Greeson: Late 2015 Ooltewah nightmare felt throughout '16

An Ooltewah basketball player runs across the school logo at center court during basketball practice at Ooltewah High School on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, in Ooltewah, Tenn. One year after former players on the team sexually assaulted a teammate during an overnight trip to Gatlinburg, the program is rebuilding.
An Ooltewah basketball player runs across the school logo at center court during basketball practice at Ooltewah High School on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, in Ooltewah, Tenn. One year after former players on the team sexually assaulted a teammate during an overnight trip to Gatlinburg, the program is rebuilding.
photo Jay Greeson

It has been a whirlwind of heartbreak over the last 18 months.

We were shocked by the terrorist attack where we live in July 2015. We have cried at the names of those - from global to local to personally - who have died. We prayed and paused after the Woodmore Elementary School nightmare.

So many tears, so much tragedy.

As we prepare to turn the calendar, the grief is staggering. But so to is the pride at how our nation, community and families responded.

In a year of sadness, the biggest story of the year still rings loud and clear.

There were no hashtags or bumper stickers for the outrageous assault of a freshman Ooltewah basketball player, no organized support systems or community fundraisers. There was no catchy phrase ending in "strong," because of our failure. And make no mistake, that failure, from the top of our school system to individuals involved believing the failing status quo was going to miraculously correct itself to protect our kids, touches all of us.

The ripples of that night in Gatlinburg, Tenn., on Dec. 22, 2015, became the story of 2016.

Those ripples toppled the leadership of the Hamilton County Department of Education. Those ripples shook us and made us relook at test scores and morale. Those ripples, at least in some part, certainly could have caused three of four school board members running for re-election to lose their seats. Those ripples became national headlines. Those ripples empowered communities that have whispered about breaking free from Hamilton County's school district to see if they could do better.

And we are not done with those ripples.

There are lawsuits pending, and a search for a new superintendent that has the transparency of a brick building and the feel of a dog and pony show.

There also are ripples beyond the victim. No, this is not a sympathetic plea for the former administrators and coaches who got off with very little punishment. They know what they did - and in some cases more importantly - what they didn't do. They will have to live with that and answer for that when the time comes.

No, this is about the new direction of Ooltewah High School, and here's hoping on the list of the top stories of 2017 is the rebound of the school in general and the basketball program in particular.

The team played its first game of 2016 in late October, after the 2015 season was rightly canceled because of the rape incident.

Now, with new principal Robin Copp, athletic director Brad Jackson and basketball coach Jay Williams, the focus certainly appears to be on the right things. Now the Owls are back to working on being better at basketball and at life.

"Mrs. Copp from day one has been all about moving forward, looking forward, and I certainly aspire to do that," Williams told this paper's sports reporter Kelley Smiddie. "But I'm just here to be a small part of a positive change. It's not just about basketball. It's a school and a community that's been through quite a bit, been through some unfortunate things.

"Anywhere I've ever been we've asked the kids to do three things. That's behave, practice hard and play hard. And behaving means on the court and off the court."

It's a transition that has reached beyond the basketball program and beyond the scandal within it.

There are multiple videos produced by students and media groups within the school that are trying to redirect the narrative of the last 12 months. "Ooltewah High School Positivity Challenge" is the latest installment of the school's media department and can be viewed online.

The power of change is great - and here's hoping the folks at Bonny Oaks are aware of that greatness - and it can be felt at Ooltewah, even as the scrutiny continues.

"We know - and these kids are smart enough to know - this program is under a microscope," Williams told the newspaper. "The kids just want to get back to enjoying playing the game. As long as they behave, practice hard and play hard, the rest is up to us coaches."

So the story of 2016 was dreadful and shameful. It was awful, maybe even worse than we could have imagined.

Here's hoping the next chapter for the Owls' program - and the school - can inspire us to what is possible.

Next year and beyond.

Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343. His "Right to the Point" column runs on A2 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Upcoming Events