January 2014 Goal Post - Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas

THE GOALPOST A Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas Publication
Volume VI, Issue 1 January 2014
Page 1
Editor: French Harvey, sbadmin37@shrine-bowl.com
The Electronic Newsletter of
Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas
www.shrine-bowl.com
Sandlappers edge Tarheels in Shrine Bowl
Sat. December 21, 2013 at 11:23 p.m. | By Kevin Melton
Spartanburg Herald Journal
Mason Rudolph hadn't lost all year.
He wasn't going to start on Saturday.
The Northwestern quarterback connected on a 21-yard touchdown pass to Gaffney's Shaq Davidson with 16 seconds remaining in regulation to lead South Carolina to a 28-23 comeback victory against North Carolina in the 77th Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas at Gibbs Stadium. South
Carolina has won two straight and leads the overall series 43-30-4.
Rudolph was named South Carolina's Offensive Most Valuable Player, finishing 15 of 22 for 182
yards and three touchdowns. He connected on a 21-yard touchdown pass to Chapman's Deebo Samuel
on the game's opening drive and found Byrnes' Shaedon Meadors on a 33-yard strike on fourth-and-10
on the next possession to increase the lead to 14-0.
"The last drive was pretty crazy," Rudolph said. "Give North Carolina credit. They played great all
second half and came back. It was a nail-biter. I was just able to put the ball in our athletes' hands.
(Woodruff's) Blake (Bone), Shaq, all those guys made me look good out there the last drive."
The Sandlappers led 14-0 at the half but watched North Carolina cut it to 14-10 at the end of the third
quarter behind a 15-yard touchdown run from Elijah Hood (Charlotte Catholic) and a 22-yard field
goal by Freeman Jones (Bunn).
The Tarheels took a 17-14 lead within the first minute of the fourth quarter on a 6-yard run from
Hood. South Carolina battled back for a 21-17 lead as Joe Blue (Dillon) scored from a yard out on
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Sandlappers edge Tarheels in Shrine Bowl (continued)
fourth-and-1, but Hood erased the deficit on his third touchdown run, another 6-yarder, for a 23-21
advantage with 3:59 to go.
Hood was named the North Carolina Offensive MVP with 23 carries for 92 yards with the three
scores. "I got to go out there and do something I love, and in the end it is for the kids," Hood said.
"I'm at peace with it because we put on a good show and raised a lot of money and it went to some
good people doing some great things. If it was a normal game and just for the sake of football, I might
be a little more upset."
Following Hood's third score, Rudolph went to work on a 10-play 68-yard drive. He connected three
times with Bone before finding Davidson in the back corner of the end zone.
Bone led all Sandlappers with seven receptions for 55 yards. Davidson had four catches for 44 yards
with the touchdown. Meadors finished with three catches for 84 yards.
"Mason ran the play two plays before," Davidson said of the touchdown. "I told him if he just throws
it up there, I'd try my best to come down with it. I thought it was going to get away. That's why I decided to stretch out for it."
"I had missed it a couple times before today," Rudolph said of the game-winning throw. "To have him
open like that in double coverage was a great job on his part."
South Carolina coach Tommy Brown (Orangeburg-Wilkinson) said he had complete confidence in
Rudolph's ability to lead the game-winning drive.
"Mason played in that type of offense, making quick throws and good decisions," Brown said. "He's
been in situations like this a lot. It was like a regular day for him. It was a great throw and a great
catch in a critical moment."
Solomon Brown (Daniel) was South Carolina's Defensive MVP with 10 tackles with two for loss and
a sack.
Jalen McClendon (West Mecklenburg) led the Tarheels, completing 16 of 26 for 164 yards. Trevion
Thompson (Hillside) finished with five catches for 37 yards, while Dominique Heath (Hopewell)
grabbed four catches for 42 yards.
Emmanuel Moseley (Dudley) was North Carolina's Defensive MVP with seven tackles, one for loss.
"That's how you want (an all-star game) to be, but you want it to be on your end," North Carolina
coach Burton Cates (Lee County) said. "I can't say enough about the kids. They went through adversity this week with replacement players and key injuries to us. … Our coaches did a great job. I knew a
great job. I knew they would. Our players played extremely hard."
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Hood shines for Tarheels in Shrine Bowl defeat
Sat. December 21, 2013 at 11:17 p.m. | By Rudy Jones Spartanburg Herald Journal
(owns for the Tarheels.
Elijah Hood was no stranger to the end zone this season at
Charlotte Catholic High School, so it wasn’t shocking he
scored all three touchdowns for North Carolina in Saturday’s
28-23 loss to South Carolina in the 77th Shrine Bowl of the
Carolinas.
Hood rushed for 3,695 yards and 53 touchdowns as a senior.
The 6-foot, 220-pounder rushed for 92 yards and scored on
runs of 15, 6 and 6 yards as the Tarheels rallied from a 14-0 deficit to take leads of 17-14 and 23-21.
Hood was named most valuable offensive player for North Carolina.
“I didn’t think about how many touchdowns I would get,” said Hood, who has committed to play for
the University of North Carolina. “I would definitely have been happy with one. But three? The more
the merrier. It just shows that with God everything is possible.
“It’s a great blessing and it’s an honor,” Hood said of the award. “I just want to thank my team for
giving me the opportunity and putting me in position to win this award. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Hood said the Tarheels’ halftime adjustments were crucial to their rally.
“We were making plays,” he said. “Everybody was on cue and our offense was really efficient. Even
though we didn’t come out with a win, I think this shows how great of a team we are and how we
bonded over this past week.”
North Carolina rolled up 228 yards total offense in the second half after being held to 26 yards in the
first half.
Quarterback Jalan McClendon completed 16 of 26 passes for 164 yards for North Carolina. The N.C.
State commitment directed all four Tarheels’ scoring drives.
“It was a tough one,” said McClendon, a 6-foot, 200-pounder from Charlotte’s West Mecklenburg
High School. “We should have won, though. I got to play with a lot of athletes, but we most definitely
played for the kids (at the Shriners Hospital), though.
“This was a great experience,” McClendon said. “We got to meet some kids who really opened my
eyes and made me realize how blessed I am.”
McClendon had five NCAA Division I recruits as targets for his passes. (continued on page 6)
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SOUTH CAROLINA TEAM
Player Awards
Mason Rudolph
Most Valuable
Offensive Player
Solomon Brown
Most Valuable
Defensive Player
Alex Spence
Academic
Award
Dexter Wideman
Spark Plug
Award
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NORTH CAROLINA TEAM
Player Awards
Elijah Hood
Most Valuable
Offensive Player
Emanuel Mosley
Most Valuable
Defensive Player
Nathan McConnell
Academic
Award
Stephen Askew
Spark Plug
Award
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Hood shines for Tarheels in Shrine Bowl defeat (continued)
Fellow Wolfpack commitment Maurice Trowell caught four passes for 42 yards. Kansas State recruit
Dominique Heath caught four passes for 42 yards. UNC commitment Austin Proehl caught three
passes for 40 yards and East Carolina recruit Curtis Burston caught one pass for 19 yards.
Trevion Thompson, who had a team-high five receptions for 37 yards, is considering Clemson, Florida State, N.C. State, North Carolina, Ohio State and West Virginia.
A check in the amount of $1,437,720.13 was presented to the Shriner's Hospital at the half.
Shrine Bowl Players At All American Bowl
By Chris Hughes, Carolina Preps.
When the final whistle blew in the 77th Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas signaling
the end of the game, the high school football season was over for most of the
competitors on the field, but for a select few, the season had one last event to be
played on a national stage.
Chris Hughes
CarolinaPreps
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl was started in San Antonio, Texas, in 2001
and has become the premier national high school football all-star game. The
game is played the week following Christmas and has played host to several
Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas alumni.
This year five members of the 77th Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas team have been
selected to represent the East in this All-American game.
Stratford’s Jacob Park who electrified the Sandlappers fans with his swift moves and big arm is
among three quarterbacks selected for the Army Bowl. Heralded as one of the best quarterbacks
from South Carolina, he helped lead the Sandlappers to a 28-23 in this year’s Shrine Bowl.
Joining him on offense will be Shaq Davidson, the deep-threat receiver from Gaffney, running back
Elijah Hood of Charlotte Catholic who ran over and through South Carolina defenders and kicker
Freeman Jones from Bunn High School.
Anchoring the offensive line for the East All-American squad is Latta’s Donnell Stanley whose presence up front helped South Carolina secure this year’s Shrine Bowl victory.
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl was played on Saturday, January 4th and was aired on NBC.
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Shrine Bowl Alumni News
NC Reidsville High School’s Burnelle Cook, who played in the 1938 game, died last month at age 93.
Rock Hill’s The Herald reported that longtime Lewisville, Lancaster coach McMurray retiring after 38 years in the teaching
and coaching profession. McMurray hasn’t nailed down the exact day that he won’t wake up at 6 a.m., get dressed and go to
another day of work at Lancaster High School. But he has already mentally drawn the curtains on a 38-year coaching career,
in which he won two football state titles and five baseball state
titles, all at Lewisville High School. McMurray won 419
games as a baseball coach, 11th all-time in South Carolina history, and won 218 games as a football coach. The 64-year-old
also launched a baseball program at Buford High School, where
he got his coaching start in 1975, as well as football and baseball programs at Charlotte’s E.E.
Waddell in the early 2000s. McMurray was the North Carolina Shrine Bowl head coach in 2005 and a
head coach in the 2010 North-South game. Records aside, there might not be enough hands in Lancaster County to count the young people impacted over nearly four decades. In football, McMurray
has a 182-100 record in South Carolina, and won 218 games overall, counting his five years in Charlotte at E.E. Waddell. In 2005 he was inducted into the South Carolina Football Coaches Association
Hall of Fame.
Two Shrine Bowl Player Alumni were recently voted into
the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame. Freddie Solomon (1970) played high school ball in Sumter before moving to the University of Tampa. He then played 11 seasons
in the NFL. William “Refrigerator” Perry (1980) was a star
defensive tackle at Aiken High School and Clemson and
with the Chicago Bears. Both will be honored at the College All-Star Bowl on Feb. 14 at Furman University.
SHRINE BOWL GAME COMMITTEE STAFF
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French Harvey
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What Did The Players Have to Say!
Reprinted from the Spartanburg Herald Journal.
SOUTH CAROLINA PLAYERS
Blake Bone, WR, Woodruff: “It was more about pride in our state. It was South Carolina versus
North Carolina. To get this win tonight, it was great for us, and not only us but for the kids. We
played for the kids tonight, and it was just good to bring it back home for them.”
Joe Blue, RB, Dillon, on converting two fourth-and-1s: “I knew it was crunch time. I knew I had
to do something for the team to help them win. I think my advantage over the other guys is they were
scared to tackle me, so I knew I was going to get it.”
Deebo Samuel, WR, Chapman: “It was a very humbling experience. Seeing the kids in the hospital
makes you want to go harder and not take anything for granted.”
Shaq Davidson, WR, Gaffney: “The receiving corps this week was pretty awesome. Everybody can
make plays.”
Shaedon Meadors, WR, Byrnes: “It was a great experience. I wouldn’t change it for anything. It
meant everything to me.”
Jae’lon Oglesby, RB, Daniel: “I got to meet a lot of the best players in the state of South Carolina.
There was a lot of talent out here. I hope we can up the run game when I get to Clemson.”
Tommy Brown, Sandlappers head coach from Orangeburg-Wilkinson, on game-winning pass
play: “We had been running that play all day. I think they thought we were going to go short so they
kind of overplayed us. Mason (Rudolph) stood in there and made the throw and Shaq (Davidson)
made a great catch.”
Mason Rudolph, QB, Northwestern, on winning offensive MVP: “I’m very honored for sure. You
see people like (Jadeveon) Clowney and (Justin) Worley that have played in this game before, so it’s
something that you look forward to ever since you’ve been a kid.”
Solomon Brown, LB, Daniel, on winning defensive MVP: “It’s a great honor to win MVP. Meaning that I’m the best of the best out here at this showcase at (Gibbs) Stadium is pretty spectacular.”
NORTH CAROLINA PLAYERS
Nathan Dalton, OL, East Henderson High, on NC’s comeback from a 14-0 deficit: “The offense
and defense made some great plays. Unfortunately, South Carolina made more of them.”
Dominique Heath, WR, Hopewell High: “I had one drop, but other than that I played an OK game;
not my best, but I tried to do what I could do for the team.”
Tre’Shun Wynn, CB, Monroe High, on the short kick he recovered: “We’d been working on it all
week; we called it ‘sky right;’ just kick it real high and hope something good happens.”
Jalan McClendon, QB, West Mecklenburg High, on leading the Tarheels’ rally from a 14-0 deficit: “Even at my high school people looked at me as the comeback kid. When we were down they’d
call on me to pick them back up.”
Austin Proehl, WR, Providence High, on NC’s penalty-negated double pass: “It was fun to try
some trickery, because they were being really aggressive on the corners. It was one of those things we
thought could work.”
Cameron Burton, OL, A.C. Reynolds High, on blocking for RB Elijah Hood: “He sets up blocks
really good. For backs who don’t know how to do that they need to look at his highlight tape.”
(continued on page 9)
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Hood is National Player of the Year and First Team All
American
David Scott of the Charlotte Observer reported that Charlotte Catholic running back Elijah Hood was
named U.S. Army national player of the year. Hood was also the Offensive MVP in the 2013 Shrine
Bowl.
Hood, who has committed to North Carolina, rushed for a
Mecklenburg County-record 3,690 yards and a county-record
53 touchdowns this past season. The yardage ranks second in
NC history behind West Rowen's Kevin Parks, (3,794) who
was on the 2009 NC Shrine Bowl squad.
Former Shrine Bowl U.S. Army players of the year include Independence High School Chris Leak.
Langston Wertz, Jr. of the Charlotte Observer also reported
that Hood was named first-team high school All-American by MaxPreps, a national recruiting site.
Important Dates:
February 1—Game Committee Recap Meeting, 10:00 am, Rock Hill, SC
February 22—Annual Board of Governors Meeting and Election of Officers. Volunteer Awards Banquet. Greenville, SC
NC Combines
April 5 at Eastern Alamance HS
April 12 at Rocky River HS
April 26 at South Johnston HS
May 31 at AC Reynolds HS
June 7 at Washington HS
What Did The Players Have to Say! (continued)
Elijah Hood, RB, Charlotte Catholic High, on the Tarheels’ comeback: “We knew we were in the
right spots. We were just missing a thing or two. When we went in the locker room we made the ad
justments and you saw the results of that.”
Myquan Stout, DL, Jesse Carson High, on NC’s defensive line play: “We got pretty good pressure;
better in the second half than the first half.”
Emmanuel Moseley, Dudley High, on being the defender on Shaq Davidson’s game-winning
touchdown: “I just thought, ‘Man, how did I give that up?’ I knew he was going to run that route because he was tight. He made a move on me and I’ve got to give it to him.”
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Thank You to This Year’s Sponsors
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