Tigers defensive about building on success

CHAPEL HILL -- Nothing matches a good playoff run to get momentum going.

"Things are going extremely well right now," Chapel Hill High School football coach Issac Marsh said after opening preseason practices at CHHS. "The guys are enthusiastic and working hard."

The Tigers are coming off a 2007 season that ended with a four-game winning streak and a run to the NCHSAA state 4-A quarterfinals.

More than 50 players showed up for the first official day of practice -- slightly more varsity and slightly fewer freshmen and sophomore players, compared to last summer. Even the reduced JV numbers don't faze Marsh, since only 16 showed up last year before the Tigers grew to 30 by season's end.

And those returning upperclassman include some all-star candidates. The best news Marsh received on opening day was the return of gifted quarterback Jon Haus, who many speculated might be missing after his father stopped serving as lacrosse head coach at UNC.

"He's a real general on the field," Marsh said. "He has a great mind for the game, knows our scheme and how it works."

Not only did the rising CHHS senior return for his final season, his younger brother, sophomore Will Haus, has moved up to the No. 2 quarterback slot. Dylan Farrington will be No. 3.

But it's the CHHS defense that might attract the most attention this year. The front line returns intact, anchored firmly by North Carolina recruit Jared McAdoo and rising junior Robert Crisp, who stole the limelight at last spring's Nike Camp at UNC by being rated as the Southeast's top defensive line prospect.

Crisp is the lone junior on the CHHS defensive line, surrounded by seniors Keegan Ray, Atlas Fraley, Rodney Torain and McAdoo. Each of them returns bigger and stronger from a 2007 season in which they held their last five opponents to 13.6 points a game.

"There's no question our defense really came through last year and that it should be one of our strengths this year," Marsh said.

Marsh's biggest concerns are the numbers of inexperienced players at many of the skill positions. He will have back two receivers with good experience -- Drew Stoltz and Farrington -- but he needs more. Even after the transfer of mainstay back C.J. Washington, CHHS has returning players expected back with potential at running back or receiver, such as Justin Giersbrook, Nick Holland, Josh Morrison, Steven Moore, Johnny Burks, Kyle Duffy, Pete Singer, Shaynon Peppers, Daniel and Dovey Watson, Abdur-Rahman Hassan, Christian Strong and Russell Suitt. But few in that long list had many touches on the ball last year, and many of them will be drafted into defensive roles, so Marsh will consider even more inexperienced players like Winston Washington at positions like running back.

"They are all very talented, but green," Marsh said.

Carrboro ready to graduate to next level

CARRBORO -- Jaguar head coach Jason Tudryn recently showed his football players film from their first scrimmage.

Not this summer's first practice game. The new school's first scrimmage, ever, from August 2007 against Roanoke Rapids. Just 10 plays on offense and 10 on defense.

"They all laughed," Tudryn said.

"They were shocked. They couldn't believe what it was like. They've learned so much and come so far since then, they couldn't even recognize themselves."

The 2008 Jaguars barely resemble Carrboro's first football team, which completed a varsity schedule without a single senior and precious few juniors on the roster. Bigger, stronger and, above all, more experienced, they have high hopes for improvement this fall.

"We definitely have back all of our major contributors from last year," Tudryn said.

"The Monday after our last game last year, 20 guys showed up in the weight room and went right back to work," he said. "We had 32 guys in the weight room the morning of our first practice this summer. The level of commitment and dedication is just outstanding."

The biggest and strongest of the Jaguars includes 6-4, 255-pound lineman Brandon Hunter, who was named All-Conference in the Mid-State 2-A as one of the rare Carrboro juniors last season. His performance at team camp in Boone this summer drew an immediate offer on the spot from host (and three-time FCS national champion) Appalachian State University. James Madison followed suit soon after.

Another member of Carrboro's first senior class, running back and receiver David Brooks, represents more than a third of Carrboro's total offense returning from 2007. He rushed for 1,036 yards and 14 touchdowns in just nine games.

Still young as a sophomore, starting quarterback Derek Bryant returns after compiling 1,188 yards passing and 14 TDs as a freshman.

"Derek Bryant has had a great summer, and now is building himself into being a great high school quarterback," Tudryn said.

Bryant spent much of last year just trying to escape onrushing defenders. Most teams were able to take advantage of Carrboro's dearth of upperclassmen.

Just as bad, other Mid-State schools took advantage of Carrboro's inexperience with the league's scheduling and front-loaded the Jaguars with conference opponents, the best teams first. Their first three games in high school competition were against NCHSAA playoff teams, beginning with shutout losses against Graham's Red Devils and the then-defending state champions of Burlington Cummings.

Carrboro gradually closed the gap on its 2007 competition, and ended the year with a win at The Carlisle School of Virginia. The still-young Jaguars hope that all the hard knocks they took in the school's inaugural year will pay off this season.

"The kids all have their heads in the right spot," Tudryn said. "One thing I can't fault them for is their commitment and all their hard work.

"It's not about the wins and losses. But they've come so far is just one year, they've committed themselves so much to getting better, they can't help but improve."

Wildcats hard at work, having fun

CHAPEL HILL -- Darian Harris has recovered from his first paintball experience, and he certainly won't forget it.

When he took members of his East Chapel Hill football team to a paintball course outside of Greensboro last month, he didn't know what he was getting into. Never a big paintball enthusiast, he knew he didn't want to get shot.

"Anyone who shoots me has to run a hard yard," he told his team.

That's nothing to sneeze at. A "hard yard" is a 110-yard sprint, followed by running backward 110 yards, followed by a 110-yard bear crawl on all fours.

Naturally, within seconds of putting on his goggles, Harris felt gooey paint coming off the top of his head. He demanded to know who tagged him. Wide receiver and team captain Johnny Armstrong reluctantly raised his hand.

"Everybody cracked up," said Harris. "There was a feeling that, if somebody shot the coach, it was a badge of honor."

Armstrong never has run his hard yard because he's earned advanced credit. He may have given Harris his starting quarterback.

At East Chapel Hill, getting football players is an uphill battle. Past head coaches have deputized assistants for in-house recruiting, only to be met with indifference.

But seniors like Armstrong and James Whitney took it upon themselves to get out the support this year. Armstrong, in particular, spent the winter and spring urging Malcolm Huntington-Meath to return to football this year.

Huntington-Meath played quarterback for the East junior varsity team two years ago, but stayed away from the gridiron last year to concentrate on baseball.

Before school ended, Armstrong anxiously informed Harris that Huntington-Meath was back.

"I say 'thank you' to Johnny every day for that," said Harris. "He's earned it."

With good reason. Harris' top starter behind center last year, Robert Moore, has graduated. Backup Ethan Keyserling suffered a shoulder injury that hampers his ability to throw the ball and has been relegated to strictly punting duties, if any.

Harris knew that East was, and still is, a rebuilding program. But he's certainly familiar with that. As a wide receiver at Hillside High School, he was around a program that spent years struggling. He got on the ground floor at Hillside at the right time. Behind Coach James Lillie and stars like Reggie Love, Antonio King and Kevin Dark, the Hornets spent years as the top challenger to Northern Durham in the PAC-6 conference.

But Harris never forgot the lighter moments. Like when the team bus broke down on the way to Wilmington New Hanover on the way to a 1993 playoff game.

"You would think we would be all uptight," said Harris. "But the bus with the band and the cheerleaders passed us and started laughing, and we were all joking about it."

Once they finally arrived (at 9:15 p.m.), Harris caught three touchdowns as the Hornets advanced to the second round.

Now, Harris has Lillie along as an assistant, and the lighter moments are what he enjoys as he continues to try and build East football.

-- Jeff Hamlin, Correspondent