Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Dec. 4, 1997, edition 1 / Page 15
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the Chronicle Sports week _ Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point ?ktion P ^ December 4 , i9?r Abundance of talent gn All-County team ?? The by-word in junior varsity football during the 1997 season was parity. When you look at the final junior varsity standings there was very little change in the eight programs in Forsyth County. , The two exceptions were at Carver and Glenn. Carver was at the head of the spectrum with an unblemished 9-0 record. At the other extreme was Glenn. The Bobcats ended the season with a 1-9 record, with its only victory coming by virtue of a forfeit over Greensboro Smith. In the middle were six teams who were pretty even on most nights. North Forsyth, East Forsyth, Mount Tabor and West Forsyth all finished with identical 7-3 records. Each also shared their respective conference champi i_ r* i t i. ? i onsnips. Reynolds wasni lar oacK at 6-4 and Parkland had a 4-6 record. The eight teams' representatives on the All-County Junior Varsity Team reflected their finishes. Carver had seven players named to the team, in addition to the Player of the Year and the Offensive MVP. Mount Tabor, North Forsyth, West Forsyth East Forsyth, Parkland and Reynolds had three players each. Glenn had one member named to the squad. Carver's offense was the most productive in the county. The Yellowjackets rolled up nearly'400 yards per game. Their highest total of the season was 664 yards against Southwest Guilford, while their worsi onensive outing was a izo outing against west Forsyth. In addition to halfback Reggie Green and quarterback Coleman Watkins, the Yellowjackets had Keegan Haggins. who totaled more than 500 yards receiving and 10 total touchdowns. Fullback T.J. Gregg was on his way to an all star season, with 457 yards in three game, before being called up to the varsity and was therefore eliminated from consideration. Linemen Russell Bonham (6-3, 297) and John Coles (6-0, 245) regularly opened gaping holes for the Carver running hapks. On (defense, A1 Porter and Wesley Talbert paced a secondary that was stingy throughout the season. Middle linebacker David Edward was the "rock" that anchored the team up front and end Brandon Johnson was also a stand out. The key to Mount Tabor's offense was the blocking of Dedrick Hairston, who had eight pancake blocks. Defensively, the team was led by linebacker Brent Jerald and safety Derrick Webster. See ALL-COUNTY on B2 Green did his damage without fanfare Reggie Green By THERESA DAVIS The Chronicle Sports Intern _____ Reggie Green doesn't look the part of a super star. Neither does he act that way. He expects no special favors, nor has he gotten any. He's the type of player who goes all out every day in practice and works hard in the weight room during the off season. Yet, Green has been awarded The Chronicle's Forsyth County Junior Varsity Player of the Year. In doing so, Green has given Carver's junior varsity football team more than 2,000 yards of total yardage. Green burst unto the scene as an unheralded 140-pound freshman when he earned a spot in the Yellowjackets' starting lineup in the third game of the season and fin ished the season with more than 700 yards rushing. For his efforts he was named to the Chronicle's All City/County Junior Varsity Team. The Yellowjackets coaches expected more from him this past season and he didn't disappoint. Bulked up to 155 pounds on his 5-8 frame. Green rushed for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns to lead Carver to an undefeated record (9 0), the Piedmont Triad 3-A Conference championship and the Chrcftiicle's Junior Varsity title. The remarkable thing about Green's out put was the fact that Carver played only eight games (the other win came by forfeit) and Green carried the football only 82 times. His totals included touchdown runs of 84, 88, 64, 56 and 46 yards. He also had runs of 78 and 68 yards that did not result in scores. The Carver coaches say Green is a prime example of what hard work and dedication can do for young players. "When he first came out as a freshman, there wasn't anything that would make you think he would be an Ifcipact player," says Coach Sam Davis. "He had less than average size, average speed and he didn't say very much. He just listened and worked hard in all of the drills. "After about two weeks of prac tice I could tell that he was the kind of kid who would respond well to coaching. He went hard during drills and you could tell from the way he acceler ated to the holes and cut into the hole that ^MRnWI he would be a good back in the Wing-T." But because of his size (5-6, 140) he didn't figure into the Yellowjackets' early plans. When he finally got a chance to run in the backfield, Green turned heads with toughness and smooth running style. "Every time you'd look up and this kid would be making moves on people," Davis says. "He grew on the coaching staff and before we knew it, he was in the running back rota tion. "He has subtle moves that makes the defender miss," Davis adds. "If there's a player that I'd compare him, it would be Barry Sanders. He makes a lot of guys miss and if he See GREEN on *2 Poise, confidence set Watkins apart I Colmman Watkin* By CHRISTINA MCCRAVY The Chronicle Sports Editor Coleman Watkins looks the nart nf a nnart^r. back. He's cocky and arrogant. When the ball is in his hands, he feels that he can make things happen. Usually he does. Watkins was one of the major cogs in . Carver junior varsity's $>-0 record and confer ence champi onship season. That was one of the reasons he was chosen The Chronicle's Offensive Player of the Year in junior varsity foot ball. He passed for 1,042 yards, completing 50 of 72 passes for 14 touchdowns, including a school-record 99-yarder. He also rushed for four touch J A. _ * 1 * uowns to give nun a total of 18 for the season. Not bad for someone who had never played foot ball before this past season. But he had dis tinguished himself in other sports. As a freshman, Watkins was one of the leading scorers on the Yellowjackets' junior varsity bas ketball team, lead ing them to the championship of the David Lash Junior Varsity Tournament. Watkins See POISE on B2 Vikings' Elderidge cut from different mold David tldaridga By SAM DAVIS The Chronicle Sports Editor As far as football players go, David Elderidge of North Forsyth is a rarity. It icn't Kptqiicp PMprirlop ? i mil v i/vvu u.tv i_/iuvi IVJ^V plays both ways for North's junior varsity team. That is a way of life on many high school jayvee football teams these days. It is very seldom, howev er, that a player who starts at quarterback on offense turns around and plays on the defensive line on a regu lar basis. But Eldcndge held down both positions for the Vikings and he was one of the main reasons the team posted a 7-3 overall record and tied for the Metro 4-A Conference championship. Because of his contributions to his team, Eldridge is The Chronicles 1997 Defensive Player of the Year. Gene Bowles, one of the Vikings' co coaches, describes Elderidge as a one-of kind type of player. "How many times do you find a kid who is athletic enough to play quarter back, but tough enough to play defense," D 1~, uuwica says. Elderidge burst onto the scene at North this past sea son after playing Pop Warner with the PfafTtown Packers during his freshman year. "He sort of came out of nowhere." Bowles says. "He took over very early at quar terback and that's where he spent most of his time during practice." Because of his starting position at quarterback, Elderidge got very few repeti tions at defensive end. But nevertheless he was a stand out on game days. Coach Jonathan Hayes of West Forsyth says Elderidge was one of the See ELDERIDGE cm ?2 Most Valuable Player candidates Anthony Butlor KB Coleman watking OB Mike Hromdka RB-LB Reggie Green HB Step/ton McMillian FB-LB THE CHRONICLE'S 1997 AU-Cdu, CouriLp FOOTBALL TEAM '
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