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October, 1986 THE MAROON TIGER « Page 9
SPORTS
New Coaching Staff May Bring Wins
by David Cummings
With the addition of three
new coaches, two former
professional players and one
a Morehouse graduate of
1979, the 1986 Morehouse
College football team looks
to plant the seed of a new
era.
Experience, leadership,
and positiveness are the key
ingredients offered by the
new coaches.
John Mitchell, the offen
sive line coach, has eleven
years of N.F.L. experience.
Jim Mitchell, the wide
receiver coach, also has
eleven years of professional
ball under the belt, and An
thony Griffin, a former
Morehouse graduate of
1979 wants to help his alma
mater build a winning tradi
tion.
Mitchell, a Shelbyville,
Tennessee native, played
eleven years with the Atlan
ta Falcons as an offensive
tight end. “I like what I see
in terms of talent on this
team,” said Mitchell. After
the 46-6 loss to Albany
State College, experience
seems to be the downfall of
this team, especially in the
offensive line — where three
Freshmen and two Sopho
mores are starting.
“Once these players get
some game action under
their belts, things will begin
to look brighter,” stated
Mitchell.
As for his feelings toward
coach Maurice “Mo” Hunt,
Mitchell said, “Coach Hunt
lets me coach and that is im
portant in developing a
coaching staff that can work
together. Which in turn will
enhance our chance of
becoming a winner sooner
than later.”
With 11 years of N.F.L.
experience under his belt,
John Gilliam knows what he
is talking about. The wide
receiver coach from South
Carolina State, played three
years with the New Orleans
Saints, three more years
with the St. Louis Cardinals,
four years with the Min
nesota Vikings, and one year
with the Atlanta Falcons.
Unity is the key right
now, for this young football
team. Gilliam said, “If we
can keep the players think
ing as one unit, in the long
run that will off-set our inex
perience.”
Only time will tell how far
this ball club will go. The at
titude of the players has im
pressed Coach Gilliam. “The
kids have confidece and they
want to learn. After two or
three ball games we will
have a better understanding
of where we are.” Time is im
portant to the development
of this football team. “Once
we prove to ourselves that
we are capable of winning,
then the only then, will we
be able to say that we are on
our way to a successful
season.”
Anthony Griffin, the lone
Morehouse graduate of the
entire staff, wants to
develop the players’ overall
knowledge of the game.” I
want to start the players
with the fundamentals and
teach them the different con
cepts of defensive football.”
Competitiveness in the first
two or three ballgames is
what the team is striving
for. Then, as coach Griffin
put it, “We will be looking
for the W’s.”
To establish a winning
program on any level of foot
ball cohesiveness among the
coaches is vital. The ability
of the coaches and players to
affiliate as a group is impor
tant toward the develop
ment of team camaraderie.
With the present staff, Head
coach Maurice Hunt is confi
dent that the staff is “con
ducive to the type of players
we have on the team.”
“Their backgrounds alone
speak for their knowledge of
the game. When they tell the
kids what they are doing
right or wrong, the kids
listen to them, because they
know what they are being
told is coming from people
who have professional ex
perience in their field,”
Coach Hunt said.
Whether or not this team
is a winner or loser, one
thing is for sure, Morehouse
has planted the seeds which
should bear fruit.
“Tigers Rebuild”
by Marcus C. White
New talent, for the most
part, is exactly what Coach
Maurice Hunt has found for
the 1986 Maroon Tiger Foot
ball team.
As far as the ’86 season is
concerned, a person must be,
according to coach Hunt,
“optimistic”. Hunt claims
that this years’ team is
rather young because so
many seniors have left from
last year.
“You never know what
will happen with young peo
ple,” Hunt said.
Since so many players
graduated many rookies will
see action.
The offensive line is
rebuilding and Andrew
Samuels seemed very confi
dent about the part in which
the line will play.
Samuels, who is an All-
City and All-State returnee
said, “The offensive line
looks promising.”
The size of the offensive
line will not be very large
this year as it was in
previous years; therefore,
“technique,” according to
wide receiver Richard
McNeil, “is what the coach
is emphasizing.”
In as much as technique is
important, staying with the
the team is just as an impor
tant. Andrew Samuels ex
plains, “A lot of freshmen
came in (practiced), but
many did not stay.”
“Even though our team is
young, there is a lot of
dedication and a lot of
However great the dedica
tion and heart may be, there
is a great number of inex
perienced players on the
football field.
Morehouse has a history
of players who do not earn
This makes it difficult for
the coaches to forecast the
following season.
Just recently, Coach Hunt
did a little recruiting; he was
recruiting not for players,
but for coaches.
starter for the Minnesota
Vikings, and Jim Mitchell,
former tightend of the
Atlanta Falcons, are work
ing with Coach Hunt to
develop better the team.
“Coach Hunt and Hill are
really concerned about the
program and they went out
of their way to find the
players that we have,” Mit
chell said. As of now, John
Mitchell is working as the
widereceiver coach. Jim Mit
chell, who will be mostly
concerned with the running
backs, coaches the offensive
line.
As far as the receivers are
concerned, Richard McNeil
seems fully confident in
them. “We probably have
the best receivers in the
south,” McNeil said with a
bit of speculation.
Similar to McNeil, Coach
Hunt is very definite about
his receivers. “This years
receivers will be our
strongest form of offense,”
said Hunt.
Unity is the key according
to offensive center Stan Con
ley. “Our strongest point is
the unity amongst
ourselves,” said Stan.
Richard McNeil also
believes that unity is a
strong point for the football
team simply because
everyone lives together.
Strategically speaking,
Continued on Page 16
heart,” Samuels said. their degrees in four years. John Gilliam a 11-year-
There’s no stopping the Reign
by Les Smith
The Morehouse Tennis
Tigers are back!
Led by captain Keith
Lanier, the Tigers are ready
to take on the SI AC and all
comers this year. This team
not only returns with its top
three intact, but adds to it
more depth than it possibly
ever had. To add to this fact
is that the team will only
gradute one member at the
end of the years.
As with any small team
great things are expected of
the freshmen. Those who
will carry a heavy load are
Peter Clark, Matthew
Taylor, Gregory Bright,
Daren Polite, sophomore
transfer and Vernon
Swisher, junior transfer.
These players, along with
the “old guys” will make up
the team that has won the
SIAC championship for the
last twelve straight years
(let’s see one of the other
Morehouse teams try to top
that!)
The year started out with
a collegiate invitational
tournament in Durham,
North Carolina where the
team went up against teams
from Hampton and J. C.
Smith. There, although in
singles the team didn’t do
anything impressive, the
number one doubles team of
Lanier and Kevin Belcher
went to the quarter-finals
after a promising first round
win. After returning home to
the safety of school, the
team had to face an old
nemesis in the form of
Emory’s tennis team.
Morehouse has never beaten
Emory in the history of
Morehouse tennis.
Scenario: you’re going up
against one of your worst
enemies but you don’t have
one of your best weapons.
As luck would have it, this is
what happened to the
Morehouse tennis team.
Number two player Kevin
Belcher was unable to make
the trip. Playing down one
man, the team managed to
be leading 4-2 after the
singles. In the doubles,
Emory took numbers 2&3
easily, tying the score at
4-all. At this point
everything was resting on
the number one team who
was down 6-2, 3-2.
Nervous yet?
The Emory coach wasn’t
because he shook Coach
Haines’ hand and left, confi
dent that they had won yet
again. But this is not to be!
As if by divine power, the
team rallied and came back
to win 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. Is this to
be the path taken by the
Tigers?
If this is to be, then all ten
nis teams beware! If so, then
there is a sleeping tiger out
there and he’s wearing the
Maroon and White of
Morehouse College!