With teams able to practice on Monday, the most noted team in the Area (Wayne) decided to kick off late Sunday at Midnight, and to a nice crowd I must add.
While most everybody got it in Monday, look for all football and volleyball teams to get into gear sometime within next day or so.
With newfound optimism for each team going into this season, it's time to see what teams have gotten better, worse, and which young stars are ready to shine.
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| McCullough takes over at Thurgood |
McCullough comes full circle, new Thurgood Varsity Men's Bball coach
In all that new Thurgood Head Basketball coach Shawn McCullough has been through in the past few years, it seems only natural that he ended up at Thurgood.
Why Thurgood you say?
Let's backtrack for a few.
5 years ago Shawn McCullough was a top assistant to then varsity coach Darnell Hoskins at Thurgood. After a couple years there, he then would accept the head job at Stivers, his Alma Mater for middle school.
He had a great first season, guiding the Tigers to a sectional title and a deep run.
McCullough was the hottest coach in Southwest Ohio, and he and the Tigers future looked bright.
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| McCullough & -D1 big Isiah Williams |
Things would get a little rocky n the 2nd year, as there was a apparent rift between McCullough and upper management.
That Tigers team was a .500 team all year, and bowed out quickly in the OHSAA tournament.
While McCullough figured he surely wouldn't lose his job, he found out the hard way that it wasn't as secure as he thought.
McCullough found out via the Internet that his job was up for grabs. And within the day it was posted, it was apparently taken.
So, in effect, McCullough had lost his job due to an Internet job posting.
Never mind the fact that McCullough had given the Tigers hope in which there was none in the previous seasons.
McCullough heard that his job was open online, and the next thing you know, he's out of a job.
Huh?
How does that work?
Ultimately, McCullough was crushed at the decision.
While he wanted to get back in the fray, he leaned back and pondered his next move. He was given numerous opps to become an assistant again, but declined.
The situation was unheard of, and the streets was talking:
McCullough fired? Why? He lost his job on the Internet?
To be honest, it sounded like a cruel joke when I heard it.
But it wasn't. It was the real deal.
Felix Turner was inserted into the Tigers job, and while Turner is a good coach in his own right, he's not McCullough.
The team seemingly had no rhythm or positive flow last season, as they played .500 ball for bulk of the season.
McCullough?
Remained silent. Undoubtedly hurt.
Pondering.
And now there was word on the streets that McCullough would never work in a Dayton Public Schools setting again.
Fast forward to now.
The Dayton Public Schools Selection Committe and new Athletic Director (Mark Baker) felt that McCullough should be given his job back.
And rightfully so.
McCullough comes from great lineage and was a 2-sport high school star at Meadowdale, while garnering up a hoop scholarship to Sinclair CC & then San Jose St.
His twin brother Andy, played in the NFL.
With McCullough at the helm, look for the Cougars to leave right where former head coach and new Middletown HS Coach Darnell Hoskins left off.
At the top. Or near it.
Salute to a class act who never took the low road on his way back up.
Cougar Nation should be pleased with the decision.
Congrats to Shawn McCullough and Dayton Public Schools for getting it right.
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