Why Is Nobody Looking at Me?

By Charlie Stoudenmire
HSSR Talent Evaluator and Academic Adviser

Note: Charlie Stoudenmire – HSSR talent evaluator and academic advisor.  He served as a school principal for thirty five years in South Carolina.  He was named South Carolina’s School Administrator of the Year and he was recognized as South Carolina’s National Distinguished Principal.  Charlie has a passion for helping children to succeed. 

     Every year around this time, a number of high school talented senior athletes have experienced the worst scenario. Not one college recruiter has visited their school to talk with their coach about them coming to play for them.  Dreams of getting a college education lessen each day.  Some student athletes are saying, “Why is nobody looking at me?”  Parents are saying, “My child is good enough. Why isn’t he/she being offered an athletic scholarship?” Parents are blaming the coach (and rightly so in a few cases) for not promoting their child.  What is the real problem?

The problem is that outstanding student athletes are losing out on a college education.  What’s causing college recruiters to overlook certain student athletes?  The answer is simple.  The student athlete has poor grades.  He/she does not meet the academic requirements for admission to get into college.  The first question a recruiter will ask is, “What kind of grades does the student athlete have?” If a student’s grades are too low to meet admission requirements, the recruiter doesn’t proceed.  It does not matter how good an athlete he/she may be.   

Some athletes do not take serious the importance of having good grades.  Student athletes are getting to their senior year and their core grade point average (GPA) for grades nine through eleven is so low that it is almost impossible to recover in the senior yea alone.  It is vital that athletes have good grades in the “core” courses for grades nine through eleven. 

  What is the difference between a student’s regular GPA to that of a student’s core GPA.  A student’s regular GPA is when all course grades are used to get an overall average.  A student’s core GPA is when only the grades from core courses are used to determine a student’s grade point average.  Core courses are generally a student’s basic courses (i.e. English, math, science and social studies).  The core GPA is the average grade of the highest sixteen core courses.  The NCAA Clearinghouse is the official agency for determining a student athlete’s core GPA.  Every student athlete’s transcript in America goes through the Clearinghouse.  Why is this core GPA so important?  Colleges set their admission standards by a student’s score on the SAT or ACT.  That score is determined by what the student athlete’s core GPA will be. The higher a student athlete’s core GPA is, the lower the SAT/ACT score has to be.  The higher the SAT/ACT score is, the lower the student athlete’s core GPA can be.  What’s happening is that student athletes get to their senior year and realize their grades in grades nine through eleven do not qualify him/her for an athletic scholarship at any level.  Sometimes the Clearinghouse will fail to classify a core course due to the lack of information given to describe that particular course.  Sometimes it is in the athlete’s best interest to challenge whether or not a course taken is a core course.  The Clearinghouse has the reputation of looking for every possible way to judge in favor of the student athlete. 

Division IA admission standards are higher than Division IAA colleges.  Division IAA admission standards are higher than Division IAAA.   A low core GPA is detrimental to a student athlete’s future.  One such situation I was involved with was a senior football player.  He had all the physical attributes, size and speed, for DIA consideration.  He had the stats to backup his DIA prospect status.  He was all state in his school’s classification.  He had a great highlight video, but wasn’t accepted into any college.  After reviewing his transcript, one of his core grades at the end of the first semester of his senior year did not match his grade in February.  There was a huge discrepancy.  Once that grade was corrected, it helped his core GPA to come up enough to meet DIAA requirements with the SAT score he had.  All scholarships by this time had been taken.  We tried every Division IAA program in the southeast but no bites.  So, he walked on and was promised if he started next year, he would get a full ride.  Another case was when a 0senior wide receiver, with DIA speed, had no recruiters look his way.  The first question I asked was, “What were your grades in grades 9-11?”  His core GPA was 1.7.  That meant his SAT had to be 1035 t qualify for DIA.  The student athlete’s 760 SAT score shut the door on this great kid.  Again, we looked back on his 9-11 grades.  There was no way he could have pulled out of this, even if he had superb grades in his senior year, which he did.  The best I could recommend to this student athlete was the junior college route.  The last scenario was when a student athlete would be officially accepted upon his final core GPA calculation.  The Clearinghouse called to tell him he did not meet the sixteen core unit requirements.  After reviewing the course description, the Clearinghouse was challenged with one of their social studies.  The course was approved for core course status and it gave the student athlete the necessary sixteen core courses. 

The three young men referred to in the above paragraph needed a support system to avoid all the heartaches they have experienced.  Who is the blame for a student athlete being in these situations?  Is the student athlete the blame?  Absolutely, he/she is.  In all the cases above, the student athlete had the intellectual ability to make the grades necessary for college.  They didn’t apply themselves and make their studies a priority.  They didn’t realize that their grades in the ninth grade were so important.  Are parents the blame?  Absolutely they are part of the blame.  They should set the expectation that education is important.  They should monitor homework every day.  Parents should periodically conference with their child’s teacher and guidance counselor.  Yes, even when your son or daughter is in high school, parents should keep an ongoing record of their child’s GPA.  This should begin in the ninth grade.  They should take the initiative to find out what colleges expect for admission.  They should have high expectations for respectful behavior.  They should closely check on their child’s attendance.  Parents, yes you are accountable.  Should the school system (the school board, the superintendent, the principal, the teacher, the guidance counselor, the coach) be held accountable?  Absolutely they should.  The School Board of Trustees should set the expectations that parents be properly informed of their child’s progress and provide adequate information about college admission requirements for student athletes.  The school board should expect their superintendent, principals and teachers to provide intervention strategies for student athletes that are struggling.  These interventions should begin in the ninth grade. They should expect their coaches to promote exceptional student athletes and make it a part of their job responsibility.   

As you can see, it really does take a “village” to raise a child.  A child’s life is in our hands.  We’ve got to take every possible step to provide the student athlete the opportunity to succeed in the classroom as well as on the athletic field.  Ya’ll, its hard work, but our children are worth every bit of the effort.

The next HSSR issue will provide suggestions to prevent a child from being left out.  The article will be entitled “Please Tell Me What I Need to Do”.

 Charlie Stoudenmire – HSSR talent evaluator and academic advisor.  He served as a school principal for thirty five years in South Carolina.  He was named South Carolina’s School Administrator of the Year and he was recognized as South Carolina’s National Distinguished Principal.  Charlie has a passion for helping children to succeed. 

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Nearly 1,000 attend HSSR Fall Sports Awards Banquet

By Bill Mitchell
Special Writer

COLUMBIA – Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney wowed a packed house of almost 1,000 people at the High School Sports Report Fall banquet with a call for the athletes to cling to the “fundamentals of life” Sunday at Seawell’s Restaurant.

The event honored high school athletes from public and private schools in football, volleyball, cross country and swimming.

 Swinney urged his listeners to “dream, dream big and never give up on their dream. Don’t believe the lie that you are too small, too slow, too anything to succeed.

“Set goals,” Swinney said. “Goals give us purpose and direction in life. Don’t make excuses. Be involved.  Be a part of something that’s not about you.”

 Swinney cautioned his audience to make good decisions and to be cautious who they kept around them,.

  “Surround yourself with good people,” he said. “Be careful who you hang around with. Bad company corrupts good character. Character is what you are about when nobody is around. Talent and things will get you to the top. Character keeps you there.”

 The Tiger coach put a passionate plea for education in a state that has deep-rooted education deficiencies.

 “Education is critical,” he emphasized. “Education will change your life. It changed mine and it is something nobody can take away from you.”

Finally, Swinney adopted the Boy Scout saying “Be prepared.”

“Prepare yourself to take advantage of opportunity,” he said. “You must strive to be ready when it comes and it will come often without warning. Be ready.”

Byrnes running back Marcus Lattimore gathered the highest football award as a career Mr. Football. Lattimore will attend South Carolina and was the object of frantic recruiting and speculation until he committed to the Gamecocks.

“It was not all that bad because I had great guidance from my family and coaches,” Lattimore said. “I knew had to be a role model for the younger kids and do the right thing. I knew that I had to step up when my team needed me.

“Recruiting was kinda crazy,” he said. “All the phone calls at home and on my cell phone, people beating on my door and asking what I was going to do. It did get wild, but it was fun too.”

Lattimore has been known in his community to contribute in the area.

“It’s not all about football,” he said. “If you do the right things, football will take care of itself. I wanted the young kids to see that.”

 Berkeley’s Bruce Ellington took the Mr. Football award for the 2009 season by pacing the Stags to the Class AAAA, Division II crown. All that success would lead to this event ending his football career. He has committed to USC to play basketball.

“It’s great to be able to play both sports,” Ellington said. “I feel that I will improve in basketball in college. People have told me that I made the wrong choice, but I love basketball.”

Ellington’s football career ended at the top and he attributed their success to the solid coaching and work ethic his team had.

“The offensive line, my receivers and all the others that worked  to help us win,” he said., “Coach Brown (Jerry) kept us working hard.”

Berkeley also collected a special new honor, an award to an outstanding assistant coach. The first award went to the Stags’ Eddie Moore.

“It’s a great honor to get the first award,” he said. “I’ve had the good fortune to work with some excellent head coaches and coach some gifted athletes.  That makes it much easier.”

The Troy Brown award, given to an athlete that is judged be severely under recruited, went to Quentin Singleton of Scott’s Branch who led his team to a Class A title and a runner-up prize in two seasons.

 “Football has been a great thing for me,” said the hard nosed runner. “I’ve gotten an appointment to the Naval Academy after prep school next year.”

 Volleyball’s top prize was taken by Lexington’s Kellie Schmidt, a soaring hitter who paced the Wildcats to the Class AAAA finals. She will play at USC next year.

 “It was a surprise. There are a lot of girls who could have won,” Schmidt said. “I play the game year around and I love it. Now I’m looking forward to a new challenge at USC and I think I am ready for it.”

James Island’s Samantha Kluttz was named 2009 Swimmer of the Year for the girls.

“I did improve,” she said. “I won the 500 for the first time and improved my times in other events. I pretty much got what I expected out of the season.”

Kluttz will swim at North Texas State next year.

“I have some family out there and I visited the school while I was out there,” Kluttz said. “I just fell in love with it. “

Food for thought in regards to football recruiting

By David Shelton
Consulting Managing Editor

Goose Creek – National Signing Day for high school football prospects is one of the favorite days of the year for any college football fan.

It has become a high profile event all over the country as ESPN covers signings of the top players and players hold huge announcement ceremonies that are broadcasted live on radio and television.

I, like many others of late, wonder why there is no early signing period for football prospects. An educated guess would be that about half of every signing class, give or take a few, is solidly committed and ready to go by the time their senior season starts.

The two-in-state powers, South Carolina and Clemson, had verbal commitments as early as last February. Between the two schools, only one player who was committed changed his mind on signing day.

While there were some players on each committed list that flirted with other schools in January, the majority of both classes were committed early and stayed committed.

Did anyone really think that DeAndre Hopkins (Daniel) and Martavis Bryant (Hanna) were going anywhere other than Clemson? Both gave their word well before the summer and never wavered. Why not let them sign on August 1^st? September 1^st?

What about Boiling Springs quarterback Dylan Thompson, who committed as soon as he was offered by South Carolina in early summer? Thompson knew he wanted to be a Gamecock and the Gamecocks wanted him.

Myrtle Beach junior quarterback Everett Golson committed to North Carolina last week. He is a die-hard Tarheel fan and it has never been a secret. Golson is going to attend North Carolina so why not let him sign before the 2010 season starts.

Same goes for Wren offensive lineman Shaq Anthony, who committed to Clemson more than a month ago. Let him sign! More than ever, players are making earlier and earlier verbal commitments. Let them sign!

I don’t suggest a mandatory early signing day, just an option.

We have early signing periods in basketball and baseball. Players have the option to sign in November, prior to their senior season beginning. In some cases there is pressure to sign early for fear of the offer being taken off the table, but whatever. The scholarships are locked in for the player and the school, regardless of what happens. A coach could get fired, a player could get injured. Doesn’t matter, the scholarship is good, at least for the first year.

There are many arguments for and against an early signing period for football players. In the end, however, what makes football so different than basketball or baseball? Is it money? Is it tradition?

Phil Kornblut of the South Carolina Radio Network has been the “guru” of recruiting for more than 20 years in the Palmetto State. He tracks recruiting harder than anyone and says the idea of an early signing day has merit and raises some interesting questions.

“From where I sit, I can see some positives and negatives,” said Kornblut. “An early signing period would be great for that prospect that totally wants to end his recruiting, doesn’t want to be called or bothered all during his senior season, and knows where he wants to go. In reality, they can do that now. They can notify other schools to not call, don’t write, don’t email or text. They have the option of not returning phone calls. They have a choice.”

Indeed, the early commitments can end their recruiting but some colleges refuse to adhere. A player being able to sign on the dotted line in August or September would effectively prevent any college from contacting the athlete.

Kornblut feels some safeguards should be put in place to protect the player and the school.

“What if a player signs early then just tanks it during his senior year,” asks Kornblut rhetorically. “What if he just goes through the motions?”

Good question. If he chooses to do that, one would think the high school coach would handle that. It is hard to believe a top-notch football prospect would do such a thing, but anything could happen.

What if a player gets in major trouble during his senior year, after signing? Well, players get in trouble after signing in February. How do colleges handle that now?

Again, I point to basketball and baseball. Players sign in November all the time. I can’t recall any of those early signees “tanking” their senior season.

And what if the college coaches could focus on only 10 or 12 prospects during and after their own pressure-packed season is over instead of 25. Half the class signs in September and coaches can focus on the other half. You can still bring in all of your commitments (or signees) for official visits in January.

Kornblut seems to have no issue with an early signing day for football. However, he feels something should be done about the recruitment of underclassmen so early.

Colleges are all over high schools in the days immediately following signing day, recruiting the juniors. Recruiting has become non-stop. Kornblut would like to see an extended break in the action, if you will.

“To me, that’s a bigger problem, well not problem, but issue,” he said. “It has become a never-ending process now. Kids get no break from it and coaches get no break. I would like to see a freeze on recruiting until the May evaluation period personally. I would be in favor of some restrictions, at least for a month or two, right after signing day.”

Not a bad idea. Let’s say players can attend junior days on college campuses and can attend spring games if they wish. Limit contact between college coaches and juniors to a phone call a week and no visits to the high school campus until May. This all starts on signing day of each year.

Will it ever happen? Probably not. But, it is something to think about. And, think about how an early signing period would allow the crazy fans to relax just a little. You know the type - the fans that chat on message boards and sweat out verbal commitments to the very end, EVERY SINGLE DAY for nearly six months. An early signing day would at least cut the anxiety level in half, thus making everyone a little happier.

Then again, the prescription drug companies might take a hit.. See, we’re back at the money thing again.

I want your opinion. Please vote on the poll question located on the front page as to your preference.

Palmetto Christian Reaches 20 Win Plateau in Boy’s SCISA Class A Basketball, PCA Girl’s Win 48-46 Over-time Thriller

By Billy G. Baker
Publisher

Mt. Pleasant—Led by the senior leadership of point guard Chris Gates with 17 points and 6-6 inside player Jarrod Harrison who tallied 12 points the Palmetto Christian Eagles (20-3, 8-0) closed out the regular basketball season Friday night with a 73-39 win over rival Coastal Christian.

“We have set many goals for this season,” said head coach Brian Stanley. “One goal was to win the North-South tournament we were in and our other goal was to win the regular season championship. We have accomplished those goals. Now we are looking forward to our region tournament hosted by James Island Christian on February, 12 an afterwards we start the playoffs.

It was Senior Night for the Eagles as they closed out the home schedule and the regular season with a big win in front a very supportive fan base. “We have a group of kids who made a run late in the football season to compete for a championship and I feel that experience has carried over to basketball,” said Coach Stanley. “We have a great group of kids and they all play well together and we can go nine deep as a team. We played very hard tonight and with our talent level I feel we have a good shot at going all the way.”

The PCA boys led 18-8 after the first period as Gates had eight first quarter points and the Eagles had increased their lead to 39-16 at the half with Harrison and Gates parked at 10 and nine points respectively.

For the game PCA got six points each from junior football prospect Derrick Brown and Terrill Thomas along with four points each from Christian Sheets and Eric Strout.

“Last we had 20 wins by the end of the season and the team made it to the final eight,” said Coach Stanley. “Our goal is to compete for a state championship. We know that we have to keep working hard and that we have to stay focused.”

 This year the team has big wins over Porter-Gaud, Northwood Academy twice and Colleton Prep.

The Coastal boys were led in scoring by Michael Smoak and Noah McBreaity with 11 points each. 

    In the girl’s game Hanna Frampton scored 13 points and Dylan Caulder added 10 to lead the Lady Eagles over Coastal Christian 48-46 in over-time.

This was a huge win for us and we had a lot of seniors step up and play well and I am really proud of them,” said head coach Moranda Stanley who is married to the boy’s coach. “My two senior leaders are Dylan Caulder and Hanna Frampton.  They hit free throws and big plays all game. They were awesome.”

Talented 8th grader Lizzie Wilson chipped in with seven points and her clutch play throw in the waning moments of the game helped preserve the win. Chandler Caulder and Haley Hester added six points while Julia Strout and Michelle Pearce contributed with four points each.

Coastal Christian was led by Caroline Rambo with 19 points and Mercury Hipp chipped with 13.

Hillcrest overcomes adversity to contend in AAAA

By David Shelton
Consulting Managing Editor

Simpsonville – As we go through life, all of us are faced with adversity. Learning to deal with adversity builds strength and character.

Most often the most trying situations happen in our adult lives when our children are born and there are bills to be paid. In the case of the Hillcrest High boy’s basketball program, a group of young men has already faced adversity that kids their age could ever dream of.

It started last season when four starters were dismissed one game into the season, leaving coach Reggie Choplin with a young, inexperienced team. The team, however, banded together and posted a 21-5 record, losing to Gaffney in the third-round of the AAAA state playoffs.

With most of his team back to start this season, Choplin felt pretty good about his team’s chances of contending for the AAAA crown once again. Then tragedy struck.

On the day after Thanksgiving, the basketball program and school was shaken when it was learned that sophomore Ashton Arnold, a member of the team, was shot and killed, along with his mother, by his father. There is no greater test of faith and character than the untimely loss of a teammate, which in this case, was like losing a member of the family.

“It was like nothing I had ever been through as a coach and to be honest, I’m still not over it,” said Choplin, now in his sixth season at Hillcrest. “Everything just stops when something like that happens. You don’t know what to do, what to say.”

In the grand scheme of things, basketball was well down the list of priorities. However, the team showed unshakable poise and determination following the death of their teammate. Hillcrest enters play on Friday with a 20-1 record, ranked third in class AAAA, and in a fierce battle for the region championship.

“I’ve been so impressed with the way our kids have handled all of this,” said Choplin. “They have a whole new perspective and they have learned to take nothing for granted. They have learned to enjoy the game, to cherish the time they have on the court together. They’re having fun and playing so hard.

“This group has been forced to mature a lot quicker than most kids their age. They could have went either way really. But their resolve to continue to play and to honor their teammate is incredible. Going back to last year and then into this season, they have found it within themselves to carry on, to drive forward to attain their goals. It’s really a special group.”

Special indeed. The Rams are locked in a three-way battle for the top spot in region two, along with Dorman and Spartanburg. All have 6-1 league records. Hillcrest has beaten Spartanburg but Dorman has beaten Hillcrest. Spartanburg owns a win over Dorman.

Over the next seven days, the three will play each other. Hillcrest plays Spartanburg on Friday and Dorman on Tuesday. Spartanburg and Dorman play on next Friday.

“In our region, it always seems to come down the last game,” said Choplin.

Hillcrest is a balanced team, getting solid contributions from many. The two leaders, according to Choplin, are seniors Dondrey Walker and Savad Garner. Walker is a 6-3 guard with the versatility to play any position on the floor. Garner is a 6-1 post player who, according to the coach, is a “true battler and worker down low.”

“We have pretty good balance overall,” said the coach. “We have three guys averaging in double figures but no one is above 13 or 14 points a game. We usually have several guys from six to 14 points. We play a lot of guys and we get contributions from everyone.”

Other contributors to the success of this year’s team include Marquiz Evans, Tobias Pinson, Robert Sullivan, Corbin Anderson, Dion Gray, Kenshay Kirksey, Donovan Smith, JeMarion Beal, D.J. Brooks, LeKevion Thompson, Chris Barber and Dondre Gilchrist.

HSSR announces fall sports awards for 2009

Goose Creek – The High School Sports Report announced their fall sports awards and honors on Tuesday, naming all-state teams and honoring the top performers in football, swimming, volleyball and cross country.

The most notable of the awards are the all-state football teams and Player of the Year selections in each classification. It is important to note that all-state nomination ballots were mailed to all high schools, and the selections were based on returned forms and on the opinions  of the Sports Report’s editorial staff.

The top two honors given in football are the Mr. Football awards. One award is given as a career accomplishment honor and the other is given performance during the 2009 season.

Byrnes High running back Marcus Lattimore is the career Mr. Football recipient while Berkeley quarterback Bruce Ellington earned the 2009 Mr. Football award.

Byrnes quarterback Chas Dodd was named the Statewide Offensive Player of the Year after establishing the state record for career passing yards. Byrnes defensive end Corey Miller was named the Statewide Defensive Player of the Year.

Dorman High coach Dave Gutshall, who led the Cavaliers to an upset win over Byrnes in the Division I-AAAA state title game, was tabbed as the Statewide Coach of the Year.

Dorman defensive end Andrew Bailey was named the Division I-AAAA Player of the Year while Mauldin head coach Doug Shaw, Jr., was named the Division I-AAAACoach of the Year.

Berkeley running back/athlete R.J. Robinson is the Division II-AAAA Player of the Year and Berkeley head coach Jerry Brown is the Division II-AAAA Coach of the Year.

In class AAA, Clinton head coach Andy Young is the Coach of the Year while Myrtle Beach junior quarterback Everett Golson is the Player of the Year.

The AA Player of the Year is Dillon High athlete Antuawn Blue, while Dillon head coach Jackie Hayes is the AA Coach of the Year.

In Class A, the Division I Player of the Year is Chesterfield’s Sergio Johnson and the Coach of the Year is Chesterfield’s Steve Taneyhill. In Division II, the Player of the Year is junior Dexter Staley of Williston-Elko, with Blue Devils head coach Dwayne Garrick capturing Coach of the Year honors.

The Newcomer Coach of the Year, given to a coach that is within his first five seasons as a head coach, goes to Myrtle Beach head coach Mickey Wilson. Wilson guided the Seahawks to a 13-2 record and the AAA lower state title in his first season as a head coach.

Selected as the HSSR Junior of the Year was South Pointe defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney. Lexington’s Shaq Rowland is the Sophomore of the Year and Dillon running back Jabo Lee is the Freshman of the Year.

The Troy Brown award, presented to a small school player with outstanding credentials, goes to Scott’s Branch running back Quinton Singleton.

The Tommy Mangum Valor award, presented to a player who played through injuries and setbacks, goes to Midland Valley’s Christopher Knight.

In SCISA, the 2009 Mr. Football is Mac Whalen of Heathwood Hall. Northwood Academy running back Uriah Singleton is the Statewide Player of the Year and Hammond School receiver Aaron Walters is the AAA Player of the Year.

The class AA Co-Players of the Year are Luke Sirgo and Ethan Gort of Hilton Head Christian. The Class A Co-Players of the Year are Kyle Johnson and Stephen Johnson of Dillon Christian.

The SCISA Offensive Player of the Year is Byrnes Academy quarterback Lee Shurlknight, and the Defensive Player of the Year is Hammond’s Kyle Grant.

The 8-Man Player of the Year is Patrick Henry running back Austin Rowell, who rushed for more than 3,000 yards this season.

Top coaching awards in SCISA are Jim Daniel, Palmetto Christian as the Statewide Coach of the Year; Erik Kimrey of Hammond for AAA Coach of the Year; Tommy Lewis of Hilton Head Christian for AA Coach of the Year; Kelly Williamson of Dillon Christian for Class A; and Chalmers Carr of Wardlaw for 8-Man.