BTW Coach Ready For Another State Win

By Kyle Dierking, NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- Remember when? Do you remember the last time the Hornets won state?

"Getting the state championship back at Booker T. would be...," said Melvin Gilliam. "I mean I don't know if the kids realize how huge it is."

Melvin Gilliam remembers. Twenty four years ago he quarterbacked Booker T. Washington to the gold ball. Since then, the Hornets have lost in six state title games.

"There are a lot of guys out there who didn't get one," Gilliam said. "I had two brothers play here that didn't get one. R.W. McQuarters didn't get one. Robert Meachem didn't get one."

Now the 2008 BTW team has a chance to get one. Gilliam's in his first season as an assistant coach. The Hornets are looking to its past by popping in a tape of the '84 teams triumph.

"Watch the effort of the Booker T. Hornets of '08. See if they took a play off. See when adversity comes how they respond. Understand things aren't going to go exactly the way you want them. How do you respond when things don't go the way you want them," Gilliam said. "Look at this film and see some of those things."

What they might realize is two teams, more than two decades a part could become mirror images of each other.

"What are you? You are us. What we did, you guys have a chance to do," Gilliam said.