Playing ball at another team’s field is always rough. So rough that sometimes a coach will give a pep talk or even do something memorable before the game even starts to get their player’s minds in the game. The Mansfield Tigers baseball team and Lady Tigers softball team both got to experience something memorable before their game against the Lavaca Golden Arrows on Thursday, April 7th. Mansfield FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) leader, Bernie Simon, brought in a guest speaker to give both teams a good ol’ fashioned pregame speech. The man who spoke to the teams about God, glory and game was none other than former ACC and NBA Champion, Adrian Branch.
We enjoy brining in guest speakers for the kids and Adrian was a great one,” said Mansfield Coach Tim Cothran. “The kids always seem to enjoy the guest speakers that our FCA Leader, Bernie Simon, brings in (as well as Bernie himself). The kids are always very nice and seem to respond well when we do this. It’s certainly a good thing to bring people in that have been there and done that in life. Those individuals can testify to the good, the bad, the mistakes, and the successes that these kids are experiencing in their own lives. The more people that can share their testimony to these young people about what God has done for them, the more it will continue to have an impact on the lives of our student athletes and our youth as a whole.”
Although Branch was speaking to the Tigers and Lady Tigers at a Baseball/Softball game, his professional history is on the basketball courts. He played basketball for the Maryland Terrapins in college and was an All-ACC second team selection twice. Branch even helped lead Maryland to win the ACC Championship in 1984. Branch’s skills on the court set him up to be picked in the 2nd Round of the 1985 NBA Draft where he was the drafted by the 46th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. Branch’s professional career stretched from 1985 through 1990 when he played for teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Adrian Branch carries many accolades to his name including being the MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game in 1981, an ACC Championship, two second team All-ACC team sections, and an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987. Branch now spends his time as an ESPN college basketball analyst and speaks with young athletes through his association with the FCA. Needless to say, the Tigers and Lady Tigers where in the presence of someone who had definitely “been there and done that”.
Whether it was the good Lord, Adrian Branch’s pregame speech, the sheer determination of the Tigers and Lady Tigers or all of the above, Mansfield pulled off double W’s with the Tigers coming back from behind to win 10-9 and the Lady Tigers toughing it out for the 4-3 victory over the Golden Arrows. The wins not only gave Mansfield a regular season sweep of Lavaca, but also improved their already stellar records as both teams continue to be undefeated in conference play. The Tigers will travel to Greenland on Friday, April 8th for some non-conference action while the Lady Tigers will look to continue their conference run at Mountainburg on Monday, April 11th.
