Other Sports A rare Act of Sportsmanship. A Must read

FishingRod · 02-20-2009, 08:41 AM

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=914609

The coach never considered any other option.
It didn't matter that his DeKalb, Ill., High School basketball team had ridden a bus two and a half hours to get to Milwaukee, then waited another hour past game time to play. Didn't matter that the game was close, or that this was a chance to beat a big city team.

Johntel Franklin scored 10 points in the game following the loss of his mother.
Something else was on Dave Rohlman's mind when he asked for a volunteer to shoot two free throws awarded his team on a technical foul in the second quarter. His senior captain raised his hand, ready to go to the line as he had many times before.

Only this time it was different.

"You realize you're going to miss them, don't you?" Rohlman said.

Darius McNeal nodded his head. He understood what had to be done.

It was a Saturday night in February, and the Barbs were playing a non-conference game on the road against Milwaukee Madison. It was the third meeting between the two schools, who were developing a friendly rivalry that spanned two states.

The teams planned to get together after the game and share some pizzas and soda. But the game itself almost never took place.

Hours earlier, the mother of Milwaukee Madison senior captain Johntel Franklin died at a local hospital. Carlitha Franklin had been in remission after a five-year fight with cervical cancer, but she began to hemorrhage that morning while Johntel was taking his college ACT exam.

Her son and several of his teammates were at the hospital late that afternoon when the decision was made to turn off the life-support system. Carlitha Franklin was just 39.

"She was young and they were real close," said Milwaukee coach Aaron Womack Jr., who was at the hospital. "He was very distraught and it happened so suddenly he didn't have time to grieve."

Womack was going to cancel the game, but Franklin told him he wanted the team to play. And play they did, even though the game started late and Milwaukee Madison dressed only eight players.

Early in the second quarter, Womack saw someone out of the corner of his eye. It was Franklin, who came there directly from the hospital to root his teammates on.

The Knights had possession, so Womack called a time out. His players went over and hugged their grieving teammate. Fans came out of the stands to do the same.

"We got back to playing the game and I asked if he wanted to come and sit on the bench," Womack said during a telephone interview.

"No," Franklin replied. "I want to play."

There was just one problem. Since Franklin wasn't on the pre-game roster, putting him in meant drawing a technical foul that would give DeKalb two free throws.

Though it was a tight game, Womack was willing to give up the two points. It was more important to help his senior guard and co-captain deal with his grief by playing.

Over on the other bench, though, Rohlman wasn't so willing to take them. He told the referees to forget the technical and just let Franklin play.

"I could hear them arguing for five to seven minutes, saying, `We're not taking it, we're not taking it," Womack said. "The refs told them, no, that's the rule. You have to take them."

That's when Rohlman asked for volunteers, and McNeal's hand went up.

He went alone to the free throw line, dribbled the ball a couple of times, and looked at the rim.

His first attempt went about two feet, bouncing a couple of times as it rolled toward the end line. The second barely left his hand.

It didn't take long for the Milwaukee players to figure out what was going on.

They stood and turned toward the DeKalb bench and started applauding the gesture of sportsmanship. Soon, so did everybody in the stands.

"I did it for the guy who lost his mom," McNeal told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It was the right thing to do."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They may not remember our record 20 years from now, but they'll remember what happened in that gym that night.
? Dave Rohlman, head coach of the opposing DeKalb team on what his players will take away from this experience.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Franklin would go on to score 10 points, and Milwaukee Madison broke open the game in the second half to win 62-47. Afterward, the teams went out for pizza, two players from each team sharing each pie.
Franklin stopped by briefly, thankful that his team was there for him.

"I got kind of emotional but it helped a lot just to play," he said. "I felt like I had a lot of support out there."

Carlitha Franklin's funeral was last Friday, and the school turned out for her and her son. Cheerleaders came in uniform, and everyone from the principal and teachers to Johntel's classmates were there.

"Even the cooks from school showed up," Womack said. "It lets you know what kind of kid he is."

Basketball is a second sport for the 18-year-old Franklin, who says he has had some scholarship nibbles and plans to play football in college. He just has a few games left for the Knights, who are 6-11 and got beat 71-36 Tuesday night by Milwaukee Hamilton.

It hasn't been the greatest season for the team, but they have stuck together through a lot of adversity.

"We maybe don't have the best basketball players in the world but they go to class and take care of business," Womack said. "We have a losing record but there's life lessons going on, good ones."

None so good, though, as the moment a team and a player decided there were more important things than winning and having good stats.

Yes, DeKalb would go home with a loss. But it was a trip they'll never forget.

"This is something our kids will hold for a lifetime," Rohlman said. "They may not remember our record 20 years from now, but they'll remember what happened in that gym that night."

lazepoo · 02-20-2009, 08:49 AM

Repost.

KcFanInGA · 02-20-2009, 08:56 AM

That is an awesome story. Truly awesome. I love stories like this.

KcFanInGA · 02-20-2009, 08:57 AM

its almost as good as a dennis quaid movie...hell it should be a dennis quaid movie!!

**gblowfish** · 02-20-2009, 09:20 AM

I saw this on the news last night. Great story. Nice to see there's still some sanity in the world.

blaise · 02-20-2009, 09:23 AM

I think people rushing in to cry "repost" is actually more annoying than reposts themselves.

MVChiefFan · 02-20-2009, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazepoo

Repost.

Amnorix · 02-20-2009, 09:31 AM

Great story. Nice to balance off those 100-0 washouts with something positive.

lazepoo · 02-20-2009, 09:35 AM

It's a great story and I'm not trying to be a dick, but it was up here all day yesterday.

FishingRod · 02-20-2009, 10:26 AM

Sorry for the repost, Didn't notice it yesterday. Did A quick look through the first few pages and didn't see it. Just thought it was the kind of story we don't see enough of.

Did you hear Herm got fired?

lazepoo · 02-20-2009, 10:30 AM

Really??? I thought Stram was still coaching?

Anyway, I completely agree with the sentiments. News is entirely too negative, especially lately, so no worries.

PhillyChiefFan · 02-20-2009, 12:58 PM

Wish there were more good stories like this.

Pants · 02-20-2009, 01:02 PM

I don't want to read this shit twice. REPOST!

bluehawkdoc · 02-20-2009, 01:08 PM

Probably a repost too but this reminded me of a recent ESPN article about a high school football team in Florida. http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/st...ine&id=3789373 If you haven't heard about this, it is definitely worth a read.

Pants · 02-20-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluehawkdoc

Probably a repost too but this reminded me of a recent ESPN article about a high school football team in Florida. http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/st...ine&id=3789373 If you haven't heard about this, it is definitely worth a read.

Repost.

02-20-2009, 08:41 AM
FishingRod Veteran Join Date: Mar 2006 Casino cash: $10016661	A rare Act of Sportsmanship. A Must read http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=914609 The coach never considered any other option. It didn't matter that his DeKalb, Ill., High School basketball team had ridden a bus two and a half hours to get to Milwaukee, then waited another hour past game time to play. Didn't matter that the game was close, or that this was a chance to beat a big city team. Johntel Franklin scored 10 points in the game following the loss of his mother. Something else was on Dave Rohlman's mind when he asked for a volunteer to shoot two free throws awarded his team on a technical foul in the second quarter. His senior captain raised his hand, ready to go to the line as he had many times before. Only this time it was different. "You realize you're going to miss them, don't you?" Rohlman said. Darius McNeal nodded his head. He understood what had to be done. It was a Saturday night in February, and the Barbs were playing a non-conference game on the road against Milwaukee Madison. It was the third meeting between the two schools, who were developing a friendly rivalry that spanned two states. The teams planned to get together after the game and share some pizzas and soda. But the game itself almost never took place. Hours earlier, the mother of Milwaukee Madison senior captain Johntel Franklin died at a local hospital. Carlitha Franklin had been in remission after a five-year fight with cervical cancer, but she began to hemorrhage that morning while Johntel was taking his college ACT exam. Her son and several of his teammates were at the hospital late that afternoon when the decision was made to turn off the life-support system. Carlitha Franklin was just 39. "She was young and they were real close," said Milwaukee coach Aaron Womack Jr., who was at the hospital. "He was very distraught and it happened so suddenly he didn't have time to grieve." Womack was going to cancel the game, but Franklin told him he wanted the team to play. And play they did, even though the game started late and Milwaukee Madison dressed only eight players. Early in the second quarter, Womack saw someone out of the corner of his eye. It was Franklin, who came there directly from the hospital to root his teammates on. The Knights had possession, so Womack called a time out. His players went over and hugged their grieving teammate. Fans came out of the stands to do the same. "We got back to playing the game and I asked if he wanted to come and sit on the bench," Womack said during a telephone interview. "No," Franklin replied. "I want to play." There was just one problem. Since Franklin wasn't on the pre-game roster, putting him in meant drawing a technical foul that would give DeKalb two free throws. Though it was a tight game, Womack was willing to give up the two points. It was more important to help his senior guard and co-captain deal with his grief by playing. Over on the other bench, though, Rohlman wasn't so willing to take them. He told the referees to forget the technical and just let Franklin play. "I could hear them arguing for five to seven minutes, saying, `We're not taking it, we're not taking it," Womack said. "The refs told them, no, that's the rule. You have to take them." That's when Rohlman asked for volunteers, and McNeal's hand went up. He went alone to the free throw line, dribbled the ball a couple of times, and looked at the rim. His first attempt went about two feet, bouncing a couple of times as it rolled toward the end line. The second barely left his hand. It didn't take long for the Milwaukee players to figure out what was going on. They stood and turned toward the DeKalb bench and started applauding the gesture of sportsmanship. Soon, so did everybody in the stands. "I did it for the guy who lost his mom," McNeal told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It was the right thing to do." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They may not remember our record 20 years from now, but they'll remember what happened in that gym that night. ? Dave Rohlman, head coach of the opposing DeKalb team on what his players will take away from this experience. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Franklin would go on to score 10 points, and Milwaukee Madison broke open the game in the second half to win 62-47. Afterward, the teams went out for pizza, two players from each team sharing each pie. Franklin stopped by briefly, thankful that his team was there for him. "I got kind of emotional but it helped a lot just to play," he said. "I felt like I had a lot of support out there." Carlitha Franklin's funeral was last Friday, and the school turned out for her and her son. Cheerleaders came in uniform, and everyone from the principal and teachers to Johntel's classmates were there. "Even the cooks from school showed up," Womack said. "It lets you know what kind of kid he is." Basketball is a second sport for the 18-year-old Franklin, who says he has had some scholarship nibbles and plans to play football in college. He just has a few games left for the Knights, who are 6-11 and got beat 71-36 Tuesday night by Milwaukee Hamilton. It hasn't been the greatest season for the team, but they have stuck together through a lot of adversity. "We maybe don't have the best basketball players in the world but they go to class and take care of business," Womack said. "We have a losing record but there's life lessons going on, good ones." None so good, though, as the moment a team and a player decided there were more important things than winning and having good stats. Yes, DeKalb would go home with a loss. But it was a trip they'll never forget. "This is something our kids will hold for a lifetime," Rohlman said. "They may not remember our record 20 years from now, but they'll remember what happened in that gym that night."
Posts: 4,265

02-20-2009, 08:49 AM	#2
lazepoo Wizard Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mpls Casino cash: $10005004	Repost.
Posts: 477

02-20-2009, 08:56 AM	#3
KcFanInGA I just peed a little on my leg Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: GA Casino cash: $10004900	That is an awesome story. Truly awesome. I love stories like this. __________________ Know what the pillsbury doughboy has between his legs? DOUGHNUTS!!
Posts: 932

02-20-2009, 08:57 AM	#4
KcFanInGA I just peed a little on my leg Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: GA Casino cash: $10004900	its almost as good as a dennis quaid movie...hell it should be a dennis quaid movie!! __________________ Know what the pillsbury doughboy has between his legs? DOUGHNUTS!!
Posts: 932

02-20-2009, 09:20 AM	#5
gblowfish Be Kind To Your Pets Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Glorious Independence, MO Casino cash: $16886178 VARSITY	I saw this on the news last night. Great story. Nice to see there's still some sanity in the world.
Posts: 41,016

02-20-2009, 09:23 AM	#6
blaise In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Plano, TX Casino cash: $9989900	I think people rushing in to cry "repost" is actually more annoying than reposts themselves.
Posts: 22,189

02-20-2009, 09:31 AM	#8
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	Great story. Nice to balance off those 100-0 washouts with something positive. __________________ "I love signature blocks on the Internet. I get to put whatever the hell I want in quotes, pick a pretend author, and bang, it's like he really said it." George Washington
Posts: 43,125

02-20-2009, 09:35 AM	#9
lazepoo Wizard Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mpls Casino cash: $10005004	It's a great story and I'm not trying to be a dick, but it was up here all day yesterday.
Posts: 477

02-20-2009, 10:26 AM	#10
FishingRod Veteran Join Date: Mar 2006 Casino cash: $10016661	Sorry for the repost, Didn't notice it yesterday. Did A quick look through the first few pages and didn't see it. Just thought it was the kind of story we don't see enough of. Did you hear Herm got fired?
Posts: 4,265

02-20-2009, 10:30 AM	#11
lazepoo Wizard Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mpls Casino cash: $10005004	Really??? I thought Stram was still coaching? Anyway, I completely agree with the sentiments. News is entirely too negative, especially lately, so no worries.
Posts: 477

02-20-2009, 12:58 PM	#12
PhillyChiefFan Veteran Join Date: May 2007 Location: Harrisburg, PA Casino cash: $3161139	Wish there were more good stories like this.
Posts: 3,407

02-20-2009, 01:02 PM	#13
Pants Time Keeps On Slipping Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Overland Park Casino cash: $3519900	I don't want to read this shit twice. REPOST! __________________ "Turn the channel to 26!"
Posts: 27,417

02-20-2009, 01:08 PM	#14
bluehawkdoc Starter Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas Casino cash: $5707130	Probably a repost too but this reminded me of a recent ESPN article about a high school football team in Florida. http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/st...ine&id=3789373 If you haven't heard about this, it is definitely worth a read.
Posts: 601