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16- The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Coleman Recognized for Years of
Service By AFCA
Roosevelt Coleman(second from left) was recognized for his years of service.
Longtime Johnson High
School teacher, coach and
athletics director Roosevelt
Stuart Coleman was recently
recognized by the American
Football Coaches
Association (AFCA) for his
many years of service to the
sport.
Coleman was among 43
current and former coaches
to receive plaques for at least
35 years as members of the
AFCA during their conven
tion in Orlando, FL on
January 12, 2010.
Coleman began
coaching at Johnson High in
1978. During his tenure with
the Atom Smashers,
Coleman has been physical
education teacher, driver
education teacher, athletics
director, track coach, assis
tant basketball coach and
head football coach.
Coleman served as AD from
1985-09, track coach from
1978-05 and head football
coach from 1978-85.
Coleman retired in 2005 but
came back on a part time
basis the following year.
Before arriving at SCJ,
Coleman worked at William
James High School (1963-
68) in Statesboro, GA as
assistant principal, teacher,
AD, football, basketball and
track coach. Coleman left
Statesboro and went to
Monroe High (1968-75) in
Albany, Georgia where he
worked as a teacher, coaching
assistant in football, track and
basketball. From Albany,
Coleman landed in
Pensacola, FL at Pine Forest
High School (1975-78)
where he was a teacher head
track coach and an assistant
football coach.
Coleman grew up in
Anniston, Alabama and was a
standout athlete at Cobb High
School in football and track.
Coleman played for the
Rattlers from 1959-62 as
offensive and defensive tack
le. "I went to FAMU 6-2, 195
and I left 6-2, 235.”
In 2005, Coleman was
named as a member of the
FAMU Centennial Team for
his outstanding play on the
gridiron. He is also a member
of the FAMU Hall of Fame.
The proud Rattler has
been married to Vemelle M.
Coleman, a Savannah State
grad and a retired educator
for the past 44 years. The
Coleman’s have two sons,
William and Richard and
seven grandchildren.
Coleman is a mem
ber of First African Baptist
Church of East Savannah
where he is a deacon and
chairman of the Board of
Trustees.
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4707 Montgomery St, Savannah,GA
912.484.3973
Sports with Walter Moore
Tigers Top Allen
Tracy Rankins scored 20
points to lead Savannah State
to a 81-62 win over Allen at
Tiger Arena on January 30.
The Tigers (9-13) led 66-53
with just under five minutes
left but went on a 13-3 run to
increase their advantage to 23
points. Louis Arnold had 17
points and Rashad Hassan
had a double-double with 13
points and 13 rebounds.
Savannah native Anthony
Gordon had three steals, two
points and two rebounds for
the Yellow Jackets. SSU fell
to Jacksonville 72-68 on
January 25 at home. The
1,355 fans saw the game tied
at 68 with 17 seconds left but
the Dolphins converted four
free throws to escape with the
win. SSU fought back from
14 point deficit to tie the
game. Hassan had 19 points
for the Tigers while Arnold
had 15 and Rankins chipped
in 12.
SSU Women Lose
Again
The Savannah State
women’s basketball team had
their losing streak reach 13
games with two losses last
week. SSU fell at College of
Charleston 68-48 on January
27 and Lost at home to North
Carolina Central 54-43 on
Jan. 30. Charleston broke
open a close game with a 16-
3 run to go ahead by 16
points with 11:30 left. SSU
never got closer than 14 the
rest of the way. Courtney
Long had 10 points and
Alisha Nelson had 10
rebounds in a losing effort.
The Lady Tigers (8-17)
trailed NC Central by two
points early in the second half
but the Eagles went on a 14-4
run to go ahead 42-30 with
7:05 left. SSU never got any
closer than nine the rest of the
way. Long and Crissa
Jackson each scored 11
points while Nelson had 12
rebounds. Tigers Run At
UNC The Savannah State
indoor track team ran in the
Carolina Classic on January
Walter Moore
29 in Chapel Hill, NC.
Marcus Stallworth was 2nd in
the men’s 60m hurdles,
Shawn Souvenir placed 4th in
the men's triple jump, Chaz
Price was 8th in the 300m
and Deshawn Lee was 10th in
the 500m race. For the SSU
women, Amara Jones was 4th
in the 300m. In the triple
jump, Amber Hughes was 4th
and Sharonda Redfield was
10th. The second day of the
meet was canceled due to
inclement weather.
SSU Alumni Reacts
To Football Coach
Leaving
" I am very disturbed at the
timing of the resignation of
Coach Wells . With the
national signing day at hand,
it is very critical to potential
blue chip players to know
who their coach will be. I am
very hopeful that we can land
the outstanding athletes who
previously committed to
SSU. I urge the President and
Vice President to move with
haste in selecting a coach
who will commit to develop
ing an outstanding football
team at SSU”.- Israel Small,
president of SSU Booster
Club “I wonder why the
SSU administration waited
until a week prior to signing
day to let Coach Wells go
when the issues were there
most of the season? I know it
says Coach Wells resigned
but that's to save face on both
sides. SSU athletics can't win
for losing on and off the
field”!- Bubba Mattox,
Jacksonville, FL “Robbie
Wells was hired with big
expectations. Dr. Flythe
almost guaranteed he would
have a job as long as he was
there so you would have to
assume there were some
issues with coach Wells
beyond wins and losses that
forced his dismissal at such a
critical time. The fact that so
many players have quit the
team or are ineligible sug
gests instability with the pro
gram. The cause of this insta
bility may exist beyond who
the head coach is. Until SSU
PAYS for an experienced
coach with a proven track
record they may have to
choose someone without the
background needed to build a
winning program. They also
need to be able to PAY
salaries that will allow the
head coach to attract and
retain capable assistants. The
selection process may also be
suspect as this recent scenario
seems reminiscent of how the
previous administration hired
and fired coaches. Some
credit has to be given to the
current administration for
putting more money into ath
letics. Hopefully this will
continue. Much love to SSU
and best wishes in finding a
good coach as soon as possi
ble”.- Shawn Brisbon,
Indiana “I was both sur
prised and shocked by the
forced resignation or firing.
Personally, I thought he was
making progress and moving
the football program forward.
It takes time to lay a good
foundation and build upon it.
I think the program is in bet
ter shape now than it was
when he took it over”. -SSU
Athletic Foundation presi
dent, Henry Nash “This is
just another bad decision by
the Yarbrough administra
tion. It is very obvious to me
that this administration does
not have a clue about how to
build an athletic program or
run a university. It’s ludi
crous to release a coach five
days before signing day”. -
Danny Parrish, Atlanta-
Downtown Chapter President
Local Historian Premiers Documentary
about Historic Black Church
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Constituted in 1777,
First African Baptist repre
sents more than just a building
or even a gathering of believ
ers—it is also the story of
slaves who took the money
they’d saved to buy their free
dom and used it instead to buy
property and a building for a
church on Franklin Square,
the story of a pastor who was
whipped for his faith in a time
when it was illegal to teach
blacks to read and write, the
story of secret symbols etched
into pews, ceilings, and floors
to help slaves escape to free
dom in the North.
“Journey By Faith:
A History of First African
Baptist Church” is a half-hour
DVD created by longtime
First African Baptist tour
guide and historian Karen
Wortham, and the culmination
of years of research and plan
ning. Wortham will unveil the
film at a premier event in the
basement of First African
Baptist at 2:30 pm on Sunday,
February 7th, during “Super
Museum Sunday.”All are
invited to attend this free
event, and copies of the DVD
will be for sale.
First African Baptist is
located at 23 Montgomery
Street.
For more information on
the premier, please contact
Karen Wortham at (912)
224-0973.
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