UNCP Football Makes History!

Braves Guarantee Winning Season With 36-14 Win At West Virginia Wesleyan

Cory Smith threw for a career-best 311 passing yards and a school record five touchdowns to help UNCP guarantee its first winning season in program history with a 36-14 win over West Virginia Wesleyan Saturday afternoon at Cebe Ross Field.
The triumph marked the fourth-straight victory for the Braves (6-1) who also put the finishing touches on a 4-1 road slate that includes wins in four different states. Smith became just the second 300-yard passer for the Black and Gold, falling just short of teammate Ryan Horton’s school record 360 passing yards set last season against Faulkner. His touchdown mark eclipsed the previous mark of three established last season (Horton, Matt Evans).

West Virginia Wesleyan (1-6), who dropped a tight 35-32 decision to 23rd-ranked Seton Hill last week and entered Homecoming week averaging 330 yards per game, mustered just 205 total offensive yards on Saturday, including a paltry 86-yard effort in the first half. Reggie Taylor, who toted the nation’s 19th-best rushing average (114.8 yards/game) into the weekend, was held to just 82 yards (22 in first half) on 20 carries by the UNCP defense, effectively putting an end to his streak of three-straight 100-yard rushing games. “I am very excited for our guys – I thought it was a great win and a great finish to a very long three-game road trip,” said head coach Pete Shinnick. “We finished our road schedule with a 4-1 record and this was a great way to do it. We played well on both sides of the ball. “We’ll take (the winning season), but we’re not done.”

Ten different players recorded pass receptions for UNCP, with four different individuals scoring touchdowns. Freshman Jamal Williams hauled in seven catches for 119 yards and a pair of scores and L.J. Johnson caught five passes for 51 yards and a touchdown as well. Josh Humphries (3 catches, 39 yards) and Josh Throckmorton (2 catches, 16 yards) both accounted for receiving touchdowns as well.

The UNCP defense forced three or more turnovers for the sixth time this season after recording a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery. Terrell Partlow (Charlotte's South Meck)registered a team-best eight tackles, one tackle for loss and one interception to pace the Black and Gold, with Caylon Hann picking off his nation’s-best sixth interception of the season to complement six solo stops. The Braves turned in double-digit tackles for loss (12) for the fourth-straight game, including sacks by five different players.

UNCP set the tone from its opening possession, driving 61 yards in eight plays before Smith capped off the drive with a 14-yard scoring strike to Humphries. After a 35-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right on the ensuing possession for the host team, the Braves would cushion their advantage on a 13-play, 79-yard drive that was culminated on an eight-yard scoring pass to Throckmorton.

The Black and Gold would pad its lead out to 20-0 midway through the second quarter before West Virginia Wesleyan would scratch the scoreboard for the first time with a lot of help from the visitors. Nearly half (30 yards) of the 69-yard scoring drive by the hosts would come via personal foul penalties, but the Braves answered the touchdown with one of their own just more than two minutes later – keyed by a 37-yard pass to Jamar Dials – to take a 26-7 lead into the intermission.

The Braves picked up right where they left off in the start of the second stanza, capping a 7-play, 69-yard scoring drive on a 52-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Williams. A fourth quarter touchdown run by the Bobcats’ Jason Jackson would be answered by a 30-yard field goal by Taylor Baskett on the ensuing drive to provide the final score.

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DeVonte Holloman changes his mind about Clemson

DeVonte Holloman, a top football recruit and a former Independence High star, says he won't be going to Clemson.
Holloman, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior who had committed to the Tigers, was the nation's No.2 recruit at safety, according to recruiting service scout.com.

He transferred from Independence to Rock Hill South Pointe at the beginning of the season. Holloman said he “was surprised but not surprised” when he heard about Clemson coach Tommy Bowden being fired Monday morning. “I wasn't expecting it at the beginning of the season,” Holloman said. “Maybe at the end, but it's not a situation I want to go into – with a whole new head coach and all the changes that will probably happen. I want to go somewhere a little more stable.” He took an unofficial visit to Tennessee last month and plans to take official visits to South Carolina this week and Louisiana State on Oct.25.
He said he also wanted to visit North Carolina and was contacting the Tar Heels coaches who initially recruited him. Holloman, a 4.0 student, said he plans to graduate in December and enroll in his new school in January. “I'm wide open again,” Holloman said of his recruiting prospects.

Charlotte NC's Garinger continues road back to respectability

Until Monday night, Garinger High senior quarterback Marquez Stanley had started 38 games in a row for the Wildcats – and lost all 38. But Monday night was different.
Garinger was playing West Mecklenburg and was down 12-0 at halftime. The game was going like so many had for the Wildcats in the past 33 years. Since 1975, Garinger had been through 14 coaches and had produced only four winning seasons. In 12 of those 33 years, Garinger didn't win any games. In seven of those 33 years, Garinger won one game. But Monday night was different.

In the locker room at halftime, Stanley said the players talked about all the mistakes they had made. They talked about playing smarter. Stanley said he could feel that, for a change, the Wildcats had faith they could turn it around. Second-year coach Chris Carter sensed it, too.
“Guys,” Carter screamed to his players, “we had eight turnovers, but they only have 12 points. We can do this! “WE. CAN. DO. THIS!”

In the second half, Stanley threw for a touchdown. He ran for two more. In his 39th start, Stanley won his first game. Garinger beat West Mecklenburg 31-12 and won its first game on the field in six years. The Wildcats picked up four forfeit wins last year but had lost 61 straight on the field. “I just felt like crying when we won,” Stanley said. “Actually a few tears did come out. I was so happy. I knew we could do it. I knew we had the talent to win and we finally won and I was so happy.” Garinger athletics director Claire Gardin won three state championships as a girls track coach at Charlotte Latin. She helped restart the women's basketball program at Davidson, but in her long career, which began in 1987, she'd never seen a program like this. Carter was the fourth football coach in six years. No Garinger coach produced a winning record since Barry Shuford, now at Olympic, led the team to a 6-4 record in 1995. And since joining the staff in 2003, Gardin had never seen her school win.

When Gardin got to school Tuesday morning, she could easily see the difference that a football win had on her school. “There was just this sense of pride,” she said. “Football players had a different stride. Students were excited. It did wonders for our school.”

Garinger (1-5, 1-0 Queen City 3A/4A) is alone in first place in the 4A section of the conference and plays at Berry (0-6, 0-1) tonight. Berry beat Garinger 19-15 last year on Garinger's homecoming. Tonight is Berry's homecoming, and Garinger has a chance for payback, plus something else none of the Wildcats has seen: A bona-fide win streak. “Everybody who used to say we couldn't, now they've jumped on the bandwagon,” Stanley said. “It used to be, ‘Y'all can't win. At least score a touchdown, though.' Now it's ‘Y'all better win Friday. I know y'all can do it.'”
Garinger has a chance at its first playoff berth since 1990. Coach Carter hopes it's more than that. He hopes this is a permanent change. He's put a paper sign in every players locker. It's become the team's Constitution. It talks about the 2008 Wildcats being trendsetters, about changing the losing culture at Garinger. “I know we can make the playoffs,” said Stanley, who will start his 40th game tonight. “More important, all of us know we can, and we're determined to do it.”

Player makes the most of first start

Lincoln (Coucil Bluffs, Iowa) sophomore running back Austin Ebertowski made his first start Friday and came just four yards short of the state record for most yards in a game. Ebertowski rushed 41 times for 451 yards and three TDs in his team's 56-42 defeat of West (Sioux City). The record of 455 was set by Don Larson of Alden in 1954.
Another big game was turned in by Coleville, Calif., quarterback Jason Peters, who led his team to a 54-18 defeat of Wells, Nev. Peters ran for 336 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 244 yards and four touchdowns.

Did you know?

The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an institution in which the institution agrees to provide a prospective student-athlete who is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules athletics aid for one academic year in exchange for the prospect's agreement to attend the institution for one academic year. If the prospective student-athlete does not attend the signing institution or attends that institution for less than one academic year, and enrolls in another college that participates in the National Letter of Intent program there may be eligibility ramifications. The basic penalty may preclude the student-athlete from representing the second college until completing an academic year in residence at the latter institution and may lose one season of competition in all sports.