bass, Joseph A - MNPS at Aug 13, 2012 9:38:00 AM
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Board Member &
Sports Fan Mark North
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Alumni Alert – USA Olympic Basketball Coach
Did you know that Hillsboro High School graduate Marynell Meadors is an assistant coach for the 2012 US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team? That’s right, the gold medal winning US team – perhaps the best women’s basketball team ever assembled – benefited from the leadership of an MNPS legend. Coach Meadors is also the General Manager and Head Coach of the Atlanta Storm of the WNBA. Burro Bob is beside himself with pride. Congratulations to Olympic Champion Coach Meadors!
Sparkle Cats – Unique Student-Athletes Help Fans Get with the Program
No need for the North Sports Report to search far for inspiration, it met me at the gate, selling programs for the game. As I entered Nick Coutras Stadium at Overton High School Saturday night, I was greeted by The Sparkle Cats selling the game program with the roster of all four teams playing in that night’s jamboree. The Sparkle Cats is a pep squad of special needs students who train and perform with the Overton Cheerleaders. Principal Shuler Pelham and Cheerleading sponsor Donna Merchant explained that the Sparkle Cats go to cheerleading camp, perform at pep rallies, and help the cheerleaders with selected cheers at the games.
Every now and then, we need a reminder of the beauty and grace of public education and the true meaning of school spirit. Also, sometimes we need a game program with the teams’ rosters. The Sparkle Cats was just what the North Sports Report needed.
History…Isaac Litton High School
Isaac Litton High School closed forty years ago, but its history of athletic excellence is deep and rich. From Bonnie Sloan, the first deaf player in the NFL, to Bobby Hillman, a major league catcher who caught two no-hitters in his career, to the famous Marching 100+ marching band that performed in the 1964 Tournament of Roses Parade, to John Gordy, Detroit Lions great – the feats of Litton students are legendary. Litton alumnus and war hero Kenneth Duke played college football at SMU, left SMU to join the Navy, and was killed in Korea. The bridge on Briley Parkway over the Cumberland River near Litton is named in his honor. Friends and alumni gathered last week to dedicate the renovated gymnasium and alumni area. If you have any interest in the history of Nashville, Nashville schools, or high school athletics, you must visit the Litton alumni room.
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The Isaac Litton Alumni room (The Lion’s Den) includes memorabilia from the marching band’s appearance at The Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California in 1964. |
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Reflecting on the past: The Litton football jersey of war hero Kenneth Duke hangs in the Lion’s Den at the newly renovated Litton Gymnasium. |
Football Starts this Friday…They call it Week Zero
The jamborees packed all thirteen MNPS football teams into three nights at three locations. The North Sports Report enjoyed the hospitality, excitement and great football at Maplewood, Cane Ridge, and Overton last week.
The regular season starts this Friday, August 17 at 7:00pm:
- Hunters Lane Warriors travel to the neighboring Maplewood Panthers in what they call the Dickerson Road Bowl;
- Cane Ridge Ravens host Pearl-Cohn Firebirds;
- Hillwood Hilltoppers travel to face Hillsboro Burros to see which of the Hills is king of the mountain;
- Antioch Bears host LaVergne;
- Glencliff Colts welcome Sycamore;
- McGavock Raiders travel to Tullahoma;
- Overton Bobcats head down the road to take on Father Ryan;
- Stratford Spartans head to Sumner County to challenge JPII; and
- Whites Creek Cobras drive up I 24 to Clarksville to face Rossview
The MNPS home games are: at Maplewood; at Cane Ridge; at Hillsboro; at Antioch; and at Glencliff. It is a great time to start a Friday night tradition. Take your family to a game! It is a great family night, for the great families of Nashville.
-- Mark North
MNPS: The First Choice for the Beauty and Grace of Public Education
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posted by: Bass, Joseph A - MNPS at Aug 06, 2012 9:35:00 AM
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Board Member &
Sports Fan Mark North
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London Calling… Glencliff Grad Goes Global
Only one American will referee Women’s basketball during the Olympic Games in London. Glencliff graduate Felicia Grinter is in London as one of the world’s elite basketball referees. That is too cool!
Olympian Alumni Alert
Speaking of world class performances, 2009 Pearl-Cohn graduate Michael Murray is headed to London to compete in the 2012 Paralympics, representing the United States of America! The crowd will be chanting U-S-A as he walks into the stadium for the opening ceremonies and as he takes the track to compete with the world’s best (correction: as one of the world’s best) in the 1500 meters. Below is an email forwarded to The North Sports Report. Every time I read this email, I get chills!
Michael Murray, 2009 Pearl-Cohn graduate and the son of two metro school employees (Kathryn Murray-Mays-teacher at the Academy @ Hickory Hollow and Michael Mays-maintenance dept-painter) is headed to London!!!
Michael Murray has made history by becoming the first American runner, with an intellectual disability, to go to the Olympics!!! Michael is a member the USA Paralympics team and will be running the 1500m in London in September. This is the first time, in over a decade, the Olympic committee has allowed T-20 athletes to compete.
Michael competed at the trials in Indianapolis in early July. He was selected to be a member of the 2012 Paralympics team to compete in London!!!!! Currently he is in San Diego (Chula Vista) training at the Olympic training facility. Michael will return home August 10th and leaves for London August 17th. He will actually compete September 3rd(10:31am) and 4th(7:19pm) all London times. London times are 6 hours ahead of us. His race can be viewed on http://www.paralympic.org/MediaCentre.
Note: Michael is on several websites. Athletes Without Limits (www.athleteswithoutlimits.org) ,Running Journal:(http://Running.Net), USA Paralympics (http://www2.teamusa.org/Athletes/MU/Michael-Murray.aspx), Nashville Illusions Track Club (http://nashvilleillusionstrack.com/runners.html) Congratulations to Michael and his parents, and good luck in London! U-S-A…U-S-A!
Historic Visit... Cohn
The North Sports Report is visiting alumni rooms in the never ending quest to know more about the history of our schools. Recently, Cohn High School great Farrell Owens gave a tour of the Cohn Alumni area at the Cohn School. Did you know that Cohn was named for Corinne L. Cohn, the “only lady on the school board” at the time? She brought the idea of junior high schools and a three tier grade configuration that remained in place in Nashville’s schools for many years. Did you know Cohn’s football field, Sykes Field, was located where Cockrill Elementary school is now, and the Cohn Marching Band would parade several blocks to the games on Friday nights? By the way, Sykes Field was probably misspelled since it was named after Jonas H. Sikes, Cohn’s first principal.
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Honoring Cohn's Hume Award Winners |
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“It was on this turf, nourished by their blood, sweat and tears, that boys learned lifetime values of hard work, discipline, and teamwork. They were molded into young men who represented themselves and their school in frequent victory and rare defeat with honor and pride” |
The more you learn…the more you know!
Jam Jam Jamboree, a.k.a. Footballapalloosa
The MNPS Football Jamborees start August 9 and will feature all 13 MNPS high school football teams. Go support your favorite team. August 9, 2012 7:00pm at Maplewood
Maplewood Panthers vs. Hillwood Hilltoppers
Pearl-Cohn Firebirds vs. Hunters Lane Warriors
August 10, 2012 6:00pm at Cane Ridge
Cane Ridge Ravens vs. DCA
McGavock Raiders vs. Stratford Spartans
Whites Creek Cobras vs. Antioch Bears
August 11, 2012 7:00pm at Overton
Overton Bobcats vs. Hillsboro Burros
East Nashville Eagles vs. Glencliff Colts
Still deciding which team to follow this season? Go all three nights and pick your favorite.
-- Mark North
MNPS: The First Choice for lifetime values of hard work, discipline, and teamwork
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