RBH23 wrote: Sat Aug 27, 2022 4:37 pmNot sure if you are aware, but Brad passed some time ago. Was living in Oxford, Ohio at the time.yabbadabbadoo wrote: Sat Aug 27, 2022 3:47 pmRBH23 wrote: Sat Aug 27, 2022 11:37 am
Holden was definitely special, but Burg has had some good ones over the years.
I don’t remember those in the 70’s but do some of those in the 80’s and 90’s:
1) Brad Walke: was a star in basketball, baseball, and track; best Burg basketball player I have ever seen. He also started at QB his freshman year at Oak Hill but never played football for Burg. Went to UNC Charlotte.
2) Matt Miller class of ‘90: state football title as QB, state semis in basketball his junior year. Had Holden’s size. Would have been a helluva pitcher if he played baseball. Went to OU on a football scholarship although I think he could have went bigger in basketball.
3) Chris Ellis: three sport star. Starting LB as a sophomore on Burg’s state champ team; started as a sophomore on the basketball and baseball teams as well. Helluva baseball player. Went to OSU.
4) Jonathan Eaton: star in football, basketball, and track. In college, he actually made it into a Sports Illustrated story called Zips Mr Everything. Was leading Akron in tackles as the starting safety and was one of the top punters in the MAC.
Always hard to determine who was the best, but I think we’ll eventually see another “Holden”. Just might take a while.
You are correct sir!! I went to school with Walke and I know Coach Miller tried to get him to play. He just never would bite. I think he loved baseball more than basketball. Hard to believe that but in talking to him after we graduated, the pressure put on him by his dad made basketball just not that fun for him.
The other three were incredible athletes that’s for sure. Maybe I should have said the best football player I’ve ever watched at Burg. He could take over a football game anytime he wanted to. His talent was usually head and shoulders above anyone else on the field. Holden is just my opinion.
He was my hero growing up, and when I was older, loved playing basketball with him. Not just an awesome player but a great guy.
Yeah, I knew Brad had passed. After we graduated in 83 Brad and I would meet up behind the old Burg grade school and play one on one. We had a blast. We would then sit and talk and he would always would bring up his Dad and how he really wasn’t fond of him.
I remember our Senior year, Brad had just scored 36 in a 20 point win over Portsmouth. It was one of the few games his dad came to watch. I was standing talking with Brad when his dad walked and Brad thanked him for coming and said to his dad did you see I scored 36. All his dad could say was, you should have scored 40. You missed 2 free throws and a layup. Not great game or anything. Just criticism. It was sad to see.