Douglass news: DE Deondre Clark offered by Texas Tech; MTV show on Trojans to air in June
Texas Tech offers DE Deondre Clark
Texas Tech became the second Big 12 football program to offer Deondre Clark a scholarship, extending an offer on Wednesday, Douglass coach Willis Alexander said.
Clark, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound defensive end, will be a junior in the fall. He has been playing significant minutes for the Trojans since his freshman year, starting at both defensive end and tight end as a sophomore.
He finished the season with 75 tackles, 18 sacks and 16 quarterback hurries, as well as 12 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He also has offers from Oklahoma State and Missouri.
MTV show featuring Stephen Clark and the Trojan basketball team to air in June
The constant lurking of video cameras never derailed Douglass’ charge for a third straight basketball state championship, and now, the players get to find out if it was all worth it to share their locker room and their lives with MTV.
The show, “Nothing but Net,” will air as a two-part series on June 10 and 17, each being televised at noon central time.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Douglass PG Stephen Clark considering reclassification to graduate early
Douglass junior basketball standout Stephen Clark, front, is considering the idea of graduating a year early and enrolling in college this fall.
The shock of losing his head coach to another school has shaken Douglass basketball star Stephen Clark to the point that he is considering reclassification to graduate a year early and enter college this fall, his mother told The Oklahoman Friday.
Clark’s mother, Dorshell Clark, said her son has checked with the school to make sure he has the proper credits to graduate early, and the family has been working in accordance with NCAA Clearinghouse guidelines since early in his high school career, when it became clear he would be a Division I recruit. (Clark’s first scholarship offer came at the end of his freshman year.)
Clark is a strong student, and has been doing advanced work in some of his classes, long before this option presented itself.
Dorshell Clark said Stephen hasn’t made an official decision yet, but in addition to making sure his schoolwork is in order, they have contacted some of the more than two dozen college programs recruiting him to see if they would have an opening for him in the class of 2012, instead of 2013.
“We haven’t called all of them, but we’ve called some of them,” she said. “We haven’t been told ‘No’ yet.”
The idea was prompted with news early this week that long-time Douglass coach Terry Long — also a long-time friend of Dorshell Clark – was leaving to become the new head coach at Mustang.
It has been very important to Clark to graduate from Douglass, where his mother and two older brothers each graduated from, but he doesn’t want to play for another coach in his senior year.
“It really breaks my heart. I’m not ready for him to be finished with high school yet,” Dorshell Clark said. “But right now, he sees it as a possible option.”
Stephen Clark, 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, was The Oklahoman’s Super 5 Player of the Year after averaging 25 points and 11 assists as a junior, leading the Trojans to their third consecutive Class 4A state title. Clark has been the leading scorer on all three championship teams.
Considered a top-100 recruit in the 2013 class by virtually every national recruiting service, Clark has more than 25 scholarship offers, including Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Connecticut, Missouri, Arkansas, Florida State, Marquette, Georgia and Memphis.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Boys hoops: Terry Long leaving Douglass to become new coach at Mustang
Terry Long is leaving his alma mater, where he has coached the Douglass Trojans to three straight Class 4A state championships, to become the new boys coach at Mustang, according to athletic director Chuck Bailey.
The Mustang Board of Education approved the move at its regular meeting late Monday night.
Long will fill the void created when Alan Green moved into a full-time role as the school’s compliance officer, which was announced last month.
Long was also considered a candidate for the head job at Edmond Santa Fe, which went to former Mount St. Mary coach Lenny Hatchett last month.
Mustang, which is the largest school on the west side of the state, was riddled by injuries last season and struggled to a .500 record. But in the 2010-11 season, the Broncos were a top-five team, despite falling one win short of the state tournament.
Over the last three seasons at Douglass, Long’s teams lost seven games — six of those to out-of-state competition. The Trojans were led by point guard Stephen Clark, a nationally recruited prospect who will be a senior next season.
Douglass will be a highly sought-after coaching position, along with current vacancies at Guthrie and Mount St. Mary.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Girls basketball: Te’era Williams signs with Texas Southern
Douglass' Te'era Williams was the Little All-City Player of the Year after leading the Trojans to their first state tournament in 20 years. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
Douglass girls’ basketball standout Te’era Williams has signed with Texas Southern, her mother said
Williams, who was The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Player of the Year after leading the Trojans to their first state tournament in 20 years, had signed with Grambling State, but was granted a release after coach Donnita Rogers was fired.
Williams averaged 27.3 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and seven steals as a senior.
Oklahoma State offers Douglass DE Deondre Clark
Douglass sophomore Deondre Clark, back center, gives the family another sought-after recruiting prospect, this one on the football field.
The first official scholarship offer is on the table for Douglass sophomore defensive end Deondre Clark.
Oklahoma State extended an offer on Thursday, Douglass coach Willis Alexander said.
Clark played a significant amount as a freshman on Douglass’ Class 4A state championship team in 2010, and started at both defensive end and tight end as a sophomore.
He finished the season with 75 tackles, 18 sacks and 16 quarterback hurries, as well as 12 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
Clark has a busy summer planned, with stops at a variety of major-college camps and elite combines.
Clark, 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, is the younger — but much bigger — brother of Douglass basketball star Stephen Clark, a 5-foot-11 junior who has more than 20 scholarship offers, including OSU.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Girls basketball: Douglass’ Te’era Williams gets release from Grambling State
Douglass basketball standout Te'era Williams, left, and her mother, Lenora Love, right. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Douglass’ Te’era Williams got a release from her Grambling State letter of intent after all.
Grambling State athletic director Percy Caldwell reversed the previous denial and informed Williams and her mother, Lenora Love, in an email Friday morning.
Last week, the Douglass basketball standout was denied the release she requested after coach Donnita Rogers was fired in March.
Williams signed with Grambling State in November. After her release was denied, Williams began visiting junior colleges. She wouldn’t have needed a release to play at the junior-college level.
But if she wanted to begin her NCAA Division I hoops career at any other school besides Grambling State in the fall, she needed the release she was granted Friday.
Now, Williams is left hoping that a Division I school still has a scholarship available for her. She said last month she was interested in Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Wichita State.
Williams was The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Player of the Year after averaging 27.3 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and seven steals per game as a senior, when she led Douglass to its first state tournament appearance in 20 years.
Girls basketball: Millwood’s Quira Demery signs with Tennessee Tech
Millwood's Quira Demery, right, will play college basketball at Tennessee Tech,. PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN
Millwood senior basketball standout Quira Demery signed with Tennessee Tech, which plays NCAA Division I basketball in the Ohio Valley Conference, on Thursday.
Demery led Millwood to the Class 3A state championship as a senior, averaging15.9 points per game through the season.
In the state tournament, Demery averaged 16.7 points, including a 21-point, 11-rebound performance in the Falcons’ title-game win over Prague.
Demery’s performance helped Millwood snap a three-year streak of runner-up finishes.
Girls basketball: Douglass’ Te’era Williams denied release by Grambling State
Douglass' Te'era Williams was the Little All-City Player of the Year after leading the Trojans to their first state tournament in 20 years. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
Douglass senior basketball standout Te’era Williams was denied a release from her letter of intent by Grambling State, her mother said.
Williams, who signed with Grambling State in November, requested the release in March after coach Donnita Rogers was fired. Lenora Love, Williams’ mother, said they are appealing Grambling’s denial but are also looking at junior colleges as a backup plan, starting with a Tuesday visit to Carl Albert State College in Poteau.
Williams wouldn’t need a release from Grambling to play at a junior college, and could transfer anywhere after one year.
Williams was The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Player of the Year after averaging 27.3 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and seven steals per game as a senior, when she led Douglass to its first state tournament appearance in 20 years.
Londaryl Perry blog series Part 5: The state of Perry’s family today
Londaryl Perry teaches his history class at Northeast Academy. PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN
This is the final post in a five-part blog series, continuing the life story of Northeast girls basketball coach Londaryl Perry, The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Coach of the Year.
Perry was profiled in Tuesday’s newspaper, but his life story is too fascinating to be held to one story. This blog post will focus on Perry’s military career. Here is the full blog schedule:
Tuesday: Perry’s basketball career
Wednesday: More on Perry’s mother and two brothers
Thursday: Perry’s first coaching job
Friday: Perry’s military career
Saturday: The state of Perry’s family today
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At age 34, Londaryl Perry received word that another uncle had died because of drugs.
His uncle James, who had no insurance and had been a drug addict for most of his life, didn’t have an overdose. The drugs just finally took a toll on his body.
“This particular uncle, even though he was on drugs, he was probably the happiest druggie and alcoholic you’d ever meet,” Perry said. “He was always happy and he was going to make you smile.”
Perry was in Iraq for the second time, this time as a civilian contractor, when his cousin told him about James’ death.
The family was scrambling around, trying to find a way to pay for funeral and burial costs. They had decided to cremate him and not have a funeral because they didn’t have enough money.
Perry told his cousin to get with a funeral service and tell him how much it costs. He offered to pay for everything, on the condition that a letter he wrote would be read at the funeral.
The family agreed, and Perry wrote a letter pleading for his family to change. Getting off drugs was part of it, but Perry also wanted his family to be closer.
Now that Perry is back in Oklahoma City, he makes sure they live up to it. Every family holiday is spent at Perry’s home, with around 40 people there each time — including Perry’s mother.
She claims to be clean, but no one is really sure whether to believe her or not. She lives with one of Perry’s younger brothers.
“She’s 53, but she’s 21 in her head,” said Jermey Perry, Londaryl’s youngest brother who is 25 now.
“She doesn’t like talking about (the past). She knows she did wrong.”
Londaryl describes his relationship with his mother as “cordial.”
“We have conversations,” he said. “We speak, but it’s just different (than a normal mother-son relationship).
“If she’s not on drugs, what did she do to get off them? I don’t know. Because the whole time I was raising my brothers, she was still on them.
“I don’t know what her motivation was or is to get off drugs. … It’s fortunate that she’s still alive because of how long she was on drugs.”
But still, Perry said there is no bitterness about how he was treated as a child. He still wants his family to be close, and that’s why he tries to get everyone together on holidays.
“We try to get our family together because our family is not close-knit,” Perry said. “We try to have those times where we come together and try to enjoy each other.”
Londaryl Perry blog series Part 4: Perry’s military career
Northeast girls coach Londaryl Perry went to Iraq twice. PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN
This is Part 4 in a five-part blog series, continuing the life story of Northeast girls basketball coach Londaryl Perry, The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Coach of the Year.
Perry was profiledled in Tuesday’s newspaper, but his life story is too fascinating to be held to one story. This blog post will focus on Perry’s military career. Here is the full blog schedule:
Tuesday: Perry’s basketball career
Wednesday: More on Perry’s mother and two brothers
Thursday: Perry’s first coaching job
Friday: Perry’s military career
Saturday: The state of Perry’s family today
****************************************************
At age 28, Londaryl Perry joined the Army.
Perry had been an assistant coach at Putnam City West since he graduated from Central Oklahoma, but the student loan debt he was carrying became too much.
He was sent to Iraq in October 2003 — seven months after the war there began.
Perry was stationed at the Baghdad International Airport and worked with secure, encrypted telecommunications.
“We were getting bombed every. Single. Night,” Perry said of his time at the airport. “It became like clockwork; we’d get bombed somewhere around midnight, and then again between 5 and 6 in the morning.”
Fortunately, Perry didn’t lose any friends in Iraq.
After his tour in Iraq was completed, he stayed in the Army until 2007. Much of his time was spent playing for a military basketball team.
His last day in the Army was President’s Day in 2007. Almost immediately after that, he became a private military contractor, and returned to Iraq about seven months later.
“It was very different, being a civilian contractor vs. being a soldier,” Perry said. “Both experiences were very rewarding.”
As a contractor, Perry was responsible for putting Electronic countermeasures (ECMs) on vehicles, which send out radio pules and jam radio signals to stop insurgent’s bombs.
He said his job as a civilian contractor was “a little more rewarding,” because he knows he saved the lives of American military personnel. He worked more with the Marines and the Navy during his second trip to Iraq.
“We had a lot of instances where it was proven to have worked,” Perry said of the ECMs.
He spent a little over a year in Iraq the second time before he returned home to both reunite with his family and get back into coaching, which he missed.
