re: Slade Bolden article...

I saw Arnaz play and saw that game myself. I was there ..

Wasn't that 1997? I was at a basketball game in 1996 when Minor and Applewhite came up here and Banks went apeshite on BR.

Believe it or not, back then West Monroe had a lot of love from the East side. We were all at Carroll High School watching a round-robin that night all with their walkmen and headphones listening to the game. The announcer kept announcing the score and people were jumping up and down (mostly black folk) when they announced the final. Great night. Wishing I was there to see it.

I saw both Spencer and Banks play. Spencer never learned to play with his pad level low enough to protect his knees, but his acceleration and speed for his size was something to behold for anyone. People think of Fournette, but he was Fournette before Fournette and bigger. He was huge, about 250 I believe at one point, or around there.

Banks was the best brute force I have ever seen in high school along with Anthony A-train Thomas. I only saw A-train once again West Ouachita.

He (Banks) ran with great leverage and protected his knees so well against tacklers going for his legs. He ran with his knees as if he were doing high-knee's in a drill when they came for his knees. Seen literally 5 guys hanging on he and Spencer both multiple times attempting to tackle him.

Best quarterback prospect was Robert Lane when he was at neville. It is absolutely shocking he didn't go to the league. He had everything you wanted in a quarterback: great arm, could throw every pass; quick release; extremely athletic; very powerful runner; quick as a whistle; etc. etc...

He is the biggest disappointment I have seen out of this area, ever.

I little story for you recruitniks out there:

The day before signing day when Lane pulled his little stunner by choosing Ole Piss he was visited by Eli Manning. I had 2 friends who worked the Monroe Private Air up here who called and told me that they had a visitor that night who stepped down to meet with Robert Lane. It was Eli Manning. He said he was there to talk with Robert.

The rest is history as they say. I don't know if that was legal or what back then, but they showed me the logs on their books.

Recruiting is a crazy business.

It was his last year in college is all I know. So it must have been legal.

I'm sure his dad could have helped with the airfare.

I went and checked and Lane's senior year was in 03' the same as Mannings. So, it would have been legal as you say. All I know is that it was the night before or 2 nights before he made that sudden switch to Ole Miss.

24/7 has the rankings still from 2003 (I shite you not) and he was highly, highly ranked. Lane was #1 dual threat in the nation and #27 overall. Can't believe he didn't do better till this day.

I just remember the 1999 4X100 relay team of Willis Britton, Kenny Robinson, Marcus Turner, and another name I can't recall (Mookie?). Those guys were fast as frick. WM was known as a power team, but the skill players had wheels!

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Bolden is a complete athlete

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Agreed, Bolden is a pure athlete and hope he is the next Chad Jones playing for LSU.

Some kids come out as athletes like Devin White, Beckwith, Honey Badger and Chad Jones. Any of these could play offense or defense.

Last year class we signed Patrick Queen and he fits the mold also.

Hope Bolden sees LSU as a place where an athlete can excel and play some football

Not yet. Tommy's senior year everyone in the stadium knew who was getting it and still couldn't do anything about it. Also I'm sure Slade would put his childhood hero Paul Turner ahead of himself as well.

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Can't really compare the son of an NFL player to a kid from Podunk, LA.

Slade's ranking has more to do with baseball and not being able to go to camps than the color of his skin.

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That's pretty much what I was getting at. McCaffrey legit warranted a high ranking. Part was his last name, and part was his athleticism. It's extremely rare to find that athleticism in a white RB (usually it would be a slot receiver type like Trey Quinn, Ryan Switzer, or Ryan Swope) , but Bolden seems like he shares those same traits. Of course we don't know what he'll do at the next level, but if his HT/WT is close to his 247 profile, and he shows out at some camps and events this summer, I don't see why he wouldn't finish at least as a 4 star recruit.

Speaking of baseball, Slade had a pretty good night Friday against Ouachita, 3 for 4 including a HR. Not sure of the rbi total but it seemed he had a hand in just about every run WMHS scored. Then pitched the top of the 7th to pick up the save.

The best skill position player to ever come out of West Monroe was Jerry Stovall.

We will find out very quickly when West Monroe plays an outstanding defense in John Ehret early in the year. That game will be early, and West Monroe's offense is usually not in good form early in the year.

As I said earlier in the post, I wish to see him have a huge game against a great defensive team this year. Have a 100-200 yard game rushing combined with receiving with a couple td's or getting his team down there close to scoring a td.

That is the only thing missing from his resume. I'll be waiting for that game hoping he excels against some big time talent at linebacker for Ehret.