Fairley Football Info Hub

From the Commercial Appeal:

Fairley vs. Whitehaven brings out best

By Jason Smith
Friday, August 31, 2007

It’s a neighborhood rivalry that crosses bloodlines. One that, if you’re Fairley coach Rahnmann Slocum, you’re razzed about all year long.

“It really runs deep for me, because not only did I graduate from Fairley (in 1990) and was a part of the rivalry, my uncle (Vincent Hunter) is the principal at Whitehaven,” Slocum said. “So I have to deal with his mouth on Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Mother’s Day.

“(Hunter) played at Whitehaven and graduated in 1982, and Whitehaven and Fairley was a big rivalry even back then.”

A quarter of a century later, it remains just as big, as several thousand Whitehaven residents are expected to attend tonight’s 7 p.m. game at J.P. Freeman pitting two schools located less than 2 miles apart.

“It goes all the way back to when (former Whitehaven coach Stan) Collins first came to Memphis as an assistant in 1975-76. He became head coach in 1979, and it’s been going ever since then,” said Whitehaven head coach Rodney Saulsberry, whose sixth-ranked Tigers (1-0) take on a Fairley squad (1-0) ranked No. 11 in The Commercial Appeal’s Dandy Dozen.

“We’re neighboring schools, so it’s natural. It’s kind of like an Alabama-Auburn kind of thing. It’s 365 days of heckling if you don’t come out victorious.” (more…)

“On the Ball” Magazine has this to say about Fairley in their 2007 Region8-4A preview:

Fairley
2006 Record: 10-3 (4-1)

Postseason: Lost to Henry County in the quarterfinals

Key stretch: Weeks 1-3: vs. Whitehaven, vs. East, vs. Mitchell. The Bulldogs will find out what kind of team they have pretty quickly. Whitehaven is a strong 5A team, East is a league rival and Mitchell presents another tough out-of-region game. All these games are winnable and Fairley could be 5-0 heading into a Sept. 28 showdown with White Station.

Synopsis: With eight starters back on defense, including defensive linemen Ron Hale and Jimmy Robertson, plus defensive backs Deangelo Anderson and Anquan Sharp, the Bulldogs should be stingy this season. The offense is a little less experienced, but should develop as the season progresses. Anderson is also a lethal return man.

Read the entire article here.

From the Commercial Appeal:

Fairley has no time for self-satisfaction
Team works on character in the off-season

By Jason Smith

Sunday, August 19, 2007

When Fairley football coach Rahnmann Slocum looks back on the Bulldogs’ first-ever quarterfinal playoff appearance last season, he’s reminded of the words of scholar and civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois.

“To remain the same is to regress,” said Slocum, whose team begins the 2007 season as it finished last year, ranked No. 12 in The Commercial Appeal’s Dandy Dozen.

“That means they know about complacency. They’re not complacent. They’re pushing themselves to get to the next level.”

Three years ago, Fairley finished just 1-8 and out of the Class 4A playoff picture. Slocum credits the Bulldogs’ combined 15-9 record and their two playoff appearances in the two seasons since to the off-season work they’ve put in with the Memphis Area Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“I thank God for the FCA because we were winning before that 1-8 season, but now we’re winning the right way. We’re winning with character,” Slocum said. “We had a lot of character issues (in 2004), and that’s the reason why we were 1-8.

“Now the guys have developed that camaraderie.”

Fairley’s biggest strength in ‘07 should again be its defense, led this season by senior middle linebacker Nico Jones (6-0, 225), a two-time All-Metro performer.

Eight other regulars return, including standout senior defensive back Deangelo Anderson (who tied for the area lead in interceptions in ‘06 with nine), for a Bulldog defense that finished seventh-best in Shelby-Metro last season in yards allowed per game (179.2).

“We should be good because we’ve got most of our players back and the FCA has helped us a lot,” Jones said. “We’ve got a lot of faith in each other now.”

That trust should help make up for the loss of seven seniors to graduation, including quarterback Jemarcus Robinson (882 passing yards, six touchdowns in ‘06).

“I lost seven seniors, but those seven seniors were great leaders. They were the type that were like, ‘Follow me,’” Slocum said.

“That’s one thing that we lost, the leadership we had from last year. But the thing is, this group, and I mean everybody, has just worked so hard. This summer they took it to another level.”

– Jason Smith: 529-5804

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