HOME SWEET HOME: Braves Use Defense, Special Teams To Claw Past North Greenville, 21-7

PEMBROKE – Matthew Fortson returned a third quarter interception 62 yards for a touchdown and Jamal Williams added a 75-yard kickoff return nine minutes later to help UNCP put the caps on a perfect season at home with a 21-7 victory over North Greenville Saturday afternoon at Grace P. Johnson Stadium.
The win put the lid on a 9-1 campaign for UNCP as well as gave the Black and Gold a 6-1 record against teams it lost to in its inaugural season in 2007. North Greenville, who played what is considered to be one of the toughest schedules in the country, ended their season with a 2-9 record.
Williams racked up 100 or more all-purpose yards for the seventh time this season, catching six passes for 78 yards and a first quarter touchdown, while also returning two kicks (one punt) for 87 yards and another score. Cory Smith completed 14 of 24 passes for 172 yards for the offense as well.

As it has all season, the UNCP defense shone once again, this time limiting a staunch running game to just 58 yards on 27 carries, while also forcing at least two turnovers for the 10th time this season. The Crusaders, who racked up 224 yards on the ground in last season’s 40-6 win over the Braves, managed just 72 total yards in the first half.

Laurinburg native Adam Deese registered a team-best eight tackles, while Caylon Hann tacked on six stops, as well as a career-best four pass break-ups. Fortson (six tackles) scored on an opponent turnover for the second time this season, but the first since returning a fumble 77 yards for a touchdown in a 48-29 win at Lane in late September. “Regardless of whether we make the playoffs or not, it can’t take away from what we have done this year,” said head coach Pete Shinnick when asked if his team deserves a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs. “We have five seniors on this year’s team that can say they won their last seven college football games. Not many people can say that. “I am proud of the things that our guys accomplished this year. We got better every week and that was our goal before the season started.”

UNCP looked to have all the ingredients for a blow out in marching 43 yards in 10 plays on the opening possession of the game, but Taylor Baskett’s 32-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right to keep the score at a deadlock. With the UNCP defense doing its part to keep the Crusaders down however, the Braves would score the game’s first points with time waning down in the second period as Smith eluded a sack and found Williams racing down the near sideline for a 37-yard scoring strike.

North Greenville came out of the halftime break with a jolt of momentum and drove 41 yards in just four plays, but Fortson stepped in front of a Richard Harb pass in the flats and raced 62 yards to put the Braves up 14-0 early in the second half. North Greenville finally got on the board when Nick Rosamonda picked off a pass by Smith deep in UNCP territory and returned the pick 16 yards for a score, but the Braves answered on the ensuing kickoff when Williams corralled Michael Sears’ kickoff at the 25-yard line, eluded a pair of Crusader defenders and did all the rest himself to cap the day’s scoring.

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 may get it's own college football team!

The chancellor of UNCC has recommended to the board that the school add a football program in 2013. If approved, the team would begin playing in the NCAA Football Championship Sub-Division formally known as division 1-AA. To date, more than 1,500 PSL were reserved at $1,000. This is great news for Charlotte!

Arkansas player scores 9 touchdowns!

Nashville, Ark., quarterback Derrick Graham tied an Arkansas record with nine TDs on short runs Friday in his team's 58-35 defeat of Liberty Eylau (Texarkana). Graham ran 31 times for 127 yards. According to the Arkansas High School Sports Record Book, only one player in state history had run for nine touchdowns before this season — Kendric Smith of Hughes, Ark., in 2006. Graham also caught three passes and played linebacker. Ken Pearson from Hugh, Colo., rushed for 12 in 1930 for the national record.

It's so much more then just football!

If you are like me, you are really excited that high school football season is here again! I can hear the roaring crowds cheering loudly for their favorite teams. I remember families cuddling under blankets trying to keep warm on crisp autumn nights. The hot dogs, hot chocolate and, oh we can't forget the marching bands. I love the game!

For many of these young men, it is much more then a game. Football has become a sense of pride, accomplishment, and bravado. Away to develop into a leader. Many of these young men have dreams of playing at the college level and hopefully playing in the NFL. For those athletic enough, football scholarships provide a great way to attend some of the best institutions in the nation. The average cost to attend an instate public university has sky rocketed to an average of $17,336 a year according to US News & World Reports.

College recruiting is very competitive. Each year there are approximately 281,000 high school seniors playing football in the country. Each year there are approximately 16,800 college freshman roster spots at NCAA school. This number includes all three divisions. D1-D3. So if you really want to compete for a football scholarship, you have to be proactive. You have to work.

Educate yourself on how the process works and learn what you need to do to be seen.
In most cases, coaches don't just show up at your door or at your school. Realize that coaches are looking for recruits that are not only hard workers on the gridiron; they want you to also be a hard worker in the classroom. Your grades, GPA and SAT will greatly impact the options that are available to you. If you think you have what it takes and a real desire to play at the college level, talk to your coach about your desire and get busy.