The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FOR the past five years, former volleyball/ basketball player Philip ‘Tappy’ Davis has served as a student consultant for boarding and day schools Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee and Tallulah Falls School in Georgia.

“While my boys Philip and Winston Davis were attending boarding school, I always got calls from other interested parents asking how they were doing and asked if I was willing to assist them with their kids in applying to boarding school too,” Davis said. “The rest was history.“

At Tallulah, Davis has assisted in getting 11 students enrolled. They are Denika Lightbourne, Devonte Allen, Veronaye Charlton and Anfernee Hanna - all 11 graders playing basketball, Ashton Roache (baseball, grade 8), Justin Smith (basketball grade 10), Caden Walker and Davante Brown and Rohaje Pinder (baseball grade 10) and Norman Bastian (baseball grade 12).

At Webb, Davis was instrumental in assisting Deion Subaran, Justin Burrows and Joey Lamb, who are all returning basketball players going into grade 11.

This year, Davis has been able to get 19 new and transfer students to join the trio at Webb School.

The list includes Tyler Miller (Grade 11 for softball), Rhema Collins Grade 11 Basketball, Sameeka Hepburn Basketball Grade 11, Sylvaugh Armbrister (Grade 11 for basketball), Rohan Davis (Grade 10 for soccer), Sairah Clarke (Grade 7 for tennis), William McCartney (Grade 8 for tennis), Jayden Rolle (Grade 9 for basketball), Benson Harris and Nathan Blackman (Grade 11 for football).

In addition, Darius Fraser (Grade 10 for basketball), Zion Deal (Grade 9 for basketball), Theon Missick (Grade 11 for basketball), Demitri Mills and Ashya Hosam; Sydney Kentish (Grade 9 for tennis) and Daniel McCoy (Grade 9 for volleyball and basketball).

The Bahamian student-athletes at Webb School, which is now in its 152nd year, are among a list of 405 students representing 23 countries as well as 15 states in America.

Davis said he was just delighted to be in attendance this week as the student-athletes made their transition where they also got to meet Bahamian Sidney McPhee, the president of MTSU.

“After sending my sons off to boarding school in the US to complete high school my family’s experience was excellent,” said Davis, in his reason for trying to get more Bahamians to get off to school.

“They were able to meet friends from the Middle East, Caribbean, US and the Far East. They were able to learn from each other about various cultures and spend time with families and friends from other countries during long breaks.”

Davis said after noticing the maturity of his sons, Philip, who is now in Canada and Winston, who is now at UNF in Jacksonville, he felt obligated to try and get as many student-athletes off to boarding school.

“In reference to sports, I always thought that the Bahamian student-athletes weren’t playing enough to compete against the American kids,” Davis reflected. “For instance in the private schools, they only play eight to 10 basketball games whereas in the US they play 25-30 games in one season and depending on how far they make it in District and State they play more games.

“After the season ends in February, they go right into AAU ball in March where they play almost every weekend until the end of July,” Davis said.

“If these kids that attend schools in the Bahamas are looking to play at the next level they are at a disadvantage.”

Davis said he already has a waiting list of at least 20 families that are looking to send their kids off in August, 2022.