The season is just around the corner and we will continue to break in on the preseason and the off-season workouts with more and more names to be keeping in mind, as the season approaches….
We need to start coming up with a top five player list from each school in the county and it won’t be all that easy with the key names that have come and gone from last year….
Last year was pretty easy, you cloesed your eyes and the names began to roll off your tongue and the list of top players came pretty quickly….James Summers, Drew Rogers, Blake Hickman, DJ Reader, Brock and Clayton Stadnik, Daniel Downing, Jamie Cunningham, Matt Pawlowski, Jacob McCann….There’s ten names for you from last year just like that…..
If we could come up with five key names from each school we would have a Top 75 player list, but before we can do all of that, we probably need to be looking at a Top 25 from Guilford County…..Those ten names above are all gone and we could add others right quick that are gone, but we will move on with this year’s list, as we head toward the season and as the days get closer to the first game of the season, we can keep on adding names and we will eventually hit our Top 75 goal….
Looking at a list to begin with for this season….
TJ Logan(Northern Guilford) Top returning player in the County and could become the top player in the entire state…..
Austin Coltrane(Northern Guilford) One of the Top DB’s in the state…..Another in our area is Brock Deatheridge at Western Alamance….Deatheridge has unheard of speed and guess what???? So does Logan and they play each other this year…..Coltrane is a super cover man and great tackler….Burney Sindab and Ryan Dirks other NG possibilities???
Jordan Putnam(Page)….Page had the top QB in the area last year and they might have the best again this year with Putnam…Have followed his career for three years and you won’t believe some of the things this kid can do….Kind of like having Todd Ellis and following him up with Jeff Dunn….
Grant Brewer(Page) LB who could also play DE and has been a top tackler for Page over the past two seasons….Really knows his role and plays it well….
Lorenzo Featherstone(Page) So much potential and untapped talent in this young man’s body, most people don’t know where to start….Could have the needle moving in a big way, as he continues to develop…..
Reid Baxter(Norhtwest Guilford)…. Reid has the speed and he can do it from the runningback spot, or as a return man and many times he can change the game quicker from his return poistion as a KR, than he can as a RB….Baxter is a small bundle and could be on his way to big season…Seems to have good recovery time, after long runs, ready to go again real soon….
Anthony Harding(NWG) Tall back who can score…Has posted a good load of TD’s for NWG going all the way back to his JV days and NWG has not lost a JV football game in 4-plus years…..
Andrew Ritz(NWG) Ritz is a pure/true athlete who can QB, Punt, play DB and return punts and kicks….The key for Andrew at QB for NWG is, the kid can run and run and run….Ritz has the football instinct that you can not teach and he is originally from Texas and that tells you something right there…Pure football blood to the bone…..
We will start adding more details about the players over the next few days, so keep on coming back for more….Here are more names for now….This installment may take a while and we are there as always, the Pulse of Guilford County Football…Remember, I played it and was raised on it and I can still outrun all of the Guilford County players with exception of Logan….I was out in that 100 degree heat running 40’s last Saturday afternoon….You got no other media dogs doing that daddy….But we are here to build names and not to add to my legacy and lore, although the lore sometimes needs a lift/push….
Justin Johnson(High Point Central)
Germaine Pratt(High Point Central)
Jeremie Foggie(High Point Central)
Will Johnson(High Point Central)
******That’s five names from HP Central and we only need one more name to finish our five name list…..JJ QB and WJ punter and the other two WR….
Coalson Herndon(Ragsdale)
Duncan Sparks(Ragsdale)….Duncan should be one of the top-rated LB’s in the state and he reminds me of the old Oakland Raider, ‘The Stork’, Ted Hendricks….Sparks suffered an injury and had surgery in the off-season and is he fully recovered, we will find out soon enough…..
Richard Hayes(Dudley) Dudley is an unknown commodity with the exception of Hayes, their QB…For the rest of the Panthers????? One other name I keep hearing is that of Chris Register….Register is DE or LB…….
Jake Simpson(Grimsley)…Plenty of concussions and broken bones in recent years and now a junior and it is his time to shine and he needs some protection and the Whirlies should have some beefy young linemen, but can they move quick enough to protect if the QB breaks out of the pocket….I want to see and find out how much time the kids are spending in the weight room these days….I keep on hearing about the 7 on 7’s and gameplan installments for the offense and defense, but I’m not hearing about kids staggering out of the weight room after two-three hour sessions like we had back in the day……We will find out soon enough if these gentlemen can protect…..The coaches used to say, “Ladies are you ready to get to work” and that was always good for few extra hits like you were trying to kill somebody, right after the coach hit you with that comment….We have been working our butts off for 2 hours or more and you are calling us “Ladies”????? Somebody is going to pay, so let’s go hit the other team for a while and take it out on them….
Malik Mosely(Southern Guilford)…We will add more on this area soon, but this could well be your ‘Sleeper Team’…..The Southern Guilford Storm…..Nobody expecting much out of them and they could get 2,500 yards from Mosley and move right past NEG and others out there in the Mid-Piedmont Conference…..Coach Daryl Brown has a strong football background, with his granddad C.K. Siler and that is good for a win or two every year….
Jamal Petty(Southeast Guilford)…Could lead all Guilford County backs….That is if Logan were to have an off-year…..Petty should be good for 2,000-plus yards and he was at 1,500 and 20-plus TD’s last year…Write down the name Jamal Petty and this could be the year of the RB in Guilford County….Logan, Petty, Mosley, Baxter and whomever lines up back there for Page, the Pirates have a large/huge offensive line and they return experienced offensive linemen…..
Will Greene(Southeast Guilford) Big kid and he runs strong from his QB spot and should be ready to lead this year and when you have Petty back there, that opens up some things for your SEG QB WG, Will Greene….
Last year was the ‘Year of the Quarterback’ in Guilford County(Summers, Cunningham, Pawlowski, Downing, Thompson, etc.) and this year may well be the ‘Year of the Runningback’, in Guilford County…..
*****I think I have 20 names on this list and I need five more to give me my early Top 25…..*****
I think I have three names from Western Guilford that will work…
Tray Miller(WG)…..Saw this kid in one game last year and he was almost like a one-man wrecking crew…Can run and intercept…..
Dorian Anderson(WG)…Receiver and a good athlete….
Kedish Edwards(WG)…Another good receiver and strong athlete and WG has these, but WG needs a QB….Bring back Austin Proehl…..
*****I’ve been working and I still need more names for this list and it is now past the break time and I am out, so you can come in and pick up where I have left off….*****
The promising Sophomore who is looking to challenge Will was last year’s JV starting QB….Bubba. On any football team, especially one that runs the ball as much as SEG, offensive line play/run blocking will be crucial. These young men have to step up big time for this program to reach its maximum potential. Some names should be hearing quite often this year are Cameron Neese OL, Sterling Brooks moving from Safety to LB, Barry Harris S, and Chase Robertson TE. If I misspelled a name, I apologize.
I agree Damon, if this SE team plays to its max potential, gonna be tough to beat! Thanks for the info as always…… I will be at some games this year checking out those falcons. Gotta say though, Havelock looks like the team to beat…in any class. GL to all GC teams.
Vegas Mike
Rubin Crosby for High Point Central is one of, if not the top linebackers in the county.
I’m putting Dudley running back Edward Mosely (Malik’s cousin) on my Panther top 5 list.
Kid been waiting for his turn to shine and the time is now.Edward is a bull, likes to move the pile forward.
My kind of player. Keep your eye on this one.
Along with Sparks at LBer, Ragsdale returns Winston Craig at DT, Brian Nwokolo(Sp) at DE, Will Sams at DE as well as the X man Xavier Jones at DB and Marquez Eleazor at RB along . Colson Herndon offers another dimension at QB. WR corp is strong led by Brandon Walker. Tigers should have another good season. Defense should be strong. Development of the O-line will be key for the Tigers this year as the Tigers will need to run the ball as well as give Herndon time.
For Northwest look for jr. Keenan Scott is has flown under the radar but scored several touchdowns and big plays last yr for Jv
Andy since you say that Dudley is the unknown so let me fill you in just a little bit ! TOP 5 players for Dudley!
1.Chris Register 2.Albert Mclean 3. Richard Hayes 4.Spencer Abraham 5. Edward Moseley
edward Moseley finally gets his turn to carry the rock for the panthers! and he is everything you could want in a running back! he is very similar type of runner to his cousin malik at Southern Guilford! edward’s younger brother emmanuel, will also be a great player to watch this season as he is back on the football field after playing basketball all year for the panthers! look for emmanuel to back up richard hayes at Qb. and split out as a starting wide receiver for the panthers! Spencer Abraham will also finally get his chance to run the rock for the panthers after playing mainly linebacker for the panthers varsity squad since his sophomore year. the 6-1 205 pound rb/lb is a real treat to watch with the ball in his hands. richard hayes is back for his senior year after an all metro 4a conference performance his junior season! the Dual threat Qb is getting alot of Division 1 attention as an athlete and just pick up an offer from Navy last week. look for him to lead the panthers offensive attack as its his 3rd year under center for the panthers. BIG Albert Mclean can be summed up in one world = BEAST! the rising junior is one one the top defensive lineman in the area! bench pressing over 360 pounds already and shows every bit of it on the field! he cannot be block by one person! he requires atleast 2 people! ATLEAST! and the PLAYER TO WATCH is Mr. CHRIS REGISTER! the rising JUNIOR is a MANCHILD and will hit you straight in the mouth! the 6-4 225 pound linebacker is on everybody’s recruiting board and continues to get offers weekly! the stud 4 star junior linebacker came back in week 4 last year and really boosted the panthers defense! All the BIG BOY programs are after him and i know he camps at UNC & ALABAMA during July! the crimson tide have visited mr register numerous times during the year and expecting great things from him when he camps with the crimson tide in a couple weeks! the big question with chris register is how big will he get and will he eventually have to move to defensive end. his father is 6’8 and about 290 ponds so it looks like it he still has room to grow! the panther pups grew up alot last year and look for the panthers to make noise again this year in guilford county! all that youth for dudley is back and now has alot of game experience!
Carter Stanley a safety from Page and center piece of the pirate defense, this was a big player snubbed off the list!
Carter Stanley is a very good football player and a great kid too….He will be a big help to PAGE this year as he was last season…Not a real loud or over-bearing player, he just goes about his business and gets the job done, on a regular basis….
These letters and forums just tick me off. It’s just like Dudley being referred to as an Unknown, and Page being the glory team. WHO ARE YOU ANDY DURHAM? Making all these unfound remarks about school teams and belittling players. These players are REAL INDIVIDUALS. What did you play in school, the flute or were you on the chest team? Who are you to pick the top 5, 10, 15 or 25 players to watch. If you only follow Page, NEG, NWG & Northern how do you know what everyone else can or cannot do. Until you become fair and follow each school, you should not mention anything about top players, bottom players, top schools or bottom schools. Bottomline is…. these boys are reading your articles and these stupid comments, and then they get these negative attitudes all thanks to you, ANDY DURHAM.
Upset Parent: Who are you?
Andy Durham has covered High School Sports for over 30 years. His knowledge of local sports is currently UN-MATCHED by any one person in the area. I’ve seen him talk 70’s Sports and then talk about Junior High School prospects.
As for belittling players, Andy has one RULE here – talk smack about players/coaches/parents and you’re gone. He’s far more critical than I am when it comes to deleting such posts; we just don’t allow it.
That’s OK, I believe this is how Jim Rome got started….
Upset Parent,
Andy said, ‘WE need to come up with a list of possibly 5 names from each school.” In other words, he was asking for the readers help. You and Pirate Fan are complaining about players being snubbed. No one was snubbed. Andy is asking for you help in making this list. So submit the players you know of and let’s get this list started. You guys know your teams better than most because you follow them all the time. Andy, is just one man. He can’t be everywhere, but he does a good job of asking for help. So, help Andy out.