West Side High School Track Teams bring home the Gold at the Prestigious Penn Relays in the boys and girls 4×400 meter relays.
Every team that won their race received a winning plaque.
Mike Kinney | News 12 Varsity | Follow on Twitter
When 6-9 Justin Jones broke a bone in his foot just before the postseason began and 6-4 Javonne Jones followed him to the sidelines several games later with a broken finger, Cook’s Roughriders were suddenly without their size for the stretch run of the Group 2 state tournament.
At least that’s true if measuring with a ruler. Cook’s three teams at West Side and six before that at Newark Vocational have always been defined by their scrap, indefatigable will and sense of unity inspired by the big, bearded man those kids call Coach. Despite those injuries–and the almost countless other obstacles facing an inner city team like West Side–the Roughriders (25-7) repeated as Group 2 state champion, and fell in overtime to Teaneck in the Tournament of Champions quarterfinals.
[Newark, NJ – March 30, 2017] As Newark celebrates its 350th anniversary, two Newark Public Schools (NPS) administrators have been selected as finalists for Prudential’s “Newark’s Cornerstones” competition, a contest which showcases leaders across Newark for their dedication in making a positive impact on Newark’s future. Akbar Cook, Vice Principal of West Side High School (WSHS), and Charity Haygood, Principal of BRICK Avon Academy, are two out of eight finalists who were chosen over the course of the last eight months by Prudential, Prudential Center and Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s office. Finalists were selected based on the degree to which they represent at least one of “Newark’s Cornerstones” pillars, which include innovation, commitment, and positive influence.
“Congratulations to Ms. Haygood and Mr. Cook, two transformational NPS school leaders who were selected as finalists in Prudential’s “Newark’s Cornerstones” competition for the positive impact they have made on Newark students, families, and communities,” said Christopher D. Cerf, Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. “It’s exciting to witness two devoted educational leaders being recognized for their daily work to build a stronger future for Newark by serving the needs of all students and families and ensuring all children have access to excellent educational opportunities.”
Akbar Cook is the vice principal at WSHS, where he manages school operations related to disciplinary procedures, school climate and culture, and security. Mr. Cook is also the head coach of the WSHS varsity boys’ basketball team, the 2017 Group 2 NJSIAA champions. In addition to his daily work as vice principal and head coach, Mr. Cook has led a variety of transformative initiatives at WSHS. Last summer, Mr. Cook, with the support of the West Side Alumni Group and the MCJ Amelior Foundation, started the Lights On Program, a nighttime recreation program for kids and young adults. Mr. Cook’s program served approximately 80 students per night throughout the summer. Mr. Cook has also partnered with the Community Food Bank of NJ to provide food packs each Friday night to any students and families in need of food on weekends. Recognizing that many kids are not attending school regularly because they do not have clean clothes, Mr. Cook is also working to build a laundromat and study hall at WSHS to increase student attendance and support student achievement.
Principal Charity Haygood has been an educator for over two decades, serving thousands of students and families throughout Newark’s South Ward. Early on, she taught literacy, social studies and science to sixth, seventh and eighth graders at Bragaw Avenue School for nine years. In 2004 and 2005, during her last two years in the classroom, Ms. Haygood received the the Governor’s Teacher Recognition Program Award for her educational contributions. After leaving the classroom, Ms. Haygood transitioned into an NPS administrator role, serving as vice principal at Chancellor Avenue School for five years. In 2010, Ms. Haygood began serving as the principal of BRICK Avon Academy. As one of BRICK Avon Academy’s founding board members, Ms. Haygood, along with five other Newark educators, worked 18 months to develop the blueprint for BRICK (Building Responsible Intelligent Creative Kids). BRICK Avon Academy is one of five NPS schools that is a part of the South Ward Community Schools Initiative.
Out of the eight finalists who have been chosen, the grand prize winner will be selected by the general public through public online voting at www.prucenter.com/newarkscornerstones. Online voting, which has been open to the public since the beginning of March, will close on March 31. The grand prize recipient will be announced on Saturday, April 8, at the Prudential Center on ‘Fan Appreciation Night’ for the New Jersey Devils’ final home game of the 2016-2017 NHL season. In addition to being recognized for their dedication and impact, the grand prize winner will receive two tickets to Prudential Center events, including Devils games, for one year.
The West Side High School boys’ basketball team won the Group 2 NJSIAA championships. On March 12th, the Rough Riders defeated Camden High School 51-49 to win the Group 2 NJSIAA championship. They are now set to tip off at 7:30pm on Friday, March 17th at Pine Belt Arena in Tom’s River at the NJ Tournament of Champions in a first round matchup with Teaneck.See below for a round-up of local coverage:
Boys Basketball: T of C Rd. 1 preview – No. 16 Teaneck vs. No. 14 West Side
“Fifth-seeded West Side took out Parsippany, 73-20, in the first round of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 tournament, with Quaion Taylor going for 17 points and 10 rebounds. They were dominant against Fort Lee in the next round with a 71-43 triumph, then beat Hackettstown, 35-23 in the semifinals… then they romped against Hanover Park for a 63-37 victory in the final. Quayon Williams-King paced West Side with 20 points in a 58-35 victory over Newton in the Group 2 semifinals. Yasim Hooker had 13 points and nine rebounds while Quayon Williams-King had 13 points, four rebounds and eight assists in a 51-49 victory over Camden in the Group 2 final. WEST SIDE WINS IF: Quaion Taylor owns the paint, Quayon Williams-King plays within himself and the offense doesn’t go cold while the defense gives Teaneck’s guards fits.” (NJ.com, 03/14/17)
No. 14 West Side repeats as Group 2 champion versus Camden
“West Side coach Akbar Cook said in the lead-up to Sunday’s Group 2 final that Camden is tough, but Newark is tougher. And when the two teams took the court in a rematch of last year’s title game, his statement proved true: Camden was tough, but West Side was tougher. The Rough Riders, No. 14 in the NJ.com Top 20, won their second straight title with a physical, bruising and sometimes sloppy 51-49 victory over Camden in the NJSIAA Group 2 championship game at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.” (NJ.com, 03/12/17)
Newark’s West Side HS is a special champ to Morristown-Beard coach who is fighting cancer
“The Newark basketball team wearing pink socks, sneakers and T-shirts had Coach Eddie Franz on edge, as he nervously watched to see if they could close out the championship game on Sunday… The team was wearing its pink ensemble in his honor. Franz, 60, has lung cancer. He appeared to be calm as the Rough Riders were clinging to a two point lead with 1:13 remaining in the Group 2 NJSIAA final against Camden High School. Internally, though, he was rooting hard because the team has been helping him through a tough period in his life. Although pink is the color usually used to denote breast cancer, kids don’t make a color distinction, they just see cancer and they wanted to do something for Franz, who has been a part of Newark basketball for 13 years…The socks and sneakers are plain as day, but the T-shirts they wore on the layup line and on the bench crystalized their thoughts. ‘Pray for Franz’ was written on the back. ‘Another Day. Another Chance’ was on the front. The logo belongs to Fam Eternal, a Newark apparel company that made the shirts and whose co-owner knows Franz, too. Since the coach’s diagnosis in January, pink has become the teams lucky color for an unlucky disease. West Side has gone 9-0, but it needed one more victory to claim its second consecutive Group 2 title and to win for Franz… They defeated Camden 51-49, and did their small part in helping a man who means so much to them cope with cancer.” (NJ.com, 03/12/17)
Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger | Email the author | Follow on Twitter
The Newark basketball team wearing pink socks, sneakers and T-shirts had Coach Eddie Franz on edge, as he nervously watched to see if they could close out the championship game on Sunday.
“All right boys, guard up,” he said, seated in section 202 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway.
His playoff season at Morristown-Beard School ended last week, but Franz was channeling his thoughts to West Side High School, his second-favorite team, for good reason.
The team was wearing its pink ensemble in his honor. Franz, 60, has lung cancer.
He appeared to be calm as the Rough Riders were clinging to a two point lead with 1:13 remaining in the Group 2 NJSIAA final against Camden High School.
Internally, though, he was rooting hard because the team has been helping him through a tough period in his life.
Although pink is the color usually used to denote breast cancer, kids don’t make a color distinction, they just see cancer and they wanted to do something for Franz, who has been a part of Newark basketball for 13 years.
“It really hurt me,” said Yasim Hooker, an 18-year-old senior who has known Franz since elementary school. “I was in a lot of pain.”
The socks and sneakers are plain as day, but the T-shirts they wore on the layup line and on the bench crystalized their thoughts.
“Pray for Franz” was written on the back.
“Another Day. Another Chance” was on the front. The logo belongs to Fam Eternal, a Newark apparel company that made the shirts and whose co-owner knows Franz, too.
Since the coach’s diagnosis in January, pink has become the teams lucky color for an unlucky disease. West Side has gone 9-0, but it needed one more victory to claim its second consecutive Group 2 title and to win for Franz.
“The thing about the disease, you feel like you want to do something to be a part of the fight,” Franz said. “I think that’s what these kids felt like they needed to do.”
The relationship between Franz and Newark starts with Akbar Cook, the head coach at West Side.
Franz has known Cook since he was a 15-year-old teenager at Life Camp, an outdoor summer program in Pottersville where Franz has been director for 30 years.
“He’s been a mentor to me, almost like a father figure that I didn’t have growing up,” Cook said.
Franz hired Cook to work at the camp as a counselor. Years later, after Cook graduated from college and expressed an interest in coaching, Franz hired him to be junior varsity coach at Morristown-Beard.
Cook moved on to Newark Vocational School and the relationship between the two men strengthened. Franz would help Cook train his team, which would play a scrimmage game against Morristown-Beard before the season and a regular season game at the end.
The urban and suburban players became friends. They were around each other a lot, playing in the same summer basketball leagues and working as counselors at Life Camp.
“We called it Vo-Beard,” Franz said.
About three years ago, Cook was hired at West Side as head coach and the Vo-Beard connection might as well have been called West Side-Beard. The kids kept scrimmaging with each other on the court and working together at camp.
Since Franz’s shocking diagnosis, the relationship has grown even closer. The kids blew him away when he first saw them wearing pink during an Essex County tournament game last month.
Franz was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a cancer that usually afflicts smokers, but one the American Cancer Society said is prevalent in non-smokers.
Franz, who never smoked, thought he had pneumonia after exercising one morning in January. He had shortness of breath and went to the hospital for a chest x-ray.
“The first thing they (doctors) say to me is, ‘Are you a smoker?’ ” Franz said. “I knew at that point, there was a problem.”
It shook him up.
Cook was rattled, too. He wore pink last year when he coached West Side to its first championship. Pink tie, shirt and socks. Pink anything. He did it to honor his late mother-in-law and two aunts, who died from the disease.
Two weeks ago, West Side’s starting center, Quaion Taylor, learned that his grandmother had cancer.
“This is bigger than basketball,” Cook said.
When he got the call from Franz, that’s all he could think about.
“I was saying here we go again,” Cook said. “I’m not a crier, but I was on the phone crying with him.”
He told Hooker about Franz’s diagnosis and the two put their heads together.
“I thought it would be a good idea to wear pink to represent Franz and win a state championship,” Hooker said.
Quayon Williams-King, 18, said, pink is his favorite color and Franz is one of his favorite people because of the coach’s honesty.
“He always kept it real with me,” said Williams-King. “He would tell me if I was doing something wrong.”
Franz, however, said he doesn’t feel special. He’s gracious.
“To see kids supportive of somebody who is not their coach, it kind of shows the comraderie that basketball gives you, and how relationships develop over the course of time.”
Franz may want to change his mind about not feeling special. Cook wore his pink shirt for the first time Sunday.
“I just want him to know that he’s not alone,” Cook said.
Before the game, the message was clear.
“Franz is here, let’s do this for him,” Hooker said.
They defeated Camden 51-49, and did their small part in helping a man who means so much to them cope with cancer.
On January 20th, 25 students from West Side Campus’ AP Literature class and 10 staff members, led by Vice Principal Akbar Cook, were hosted by the managing director of Google Creative Labs, Andy Berndt and staff at their facility in lower Manhattan.
The West Side contingent was treated to a tour of the facilities, a sumptuous lunch, and an afternoon session with some of the most creative thinkers. Participants were exposed to a protocol for attacking problems such as chronic absenteeism. In a huge room dedicated to problem solving and creative solutions, participants shared ideas, beliefs, and opinions as a part of the larger think tank.
We believe that this partnership will produce innovative solutions and opportunities that will benefit all of our children.
