The tragedy that is the current state of affairs in high school football in the City of Richmond, Virginia has me quite irritated. The consistent losing by the football teams at Armstrong, John Marshall, Thomas Jefferson, Huguenot and George Wythe High Schools has become a cancer to our community. The great injustice for the varsity football programs in the city has been the level of unfair competition each team has had to endure in the past decade. City high schools have been forced to play against schools twice their size. It is beyond David vs. Goliath. The constant and embarrassing losing is making schools that are far from being pathetic look pathetic. Something has got to give.
As pupils have gone the way of Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield Counties since the late eighties, so have tradition, quality play, and interest in high school football. There are 6 divisions that make up high school football in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They are sanctioned and governed by Virginia High School League (VHSL). Currently the City of Richmond high schools play in VHSL AAA Division 5, where they constantly play schools that have much higher enrollment; as well as better quality conditioning programs, hands-on practice equipment, and funding from team boosters. These schools also benefit competitively from development programs on the elementary, middle school and little league levels. Most schools in the VHSL AAA Central Region have enrollments from 1500 to 2500 students. These schools certainly belong in Division 5 and 6. These non-city schools can have as many as 70 players on their varsity football team, while Richmond City schools are lucky to field a team with as many as 35 players. While continuing to play at the Division 5 level, and still have to play some Division 6 schools every season, city schools have the following enrollments:
Thomas Jefferson--735
John Marshall--850
Armstrong--1076
George Wythe--920
Huguenot--1206
These enrollments are based on 2009/10 VHSL data obtained from the VHSL website--revised by VHSL Executive Committee Action 5-6-2010. These enrollments are more likely to change downward than upward in the next decade.
Just to give you an idea of how outrageous the losing has become, take a look at these numbers (most of the victories are from when city schools played each another):
Thomas Jefferson – (4 wins in 7 yrs.)
John Marshall – (22 wins 7 yrs.)
Armstrong - (12 wins 5 yrs.)
George Wythe - (1 win in 7 yrs.--currently has the longest losing streak in the state, at around 60 losses in a row)
Huguenot - (29 wins 7yrs.)
(data provided by maxpreps.com)
To see how we got here, we must look at the past. High school football in Richmond used to be the athletic event of the year. One of the biggest rivalries in America was the annual Armstrong High and Maggie L. Walker High game, played over Thanksgiving weekend from 1938 to 1978, and known simply as the ‘The Classic’ (for a great read by Michael Whitt on "The Classic" click HERE). At the time, these were the only two all-black high schools in the city. ‘The Classic’ drew as many as 30,000 attendees to City Stadium. Henrico and Chesterfield Counties obviously had fewer high schools back then, due to a sparser population. High school football would not become as important as it is now to these counties until the 70s. The city had an amazing tradition in football, from the great teams of the 50s and 60s at Thomas Jefferson (then an all-white school) to the Huguenot High teams of the 80s and 90s, coached by the legendary Richard McFee. McFee had numerous players go on to Division 1 Colleges on full scholarships. Some even went on to the NFL. Corey Holiday, a Huguenot graduate, went on to play in Super bowl XXX. Most recently in 2000, David Terrell, a Huguenot grad, was MVP of the Orange Bowl and played in the NFL, as did Franklin Military (part of Armstrong High school) grad Ernest Wilford. There have been numerous other standouts from city schools, but I personally remember these stalwarts. Then there is the greatest player to ever lace up the cleats in Richmond high school football history: Willie Lanier. Lanier played for Maggie Walker in the early 60s and then years later after an astonishing NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs wound up with a Super Bowl ring and inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
One thing the city did perhaps foresee in the 80s was what is happening now, in regards to enrollment. For around a decade, the city combined schools for athletics. The teams were known as Jefferson-Huguenot-Wythe, Marshall-Walker and Armstrong-Kennedy. These schools performed quite well in state tournaments/championships. However, despite the success of the combined schools, the city eventually made what a lot of people felt was the best decision, and went back to each school having its own team. The logistics and travel to practices had become too much of a burden, and the combined setup didn’t allow schools to participate in their own source of pride. Kennedy High did merge with Armstrong High School seven years ago, and the historical Armstrong High School name was kept. Otherwise, though, the city will probably not go back to combining schools, which is a good thing. The schools should have individual athletic programs, just like all the surrounding county schools.
The history of high school football in the City of Richmond should tell the community, first and foremost, that these teams can win if they are playing on a level field with other schools, and can regain the support of their community. The traditions can be recaptured--it just takes winning. Everybody loves a winner. And yet, winning has become a conundrum in the new century for the five city high schools. The city schools have no money, and no booster clubs for the individual programs. Nor do they have the proper new practice equipment, such as blocking sleds, budgie grids, weights, and audio visual equipment. The fact that the city schools are not winning keeps capable kids from wanting to try out for their school’s football team. And teams are losing because of one preeminent fact--they are not playing at a fair level based on the schools' enrollments, a fact that most of the kids in Richmond City high schools probably don’t realize. It really isn’t a lack of talent; the talent just needs to be pitted against equal talent. It is equally untrue to say that the coaches don’t care. The coaches that stick around definitely care, or they wouldn’t be coaching at a City of Richmond high school. They just have to deal with the hand that has been dealt to them. The coaches could bring up their gripes to the higher-ups in the administration, but the long bureaucratic chain that is the Richmond Public Schools is unfortunately not at arm's reach. The ones who lose the most here are the players themselves.
John Marshall High School players
In the past seven years, the five city high schools have lost to Division 5 and 6 schools by these scores: 60-0, 54-0, 49-0, 49-6, 56-6 etc. These scores have repercussions. City high school football players play not only for the pride of Armstrong, John Marshall, Thomas Jefferson, Huguenot and George Wythe High Schools, but for the communities in which they live. Failure in this city’s high school football programs has become expected, to the point that no one in the city's school administration seems to care anymore. Even if the city's schools are in debt, they can turn the tides of this losing by making rational decisions about the direction they want the five high school programs to go. According to VHSL Executive Director Ken Tilley, Richmond City high school officials have the opportunity to move down to a lower division for football. Currently the city’s athletic teams are in a two year contract to compete in VHSL AAA Group (Division 5 for football) until spring 2013. In spring 2013 Richmond City Schools have the option to drop two divisions to Division 3, which serves enrollments of 800 to 1200 students. The only issue here is whether the city should take the other sports that have more success in competitiveness down to Division 3 as well. There is also the question of starting up another district for all city high school athletic teams, which is way easier said than done.
In a meeting with Richmond City Instructional Specialist William James--Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Armstrong, George Wythe, and Huguenot High Schools athletic directors’ boss--he agreed that the biggest hurdle is the decision about where to take all the other sports if the city decided to drop two levels for football. When asked about the potential solution if the city doesn’t drop two divisions in football, he was a bit tongue tied. Even James answers to a bureaucratic “higher up"--ironically located a couple of floors above his office at City Hall. The question is, however, at arm's length for those higher ups. For coaches, it is not. Without a doubt, William James does care about the future of the city's athletic programs. He came out of retirement to do what he could to improve Richmond City Schools. He is a living reminder that the Richmond City Schools administration should consider turning to its elders from a grand era to learn how it should be done.
Our conversation then turned to the issue in microcosm. Interest in playing football for a city public school has dwindled. Less and less boys are going out for football. This, of course, parallels with dwindling enrollments. In the past, there weren't enough feeder programs to spark interest for younger boys, and keep a consistent system in place. The tide might be turning, however, thanks to the NFL's charitable programs that hold football camps in the city, along with increasing involvement in Richmond's Parks and Recreation League youth football program. The 1,700 kids involved in this league is a very encouraging number. Many of the coaches are parents and men from the neighborhoods, who were former players themselves. This gives the kids the familiar role model of someone they know and respect from the neighborhood, and from neighborhood community centers. These neighborhood parks and recreation teams play their championships at City Stadium in mid-November, which is a big thrill to the kids, parents and those involved with the neighborhood community centers. This goes a long way toward making a lasting impression on kids who may want to continue to play football in the future within the city high schools.
Thomas Jefferson High School player (left)
The surrounding counties have many little leagues for football, and it shows later at the high school level. Everything from flag football to Pop Warner League football to middle school teams prepare these young men for football at the high school level. The city must get to this level as well in order to become competitive, according to James. Mr. James also brought up a point I really didn’t consider. Other sports, such as wrestling, lacrosse, and track, play a big role in conditioning and getting "football ready." Every high school in Richmond has an indoor and outdoor track team for boys and girls, but only two city schools offer wrestling, and it just isn’t as important as it is to local private schools or public county schools. Lacrosse, which I would love to see in Richmond Public Schools, isn’t offered at any school. If the city schools had these sports, participants would be better conditioned and ready for football. Many students on the football teams only play football, and many times they are out of shape, or not at a proper weight by late summer practices. Other contact sports play an imperative role in building a stronger athlete. Most male high school athletes in the county schools play sports other than football. Training and nutrition is also a factor. Some of the biggest high schools in the counties have experienced trainers and very knowledgeable nutritionists. The city schools are lacking in these categories as well. Most of the time it’s the head football coach doing all the work. He’s the coach, trainer, nutritionist, teacher, mentor, father, cop, and counselor.
The disreputable side of high school sports exists, just like it does in college. Even at the high school level, money and the need for a successful high school football program take precedence. Richmond City high school football players might perform so well as ninth or tenth graders that they are plucked by a bigger, better, and more academically sound county or private school. Is this fair? Not really, but it happens every day. Besides all the other issues coaches at city high schools have to deal with, having a young star football player with college scholarship potential could be the worst problem of all. These are the kind of players that can rejuvenate a program and get folks interested in supporting the team, but coaches from private or county schools can offer this kid and his family better surroundings and education. All they have to do is move to the necessary district--and if the player goes to a private school, he doesn’t have to move at all. This practice may not float in talent-rich Hampton Roads, or Texas, but in Metro Richmond it isn’t frowned upon. The player gets acclimated to much better facilities, and parents are more than happy for their son to get a potentially better education. As far as colleges go, most college coaches scout the county schools because they now produce the best talent. They are not flocking to the city schools as they once did. It’s all about the winning, and being a steady producer of talent. But how can a city high school win when the good young talent it has developed is stolen away before their formative junior and senior years? The City of Richmond's honor schools--Community, Open, Franklin Military, and Maggie Walker Governor’s School--can academically compete with any county school or area private school. If a student athlete does well on the books, they could potentially attend one of these schools, and still play for their neighborhood high school. Furthermore, if there are good coaches at city high schools--and there are some--that can go a long way toward keeping a star student athlete playing for any one of the five city high school football teams. However, maintaining good coaches is also a problem. Some city high schools have had four different coaches in four straight years. It is virtually impossible to form a solid system and fellowship with this turnover rate.
George Wythe High School players
Searching for answers can take you to places you have never been before. In this case, I found myself at George Wythe High School in South Richmond. George Wythe kind of gets a bum rap, if you ask me. It is a school that has had some issues in the past, but while trying to find my way around, I met some of the politest, most helpful kids I have ever come across. George Wythe has quality kids that want to grow into quality adults in society, just like every other high school out there. I wish most of the community could see this. I made my way to the gym and found Coach Gary Warren. Warren is also the girl’s basketball coach. As he came over to shake my hand, I realized that this tall, physically fit man had played some football back in the day. More importantly, you could tell right off the bat that he had the respect of the students. He's the kind of fair disciplinarian kids look up to and very much need at George Wythe High School. I liked him immediately. As we spoke he did not come off as a “rah-rah” coach, nor did he look to spirituality as the answer for George Wythe’s losing streak in football. He sought no sympathy about the losing streak, and had no complaints about his student athletes, the city school administration, or his situation with playing at an unfair division in football. He knew he was in the trenches, and had a rational attitude about it all. For Warren, it is time to get to work. By the way, it is clear that this man cares, simply by virtue of the fact that he commutes an hour and a half each way to work at George Wythe High School in South Richmond.
Coach Warren is a teacher whose main goal is to steer kids in the right direction. He stated at the beginning of the interview that every coach thinks they can turn around a program like Wythe’s, yet most won't make it through the first year. When Coach Warren walked onto George Wythe’s campus two years ago, he already knew that Wythe has won only one game in seven years. He also knew that, because of security issues, Wythe doesn’t play home varsity games, instead having to play them at Huguenot High School. None of that mattered. Coach Warren was going to start anew. He first started something Wythe hadn't had for years--a junior varsity program. The head coach for this team is a fellow George Wythe graduate and college football player. This program allows a player to learn not only a system Coach Warren has put in place, but to learn the fundamentals of proper football, and to condition their bodies to withstand four quarters of a varsity football game. Coach Warren has had to start from scratch with George Wythe football. He tells his players not to worry about what they don’t have, only about making themselves better football players and better men. He has laid down a strict foundation that players respect, and as a result, they want to be a part of his team. Coach Warren feels more students are going to go out for football at George Wythe next season. He feels he provides discipline many of these kids wanted, but have not been getting in the past decade at George Wythe. Of course, Coach Warren and the players know about the losing streak. To them the streak is irrelevant; the division they play in, although unfair, is irrelevant to them for now. The George Wythe High School football team is working on one win at a time. They are building, and it will come.
Coach Warren certainly would agree sometimes that it is hard to do what he is trying to do at Wythe thanks to bureaucratic indecision. There are of course bigger issues than what level a city high school plays in football, but I’m sure Coach Warren would love to know why this city makes it harder on his student athletes. The most important point Coach Warren emphasized was numbers--the amount of players he has to compete, versus the bigger county schools that play at Division 5 and 6 levels. His varsity team only has 30 players, while a county school team might have twice as many. This results in late-game situations where a county school team can make substitutions at key moments, while the Wythe team has no reserve players to substitute. The George Wythe football players have the hearts to keep fighting, but their bodies just collapse. Opponents are then able to score 3, 4, or 5 touchdowns late in the game to not only win, but make it look like a blowout. The same situation exists for Huguenot, Thomas Jefferson, Armstrong and John Marshall High Schools as well. It is unfortunate that the heads of Richmond Public Schools don’t see what is going on in the trenches. I will say this, however; Richmond Public Schools have a star in Coach Gary Warren.
Here and in top picture: Armstrong High School players (with orange helmets)
Problems can be solved. It might take a ton of work and you might hit many walls, but there are ways to get around them and persist. It is my opinion that the city should do a number of things here.
First, drop all sports, including girl’s sports, offered by city schools (Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track, Cross Country, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball, Softball, and Wrestling) to VHSL Class AA (Division 3 for football). The Virginia High School League appears not to have an issue with the city dropping to Division 3, and should gladly allow a contract to be signed by the city to play at this level. Four districts of Division 5/6 schools make up the Central Region. If the city schools were to leave these districts to form their own district at another level, it would not affect the county school's standings. In fact, the counties could still form four districts of six teams, or three districts of eight. This would not affect the playoff format at the end of the regular season, nor would it affect travel time and gas mileage. Also, the VHSL and the Central Region has to take into account that newer high schools are being built or will be built in Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover Counties in the future. Hence, extra schools will be joining these districts.
Second, close down Thomas Jefferson High School. I realize this would be controversial, as it is one of the oldest and historical high schools in the city, but the city desperately needs money. The lottery isn’t helping like we are supposed to believe. Why not sell that beautiful building and land that sits in an amazing location in the western part of the city? The money made can be used to help build new schools that serve a larger population of students in other neighborhoods. Thomas Jefferson's current enrollment of 735 will drop by hundreds in the next couple of years. The school's current students could attend John Marshall or Armstrong, which aren’t that far of a commute by car or bus. Besides, how many students are bused in from neighborhoods other than the western portion of the city? The answer is more than you think. The gas money the city could save by having one less high school to bus kids to and from could be a factor as well.
Third, the city could make up its own district. Even if Thomas Jefferson stayed open, it could take all of its high schools, bring in two other area high schools that are in the same boat, such as Hopewell and Colonial Heights, and make up a six or seven team district. As far as who they would pair up against in the playoffs, that wouldn’t be a difficult task. Many Class AA and VHSL football Division 3 schools play in Central Virginia, with less travel than one would think.
Fourth, the city could adopt what I think would be a great idea: Instead of playing in the state playoffs for football, why not just all play each other every year? Add a couple of games against fair opponents, and then the top two city high school football teams could play for the ‘City Championship’ at City Stadium at the end of each season. This game could be one of the biggest events of the year. It could draw over 10,000 people, just like the old Walker-Armstrong “Classic.” Make this game a source of pride amongst the young men from the city. The game could even be on a local radio and/or TV station, and the halftime show could be a battle of the City of Richmond high school marching bands. And, oh boy, if you haven’t seen our local high school bands, you are missing out. They are insanely good. John Marshall’s band in particular is sweet on the ears. Even though this option would not allow a run at the state championship, the ‘City Championship’ could be a local Super Bowl. As far as security is concerned, the logistics at City Stadium make this more manageable. Carytown merchants around the corner from City Stadium would love the foot traffic, too. This could certainly be a win-win situation.
The Richmond Public Schools and the VHSL need to sit down and hash this issue out. I’d tell them to think of the kids. I hate to bring this up, but if Armstrong, John Marshall, Thomas Jefferson, Huguenot and George Wythe High Schools were predominantly white, I seriously doubt that football in this city would be so neglected. Race is in no way the major factor here, but simple decisions could be made to resolve this, and they are not being made. The things you hear about the city schools are always more negative than positive. Reversing the culture of losing at America’s favorite sport would be a nice start to turn this around. Richmond School Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Brandon and Mayor Dwight Jones need to wake up. Superintendent Brandon states she wants the city students to have an equal education as the county students; the same should go for high school athletics as well. High school football defines high schools and the community around them. Emphasis on academics is definitely job one, but involvement in sports and the arts are proven to enhance a high school student's performance in the classroom. Lackluster high school sports programs just deflate the inner core of what makes a good high school, and that transfers to the students. Communication is necessary to solve this problem of losing. If it is this easy for me, a blogger/(non-)reporter, to get access to coaches and school officials, then I would think it would be even easier for Superintendent Brandon to talk to the folks that are involved here. It is time to save high school football in Richmond, Virginia. It is the right thing to do. Too many people have invested too much time and energy, over almost a century, for high school football in Richmond to collapse for good. Do the right thing, Richmond Public Schools Administration, and play at the VHSL AA Division 3 football level by 2013.
Huguenot High School players
Note: I would like to thank Coach Gary Warren and William James of RPS for their time. These men are truly class acts. Also a big thanks to Ken Tilley of the VHSL, Virginia High School League's website www.vhsl.org, www.maxpreps.com, and the websites of Armstrong, John Marshall, Thomas Jefferson, Huguenot and George Wythe High Schools for providing player photos.
Written by John Lewis Morgan/originally appeared at onewayrichmond.com