Rise of the Ravens

Copyright © 2021 by Ronald Lee Fleming.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Cover Picture: Keith Quirk

Design by: Carolinda Fleming

Pictures by: Carolinda Fleming

Rev. date: 05/26/2021

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CONTENTS

Dedication to my wife Carolina Fleming

Dedication to my principal Michael Voganthaler

Introduction

California City

Chapter 1    First Impressions

Chapter 2    Off Season

Chapter 3    Building A Team

Chapter 4    Winning Games

Chapter 5    Champions

Chapter 6    Off Season 2

Chapter 7    Defending The Crown

Chapter 8    Back to back

About the author Ronald Lee Fleming

The Rise of the Ravens, is a multi-layered work by author Ronald Lee Fleming. The author starts off telling his readers about the small forgotten town of California City, its origin, and its forgotten dream of becoming the next Palm Springs; a resort community in the Mojave Desert! A city who lost its way, until awakened by its new basketball coach and resurgent high school basketball team.

In telling the story of the high school basketball team’s rise from obscurity; the author takes the time to educate his readers on American history not widely known or shared in most history books. The author puts the spotlight on prominent Americans rarely discussed in classrooms K-12. The author’s intention is to educate and inform his readers, and leave them with a message; you too can rise up and take your rightful place in society.

Dedication to my wife

Carolina Fleming

September 12, 2015 will be etched into my brain from now until eternity. Number one: September 12th is your birth date. It is also the anniversary of our first meeting and first date. Number two: It is the day I was introduced to the city of California City. You were the person who told me the high school needed me. And that I should interview for the boys varsity coaching job there. I remember your pep talk up to your final two part question; do you want to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond? And even though I didn’t want to be a fish at all I got your point. I am so happy I interviewed at the high school for the coaching job. It is a job I have worked for the past five years; with you by my side every step of the way. If there has been a better team mom, in the history of team moms, I haven’t met her. Your tireless effort to complete tasks that benefit our students is unparalleled. I wouldn’t have been able to execute any of what we have accomplished if I didn’t have you right there with me. I want you to know that I love you and I am so grateful God has place you in my life.

Dedication to my principal

Michael Voganthaler

In my short career in education (since 2007 to the present) I have worked in five different high schools, and for a number of principals, and I can truly say you were my favorite. I let you know coming in the door I was tired of talking to athletic directors; because the ones I have met were only interested in hiring their friends. I told you about my experiences when it came to working with students; that I was recruited by a former boss to work with the GEAR UP PROGRAM in three different high schools in San Bernardino County. And you said you were looking for someone with that kind of experience to work for you. And once we were able to work out the particulars, you gave me the opportunity I needed to complete me as a basketball coach. Mr. V I respect you, I appreciate you, and I wish you nothing but continued success.

Introduction

The year was 1958 when Nathan Mendelsohn, a former sociology instructor from New York City’s Columbia University, obtained 82,000 acres of desert in eastern Kern County; 100 miles from Los Angeles California.

Nathan Mendelsohn a Czech-born immigrant who saw California City as a dream oasis which would eventually be his gold mine. Who wouldn’t want to escape the big city life to breath fresh air and live in the wide open spaces of the California desert, was Nathan Mendelsohn’s thinking.

And even though California City would prove to be the third largest city by land mass in the state of California; behind Los Angeles and San Diego, the dream never turned into reality. So Nathan Mendelsohn eventually sold his California City interest and moved on to new projects in Texas.

Years later in the middle of the Mojave Desert California City could be mistaken for a ghost town. Can you see yourself as a resident of California City trying to explain where the city is located? The reaction from others who live in the state is amazing; especially those folks from Southern California. California City? Where is that city located? Oh yeah, I heard of Bakersfield or yes I know where Lancaster is located.

California City, once the forgotten thought of a dreamer, is now in the spotlight for its championship high school boys basketball team. The Ravens led the nation in points scored by the end of the 2017-18 season. That same team with most of it’s nucleus intact led the state of California in scoring for two straight years. And with California City as it’s back drop, the Ravens have done their city proud; with their Back 2 Back CIF Championships, along with their three straight High Desert League Championships.

Thank you Mr. Nathan Mendelsohn for providing our Ravens boys basketball team with the platform in which to soar high into the air.

California City

The Rise OF The Ravens

Okay, so you never heard of California City. Well join the club because up until I went to meet my wife I never knew California City existed. As my mother would say, no man’s land is where California City was located. And the reason for the statement, you can look in some directions as far as the eye could see, no man would be in the land; all you would see is desert.

Well my friends this story is about a high school basketball team from California City. California City is located in Kern County. Kern County is north of Los Angeles County, with its county seat located in Bakersfield California. Kern County spans the southern end of the Central Valley covering 8,161.42 square miles.

Most folks in Southern California never heard of California City! And don’t mention high school basketball to them. Man please there are no basketball players up there! And when I first arrived, not knowing anything about the area, I couldn’t argue with the critics. What I did know, as far as basketball goes in the state of California, basketball players from California City were treated like second class citizens.

So if the analysis of Southern Californians is correct, and Kern County is void of basketball talent as they say. Then how does a small school of 510 students lead the nation in points scored (2,967) in a season? And how does a small school in California City get national recognition in USA Today Newspaper for reaching such heights?

Yes, this small City of 13,707 people, located in a remote desert area, with limited access to basketball courts, manage to average for a season 89.9 points a game. And eventually became the first Back 2 Back CIF Champions in school history. And that was after becoming the first team in school history to win a CIF Championship the year before.

This is their story.

Chapter 1

First Impressions

I inherited a Ravens boy’s basketball team that had been a game over five hundred the previous season. The 2015-16 season was less than a few weeks away when I got hired. I barely got a chance to know the guys before we were playing games. We were so bad my first season I couldn’t even duplicate the previous year’s record of 11 wins and 10 loses. My Ravens could only garner 6 wins while producing 19 loses. This first chapter will be an interesting case study of how it all went down.

When I moved to California City in November of 2015 it was after I accepted a coaching position at the local high school. The school district had two openings in cities within walking distance of each other. I choose the Ravens whose school was less than five minutes from my girlfriend’s home. I was ready to go to work and continue my career as a youth advocate and change agent.

My former girlfriend, who is now my wife help me make one of the biggest decisions of my life. There were two high school coaching positions available in the same school district and I had to choose one. How did I get so lucky when in the past I couldn’t buy a coaching position. Now I was at a crossroads in my work life. And I was about to choose a job that could very well be my last before complete retirement.

My girlfriend was a long time resident of California City. And it was my girlfriend who recommended I apply for the coaching position at the new school in her community. A community where my girlfriend was well known for her tireless community service. The Raven was the school mascot. A beautiful black bird that seem to dominate the area. To my girlfriend’s point; I could start a winning tradition at a brand new school.

Not long after I applied for the coaching position I received a phone call. The phone call was from the district office to set up an interview with the school principal. I was excited because I was done with athletic directors by this time in my job search. As far as I was concern talking to an athletic director was a waste of time. Up to this point it had been my experience high school athletic directors were only interested in hiring their friends!

So I met with the Ravens principal and found him to be a kindred spirit wanting nothing but the best for his students. The principal was looking for a strong African-American role model. He also said he needed help with a student population that was trending towards an African-American majority. The principal stated he had a few African-Americans on staff but nobody like me. My work in the private sector as a businessman, along with, my work in the GEAR UP Program (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs); made me the prime candidate for a second position as the On Campus Suspension Supervisor.

Understanding what the Ravens principal was looking for in an employee I laid out my plan for success. I spoke with the principal as if I already had the job and was informing him how I plan to go forward. I started out in manufacturing as a planner and a scheduler; so I was use to laying out a business plan. Setting a plan in motion to be successful as a coach and as the On Campus Suspension Supervisor (OCS) would be no different.

In business I wore a shirt and tie as part of my daily attire and I expected my student-athletes to do the same on game day. The principal was right there with me because it was his desire to change the image of his students. We talked about raising the bar of expectation for all Ravens especially student-athletes. It was agreed student-athletes should be special in the classroom as well as on the court. In speaking with the principal it was clear he believed in the students at his school and was trying to put good people in front of them.

Basketball had always been my first love. I played basketball at a high level and now it would be my job as a coach. Nothing happens by chance so I believe this was the perfect storm. I wanted a coaching opportunity and the Ravens needed a coach. The Ravens also needed a strong African-American role model. The interview ended with the principal stating my next interview would be with the Ravens’ Athletic Director. And after that the entire leadership team.

In full disclosure I let the principal know how I felt about athletic directors. And my feelings towards an individual athletic director was not personal. I explained my experiences, that on several occasions I’d be the most qualified candidate for the job, with a great track record; only to be passed up for a person who was less qualified. This was very disheartening and unacceptable to me but you move on. The principal’s response, I like you and my athletic director will like you too!

The athletic director was also a teacher and the head football coach. The man worked all three jobs since the school opened its doors. Based on my previous experiences I approached the athletic director interview with caution. And even though I was wary of the interview. I was bolstered by the fact that my interview with the principal went well. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the athletic director and our conversation. The interview didn’t last long. After answering a handful of questions I walked away feeling I was the best candidate for the job.

With California City being a close knit community it didn’t take long for me to hear chatter about the athletic director. Most of the chatter came from people who didn’t like the athletic director as a coach. I’ve always been thankful to people who tried to look out for me. But I can look out for myself in cases of employment. And oh by the way I had tunnel vision. All I could see was the door open for me to walk thru. My primary goal was to get started and put together the best high school basketball team possible.

It was elementary to me at this point. As far as I was concern I had the job. Even though I had one more interview to endure. Next up on the interview circuit was a panel of five people; the principal, his secretary, assistant principal, school counselor, and the athletic director. I’d say this was a large group of people to be interviewed by if I had no reference point. But in my experience I had to look no further than my interview in Norcross Georgia. In Norcross Georgia I was in the final stage of being hired as an Operations Manager. I sat with a panel of twelve people for two hours.

In this new inquisition the subject matter once again was me! And how I would conduct myself in certain situations with students and staff. Also, those in attendance wanted to inform me of their expectations; and what the priorities were in this particular high school. The panel covered topics that included; education, conduct, and safety. Before sitting with this group I was a veteran, having worked at five other high schools. So I had the answers long before the questions were presented.

If I was just interviewing for a coaching position, I would have been hired day one. But like most high schools the Ravens wanted their coaches to be part of the staff. So the panel of five wanted to make sure I was qualified to be hired as the On Campus Suspension Supervisor; as well as the basketball coach. The work schedule for On Campus Suspension was from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. And later in the afternoon or evening I would come back to coach basketball.

Once the third interview was over I felt as if I’d be chosen to fill both positions. So when the principal contacted me to confirm I was elated. Finally, someone had the good sense to hire the most qualified candidate. And with phase one out of the way (they want to hire me); it was full steam ahead to phase two. Phase two included a background check and a physical examination which included drug screening.

Phase two took nearly two months to complete. The process started in September and finished in mid-November with me being hired. Football season was still in progress so I couldn’t complete my basketball roster until football was over. I operated under the falsehood that I knew small school sports. But in actuality my experience with small school sports was thru girls’ basketball. I coached girls’ varsity basketball at a small Christian school. I had no clue about small school sports when it came to boys!

I was on my way to a rude introduction to boys’ sports at a small school. Rule number one, no basketball team would be official until fall sports participants had an opportunity to tryout. So as a recently hired employee I had my work cut out for me. This would prove to be a difficult situation because of me not being familiar with the athletes. Even though I was conducting tryouts/practices I could not pick a team until the football program had run its course.

None of those facts stop people from talking about me as the newly hired boys basketball coach. In my job as OCS supervisor I walked the campus and talk to students who were excited. I had arrived and the boys were ready to get basketball started. During an initial walk around campus my mind drifted back to my conversation with the principal. The part where he said there was nobody on campus like me. I was a non-teacher who dressed as if I was the principal, white shirt, tie, etc.

My first basketball meeting was held in the athletic director’s classroom. The room was filled to capacity with boys interested in trying out for the team. Also in attendance, along with the athletic director, was the new boys junior varsity coach and the girls varsity coach. The athletic director made the introductions then I took over the meeting. I gave a strong talk about education, discipline, respect and accountability. I couldn’t wait to get to the question and answer portion to clarify my points.

The girls varsity basketball coach asked to speak to the boys. And she addressed the boys as if she was a coach with a long standing winning tradition. Up to this point I’d only done my research on Ravens boys basketball. The girls coach spoke as if I would serve myself well to follow her footsteps. But in reality, she and her program had never won more than five games in a season. Once I was informed as to the girls coach and her program; I knew the boys program would be better served with me looking elsewhere for advice.

People who do their homework on me know I don’t do mediocre. I don’t like losing; and especially at basketball, something I’ve participated in my entire life. I didn’t play competitive basketball anymore. Which gave me a lot more time to teach my students how to be competitive. When I do something it’s at one hundred percent. So I expect my players and teams to be good because both sides are working towards that goal. So if you only have one foot in the pool and you are not 100% vested we can’t talk about basketball.

As for the newly appointed boys junior varsity coach, he asked one question; "when will junior varsity tryouts be held!" Two things flashed across my mind when the question was presented. Number one: the ignorance of the question. Number Two: the inexperience of the coach asking the question. Because in high school everything within a program revolves around the varsity team. And nothing happens on the lower levels until varsity picks its team. The lower level teams train and prepare student-athletes to play varsity. It is never about a junior varsity being independent of the varsity program.

If I had anything to do with hiring the boys junior varsity coach that question would have been discussed in the interview. So let’s assume the question wasn’t asked out of ignorance; then the question itself talked of separation. As if the junior varsity was separate from the varsity basketball program. And separation doesn’t work in a successful basketball program. So I explain to the junior varsity coach, and the rest of the group, that everything we do revolves around the varsity team. And the junior varsity serves as a developmental team for the varsity.

Furthermore, junior varsity tryouts and varsity tryouts will be held at the same time. The teams will not be separated until the varsity roster is solidified. I implied that both he and I would be working as a team up to the point in which we could separate the two teams. Believe it or not that was my last conversation with that coach concerning Ravens basketball. Because he decided to take his talents over to the middle school where he could coach 7th grade basketball.

The exchange between myself and the former coach would not have happened if I had been part of the hiring process. Going back to my hiring, I was interviewed by all the administrators. I was interviewed by people I would interface with on a daily basis. So in my opinion, I should have been part of the process when it came to hiring a junior varsity coach. When you leave the head coach out of the hiring process for an assistant coach you cut the ties of allegiance.

As much as I don’t like politics, I understand politics enters our lives when it comes to jobs and appointments. That being said, coaching positions at most high schools is set up as extra duty pay for teachers. And in most cases teachers can bump non teachers from consideration for a coaching position. My hire as the boys varsity basketball coach meant my school administrator was breaking from the norm. The principal in this case was trying to get the most qualified person for the job. So that common theme should have been used when hiring the junior varsity coach. Any other hire would bring imbalance to the basketball program.

The athletic director brought in another person to be the junior varsity coach; with no input from me. The young man was a nice person but he was more suited to coach football. So instead of talking to me, my junior varsity coach collaborated with the football coaches. He also got advice from the girls varsity basketball coach. So it is no mystery the Ravens boys basketball program lacked cohesion in my first three seasons. Junior Varsity was under the leadership of the football team. And varsity basketball was under the leadership of a basketball coach.

Our first day of tryouts was not encouraging at all! At first glance it looked as though I had every non athlete who wanted to play ball in the gym. One player in particular caught my eye. He was a diminutive guy shooting the ball on the opposite side of the gym. I approached Dean (the young man) and engaged him in conversation. Dean explained who he was, and went on to say he was the smartest student on the basketball team.

In follow up to my conversation with Dean, I found him to understate his status at the school. I found out Dean was arguably the smartest student in the school. And even though Dean never made my Ravens team as a player; he became a big part of the program as the manager. And by Dean being part of the basketball program his overall GPA did help the team’s academic average.

Each student-athlete playing a high school sport must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 to stay in good standing. The responsibility of a high school educator is to help students navigate the real world. Each student should come away from their high school experience with enough tools to make a living. No educator should promote sports over education. Every high school sports program goes after the school’s best athletes. It is up to the coaches to stress to those athletes the importance of going after and maintaining good grades.

My conversation with Dean got me thinking about a symptomatic problem throughout the Ravens sports program. Coaches maybe passing over the better athlete for the better student. To choose an athlete with the minimum 2.0 GPA means a coach may have to invest more time in that player. I believe investing in your student-athlete and making sure he has academic support is a coach’s job. Problems arise when teams are coached by lazy people. People who don’t want to tutor or find tutors for their players. The job of a high school coach encompasses all of the above. The easy way out is to only deal with students who are self-motivated in the classroom.

Dean at 5’8," with no physical skills to hang his hat on, was looking forward to playing for the Ravens basketball team in his senior year. As a junior Dean participated on a team that placed third in league. And finished the season one game over five hundred. That team of a year ago had an overall record of (11) wins and (10) loses. Also returning from that team was Speedy, a senior guard who was in the process of finishing up the football season. Two other returning players were juniors Raul and Steven. Raul was a 6’1" wing player, and Steven a 5’11" marksman whose specialty was the long ball.

Raul was the most athletic player out of the returnees. I believe Raul thought he would be featured as the team’s top player going into the season. Steven probably felt the same way as Raul, that he should be the man because of his ability to knock down 3-point shots. Heck, I could still knock down open jumpers with nobody guarding me. But that doesn’t mean I could do the same thing in a game. I only hope and pray both players bring that type of confidence to all the practices and games.

I also hoped my returning veterans would provide leadership for our team. Early on Speedy had a calming effect on the team sounding like a voice of reason. Speedy’s leadership abilities made sense, after all he was a three sport athlete. Besides playing football and basketball Speedy also ran track. So in the beginning of the season the younger players leaned on Speedy’s experience. In Dean’s opinion Speedy was the perfect candidate to open the season as the starting point guard. Dean said Speedy was a blur on the basketball court at 5’6;" and would be one of the keys to our team’s success.

Rex was another player I noticed immediately. At 5’11" Rex moved around the court with a lot of energy emanating from his playground experiences. Rex reminded me of a street ball player trying to find his way onto an organized basketball team. Street basketball is far from team basketball. Street ball players are people who play a lot of one-on-one basketball. And Rex was true to form because he didn’t trust anyone on the court. Rex was only a sophomore when I came into his life. At that time Rex’s game revolved around him pulling out his do it yourself kit and going one against five. So it was my job to incorporate Rex’s talent into my team concept.

Early on Dean was not a big Rex fan. And Dean went on to promise Speedy would eventually be the starting point guard. Dean believed Speedy was not only faster than everyone else; he was the only player I had who could run a team. But I had to see Speedy in competition. Basketball, like every sport, is a what have you done for me lately proposition. You can’t talk about what you are going to do. You have to go out and show your game on the court.

No longer a player, Dean always had an opinion. Whether I listen to him or not Dean shared what he thought. And with the newly appointed junior varsity coach being more of a football guy; Dean filled a void. Dean became the one-person close to the team that I could have a conversation with about basketball. But make no mistake about it Dean had an agenda. And I believe his goal was to make Speedy the team’s top or featured player. I knew Speedy would be an asset to the team. But top player? No I didn’t see that one coming at all.

I had a strong affinity for continuity throughout a basketball program. When I wasn’t consulted on the appointment of a new junior varsity coach I continued on as a staff of one. While the junior varsity coach sought consultation elsewhere. I knew all eyes were on me and I didn’t have time to teach someone whose loyalties were elsewhere. I didn’t have time to figure out the athletic director’s thinking when it came to hiring my assistant. I just rolled with the punches and kept it moving towards the goals and objectives I set for my program.

The gyms where I coached in the past were much larger than the Ravens Nest. In contrast the Ravens Nest was so small I could hear everything going on around me. And then there were the entrances and exits being positioned in such a way that the shortest distance between two points was thru the gym and my practice. I knew right away people walking thru my practice for whatever reason was not going to work for me.

I eventually had another conversation with the athletic director to find a suitable practice time. I chose to practice at 5 am in the morning. 5 am was a time in which I would not have people walking thru the gym. At 5 am in the morning I could coach my team and not be interrupted. So our new practice time would go from 5-7 am. This change would guarantee I’d have my team’s undivided attention for two hours a day. I know I upset a lot of people; mostly parents who didn’t like getting up that early in the morning. A student had to take English, math, and science as core subjects. Basketball was an extra-curricular activity you could forgo your choice.

Back in the day I work with a colleague whose history showed he started his program with early am practices. Early am practices is one of a number of things he did to turn around a failing basketball program. My colleague’s early am practices helped his team go from the bottom to the top. His early am practices help the coach win several league championships, a CIF championship; and a trip to the state championship game. I wanted that same kind of winning experience for my team and I knew it took sacrifice.

So having those 5 am practices brought about the complete separation of the boys basketball program. Initially the junior varsity coach was on board bringing his team in at 5 am to practice. But after the first week he informed me that junior varsity practices were moving to afternoons. I believe the junior varsity coach spoke with the athletic director. I believe the athletic director gave the junior varsity coach the go ahead to move his practice time. The junior varsity coach fit his practices in somewhere between the two girls practices; and at times overlap each other. It was common to see both girls teams in the gym, along with boys junior varsity.

In order to change a culture you have to be willing to take a different approach. And sometimes your approach has to be radical; something that has never been done before. I was about the business of changing for the better. When we finally got the ball rolling on practices, heading towards the start of the season, my Ravens were light years behind the competition. Why do I make that statement? First of all basketball was treated like an activity instead of a sport. Something to do in between football and baseball; or football and track.

Couple that with the fact, there were no competitive youth programs for basketball in California City. Youth basketball at the community center was a joke. And sports at the middle school was an on and off again situation with no consistency. So I had to teach basketball 101 in order to try and close the divide between us and our competition. Albert Einstein: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results! Albert Einstein was one of the most significant scientific geniuses of the 20th century.

Up to this point in Ravens history they never had a basketball league championship team. The boys never won a league championship. And the girls never won a league championship in basketball. And neither program ever came close to winning a CIF Championship. So why is the old way the best way? Not getting to know me, my drive and determination is what the junior varsity coach and his players missed out on. Because one of the best ways to get to know a coach is thru practice!

Steven was not available early on for tryouts. Why? Because Steven had been on the football team and decided to quit before the season was over. The rules of the athletic department states a student cannot start another sport until his/her previous sports’ season is over. In essence Steven couldn’t quit football to play basketball. Small schools share athletes and each sport needs to be protected from the other.

As a coach who teaches multiple offenses and defenses I pride myself on being able to make in game adjustments. Early tryouts told me our team was not going to be very tall; with our tallest player topping out at 6’3. Also our team would not be very athletic. And would have a difficult time rebounding the ball. And as a championship coach once said, no rebounds no rings!

When the smoke cleared and our roster was solidified I thought I had a competitive team. Even though we were young and inexperienced. I thought we had a chance at winning games. Practices were intense, with our best practice player being a student name Bo. Bo was a rail thin 5’9" guy leading all the drills. I was a big Bo fan because he believed in what I was teaching from day one. There is no question Bo would run through a wall for his team.

Early on Bo’s claim to fame was helping me discover the player I nicknamed Money. Money was by far the best streak shooter I have ever coached. Money’s range was unlimited, I joked about how Money could shoot the ball and make baskets from the parking lot. And when one of Money’s shots went in the hoop, the entire team would get excited with anticipation of more to come.

I discovered Money on a day in which the junior varsity and varsity were participating in a joint practice. It was a day Bo was feeling good about his defense. But between you and me, Bo was overconfident going up against Money. Money was a junior varsity player at the time this practice took place. Money came in the door the best shooter in the school. And the only person who didn’t know about Money was me. And on this day Money would show me what I missed in tryouts.

Money was a quiet guy who didn’t have to be vocal in this practice. Why? Because the emphasis was on shooting not talking. So Money took advantage of this opportunity to shoot the ball in front of me. But before I go any further let me tell you a little more about Money. From all accounts Money’s father (Big Money) spent hours upon hours with his two sons (Cash and Money) shooting the basketball and doing basketball drills. Cash and Money would be seen all over California City working with their dad on their basketball skills. People who saw the boys grow up knew they would be good players in high school.

The other reason why Money didn’t standout when trying out for varsity was his shot selection! Every coach notices the player who forces shots or takes bad shots. But very few coaches notice the player who waits for the ball to find him for a good shot. Money being a shooter would not take a bad shot! But if Money got a clean look at the basket he’d knock down the shot. And on this day Bo’s over confidence on defense let the genie out of the bottle.

We ran shooting drills where guys shot against air and Money knock down shots. We ran one-on-one drills and Money knock down shots; two-on-two drills and Money knock down shots. We ran three-on-three, four-on-four and five-on-five drills and Money knock down shots. Most of the shots Money hit were against Bo; who was determined to stop him. And when the smoke cleared Money was thrown a varsity uniform.

The varsity team was young and filled with sophomores. Which brings me to 5’10" Matty Ice and Scooter a 6’1" bundle of energy. Scooter’s game reminded me of bull in a China shop. Scooter went about his job of rebounding the ball and playing defense like a man possessed. Matty Ice was a guard who could also rebound the basketball and start the break. Matty’s long hair would flop from side to side as he pushed the ball up and down the court. Both Matty Ice and Scooter were tough hard nose baseball players who decided to play basketball in the off season.

Our team was composed of a great group of guys who practiced well together. And we look good all the way up to playing our first game. But when the lights came on most of my players were shaking in their sneakers. My players apprehension came from lack of experience. Even going into the season we didn’t scrimmage against anyone other than ourselves. So this new collection of Ravens didn’t have any game experience as a team. My Ravens were a collection of individuals trying to jell as a team. Ready or not it was game time. Let’s GO RAVENS!!!!

We got a false sense of security winning our first game of the season against the Sharks of George Edward Alcorn Jr. High School. If Dean was telling this story my Ravens would be 0-25 for the season. Dean based his analysis on statistical data; more to the point the size of a school’s population. George Edward Jr. High School had a population of 1,500 students; 1,000 more students than our school. And based on Dean’s analysis the odds of winning the game were not in my Ravens favor.

History Notes:

George Edward Alcorn Jr. was born March 21, 1940. George Edward Alcorn Jr. is an African-American Inventor and Scholar who earned a Master of Science in Nuclear Physics. And also a PhD in Molecular and Atomic Physics both from Howard University.

George Edward Alcorn Jr. worked as a research engineer for the Space Division of North American Rockwell. And was involved with the computer analysis of launch trajectories and orbital mechanics for Rockwell missiles; including the Titan l and ll, the Saturn and the Nova.

George Edward Alcorn Jr. is best known for inventing the X-ray spectrometer which earned him the NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center Award for inventor of the Year. And was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

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