Football Night in Union County 2014

FootballNight

in union county

2014

• FALL 2014 • CAROLINA WEEKLY NEWSPAPER GROUP www.carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

Football Night in Union County

1

CAROLINA WEEKLY NEWSPAPER GROUP • FALL 2014 • www.carolinaweeklynewspapers.com


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what’s InsIde

the 2014 Football Night in union County was planned and written by the Carolina Weekly Newspaper groups Sports Staff consisting of Sports editor andrew Stark and assistant Sports editor hannah Dockery, who also took all of the photographs.liz lanier designed and laid out the section, so a special thanks for her hard work and design expertise. Former Managing editor Mike parks went the extra mile to assist the Sports Staff in editing pages and was as usual a rock through the process, keeping everyone on task.Ceo and Founder alain lillie assisted Charlotte Conway, adrain garson and laura Smith in sell-ing advertising. Maria hernandez designed ads for the section and randi trojan coordinated the advertising. Mike Kocky oversaw the distribution. We extend a special thanks to all for their hard work.

On the COverthe 2014 Cover boys are (top row, from left) Sun Valley’s albert Funderburke, Cuthbertson’s austin Kendall, piedmont’s Cameron tripp, Sun Valley’s isaiah hicklin, Sun Valley’s tyler griffiths (kneeling, from left) parkwood’s treven parker, Cuthbertson’s bJ Muckelvene, parkwood’s Max robinson and Sun Valley’s Dom Ventura.

SpeCial thankSin addition to all of the countless hours our staff put into making this section, we’d also like to extend a special thank you to Sun Valley athletics director Chris batchelor and Sun Valley foot-ball coach tad baucom who braved the heat to ensure the photo shoot was a success at the Spartan stadium.

About this section

The Pirates made quite the splash in the loaded Southwestern 4A last season finishing 4-2. How they perform this year will depend largely on how new quarterback Tyreq Hunt-ley gels with coach Zach Bevilacqua. But the Pirates are always out looking to prove that they belong among the state’s elite and even with tailback Grant VanderVoort sidelined for the season, they’ve got talent in A.J. Barrett and Alan Chase who can both put points on the board. They’ve got their work cut out for them and some obsta-cles to overcome, though, but if their defense can step up it could be another winning season for the Pirates.

The Spartans were plagued by inconsistency last season but we’ve got high expecta-tions for 2014 for several reasons. Most notably is Albert Funderburke, one of the best running backs in the county, who’s in line for a huge senior season. Combine that with Isaiah Hicklin, the dual-threat quarterback out of Porter Ridge, and coach Tad Baucom, who’s got championship experience, and you’ve got the core of what could be a dominat-ing squad. They’re big on both lines and if all goes as planned, these guys will be putting the Spartans back on top of the competitive scene.

A little presumptuous putting the Cavs, a team that went 4-8 last sea-son, this high in our rankings? We don’t think so. And that’s not just because they’ve got Tennessee com-mit Austin Kendall returning at quar-terback after a championship season at Charlotte Christian. With capable

receiving targets in B.J. Muckelvene and J.T. Cauthen, their offense will be high-flying and high-scor-ing. Their defense is

back and fundamentally sound and could likely be the strength of the Cav team with a killer linebacking corps and some big guys up front. This could be coach David Johnson’s year as the Cavs will contend for a conference title if they can withstand the pressure.

The reigning Rocky River confer-ence champions and Class 2A state runners-up are back and looking to

continue their recent run of success that’s resulted in a winning record each season since 2006. They lost some skill guys, but seem to be able to fill the holes each year and we don’t expect anything different this season. That especially holds true if they can get the ball in the hands of Chase Byrum, one of the county’s top run-ning backs. Coach Johnny Sowell knows how to make the most of the talent he’s given so even though these guys are a little younger and a little smaller, they’ve got what it takes to repeat as conference champions.

Coach Tim Carson is building something pretty special at Weddington, evidenced by their school record-breaking 11 wins last season that earned them a share of the conference title. A lot of those skill players are gone but don’t feel sorry for them just yet. The hallmark of any good Weddington team is their smothering defense and this year shouldn’t be too different with linebackers Jack Jenkins, Lance Moore and Myles Moore all returning. A lot will depend on the other side of the ball and how new quarterback David Bayha gels with receiver Joe Bensch and the rest of the offensive supporting cast. But if they do, this will be a group to look out for.

pIedmontIt’s hard to predict what’s

in store for a team that’s been just average in recent years. But here’s what we do know – Harvard commit quarter-back Cameron Tripp is eager

to make a name for the Panther program and shouldn’t have a problem directing the offense with guys like Cody Leviner, Cole Bell, Darius Jowers and Aaron Braswell roaming the field. Their offense is in line to be better than last year and defense will certainly be a strength with the linebacking tandem of Dalton Craig and Rhett Byrum – two guys with an impos-ing presence that will make it hard for teams to move the ball.

The Rebels got off to a slow start last year but quickly exploded in the postseason where they made it all the way to the regional round. They return 12 starters from that squad including key pieces of the offense in receiver Max Robinson (659 yards, five TDs), running backs Tre Butler (900 yards, nine TDs) and fullback Jacob McWhorter. But their defense is what anchored last year’s playoff run and with Drew Hause and Tyree Helms returning in the trenches, a strong secondary coming back intact and leading tackler Treven Parker (166 tack-les) also in the mix, these guys have what it takes to build on last year’s success.

porter rIdge

20 to treasureA staple of the Carolina Weekly Newspapers, the 20 to Treasure is the first of our two annual player rankings for the 2014 sea-son. These are the best individual players in Union County as we see it, but there’s plenty of time for players to stake their cases during the season to make our postseason list. PAGE 4

cameron trIpp: bIg man on campusPiedmont’s offense is controlled by Cameron Tripp, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound quarterback and Harvard commit who’s looking

to lead the Panthers to their best season yet. PAGE 5

max robInson: bIg man on campusSenior wide receiver and defen-sive back Max Robinson was a huge catalyst behind Parkwood’s playoff run last season. He’s back for more and out to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. PAGE 12

2-mInute drIllWe take you behind the scenes with Sun Valley quarterback Isaiah Hicklin, Cuthbertson quar-terback Austin Kendall, Sun Valley long snapper Tyler Griffiths,

Cuthbertson receiver B.J. Muck-elvene and Parkwood linebacker Treven Parker to see what they’re expecting for their senior seasons and to give you an inside look into these top college recruits. PAGES 14-15

albert Funderburke: bIg man on campusArguably the county’s best run-ning back, Funderburke is on track to break a 20-year county career rushing record if he has the kind of season we’re expecting. He’ll be a nightmare for opposing coordinators as they try to stop slow him down. PAGE 19

county column breakdownHannah Dockery examines what to expect this season from Union County football in each confer-ence – Southern Carolinas, Rocky River, Yadkin Valley and Metrolina Athletic. We also provide pre-dicted order of finish and overall records and take a look at some key contributors who will be cru-cial to the success of their team. PAGE 22

Football scheduleWe give fans a week-to-week look at where your favorite team will be playing and who you’ll be

rooting for to knock off your rival. The whole season can be found in one spot. PAGE 23

team prevIewsCATA…....................………6CUTHBERTSON…................7FOREST HILLS…...................8MARVIN RIDGE…................8METROLINA CHRISTIAN....10MONROE.........................10PARKWOOD….............….16PIEDMONT…...........…..…17PORTER RIDGE...............…17SUN VALLEY……........……18UNION ACADEMY.....……21WEDDINGTON..…...........21



20 totreasure16) JOhN WELLSMarvin RidgeAt 6-foot-4, 230-pounds, Wells brings a massive interior presence to the Mav defense. He can make sound tackles, plug gaps up

the middle and has pretty good speed given his imposing size. Last year he recorded a whopping 14 sacks and he’ll be back for more for his senior season.

17) A.J. BARREttPorter RidgeBarrett’s a smooth receiver who’s physical, fast and tough in traffic. He’s got good hands and isn’t afraid to go deep to catch tough

passes. He’ll be a big weapon for the Pirates this season after hauling in 32 receptions for 524 yards during his junior campaign.

18) DOm VENtURASun ValleyThere’s a lot of hype behind the 5-foot-11, 245-pound Ventura and it’s easy to see why after looking at the way he wrecked the

field last year, recording 64 tackles and two sacks. Coach Tad Baucom is high on Ventura right now and is expecting big things from what could become one of the county’s best linemen.

19) RUD YEARICKMetrolina ChristianIn his first season as a starter, Yearick proved him-self to be a capable dual-threat quarterback. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior

has a precise passing touch that resulted in him completing a county-high 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,471 yards and 16 touch-downs. But his talent doesn’t stop there as he added another 556 yards and nine scores on his feet. Now, he’s back with confidence and experience.

20) JOSEPh BENSChWeddingtonYou heard it here first – Bensch will be a playmaker for the Warriors. He was a monster on JV the last two seasons and will take that

talent to the varsity level where he’s got the potential to have a huge season. He’ll be the Warriors’ go-to option in the air and the re-ceiver is one of the fastest guys on the field.

1) AUStIN KENDALLCuthbertsonArguably the biggest name in Union County football is back at Cuthbertson where his electrifying career all started two seasons ago.

The Tennessee commit and four-star recruit is a true pocket passer and has already thrown for 3,168 yards and 38 touchdowns in just two seasons. He’s bigger, smarter and stronger than ever and has the makeup of a champion.

2) ALBERt FUNDERBURKE

Sun ValleyFunderburke is purely elec-tric, capable of finding the holes and breaking through for a big play every time

he touches the ball. That’s how he amassed a county-high 2,137 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns during his junior campaign. He’s already got offers from Duke, Northwestern and Wake Forest but if he has the kind of season we’re expecting from him, those will be the first of many.

3)CAmERON tRIPPPiedmontAt 6-foot-6, 210 pounds Tripp is the imposing force running the Panthers’ high-powered offense. He had a breakout junior season

last year, passing for 1,799 yards and 16 TDs and ran for an additional 527 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s fast, smart and a true dual-threat quarterback in line for a monu-ment senior season before taking his talents to Harvard.

4) ChASE BYRUmMonroeDon’t let Byrum’s 5-foot-7, 190-pound frame fool you. He tore up the field last season at running back, rushing for 1,661 yards and

21 touchdowns and was the heart and soul of the Redhawks dominating ground game that carried them to the state championship. Byrum’s an instinctual runner primed for a big senior season.

5 ISAIAh hICKLIN Sun ValleyHicklin improved by leaps and bounds last season, throwing for 1,800 yards and 13 TDs while at Porter

Ridge and growing into his 6-foot-2 frame. He’s a Spartan now for his senior year and has a major weapon at his disposal in Albert Funderburke in what could become one of the county’s most dangerous duos. Hicklin is en route to a monumental senior season.

6) DEShAWN mORRISON

CATAMorrison epitomizes what it means to be a two-way player. His dexterity at running back is key to the Cougar run game and he can fight his way

through defenders much bigger than his 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame would suggest. But he’s an even bigger threat on the other side of the ball at outside linebacker, where he’ll look to improve on his massive numbers from last year (135 tackles, 12 sacks).

7) tYLER GRIFFIthSSun ValleyGriffiths, an N.C. State commit, is known for his accomplish-ments as a long snapper where the five-star recruit is ranked the ninth best in

the class of 2015. But he’s underrated for his talents at defensive end. Expect big things from the 6-foot-2, 220-pound workhorse as he’ll be a menace to opposing ball carriers.

8) J.t. CAUthENCuthbertsonHe’s 6-foot-1, 205 pounds and already raking in offers from Clemson, N.C. State and North Carolina – and he’s just a sophomore. Watch Cauthen

play and you’ll see why. He’s big and physical but quick on his feet and has good hands making him a capable target at receiver. During his first eight games on JV he had 72 receptions for 887 yards and 14 touchdowns. No wonder he quickly moved to varsity.

9) ZEPhANIAh WALLMonroeWall was young and inexpe-rienced last season when he took over at quarterback for the Redhawks but surprised everyone, totaling 1,146

passing yards and 12 scores while adding another 500 and five touchdowns on the ground in just 12 games on the way to the state championship game. He’s back with varsity experience under his belt and a load of confidence.

10) JACK JENKINSWeddingtonThe Warriors’ lost Jack Ryan but they’re gaining Jenkins – a 6-foot-2, 210-pound middle linebacker who will keep opposing teams out of the

end zone. He’s got size and speed, but most of all smarts. The hard-hitting tackler will continue Weddington’s tradition of a smothering defense and he’ll undoubtedly improve from his 86 tackles and five sacks recorded a year ago.

11) mAx ROBINSONParkwoodRobinson is the kind of guy who rarely comes off the field. He’s one of the area’s most compete players with a wrecking ball mindset at

defensive back where he recorded 48 tackles last season. In addition, he’s got good hands at receiver as he hauled in five touchdowns and 659 receiving yards and added another five on the ground. A veteran leader for the budding Parkwood program, expect big things from Robinson this year.

12) ERIC hEAthMonroeSo what if Heath is only 5-foot-9, 180 pounds? He’s a workhorse at middle linebacker who doesn’t let his small frame get in the

way in the least. Last season he recorded 81 tackles and three sacks while grabbing three interceptions but he’s in line for an even big-ger senior season and will be the vocal leader anchoring a defense full of new faces.

13) tREVEN PARKER ParkwoodParker recorded 79 tackles two seasons ago as a sophomore – impressive in its own right. But last year, it was his 166 tackles

that made him a household name for Union County football fans as he helped the Rebels record some of the biggest upsets in school history. This year, he’s got even more con-fidence and will be a sure tackler with the ability to change some games.

14) B.J. mUCKELVENECuthbertsonMuckelvene is a perfect fit in Johnson’s fast-paced offense. The shifty receiver caught 51 passes for 689 yards and five scores a sea-

son ago and the Wingate commit can run a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash making him a threat in the return game as well.

15) LOGAN ShUmAtEMetrolina ChristianShumate was an under-the-radar name at the start of last season until he solidified himself as one of the county’s best receivers,

hauling in 51 passes for 657 yards and seven touchdown before missing three games due to injury. He’s got a nose for the end zone and is in line to be a game changer for his senior year.



treasureAt first glance Piedmont starting quarterback

Cameron Tripp has what it takes to be a game changer. The Panther quarterback possesses an imposing 6-foot-6, 210 pound frame onto an athletic build.

Watch him play and you’ll see that his frame is only a snippet of who he is on the football field. He’s got a strong arm, accurate vision and a nice touch, which is how he amassed 1,799 passing yards for 16 touchdowns last season. And even with his size, Tripp is explosive and shifty enough to get through holes and is a great runner in the open field. During his junior campaign, he added another 527 yards and 10 scores on the ground with his 4.7 40-yard dash speed.

But Tripp’s talent on the gridiron that helped the Panthers earn an 8-5 record in their first sea-son in 3A competition just scratches the surface of the star that is Cameron Tripp.

As soon as football season wraps up, Tripp laces up his basketball shoes and shines on the court. As a junior, he averaged a team-high 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds helping the Panthers to a 7-3 finish in a loaded conference.

What’s even more impressive is that Tripp does it all while exceling in the classroom as much as he stands out as an athlete. He has a cumulative GPA of 4.89 and has two AP courses under his belt with another two in line for this year.

Combine all of that and you’ve got the makings of a superstar student-athlete who’ll be continu-ing both his education and his football career at Harvard University.

Given his success in just about everything, Tripp had his pick of top-tier schools. West Point, The Citadel and Army offered him basketball scholarships while the University of Alabama-Birmingham offered him a full scholarship for football, putting Tripp in a tight position to choose between his two sports and a stack of great schools.

But, in typical Tripp fashion, he considered his future and knew that he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to study at one of the best institu-tions in the world.

“I figured I’m not going to play football or basketball forever,” he said. “I wanted to go to a place where when I graduate and no longer play a sport, that I’d have a strong degree to fall back on. Harvard was the top place and one of the top schools in the country. It’s hard to beat academi-cally and I thought when I went up there that it felt like home.

“It’s an incredible opportunity for my family and me as well as my future.”

Tripp credits his family largely with how he’s accomplished so much in his young career. And he’s certainly had a capable role model in his father, Dennis, who played on the defensive line at North Carolina and had a brief appearance in

the NFL with the New York Giants (1991-92) before becoming a strength and conditioning coach at South Carolina and Florida.

“Academics have always been first for me because that’s why my parents stressed,” Tripp said. “They both graduated from Chapel Hill, which is a prestigious school, so they’ve always pushed me to be a student first, then an athlete. I’m not saying they haven’t pushed me on the football field and the basketball court because they have, but school has always been a priority.”

Tripp’s already accomplished more than most dream of in his high school career so far, but with his senior season in front of him, the team-first quarterback is ready to lead the Panthers to a conference championship and deep playoff run.

Last year the Panthers showed bursts of poten-tial but struggled to put it all together. A lot of the weight fell on Tripp’s shoulder as he ran the offense that was the strength of the team but on the other side of the ball, the Panthers had a problem keeping opposing teams out of the end zone.

It’s an inconsistency that’s been the trend in Panther football for the last few seasons as they’ve gone 18-19 in Tripp’s time there. Now, he’s ready to eradicate their history as a mediocre program and go out on top.

“I’m a team-oriented guy,” he said. “We’re really excited for this year and going into the sea-son, our goal is always to win the conference first and then qualify for the playoffs so I think we’ve taken those necessary steps this summer to pre-pare for that…. I want to make sure that I’m a facilitator and put my team in the best position to be successful.

“We’re always pegged as the underdog but to be honest, we like that role. It’s our second year in 3A but we won’t really find out how good we are or how good we aren’t until we hit the field in Week 1. But we’re excited about the potential.”

They’ve got their work cut out for them as the Panthers face Porter Ridge, Parkwood and Forest Hills in the first few weeks of play before entering into what’s becoming one of the state’s toughest 3A conferences. But Tripp has help in receiv-ers Cody Leviner and Ben Radford, running back Aaron Braswell and a line of pretty good size and experience that should be able to open up some holes. Their defense should be much stronger than prior years, especially with tackling machines Rhett Byrum and Dalton Craig.

And with Tripp well aware that he’s the heart and soul of what could become the Panthers most successful season in years, he’s up to the challenge.

“With my body physically growing, my confi-dence has grown,” he said. “I feel like I have the leadership roles on the football and basketball teams that have given me a lot of self-confidence. That’s grown as I’ve grown. We’ve got confidence as a team and new energy and I’m excited about the season.”

by Hannah [email protected]

Photo by Hannah Dockery

cameron trIppbIg man on campus



With only 44 players, many of the Cougars will be counted on to play both ways.

Donaldson made 88 tackles and recorded 14.5 sacks last season and he’s back at defensive end with Rodri-guez and Brandon Hayes. Davis, Alex Miles, Evan Whi-teside and Bennett will fill out the defensive front from the tackle spots.

At linebacker, DeShawn Morrison had a team-high 135 tackles and registered 12 sacks a season ago. He’s back along with fellow linebackers Williams, Roets, Heda and Deyton Cook.

Threatt will serve double-duty at corner along with Tilman and McKeown, and Cook and Nate Anderson will see plenty of time at safety.

Special TeamSGomez will handle the kicking duties and the Cou-

gars are loaded with good return men including Threatt, who will get the first shot at the job. –Andrew Stark

cata

Expect even bigger and better things from do-it-all DeShawn Morrison for his senior season. Last year he was a huge threat on both sides of the ball, totaling 135 tackles and 12 sacks from his linebacker position and adding 957 rushing yards at running back. The Cougars are small and young this year but Morrison will be a play maker and likely carry the bulk of the weight as he won’t be coming off the field much.

The Cougars are young but have veteran talent returning (from left) Naim Donaldson, Sergio Gomez, Jack Heda and Quay Threate looking to build off last year with Coach Scott Smith. Photo by Hannah Dockery

deshawn morrIsonIN THE SPOTLIGHT

Coach: Scott Smith, first season

Returning starters: Offense, 7; Defense, 5

Conference: Rocky River 2A

2013 record: 3-8, 0-5

2013 playoffs: None

QuIck hItters

)( pre snap readNew coach Scott Smith takes over the reins

for the Cougars and will have some obstacles to cross. The entire roster consists of just 44

players making depth a paramount concern, but Smith has a core group of talented play-

ers to lean on, making them a potentially dangerous team to play on Friday nights.

the Breakdown OffenSe

Speedster Quay Threatt takes over the Cougars’ ball-control run-first offense and he will be a dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands that often as he can fly.

DeShawn Morrison gained nearly 1,000 yards a season ago and he returns in the backfield to build upon those numbers. Jack Heda will see some time at running back as will hybrid fullback-running back Michael Anderson. Ser-gio Gomez, Bernard Gomez and Christian McKeown will be wing backs and Smith said he’s hoping to use a rotation of Langston Smith, Anderson, Wyatt Williams, Lee Davis and Isaiah Hamilton at fullback, which is the one of the most demanding spots in Smith’s offense.

Naim Donaldson is the new top receiver but CJ Tilman, Chris Rodgriguez and Nick Roets will see time there, too.

Andrew Gilbert and Luke Jones will man the guard spots, returning starter Christian Coleman will play left tackle and converted center Geoffrey Mace will play the other tackle with Alex Miles and Nick Bade serving as backups. James Bennett will play center and Adam Hin-son will add line depth.

DefenSePhoto by Hannah Dockery



the Breakdown

OffenSeKendall returns to Cuthbertson with championship experi-

ence under his belt after a year at Charlotte Christian. He’s already passed for 3,168 yards in just two seasons, giving the Cavs a huge offensive advantage. He’ll lean on senior B.J. Muckelvene and sophomore J.T. Cauthen on the outside, both of whom already hold multiple college offers. But the Cavs receiving options include seven or eight guys who can play with Casey Stamper, Michael Fink, Mitchell Sepe and Patrick Hensley all in the mix.

On the ground the Cavs have options in Cody Wilson, Bryon Gaymon and Alex Levister who all return from last sea-son and will have to balance out the passing game, which is the strength of the team.

The Cavs line is young but they’re big. Irwin Juarez (6-foot-3, 280 pounds) and Alex Caras (6-foot, 200 pounds) will start at tackle with Josh Geiger (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and Conner Calibrew at guard. Three-year starter Andrew Surelli will line up at center, providing the line with some veteran talent.

DefenSeWith the exception of their safeties, the Cavs return nearly

everyone on defense, which will be the strength of this team – and that says a lot given their talent on offense.

Let’s start with the line, which is stacked with veteran lead-ership and all-conference selections. Nick Karas and Con-nor Gerlits should wreak havoc from their defensive end spots while Howard Lowery and 6-foot-1, 305-pound Dyanta Caldwell will man the tackle spots.

The Cavs linebacking corps will be much stronger than last year with Juwan Funderburk (99 tackles) and Jack Generoso both primed for big years on the outside and Zach Carver returning at middle linebacker.

If there’s a weak spot in the Cav defense it’ll be in the secondary, but that doesn’t mean they’re not capable. Malik McCray and Gaymon resume duties at cornerback while new-comers Peter Ausiello and Matthew Panko takeover at safety.

Special TeamSThe Cavs have junior Josh McGinnis handling kickoff and

punting duties with several guys who can handle return duties including Muckelvene, Gaymon and McCray – three of the fastest guys on the field. –Hannah Dockery

cuthBertson

Coach: David Johnson, second season at Cuthbertson (4-8), fourth overall (13-22)


Conference: Southern Carolinas2013 record: 4-8, 2-3

2013 playoffs: Lost to Asheville, 33-7, in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3A playoffs

QuIck hItters

After last year’s mediocre season, linebackers (from left) Ju-wan Funderburk, Zach Carver and Jack Generoso are looking to make this their best year yet. Photo by Hannah Dockery

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound wide receiver destroyed JV last season where he had 72 receptions for 887 yards and 14 scores before being moved up to the varsity level. He’s already got offers lined up from North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson and the Charlotte 49ers with more to come, especially since he’s just a sophomore. If he can connect with Kendall, they’ve got potential to do big things.

J.t. cauthenIN THE SPOTLIGHT

pre snap read

By now everyone knows that Austin Kendall, a four-star Tennessee commit, is back at quar-terback for Cuthbertson – a huge advantage for the Cavaliers’ aerial attack. They’ve got a host of guys returning and expectations are higher than ever for this season, especially

after last year’s mediocre record. )( Photo by Hannah Dockery



forest hills

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

kendrIck barrIno

The junior had flashes last year and it’s clear the coaching staff knows getting the ball in his hands is a good thing. Barrino had an impact in every stage of the game and is likely to up his production all over the field this season. But it’s on defense where he could leave his biggest mark as he’ll look to improve upon the 40 tackles, two fumble recoveries, forced fumble and interception.

Coach: John Lowery, 29th season (254-109)

Returning starters: Offense 8; Defense 7


2013 record: 6-7, 4-1

2013 playoffs: Defeated Smoky Mountain by forfeit in the opening round of the Class 2-AA state playoffs; lost to Monroe, 17-7, in the second round.Q

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Itte

rsJ.B. Helms is the center, Michael Atkinson is at right guard and Trenton Chambers is at right tackle. The left side of the line is just as good with Kendal Rushing at left guard and Jemerick Spence at left tackle. Trenton Rogers will be used mostly as a blocking tight end and will have an impact in the run game as well. Roman Tsiutes is a backup lineman and can play anywhere on the line.

C.J. Carelock and Floyd Louallen will get the majority of reps at running back and are both in store for huge offen-sive seasons. Carelock missed all but one quarter in the season opener, so he’s especially ready to break out.

Jordan Blakeney and Tyler White are talented receivers when Forest Hills takes to the air.

DefenSeChambers and Rushing are the two interior defenders

and Rogers and Chrishon Carelock are the ends, providing a tough and experienced interior defense.

Tyrese “Cookie” Marsh and Timmy Howard are the line-backers and they’re another strength this season. In the secondary, Montrell Kirkland and Montrell Tillman are the corners and Kendrick Reid is the safety.

Special TeamSA.J. Allen will handle the kicking and punting duties and

Allen will also return kicks. Kendrick Barrino will help in the punt and kick return duties. –Andrew Stark

pre snap read

Despite losing their leading rusher and passer in Jared Lee, this is hardly a rebuilding year for the Yellow Jackets. This team loves to run the ball and get after their opponents physically, and they do both exceptionally well. Forest Hills will be a major player in the

Rocky River conference this year and could challenge Monroe for the top spot. )(

the Breakdown

OffenSe Sophomore Zaccheus Rorie is back at quarterback for the Yellow Jackets

and should make a big jump over the already-respectable numbers he put up as a part-time starter a year ago.

He’s a capable thrower, but can stretch defenses with his legs, too. And that’s a good thing for a John Lowery-coached team because on the ground is where they Jackets will make their living, especially true this year behind a very good offensive line.

Forest Hills is loaded with returning talent including (standing, from left) Jordan Blakeney, Tyler White, A.J. Allen, Zaccheus Rorie, J.B Helms, Tyrese Marsh and (kneeling) Desmond Lindsay, T.J. Brewer and Michael Atkinson all back in the fold. Photo by Andrew Stark

Photo by Andrew Stark

marvin ridge

IN THE SPOTLIGHTJohn wells

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior John Wells was far

and away the Mavs best defensive player last season, where he recorded 14 sacks – the second highest in the county. This year, he’s even more in-tune with the Maverick defense and will

be key in limiting opponents’

ability to get to the end zone.

Coach: Brad Hoover, first season at Marvin Ridge; second overall (6-6)

Conference: Southern Carolinas

2013 record: 2-9, 1-4

2013 playoffs: Did not make playoffs.

QuIck hItters

the Breakdown Josh Snapper, Emeka Emezie and Hunter Colonna will help lead the charge to put the Mavs back at the top of the South-ern Carolinas conference. Photo by Hannah Dockery


pre snap read

The Mavericks struggled last season and finished with their worst record in school history. Here to pick them up is former Union Academy coach and Carolina Pan-ther Brad Hoover, where he’ll try to get the Mavs back

to their winning ways. )(

in his varsity debut. Swoope and Dobos will also have targets in Justin Titgen, Schaefer Dobbratz, Henry Fair and tight end Hunter Colonna.

The Mavs offensive line should be bigger and stronger than last season. Josh Snapper and Dimitri Emmanuel will occupy the tackle spots and some combination of Cooper Donahue, Kenny Kardos and Carter Williams at guard. James Marino will see time on the line as well.

DefenSeThe Maverick defense should be a strength,

unlike last year when they allowed an average of four touchdowns per game. Hoover will look to 6-foot-4, 220-pound John Wells to anchor the line from his spot at defensive end after record-ing 14 sacks last season. Matt Wahlers, Elqadi Ameed, Sam Grover and Isaiah Harris will see time on the line as well.

The Mavericks linebacker corps will consist of Chandler Casselberry, Russell Lombardo and senior Noah Carroll, who totaled 12 tack-les in his first game of the season.

The secondary looks to be in pretty good shape with cornerbacks Tyler Stapleton and Jake Wotell both returning. Ben Cooke and Turner Schwartz will take over the safety spots and Atkins could also see time in the second-ary.

Special TeamSMarion Watson is back for his senior season

to handle kicking and punting while Schwartz, Dobbratz and Atkins are all guys who could take over return duties. –Hannah Dockery

OffenSeSun Valley transfer Drew Swoope will start as the Mavs’ signal caller

but it’s likely he’ll split time with junior Kevin Dobos. Swoope passed for 790 yards last season as a Spartan before an injury ended his sea-son early, but we’ll see what he’s capable of in Hoover’s offense.

Junior Devin Atkins returns at running back where he started as a sophomore and will be their go-to option on the ground. But they’ve got a couple of talented freshmen that could be in the mix as well, including Caleb Deveaux and Xavier Wallace.

Six-foot-three, 190-pound Emeka Emezie is primed for a big sea-son at wideout and had six receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown



the Breakdown

OffenSeRising sophomore Zephaniah Wall shocked every-

one when he took over quarterback duties midway through the season last year and led the Redhawks to the state title game. He’s back with varsity experi-ence under his belt and still has superstar Chase Byrum (1,661 yards, 21 TDs) at his disposal to keep the Redhawks’ always-dominating run game in tact. Byrum will be joined by senior Donovan Black and Jaqueis Alsbrooks in the backfield.

When Wall takes to the air, he’ll have several options in Braxton Knotts, Richard Blakeney, Des-men Robinson, JD McManus and Jaylen Nixon who will share receiving duties.

Six-foot-one, 270-pound senior Malik Covington

will anchor the line and can play multiple positions. Sophomore call-up Deshawn Goins will start at center with Blake Brooks, Lee Staton, Dalin Lee, Nick Ashcraft and Isaiah Parham all looking to open holes for Byrum.

DefenSeThe Redhawks had a smothering defense last sea-

son but a lot of those guys are gone. Instead, they’ll look to senior Eric Heath (88 tackles) to anchor a tough linebacking corps. He’ll be flanked by new-comer Trayquan Price and Jacquavis Allan.

The Redhawks secondary should be one of their biggest strengths though with Robinson returning at safety alongside Black. Melvin Bonilla, Rahmaad Sturdivant and Tyree Cureton are all back from last season and will be in the mix at corner.

Some combination of Brooks, Quin Shawn Goings and Covington will line up front alongside Alsbrooks and Ashcraft on the defensive line.

Special TeamSJunior Devonry Supria will start at kicker for the

first time while Sturdivant will handle punting. Robinson, Knotts and Blakeney will most likely handle returns. – Hannah Dockery

monroe pre snap read

The Redhawks will look a lot different from last year’s team that made it to the state championship game. They lost a host of senior starters but Johnny Sowell doesn’t use the word “rebuild” and has complete confidence in the always-successful

Redhawk program. )(

metrolina christian

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

)( pre snap readWith seven starters back, the Warriors have an explosive offense that should be more

than capable of duplicating last year’s nearly 30 point-per-game output. At times last year the defense was porous, but they should be better, too, affording the Warriors a return

trip to the playoffs.


rud yearIckBack for his second season under center, Yearick is set to improve upon the 1,500 passing yards and 16 TDs he threw as a junior starter. With a wealth of receivers, an explosive run game and a talented

offensive line to work with, Yearick could be one of the county’s top passers. Depending in part on Yearick’s year, the Warriors could be in line for their best season to date.

OffenSeAll-state quarterback Rud Yearick

threw for more than 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago and the 6-foot-4 senior is back for his second season under center.

Yearick has his pick of talented receivers to throw to with fellow all-state pick Logan Shumate (654 yards, seven touchdowns) teaming with

Greysen Nolen, Andy Austin and red zone threat Paris Lytle at tight end. Chandler Rivers didn’t play last year, but the basket-ball convert will be another option at the goal line at receiver.

Christian Yarbor-ough gained 800

yards in eight games and he’s back in the Warrior backfield as the main ball carrier.

The offensive line is a strength with pre-season all-state pick Carl Brunner headlining the list from left tackle. He’s joined up front by Josh Navarro, Parker Greene, Josh Auvil, Demetrich Curry, Owen Kearns and Weddington transfer Alex Jackson, forming a deep group.

DefenSeUp front, Curry, Jackson, Bruner and

Damon Turner will get the four interior starting spots but Navarro, Greene and Kearns will all be in the mix and pro-vide depth.

Aaron Stewart returns to anchor the middle of the defense from his linebacker spot. Luke Bricken is a tal-ented outside ‘backer who started four games when Stewart got hurt a season ago. Yarborough and Lytle will man the other outside spots, making the line-backing corps a big strength.

In the secondary, three-year starter Jonathan Braswell is the anchor at one cornerback spot and sophomore Aus-tin Baker is ready to take over the other after starting two games as a freshman. Austin returns to the safety spot and he’ll be joined by Carolina Pride trans-fer Owen Efird and Hakeem Rowe, another basketball import who hasn’t played before but is long and athletic with lots of upside.

Special TeamSSmith returns to handle all of the

kicking duties after converting three field goals and all but one extra points a season ago. The quick and elusive Shumate will handle most of the return duties, while Yarborough and Rivers are both capable as well. –Andrew Stark

Coach: Thomas Langley, fourth season (16-13)


Conference: Metrolina Athletic Conference

2013 record: 6-5, 1-3

2013 playoffs: Lost in the opening round of the N.C. Independent School’s Class III playoffs to Victory Christian, 54-0.

QuIck hItters

Metrolina Christian is in a good spot to improve upon last season’s playoff run and have a wealth of talent all over the field. With (back row, from left) Carl Brunner, Aaron Stewart, coach Thomas Langley, Demetrich Curry, Alex Jack-son and (bottom row) Chandler Rivers, Andy Austin, Christian Yarborough and Logan Shumate they have a chance to have a banner season. Photo by Andrew Stark

the Breakdown

What the 5-foot-8 running back lacks in size, he makes up for in speed, strength and agility. Last year he was one of the county’s most capable backs, leading the Redhawks dominating ground game with 1,661 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. Expect Byrum to return for

an encore performance this year.

chase byrum

Coach: Johnny Sowell, 10th season (77-42)



2013 record: 13-3, 5-0

2013 playoffs: Beat Rutherfordton, 46-8, in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2A playoffs; beat West Stokes, 34-15, in the second round; beat East Lincoln, 34-13, in the third round; beat Parkwood, 48-20, in the regional round; lost to T.W. Andrews in the state championship game.

The Redhawks dom-inated 2A competi-tion last year and made it all the way to the state cham-pionship game. They’re back for more this season (from left) quar-terback Zephaniah Wall, coach Johnny Sowell and line-backers Eric Heath and Izaiah Thomas returning. Photo by Hannah Dockery

QuIck hItters


IN THE SPOTLIGHT



What the 5-foot-8 running back lacks in size, he makes up for in speed, strength and agility. Last year he was one of the county’s most capable backs, leading the Redhawks dominating ground game with 1,661 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. Expect Byrum to return for

an encore performance this year.



big

Ma

N o

N C

aM

puS

back, takes over at quarterback and is more than capable. He’ll lean heavily on Robinson, but Jacob McWhorter and Tre Butler, last year’s leading rusher with 918 yards and nine TDs as a sophomore, are all back to make Parkwood contenders again this season.

So their confidence must be sky high, right?

“I wouldn’t say it’s sky high,” Robinson said. “Our confi-dence is high, but we don’t want to get complacent and say ‘OK, we had a good season last year,’ and that’s it. We’re still hungry and we know we have to come out here and have a repeat if not a better season than last year and keep the momentum going up.”

The Rebels know there are likely going to be bumps in the road as the Rocky River confer-ence is again loaded. Monroe knocked the Rebels off in the Western final last year and nearly won a state title. Cuth-bertson, the Rebels’ opening week opponent is expected to be better and Forest Hills, West Stanly, Central Acad-emy and Mount Pleasant are all dangerous. But Parkwood believes they’re right in the mix for a conference title.

“We should be a pretty good team,” Robinson said. “The run last year just showed us that we can compete with anyone – it’s not who we’re playing against as much as it is us coming out every game and playing as well as we can and as a team.

“We’re a team that fights hard all of the time. We’re classy players, we have a lot of talent back and I definitely see ourselves making the playoffs again and having a great sea-son. We know we have to work for it, but it’s going to be a good season at Parkwood.”

Especially with the multi-talented Robinson leading the way, something he plans on doing from the get-go in his final season wearing Rebel blue.

“I’m ready to have the ball in my hands, to hopefully make big plays and to help my team win,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a fun year and I know we’re ready to get back out there and prove ourselves all over again.”

By now Union County foot-ball fans are well aware of how Parkwood – a team that entered the 2013 postseason with a los-ing record – cruised through three rounds of the Class 2-AA playoffs while knocking off a pair of top seeds to reach the Western Regional finals.

It was a magical show of the underdog getting hot at the right time and coming together to overcome odds so stacked against them that nobody – aside from the players and coaching staff in their locker room – gave them much of a chance.

“It was really cool,” said senior defensive back/receiver/return man Max Robinson, a key contributor in all three phases of the Rebels’ run. “It was a good experience, and it let us get a taste of winning. But it also let us know what it takes to win and was great for us to go through that as a team. I needed that going into my senior year.”

But even with last year’s stunning success after Robin-son and the Rebels had gone just 1-19 during his first two seasons in the program, he knows the magic won’t be easily duplicated.

“It was hard to go through my first two years, but I never felt like we had bad teams because we had good players,” he said. “I think it was just that we couldn’t compete all the time. We got down early in games so often that people would want to give up.”

And then last year happened, catapulting a once-downtrod-den program to the upper ech-elon of county teams. While Robinson knows a repeat of that success is attainable, it’s certainly not a given.

“Last year is in the past,” he said. “It was a good experience but it’s not going to help us now. We learned how to come to practice and work hard but we have to do it even harder this year to have a repeat if not better. It’s talked about, but we rarely refer to last year.”

Even so, there are plenty of reasons to believe the momen-tum from last year can be car-ried into this season and they

start with Robinson.As the team’s No. 2 receiver

behind Sam Mobley, Robinson still made his mark all over the field. As a receiver, Robinson hauled in 34 catches for 659 yards and five touchdowns, rushed for 314 yards for four touchdowns and racked up 143 yards in the return game. On defense, he recorded 48 tackles, had six interceptions and forced a fumble – a well-rounded sea-son to say the least.

“I love being counted on to do so much,” Robinson said. “Coach (Lynn Coble) has a lot of confidence in me and I have confidence in myself that I can line up in different spots and help this team win some games.”

Plus, Robinson’s versatility

is in direct correlation with his success of the football field.

“It works both ways,” he said. “As a receiver I know how people get open on me so I try to do that to defensive backs that I face and I try to disrupt the receivers route as much as possible on defense. Being a receiver, I know the things that tick me off and bother me, so I try to do that plus more. My mentality is to do what I know

works on me.”With Robinson playing a big-

ger role this year – he’s the main return guy, top receiver and one of the top returning defensive backs for the Rebels and in the entire county – he knows he’s not alone in getting Parkwood to a consistently winning level.

Senior linebacker Treven Parker, the team’s top tackler from last year, returns. Drew Hause is ready for a breakout year at linebacker and Josh Coble, an experienced defensive

max rob inson


by Andrew [email protected]



TWo MiNUTe dRi l lTYLER GRIFFITHS

sun Valley is a trendy pick to be union county’s best team this year and there are lots of reasons why. the spartans are sound offensively, big and physical on defense and have a great special teams led by long snapper tyler Griffiths. he’s already committed to n.c. state, but Griffiths is ready to make his senior season count.

Congrats on your scholarship to N.C. State. What aspect of becoming a college football player are you most proud of?

i’ve always wanted to play in college and i got some oppor-tunities to do so. it took a lot of hard work so i’m really proud.

Although you play some defense, you’re going to N.C. State as a long snapper. How

did that come about?

i went to Rubio snapping and chris sailer Kicking is how i got my start. they’re basically who got me where i am now.

You must have been working at it a long time, how long have you been snapping?

Fifteen months. i realized i wasn’t big enough to play another position at the D-1 level so i thougt about long snapping and went to a Rubio camp and it just happened.

It’s kind of a thankless job. What do you most like about it?

it is, it’s unappreciated. if nobody knows my name, then i’m doing a good job. i’m just happy to be playing at the next

level and i guess i just love long snapping.

There’s a lot of hype around Sun Valley this year. What should we expect?

big things, we’re going to be good.

What has coach Tad Bacuom brought to the team?

he’s brought a great christian atmosphere that we haven’t had in a while. he’s a really good guy and has brought in some good coaches with him and we have some good talent. it’s a good atmosphere to be playing in. the sky’s the limit, we’re going to go as far as we can.

–Andrew Stark

it’s been a huge summer for Austin Kendall. After leading char-lotte christian to a state championship last season while throw-

ing for 1,668 yards and 20 touchdowns, Ken-dall now finds himself back in a familiar

position – as a cuthbertson cavalier – where he starred as a freshman. With that announcement followed by a commitment to tennessee, all eyes will be on him.

You’ve been in the spotlight all sum-mer after your decision to come back to Cuthbertson. How’d you end up back at your former school?

it was definitely from a financial standpoint. We tried to get money and they didn’t accept that. We also

tried to get my younger brother in there as well and that didn’t work out, so my parents decided to put us back at cuthbertson. obviously i didn’t want to come back but now that i’m here, i’m liking it. i like coach (David) Johnson and everyone else on the team and i’m looking forward to the season.

Your brother Ryan is at Kentucky now and I know your younger

brother Carter could be an athlete as well. What was it like grow-ing up as the middle of three boys?

i used to get picked on a lot by my older brother but now i’m a lot bigger than him so i’m kind of on top. it all works out now but it was definitely tough at points, being the middle child. but i loved it at points too so it’s been really fun.

It was a huge announcement for you when you verbally committed to Tennessee a few weeks ago. Tell me about that.

since freshman year, they’ve been on me. they were one of the first schools that started talking to me and started recruiting me. i started developing a great relationship with the staff and the whole football team. i was up there two weeks ago. until then i was never able to stay the night there, i would just come and go. but i stayed and was with some of the team and got a good feel of what life would be like there. they treat me great and ultimately it’s the best fit for me.

All eyes are going to be on you this season, taking back the reigns as the Cavs’ QB. How are you going to handle the pressure?

i just have to get my head in the playbook like i have been. i have to know the offense and know my players like b.J. (Muckelvene) and some of the other top players and i just have to lead them to victory every game of course. Right now it’s mainly about me getting in the playbook and getting comfortable with the system. –Hannah Dockery

auStiN KeNDall

After throwing for 1,800 yards and 13 tDs and adding another 324 yards and five scores on the ground last sea-son at Porter Ridge, the dual-threat quarterback now suits up with sun Val-ley. he knows what it’s like to play in a state title game and wants to lead his new team back there – and come out on top this time.

Everyone watched you star at quar-terback last year at Porter Ridge. Now you’re getting ready to start your senior year at Sun Valley. What happened?

it wasn’t a decision i made. i was mov-ing to another district. i had an oppor-tunity to switch schools and i felt like i found a new home here.

How is Sun Valley compared to what you knew at Porter Ridge?

Football rules around here and i love it. it’s the same kind of atmosphere but we’re a family here. i already feel like part of a family here, more than i did at Porter Ridge. i love it. i switched rival schools – the top rivals in the county so there’s a little saltiness with that but i’m excited.

What’s in store for your senior season?

the main goal is to win our first outright championship. i’ve been to state championship games before, obviously. but i want to go out with a win and that’s the num-ber one goal.People have a

lot of high expectations for you and Albert Funderburke going into the sea-son. What’s your chemistry like?

it’s a ton of fun playing with Albert, i’ll leave it at that. the season’s going to be a ton of fun. We’re going to be good.

A lot of things have changed at Sun Valley from last season to this year. A new coach, you coming in at quarter-back – what can people expect from Spartan football?

Physical, fast football. that’s it right there. A lot of us have been playing football since we were 6, 7, 8 years old. it’s taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where we are now.

You had a breakthrough season as a junior and are in line for even bigger things this year. Does athleticism run in your family?

Yeah. My siblings play, dad played, everybody plays. i’m probably number one though and they’d agree with that. –Hannah Dockery

IsaIah hIckIn



You alreaDY KNoW What theSe uNioN CouNtY SuperStarS CaN Do oN the griDiroN, but We taKe theM oFF the FielD aND iNtroDuCe You to a DiFFereNt

SiDe oF theM iN a quiCK–hittiNg SerieS oF rapiD Fire queStioNS.

After throwing for 1,800 yards and 13 tDs and adding another 324 yards and five scores on the ground last sea-son at Porter Ridge, the dual-threat quarterback now suits up with sun Val-ley. he knows what it’s like to play in a state title game and wants to lead his new team back there – and come out on top this time.

Everyone watched you star at quar-terback last year at Porter Ridge. Now you’re getting ready to start your senior year at Sun Valley. What happened?

it wasn’t a decision i made. i was mov-ing to another district. i had an oppor-tunity to switch schools and i felt like i found a new home here.

How is Sun Valley compared to what you knew at Porter Ridge?

Football rules around here and i love it. it’s the same kind of atmosphere but we’re a family here. i already feel like part of a family here, more than i did at Porter Ridge. i love it. i switched rival schools – the top rivals in the county so there’s a little saltiness with that but i’m excited.

What’s in store for your senior season?

the main goal is to win our first outright championship. i’ve been to state championship games before, obviously. but i want to go out with a win and that’s the num-ber one goal.People have a

lot of high expectations for you and Albert Funderburke going into the sea-son. What’s your chemistry like?

it’s a ton of fun playing with Albert, i’ll leave it at that. the season’s going to be a ton of fun. We’re going to be good.

A lot of things have changed at Sun Valley from last season to this year. A new coach, you coming in at quarter-back – what can people expect from Spartan football?

Physical, fast football. that’s it right there. A lot of us have been playing football since we were 6, 7, 8 years old. it’s taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where we are now.

You had a breakthrough season as a junior and are in line for even bigger things this year. Does athleticism run in your family?

Yeah. My siblings play, dad played, everybody plays. i’m probably number one though and they’d agree with that. –Hannah Dockery

IsaIah hIckIn

TREVEN PARKER

How has your offseason been and what’s changed at Parkwood since last year?

it was a really good run. now we have to get better and get everything together.

Last year was a breakout season for you defensively with 166 tackles and two interceptions. What do you expect this season?

the same thing, only better. i’m not going to be much of a surprise to anyone this year.

How has the culture changed at Parkwood?

A lot. it’s either win or go home – that’s all it is.

What was last year’s run like?

crazy. it was life changing.

What was the most memorable part for you?

beating Franklin (in the first round). We came out and they didn’t think we were nothing.

It was a long bus ride up there to play the No. 1 team. They probably didn’t expect much, did they?

they didn’t. the bus ride back didn’t seem to take too long, though.

Against rival Monroe you played for a chance to go to the state title game. What do you remember from that?

Just coming out for warm-ups and the whole stadium was already packed. i’d never played in front of anything like that before.

What do you bring from last year into this season?

We know that we can do it and we have confidence that we have the players and the coaches to do it.

How do you combat higher expectations?

i don’t, i kind of like it. –Andrew Stark

cuthbertson’s b.J. Muckelvene is in line for a huge season with the cavs’ high-flying offense this season. coming off a junior year when he caught 51 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns, the Wingate university commit feels like the cavs are in line for a conference title and will be state championship contend-ers.

The Cuthbertson program – especially the offense – is expected to have a big 2014. What should we expect from the Cavs?

A lot of touchdowns, a lot of deep passes and a lot of games won.

What does new quarterback Austin Kendall bring to the team?

i’m excited that he’s a high-caliber quarter-back, that he knows the reads and knows how to function in big games so that’s a big plus for us.

It’s every high school football players dream to play in college. What does it mean for you to be able to do that at Wingate?

it’s a great opportunity for me to go down there and get to play high-level football and to get an education, which is the main part.

You’re in line for a big senior season. What do you expect for yourself this year?

i want to be the best teammate possible, that’s the first thing. And then i want to do everything that i can to help my team win as many games as we can. that means being productive on the field this year but also coaching up the younger guys as much as i can so we can continue what we start this year.

Do you have individual goals for this year?

Yes, but first we want to win conference and win states as a team. that’s the no. 1 goal. individually i want to better my stats – possibly double them – and just have the best year pos-sible.

What’s different this year in coach David John-son’s second year?

We had a lot more time to prepare in the off-season, we’re a lot closer together and we’re ready to hit the field and start wining some games. –Andrew Stark

B.J. MUCKELVENE

ALL PHoToS BY HANNAH DoCKERY



ParkwoodThe senior has been spending time at receiver and safety while he awaits his chance to run the team. This year, he’s got full control as he’ll be under center for the Rebels. Coach Lynn Coble’s son, Josh is like a coach on the field and will have plenty of options to get the ball to this year. In addition, he’s back in the mix at safety where he is one of the team’s best defensive backs.

Coach: Lynn Coble, fourth season (9-26)



2013 record: 8-7, 2-3

2013 playoffs: Beat Franklin, 35-17, in the opening round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s Class 2A playoffs; defeated Forest Hills, 17-7, in the second round; knocked off Hunter Huss, 24-14, in the third round; dropped the state semifinal game to Monroe, 48-20.

QuIck hItters the Breakdown

OffenSeThe Rebels have a number of key pieces back

on offense including receiver Max Robinson, who caught 34 passes for 659 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 314 yards and four scores. He’ll be the

top receiving option and could come close to 1,000 receiving yards this year while getting carries as well.

Tre Butler gained over 900 yards and scored nine touchdowns as a sophomore and is back along with fullbacks Jacob McWhorter and Donovan Harris. Cuthbertson transfer Nick Stitt will see times at wingback, too.

They’ll run behind tackles Zach Cooper, Zak Mooneyham and Chris Trowbridge and guards Chase Smith and Jonathan Griffin.

The line will protect new quarterback Josh Coble, who has been the backup but is ready to take over the position.

DefenSeThe defense came on and fueled the playoff run

last year and that unit returns mostly intact, offering a huge strength for the Rebels.

In the trenches, Tyree Helms, Tylan Case, Bran-don Cruey and Drew Hause (70 tackles, 3.5 sacks)

will get the nods up front and form a formidable pass rush.

The secondary is also very good with Robinson (48 tackles, six interceptions) teaming with Brandon Massey at cornerback. Shavonte Drakeford, Kendall Plyer, Jaylyn Rutledge and Coble will all see time at safety and can line up at corner in multiple receiver sets.

Treven Parker was the team’s leading tackler with 168 stops and he’s back to anchor a very good but young group of linebackers as junior Tanner Tyson and sophomore Austin Deese will slide into the out-side spots.

Special TeamS:McWhorter will handle the majority of the kick-

ing duties and the lightning quick Robinson will be the main return man and he’s capable of taking it to the house every time he touches the ball. –Andrew Stark

)( pre snap read:

After an up-and-down regular season, the Rebels marched all the way to the regional championship game, setting the county football scene abuzz. This year, they have enough to build upon last year, but Parkwood is definitely a

team on the rise.

Parkwood was the surprise team of the county last season, but with a host of key players, including (from left) Drew Hause, Brandon Cruey, Jacob McWhorter and Tre Butler returning, they won’t sneak up on anyone this year. Photo by Andrew Stark

Josh cobleIN THE SPOTLIGHT

Photo

by An

drew

Stark



OffenSeThe Pirates suffered a big

blow when they lost tailback Grant VanderVoort in the pre-season to a season-ending injury, but the beat must go on. Alan Chase will get the first shot at the lead running back spot and will carry the bulk of the offensive load.

First-year quarterback Tyreq Huntley will take over the sig-nal-calling duties and is a deft runner as well, which will serve the Pirate offense well.

When Huntley takes to the air he has a plethora of weap-ons including A.J. Barrett, who caught 32 passes for 524 yards and three touchdowns a year ago, and is the Pirates most seasoned receiver. Brian News-ome is back at receiver as well and Dexter York and Jordan Crowell will both get plenty of passes thrown their way.

Drew Neely returns at tight end and Nick Chiaravalloti is a versatile weapon who can play tight end, fullback and H-back.

Dylan McCarthy and Joe Dose are the tackles and Matt Donahue and Vince Vagnone will man the guard spots with

Eric Hogan rounding out the line at center.

DefenSeThe Pirates will utilize McCa-

rthy, Dose, Donahue, Vagnone and Hogan some on the defen-sive side of the ball and Mon-tanna Propes and Piero Lopez will round out the line.

Jake Hair heads up the line-backer corps which will be a good one as Bryson Traywick and Collin Henderson are both talented options who will see plenty of time and be heavily involved in the offense.

The safeties are set with Chase Suznevich and Walker Griffin and Dennis Marble and Jerran Caldwell will patrol the corners.

Special TeamSBrandon Haas is the kick-

ing specialist and will be a big weapon in the Pirates special teams. Barrett, Suznevich and Marble are the leading candi-dates for the return duties, but there are a number of capable guys waiting in the wings.

– Andrew Stark

Coach: Zach Bevilacqua, first season at Porter Ridge, second overall (1-10)


Conference: Southwestern 4A

2013 record: 8-5, 4-2

2013 playoffs: Beat Watauga, 32-26, in the first round of the N.C. High School Class 4A playoffs; lost to Rocky River, 37-29, in the second round.

Porter ridge

pre snap read

The Pirates held their own in their first season of the Southwestern 4A confer-ence a year ago. This season, first-year Porter Ridge coach Zach Bevilacqua, a Butler High graduate and former

coach at North Lincoln, will try improve upon that success in the state’s toughest

football conference. )( QuIck hItters

The Pirates were in the hunt for the Southwestern 4A confer-ence championship all year in their first season in the league. This year they hope to remain in the top half of the standings with (from left) A.J. Barrett, Adam Chase, coach Zach Bevil-acqua, Colin Henderson, Walker Griffin and Brian Newsome leading the way. Photo by Andrew Stark

Huntley takes over the starting quarterback duties for the Pirates and brings with him all of the intangibles to have a breakout season. Last season the Pirates averaged more than 32 points per game and will have to put up similar numbers to compete in this league. Huntley’s combination of size, throwing accuracy and athleticism should make him the perfect fit for the long haul this season, helping the Pirates remain one of the conference elites.

tyreQ huntleyIN THE SPOTLIGHT

the BreakdownPhoto by Andrew Stark

Radford and Darius Jowers to put points on the board as they’ll all see time at receiver.

Some combination of Cory Deviney, Mark Johnson, Col-ton Belk, Stephen Baker, Nathan Burgess and Dillon Chaney will anchor a line that has pretty good size and var-sity experience. They should be able to open up holes for a plethora of guys that can run the ball when the Panthers look to their ground game. They’ll start with Aaron Bras-well but Mitchell Woody, Trevor Barnett and Jatory Reid are all quick guys who can fill in if needed.

DefenSeThe position of strength

for the Panthers on defense rests in their linebacking corps of seniors Dalton Craig and Rhett Byrum with Jordan Deese and Garrett Hinson in the mix as well. Craig checks in at 5-foot-10, 225 pounds and was one of the best in the county last year as the workhorse was all over the field and totaled 115 tackles. Byrum was good in his own right with 84 tackles and 23 for a loss so those two could do some serious damage this year.

The Panthers line will be physical and pretty big start-ing with 6-foot-1, 210-pound

Jaleel Mungo alongside Tyler Scott, Noah Irving and Ben Mosley. Their secondary is in good shape with Woody and Khris Missick occupying the corner spots while Reid and Barnett are both savvy safe-ties who can tackle.

Special TeamSSenior Taylor Baucom will

provide a boost for the Pan-thers as he returns at place kicker, while Jack Kiker will handle kickoff duties. Had-den Gsell will punt while the team has many dangerous return men.

–Hannah Dockery

Piedmont

QuIck hIttersCoach: Ron Massey, third season at Piedmont (13-12); 13th overall (133-43)



2013 record: 8-5, 2-3

2013 playoffs: Lost to Concord, 21-14, in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3A playoffs.

pre snap readThe Panthers enter 2014 with lofty expectations. They’ve got

one of the best quarterbacks around in Harvard commit Cam-eron Tripp and a stable of wide receivers at their disposal to

keep them in the hunt for the conference championship. )(the Breakdown

OffenSeTripp is a standout at quar-

terback in his own right after passing for 1,800 yards and 16 touchdowns last year but

he was a one-man show car-rying the weight of an offense that struggled at times. But this season, he’ll have his pick of talented targets in Cody Leviner, Cole Bell, Ben

IN THE SPOTLIGHT


Leviner may be small but he won’t let his 5-foot-7, 150-pound frame stop him as this could be the season he makes a name for himself. Last year he had 37 receptions for 431 yards and two scores but expect more this year as Tripp will look to connect with the speedy Leviner who could have an impact on how the Panthers’ season progresses.

cody levIner(From left) Rhett Byrum, Dalton Craig and Jordan Deese will anchor the line-backing core for the Panthers as they hope to compete for a conference title. Photo by Hannah Dockery



the Breakdown

the passes.With so much focus on the run game, a lot of

how well it goes depends on the trenches where only one starter returns in senior center Corey Keels. But they’ve got some serious size on the line in 6-foot-6, 295-pound tackle Austin Mat-thews and 6-foot-3, 280-pound Michael Head at the other tackle. Steven Tousa and Andrew Ste-gall at the guard spots should be able to open up some holes for Funderburke and Co.

DefenSeThe Spartans should be pretty big up front

despite losing several starters from last season, with senior defensive tackle Dom Ventura (5-foot-11, 245 pounds) at tackle and 6-foot-2, 220-pound Tyler Griffiths on the end with some combination of Ben Russell, Sheldon Bethume, Head, Matthews and Stegall.

The secondary will be a source of strength for the Spartans with senior defensive back Codi Bryan returning and Funderburke seeing time at safety alongside Michael Goddard, Thomas Mobley, Daniel McGinn and Funder-burke’s younger brother, Fabrice, who will spend time at cornerback.

The Spartans linebacking corps is

a little shaky after graduating tackling-machine Brian Teutonico, one of the best in the county last season, but they will look to Matt Plott and Roy Artolozaga fill those shoes.

Special TeamSLogan Stewart returns at kicker where he split

time with Kiersten Peck last season, who gradu-ated. They’ve got several guys who can handle return duties but will probably look to Lotharp first as he’s one of the shiftiest guys on the field. –Hannah Dockery

p.J. lotharpLast season, Lotharp had 59 carries for 337 yards but expect bigger things from his ground production this season as he and Funderburke will share time running the ball to keep teams guessing. He’s a star on the track and translates that talent to the football field where his blazing speed will be a game changer.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT


QuIck hIttersCoach: Tad Baucom, first season, 17th overall (140-96)



2013 record: 7-5, 4-1

2013 playoffs: Lost to A.C. Reynolds, 65-14, in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.

sun valley(From left) Michael Head, Steven Tousa, Corey Keels, Andrew Stegall and Austin Matthews will anchor the offensive line. Photo by Hannah Dockery

OffenSeIn years past the Spartan offense began and ended with

how well Albert Funderburke performed. He’s already racked up over 4,000 career rushing yards but this sea-son could be his best yet now that he has former Porter Ridge quarterback Isaiah Hicklin in front of him – a duo that has the potential to be a huge threat to opposing defenses. Up and coming running back P.J. Lotharp will also see time in the backfield as this team loves to move the ball on the gound. When they do look to their aerial attack, they’ve got sophomore wide receivers Jeremiah Miller and Demarco Reaves to haul in the majority of

pre snap read

After grabbing a share of the conference title last sea-son, the Spartans are out to win it outright this year. It

looks like they might have the talent to do so with a new quarterback and one of the state’s best running backs,

not to mention new coach Tad Baucom who knows what it’s like to win a state championship. But first they’ll have

to fill the holes of the 30-plus seniors they graduated.)(



big MaN oN CaMpuSThe phone in Sun Valley’s athletic office

rings nearly every day and lately it’s been col-lege coaches on the other line inquiring about running back Albert Funderburke. Stop by the Spartan stadium on any given Friday night and you’ll know why. The 6-foot, 200-pound running back is electric.

Funderburke, a rising senior, quickly became a household name during his sopho-more year where he helped lead the Spartans to a 9-4 record after producing a monster sea-son of 2,243 rushing yards and 25 scores on the ground while hauling in 34 receptions for 410 yards and six touchdowns in the air.

Last year the offense rested in Funderburke’s

hands as quarterback Drew Swoope tried to get him as many touches as possible. And despite opposing teams keying their defense on bottling up the speedy star, Funderburke still managed to rack up 2,137 yards and 16 touchdowns leading the Spartans to a share of the Southern Carolinas conference title.

“I love the challenge,” Funderburke said of his eye-popping numbers. “Every time I step out on the field it’s a challenge to improve and everyone around me is challenging me to do big things.”

With two monumental seasons already under his belt, it’s his senior year that could solidify him as Union County’s best run-ning back. Former Forest Hills running back Anthony McNeely (1994) currently holds the county record for career yards but

Funderburke is only 568 yards away from besting that – something he’ll likely accom-plish in the first few games of the season.

But Funderburke isn’t concerned about numbers or records or even going down in Union County history.

“This year, I’m planning on doing what I always do and that’s doing what’s best for my team,” he said. “I’m trying to give it everything I’ve got and go out and pick my team up every single play.”

Combine his winning attitude with his team-first mentality and raw talent, soft hands, good vision and strong legs and it’s easy to see how he can explode through holes often before defenders can close, making him one of the state’s most feared running backs.

“I give us big runs when we need it most,”

he said of his skills on the gridiron. “I pick up my team. That’s all there is to it.”

Perhaps Funderburke doesn’t give him-self enough credit. Last year against Hoke County, he ran 23 times for 328 yards and three touchdowns including another long touchdown run that was called back. Against Porter Ridge, he ran for 273 yards and three scores in the win. Performances like that are regular occurrences for the dynamic Funder-burke and this year he’s expecting even more from himself.

Well aware that this is his last season play-ing high school football, Funderburke won’t be pleased with anything less than upping his yardage from the last two years, winning the Southern Carolinas conference outright and making a deep run in the Class 3A state playoffs.

And this year, Funderburke won’t be going at it alone. The Spartans have new quarter-back Isaiah Hicklin who threw for 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns last season at Porter Ridge. Factor in junior tailback P.J. Lotharp, a shifty guy in his own right, and new Spartan coach Tad Baucom, who has state champion-ship experience, and you’ve got the nucleus of a group that could quickly become one of the state’s most dangerous squads. Not to men-tion their solid defense that returns several key contributors including senior defensive tackle Dom Ventura, defensive end Tyler Griffiths and defensive back Codi Bryan.

There’s been a lot of change for the Spar-tans over the years but Funderburke’s consis-tent play hasn’t been one of them. And he’s embracing all the transitions for his senior year, well aware that they could pay off in a big way.

“Coach Baucom is bringing some great things to the table and I really like it,” he said. “He challenges us as a team every day. You can tell he’s trying to make us great men and not just great players.

“He believes in us as a team and makes us want to go out and play every game like it’s our last. That’s going to help us win the con-ference all out this year.”

Funderburke and Co. have their work cut out for them with a brutal nonconference schedule that features Rocky River, Porter Ridge and Monroe but if all goes as planned, it will only prep them for what could become a dominating conference run.

“We’re ready to get out there and do this,” Funderburke said. “We’ve got what it takes and I’m ready for another good season.”

And though college is certainly in his future – he’s already got offers from Wake Forest, Northwestern and Duke and receiving inter-est from a plethora of others including Geor-gia Tech and Clemson – Funderburke wants to go out at Sun Valley in a blaze of glory and that’s where his focus is right now.

“I know I want to play in college but I’ve got time and am still looking to see what’s out there,” he said. “Right now I want to do big things here.”

alBert

funderBurke



p.J. lotharpLast season, Lotharp had 59 carries for 337 yards but expect bigger things from his ground production this season as he and Funderburke will share time running the ball to keep teams guessing. He’s a star on the track and translates that talent to the football field where his blazing speed will be a game changer.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT



pre snap read

Coach Robert Forshee comes aboard from East Meck where he was the defensive coordinator and defense

will appropriately be the calling card for the Cardinals this year. They return seven of their top nine tacklers and with a strong defense and playmakers like Logan Pautz and Christian Alemeida

on offense, they should improve on last year’s .500 record. )(



the Breakdown

OffenSeCadle saw limited quarterback duty

last year, but the senior will take the reins this year assuming he can beat out athletic sophomore Manasseh Mis-sick. Whoever wins the job can lean on Almeida (458 rushing, five touch-downs), Missick and Jay Bivens to pro-vide support on the ground.

Pautz led the team in receptions (37) and was second in yards (671) and touchdowns (10) a season ago. Now, he’s the primary receiving option and in line for a huge season. Will Heyward, Micah Parks, Jonathan Alzate, Josh Bit-good and Jeremy Miller will all see time at wideout depending on the set, so the Cardinals are in good shape there.

Up front Zach Zupetz, Trevor O’Neil, Olin Austin, Josh Goodman, Isiah Goodman, Alex Kirkley, J.R. Yeary and Brad Thomas will rotate in on the line, providing enough depth to keep every-one fresh.

DefenSeThe line will consist of the same guys

who will split time on the offensive line. Zupetz will play some linebacker and some on the defensive line, but he’s a good one as he led the team with 108 tackles a season ago. He and Josh Goodman both recorded two sacks and

will look to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

When Zupetz isn’t on the line he’s a productive linebacker who will be flanked by Missick and Gary Miller.

Pautz, who was second on the team with five interceptions, will play the “Ninja” role in Forshee’s defense, mean-ing he’ll play a safety/linebacker hybrid position designed to get him right in the middle of the action. Almeida’s 84 tack-les were second on the team and he’ll see some time in that spot as well.

In the secondary, Bivens, Alzate and Heyward will play cornerback and Parks and Cadle will be the safeties.

Special TeamSAharon Gonzales returns to again

handle the punting, kicking and kick-off duties for the Cardinals and he’s more than capable of handling all three responsibilities. Pautz and Heyward are the main return guys and each is a

dangerous option for Forshee. –Andrew Stark

union academyCoach: Robert Forshee, first season


Conference: Yadkin Valley 1A

2013 record: 6-6, 4-4

2013 playoffs: Defeated South Stanly, 12-0, in the opening round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A playoffs; lost 62-21 to Albemarle in the second round.

QuIck hItters

pre snap read

Coach Robert Forshee comes aboard from East Meck where he was the defensive coordinator and defense

will appropriately be the calling card for the Cardinals this year. They return seven of their top nine tacklers and with a strong defense and playmakers like Logan Pautz and Christian Alemeida

on offense, they should improve on last year’s .500 record. )(

Coach Robert Forshee inherits a Union Academy team that made some noise in 2013 including making a trip to the Class 1A state playoffs where they advanced to the second round. With (from left) Zach Zupetz, Christian Almeida, Tyler Chambers and Manasseh Missick back from that team, the Cardinals have a chance to improve upon last year’s successful season. Photo by Andrew Stark

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

logan pautzPautz had a huge junior season with a team-high 37 receptions, 671 yards and 10 touchdowns as the Cardinals’ No. 2 receiver. He’s back this year as the unquestioned No. 1 and will likely challenge for the county lead in catches, yards and touchdowns this season. He’s not just a receiver, either, as he recorded five interceptions and 33 tackles and will play an even larger role as coach Robert Forshee’s Ninja role where he’ll play a linebacker/safety hybrid.


weddington

Like last year, defense will be a huge source of strength for the Warriors. Linebackers (from left) Jack Jenkins, Myles Moore and Lance Moore will make it hard for opposing offenses to get to the endzone. Photo by Hannah Dockery

Bensch was all over the field last season on Weddington’s JV team

and Carson expects big things for his first stint at the varsity

level. He’s smaller but is explosive with game-breaking speed and is a huge threat in the return game as well. It may take

a few games for Bensch to get adjusted to the varsity level but it shouldn’t be long before he’s primed for a productive season.

Joseph benschIN THE SPOTLIGHT

OffenSeThe key for the Warriors on offense will be filling the shoes

of last year’s dynamic duo in quarterback Jeff Welch and receiver Ryan Black who had chemistry that carried the War-riors to their best season in school history. Sophomore QB David Bayha took over as the Warriors signal caller but took a hard hit in his debut against Ardrey Kell that could have him out for a while. If that’s the case, they’ll lean on junior Grayson Willingham, who threw for 1,334 yards and 16 TDs with the Carolina Pride last year.

The Warriors relied heavily on their aerial attack last year and this season shouldn’t be much different with a stash of good receivers in Brooks McCament, Joseph Bensch, Chris Trevisan and Zach Goins. Stone Marcham will be another threat and will line up at tight end. When the Warriors do look to their run game, they have options in Mitchel Carson, Will Corbett and Christian Sanchez.

Kendrick Washington will start at center with Evan Burke and Andy Horne at guard. Jack Jankowski and Matt Moore will see time on the line as well.

DefenSeCoach Carson’s staple is his defense and this year they have

another good one, despite losing some big names from last

year.Their strength will be in their linebackers as 6-foot-2, 210-

pound Jack Jenkins is back for his senior season after recording 86 tackles and five sacks last year. He’ll be assisted by junior twins Myles Moore and Lance Moore, two hard-hitting guys who totaled over 200 tackles between them last year.

All-conference selection Trevisan returns at cornerback with Goins at the other corner spot. The Warrior secondary also returns Carson at safety with sophomores Brendan Assen-cao and Richie Laughlin seeing time at the other spot.

Like last year, expect the Warriors line to be strong and physical but quick as well with guys that can play multiple positions. Matt Moore is back at tackle with Denzel Patton and Liam Gesner playing the other spot. Some combination of Donofrio, John Williamson, Sam Shaffer and Nick Patterson will see time on the end.

Special TeamSSpecial teams will be a source of strength for the Warriors

with nationally-ranked Keith Duncan back to handle kick-ing and punting duties for the Warriors for his third year as a starter. Carson and Trevisan will both handle kick returns while Bensch will likely handle punt returns. –Hannah Dockery

Coach: Tim Carson, fourth season at Weddington (27-11); 13th overall (62-76)

Returning starters: Offense: 5; Defense: 6


2013 record: 11-3, 4-1

2013 playoffs: Beat Ledford, 41-0, in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3A playoffs; beat Asheville, 14-10, in the second round; lost to Northern Guilford, 22-19, in the third round.

QuIck hItters

pre snap read

The Warriors were good last year. Really good. But they lost several skill guys from that squad including their

quarterback, running back and leading tackler. But coach Tim Carson knows

what it takes to win and has guys ready to fill those shoes and keep the Warriors in the thick of the hunt for a

conference title.

the Breakdown

)(Photo by Hannah Dockery



Football in Union County took us on a wild ride last sea-son. We watched as Monroe’s dominating ground game car-ried them to the state champi-onship, Weddington’s smother-ing defense earned them a share of the conference title and the most wins in school history and by now everyone knows the story of Parkwood’s postsea-son transformation. Sun Valley’s Albert Funderburke proved himself as one of the best run-ning backs in the game totaling 2,137 yards, Porter Ridge made a name for the Pirates in the tough Southwestern 4A and CATA’s Naim Donaldson totaled the most sacks in the county.

But the landscape looks a lot different in 2014.Let’s start with the coaching situation. Five schools in

Union County welcomed new coaches to take over the reins in 2014. Former CATA coach Tad Baucom took his talents to Sun Valley, while Scott Smith assumed the Cou-gars’ coaching position. Porter Ridge welcomed Zach Bevi-lacqua and former Union Academy coach Brad Hoover moved to Marvin Ridge in hopes to recover the program after the worst season in school history last year. Robert Forshee took over Hoover’s role at Union Academy.

Coaching situation aside, football in Union County will once again be a unique animal where anyone can beat any-one on any given night.

Let’s first take a look at the Southern Carolinas confer-ence, which is quickly becoming one of the toughest 3A conferences in the state. Weddington split championship honors with Sun Valley last season, but had a much more dominating postseason run that carried them to the third round of playoffs and finished their season 11-3. Sun Val-ley, on the other hand, struggled with inconsistency all year despite their conference claim and bowed out of the play-offs in the first round.

Expect both of those teams to be back at it this year in what could become a dogfight for the Southern Carolinas’ top spot. Weddington lost several skill guys who were huge playmakers last year including linebacker Jack Ryan, quar-terback Jeff Welch and receiver Ryan Black. But don’t feel sorry for them just yet as they have several guys – espe-cially on defense – who can fill those shoes. Linebacker Jack Jenkins will team with twins Lance and Myles Moore

to continue the Warriors’ overpowering defense while newcomer Joseph Bensch is already making an impact at receiver. If they can get a stable quarterback, the Warriors have the potential to become the outright champs.

But Sun Valley is always competitive and this year, even more so with Baucom taking over to provide some consis-tency and stable leadership for the Spartans. Quarterback Isaiah Hicklin and renowned running back Albert Fun-derburke could be one of the state’s most dangerous duos. Throw P.J. Lotharp into the mix and a physical, strong line to open holes for those guys and you’ve got the ingredients for a high-powered offense with the potential to put some big numbers on the board. Their Achilles’ heel could be their defense, though, where they’ll have to recover from losing nearly everyone. They’ll lean on returning contribu-tors like Dom Ventura and Codi Bryan who will need to step up in big ways. If they do, they’ve got what it takes to be better than last year and will certainly be in the mix for another title.

But this year, those two won’t be the only teams to watch. Cuthbertson has quarterback Austin Kendall, a Tennessee commit, back to control the offense and they’re loaded with guys who can catch the ball beginning with B.J. Muckel-vene and J.T. Cauthen. They’ll rely on their aerial attack early and often and for good reason as it’s likely to be the best around. But even with their offense featuring Division I talent, the Cav defense will be a nightmare for oppos-ing offenses with Nick Karas, Connor Gerlits and How-ard Lowery up front and hard-hitting linebackers in Juwan Funderburk and Jack Generoso. Especially after last year’s disappointing season, these guys will be out for redemp-tion.

But the title contenders don’t stop there, and that’s what we love about this conference. Piedmont has strength in 6-foot-6 quarterback Cameron Tripp, a Harvard recruit, and the core of their defense returning including two key linebackers in Dalton Craig and Rhett Byrum. How well Marvin Ridge does will depend largely on what Hoover can do with the program, but with strength in guys like John Wells, Emeka Emezie and Hunter Colonna. They’ll be the dark horse in the conference looking to return the Mav name to its former glory.

In 2A competition, Johnny Sowell has established some-what of a dynasty at Monroe as they’ve won the last three conference titles and seem to always return capable talent, no matter how many guys they graduate. This year could be a test after losing guys like Tre’Shun Wynn, Julius Strad-ford and Dequavus Allen but with star running back Chase Byrum returning and quarterback Zephaniah Wall with

varsity experience under his belt, the Redhawks have the pieces to make this their year, yet again, as evidenced by their season-opening 59-7 win over Lexington.

When the Redhawks are challenged, it seems to be by rival Forest Hills and this year shouldn’t be much different with Zaccheus Rorie taking over for Jared Lee and line-backer A.J. Allen anchoring the defense with 10 other start-ers returning from last year.

Parkwood could be in the mix of the Rocky River elite as well. I’m a little hesitant to say much more about them, considering I wrote the Rebels off way too early last year and they proved me wrong week by week in the postseason. Here’s what I do know – coach Lynn Coble is working hard to establish the Rebels as a winning program and he made huge leaps last season. Max Robinson, Jacob McWhorter and Treven Parker will be playmakers and if they can get quarterback Josh Coble adjusted to the offense, the Rebels could make strides again this season.

Union Academy could be the dark horse in 1A compe-tition where they’ll look to improve from last year’s .500 record. A lot will depend on how the team gels with new coach Forshee but with seven of their top nine tacklers returning and guys like Logan Pautz on offense, the Cardi-nals could make some noise.

Speaking of making noise, don’t overlook Metrolina – the small Christian school out of Indian Trail. All-state quar-terback Rud Yearick returns after throwing for over 1,400 yards as a junior as has all-state receiver Logan Shumate back in the mix. They destroyed Concord First Assembly, 61-0, in their opening game and that could be just a taste of what’s to come.

Let’s not forget Porter Ridge, the county’s only 4A school. Last year they made a huge splash competing in arguably the state’s toughest competition alongside the always-dom-inating Butler and Independence. Throw Rocky River into the mix and you’ve got a smorgasbord of talented squads but the Pirates proved they weren’t to be taken lightly and finished the season 8-5. This year, they suffered a tough loss when Hicklin transferred to Sun Valley and Grant VanderVort suffered a season-ending injury early on but Bevilacqua knows first-hand what it takes to win in the Southwestern 4A and will be key in helping the Pirates hold their own.

At the end of the day, this year more than ever it’ll be anyone’s game, especially in the Southern Carolinas con-ference. Expect Friday nights to be fun, fast and physical as these guys duke it out to prove why they should advance in November.

breaKiNg DoWN uNioN CouNtY Football

1) weddIngton (8-3, 4-1)

2) monroe (8-3, 3-2)

3) metrolIna chrIstIan (7-3, 2-2)

4) sun valley (7-4, 3-2)

5) cuthbertson(7-4, 3-2)

6) Forest hIlls (6-5, 4-1)

7) pIedmont (6-5, 3-2)

8) parkwood (6-5, 2-3)

9) unIon academy (5-6. 4-4)

10) porter rIdge (4-7, 3-3)

11) marvIn rIdge (4-7, 1-4)12) cata(3-8, 1-4)


AnDReW stARK’s PReDicteD oRDeR oF Finish

hAnnAh DocKeRY’s PReDicteD oRDeR oF Finish

1) monroe (8-3, 5-0)

2) cuthbertson (8-3, 4-1)

3) sun valley (7-4, 4-1)

4) weddIngton(7-4, 4-1)

5) metrolIna chrIstIan (8-2, 3-1)

6) pIedmont (6-5, 3-2)

7)Forest hIlls (6-5, 4-1)

8) marvIn rIdge (5-6, 2-3)

9) parkwood (5-6, 2-3)

10. porter rIdge (4-7, 3-3)

11. unIon academy (3-8, 4-4)12. cata (3-8, 2-3)

Hannah Dockery



2014 footBall scheduleauguSt

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FriDaY, aug. 29Sun Valley at Hoke county piedmont at porter Ridge forest Hills at Weddington cuthbertson at Hickory Ridge Union academy at parkwood monroe at anson Highland Tech at central academy

FriDaY, Sept. 5ardrey Kell at marvin Ridge a.l. Brown at Weddington piedmont at parkwood forest Hills at central pageland cuthbertson at monroe porter Ridge at providence central academy at Union academy Rocky River at Sun Valley metrolina at Trinity christian

FriDaY, Sept. 12cuthbertson at ardrey Kell South meck at porter Ridge piedmont at forest Hills carolina pride at marvin RidgeWeddington at monroe Jordan matthews at parkwood metrolina at central academy Sun Valley at east BladenSouth Davidson at Union academy

FriDaY, Sept. 19

Sun Valley at porter Ridge marvin Ridge at Rocky River forest Hills at cuthbertson parkwood at Weddington monroe at charlotte christian South Stanly at central academy Rabun Gap at metrolinaUnion academy at east montgomery

FriDaY, Sept. 26Sun Valley at monroe central academy at piedmont Davidson Day at marvin Ridgeforest Hills at north Rowan providence Day at cuthbertsonparkwood at cherryville South Stanly at Union academymetrolina at Village christian

thurSDaY, oCt. 2Weddington at charlotte country Day porter Ridge at independence marvin Ridge at Victory christian

FriDaY, oCt.3piedmont at West Stanly High point christian at metrolinaWest montgomery at Union academy

FriDaY, oCt.10Garinger at porter Ridge Sun Valley at piedmont

cuthbertson at marvin Ridge mount pleasant at forest Hills anson at Weddington parkwood at West Stanly central academy at monroe metrolina at Victory christianUnion academy at north moore

FriDaY, oCt.17marvin Ridge at Sun Valley anson at piedmont forest Hills at parkwood Weddington at cuthbertson porter Ridge at myers park monroe at mount pleasant West Stanly at central academy Southlake christian at metrolina

FriDaY, oCt. 24Butler at porter Ridge Weddington at Sun Valley piedmont at marvin Ridge forest Hills at West Stanly cuthbertson at anson parkwood at monroe central academy at mount pleasant chatham central at Union academymetrolina at forsyth country Day

FriDaY, oCt. 31east meck at porter Ridge Sun Valley at cuthbertson

piedmont at Weddington anson at marvin Ridge central academy at forest Hills mount pleasant at parkwood West Stanly at monroe Hickory Grove christian at metrolinaUnion academy at albemarle

FriDaY, NoV. 7anson at Sun Valley cuthbertson at piedmont marvin Ridge at Weddington monroe at forest Hills porter Ridge at Rocky River parkwood at central academy Union academy at north Stanly

FriDaY, NoV. 14first round of ncHSaa playoffs

FriDaY, NoV. 21Second round of ncHSaa playoffs

FriDaY, NoV. 28Third round of ncHSaa playoffs

FriDaY, DeC. 5ncHSaa regional championships

FriDaY, DeC. 13ncHSaa state championship


Football Night in Union County 2014

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