 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Giddy Chiefs go for it
By RICK GERSHMAN NORTH TAMPA -- Chamberlain High's Henry Washington was awarded consecutive Principal of the Year honors, but he's no pencil pusher. A five-sport athlete in his school days, Washington retains the build of a Humvee and arms the size of redwood trunks. This year, those arms just keep getting bigger. Washington does pushups every time the Chamberlain football team scores, and often is joined by cheerleaders and other sprited students. The way the Chiefs are playing, this should be the strongest student body in the country. The principal's fervor is emulated throughout the school, which is enjoying its football team's most successful season in 40 years. Chamberlain plays Naples for the Class 5A state championship at 7 tonight at Doak Campbell Stadium, on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee. Washington, who goes by the nicknames "Shake" and "Big Dog," arranged for school to be dismissed today at 11:45 a.m. to give students and faculty time to make the 41/2-hour drive. Chamberlain fans attended playoff games in Kissimmee and Panama City in droves, and the principal said he expects at least 1,000 Chiefs fans tonight in Tallahassee. "The kids are so excited, it's like Cloud Nine," Washington said. "It's almost unbelievable." It is hard to believe. While Chamberlain coach Billy Turner has posted winning seasons each of the last five years, before that he had three losing seasons and one .500 mark. When Chamberlain was awarded an unofficial state title under coach John Adcock in 1961, state playoffs did not exist. That title came from finishing No. 1 in the state poll with an 11-0 record. Since the state playoffs began, Chamberlain never won a single playoff game until this year, when it won four straight. Heck, the team hadn't even made it to the playoffs since 1989. Also, no Hillsborough County team has won a state title since 1969. The Chiefs started this season 0-2 but have won 12 straight games, including two victories over powerhouse rival Hillsborough High, which Chamberlain had not beaten in a decade. Tonight's game is particularly special for Turner, who at 64 has won more games than any coach in the county but never before had a state title even remotely in reach. A win tonight also would be Turner's 150th at Chamberlain and 200th in his career. "I am so elated for coach Turner," Washington said. "Billy well deserves it." Tara Steele is the eldest of Turner's grandchildren. The 17-year-old is a senior at Chamberlain and is captain of the Chiefettes dance corps. Her younger sister Tori is a sophomore cheerleader. Since almost all of the Turner children and grandchildren live in Tampa, she said, this quite a family affair. Steele is a member of Chamberlain's leadership class, which has been making dozens of banners to cheer the team at games. This week, new banners included "How About Lucky 13?" and "Skate, Billy, Skate." Um, Skate, Billy, Skate? "It's a dance the players do, the Skate," explained Danielle Aragon, 17. "It kind of looks like you're roller skating. After a win, they got coach Turner to do it." Apparently, watching this grandfather "skate" is quite the scene. "He's cute," Steele said. "He doesn't care if he looks silly. He's having a great time." Last week, the banners made it all the way to Panama City, where Chamberlain attracted several hundred fans in addition to the band, cheerleaders and Chiefettes. There, senior Kim Nicely said, home team Springfield Rutherford had four banners. "We had 15." "This is big, big for these kids," said Bev Jarrett, the student council sponsor. "The kids have incorporated this into "We are winning, we are doing this.' The kids are just so excited.' " The county pays to transport the team to playoff games, but the school has had to dig deep to rent buses to take the band, cheerleaders and dancers, along with spirited students who needed a ride. Chamberlain's athletic booster club fronted the money to get the band to Panama City, while Washington asked an old friend for some additional help. Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Derek Bell, a Tampa native and resident, played for Washington when the principal was a basketball coach at King High. He has donated $3,100 to pay for buses. "A lot of people now are getting hotel rooms" in Tallahassee, said senior Jennifer Stanley, who knows a lot about state titles. She's a member of Chamberlain's three-time state champion girls golf team. "We're confident in our players. It's the spirit of the school," Stanley said. "We have the best fans in the whole state." Chamberlain athletic director Dan Pickern said he was amazed how many alumni and other fans came to see the state semifinal in Panama City. "We had (alumni) drive down from Alabama and Georgia," he said. "Chamberlain's got a really rich tradition." That is echoed by Beth Walker, the school's yearbook sponsor and a 1966 Chamberlain graduate. "People who have graduated from Chamberlain kind of stay true to Chamberlain," said Walker, who made the drive to Panama City. "We just wanted to show the guys that we were behind them 100 percent. I didn't expect that many fans to make the trip, but we had between 300 and 400. We filled at least two-thirds of the visitors' side. "I'm just so excited that we've got something to hang our hat on," said Walker, who reserved a room in Tallahassee even before the Chiefs won the semifinal game. "It gives me goose bumps. It reminds me of the old days when we did have a lot of school spirit. There's a vibe all through the school. It's phenomenal."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times |
