Page 26 - Florida Sentinel 3-18-16 Edition

Local Sports
Tampa Native Leads Her Team Into The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Brandi Buie has been ac- tive in sports since she was in the sixth grade.
Buie, who attended King’s Kings Academy and St. Peter Claver Catholic School, is now a sophomore at the University of Jacksonville, and by virtue of them winning their conference championship, she and her teammates will be heading to the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Buie, who was named MVP on her high school state cham- pionship team, also has a tour- nament championship ring.
“She realized she could go somewhere with basketball in the 9th grade,” said her father, Kenneth Buie.
“She’s always been active and sang in the youth choir at St. John Progressive, and has al- ways been an outstanding stu- dent.”
Her coach, Yolett McPhee- McCuin, said she’s excited about the opportunity to take a team to the tournament.
“We are very close and we all have a great relationship. We’ve gone through a lot to- gether, and I just try to guide my team to be successful.
“I think Brandi is an excel- lent athlete and I offered her a scholarship after watching her
BRANDI BUIE
play for 5 minutes. The best years are ahead for her.”
Brandi said she’s not over- whelmed by everything that’s going on around her, she’s al- ways been confident they could compete.
“My personal goals are to get better every day as a player. I’m studying sports business and sociology. I hope to get into sports business when I’m through with basketball as a player.
“I’ve never given any thought to coaching, and I devote a lot of personal time to practice, and I’ve identified my strengths and weaknesses. I work hard to improve myself and my teammates.”
Brandi’s team will be facing South Carolina State (31-1 and a top seed) this Friday at 7:30 p. m.
High School Hosts 6th Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
DEXTER L, BRYANT, SR. ...Founder/President
CITY COUNCILMAN FRANK REDDICK ...To tip the first ball
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
The basketball game will benefit the Young Lions youth organization.
The First Annual Old School Charity Classic basketball game will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2016, 6 p. m., at the University of Tampa Bob Mar- tinez Sports Complex. Doors open at 5 p. m. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Young Lions youth organiza- tion.
John Glenn and Sanford Ross are coordinators of this event, which is sponsored by Casper and Co.
According to their mission statement, the Young Lions Youth Organization, Inc. was established in 1997 by Dexter L. Bryant, Sr., founder and president. The organization was formed to help prevent ju- venile delinquency with the inner city youth. The Young Lions provide several different positive activities for youth ages 5-18. “This is our way of making sure the youths have some things to do. Without programs like this, the parents couldn’t afford to send their children,” Bryant said.
One of those activities was the recent Plant City Straw- berry Festival where 25 youths were treated to the outing. Bryant said many of the out- ings are in partnership with Abe Brown Ministries.
Many of the “Old School” basketball players are youth
who have gone through the program and are still support- ers.
Some youths from the pro- gram who are still in college are: Courtney Greene (FAMU), Janie Pointers (Jersey College), Charles Hines (UCF) and Dexter Bryant, Jr. (FSU).
Ms. Bridgett Greene, Vice President of Young Lions, said the finances from the basket- ball classic will be used for the organization’s summer pro- grams when we take the kids to places like Busch Gardens and Sea World.
“This game is a family event that we’re inviting the public to attend. Those who can’t attend can go to our website and make a donation www.younglionsy- outhorganization.com),” she said.
Debra Fuller, coach at Howard W. Blake High School and Marico Davis of Jeffer- son High will coach the women’s team. Eric Hayes of Jefferson High School and Adrian Johnson of Tampa Bay Tech will coach the men’s team. City Councilman Frank Reddick, who assisted with coordinating this event, will tip the first ball, while Pete Edwards will be the game an- nouncer.
Among the ‘old school’ play- ers who have agreed to play are: Charley Bradley, Fred Lewis, Dexter Bryant, Sr. and George Kimbell. Bryant said the rosters are full. “We don’t need any more players.”
JONATHAN CLARKSON GIBBS
1st Annual ‘Old School’ Charity Basketball Classic
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Thursday, March 17th, members of the Gibbs High School Alumni Association held their 6th Annual Administra- tors, Coaches and Athletes Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The event took place at the Gibbs High School Auditorium, 850 34th Street, South, in St. Petersburg.
This year, 16 individuals were inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame Ceremony. The 2016 Gibbs High School Hall of Fame inductees were: Robert “Bobby Yates” Jenkins, Moeses Holmes; and James “Smokey” Drayton, all mem- bers of the 1954 football team.
Ms. Betty Walls Hay- wood, basketball, 1956; Lovett “Little Geech” Adams, football, 1960; and Robert Earl Blossom, bas- ketball and baseball, 1963.
Timothy Fleming was cho- sen for his basketball skills. He played with the team in 1966.
The 1996 football inductees were Sean King and Bomani Lancaster. Thaddeus Stallings was chosen as the in- ductee in football in 1997.
Other inductees were: Ken- neth Wright and Kenneth Mullens, football; Robert Williams and Martin Teal, basketball; William Camp- bell, baseball; and Mark Roberson, swimming.
Gibbs High School opened its doors in 1927 to educate African American students during the segregation era. It was named in honor of Jonathan Clark- son Gibbs, who held a Florida State office during the Recon- struction Era. Gibbs also served as Secretary of State in 1868 and State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1873.
A Presbyterian minister, Gibbs graduated from Kimball Union Academy at Meriden in 1848. He continued his educa- tion at Dartmouth College, be- coming the third Black to graduate in 1852.
He then became active in the abolitionist movement and came to the south in 1864 to work with Freedmen.
Gibbs died in Tallahassee in 1874.
Brandi Buie receives an award for her outstanding play in her conference tournament.
Brandi Buie (to the left of the player holding the ball) celebrates with her teammates on their victory.
Special Olympics Florida 2016 Area VIII Summer Games At Jesuit High School
One of Jesuit High School's most cherished annual tradi- tions is the Jesuit Dads' Club's dedicated involvement in the Special Olympics each spring. For 16 years, the Dads' Club, along with hundreds of Jesuit students, has been essential to the overall success of the Spe- cial Olympics in Tampa.
This year, the Special Olympics Florida 2016 Area VIII Summer Games will be held at Jesuit High School on March 19. From the 9 a. m., Opening Ceremonies until
about 5 p. m., Jesuit’s Corral Memorial Stadium will host the athletic competition featuring Special Olympics athletes from the region.
The Area VIII Summer Games previously has been hosted at the University of South Florida, before moving to Jesuit this year. Area VIII covers Hillsborough, Polk, and Highland Counties, and is one of 11 designated areas in Florida that annually conduct Special Olympics State Cham- pionships.
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