This week's coverage starts with the 2013 in-state commits and 2014 prospects as the North Carolina High School Athletics Association (NCHSAA) playoffs kicked off on Friday night. The North Carolina section looks at three verbal commits and two recruiting targets.[private]
Breon Borders [Statesville (10-1) versus Enka (5-6)]: Cornerback Borders intercepted a pass in the third quarter as Statesville advanced to the second round with a 65 - 12 rout of Enka. "We won big. They didn't throw to me at all, but I expected that," said Borders. "The one time they did throw it I intercepted it."
Quay Chambers [Monroe (8-3) versus Bishop McGuinness (5-6)]: Chambers threw two touchdown passes as Monroe blitzed McGuinness 69 - 0.
Bryon Fields [Charlotte Providence Day (7-4) at Country Day (9-1)]: Providence Day won 24 - 14, and cornerback Bryon Fields described his game performance as follows: "I had 200 plus yards of total offense with 190 on 13 carries, mostly out of Wildcat. And I had several tackles and a pass break-up on defense. We play Charlotte Christian next week for the private school State Championship."
Josh Cabrera [Jacksonville Northside (11-0) versus Croatan (6-4)]: Wide Receiver Cabrera caught two touchdown passes as Northside defeated Croatan 47 - 10. Overall, he had three receptions for 64 yards with the touchdowns covering 12 and 10 yards. Cabrera also caught a 2-point conversion pass after Northside's fourth touchdown.
Kendall Hinton [Southern Durham (6-4) versus Wilmington Hoggard (8-2)]: Quarterback Hinton threw two interceptions in Southern's Durham's 28-26 defeat at the hands of Hoggard. When added to a fumble and a missed PAT, there were just too many mistakes for Southern Durham to overcome. Their season ends at 6-5.
Back to your regular scheduled coverage:
In Virginia, Jake Kite and Evrett Edwards were in action attempting to help their teams secure spots in the upcoming VHSL playoffs.
Kite had a big game as Hidden Valley defeated Cave Spring 21 -12. He ran for a 20 yard touchdown on a reverse. "We earned a first round bye for getting the win last night," said Kite. "I had two rushes for 62 yards and nine tackles."
Woodbridge knocked off previously unbeaten Stonewall Jackson 17 - 7. "We beat the ninth ranked team in the state to clinch a playoff berth," commented Edwards. "I had an interception and three tackles."
Moving south to Florida, Johnell Barnes and his Dunbar teammates improved to 8-1 with a 35 - 0 victory over Booker, while T.J. Douglas led Fort Myers to a 48 - 7 win over Bishop Verot.
"It went well," Wide Receiver Barnes said. "We won 35 - 0. I had two catches for about 65 yards and a touchdown. I played quarterback mostly the whole fourth quarter. District champs."
Douglas and his Fort Myers teammates failed to qualify for the post season.
In Georgia, Walker improved to 9-0 on the season with a 20 - 3 win over Mount Paran Christian. Defensive Tackle Mike Ramsay was ejected from the game for a late hit out of bounds. He describes the play, "I had a couple of really nice tackles, but I got tossed...I ran the kid out and we were both falling - it was an awful call in the middle of the fourth quarter, but an amazing game."
Down in Texas, offensive lineman Sterling Korona and his Reagan (San Antonio) teammates defeated Churchill 37 - 24. "Our offensive line had a monster night," Korona said. "Our running back, Elijah Ball, had 330 yards and three touchdowns, and our quarterback had two touchdowns on the three or four passes he threw."
Also in Texas, offensive lineman Austin Davis and Mansfield prevailed 27 - 20 over Cedar Hills. Davis commented, "We have won four straight and are doing great as a team!"
Out west in California, wide receiver Darren Andrews and Bishop Amat fell to Notre Dame 49 - 28, while running back Joseph Ajeigbe and Norco defeated King 29 - 8.
In Pennsylvania, for the second week in a row, 2014 recruiting target Shai McKenzie rushed for six touchdowns. His Washington (PA) team defeated Shady Side Academy 47-12 in WPIAL Class AA playoff action.[/private]
Welcome back for another tour around our great country as Blue Devil Nation brings you up to speed on all the high school action from North Carolina to California and back.
"Big Plays" is the theme for this week's edition of Friday Night Lights. Duke 2013 verbal commits combined to return a punt for a touchdown, recover an onsides kick, and score a number of touchdowns on receptions and runs. A couple of 2014 targets had big performances as well.
Safety Jake Kite returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown as Hidden Valley (VA) shut out Christiansburg 28-0. Hidden Valley's record stands at 4-3 on the season. Kite commented after the game, "It went well. We played very good defensively. I had a 50 yard punt return for a touchdown."
Breon Borders recovered an onside kick to help Statesville (NC) secure a 37-27 victory over Alexander Central, and improve its record to 8-1. The Greyhounds rallied from a 27-20 deficit by scoring the game's final 17 points.
Ft. Myers (FL) Dunbar defeated Clewiston 40-30 to move to 6-1 on the season. After being named homecoming king before the game, Dunbar wide receiver Johnell Barnes caught a 13 yard touchdown pass in the 1st quarter . Blue Devil Nation congratulates Barnes on both successes. Barnes stated afterwards, "I had one catch for a touchdown. We mainly ran the ball."
Quarterback T.J. Douglas had a tough night as Fort Myers lost to South Fort Myers 14-3. Douglas completed only 3 of 13 passes for 35 yards, and threw two interceptions, while gaining just 40 yards rushing on 20 carries. With back-to-back district losses, to Island Coast and South Fort Myers, Fort Myers' (5-2) playoff hopes are in jeopardy.
In California, wide receiver Darren Andrews caught 10 passes for 130 yards and ran for two touchdowns, but Bishop Amat suffered its first loss of the season, falling to Alemany Mission Hills 56-35. Bishop Amat is now 5-1-1 on the year.
Also in Southern California, Norco fell to Centennial 38-37 on a field goal with three seconds remaining in the game. The final margin was due to a missed extra point. Norco running back JosephAjeigbe explained the end of game sequence: "We led the whole game. We were on the four yard line with 1:57 to go when an illegal motion set us back 10 yards. Coach decided to go for it on 4th down and we didn't get it. They drove down and kicked the field goal to win as time expired." Norco's record fell to 3-4.
Northern Nash (Rocky Mount, NC) fell to Southern Nash 33-7. Quay Mannreturned a kickoff 58 yards to the 24 yard line, but the ensuing drive sputtered due to penalties, and produced no points. Mann commented after the game, "We had a tough loss. I finished the night with 200+ all purpose yards and five tackles."
Defensive Tackle Mike Ramsay led a Walker School (Marietta, GA) defense that completely shutdown Fellowship Christian's offense in a 54-7 shellacking. Discussing the game, Ramsay stated, "It went well. We are still undefeated and I had a nice quarterback sack." Walker improved to 6-0 on the season.
Evrett Edwards ran for a 26 yard touchdown as Woodbridge (VA) upped its record to 5-2 by defeating Freedom 41-0. Edwards commented, "I had a pass broken up, three tackles, three catches for 38 yards, and four rushes for 47 yards."
Mansfield (TX) defeated previously unbeaten Midlothian 49-35. Mansfield offensive lineman Austin Davis commented, "We rushed for 375 yards and had 31 first downs. We dominated their defensive line and our defense stepped up big." Mansfield evened their record at 3-3.
In San Antonio, Texas, Reagan HIgh dropped a 24-21 decision to Madison. Reagan offensive lineman Sterling Korona explained, "We came back late...if we had two more minutes, we would have won. We were definitely the more physical team."
Wide Receiver Josh Cabrera caught a 15 yard touchdown pass and corralled two interceptions as Jacksonville (NC) Northside defeated Richlands 40-13.
Quarterback Kendall Hinton threw four touchdown passes in Southern Durham's 47-10 victory over East Chapel Hill. Overall, Hinton was 12-21 for 246 yards.
Tight End Avery Edwards caught a 15 yard touchdown pass, but Ravenscroft came up on the short end of a 17-14 final against North Raleigh Christian.
That is all for this week. Be sure and check back next week for another edition of Friday Night Lights here at Blue Devil Nation -- the number one site for Duke football coverage.
Duke recently hosted Texas OL Sterling Korona on an unofficial visit - Photo copyright Alamo Sports Photography
Back in March, BDN first introduced Duke fans to Sterling Korona, a 6'7" 250 pound offensive lineman from Ronald Reagan HS in San Antonio, Texas. Since then, he's seen his recruitment take off this spring, as schools from across the country have joined Duke in pursuit of the big lineman. The Blue Devils were able to host Korona on an unofficial visit in Durham last weekend, where they confirmed a verbal scholarship offer to the talented prospect. Offensive Line Coach Latina, who has produced multiple NFL linemen throughout his coaching career, already has two Texas linemen added to the program in 2012 signee Tanner Stone and 2013 commit Austin Davis. The Blue Devils would love to keep that Texas pipeline flowing, and made a strong impression on Korona last weekend.
[private]
BDN: Where do you stand with verbal scholarship offers and interest from schools?
I have received verbal offers from several schools. I did receive an offer from Duke during my visit last week. I have offers from schools in the PAC12, ACC, Big East, CUSA and WAC. I have been in communication with 3 Big 12 schools and a Mountain West school.
BDN: What schools have you visited so far? Have any coaches visited you this spring?
We actually only started to visit schools in the past couple of weeks, so far I have visited UTSA, University of Houston and Duke. We are in our first week of Spring Ball and I have had visits from TCU, Tulsa and Washington State so far.
BDN: How was your visit to Duke? What did you like or not like?
Duke is a special place. Coach Cutcliffe, Coach Roper, Coach Latina, the support staff and Alumni are rebuilding something special. Duke has great tradition and history and it would be a great privilege to be a part of that. The educational opportunities are incredible and the support for athletes as students is very good. There really was nothing that I didn't like, it was a great visit.
BDN: Do you have any other visits planned or in the works for this spring or summer?
We do have other visits planned for May and June. I am scheduling visits to Washington State and Tulsa right now and there are a few others that are in the works.
BDN: Have any schools stood out to you, either on a visit or because of your interaction with the coaching staff?
That’s a really hard question to answer. The process has made me aware of so many good schools and programs. Each has its strengths and advantages. Like I mentioned before, Duke is a special place and you just feel it when you walk around the campus. I have spoken to so many good coaches and people over the last few months it would take me a book to tell you everything that has stood out. I am so excited about having the opportunity to play at the next level and be considered by such good programs I am just trying to soak it all in.
BDN: When we last spoke, you mentioned planning to wait to evaluate all your options and making a decision near Signing Day. Is that still your timeline?
No, I don't think I am going to take that long to make a decision. The timeline my family and I are looking at would have me making visits in May and June and Committing some time this summer. The reason being, I have not forgot that right now and for the next year, I am a Ronald Reagan HS Rattler. Coach David Wetzel and the other coaches here are awesome and I want to go into my senior season focused on winning a 5A Texas State Championship. I think that having already made a commitment will help me relax and concentrate on having a great senior year and becoming a better player and student.
Coach Cutcliffe and the team will kickoff the festivities with the Blue Devil Walk at 11AM Saturday- BDN Photo
Are you ready for some football, Blue Devil Nation? Saturday afternoon will be your last chance until September 1st to see some Duke Football, so get your fill. The Blue Devils will take to the field on Saturday at 1PM in Wallace Wade Stadium for their annual spring game. BDN's Football Friday is here for your preview.
Logistics
First of all, highs in the upper 70s, with a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms. Should be a perfect spring day for some football if the rains miss the Methodist Flats. That also means a perfect day for some tailgating. Get there early, as the team will conduct the Blue Devil Walk at 11:00 AM. Team BDN will be there in full force, so be sure to say hi. Here's the information on the parking situation. Bring your wallets, even though admission is free (stadium gates open at 11:15), as there will be plenty of opportunities to get your Blue Devil gear, as well as stuff your face with Chick-fil-a, Domino's, and Blue Devil Concessions. Oh, and the most important reason to bring your wallet is to purchase your 2012 season tickets. Ticket office reps will be on hand and help you pick your exact seats. Try before you buy. The game kicks off at 1PM and Coach Cutcliffe will address the crowd during halftime of the scrimmage. Spring practice awards will also be announced at halftime.
TE Issac Blakeney has had a big spring for the Blue Devils
Scouting the Blue Devil Offense
The Duke offense will feature a number of familiar faces, but it's likely to be the unfamiliar ones who will make an impression on Saturday. We all know what Conner Vernon is capable of at wide receiver, but as he's been limited due to injury this spring, expect to see a lot of Blair Holliday and Jamison Crowder, both of whom have had very strong spring performances. Nick Hill is another young face who appears ready to contribute, and Corey Gattis and Tyree Watkins add a veteran presence to the receiving corps. With Jack Farrell and Braxton Deaver sidelined with injuries, the Blue Devils had concerns at wide receiver heading into spring practice. Coming out of spring practice, tight end is no longer a concern, and you'll likely see why as Issac Blakeney and David Reeves are sure to impress.
Up front, the Duke offensive line returns all but graduating senior Kyle Hill, and that continuity should benefit the Blue Devil offense. This group has improved each year under Coach Cutcliffe, and they're looking to take a big step forward this fall under new OL Coach John Latina. Expect to see a few holes opened for the likes of the now healthy Josh Snead and last year's leading rusher Juwan Thompson, who have seen the majority of carries with senior Desmond Scott nursing injury. If that trio isn't impressive enough for you, the Blue Devils will add two more big-time running backs in just a few months, as Jela Duncan and Shaquille Powell will push for early playing time.
Am I forgetting something? Ah, yes, quarterback. While Peyton Manning had been a fixture in the Duke practice facilities this offseason, he will not be taking snaps under center for the Blue Devils on Saturday. Sean Renfree remains entrenched as the starter, and he's had yet another good spring running the Duke offense. While much of spring practice is situational, Renfree has shown the ability to get the ball downfield, averaging 15.7 yards per completion in the last scrimmage. But Renfree's old news, right? Coach Cutcliffe and the Duke staff have been looking at ways to get guys like Brandon Connette and Anthony Boone more involved in the offense, and they've done well with running the ball and catching the ball in some unique schemes. But don't get too excited. Knowing the Duke coaching staff, the Blue Devils are unlikely to show off anything particularly new or exciting on Saturday, so we'll all just have to wait until the fall. Expect to see Connette, Boone, and freshman Thomas Sirk take several snaps under center in relief of Renfree; all have taken big steps forward in their command of the offense this spring.
Ross Cockrell has developed into a shutdown corner for the Blue Devils
Scouting the Blue Devil Defense
Somehow, it seems that Duke has had a perpetually young defense the past few years, and that remain the case this spring, though they are overall more experienced. The losses of Matt Daniels and Charlie Hatcher will be the biggest voids to fill, and there are a number of candidates looking to contribute. Up front, Duke will be without their top pass-rushers Saturday in Kenny Anunike and Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo, but will feature much of the same group of athletic ends we saw a year ago, led by Justin Foxx, Dezmond Johnson, and Jamal Wallace. Sydney Sarmiento, Jamal Bruce, and Nick Sink are likely to see the majority of time on the inside up front. The defensive line continues to improve under Coach Petri and has the benefit of going up against a big and experienced offensive line in practice.
At linebacker, the Blue Devils will be without Kelby Brown for the foreseeable future, but expect sophomore David Helton to continue to impress. The redshirt is off for Kelby's younger, but bigger, brother Kyler, and it appears that a nose for the football is in their genes. Austin Gamble is the lone upperclassman, though sophomores C.J. France and Jon Woodruff have some experience. And before you get down on the Blue Devil linebackers, keep in mind that stud recruits Keilin Rayner and Deion Williams will be on campus in just a few months.
Coach Knowles' 4-2-5 scheme relies heavily on the secondary, and the emergence of Ross Cockrell as a shutdown corner is key. He'll be joined by senior Lee Butler at cornerback, though youngsters Jared Boyd and Tim Burton will see time. The leader of the secondary this year is most likely to be leading returning tackler Walt Canty, though hard-hitting Jordon Byas has also turned some heads with August Campbell sidelined this spring. Newcomers to look for at safety include the hard-working Chris Tavarez, Britton Grier, transfer Jeremy Cash, and former WR Brandon Braxton. All should see snaps on Saturday and overall, this group has some of the best playmakers on the defensive side.
Scouting the Blue Devil Special Teams
Will Monday. That's about all you need to know. With Will Snyderwine and Alex King now graduated, Monday has handled all of the punting and kicking duties this spring, and handled them well. By the fall, incoming freshman Ross Martin may challenge him for the placekicking duties, but expect to see Monday handle the punting for the next four years in Durham. On the return side, Jamison Crowder remains the Blue Devils' top threat, but he'll be joined by incoming freshman DeVon Edwards this fall, who took more than a few kicks to the house during his high school career. In all likelihood, getting to see Monday punt and kick should be a refreshing sight for Blue Devil fans and the only real highlight on special teams Saturday.
Recruiting still sizzling
Who are all those people with lanyards and nametags? That would be the dozens of high school prospects and their families who will be on campus this weekend to take in the Blue Devil program. Several members of the Duke class of 2012 will be on hand Saturday, and they'll be joined by a huge group of future prospects. With 3 commitments already on board in 2013, the coaching staff is flying high on the trail and will have in some of their top targets in this class, including a handful considered among the nation's elite. Coach Cutcliffe and his staff work on recruiting every single day, and this weekend will be no exception. And just like the staff, we follow the recruiting trail here at BDN, so be sure to check out some of our recent interviews with the likes of TE Nathan Marcus, and OL Sterling Korona, and of course lots more to come. Don't be surprised if the Blue Devils hear more good news by the end of this weekend.
In case you haven't figured it out already, Blue Devil Nation is the place to be for Duke Football fans. We cover the team year-round, and would love to have you join our growing BDN Premium community. We can't wait to see you all in Wallace Wade Stadium this Saturday. WE ARE DUKE.
Duke is the first to offer Texas OL Sterling Korona - Photo copyright Alamo Sports Photography
Are the Blue Devils building a pipeline of offensive linemen from Texas? Last year, the Blue Devils signed an athletic offensive line prospect from the state of Texas in 6'6" 255 pound Tanner Stone. Over this past weekend, Duke added another big Texan in 6'4" 295 pound Austin Davis. Offensive Line Coach Latina is hoping to keep the pipeline flowing and add another top prospect from the state in 6'7" 250 pound Sterling Korona from Reagan High School in San Antonio. The hard-working offensive line prospect is receiving plenty of interest from Big 12 schools, but recently picked up his first scholarship offer from the Blue Devils. BDN checked in with Sterling to find out more about his recruitment. [private]
BDN: How would you describe your strengths as a player?
In terms of my strength, I think some of my biggest strengths are that I’m very technical with everything I do. Everything is technique, technique, technique. The better technique you have, the better it works out for your strengths and weaknesses, it comes with the technique, as long as you have better technique, it strengthens everything. In terms of what I want to bring to the college level, I think I can bring my work ethic, I pride myself on it. I think with work ethic, everything can be gained through work ethic as long as you keep working and keep getting stronger, everything will get better with time and if you keep working at it, you’ll be in good shape.
BDN: What are you working on this offseason as you prepare for your senior year?
My biggest things are gaining weight, getting stronger and faster. Improving the bond between my teammates and me, just working on getting a strong bond and a strong team together, hoping to make a bigger run than we did last year. My biggest things that I’m working on now are just my strength, my quickness, and my overall size and mass.
BDN: As you approach your college decision, what are the most important things you are looking for in a school?
Well, it all comes first with education. The better the education, the more I’m inclined to look into a school as someplace I want to go. And then obviously, great with football. Some of the biggest things are like when I’ve talked with Coach Roper, he’s been very helpful with me, he’s been a great guy, he’s always willing to answer any questions I have and help me with anything I need. Having a great support system around, it just really helps you.
BDN: Where do you stand with offers and interest from schools now?
I have received interest from Texas State, [Texas] A&M, Texas Tech, UTSA, Houston, Kansas State Illinois, Yale, Princeton, basically that’s some of them. Duke has offered me and others have been talking about it and others have been implying it. But mostly Duke has told me that they’ve offered me and they want to get me up there. With some other schools it’s the same, but mostly Duke is the biggest of all of them right now.
BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit?
I’ve visited Texas Tech and [Texas] A&M. I’m going to visit UTSA, Houston in a few days, probably Kansas State and some other Big 12 schools, but those are just a few.
BDN: You’re obviously in the heart of Big 12 country in Texas. How much of a factor will location be when you make your decision?
Well, we’ve always been very family-oriented, but if the opportunity presents itself and the scholarship is there and the academics is there and the athletics is there, I’ll be inclined to go wherever I feel I have the best opportunity.
BDN: It’s still early in the process, but are there any schools that have stood out to you at this point, or do you have a rough ranking in your head?
I think Duke has to be number one at this point. I’d probably put Houston next, followed by Texas Tech and Texas A&M and then UTSA.
BDN: Do you have a timeline in mind for when you plan to narrow things down or make your final decision?
Well, to me I think it would probably be better for me to visit with people, see all the sides from people in my family and stuff like that, probably would be better for me to wait closer to Signing Day to bring all the facts and all the situations together and then make the best decision.
This week's coverage starts with the 2013 in-state commits and 2014 prospects as the North Carolina High School Athletics Association (NCHSAA) playoffs kicked off on Friday night. The North Carolina section looks at three verbal commits and two recruiting targets.[private]
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