1. I credit Charlotte (N.C.) Chambers wide receiver Kevin Concepcion for keeping the drama high going into next Friday’s announcement.
The Wolfpack Central expects to be there for the news, where he is choosing between NC State and North Carolina after his practice Friday. Chambers is playing Saturday against Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons at 4:30 p.m. in Rock Hill, S.C., hence why they have a walk-through practice Friday.
It was at this time last year when Concepcion and Chambers played its famous lightning game at Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons, which ended up being a blessing in disguise in some ways.
I was at the game to see Concepcion and then junior running back Daylan Smothers play for Chambers. I remember Concepcion making a nice catch in the first half, and then around 8:20 p.m. the lightning came. I hung in until 9:40 p.m., but still just lightning all over the place, so I headed home.
I woke up the next day and read how the game resumed at 11 p.m., ended at 1 a.m. and the Chambers players arrived home after a victory at over 4 a.m. That has to be the craziest scenario I have seen played out due to weather. And Concepcion had a touchdown grab in the second half.
With the opportunity of seeing the Chambers duo dashed, that meant circling back to see them again down the road in the season. That turned into Chambers at Harrisburg (N.C.) Hickory Ridge on Nov. 12, 2021. After that game, I knew that Concepcion was a must-get recruit for NC State. That feeling only happens a few times a year, but it was that obvious with Concepcion.
Concepcion caught passes, he ran with the ball on jet sweeps and out of the Wildcat formation and he returned punts. He also showed his propensity to make big clutch plays, which has become his trademark.
Concepcion finished that game with four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown, five carries for 74 yards and a score and he got a punt return touchdown in a 42-21 win.
It was that performance which made the NCHSAA 4A state title game frustrating to watch because fans didn’t get the true essence of Concepcion due to the monster storm that rolled into Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Though, Cardinal Gibbons fans were super hyped I’m sure after the 14-2 victory over Chambers.
I completely understand the forces that could draw Concepcion toward North Carolina, but I have a hard time believing he’s formed the relationships with the other Tar Heels recruits like he has with the Wolfpack commits. Combine that prioritizing way before UNC did, and I still believe NC State has the edge going into Friday. I also believe it won’t be the end of Concepcion’s recruitment regardless of who he picks, but that is recruiting in the fast lane.
2. Mother Nature has played havoc with football scrimmages this week, but it should be a smooth weekend.
The Wolfpack Central will attend a pair of scrimmages Friday night to see Fayetteville (N.C.) Seventy-First vs. Apex (N.C.) Apex-Friendship High at 7 p.m. at Fayetteville Cape Fear High. Then Clinton (N.C.) High is hosting Maxton (N.C.) Purnell Swett at 9 p.m.
Seventy-First junior running back Anthony Quinn Jr. camped twice at NC State last June, and has been a steady recruiting visitor. He is probably the type of scenario where if NC State ever offered him, commitment watch would soon follow.
The big “but” in all of this is that he also ran a 4.8-second 40-yard dash at NC State’s camps in 2021 and 2022. That might be why his lone offer is Temple right now.
Quinn had a monster sophomore season, rushing 207 times for 1,870 yards and 32 touchdowns in 13 games. He also caught nine passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Quinn checked in at 5-11 and 180 pounds and had a 4.51 shuttle and 31.3 inches on his vertical jump.
Seventy-First sophomore 6-2 quarterback DeAndre Nance is also intriguing. He is tracking as a Division I prospect on the wing in basketball. As a freshman, he passed for 928 yards and nine touchdowns and run for 399 yards and five scores.
Clinton has a pair of promising prospects, but it might be too early to know what recruiting level they are, but that is what tonight is about. Junior outside linebacker/defensive end Amaris Williams had a good showing at NC State’s camp in June. He played for Spring Lake (N.C.) Overhills High last year and had 42 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in nine games last year.
Williams, who also plays tight end, is about 6-4, and he weighed 230 pounds at NC State’s camp with a 6-8 wingspan, ran 4.79 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had a 29-inch vertical jump.
Clinton sophomore athlete Nydarion Blackwell might play quarterback and cornerback this season, and is listed at 6-2 and 180 pounds. One source at Clinton High thinks he’ll be next in line at the school, which produced Mohamed Kaba in the class of 2020, who picked South Carolina over NC State and others.
3. Saturday’s scrimmages are more for sure things to view, rather than trying to explore a little.
Wake Forest (N.C.) High is hosting four games Saturday in the HighSchoolOT Jamboree. The juiciest matchup is at 7 p.m. with Wake Forest Heritage and NC State senior quarterback commit Lex Thomas against New Bern (N.C.) High and Florida State senior commit Keith Sampson Jr., who is on flip watch this fall.
Sampson and New Bern travelled to Rolesville (N.C.) High last year and he flashed his good quickness and aggressiveness. After getting hurt at the end of last year, he’s 100 percent again and it will be good to see where he is physically.
Knowing Thomas, he’s probably been pining away to get into real game action since the 56-24 playoff loss against Cardinal Gibbons, who went on to win the NCHSAA 4A state title. Thomas went 9-of-19 passing for 154 yards and an interception, and rushed 12 times for minus-23 yards and a score. He got sacked six times, so it was a rough outing.
A scrimmage isn’t quite the same as a game, but Thomas will be fired up to get back on the field.
The jamboree starts at 6 p.m. with Knightdale (N.C.) High vs. Durham (N.C.) Hillside, and at 8 p.m. local programs Raleigh Milbrook and Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons face each other.
Massive senior nose tackle Ki’Shawn Harvey anchors Knightdale’s defense, and has a Western Kentucky offer. He’s unofficially visited NC State in the past. Charlotte senior commit Micah Sumter is one of the most intriguing offensive line prospect in the state at 6-5 and 275 pounds, after playing tight end and multiple positions last year. Sources say he is very loyal to Charlotte, but if high major programs come calling, that will be put to the test this fall.
3. The doubleheader next Thursday at Charlotte’s Memorial Stadium will help kick-start the high school football season.
The first game at 5 p.m. is Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork High vs. Cornelius (N.C.) Hough and then it is Charlotte Mallard Creek vs. Charlotte Myers Park.
Is there a complete no-brainer NC State target between the four teams? The answer might make some chuckle. New freshman cornerback Samari Matthews hasn’t even played a game yet, but has offers from East Carolina and Appalachian State. The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder could have next at Hough High.
UNC quarterback commit Tad Hudson, unsigned senior running back JT Smith, junior kicker Nolan Hauser and freshman defensive end/linebacker Kamdon Gillespie, are other high major Division I recruits at Hough.
Mallard Creek junior athlete Benjamin Black is one of the more intriguing prospects in the state of North Carolina because of his pure speed. He has run 10.7 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 21.9 in the 200, and was on two Mallard Creek relays that finished fourth and fifth at the NCHSAA 4A state meet.
Black came to NC State for camp and then was part of the rain-altered 7-on-7 event this past June. Middle Tennessee State has offered him, but he simply needs game film to show what he can do with college coaches.
Black measured in at 5-foot-11 and 1/2 and 173 pounds with a 34.5-inch vertical jump. He clocked 4.38 on his first 40-yard dash attempt and 4.45 on his second. He could play either cornerback or wide receiver.
Junior tackle Umar Rockhead of Mallard Creek attended the Alpha Wolf and is a well put together 6-foot-5 and over 230 pounds, with a good wingspan. This will be a big season for him.
Sophomore quarterback Dan Mahan of Myers Park was also at Alpha Wolf on July 29. He played for Burlington (N.C.) Williams last year in a backup role.
Mallard Creek might have the most difficult schedule in the state with games at Buford (Ga.) High, at Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe, at Gaffney (S.C.) High and then Hough, Chambers and West Charlotte in the league.
The Wolfpack Central expects to be there for the news, where he is choosing between NC State and North Carolina after his practice Friday. Chambers is playing Saturday against Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons at 4:30 p.m. in Rock Hill, S.C., hence why they have a walk-through practice Friday.
It was at this time last year when Concepcion and Chambers played its famous lightning game at Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons, which ended up being a blessing in disguise in some ways.
I was at the game to see Concepcion and then junior running back Daylan Smothers play for Chambers. I remember Concepcion making a nice catch in the first half, and then around 8:20 p.m. the lightning came. I hung in until 9:40 p.m., but still just lightning all over the place, so I headed home.
I woke up the next day and read how the game resumed at 11 p.m., ended at 1 a.m. and the Chambers players arrived home after a victory at over 4 a.m. That has to be the craziest scenario I have seen played out due to weather. And Concepcion had a touchdown grab in the second half.
With the opportunity of seeing the Chambers duo dashed, that meant circling back to see them again down the road in the season. That turned into Chambers at Harrisburg (N.C.) Hickory Ridge on Nov. 12, 2021. After that game, I knew that Concepcion was a must-get recruit for NC State. That feeling only happens a few times a year, but it was that obvious with Concepcion.
Concepcion caught passes, he ran with the ball on jet sweeps and out of the Wildcat formation and he returned punts. He also showed his propensity to make big clutch plays, which has become his trademark.
Concepcion finished that game with four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown, five carries for 74 yards and a score and he got a punt return touchdown in a 42-21 win.
It was that performance which made the NCHSAA 4A state title game frustrating to watch because fans didn’t get the true essence of Concepcion due to the monster storm that rolled into Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Though, Cardinal Gibbons fans were super hyped I’m sure after the 14-2 victory over Chambers.
I completely understand the forces that could draw Concepcion toward North Carolina, but I have a hard time believing he’s formed the relationships with the other Tar Heels recruits like he has with the Wolfpack commits. Combine that prioritizing way before UNC did, and I still believe NC State has the edge going into Friday. I also believe it won’t be the end of Concepcion’s recruitment regardless of who he picks, but that is recruiting in the fast lane.
2. Mother Nature has played havoc with football scrimmages this week, but it should be a smooth weekend.
The Wolfpack Central will attend a pair of scrimmages Friday night to see Fayetteville (N.C.) Seventy-First vs. Apex (N.C.) Apex-Friendship High at 7 p.m. at Fayetteville Cape Fear High. Then Clinton (N.C.) High is hosting Maxton (N.C.) Purnell Swett at 9 p.m.
Seventy-First junior running back Anthony Quinn Jr. camped twice at NC State last June, and has been a steady recruiting visitor. He is probably the type of scenario where if NC State ever offered him, commitment watch would soon follow.
The big “but” in all of this is that he also ran a 4.8-second 40-yard dash at NC State’s camps in 2021 and 2022. That might be why his lone offer is Temple right now.
Quinn had a monster sophomore season, rushing 207 times for 1,870 yards and 32 touchdowns in 13 games. He also caught nine passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Quinn checked in at 5-11 and 180 pounds and had a 4.51 shuttle and 31.3 inches on his vertical jump.
Seventy-First sophomore 6-2 quarterback DeAndre Nance is also intriguing. He is tracking as a Division I prospect on the wing in basketball. As a freshman, he passed for 928 yards and nine touchdowns and run for 399 yards and five scores.
Clinton has a pair of promising prospects, but it might be too early to know what recruiting level they are, but that is what tonight is about. Junior outside linebacker/defensive end Amaris Williams had a good showing at NC State’s camp in June. He played for Spring Lake (N.C.) Overhills High last year and had 42 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in nine games last year.
Williams, who also plays tight end, is about 6-4, and he weighed 230 pounds at NC State’s camp with a 6-8 wingspan, ran 4.79 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had a 29-inch vertical jump.
Clinton sophomore athlete Nydarion Blackwell might play quarterback and cornerback this season, and is listed at 6-2 and 180 pounds. One source at Clinton High thinks he’ll be next in line at the school, which produced Mohamed Kaba in the class of 2020, who picked South Carolina over NC State and others.
3. Saturday’s scrimmages are more for sure things to view, rather than trying to explore a little.
Wake Forest (N.C.) High is hosting four games Saturday in the HighSchoolOT Jamboree. The juiciest matchup is at 7 p.m. with Wake Forest Heritage and NC State senior quarterback commit Lex Thomas against New Bern (N.C.) High and Florida State senior commit Keith Sampson Jr., who is on flip watch this fall.
Sampson and New Bern travelled to Rolesville (N.C.) High last year and he flashed his good quickness and aggressiveness. After getting hurt at the end of last year, he’s 100 percent again and it will be good to see where he is physically.
Knowing Thomas, he’s probably been pining away to get into real game action since the 56-24 playoff loss against Cardinal Gibbons, who went on to win the NCHSAA 4A state title. Thomas went 9-of-19 passing for 154 yards and an interception, and rushed 12 times for minus-23 yards and a score. He got sacked six times, so it was a rough outing.
A scrimmage isn’t quite the same as a game, but Thomas will be fired up to get back on the field.
The jamboree starts at 6 p.m. with Knightdale (N.C.) High vs. Durham (N.C.) Hillside, and at 8 p.m. local programs Raleigh Milbrook and Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons face each other.
Massive senior nose tackle Ki’Shawn Harvey anchors Knightdale’s defense, and has a Western Kentucky offer. He’s unofficially visited NC State in the past. Charlotte senior commit Micah Sumter is one of the most intriguing offensive line prospect in the state at 6-5 and 275 pounds, after playing tight end and multiple positions last year. Sources say he is very loyal to Charlotte, but if high major programs come calling, that will be put to the test this fall.
3. The doubleheader next Thursday at Charlotte’s Memorial Stadium will help kick-start the high school football season.
The first game at 5 p.m. is Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork High vs. Cornelius (N.C.) Hough and then it is Charlotte Mallard Creek vs. Charlotte Myers Park.
Is there a complete no-brainer NC State target between the four teams? The answer might make some chuckle. New freshman cornerback Samari Matthews hasn’t even played a game yet, but has offers from East Carolina and Appalachian State. The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder could have next at Hough High.
UNC quarterback commit Tad Hudson, unsigned senior running back JT Smith, junior kicker Nolan Hauser and freshman defensive end/linebacker Kamdon Gillespie, are other high major Division I recruits at Hough.
Mallard Creek junior athlete Benjamin Black is one of the more intriguing prospects in the state of North Carolina because of his pure speed. He has run 10.7 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 21.9 in the 200, and was on two Mallard Creek relays that finished fourth and fifth at the NCHSAA 4A state meet.
Black came to NC State for camp and then was part of the rain-altered 7-on-7 event this past June. Middle Tennessee State has offered him, but he simply needs game film to show what he can do with college coaches.
Black measured in at 5-foot-11 and 1/2 and 173 pounds with a 34.5-inch vertical jump. He clocked 4.38 on his first 40-yard dash attempt and 4.45 on his second. He could play either cornerback or wide receiver.
Junior tackle Umar Rockhead of Mallard Creek attended the Alpha Wolf and is a well put together 6-foot-5 and over 230 pounds, with a good wingspan. This will be a big season for him.
Sophomore quarterback Dan Mahan of Myers Park was also at Alpha Wolf on July 29. He played for Burlington (N.C.) Williams last year in a backup role.
Mallard Creek might have the most difficult schedule in the state with games at Buford (Ga.) High, at Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe, at Gaffney (S.C.) High and then Hough, Chambers and West Charlotte in the league.
