South Oak Cliff coach left two players in Austin

[KFDM COOP]

South Oak Cliff coach left two players in Austin

S. Oak Cliff coach left two players in Austin

They ignored his orders after game; he's disciplined

08:26 PM CDT on Friday, April 27, 2007

By DAMON L. SAYLES / The Dallas Morning News

[email protected]

South Oak Cliff boys basketball coach James Mays II was disciplined recently after he left two of his players in Austin after the UIL state tournament in March, school and district administrators said.

Seniors Michael Berry, 18, and Cornelius Dawson were told to arrange for their own transportation back to Dallas after disobeying an order from Mr. Mays to remain at the team's hotel after the Class 4A state title game on March 10. The rest of the team returned by bus on March 11.

"About 5:30 or 6 [a.m.], we got a wake-up call, and Coach Mays knocked on everybody's doors to get everybody up," Michael said. "He came in the room and told us to call our mothers to pick us up. Then he walked out. The rest of the team left."

Reba Berry, Michael's mother, attended the game in Austin but returned to Dallas on Saturday night.

She said she didn't learn that her son wasn't on the team bus until her daughter, Tameika, called her Sunday.

Michael said he called his sister about the situation early Sunday morning.

One of Michael's former coaches, who was in Austin for the tournament, drove the players home.

Mr. Mays, who's won three state titles in eight seasons at South Oak Cliff, said he considered the incident resolved and referred inquiries to Dallas ISD athletic director Jeff Johnson.

Michael, who played at Lincoln as a freshman and at Seagoville as a sophomore and junior, scored 15 points in the championship game.

Michael said he and Cornelius, instead of remaining at the hotel as Mr. Mays instructed on Saturday evening, ventured to Austin's Sixth Street district hours after South Oak Cliff won its third consecutive state title.

Michael said he received a text message from Mr. Mays around midnight to return to the hotel in 10 minutes or face further consequences but said he and Cornelius stayed out until roughly 4:30 a.m.

Mr. Johnson and SOC athletic director Barbara Brown-McCoy said Mr. Mays was disciplined for the incident.

Mr. Mays, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Brown-McCoy and SOC Principal Regina Jones declined to elaborate.

"This was a personnel issue," Mr. Johnson said. "Everything has been handled accordingly.

"We had our concerns and did our investigations, and now it's done."

In addition, Michael and Cornelius were given in-school suspensions.

Cornelius didn't return repeated phone messages for comment.

Reba Berry said she spoke with Ms. Jones on March 23 and met with Area 5 Superintendent Vickie Mitchell on March 27.

Ms. Mitchell assured her that Mr. Mays had been disciplined.

Mr. Mays said he doesn't have a problem with any of his players and is helping Michael and Cornelius obtain college scholarships. Both players are unsigned but were vital to SOC's state title run.

"I love all my players, them included, and I'm happy that they were able to take part in everything we did this year," Mr. Mays said. "I want all of my players to look back one day and say that they were a part of something special."

[jmspears3]

This guy didnt get fired? >

[KFDM COOP]

Guess not. 

[T_totha_K]

This guy didnt get fired? >

This kind of stuff happens all the time....A couple of our players got left in Austin too this year...

[jmspears3]

This kind of stuff happens all the time....A couple of our players got left in Austin too this year...

This coach left these 2 guys on purpose, He should be fired and charged with something.

[DP#1FAN]

I'm not so sure the coach was wrong on this one. Looks like the young men were at fault here. Out on 6th st. till 4:30 in the morning! Sounds like he should of put a board on them. Once again a coach is punished unjustly. Fired him heck I think he needs a raise!!!!!!!!

[hj_hawk_60]

the coach was right to punish them, but wrong to just leave them in austin... he should have notified their parents that they needed a ride home before he left them...

if i was the coach... i would not have left them... i would have brought them back to the school and made them run so much...

[Guest DickVitale]

This took the stones of a guy that just won back-to-back-to-back state championships!!   I would have called the parents for them to be picked up, but I would not have left them in Austin...That did, however, make one heck of a statement for the years to come!  Don't mess with Coach Mays! ;D

[KFDM COOP]

;D No kidding!

[jmspears3]

I'm not so sure the coach was wrong on this one. Looks like the young men were at fault here. Out on 6th st. till 4:30 in the morning! Sounds like he should of put a board on them. Once again a coach is punished unjustly. Fired him heck I think he needs a raise!!!!!!!!

The school is responsable and the coach is at fault, Lets face it if it was your son or my son we would want justice, even if the kids did act stupid. It is no cause for them to be left in Austin or anywhere. I am not sue happy but somebody would be getting sued.

[Guest DickVitale]

So SVille, what would YOU have done in this situation?  Now remember, you gave them instructions, they flat out disrespected you AND your authority, AND you made several attempts, via text messaging, calls, carrier pigeon  , whatever, and you are the guy in charge.  What are you gonna do.  Remember the other younger returning kids are watching..

[jmspears3]

So SVille, what would YOU have done in this situation?  Now remember, you gave them instructions, they flat out disrespected you AND your authority, AND you made several attempts, via text messaging, calls, carrier pigeon  , whatever, and you are the guy in charge.  What are you gonna do.  Remember the other younger returning kids are watching..

The coach are one of his asst. coaches should have gone and picked them up, waited till you get back to Dallas then give the proper punishment.

I cant believe people think this is acceptable from a coach much less a adult.

[Guest DickVitale]

Never said it was acceptable, but sometimes you have to shock disrespectful, disobediant kids AND their parents.  I guarantee Coach Mays will NEVER have that problem again.  Honestly, I don't think I would have just left them there, but I do know that their parents would have had to make that trip to Austin to pick them up.  I am certain Mays knew that he would probably catch heat behind it, but, for the lesson, he probably figured it was worth it.  Thank goodness that nothing happened to the kids OR Coach Mays, but the risk, in this case, was definitely worth the reward.  Those 2 kids learned a valuable lesson, and as I said, the other players learned something as well.

[shorttexas1]

These kids are 18 yrs old and considered adults in TX.  Yes he was in supervision, but of adults.  They are seniors so no other punishment works because they are soon gone.  Its better they learn a lesson now for disobeying before the police or some violent incident teaches them next.  Yes there should be some type of punishment especially if the kids were under 17 (should be big if this were true), but the fact is both young men were of adult ages, acted like adults, so they got treated as adults.