D troit Middle
chool ba ketball program revived:
any chool di tric in the Met
ropoli Detroit Area ve com
petitive gi b etball q on
the le 1. T t' beca e many
ids p Y high hoo1 girl b etball
on the junior . gh and lor mid
dle chool Ievet.
With tbe e oeption of a few D -
'troit PSL gi teams, most aren't
competitive on the ta level. But
now that' whole
lot mote.
Since it' implementation I t
on, middle bool girls b ket
ball in the Detroit Public School has
grown beyond great expectations.
Many coac in the public middle
school foUDd out that many of the kids
have shown deep interest and are
ami<> every week just to play the
eigat-to-tea games that are schedule_d
every year. .
"The move to put interscholastic
basketball in the Detroit Public
Schools has been long overdue," ex
plained Delmar Major who's the
chool have it, 0 w need to have
it Without the form tion of middle
chool b tetball the majority of our
girl won't have chance to play be
fore high school. Before this pro
gr m t rted, our girl were
normally three or four years behind,
ow our girls have a chance to get
to learn b ic fundamentals like of
fenses and zone defenses which is
very important."
ALTHOUGH the games are
very competitive, most coaches in
the league don't put emphasis on
winning, but to teach tbem to im
prove in their basketball skills.
"The key element is good experi
ence," Major aid. "Winning and
losing isn't important at this level
ark Frlclly
Ray Ponder
am I don't try to emph ize it. If you
win fine, but if you 10 e tbere' noth- .
ing to be harned of."
Other co cbes gree with Major.
Benita Murray, who's the head
co ch for the E hart Middle School
Explorers feels that developin bet
ter rel ions hip among students is
more important that the final score.
"We won our first game for the
cason last week after three straight
los es," Murray said. "But during
that time the girls have built relation-
hips amon t the:mselv . Our team
is compri ed of seventh and eighth
graders who normally don't have
classes together, but now everybody
seems to get along with each other
on and off th� court."
"THE GIRLS aren't just en
couraging each other, but other gids
wbo aren't on the team. They have
encouraged some gids who don't
have the required GP A of a 2.00 to
study harder and bring up their
grades so they can play on the team.
The girls on our team must go to
school during the week, do their
homework and can't have any refer
rals if they want to play the next
game."
"These types of requirements
have created a positive change of
attitude aDd make them think twice
when they face a confrontation."
"I see a Jot of attlilifes cbaDglng
because of the ba.ketball program,"
explained Robert Moore, the head
coach of the Burton Imemanonal
Wildcats. "I also see a lot of attitudes
changing in our school. The overall
GP A in our school i a lot better than
before."
"The purpose of my program is
not to prepare them for high school
basketball, but to teach them the
value of working together and how
, they can relate to everyday life. My
other goal is to promote sportsman
like conduct and help positive role
models within thelllSelv�."
"I think this program is great,"
added Murray. "Sports give them a
sense of school spirit. This is a ex
cellent school outlet just like our
school band, choir, and student
council."
"TmS TEACHES them a good
lesson in life. You're not going to
win all the time so must practice to
el bener just lik� eyefYthi else in
e."
Major explained that bdore gids
middle school basketball, many
schools had their girls play in the
Detroit Police Athletic League, be
cause there were no other leagues
around for them. .
"There was no organized basket
ball anywhere in the �ity schools,"
he said."Untillast year all the teams
I've coached played in the PAL
League. The only program for gid
was the Police Athletic League."
Major bas seen progress of the
girls middle school program at one
school he worked for several
years.
"I spent 16 years at Mqer Mid-
dle School witb intramural and
house league basketball," He said.
"The main feeder to Munger is
Chadsey High. Mo t of the girls
who went to Munger later enrolled
at Chadsey and took their basketball
experience wi th them. lbey have
beeno��fPl to.pt�o�t west
ide because of the n\DDber of czpc
rlenced glns tbey have from the pro
g1'3lD I helped to organized."
As for chool support, the results
have been pretty decent at most of
the schools. All three coaches have
their perspectives,
"WE GET 150,. 'support from
our players am student body at Bur
ton," said Moore. "We al 0 have
strong support from our entire staff
and parents."
"The support of the P8RDts, stu
dents and staff have been great,"
MlllTclY said wi th admiration. "eve
ryone has been coming to the games.
I've seen entire families; One of our
biggest supporters have been of the
English teachers Mr . ·(Mary)
McWilliams. She has been at every
game encourging our girls every step
of the way. The girls even look for
ward to see her. "
"Our Propm bas provided a lot of
ex�item�t fo� � pels," Major said.
"We don't see a lot of p8R:D in- _
volved, but some do come out for the
games well the students and
staff members,"
"We don't have tbe pIl'CDts u we
like to have, but it's becoming a fun
·tuation.w
trical engineering. However, the
fleet-footed receiver lill bad a te
for football.
"MY MAIN goal w to at1eDd
Michigan State to study engineer
ing," he explaim. "But 1 decided to
bring my films from Southwestern to
then Head Coach (Joe) Hom. -After
the roach saw my films, he offeted
me an academic scholarship. He aw
me on the films • a quatelback, but
I wanted my bot at wide recdver.
While playing quartaback at South
western, I learned to re.t pass pet
terns, linebackers IDd defensive
econdariea. "
After red-Shirting hiI fresbman
year to coDCenttate on studica, Pod
ncr retwned his second year at wid�
receiver as a sophomore with
tlesbmlD-eUglblJity. He only played
in six gam but sbowed bia iHty
in all six of them. He lect all Tartar
receivers i th 39 receptions, three
touchdowns aDd S86 yards. His S86
yards placed him fifth in the wsu
seatOn records for net yards reedv
ing.
The higbligID of
2 .. 8 1989 season ere hi eight
catches for 131 yards and two TDs
in a 34-32 victory over Northwood
Institute and his 169yaJd1 of�
caught in a tough 30-21 ., S9-
na Valley. His performance
against the Saginaw scbool PQl him,
in seventh place in the WSU Single
Game Record books .•
Podner also earned All-Oreat
Lakes Interc:ollegiate Athletic Con
ference (OUAC) and was WSU
player of the week three times.
The following 1990 season saw
the Tartars as a whole stumble to a
3-7 record, but Podner as an individ
ual showed his fonn. In the newly
-fonned MlFC confeJeDce, Podner
broke tbe WSU single seaton n=cord
for net yalds receivin& by catcbiDa
859 yards in P aDd scorl. ,Ix
touchdowns. He eamod All-MJPC
Filst Team Honors at wido-receiver.
His 184 yards in P caugbt in a
43-40 defeat againt the UnivCllity
Of Indianapolis put him in third
place in WSU Sinale Game Recorda
in Net Yada P RccdviDa.
LAST SEASON plOWd even
better for Podner and the \vsu Tar
l8l1. Playing through III improved
4-6 on, be m8de 54 receptions
for 723 yards and scored seven
touchdowns and ave 13.4
y percatcb.
Once again hi performance
earned him All-MIFC Phlt Team
HODOIS at wide receiver. His record
perfolDl8llCC in a 59-28 loss to Chand
Valley l.t year et a team IeCOrd: 12 .
P caught for 180 and two 'IDs.
The I a pel'SODIl one for
him.
AS FOR THE funsre of other
progmms like this one?
"I think it's going to grow every
year" Mwray concluded. "I hope the
school branches into other. middle
scboo! v8JSity ports uch as volley
ball, cross country and trac for both
boys and girls." .
"We umeIStaDi from town
(The Schools Center Building) from
Phy ical Education Director Roy
Allen that the middle chools bad to
tart somewhete md basketball w.
the first tep, W Major concluded.
Podner, -Friday cheer Tartar fan
"Ruth Denim. my great aUllt who
adopted D)C w� I was two years'
old was at the game." Podner
said.WLator that night passed
away. It bit very bani. I tben�
tIIlt day I g8ve my best paformece
ever _ a foolball player despite the
loss to the Lakers. I have DO other
relatives, but she w a great pe�n
tIIlt believed in me and what I was
doing"
So far this season Podoer his
macSe 32 IeCCplioDl for 451 yards
mS two toucbdowns UDder a differ
ent offemo Ipplied by CUDeDt WSU
Held Coach BlilD VIIl Golder. Al
though his statistics are ditfeJeDt
compared to the WSU Run-and- .
Shoot offcnae fbr the 1 t three yem,
Podner', 145 caught P , 19
lOucbdo and 2,619 yank are 101'1
in 1be WSU !eCOid boob.
"He didn't have a lot of catcbea .
tIiI year becasue be had to make
adjustments." Van Gorder ex
plained. "The l_t three y08ll WSU
ran the Run-and-Shoot offense
which emphasized more ping.
However, Podner' has been a factor
all n. He caught four p es for
42 yards in our . in agains t St.
Joseph's (27-6)."
" Y GETS the team filed up
aDd motivated before each contesL"
, TARTAR, Page 8-7
By Harry M. Ander.on, Jr.
MicJU,_ CitizM
Siooe 1979, the Wayne State Uni
versity Football Program has strug
gled to produce consistent wimling
seesors. However, during that time,
WSU 11m produced some �utstand
ing iOOividual talent on the grid iron.
This year bM been m exception.
Despite their 4-6 overall and 3-6
Midweatem Intercollegiate Football
ConfreDce (MIFC) record, the Tar
tars bad severalsfiver linings dwing
a somewhat up-and-down cloudy
season. I
Ray Podner, WSU'. ou taDling
senio{ wide-reciever from Sout�
western and Mark Friday, a junior
quarterback from Chadsey, have
given the Tartar faithful something
to cheer about this season.
Poc1ner already holds seven \VSU
am foUr MlFC recorda aDd n't
slowed since. Although the grid
squad's record is belo .500, he
looks back at his four yeam at WSU
i th admiralion.
"This n w n't suppa ed to
be excid!W, but I guess it been, "
Podner said. "1 have sevetal career
recorda despite the prob'ems and .
lack of support e had for the pro
gnun in the pasL"
Football w_n't n CO.D\.:em
he graduated from Soutb atlem
in 1988. Podncr to altcDd a
unive ity to pwsue a career in elee-
I .