When former Southland athletes sparkle on the grandest sports stages, we like to remind the masses of those stars' roots. It was exhilarating to watch Pierre Thomas help propel New Orleans to its first-ever Super Bowl title on Feb. 7. The former T.F. South standout's 16-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown was a key play in the Saints' 31-17 victory over Indianapolis. The dynamic running back rushed for 30 yards and caught six passes for 55 yards in the game.
Exactly one week later, another former Southland prep star put on a dazzling display in a history-making game. Dwyane Wade, who starred at Richards High School in Oak Lawn, was named Most Valuable Player in an NBA All-Star Game that was witnessed by a crowd of 108,713 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. That's the largest crowd ever to watch a basketball game (the previous record being 78,129 at Detroit's Ford Field in 2003 for a college game between Kentucky and Michigan State). Wade scored 28 points, dished out 11 assists and grabbed six rebounds in helping the Eastern Conference All-Stars edge the Western stars 141-139. Earning MVP honors in an All-Star Game is a high honor, but we're guessing it won't make Wade forget his past achievements. Those include an NBA Finals MVP award in 2006, when he lead the Miami Heat past the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA scoring championship (30.2 points per game) in 2008-2009, and an Olympic gold medal (2008).
Exactly one week later, another former Southland prep star put on a dazzling display in a history-making game. Dwyane Wade, who starred at Richards High School in Oak Lawn, was named Most Valuable Player in an NBA All-Star Game that was witnessed by a crowd of 108,713 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. That's the largest crowd ever to watch a basketball game (the previous record being 78,129 at Detroit's Ford Field in 2003 for a college game between Kentucky and Michigan State). Wade scored 28 points, dished out 11 assists and grabbed six rebounds in helping the Eastern Conference All-Stars edge the Western stars 141-139. Earning MVP honors in an All-Star Game is a high honor, but we're guessing it won't make Wade forget his past achievements. Those include an NBA Finals MVP award in 2006, when he lead the Miami Heat past the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA scoring championship (30.2 points per game) in 2008-2009, and an Olympic gold medal (2008).
So let's salute these two pro stars with a brief glimpse back at their high school years. The first video shows Thomas scoring his first touchdown for T.F. South, in a game against Rich Central in 2000. The second video shows Wade highlights from a 1999 state playoff game against Brother Rice.
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