Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas: Pridgen, Frasier play strong for NC team

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on December 22, 2014 1:48 PM

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aetzler@newsargus.com

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Eastern Wayne's Dayshawn Pridgen came into this week's Shrine Bowl preparation as the undersized corner who not many people knew about.

He left Saturday's game standing a little bit taller.

After sitting out the first couple series of the game, Pridgen came on to the field with 8:23 left in the first quarter for the first time. He quickly made his presence by intercepting a pass shortly thereafter.

Pridgen allowed just one pass to be caught that was thrown in his direction, and even that one he got his hands on, but the team from North Carolina couldn't put any offense together and lost 21-12 to the South Carolina all-stars.

"(People) might have thought I was good, because I wouldn't have been there if I wasn't but I showed what I can do, and a lot of athletes said I should be playing (Division)-1," Pridgen said.

Dutch Fork's Matt Colburn was names the Most Valuable player of the game. Scotland's Brandon McMillian named the North Carolina defensive MVP, as part of a unit that made four interceptions. Late roster addition Josh Ladowski was the North Carolina offensive MVP.

Princeton's Johnny Frasier, the highly-recruited running back, got off to a slow start after not seeing many snaps in the first half. Frasier picked up three first downs on a third quarter that resulted in a North Carolina touchdown. Frasier couldn't come down with the catch on the NC two-point conversion attempt, however.

Frasier finished the game with XXXX rushing on XX carries.

Pridgen, one of the few players to come in to the game without a Division-1 offer, knew he would have to make a splash if he was going to be noticed.

And he did when he jumped a wide receivers route for his interception.

"I felt a little voice in my ear telling me to jump (the pass) and I did after I knew who that voice was," Pridgen said, referring to his mother who passed away in September.

The knock on Pridgen has been his size, but he said his performance against the top receivers in South Carolina should prove something to the people doubting his ability.

"I can compete with the best of the best and do my thing," Pridgen said. "It's about heart not size."

South Carolina took home its third straight Shrine Bowl victory and won its sixth in the last eight.

A check was presented at halftime that the game raise more than $1.5 million dollars for Shriners Hospitals.