Graham and Cummings athletic programs on the chopping block

[Huey Long]

The Alamance/Burlington School System has all but decided to restructure the academic programs of Graham and Cummings High and eliminate all athletic programs at both schools. Those students that went to Cummings will go to Eastern Alamance and Western Alamance. Some students at Western Alamance will go to Williams and there will be a new school built in SE Alamance County to assist in the student population shift.

 

[1052]

A principal left Graham as the academic and athletic program tanked and went to Cummings where the salary was over $100,000.00 a year. Cummings academic and athletic program soon bottomed out. In the private sector an employee who failed at one level would not get promoted to another level and given a raise. What does this say to those students that are from the struggling socio-economic strata. Isn't this more akin to the academic scandal at UNC where students were assigned to treadmill style classes that led to no degree.

 

[Shotgun-Spread]

So what will this do to the proposed 5 team football conference for the next realignment involving these two schools.

 

[1052]

Athletics is not even in the discussion. There used to be two schools for blacks in Graham. One was Graham High School off of Gilbreath Street and the other was Central High School on Trollinger Road. The school for whites was Graham High School off of Pine Street in Graham. Graham High on Gilbreath Street combined with Central High then all three schools consolidated at Central High and was then named Graham High in 1968. Now Graham High has a person of color rate of 75% and 83% of the schools in the state fare better in testing. Cummings High has a person of color makeup of 83% and is ranked just above Graham in testing. Imagine the money that has been spent and the diverse programs that have been implemented for the end result to be surrender and move on.

 

[Huey Long]

There was a public forum held and about a hundred people showed up at the middle school. From what I heard if the speakers and some folks that were working and a few who wandered over from little league baseball practice were subtracted then the actual number dwindles. It seems that the athletic programs were holding the schools up (no pun intended) and now that the athletic scores have caught up with the test scores things are looking bad.

 

[GoNtheDistance]

From an athletics perspective, Graham and Cummings were among the class of 2A for a good number of years.

 

[1052]

I guess nobody really gives a..... Cummings in their heyday would play anybody anywhere. They put the swag in swagger and was the closest thing NC had to U of Miami back in the day. Graham under Heckman had some great 'back in the day' teams and if Bobby Boswell hadn't left Graham would have been a dynasty for decades until Moser took over. But now those stadiums stand silent and many coaches are glad that both programs have fell on hard times. They jump around after beating them like they have done something. Sorta like the class nerd talking to the prom queen at the 40th high school reunion.

 

[Godevilsgo]

Another example of failure by redistricting and demographic changes coupled severely by economic stress. Its happened to many well known football powers across the state.

 

[new_dawg]

Another example of failure by redistricting and demographic changes coupled severely by economic stress. Its happened to many well known football powers across the state.

Yep. Look no further than Albemarle High School.

 

[Jr Jr]

In the last 10-15 years, East Burlington and Graham has become very hispanic. Test scores, graduation rates, and teacher retention have all been very low for a while. I guess the thought is that by making Cummings and Graham magnet schools, they will make all students re-apply to attend. Ship some of the lower performing students to surrounding traditional schools, then cater to select groups of students (arts, music, vocational, etc). From what I have read, and what I gathered from people working at ABSS, Graham would go to a Vocational HS and Cummings would be like Durham School of the Arts. And, just by doing this, you kill sports in these schools, especially football.
With that being said, Cummings just doesn't have the athletes like they used to. There are no more Donnie Davis, Maurice Mebane, Dwight Jones, Drew Williamson, or Brandon Tates. Studs were everywhere in that school. Add to that, that the main people at Cummings HS that were coaching and "running" the school like Steve Johnson, Jay Perdue, George Robinson, Frank Mensch, and Andy Hawks are all retired or left.
Unfortunately, the more I read and the more I talk to people, I don't see Cummings and Graham being relevant in NC sports past 2020.

 

[jcat12]

I guess nobody really gives a..... Cummings in their heyday would play anybody anywhere. They put the swag in swagger and was the closest thing NC had to U of Miami back in the day. Graham under Heckman had some great 'back in the day' teams and if Bobby Boswell hadn't left Graham would have been a dynasty for decades until Moser took over. But now those stadiums stand silent and many coaches are glad that both programs have fell on hard times. They jump around after beating them like they have done something. Sorta like the class nerd talking to the prom queen at the 40th high school reunion.

Naaah, those days are gone. They need to just close them. You have 3 high schools within minutes of each other. $100,000+ Admins, extra staff, building costs, the amount of money that could be saved is ridiculous.

A-B schools isn't the only district that needs to make these tough choices, but it is one of them.

 

[1052]

Alamance County used to feature WWA style football with 4 out of the 5 county schools appearing in multiple state championship games. Cummings appeared in 9 state title games in about 20 years. Williams, Western Alamance and Eastern Alamance have multiple title game appearances and Graham burned white hot under Moser in the early 2000's. Graham and Cummings had the same demographic factors and both head football coaches left after their health became a concern and they were returned to a full classroom schedule by the same principal. And with the current trend towards diversity as a first consideration the two schools with the most ethically diverse student bodies are being reconfigured from an open door community school type broad based academic structure to something yet to be determined. This is a scandal more akin to the academic fraud at UNC where the diverse student did not receive the education as promised once the stadium lights were turned off.

 

[CAVS1988]

In the last 10-15 years, East Burlington and Graham has become very hispanic. Test scores, graduation rates, and teacher retention have all been very low for a while. I guess the thought is that by making Cummings and Graham magnet schools, they will make all students re-apply to attend. Ship some of the lower performing students to surrounding traditional schools, then cater to select groups of students (arts, music, vocational, etc). From what I have read, and what I gathered from people working at ABSS, Graham would go to a Vocational HS and Cummings would be like Durham School of the Arts. And, just by doing this, you kill sports in these schools, especially football.
With that being said, Cummings just doesn't have the athletes like they used to. There are no more Donnie Davis, Maurice Mebane, Dwight Jones, Drew Williamson, or Brandon Tates. Studs were everywhere in that school. Add to that, that the main people at Cummings HS that were coaching and "running" the school like Steve Johnson, Jay Perdue, George Robinson, Frank Mensch, and Andy Hawks are all retired or left.
Unfortunately, the more I read and the more I talk to people, I don't see Cummings and Graham being relevant in NC sports past 2020.

You left out Chuckie Burnette.. The gun slinger!!

 

[Huey Long]

Could these athletes still be in the student body but not playing. Can the coaches at Eastern Alamance find these 'diamonds in the rough'. Or will what happened at Graham happen to Eastern and Western Alamance.

 

[btango]

There are no more Donnie Davis, Maurice Mebane, Dwight Jones, Drew Williamson, or Brandon Tates. Studs were everywhere in that school. Add to that, that the main people at Cummings HS that were coaching and "running" the school like Steve Johnson, Jay Perdue, George Robinson, Frank Mensch, and Andy Hawks are all retired or left.

That is a very short list of an unreal run of great talent. I always like to throw Jaime Harris in the mix, thought he was an unreal competitor. Griffis, Tinnin, Parker, Burnette, et al. Crazy!

Things are changing. Seems the smaller towns are drying up and the large metro areas are growing.

 

[CAVS1988]

That is a very short list of an unreal run of great talent. I always like to throw Jaime Harris in the mix, thought he was an unreal competitor. Griffis, Tinnin, Parker, Burnette, et al. Crazy!

Things are changing. Seems the smaller towns are drying up and the large metro areas are growing.

Jaime was a warrior!!

 

[rambbq]

Wasn't Harris murdered later on?? He was a heck of a football player...............................

 

[CAVS1988]

Wasn't Harris murdered later on?? He was a heck of a football player...............................

Yes he was. He was one heck of a athlete..rip my dude!

 

[CAVS1988]

Back then you had talent all over the 3A mid state. We ruled football but battled BY and Reidsville in basketball and track. The Rams had the Doggett boys and BY had the Elliot boys and Claiborne.Track was a battle between Ricky Foutain of Reidsville, Timmy Morrow of Southern Alamance, Richard Lipscomb of BY and Ricky Turner of Williams...those was the days!

 

[1052]

The Alamance Burlington School System should resurrect Central High School at the soon to be closed Graham High School. This would be the first time a predominately black school had been reactivated since desegregation. And the ABSS should make Central High school the class of the system to make amends for the system failing so many minority students. The new school should be named Graham High School so that the City of Graham can begin to pull out of its third world status. The current superintendent of the system is being paid 'Trump' money so 'do a comb over', make 'huge' decisions and 'make the Central High Cardinals great again'.

 

[tatermommy]

I don't see why not.

 

[joseywales1]

Are you gonna rename that school or whistle Village People songs.

 

[1052]

Has the Vodoo doll already jumped on Easterns back. The first bus hasn't landed yet and the football and basketball teams are forfeiting games. The ABSS may be better off saving that 60 million dollars and contracting with Chapel Hill/Carrboro to take the students. The folks at Western Alamance are acting like protestors at a Trump rally. Before this is over the superintendent will say, ''theres a gang outside that going to come in here and throw us out the window. And right now I don't know whether to stay and fight or go outside and join em'.

 

[Huey Long]

That's a Huey Longism. He actually told the Louisiana legislature just about the same thing.

 

[joseywales1]

Eastern Alamance has their hands full with playergate. The administration may not have known how the player(s) got to the US and who brought him (them) here and where the others are at and was Eastern the school that was on the website that his (their) parents were shown for the money they were charged by the person who brought them to the US. A notarized document only confirms the signature of the signer and bears no legal investigative evidentiary status.

 

[joseywales1]

Arrests have been made in the case and it may involve sex trafficking of missing females.

 

[CAVS1988]

Arrests have been made in the case and it may involve sex trafficking of missing females.

What a disgrace for Alamance County!

 

[BuckinElkin!!]

I went to college with Steve Johnson, where is he now, and he had a physical ailment a few years ago. Is he doing well now? Anyone know?

 

[Deana_King]

He was the HC at Cedar Ridge in Hillsborough. He is no longer the head coach now.

 

[RD28327]

WWA style football

What exactly is WWA style football?

 

[Retired7]

I went to college with Steve Johnson, where is he now, and he had a physical ailment a few years ago. Is he doing well now? Anyone know?

 

[Retired7]

Coach Johnson had to resign from HC at Cedar Ridge due to a problem with his heart.

 

[tatermommy]

This is the WWA from the 60's.

 

[RD28327]

This is the WWA from the 60's.

Now you're talking ...

 

[orangecrush52]

Before the 'playergate' scandal is over Eastern may close Graham may open back up.

 

[Huey Long]

The Alamance Burlington School System will succeed in closing a Graham school that has been in existence since the mid 1700's. That's something the British, the Yankee army, the Axis powers and the depression couldn't do.

 

[tatermommy]

That's outhouse corncob rough on a cold day right there.

 

[GoldenCross]

The numbers of kids on area football teams are down. Schools like the ones in Alamance that once had talent everywhere hardly have enough to scrimmage now, many do not even field jv teams anymore. Economics, lack of motivation, smartphones, and fear of injury are all factors. We see less jv games every year in my local association...not a good indicator

 

[joseywales1]

With all of the money that's spent on education and all of the hand wringing about diversity the tax payers are rewarded with closing the most diverse schools and spending 60 million dollars to build a new one. Do better buildings or richer teachers make better students.

 

[1052]

ABSS, we live in a world that expects results, and those results are rewarded with good jobs and money. Who's gonna hand it to you ? Nobody? Alamance Burlington School System? You have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Graham and Cummings, and you blame the parents. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what the real world knows -- that expecting superior results, while tragic, probably saves lives; and demanding results, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.
You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want that new new building -- you dont need that new building. We use words like "results," "expectations," "your fired." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent earning something. You use them as a punch line explanation.
Taxpayers have neither the time nor the inclination to explain to the system who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very economy that we provide and then questions the manner in which its provided.

We had rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you go get a private sector job. Either way, what makes you think our money is what your entitled to!