JR2004
11-30-2007, 02:03 AM
I was wondering how long it would take a DMN writer to pick up on a pretty good story.
From the DMN...
http://www.hsgametime.com/dfw/sharedcontent/dws/content/topstories/stories/113007dnspowhitmire.1c46dbb.html
Keith Whitmire: Former Eagles soaring for Roosevelt
In 2005, a promising group of Wilmer-Hutchins freshman football players saw their school closed and their team disbanded. Their dreams of winning a state championship together, however, live on.
Those promising Wilmer-Hutchins freshmen are now 13 of the seniors on Roosevelt's roster. Roosevelt (11-1) plays Gilmer (12-0) on Saturday in the third round of the Class 3A Division I playoffs.
"It was tough, but we had to just fight through it and move on," Vincent McNeil Jr., Roosevelt's star quarterback, said. "Most of us have tried to stay together, and that's what we did."
The Dallas ISD absorbed Wilmer-Hutchins' students in July of 2005. The Wilmer-Hutchins district was eventually shut down by the state because of mismanagement.
At the time, Wilmer-Hutchins was considered a Class 3A state title contender. The players were in the middle of off-season preparations when the news came.
"We were really kind of heartbroken," wide receiver Quintell Solomon said. "We felt it coming, but we never knew it was actually going to happen. It was kind of a shock."
Wilmer-Hutchins' seniors were assigned to South Oak Cliff, but the younger students were distributed to several schools. Roosevelt, just a 10-minute drive from Wilmer-Hutchins, was where many of them ended up.
"One day they just said it was over," defensive back/wide receiver Jarale Shaw said. "We came to 'Velt. We had to make another life."
The spirit of Wilmer-Hutchins lives on through those players at Roosevelt. The seniors were the last freshman class at Wilmer-Hutchins High. The current juniors were part of the pipeline at Kennedy-Curry Middle School.
Former Wilmer-Hutchins coach Michael Robinson, now the coach at North Mesquite, said it was a group destined for great things.
"We thought that that freshman class, mixed with the eighth grade Kennedy-Curry class, was going to be a real special group," Robinson said. "I'm not surprised by what they're doing. They were going to be winners no matter where they were."
McNeil, who has passed for 33 touchdowns and rushed for 18, was already on his way to being a top recruit. He's being recruited by the likes of Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
"We knew he was going to be our starting quarterback as a sophomore," Robinson said. "He had already gone through the spring and 7-on-7 as our quarterback. He was already showing great promise."
McNeil said the bonds the players formed in middle school in the Wilmer-Hutchins ISD are helping Roosevelt succeed today.
"When we were in middle school at Kennedy-Curry, we won the city championship. We went 10-0," McNeil said.
"This is the same team that won city in middle school. We just all have each other's back. We're used to playing with each other."
Roosevelt coach Joseph Daniels pointed out that Roosevelt isn't Wilmer-Hutchins in different uniforms. McNeil counted 16 players with Wilmer-Hutchins ties, but there are close to 40 players on the Roosevelt roster.
While the former Wilmer-Hutchins players share a common bond, Solomon said it's not like they are their own clique within the team. Some of them were Eagles, but they're all Mustangs.
"We're all friends," Solomon said. "We're all committed to one system."
Shaw remembers he and his freshman teammates dreaming of going to state as seniors. Back then, it was in Wilmer-Hutchins uniforms.
"Now, it's what we do when we're a senior at Roosevelt," Shaw said. "The dream is not going to fall. It's still alive."
ONCE, THEY WERE EAGLES...
An informal count, by quarterback Vincent McNeil Jr., of 16 former Wilmer-Hutchins ISD players currently on Roosevelt's roster:
Name Cl. Pos.
Bryant Bellard Sr. LB
Torrence Hayslett Sr. RB/DB
Alquinto Hines Sr. LB/RB
Christopher Jackson Sr DL
Decameron Kincade Jr. RB
Darrius Ladell Sr. WR
Demond Lane Sr. OL/DT
Colby Lawton Sr. OL
Vincent McNeil Jr. Sr. QB
Neiman Moore Sr. DE
Bryant Newsom Sr. RB
Jarale Shaw Sr. DB/WR
Mondrel Shaw Sr. RB
Quintell Solomon Sr. WR
Cortez Tisby Jr. WR/TE
Brendell Webb Jr. DB
From the DMN...
http://www.hsgametime.com/dfw/sharedcontent/dws/content/topstories/stories/113007dnspowhitmire.1c46dbb.html
Keith Whitmire: Former Eagles soaring for Roosevelt
In 2005, a promising group of Wilmer-Hutchins freshman football players saw their school closed and their team disbanded. Their dreams of winning a state championship together, however, live on.
Those promising Wilmer-Hutchins freshmen are now 13 of the seniors on Roosevelt's roster. Roosevelt (11-1) plays Gilmer (12-0) on Saturday in the third round of the Class 3A Division I playoffs.
"It was tough, but we had to just fight through it and move on," Vincent McNeil Jr., Roosevelt's star quarterback, said. "Most of us have tried to stay together, and that's what we did."
The Dallas ISD absorbed Wilmer-Hutchins' students in July of 2005. The Wilmer-Hutchins district was eventually shut down by the state because of mismanagement.
At the time, Wilmer-Hutchins was considered a Class 3A state title contender. The players were in the middle of off-season preparations when the news came.
"We were really kind of heartbroken," wide receiver Quintell Solomon said. "We felt it coming, but we never knew it was actually going to happen. It was kind of a shock."
Wilmer-Hutchins' seniors were assigned to South Oak Cliff, but the younger students were distributed to several schools. Roosevelt, just a 10-minute drive from Wilmer-Hutchins, was where many of them ended up.
"One day they just said it was over," defensive back/wide receiver Jarale Shaw said. "We came to 'Velt. We had to make another life."
The spirit of Wilmer-Hutchins lives on through those players at Roosevelt. The seniors were the last freshman class at Wilmer-Hutchins High. The current juniors were part of the pipeline at Kennedy-Curry Middle School.
Former Wilmer-Hutchins coach Michael Robinson, now the coach at North Mesquite, said it was a group destined for great things.
"We thought that that freshman class, mixed with the eighth grade Kennedy-Curry class, was going to be a real special group," Robinson said. "I'm not surprised by what they're doing. They were going to be winners no matter where they were."
McNeil, who has passed for 33 touchdowns and rushed for 18, was already on his way to being a top recruit. He's being recruited by the likes of Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
"We knew he was going to be our starting quarterback as a sophomore," Robinson said. "He had already gone through the spring and 7-on-7 as our quarterback. He was already showing great promise."
McNeil said the bonds the players formed in middle school in the Wilmer-Hutchins ISD are helping Roosevelt succeed today.
"When we were in middle school at Kennedy-Curry, we won the city championship. We went 10-0," McNeil said.
"This is the same team that won city in middle school. We just all have each other's back. We're used to playing with each other."
Roosevelt coach Joseph Daniels pointed out that Roosevelt isn't Wilmer-Hutchins in different uniforms. McNeil counted 16 players with Wilmer-Hutchins ties, but there are close to 40 players on the Roosevelt roster.
While the former Wilmer-Hutchins players share a common bond, Solomon said it's not like they are their own clique within the team. Some of them were Eagles, but they're all Mustangs.
"We're all friends," Solomon said. "We're all committed to one system."
Shaw remembers he and his freshman teammates dreaming of going to state as seniors. Back then, it was in Wilmer-Hutchins uniforms.
"Now, it's what we do when we're a senior at Roosevelt," Shaw said. "The dream is not going to fall. It's still alive."
ONCE, THEY WERE EAGLES...
An informal count, by quarterback Vincent McNeil Jr., of 16 former Wilmer-Hutchins ISD players currently on Roosevelt's roster:
Name Cl. Pos.
Bryant Bellard Sr. LB
Torrence Hayslett Sr. RB/DB
Alquinto Hines Sr. LB/RB
Christopher Jackson Sr DL
Decameron Kincade Jr. RB
Darrius Ladell Sr. WR
Demond Lane Sr. OL/DT
Colby Lawton Sr. OL
Vincent McNeil Jr. Sr. QB
Neiman Moore Sr. DE
Bryant Newsom Sr. RB
Jarale Shaw Sr. DB/WR
Mondrel Shaw Sr. RB
Quintell Solomon Sr. WR
Cortez Tisby Jr. WR/TE
Brendell Webb Jr. DB