Latest news with #RutherfordHighSchool
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The house that Rhondie built: Coach Ross reflects 22 years at Rutherford
SPRINGFIELD, Fla. (WMBB) – After years of building Rutherford High School into a local basketball powerhouse, head coach Rhondie Ross is stepping down but says his journey with the game is far from over. The program is coming off its first losing season since 2008 and Ross says it's a bitter-sweet goodbye. 'To be honest, talking about at your core, I knew it was time some time ago,' Ross said. 'But you're fighting ghosts sometimes, like, I want to get it back to where it was and stuff like that. And it's just time.' Ross first made a name for himself as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Bay High School, where he helped lead the Tornadoes to a Final Four appearance in 2003. At the time, Rutherford was known for its football dominance. Basketball hadn't seen major success since its 1994 run to the state tournament. Even then, Ross said he saw the potential. 'When we played them in basketball, Rutherford didn't have the best record, but just the sheer number of people that came out to support was unbelievable,' Ross said. 'And I'm a Bay graduate, but I felt like Rutherford had the most school pride in the city.' Ross helped spearhead a community-wide push to bring high-level basketball to Springfield. That effort paid off in 2009, when Rutherford opened a new gymnasium that quickly became the mecca of Bay County hoops. 'I got off to a slow start as a head coach. I was in my 30s but young in terms of coaching experience,' he said. 'Once we got that new facility, it felt like the program finally took off.' The 2010s became a golden era for Rutherford boys basketball. Over an eight-year span, the Rams won 186 games and lost just 42, capturing two regional championships. They developed a reputation for intensity and discipline. 'It didn't matter who we were playing, even if it was fifth graders, they were going to compete at the same level,' Ross said. 'As a coach, that made me proud. We played to a standard every night.' But everything changed after Hurricane Michael in 2018. 'We were coming off a district championship that year. I had a really good team led by Lorenzo Ferrell,' Ross said. 'When the storm hit in October, we had middle schoolers on campus, our routine was gone. I don't like blaming the storm, but I think we're still dealing with some of it.' Since the storm, the Rams have struggled to recapture their dominance. The team is now coming off its first losing season since 2008. Ross says it's time for a new direction but he isn't leaving the sport entirely. 'It's bittersweet, but I'm looking forward to what's next,' he said. 'I've got a lot of basketball left in me, whether it's officiating, training kids, coaching somewhere else. This is definitely not the end. Just a new chapter.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rutherford alum, Edwards transferring to Troy University
TROY, AL. (WMBB) – Rutherford High School alum, Shakirah Edwards has announced she is transferring from the Mississippi State Women's Basketball team to Troy University. As a true freshman in Starkville, Edwards played in 11 games for the Bulldogs, who were a 9-seed at the NCAA Tournament. Edwards was the first Bay County basketball player to sign with a Power Five school in over a decade (Arnold's Nate Hicks, Georgia Tech in 2010) and the first female basketball player to do so in nearly 50 years. She started for the Rams' high school varsity since middle school and led Rutherford to the Class 4A Elite Eight in three consecutive seasons. Edwards joins a strong Troy program that is coming off a runner-up finish at the Women's NCAA NIT. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Play it Forward' helps kids thrive on and off the field
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The 4th annual 'Play it Forward' event is helping kids thrive on and off the field. United Way is collecting sports equipment donations for kids in need. 'Our mission is to foster and unite resources to those in need. So to help us accomplish this, we're finding the people in need, and we are giving them sports equipment,' United Way Director of Development Brileigh Daniels said. They are in need of gloves, cleats, bats, helmets, balls, and shoes. Dads can make a difference for Rutherford High School students 'We're really in need of donations for this event. So that's balls, cleats, gloves, any equipment. We wouldn't turn it away,' Daniels said. Donations help kids play sports without a cost barrier. 'Kids have a tendency to outgrow cleats pretty quick. Tennis shoes. Anything that's been lightly used. Maybe somebody, you know, started a sport. They didn't really care for the switch to a different sport. Anything like that can really help somebody getting started,' Bay County Parks & Recreation Assistant Division Manager Tim Prentice said. The donated items will be handed out at the annual 'Play it Forward' event, May 10th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Harders Park. Kids can pick up free sports gear and receive free sports physicals. 'It'll be a way of dispersing and all of the collected donations to the community. So it's a free event, and it will have free food, games, and activities,' Prentice said. Get ready for the first ever Glenwood day You can spot donation drop boxes at sports complexes around Bay County. They are located at the Lynn Haven Sports Complex, Cain Griffin Park, Callaway Sports Complex, Daffin Park, Panama, City Sports Park, Oakland Terrace, Bay County Parks & Rec, Gulf Coast Air Conditioning, All Innovations FCU locations, Corams on 231, United Way of NWFL, Coastal Waste & Recycling, Cat 5 Sports Facility, Legendary Marine, Harley Davidson, Chick Fil A PCB, and Diego's Lynn Haven. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dads can make a difference for Rutherford High School students
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Educators say home life greatly influences a student's school performance. Rutherford High School is launching the 'All Pro Dad Chapter' this Friday, designed to foster strong father-child relationships. Fathers are invited to meet with their kids once a month for 35 minutes before meeting starts with a 'pride moment', where fathers share with their kids what they are proud of them for. Bay County Job Fair connects hundreds of jobseekers with local employers They also answer questions, offer advice, and connect with their kids. Rutherford High School faculty says a strong father-child relationship can improve students' academic performance. 'We see higher test scores, we see higher academic achievement, we see all those things just come together whenever we see that relationship at home is healthy and happy,' Rutherford High School Principal Todd Mitchell said. 'When you have a strong father-child relationship, that helps in a lot of areas to improve child well-being, anything from academics to decreased behavioral issues, increased attendance at school,' Director of Community School at Rutherford Emily Messer said. The first All Pro Dads session is this Friday at 7 a.m. in the Rutherford cafeteria. They will continue meeting the second Friday of every month. For more information on All Pro Dads, click . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Demolition underway at Everitt Middle School
SPRINGFIELD, Fla. (WMBB) – Everitt Middle School is not much more than a memory now. Demolition crews are finishing the last of the demolition work on the campus. They began tearing down the facility in January. The School Avenue Campus in Springfield was heavily damaged during Hurricane Michael in 2018 and has been closed ever since. 2nd Annual International Food Truck Festival coming to Lynn Haven School District officials decided it was not worth rebuilding and moved the middle school next door, sharing the Rutherford High School campus. Officials have not yet announced any plans for the property. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
