By BFS

i Robert E. Lee High School Quarterback Rodney Stovall runs behind the block of fullback (10) Landrum Hale who is a 600 plus squatter! Rodney himself squats 400 pounds while weighing only 150 pounds. LEE POWER FOOTBALL In our continuing series on the elite high school players who have under a C average to come in at 7:00 AM programs in America, we are pround to feature Robert E. for 45 minutes. Some kids come in who have good grades Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1986, the Lee just to get the tutor help.

Generals went 15-0 and won the state championship. This Robert E. Lee High School has 2100 students and 167 past year they won 12 ina row before losing to the eventual in grades 10-12 come out for football. The Generals ended state champions in the quarter finals. Spence McCracken, the Generals Head Coach, was the season with about 63 juniors and 12 seniors. For the 1988 season, seven starters return on both offense and defense. the National USA Today Coach of the Year in 1986. Coach Scheduling opponents has recently been very difÏ- McCracken, who has guided the Generals the past four cult. So difÏcult in fact that no JV team exists.

Coach Perry years, has the philosophy of putting his great althletes on states, "We'd love to havea ]V team but no one would play defense and then play ball control offense. His Power | us." On the varsity, it is practically impossible to geta home Offense has averaged 32 points per game while only passand home game with an out-of-state opponent. So the Gening 3 to 4 times per game. He is currently writing a book on erals must travel to neighboring states like Georgia and his offensive concepts.

Florida to fill their schedule.

Assistant football coach and strength coach Jim Coach McCraken has six coaches on his staff plus Perry, who's been at Robert E. Lee for seven years, has the volunteer coaches. He feels the administrative support has players lift all through the season. They lift during the last been super. He teaches two health classes and one history period of the day for about an hour concentrating on triple class. The rest of the day is spent on football and his duties reps. as athletic director. Games are played on Friday or SaturPerry is proud of their unique tutorial program. The Boosters Club has set aside money to pay National Honor Society students to act as tutors.

It is mandatory for football day night. The stadium holds 25,000 and the local TV station televises the games over a cable station.

LEE POWER FOOTBALL:

Continued from page 3 When Coach Perry was asked about drugs and alcohol in the football program he responded, "We haven't had any problems the last 3 years. Those type of kids normally quit. We try to make our program so tough you just can't do both. We had one quit and then get into drugs. We continually preach to our players about the priorities in life. Spiritual, family and academic life are all more important than football. Take care of those and football will take care of itself.” THE ROBERT E. LEE FOOTBALL PROGRAM COMMITMENT TO OUT PHYSICAL OUR OPPONENT We have been very fortunate to have a great football tradition at Lee High School.

We have won 8 State Championships since our opening in 1955. Our head coach Spence McCracken was named the 1986 USA Today's National Coach of the Year. We have been blessed the past two years with great kids in our program. Our record for the past 2 years is 27-1. We have had only 1 athlete to sign for a major college Div. I-A Scholarship during this 2 year period. (Larry Ware to Georgia). We feel that our strength program has been the Fullback Landrum Hale with Olympic Dumbbells. backbone for our accomplishments. We ran a no-frills Iformation offense with 2 tight ends and a 6-1 defense. We try to physically punish our opponents.

Let me elaboratewe don't try to hurt anyone, wejust try to take the game to a higher physical level than our opponents can stand.

In 1986 our entire offensive line could squat 500 ** pounds or better. Carey Jackson a member of that line set the Men's National Drug-Free Squat in the superheavy's with a 611 pound squat. Carey was 6'2, 300 pounds. Our offensive line averaged 241 pounds. Our 1987 defensive line averaged 275 pounds, their weights were 256, 272, 276, and 296. We would like to share some of the things that we do in the weight room that have helped to make us successful.

Our program has produced good results. Our overall team size has increased and our strength level is increasing year to year. Last year we had 33 players on the roster weighing in over 200 pounds. Our entire program lasts 60 minutes. We train with weights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We do activity work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Activity work on Tuesdays consists of agilities, rope jump, plyometrics and running. But perhaps the most productive activity we do besides lifting weights is our Thursday wrestling. We wrestle a little different at Lee. Our wrestling helps to develope aggressiveness and we are not about to hinder that development with wrestling rules.

Our one rule is no clinched fists-that's it. A street fight on your knees with open hands with the objective to put your opponent on his back.

Assistant Fotball Coach Jim Perry who doubles as Both athletes are evenly matched by the coaches. strength coach jokes with Landrum: This is a 5 lb. cookie.

LEE POWER FOOTBALL continued from page 7 #74 KENNEDY MITCHELL 6'4, 296lbs. Personifies Lee Power Football as he manhandles opposing sack.

LEE POWER FOOTBALL continued from page 10 Place both athletes on the mat on their knees and circle the rest of the crew around them (just like the ole days, huh?) Then we have the wrestlers lock-up (clinch) and go on the whistle. We wrestle for 30 seconds. If you put a man on his back you must keep him there. If you let him get you on your back, you had better get the guy off anyway you can. You will really find out which of your athletes are a waste if they are not great competitors. Good athletes are a waste if they are not great competitors. A marginal athlete can win for you if he is a great competitor. Make the loser wrestle another loser until he wins to make him compete.

Our 1987 program has produced some great results. Landrum Hale, our 210 pound fullback has already surpassed Jackson's 611 pound squat record. Our entire team is on schedule to be stronger than the 2 previous years. We are, however, having trouble getting teams in our state to play us in football. Currently we are playing teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and looking for games in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. We expect to remain on a higher physical level than our opponents and plan to physically pound on the people we play. Any football team, regardless of their style, can benefit from being more aggressive, bigger, faster, and stronger. We at BFS thank Robert E.

Lee High School, their athletes and coaches. Special thanks to Coach Jim Perry for making this article possible. Robert E. Lee is making success happen and taking themselves the the Upper Limit!

Landrum Hale showing his form that got him a 600 Ib. squat in the Alabama State meet.

From BFS Magazine — March/April 1988. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).