King, Allen, McCain and Amerson among the State’s Top 25 HS football players

from Stan Olson at www.charlotteobserver.com. Click on the Observer link to see the entire list…..

Gabe King ranked top player in the state of North Carolina, Keenan Allen #3, Chris McCain #11 and David Amerson is ranked #13.

RANK
PLAYER
SCHOOL
POS
HGT
WT
COLLEGES

1 Gabe King

TBA

DE

6-4.5

250

Alabama, California, Oregon, Tenn.

Comment: Not sure where he will play because of some legal issues, but everyone is sure that he can PLAY. King has been almost unstoppable coming off the edge at combines across the country. He is likely to wind up at a private school – and then at a big-time college program.

2 Robert Crisp

Hillsborough Cedar Ridge

OT

6-7

300

N.C. State

Comment: The best offensive tackle in the state, he seems likely to play in the NFL. Has an ornery on-field attitude. Switching from Chapel Hill High to Cedar Ridge this season.

3 Keenan Allen

Northern Guilford

S/WR

6-2

195

Clemson, S. Carolina, Alabama,

UNC, California, Penn State, Tenn.

Comment: The finest (and smoothest) athlete in the state. As a junior, he had nine interceptions, passed for 11 touchdowns and rushed for eight more. Two dozen scholarship offers.

4 Alfy Hill

W. Brunswick Shallotte

DL

6-4

245

North Carolina, Alabama, others

Comment: Hill shined after missing his sophomore year with a broken wrist. Last season, though, 112 tackles, 12 sacks and some remarkable athleticism (4.6 speed) caught the attention of just about everyone.

5 Fre’Shad Hunter

Cary

DE

6-4

245

N.C. State, E. Carolina, S. Carolina, Florida St., LSU, Purdue, Tenn.

Comment: His 4.8 speed and excellent burst off the edge have made him a target of most area schools. Last season he had 60 tackles with six sacks and two recovered fumbles as teams ran away from him.

6 Tony Creecy

Southern Durham

WR

6-0

195

N.C. State

Comment: The state’s best receiver (if Allen plays defense in college), Creecy has 4.45 speed. Soon to be a four-year starter, he had 48 catches for 863 yards and five touchdowns as a junior.

7 T.J. Leifheit

Wilmington Hoggard

OT

6-7.5

318

N. Carolina, N.C. State, S. Carolina,

Florida, Florida St., LSU, Tenn.

Comment: Not quite as talented as Crisp, but a beast with a nonstop motor, a guy who loves dominating opponents while run-blocking. Helped Hoggard to the state title as a sophomore.

8 Kendall Moore

Southeast Raleigh

LB

6-2.5

230

Notre Dame

9 Prince Shembo

Ardrey Kell

LB

DE

230

Notre Dame

Comment: With Prince Shembo and Kendall Moore, the Irish have two of N.C.’s best linebacker/defensive ends. As a junior Shembo used 4.62 speed to make 90 tackles, with eight sacks and two interceptions.

10 Ethan Farmer

Tabor City South Columbus

TE/DT

6-2

215

North Carolina

Comment: Farmer seemed to be discovered all at once in late April after giving notice of his abilities at a combine. Without ideal tight end height, he could settle at defensive tackle in college. As a junior, had 55 tackles, with 15 receptions and three touchdowns.

11 Chris McCain

Northern Guilford

LB/DE

6-5.5

200

N.C. State, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, W. Forest, Louisville, LSU, Maryland

Comment: They were calling him ‘stretch’ at a recent combine, and he is expected to grow into that body. As a junior, he had 97 tackles with four sacks and caught three touchdown passes. He has 4.65 speed.

12 Ty Linton

Charlotte Christian

OLB

6-2

215

North Carolina

Comment: Versatile with 4.49 speed, Linton is a standout in baseball and football. He had 74 tackles and 6.5 sacks as a junior. He could wind up at safety in Chapel Hill, but more likely at outside linebacker.

13 David Amerson

Greensboro Dudley

S

6-1

180

Clemson, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech

Comment: Amerson had nine interceptions last season and is determined to get 10 this fall. Good 4.5 speed, which helped him roam the secondary on the way to 60 tackles.

26 thoughts on “King, Allen, McCain and Amerson among the State’s Top 25 HS football players

  1. Andy, there have been two stories talking about SC, and NC top 25 High School Football Players. Why haven’t Robert Bell and News and Record ran these stories. What is the difference in Gabe King going to a private school and Jay Canty going to a private school. Some citizens of Guilford County should be ashamed of themselves for picking on children. I’m glad GSB does’t have the last say. That belongs to GOD. I hope there politics doesn’t send them to hell. These stories were ran in Charlotte Observer. Thanks for your time Andy

  2. Just follow the rules that are in place. If you break the rules you must pay the price. It is sad that we keep teaching these kids that they don’t have to follow the rules. King and Canty are dealing with different issues. From what I understand King is a fine student, Canty may need some help with his grades. These kids are not being picked on, they are being made to play by the rules.

  3. Hey Rules what about the coaches. Tell me Show me one example of coaches being banded then I will agree with you. These kids are not the problem, some parents maybe but the kids are not. You are talking from the outside and don”t know the real story. You prove my point. Citizens picking on children and not knowing the facts. All aren’t innocent, but all are not guilty. And GSb gave the coaches a free ride at page and two JV kids from Northern got a free ride because the parents are super rich. I don’t think you will agree with me, but before you speak know the facts, not just what you heard.

  4. Here we go again Andy. This isn’t about Northern. Congrats to the Kids that made the list. I wonder why news and record doesn’t have it. I guess the hate will come 3 kids form Northern and 1 from Dudley. Grimsley, Page, Northwest, Southwest, Ragsdale, Eastern Guilford, Southeast, and any other GCS i missed, you supporters of these schools just congratulate the kids, there is enough hate in the senate, and the White House. Thanks

  5. Question,

    PAGE did nothing wrong the kid was seen by more than one coach coming to and from apartments off Pisgah Church Rd. and that was the address listed can they help he and his parents lied? Takr responsibility and quit pointing the finger. If you wouldn’t have lied would there be an issue???????????????????

  6. You know this whole thing is crazy!!!!!!!! Page coaches see King coming from an apartment and they are absolved. Northern coaches have kids in the same location two years and they are not allowed to make the same assumptions. This whole process, whether i’s tGCS or individuals do not allow the same interpretation of what observations are made for everyone. The whole process stinks and Guilford county has unfairly punished some schools and let others get by. All I want is consistency!!!! As an aside, I have no ties to Northern, Page, Dudley, etc. I just think everyone has stood on pulpits saying ” What are we teaching the kids?” and yet the leadership is the most unfair group in this whole escapade.

  7. We have to band together and find out what’s going to be happening this year. We pretty much know where everyone is going to be since today marks the beginning of the second full week of practice.

    We all have to move on with what we have now. There’s a lot of talent around here and based on the articles we know where it is and now we can track down the other talented players.

    Several scrimmages coming up this week and we hope to have the full listings coming soon.

    Big games regular season early will be Dudley-WS Carver, Dudley-Ragsdale, Northern-Dudley, Grimsley-High Point Central and many, many more……

    Should be a very entertaining season and like a guy said on here last week, watch out for the Page Pirates. Thuc Phon might just be the fastest kid in the County when you take his return moves into consideration and Lay Lay Brown at Grimsley has been given the keys to the car and it is up to him drive the Whirlies with his option skills.(I’m thinking run first/pass second.)

    It will be hard to keep up with Northern will all that talent out there, but we will get some help out on that side of town and I talked to Southeast today and they are doing morning workouts and I’m beginning to wonder if WG and NWG will be bringing a full load to the table.

    Is Smith ready to play this year. Assistant coach Dennis White told me last week that the Golden Eagles are set to win at least half their games this year and they want in the playoffs. Big Six Jamboree for them this Saturday…….High Point Central has Drew Adams on offense(QB) and James Moorman on defense(NG).

    Other teams, it’s coming soon with all the action breaking hard-line later this week.

    Overall, I don’t think the fans like Northern Guilford football per say, but they do respect the talent level and skills of their players. Nobody can dispute the talent level and those overall skills of the Nighthawks. I just get the feeling that after all that has happened out there, the overall collection of Guilford County fans do not like their program.

    We will talk more as the pre-season unfolds and good luck in practice to all our Guilford County teams with all of this heat, humidity, and the hits you be dishing out and taking.

  8. No one is knocking the kids. They all should be congratulated for their talent and hard work. I think most people have.

    Robert, it’s the home leadership that can be questioned. Mo is just cleaning it up. He may miss some situations but he has made great strides to clean this mess up.

  9. the academy at Dudley is a big one he missed, they have kids from all over the county. Page didn’t seem to remember where King lived until he decided to go somewhere else. He was there for two years before they where able to remember and turn themselves in, Hmn? Sounds a little self serving. Hey Did the pitcher from western guilford that lives in the page district but uses his grandparents address off of West Ridge, did he get caught? I could go on all night. But ask Mo? Everything is Debatable. What a bunch of crap? And Jill Wilson what a joke. No wonder she is working for the city, couldn’t make in the real world!

  10. pat, you speak of facts you do not know. you really think that if it was that obvious for page, they wouldnt have gotten in trouble for something. the state investigated too buddy. get over it.

  11. This is just for the Page haters and for the people who want to question the integrity of every living breathing coach around Guilford County…If you think you could be a better coach at any one of the schools that you keep bashing on here, then by God do it or shut the hell up…I’m tired of all you whiney azz babies that get on here and cry like little girls about this kid lived here and this kid lived there…This coach is crooked or this coach screwed the hell out of this kid…I’m so sick of watching you people write the same S*#* over and over and over again…You spend more time trying to bad mouth and ruin reputations of people who you know nothing about…Good families and good people get bad mouthed on here for no reason…If you want to know more about the coaches, so that you can stop running your big fat traps, then show up to any school and get to know the coach…Form your own damn opinions and not from what you have heard about them…You all are a bunch of mindless lab rats who get brain washed from someone in the community who has a bone to pick with one of these coaches…

    For the record, I hope that Gabe goes on and does well…Being the #1 recruit in the state is a good accomplishment for him, and he will get a chance to go on and play football for a good college…So, let Gabe be and let him move on, so that he can put this stuff behind him…

    Now for Pat and Question, you both are mindless wits that can’t think for your damn selves…I do know the story, and I’ll share it with you…You hear something from your “reliable” source and you believe it like its gospel…If you want to know the truth…Well, the Page coaches were cleared of any wrong doing…Point blank, they were investigated by every single county and state representative, and all that came out of this was that the address forms were forged…As for your question about the previous two years, well, the kid lived in Page’s district, so there was no issue you nim wit…It wasn’t until his junior year that he forged his sister’s address at Pigsah Church road…So, I’m sure you still think you know it all…Go ahead and believe this crap that everyone tells you…I know all of the coaches personally at Page, and they are good people and good coaches…Don’t believe, well, ask any one of the 120 kids that has come out to practice and see what answer you get about these Page coaches…Also, I know some of the other coaches from other schools that you like to bash on here as well, and they are good folk too…

    I don’t ask for you to support the team I cheer for, but I do ask that you have a mind of your own and possibly get to know some of these coaches before you decide to jump on here and bad mouth them…

  12. Someone needs to get Page fan a cup of coffee this am. He(or she) is a little fired up this am. (wink). Does make some good points though. Too many people come on and just run people down without the facts.

  13. Andy, Northern athletes will have to prove themselves like any other group of players in the area. They have yet to play against real competition. They have skill players but no linemen. How will they be able to compete against Dudley, NE, Page , and others w/o linemen. We will see what happens. You are right, alot of people dont like Northern’s program because they cheated to get the players they have. The coach is a cheat and the parents are also. Check Norwood from Ragsdale, and Presley from Northeast. They coach the kids that are there. They have the best programs in Guilford County. They have good kids and they control their programs to the point that parents will not try and ship their kids there.

  14. The kid in question was kicked off for being an idiot. Skipping practice multiple times, coming late and yes some when he was at tutoring but other times when he was seen leaving the school and claiming to be at tutoring. He caused trouble in the locker room and did as he wanted on the field and not how he was coached to the detriment of the team. He also was kicked out of a game and a half for coming off the sidelines and onto the field to start a fight in the RJ Reynolds game. If that isn’t enough to kick a kid off what is. Give it a rest the kid will never make it in college UNLESS he changes his character and ways……………………………..

  15. There were some issues that the kid had, and I know the Page coaches and they just want the kid to move forward and wish him luck. There were a variety of reasons that lead to his dismissal from the team and because of those reasons things could not get worked out between him and Page; however, I do believe that people need to just let Page move forward with the players that want to be there and also let Gabe move forward where ever he ends up. I will defend the Page coaches until I’m blue in the face, because I know what happened. I seen what happened, and I seen why the dismissal was enforced; however, I see no need in broadcasting these reasons unless the Page coaches come under attack, or if their integrity is questioned again. There is no need to keep this thing going. It will work out for both parties in the end and that is what matters.

  16. I cannot believe adults are on here making comments like no one in the county likes Northern! “they cheated to get the players they have” WHAT?!?!? The investigation is over. Please think of the kids who are working hard and had nothing to do with what happened. Everyone is welcome to come and watch the football team play. It will be a great year for all the high school teams. Only you can stop the hate. PURPLE PRIDE!

  17. Northern had 12 athletes/people associated with athletics charged with being out of district with not changing voter registration being the main reason for the subsequent charges and rulings. That’s pretty flimsy, but my guess is that the parents were threatened with “voter fraud” . I would be willing to be that there are many people who would be guilty based on these criteria at other schools, so I think we should drop the whole thing, quit calling people cheats when they may not have had any idea.

  18. PETA must be very upset about the dead horses getting a beating on here! It’s over. Let the kids move on, all of them.

  19. OPPENHEIMER you say:

    “They have skill players but no linemen. How will they be able to compete against Dudley, NE, Page , and others w/o linemen. We will see what happens. You are right, alot of people dont like Northern’s program because they cheated to get the players they have. The coach is a cheat and the parents are also”

    EVERY BIT OF THAT is B***S***, including them having no lineman…they’ll have just as many as the other schools you mentioned…

    it’s people like you feeling self important and chiming in stoking the fires and causing yourself and others to buy into what you would LIKE to believe, rather than what is, that is perpetuating a very bad situation. There are a ton of good kids, parents, faculty, coaches and others associated w/ Northern that are being thrown to the wolves here.

    Northern is a brand new school the whole county has turned their back on, believe it or not it has not been a bed of roses since the school was formed, especially for the kids who have been living it since it started…IT’S A NEW SCHOOL. DID YOU EVER THINK THAT IT MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME TO GET IT RIGHT? Maybe with a little more polished support from the county, I mean a new school like this hasn’t opened up in like 30 years?

    This whole thing could of and should been handled with a lot more understanding from the school administration and school board, rather than a scorch the earth policy that has done nothing but fuel the hate.

  20. Page coaches lied. they are cowards, and no different then the people who lied at northern. I wouldn’t let my kid play for Page if the coaches are the cowardly. Also Page turned down the northern game Andy. Guess is a smart move for them. Page fan you are just ignorant, and stupid. Page has been recruiting way back when Bob Dunn Sr gave parents jobs to move into the district. Then Page named the stadium after the coach. you know whats funny. the Dunn kids now go to northern. Why not support Page. Bunch of cowards!

  21. I knew alot of the kids that played for Kirby. He was a class act and I know personally he would have never allow anything like that to happen. He was the kind of coach that could take your kids and win or take his kids and win. Michael Foster was one of the most talented QB’S to pick up a football at page, and he decided to focus on Basketball(started at point guard for South Carilona) what did Kirby do. He started two soph. Stafford Moser and Todd Ellis and went to the state championship game and lost a heart breaker. You might have a point with whats up at page now, but Kirby ran more “Great Atheletes” off for bad attitudes then most teams had that he coached. I went to school with alot of the “Great Atheletes” the didn’t make it out of Two a Days!

  22. Question,

    You are a joke dude…Plain and simple, you are a pure loser…Trust me, Page has 120 kids better than your son, so they don’t need him…There is no coach in Guilford county who would want to put up with a sorry parent like you anyways…So, stay up in the stands and watch your son play the pine no matter where ever he goes…Maybe you could give your son a blow up doll, so he would have something to play with on the sidelines…Poor buddy!

    By the way, no one cares what happened way back when…I’ve spoken to Marion Kirby, and he is a great guy…I enjoyed speaking to him, and there is no reason to drag his name through the mud…But, I will say this, and that is that you will never see the Page coaches out there recruiting people now, and especially since the present regime has been there…The coaches that are there are great people…A good group of guys who seem to get along real well…Hopefully, those guys can stick together for years to come to help those kids grow into good young adults and teach them something about football…I know these guys personally…Its obvious that you don’t, because if you did, there is no way you would be saying this…Alma Pinnix Drive…Show up…Talk with the coaches…Get to know them…I doubt you will, because you seem to have more enjoyment sitting behind your computer trying to pick on people who you know nothing about…That my friend is why you are a real loser…

    As for Northern, well, they are headed in the right direction now, so people should quit trying to bring that program too…They will be fine in a few years…They cleaned house like they needed to, and now they can move forward with the players and coaches that they have…Good luck Northern!

  23. Kirby? Fact is it just didn’t happen. And why does it bother you that Page named the stadium after coach Kirby? He won 3 state Titles, had a 47 game unbeaten streak, is in the Guilford County and NC Hall of fame. Who do you think Grimsley or Smith named their stadium after? Former coaches. That was 29 years ago. I defend your right to defend NG but Kirby? And why bring Dunns grandkids in it? Yes, his son played at Page and his Grandkids may be at Northern. Why you ask? Bobby got married and moved out of the house 20 years ago. Duh! You have made some strong and very personal accusations here. Be careful. If your only defense is to attack people that were around 30 years ago, well, you don’t have a defense.

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