FOOTBALL TAB: Eastern Wayne set standard among ECC 3A teams last season

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 22, 2014 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Eastern Wayne set a higher standard for future teams and its Wayne County brethren during the 2013 season.

But the Warriors feel empty from that record-setting campaign. There's neither a conference nor an eastern regional championship to show for their efforts.

"The big thing we've talked about is we had a good year, but we didn't win nothing," sixth-year EW head coach Bubba Williams said. "We did get some wins, but at the end, we had no title and that's what we're going after this year."

Williams' squad started 5-0 for the first time not only during his tenure on the sidelines, but in program history, too. The veteran coach said the highly-competitive and physical Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference undoubtedly prepared his team for the postseason.

Until last fall, the Warriors had gone three-plus decades without a playoff victory. Now they have four.

ECC coaches predicted Eastern Wayne will finish fourth in the league this season behind New Bern, J.H. Rose and D.H. Conley. Two coaches boldly stated Williams' team could wind up as high as second.

"If we get out there and keep everybody healthy, we've got a chance," said Williams, whose career record is 27-31. "If we get some early injuries and we don't perform like we should, we're going to be like we have been some years."

The Warriors put 30 or more points on the board on nine occasions last season, including 47 and 40 against Charles B. Aycock and Southern Wayne, respectively.

"Eastern Wayne is pretty phenomenal," second-year CBA head coach Steve Brooks said. "Their success (last season) just shows how tough our conference is that a team like that can survive and continue to play for four more weeks. I thought they gave Havelock everything they wanted."

Team: D.H. Conley

Head coach: Brian Paschal

2013 record: 10-3

Last playoff appearace: 2013, lost to J.H. Rose in 2nd round of 4-A playoffs

Offensive starters back: 6

Defensive starters back: 5

Players to watch: Myles Taylor (RB/DB, Senior) -- Rushed for 1,592 yards and 16 touchdowns. Jamari Cooke (RB, Senior) -- Collected 453 yards on 39 carries and tallied 4 TDs. Brendan McLean (LB, Senior) -- Led team with an eye-popping 178 tackles.

Paschal says: "I feel like, personally, we have the best defensive player in the state in McLean. He's a pretty dang good player. (And) we feel really good about our personnel (overall).

"We have two really good running backs back. We feel like the kid moving into the fullback slot (Cooke) is really talented. Our offensive line returns most intact. We feel good with what we've got in the secondary, feel like we have upgraded that."

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Team: J.H. Rose

Head coach: Dave Wojcitek

2013 record: 12-3

Last playoff appearance: 2013, lost to Scotland County in eastern 4-A championship

Offensive starters back: 8

Defensive starters back: 9

Players to watch: Cornell Powell (WR, Junior) -- Named preseason all-state by NCPreps.com, accounted for 1,746 yards of total offense and 26 TDs and has received offers from six schools in BCS conferences. Rakym Chapman (DL, Junior) -- Posted 19 tackles, including 6 1/2 for loss. Josh Moore (SS, Senior) -- Had 65 tackles, recovered two fumbles and played the entire postseason with a ruptured disk and fractured back.

Wojcitek says: "The past two years all Cornell has done is play the left outside linebacker position. Right now, we're moving him around at every position, use him in motion, use him in the running game, use him at quarterback so you have to make sure you know where he is at all times.

"Our skill players, we return all except one. Our offensive line should be a strength. Our defensive backfield is not bad, but we've got some questions. Overall, offensively we should be pretty good, but depends on those guys on Fridays.

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Team: New Bern

Head coach: Bobby Curlings

2013 record: 9-4

Last playoff appearance: 2013, lost to Scotland County in 2nd round of 4-A playoffs

Offensive starters back: 6

Defensive starters back: 6

Players to watch: Mike Hughes (ATH, Senior) -- Earned preseason all-state recognition from NCPreps and CarolinaPreps, accounted for more than 3,700 yards of total offense and 42 touchdowns and getting recruited by East Carolina, UNC, Virginia, Virginia Tech ... just to name a few. Cypress Borden (DB, Senior) -- Was named the MVP of the 2012 state championship game.

Curlings says: "The whole offensive and Mike Hughes are coming back. That makes me smile a little bit knowing that we have Mike coming back. I think this year our strength is going to come from the offensive line and the defensive line.

"We talk about the legacy that other people have come in and built (at New Bern). We challenge each team to add to it. But at the same time we let them know you can't win games based on what's happened in the past. You have to work your backsides off to make it happen for you.

"We demand that they work hard."

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Team: South Central

Head coach: Tim Carter

2013 record: 4-7

Last playoff appearance: 2010, lost to Northern Nash in 2nd round of 3-A playoffs

Offensive starters back: 8

Defensive starters back: 7

Players to watch: Shawn Furlow (FB, Senior) -- Rushed for 1,371 yards and 10 TDs, and finished with more 2,000 yards of total offense in 2013. Has offers from Clemson, Duke, ECU, UNC and Syracuse.

Carter says: "When you have kids like Furlow who are seniors, you've got a chance. I think, in my opinion, is why everybody is so high on us is because we've got a young man like Shawn as a leader and he's done a great job.

"I've got a group of seniors that understand it's their football team, not mine. When you have a team like that ... one that makes the plays regardless of what the coach calls, one that plays as a unit is the one that wins. It's just that simple.

"I really love being in this conference. You've got to kind of like the competition you've got in this league and proud to say to you're part of it."