Houston Defender: December 04, 2014 by Defender Media Group |DefenderNetwork

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Volume 84 | Number 1

DECEMBER 4, 2014 |FREE NEWSTALK REV. MANSON JOHNSON receiving honorary TSU degree

P2 ENTERTAINMENT TAVIS SMILEY writes book on Dr. King

OBAMA DAUGHTERS

criticized

P7 SPORTS JOHN GIBBS JR. comes home to play

H PAGE 4

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After Ferguson, what’s next? Events surrounding Ferguson, Mo. resulted in protests from coast to coast while prompting the question “What’s next?” In St. Louis (left photo) protesters disrupted a mall by lying on the floor, symbolizing people who died. See how Houstonians responded to the grand jury decision regarding Officer Darren Wilson. Find out what steps the Obama administration is taking to promote trust between communities and police. Learn what Black leaders say must be done. H PAGE 8

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Brandon Brooks and Chester Pitts at foundation fundraiser

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TSU presents honorary degrees Texas Southern University will hold its winter commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, in the H&PE Arena. More than 500 students will march across the stage. The university will present honorary degrees to two of Jodie Jiles its graduates, Jodie Jiles and Rev. Manson Johnson. Dallas State Sen. Royce West is the keynote speaker. Jiles is director of business development for Transwestern, and is responsible for researching potential clients and pursuing new Rev. Manson Johnson business relationships. He previously served as managing director of RBC Capital Markets. Jiles is a former chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership, and a former member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Municipal Advisory Council of Texas Board. He currently serves as a member of the TSU Foundation Board. He is

married to Defender Publisher and CEO Sonceria Messiah Jiles. Johnson, a former teacher, is the senior pastor of the Holman Street Baptist Church, where he has ministered since 1977. He is a sought after speaker and conducts revivals throughout the country. His leadership at Holman Street Baptist Church has caused the church to grow in membership and become a dynamic force in the Third Ward community. Johnson has been a tireless alumnus of TSU, assisting students in need of support, hosting fundraising activities through his church and supporting various events and activities. Keynote speaker West was first elected to the Texas Senate, District 23, in 1992. He has been named by Texas Monthly as one of the 25 most powerful people in Texas politics and selected for the magazine’s biennial “Ten Best Legislators in Texas” list.

A construction crew makes progress on Worthing High School’s new two-story classroom wing.

HISD schools celebrate bond construction Several HISD schools will celebrate major construction milestones in December as they hold groundbreaking or beam-signing ceremonies for their bond projects. Worthing High School will hold a beam signing on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 9:30 a.m. at its 9215 Scott Street campus to mark progress on the construction of a new two-story classroom wing. The High School for the Performing Arts is planning a groundbreaking on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m. in downtown Houston to mark the start of work on a new $80.2 million school at 1300 Capitol St. Milby High School will cel-

ebrate construction activities at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 1601 Broadway as work continues on the school’s $68.8 million facility. “We’re extremely pleased with all the progress in the 2012 bond program,” said Robert L. Sands Jr., HISD’s officer of Construction & Facility Services. “These events help showcase how far we’ve come since voters approved the bond program in November 2012. We’re proud of the work of our architects, program managers and Project Advisory Teams.” The remaining schools in the first group of 17 projects will be in the construction phase by the end of the year.

localbriefs PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY’S architecture program has once again been ranked No. 1 in producing African-American undergraduate students by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. The ranking comes on the heels of PVAMU’s top ranking in producing undergraduate engineering students. “We are always proud when our programs are recognized as being among the best,” said Dr. Ikhlas Sabouni, dean of the School of Architecture. “Our students, faculty and staff within the College of Architecture are, quite literally, second to none. We will continue to graduate outstanding architecture students and we

hope that this ranking will spur aspiring architects to seriously consider obtaining their degree at Prairie View,” Sabouni said…….. FATHER TJ MARTINEZ, founding president of Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory High School, died Nov. 28 following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 44. Cristo Rey opened its doors in 2009 to children whose families lived at or below the poverty level. The student body grew from 80 to nearly 500, and graduated two classes of seniors who have been accepted into college. Students pay no tuition to attend Cristo Rey, but work one or two days a week for one of 150 local companies, with their

salaries going to the school to offset expenses. Martinez grew up in Brownsville and received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston College and a law degree from the University of Texas……..TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL is adding 19 floors on top of a six-story facility next to the Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in the Medical Center. The 25-floor tower is slated to be completed in 2018 and will house a 130-bed intensive care unit, new operating rooms with the latest technology and Texas Children’s Heart Center, including cardiovascular operating rooms and the cardiovascular intensive care unit.

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U.S.briefs Sasha and Malia Obama appeared at the annual White House Thanksgiving turkey pardon.

Aide who criticized Sasha, Malia resigns

he communications director for Republican Congressman Stephen Fincher of Tennessee resigned after criticizing Sasha and Malia Obama on Facebook. Elizabeth Lauten used the first daughters’ appearance at the White House’s annual turkey pardon as an opportunity to insult them and their parents. Lauten was blasted on social media for her comments and later apologized “to all of those who I have hurt and offended with my words.” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said he was “taken aback” by Lauten’s criticism and added that public and political figures must choose their words wisely. “I was taken aback that there was a political operative on Capitol Hill who took the occasion of the Thanksgiving event to criticize the first family,” Earnest said. Lauten was critical of the Obama daughters’ de-

Elizabeth Lauten

meanor and wardrobe. Sasha, 13, and Malia, 16, looked bored at times during the ceremony, which many observers said is typical of teenage behavior. Sasha wore a minidress to the ceremony while Malia wore a miniskirt. “Dear Sasha and Malia,” Lauten wrote. “I get you’re both in those awful teen years, but you’re a part of the First Family, try showing a little class. “At least respect the part you play,” Lauten continued. “Then again your mother and father don’t respect their positions very much, or the nation for that matter, so I’m guessing you’re coming up a little short in the ‘good role model’ department. “Nevertheless, stretch yourself. Rise to the occasion. Act like being in the White House matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar. And certainly don’t make faces during televised public events.” Lauten’s post quickly went viral and she was accused of cyber-bullying.

AIDS activists want stigma addressed NNPA News Service

In an ongoing effort to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic, healthcare workers and human rights activists want the government and public to place more emphasis on the stigma associated with the deadly disease that continues to plague the Black community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Blacks accounted for an estimated 44 percent of all new HIV infections among adults and adolescents in 2010, despite representing only 12 percent of the U.S. population. Sohail Rana, an HIV/AIDS specialist and physician at Howard University Hospital, said because the Black

community is the most affected by the epidemic, it’s up to Blacks to make it easier for others affected to come forward. Rana questioned the effectiveness of investing billions in HIV vaccine research without addressing the stigma associated with the disease. “How can you give someone the vaccine, if they won’t come forward to even get tested?” asked Rana. “We need to put some balance into these efforts to make people accept their brothers and sisters with HIV.” Douglas Brooks, director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, called for more conversations about the fear and shame associated with HIV/AIDS in professional and private settings.

CLEVELAND POLICE are investigating the death of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old who was shot and killed in a park after police mistook his toy gun for a real one. Two officers responded to the park on Nov. 22 after a caller reported an armed person in the area. The 911 caller told the dispatcher he believed the gun was fake, a detail the operator did not relay to the officers. Rookie officer Timothy Loehman shot Tamir, who died a day later at a hospital. The shooting sparked protests, and Rice’s family said officers reacted too quickly. “This shooting brings into question the adequacy of the selection, training and preparation of police officers,” the family said in a statement. Loehman and his partner have been placed on administrative leave…….. HOMICIDES ARE DOWN in Chicago this year and police-involved shootings have also dropped, according to officials. Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said more work must be done. “We will continue to put more officers in high-crime areas, proactively intervene in gang conflicts, and enhance our community policing efforts, because fostering stronger relationships with the residents we serve is the foundation of our public safety philosophy,” McCarthy said.…….. RETAIL PRICES for brand-name prescription drugs widely used by older Americans shot up by an average of nearly 13 percent in 2013, more than eight times faster than the 1.5 percent general inflation rate, according to a new AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) report. “Higher brand name drug prices can increase health care premiums, deductibles, and other cost-sharing for everyone with health coverage, even for those who don’t take medications,” said Debra Whitman of AARP. “If these price increases continue, we’ll likely see more people – particularly older people, who are often on fixed incomes – stop taking life-saving medications because they simply can’t afford them.”

VOLUME 84 • NUMBER 1 DECEMBER 4, 2014

Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Advertising/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Online Editor ReShonda Billingsley Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila

Print Editor Marilyn Marshall Local Coordinator Cierra Duncan Multimedia Coordinator LaGloria Wheatfall Sports Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender is audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscription, send $60-1 year to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston TX 77288. Payment must accompany subscription request. All material covered by 2012 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

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Smith named city auditor Courtney E. Smith has been named Houston city auditor by City Controller Ronald Green. Smith has served as interim city auditor since April. She has more than 25 years of accounting experience in industry, public accounting and government and has been employed by the City of Houston for five years. Her background includes working with financial and accounting matters related to attestation and forensic audits, governance, internal controls, risk assessments, and fraud investigations. “Courtney has been a team leader in all of our recent successful audits, demonstrating analytical and leadership skills that are exceptional,” Green said. “Clearly she has the expertise to assume the duties I have asked her to, and she has the support and respect of the entire audit team.” Smith received a BBA in accounting and an MBA with a concentration in Courtney Smith finance from the University of Houston. She is a life member of the UH Alumni Association and the National Black MBA Association, and is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the National Association of Black Accountants.

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entertainment

Tavis Smiley

writes about Dr. King’s final year

By KAM WILLIAMS Special to the Defender

avis Smiley is the host and managing editor of “Tavis Smiley” on PBS and “The Tavis Smiley Show” from Public Radio International. He is also the author of 16 best-selling books, including his memoir, “What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America.” He is founder of the nonprofit Tavis Smiley Foundation, and more than 6,500 young people have participated in the foundation’s Youth to Leaders training workshops and conferences. The Foundation recently announced a $3 million, four-year campaign to fight poverty. Here, he talks about his latest book, “Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Final Year.” KW: Your book deals with the last year of Dr. King’s life when the tide was turning against him. Now Dr. King is viewed as a martyr. Was it difficult for those still living to now speak negatively about him? TS: Now that he is a dead martyr, rarely do people speak negatively of him. My point is that it’s easy to celebrate and applaud dead martyrs. The problem is that when King was here and in our faces, and talking about inconvenient truths, like what he called the triple threat facing our democracy – racism, poverty and militarism – everybody turned on him. Yet, 50 years after his assassination, what do we see when we look at Ferguson, Missouri? Racism, poverty and militarism! We have deified King in death, so it’s easy

for people to say nice things about him now. But in life, we demonized him. KW: Is a biography of the last year of Dr. King’s life really what we need to read now to get it right? TS: Yes, because we come to know who we really are in life during the dark and difficult and desolate

days of our journey…It’s important to see him in his full complexity, and be honest about the fact that we helped to kill King because we abandoned him. And once we abandoned him, we isolated him, which made it easy for someone to assassinate him. It was a threestep process. KW: Dr. King said, “Our nation is sick with racism, sick with militarism, sick with a system that perpetuates poverty.” If Dr. King were still alive, what do you think his assessment of present-day America would be? TS: He’d pick up right where he left off, talking about that triple threat of racism, poverty and militarism. Even in the era of the first Black president, racism is still the most intractable issue in this country. Regarding poverty, half of all Americans are either in or near poverty. Poverty is certainly worse for African-Americans now than it was during King’s lifetime. And there’s a highway into poverty, but barely a sidewalk out. This is not a skill problem, it’s a will problem, and King would be challenging us about the lack of our will to eradicate poverty. KW: What do you think is the most important part of Dr. King’s legacy? TS: I think Dr. King is the greatest democratic, public intellectual that America has ever produced. What’s interesting is that in the U.S., we regard him as an icon, while elsewhere around the world he’s regarded as a revolutionary. They saw him as the radical revolutionary that he really was. Loving your enemy is a radical concept. Here at home, we’ve sanitized and sterilized him, and failed to appreciate him as the revolutionary and prophet that he really was.

what’sup BEYONCÉ, CHRIS BROWN and PHARRELL WILLIAMS were big winners at the Soul Train Awards. Brown walked away with three awards – Best Hip-Hop album of the Year, Best Dance Performance and Best Collaboration for “Loyal.” Beyoncé won the Chaka Khan Award for Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and an award for Album of the Year, the selftitled “Beyoncé.” Williams won awards for Video of the Year and Song of the Year, “Happy.” Kool & the Gang won the Legend Award. Other winners included LEELA JAMES, TREY SONGZ, JOHN LEGEND and NICO & VINZ, ……..R&B singer FAITH

EVANS, the widow of rapper NOTORIOUS B.I.G./ BIGGIE SMALLS, said she has full permission to make a duet album with her late husband titled “The King And I.” She said she has been thinking about it for a long time. “I told Mrs. Wallace [Biggie’s mother] several years ago that one day I want to do this. So we have her blessing on it,” Evans said. She added that she plans on making new music as well, not just remixes of Biggie’s catalog……..DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON stars in the new inspirational show titled “Wake Up Call,” which premieres Friday, Dec. 12, at 8 p.m. on TNT. Johnson will lend

a helping hand to everyday people who are facing enormous challenges. He will visit dysfunctional homes, dead-beat dads and businesses struggling to survive, reminding people what they can accomplish through hard work, passion and discipline…….. AL GREEN said his “voyage” as a singer has been interesting. Green, 68, is one of five honorees who can be seen on the “37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors,” which airs Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. on CBS. Green has won 11 Grammy Awards and sold more than 20 million albums. His hits include “Let’s Stay Together” and “You Ought to Be With Me.”

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 4 | 2014

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AFTER FE

Houstonians call for honesty, unity By CIERRA DUNCAN Defender

As the nation continues to grapple with the grand jury decision regarding Ferguson, Mo., Houstonians are also asking what’s next while demanding justice. Elected officials, other local leaders and activists weighed in on the topic “After Ferguson, Where Do We Go From Here?” during a recent town hall meeting at the Community of Faith. More than 200 Houstonians attended the meeting. Bishop James Dixon II moderated the discussion, and talked about the tragic killing of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson and the grand jury’s decision not to indict Wilson. “It’s a tragedy involved on every side,” Dixon said. “A mother lost a son, a father lost a son, and siblings lost a brother. It’s a greater tragedy as we watch our nation respond to the decision to not indict Darren Wilson.” Dr. James Douglas, vice president of the Houston NAACP, said it was obvious that the Ferguson district attorney never intended to indict Wilson. “He went to extreme lengths to get a ‘no bill,’” he said. State Sen. John Whitmire emphasized the importance of having elected officials who can relate to their constituents. “Leadership matters long before you have an incident,” he said. “Elections matter. We have to communicate and walk in each other’s shoes.” “We need [other races] to understand and see our children the way they see their children,” added Attorney Vivian King. Local activist Deric Muhammad said that Black parents should have an “honest and frank” conversation with their children. He said that statistics show that more whites are committing crimes than Blacks, including illegal drug use, but more Blacks are actually facing charges. “That says someone is being targeted,” Muhammad said. “If you don’t have these real conversations with your child you are doing a disservice to them because you are sending them out of the home unable to deal with the world they are in right now.” Houstonians were also vocal about the events in Ferguson during a protest held downtown. Dozens of people gathered outside the Greater Houston Partnership to show solidarity with the Brown family and call for an end to police brutality. “Stop killing us, we are human beings too, we are Mike Brown,” said Kofi Taharka, chairman of the National Black United Front (NBUF). “We are dealing with a system of global white supremacy and racism. Houston is no different from Ferguson.” NBUF member Jinaki Muhammad urged community members to support Black-owned businesses. “It is not ‘happy holidays.’ It is not business as usual,” Muhammad said. “The nation will continue to be in an uproar until change happens. One of the ways that change can happen is through keeping our money. The only way we can continue to build as a people is to continue to circulate our monies in our community. ”

Protesters disrupted Black Friday at a St. Louis mall by lying on the floor, symbolizing people who died. (Photo by Lawren

Building trust between c In light of recent events in Ferguson, Mo. and around the country, President Obama met with elected officials, community and faith leaders, and law enforcement officials on how communities and law enforcement can work together to build trust to strengthen neighborhoods across the country. After the meeting, Obama spoke of the “distrust” that exists. “I think Ferguson laid bare a problem that is not unique to St. Louis or that area, and is not unique to our time, and that is a simmering distrust that exists between too many police de-

partments and too many Obama said. He added that equality American principle, but “t particularly young people they are being treated fai Obama announced new relationships between law and the communities they and serve. Steps include: • Reform how the federal state and local law enforc

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Leaders tell what must be done Cornell William Brooks, NAACP

“The death of Michael Brown and actions by the Ferguson Police Department is a distressing symptom of the untested and overaggressive policing culture that has become commonplace in communities of color all across the country. We will remain steadfast in our fight to pass the End Racial Profiling federal legislation. And we stand in solidarity with peaceful protesters and uphold that their civil rights not be violated as both demonstrators and authorities observe the “rules of engagement.”

Benjamin Chavis Jr., National Newspaper Publishers Association

“We hope that protest activities that are being planned will involve the growing number of young activists and leaders who are emerging in St. Louis County and on the national scene. We need to propose solutions to local, state and federal bodies to take corrective action. Beyond singing and marching, we need to get more civil rights laws enacted to stop police brutality and racial profiling.”

Congressman Al Green

“I believe in body cameras [for police officers]. This is why I have filed H.R. 5407, the Transparency in Policing Act. The TIP Act would cause the Justice Department to examine the circumstances in this country, the costs for body cameras, and would then allow those jurisdictions that cannot afford them to incorporate body cameras into their police departments.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rainbow PUSH Coalition

“President Obama should come to Ferguson. He should lay out the structural realities that lie exposed in the wake of the shooting of Michael Brown – and that are common to cities across the country. He should demand action on an agenda for reviving these communities, and rebuilding trust and hope. A high level commission, chaired by distinguished bipartisan leadership, could probe the conditions that produce that shooting and others like it across the country. Its focus should be less on the behavior of police and more on the conditions of the community.”

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

nce Bryant/St. Louis American).

communities, police communities of color,”

y under the law is a basic too many individuals, e of color, do not feel as if irly.” w steps to strengthen the w enforcement agencies y are obligated to protect

government equips cement, particularly with

military-style equipment. • Advance the use of body cameras for police officers. Obama also proposed a partnership program that would provide a 50 percent match to states and localities that purchase cameras and requisite storage. The proposed $75 million, three-year investment could help purchase 50,000 cameras. • Create a task force to promote expansion of the community-oriented policing model, which encourages strong relationships between law enforcement and the communities that they serve as a proven method of fighting crime.

ng the Houston area for over 80 years

“We know that the voices of the people must be heard but we should adhere to the message of nonviolence and change through the legal process. Many questions of fact remain unanswered in the killing of Michael Brown. Therefore I intend to continue to press the Department of Justice to continue their vigorous review of this case. The DOJ has launched a federal probe into possible civil rights violations that may have been committed. I am hoping through this investigation there will be a full public airing of these matters.”

Marc Morial, National Urban League

“We first and foremost urge the Department of Justice to continue a full and thorough investigation to determine whether federal civil rights charges should be filed against Officer Wilson, as well as to carry out federal reviews of police misconduct and implement key recommendations for police reform. The excessive use of force by law enforcement in our communities is unacceptable, and we know that we cannot prevent future similar tragedies unless and until there is systemic change across the nation in the area of police reform.”

DEFENDER | DECEMBER 4 | 2014 | defendernetwork.com

Smoking hits all-time low The cigarette smoking rate to work are put in place like among adults in the U.S. dropped funding tobacco control programs from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 17.8 at the CDC-recommended levels, percent in 2013, according to new increasing prices of tobacco data published by the Centers for products, implementing and Disease Control and Prevention. enforcing comprehensive smokeIt is the lowest prevalence of free laws, and sustaining hardadult smoking hitting media since the CDC campaigns.” “There is began keeping such While encouraging news records in 1965. smoking rates in this study, but we have dropped, The report also still have much more there is a shows the number of cigarette smokers work to do to help significant need dropped from 45.1 to help those people quit.” million in 2005 who continue to to 42.1 million in smoke. 2013, despite the Cigarette increasing population in the U.S. smoking remains especially high “There is encouraging news in among certain groups, most notably this study, but we still have much those below the poverty level, those more work to do to help people who have less education, Americans quit,” said Dr. Tim McAfee, director of multiple race, American Indians/ of the CDC’s Office on Smoking Alaska Natives, males, those who and Health. live in the South or Midwest, “We can bring down cigarette those who have a disability or smoking rates much further, limitation, and those who are much faster, if strategies proven lesbian/gay/bisexual. T:9.75”

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 4 | 2014

sports

Alcorn State QB Gibbs celebrates homecoming

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By MAX EDISON Defender

lease forgive Alcorn State junior quarterback John Gibbs Jr. if he’s a little giddy about coming to Houston to play in the SWAC football championship game. The Braves, 7-2 in conference play and 9-3 overall, have been the conference’s most electrifying team, averaging 45.1 points per game. For Gibbs, the fact that the game is being played in his native Houston is a homecoming and an opportunity to achieve an accomplishment that has eluded him for many years, namely winning a championship. The former Booker T. Washington high school star is eager to come home and fulfill a goal that has escaped not only him, but a number of his teammates. “I haven’t won a championship since my pre-high school years,” Gibbs said. “We had some good teams while I was at Booker T, but we never [became] district champs. I’d like to win this conference championship. Rams players show social “After talking to some of my conscience teammates I’ve found out that a lot of us are in the same boat, loved to have redshirted having been very good players that have never won it him, but he had to come all. Now I get the chance to achieve that goal in my in and be our starter. hometown and our entire team is hungry to win it all.” “We’re glad he’s on At 6-feet-6, 225 pounds, Gibbs certainly passes our team. He’s been a big the eye test at quarterback. The obvious question is difference-maker for us. His how did he wind up at Alcorn State? quarterback coach is Fred “I attended private school as a freshman and there [McNair], who is Steve’s was some question about my credits not transferring to older brother. We all love HISD,” he recalled. “After my junior year I got a lot him. He’s a great kid.” of interest from Division I schools [such as] Arkansas, Gibbs echoes the Baylor, Ohio State and Texas Tech. advantage he has with Fred “I had a good senior year, but the offers didn’t McNair as his quarterback come my way…and I wound up at Alcorn. The way I coach. look at it, I’m blessed to be where I am. God put me at “Fred has been a great Alcorn for a reason.” friend and mentor,” Gibbs The arrival of Gibbs at quarterback and new head said. “He’s an Alcorn legend, coach Jay Hopson has signaled a new era of success in the original “Air” McNair. It’s a Braves football. It didn’t take Hopson long to realize benefit for me to have him in my he had something special in Gibbs. corner.” “We started him right out of high school,” Hopson Alcorn employs a high tempo offense similar recalled. “I think the first game he didn’t start, but to those at Baylor, Oregon and Texas Tech. Gibbs the second game he came in. Ideally, we would have

John Gibbs Jr.

has the responsibility of making things run smoothly. “I feel like a point guard, a playmaker whose job is to exploit matchups,” he said. “We take a lot of what the defense gives us. If that’s the running game, then we have the backs to pound you. If it’s the passing game, then I’m responsible for finding that mismatch. “The key to our success over the last two years has been embracing and understanding coach Hobson’s philosophy and believing to a man that we can be champions.” Gibbs is excited to return to Houston and play in NRG Stadium for the SWAC title game, which features East division champs Alcorn vs. defending champion and West division champs Southern University. He’s also proud to represent his neighborhood. “I’m proud to come home and represent Studewood, Acres Home, Booker T and all of HISD,” Gibbs said. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this opportunity.”

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defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 80 years

Gibbs leads an electrifying Alcorn State team. He played high school football at Houston’s Booker T. Washington.

DECEMBER 4 | 2014 DEFENDER

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h.s.zone

sportsbriefs Ray Rice reinstated

Dickinson o-line stands tall try to win state,” he said. The Gators are within three victories of accomplishing that goal. t has been a common theme since the opening week “Our expectation from the start was to be district of the 2014 high school football season for the Dickchamps,” North said. “We weren’t going to settle for anyinson Gators. Make a solid effort in all three phases of thing less. That’s why we work so hard.” the game and everything will fall into place. After securing the District 24-6A crown, the stakes That formula has translated into 13 consecutive have gotten higher each week. Both North and Harmanson victories and a berth in the Class 6A Division I Region III take pride in keeping their quarterback upright. finals against Cypress Ranch at TDECU Stadium. “[Martin] is a real good quarterback,” Harmanson said. A 14-point victory over perennial powerhouse Pear“We block for him but we don’t have to block that long land in an area round playoff game and a tense 21-19 win because he’s always going to make a play. We’ve got a lot over Cy-Fair in the regional semifinals provided further of trust in him and he’s a real good athlete.” evidence for success. North emphasized Martin’s leadership skills. Dickinson quarterback Cameron Martin completed “He’s one of those people that when something goes passes to seven different receivers en route to 237 yards and bad, he makes sure everyone stays calm,” North said. “As touchdowns to Blake Carlisle and Jordan Myers in the Pear- the leader of the offense, he knows his role.” land game. The Gators’ defense and special teams reigned North is a Sagittarius supreme against Cy-Fair. and was born on Dec. 2, “Cameron was accurate 1997. His favorite subject with his passes and poised in the in school is math and he’s Find out about Dawson running pocket,” said Dickinson head considering a college major back Brett Winnegan coach John Snelson. “Offensive in some form of engineerline gave him great pass protecing. If he could solve a tion and the receivers made plays.” world problem he would get rid of crime. His favorite meal Martin added an additional 48 rushing yards and two is spaghetti and his favorite NFL player is J.J. Watt. one-yard TD runs against Pearland. He had a 60-yard TD Harmanson was born Sept. 27, 1997 which makes pass to Brad Woodard and a five-yard TD run in the win him a Libra. He enjoys English class and his favorite NFL over Cy-Fair. “Those were great team wins,” he said. “I had players are Hall of Famer Warren Sapp and former Chicago great pass protection, receivers made good plays and we Bears standout William “The Refrigerator” Perry. He would just ran with it.” like to rid the world of homelessness. Kaylond North and Chance Harmanson are two members of the Dickinson offensive line. Both are juniors. North started on the O-line as a sophomore. Chance “We just work hard for everything Harmanson (left) and we’ve got,” North said. “Grinding in the Kaylond North weight room and working and are two hard every day in pracmembers of the Dickinson tice. We put God first offensive line. and now we’re being rewarded for it.” Harmanson was a backup nose guard as a sophomore and converted over to the O-line this season. “We want to keep grinding and

By Darrell K. Ardison Defender

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Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice recently won his appeal of an indefinite suspension and has been immediately reinstated into the NFL. Arbitrator Barbara S. Jones concluded that the former Ravens Pro Bowl back did not lie to or mislead NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “In this arbitration, the NFL argues that Commissioner Goodell was misled when he disciplined Rice the first time. Because, after careful consideration of all of the evidence, I am not persuaded that Rice lied to, or misled, the NFL at his June interview, I find that the indefinite suspension was an abuse of discretion and must be vacated,” Jones’ decision said. Rice made national headlines when he was videotaped knocking out his wife Janay in an elevator. He said he has taken responsibility for his actions and hopes he will receive a second chance in the NFL. .

Regional championships set

The 2014 high school football season shifts into overdrive with 10 Houston area schools vying for region titles and the opportunity to advance to the state semifinals. The regional championship games schedule kicks off with once-beaten Katy (12-1) facing unbeaten Manvel (13-0) in the Class 6A Division II Region III title game at NRG Stadium. The same two schools met in the Class 5A Division II Region III championship game last year and Katy prevailed 56-14. In the Class 6A Division I Region III championship game, upstart Cypress Ranch (11-2) squares off against unbeaten Dickinson (13-0) at the University of Houston’s TDECU Stadium. Spring Westfield has a rematch with rival Spring High School in the Class 6A Division II Region II title game at TDECU Stadium. Westfield defeated Spring 38-37 on Oct. 3. Klein Oak and Dallas Skyline will determine the Class 6A Division I Region II championship.

Three teams still alive Crosby will take a school record 12-1 record into its Class 5A Division II Region III title game matchup with Hutto (11-2). The Cougars disposed of powerhouse Brenham 38-20 to advance while Hutto beat Angleton 21-16. Crosby and Hutto will meet at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos. George Ranch and Temple will vie for the Class 5A Division I Region III title. Navasota faces Henderson in the Class 4A Division I Region III championship game.

Astros youth get scholarships Pablo Salazar and Evian Benjamin, both seniors in high school, have become the first two members of the Astros Urban Youth Academy to be offered college baseball scholarships. Salazar, a shortstop and right-handed pitcher, has been offered a scholarship by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Benjamin, a centerfielder, received an offer from Sam Houston State. Both players have committed to their respective colleges. “We are extremely proud of Pablo and Evian,” said Daryl Wade, who serves as the director of the Astros Urban Youth Academy. “Both players are very deserving and will serve as good examples for the younger members of our academy. We’re hopeful that this will encourage more kids to participate.”

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS WITH DARRELL

ARDISON

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