Double Trouble: Warriors Win Twice!

Both the Lady Warriors Volleyball and the Flag Football teams claimed victories on their respective turf over the past two evenings. In their second game of the season, flag football defeated National Collegiate 13-8. The win resulted from a strong second half showing from both the offense and defense and a great run by quarterback Tim Raynor and extra point by JuWuan Williams. First-year player Martina Archie also made a strong contribution by pulling the flag from Collegiate’s quarterback in a final scoring attempt which clenched the Warriors’ win. Archie remains optimistic for the season ahead, “We had a lot of teamwork, but I think we need more communication.” The Warriors return to action on Monday, September 26^th when they take on Saint Francis. Wish them luck!

Following football’s glory, the Lady Warriors Volleyball defeated Maya Angelou Public Charter School on Thursday evening. The Lady Warriors came together like a “well-oiled machine” to win all three games. No rest for these fighting Lady Warriors; the team takes on KIPP DC, today (Friday) at 4:30. Come show your support today for the might Lady Warriors on their home court!

Check back for more Warrior Athletic news here, on the The Other 17 Hours which will soon include contributions from TMA’s own Media Club students.

Champions On and Off the Court!

Last week was a very exciting week for TMA.

On Tuesday the TMA Warriors beat Booker T Washington 60-52 at the Verizon Center! The team was able to play on the same court as the Wizards and afterwards took pictures with several Wizards team members including John Wall. The boys were supported throughout the game by the TMA cheerleaders. Many students, faculty and staff also came out to support the team as well!

On Saturday the Debate Team under the coaching of Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Jayne participated in the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Washington DC Public Debate Tournament. The topic for the debate was: the effect of gentrification on Washington, DC. Congratulations to the Debate Team for receiving the following honors at the tournament:

• Team 3 (Seren Snow and Mo Ho Bae III): Overall competition winner and ranked #1 team for the tournament!
• Ke’Von Miles: 2nd place top speaker!
• Mr. Mitchell: Top Coach!

We are all very proud of the basketball and debate team for their accomplishments last week!

Who's good? Thurgood coaches!

Last week, TMA hosted our annual athletic awards banquet. It was a great opportunity to celebrate all of our student-athletes. Our students are a remarkable group - dedicated, passionate, and fair. They deserve all of the accolades bestowed upon them.

But this brief post is about their coaches. During the banquet, one player on each team took a minute to say "thanks" to their coaches (see picture above) and this is just an attempt to publish the sentiment.

While students work to develop character, the coaches are there to guide them. They conduct 7:00 AM practices. They are with our students in study halls and on the bus after late-night games. They are there on weekends and in the middle of the school day. It is hard to imagine a more demanding job than that of a high school teacher and coach, and yet each of these folks engage in the task with a full heart and a warm smile.

Many thanks to the following coaches for making sure that our school develops more complete young people.

• Athletic Director - Michelle Thompson
• Football- Randy Preston and Stephen Edge
• Cheerleading- Zabrina Ames, Renee Short and Zach Singletary
• Volleyball- Marielys Garcia and Tara Allen
• Girls Basketball- Mel Alston and Mike Somerville
• Boys Basketball- Mike Hendricks and George McCullough

March Madness?

The six-year graduation rates for the 65 teams playing in this week's tournament is 46 percent.  Should there be an academic component in the college basketball championship?  Ben Miller explores the possibility on The Quick and the Ed:

Adding Academics to the Big Dance

WCSAA Playoffs this Wednesday, at home!

The long wait is over: The WCSAA 2010 Basketball Playoffs begin this week!

We are seeded third in the girls tournament and fourth in the boys tournament.  Both of our round one games will be played at home this Thursday.

Thursday, March 4th - #3 TMA (girls) vs. #6 Ideal - 5:30
Thursday, March 4th - #4 TMA (boys) vs. #5 Washington Math and Science - 7:00

The second round will be played on Friday, March 5th, at the site of the highest seed.

The Championship Game will be played on Sunday March 7th, 6:00 PM @ Largo High School.

Update from the Supreme Court

Along with the entire District, the Thurgood Marshall Academy basketball teams have spent the last few weeks in hibernation.  For the rest of the Washington Charter School Athletic Association, this was a welcome reprieve, as the Warriors had been on a tear to start  2010.

The girls team hasn't lost a game since December 12th and have won five straight contests.  The team has begun to gel around seniors Chanae Watson, Shaterika Turman, and Jasmine McPhaul.  They feature a balanced attack that includes dominating post play and a deft touch from the guards.  Freshman Ni'Asia Bond continues to make a case for rookie of the year.

And the TMA boys have been just as hot.  Since losing a close battle with perennial powerhouse Booker T. Washington, the boys have won seven of eight.  Contributions from Houston Brewer, Matt Thomas, and the return of Demetrius Begeman have added depth to their already formidable lineup.

As the league scrambles to schedule make-up games and get ready for the playoffs, look for the Warriors to continue their hot streak and land a top seed in both the boys and the girls playoffs.  This week features three games, and we'll have another update before the playoffs start.  Go Warriors!

warriors win! warriors win! warriors win!

At the end of the first quarter of each of the first three Warrior games, the scoreboard looked vastly different. After one quarter on Homecoming Friday, the Warriors were locked in a tight battle in a boys basketball game against Maya Angelou (Shaw). On Tuesday, the first eight minutes left the girls down six. And just Thursday, fans in our new gym saw a scoreboard reading Home: 28 Visitor: 2 at the end of one. Basketball games, however, are a full four quarters.  And at the end of four quarters in each of these games, the result was the same: Warriors Win. Here's a closer look at the Warriors undefeated start:

Friday, December 4
TMA 59 - Maya Angelou 51 (Boys)
The first game of the season was an instant classic, with the capacity crowd storming the court after the final horn. James Trice led all scorers with 27 points and made 13 of 16 free throws, including his final ten in a row. Rayvon Sorrell and Tim Raynor provided a spark off the bench and point guard Evan Mabry added seven points and three assists.

Tuesday, December 8
TMA 33 - Cesar Chavez 25 (Girls)
This one looked to be all Chavez at first. They pressured the ball well, converted on the other end, and for one quarter did not give the Lady Warriors a clear look at the basket. In the second quarter, however, T.M.A. switched into a new gear. Led by Ni'Asia Bond's relentless defense and the poise of Chelsea Tesheira, the Warriors went into half time with a 21-17 lead and never looked back. Six Warriors scored in all, with Chanae Watson, Raynyl Cox, Ya'Vondai Covington, and Shatericka Turman joining Bond and Tesheira in the books. It was truly a team effort and a phenomenal comeback victory.

Thursday, December 10
TMA 71 - Young America Works 34
In this contest, the Warriors simply proved to be too much for the Trailblazers to handle. The frontcourt of Mark Greene, Josh Crawford, and Aris Morrison controlled the game from the opening tip and James Trice continued his hot shooting, scoring 17 in the first quarter. The Warriors got significant contributions off the bench again with Stephon Proctor, Matt Thomas, and Jordan Burns all logging valuable minutes.


We'll keep you posted throughout the season.

Homecoming Recap!

This past weekend, the TMA community wrapped up the week-long celebration of our first homecoming. And, as student India Young demonstrates above, we were fired up. After a week's worth of dress up days including pajama day, decades day, twin day and Mache Chase's personal favorite, mismatch day, we came together in our new gym to hold our first-ever pep rally.

Student hip-hop group 4Ever Martian kicked off the pep rally which went on to include class cheers, spirited introductions to the TMA athletic teams (see coaches Edge and Preston, left), class competitions, and performances by our fantastic pep squad and cheerleading team. Things concluded with the first public performance by TMA's own Go-Go band, M.u.B.


After returning to school and academics for an hour or so, the students came back to the gym for a ribbon cutting ceremony officially commemorating the grand opening of our new gym. Former Mayor Williams graced us with his presence and former Mayor Barry even gave a hand with those GIGANTIC scissors.

At 5:00, the boys basketball team took the stage for our first-ever home basketball game. Somehow the cheerleading team, after being on call all day and performing twice already, found the energy to cheer hard all game AND perform during the halftime show. I won't give away the details of the game; we'll keep you updated when we post our end of the week sports recap.


On Saturday after a long and joyous Friday we once again gathered in the gym to host our first annual Homecoming dance. Students came dressed to the nines and ready to get down to not one, but two live bands AND a DJ. All in all, it was a great way to cap an already amazing week of events. We came together, reflected, celebrated one another, and at the end of the day grew as a community. Needless to say, we'll all be looking forward to Homecoming 2010.

Who Rocks the House?

Last Friday, as part of our 2009 homecoming festivities, the TMA Cheerleaders showed off an incredible routine. We'll have a homecoming recap up soon, but for now stand up and cheer along with this:

For All the Marbles...

The '72 Dolphins. The '85 Bears. And the '09 Warriors? Could this year's squad be poised to join the debate as the best team to ever take the gridiron? We'll learn this week, as our Warriors continue their playoff run, hoping to prove they are a team of destiny.

The playoffs commenced yesterday and our Warriors wasted no time, making light work of Hospitality in a convincing 45-12 victory. Junior Kyle Holley led the team with three trips into the end zone, while frehsmen Mylek Saab and Chris Ridout did the lion's share of the defensive work, each contributing interceptions. The playoffs continue tonight as the Warriors take on I.D.E.A. at 4:00. Please wish our players luck.

Gym Update #5: The Final Chapter

Things have changed around here since the last few updates on the progress of the gym construction. The facility is (pretty much) up and running--the court is striped, the exercise machines are in place in the fitness room, and someone sprayed the place with that 'new gym' smell. One of the gym classes played an inaugural round of basketball yesterday afternoon. All of the planning and work has really paid off--it's a pretty stylish gymnasium, inside and out. And in about two months, the TMA Warriors will take the court and the Pep Squad will fill the stands. Check out some of the shots from yesterday’s game:

Flag Football off to a GREAT START!

Just a few weeks into the 2009 season, the TMA Warriors flag football team seems to be playoff-bound. After an intense week of tryouts, sixteen students were selected to be on the team, and they have surged to a 3-0 record!

They opened the season against Hospitality and won by a shocking 26 points for a final score of 46-20. They won their second game by forfeit, and then, on Monday, they played a close game against Young America Works winning by 4 points for a final score of 16-12. Two-point conversions by Stephon Proctor and James Trice proved to be the difference.

After the game, senior De'Sean Suarez stated, "Winning shows us, as a team, that we worked hard day in and day out to get there." The TMA Warriors sure have a lot to be proud of and we’ll keep you posted during their quest for a championship!

Gym Update #2

We have windows! And although this picture doesn't show them, there are real-live goals hanging from the ceiling, waiting for dunks.

There has been an amazing amount of work done this summer. Just look at our first update from just one month ago.