i remember John Wharton most from Haven Jr. High. he and Ryan Strong taught me a lot about love and respect and incredible deep down home humor for fellow classmates. in those days we would carry on with those "yo mamma" jokes, and John would get so serious i thought either he or i would die when he said "Don't talk about my momma." whiew, i would just shut up. i loved it that he could get so serious. i knew i was honored. he wouldn't offer that to everyone.
is it possible that both he and Ryan went to try out for football, BEFORE our freshman year school even started? i was so incredulous that anyone could be so brazen as to go to the h.s. before we even entered our freshman year. i guess you had to if you wanted to play on the powerhouse of the state. that one detail kept me from ever trying out for the sport that i surely loved the most.
you know as i think back about it, John and Ryan were my first Black friends, me comin from all white Orrington School. when i look back from a life of precious closeness to the African diaspora, both on Saint Croix USVI and here in Bob, i have to thank them, hold them holy, for ushering me in to the spirit and beauty i now hold primary to my motherland. and i was so shy, i coulda so easily missed it. nuff respect.
though i rarely saw them or other Orrington or Haven classmates in h.s., knowing John and Ryan made me very at home in ETHS. still shy, but at home none the less.
rest in peace John Wharton. you're alive, keepin me alive and at home, for the rest of my tour of duty.
Yes, I had memories of John and Ryan Strong and this is more about Ryan, but I'm putting it here since I couldn't figure how to put it on Ryan's Page
Please if someone out there see's this, Get Ryan(or someone) to enter some stuff here.
In eighth grade(Haven), Ryan stood right next to me in gym class, he was 6 foot 200 lbs in eighth grade!! He used to lift me off the ground with his arms straight out.
At ETHS, unlike Marty Campbell I went out for Frosh football. I was only on the B team, along with Pete Skoglund and Web Edman. I'll never forget one play where I was positioned at left linebacker and a 7 diamond play was called(I think someone had some inside info--but they picked the wrong guy). That play called for me to take my position right over the center. As Mike Melton hiked the ball he pushed me back about 10 yards, but I was able to stay on my feet, then here comes Ryan with the ball, I grabbed him aroung the neck(I wasn't about to grab those fast moving cleats) . My 125lbs vs his 200+. He carried me down the field for a ways then shook me off. I must have slowed him down a little, where was everybody else? Later Ryan said , "Was that you, I thought it was a fly." Thanks , buddy.
Also, I saw this guy at the 10th reunion named James Cheeks, the name seemed familiar, but I didn't remember untill it was too late. James was on the opposite side of the line from me and we kept knocking each other down in play after play , that's when I decided that football was not for me. I went with swimming in the winter season and stayed with that for 4 years.
Sorry about putting this all on John's profile, when I figure how to put it in the correct place I will.
Marty Campbell
i remember John Wharton most from Haven Jr. High. he and Ryan Strong taught me a lot about love and respect and incredible deep down home humor for fellow classmates. in those days we would carry on with those "yo mamma" jokes, and John would get so serious i thought either he or i would die when he said "Don't talk about my momma." whiew, i would just shut up. i loved it that he could get so serious. i knew i was honored. he wouldn't offer that to everyone.
is it possible that both he and Ryan went to try out for football, BEFORE our freshman year school even started? i was so incredulous that anyone could be so brazen as to go to the h.s. before we even entered our freshman year. i guess you had to if you wanted to play on the powerhouse of the state. that one detail kept me from ever trying out for the sport that i surely loved the most.
you know as i think back about it, John and Ryan were my first Black friends, me comin from all white Orrington School. when i look back from a life of precious closeness to the African diaspora, both on Saint Croix USVI and here in Bob, i have to thank them, hold them holy, for ushering me in to the spirit and beauty i now hold primary to my motherland. and i was so shy, i coulda so easily missed it. nuff respect.
though i rarely saw them or other Orrington or Haven classmates in h.s., knowing John and Ryan made me very at home in ETHS. still shy, but at home none the less.
rest in peace John Wharton. you're alive, keepin me alive and at home, for the rest of my tour of duty.
Stephen Smith
Yes, I had memories of John and Ryan Strong and this is more about Ryan, but I'm putting it here since I couldn't figure how to put it on Ryan's Page
Please if someone out there see's this, Get Ryan(or someone) to enter some stuff here.
In eighth grade(Haven), Ryan stood right next to me in gym class, he was 6 foot 200 lbs in eighth grade!! He used to lift me off the ground with his arms straight out.
At ETHS, unlike Marty Campbell I went out for Frosh football. I was only on the B team, along with Pete Skoglund and Web Edman. I'll never forget one play where I was positioned at left linebacker and a 7 diamond play was called(I think someone had some inside info--but they picked the wrong guy). That play called for me to take my position right over the center. As Mike Melton hiked the ball he pushed me back about 10 yards, but I was able to stay on my feet, then here comes Ryan with the ball, I grabbed him aroung the neck(I wasn't about to grab those fast moving cleats) . My 125lbs vs his 200+. He carried me down the field for a ways then shook me off. I must have slowed him down a little, where was everybody else? Later Ryan said , "Was that you, I thought it was a fly." Thanks , buddy.
Also, I saw this guy at the 10th reunion named James Cheeks, the name seemed familiar, but I didn't remember untill it was too late. James was on the opposite side of the line from me and we kept knocking each other down in play after play , that's when I decided that football was not for me. I went with swimming in the winter season and stayed with that for 4 years.
Sorry about putting this all on John's profile, when I figure how to put it in the correct place I will.
MEMORIES!!!! ...loliJ....steve smith