Fobbs Signs DE From Independence

[Aggie One]

3 more sign from IndependenceSchool's football team has produced 7 signees

BRETT [e-mail]

Independence High had three more football players sign college scholarships Thursday.


Andre Thornton, RaDon Ingram and Robert Graham brought to seven the number who have signed from Independence, which finished third in USA Today's poll, won its sixth straight N.C. title and 92nd straight game -- the longest streak in the nation.

Thornton, a 6-foot-2, 212-pound defensive end, signed with N.C. A&T; Ingram, a 5-7, 160-pound NCpreps.com 4A all-state wide receiver, selected Lafayette; and Graham, a 5-10, 205-pound linebacker, chose Livingstone.

The trio joined Hakeem Nicks (North Carolina), Pierre Andrews (South Carolina), Brad Barnhouse (N.C. A&T) and Cameron Henegan (Wingate).

• Two more Mecklenburg County players also signed: Hopewell running back/defensive back Robert Bell (5-9, 160) and tight end/defensive lineman Alex Madejczyk (6-3, 245) signed with Lenoir-Rhyne.

Around the area
Northwest Cabarrus had the most signees outside of Mecklenburg County with four.Anthony Williams, a 6-1, 265-pound NCpreps.com 3A all-state defensive tackle, signed with I-AA national champion Appalachian State; tight end Martin Guyer (6-4, 230) will join Bell and Madejczyk at Lenoir-Rhyne, and linebacker Tre Hemphill (5-11, 245) and cornerback Steven Tilghman (5-8, 160) both signed with Virginia Union.

In all, 24 Observer-area players outside Mecklenburg County -- including six all-state selections -- signed Wednesday and Thursday.

More signings
Observer-area players, outside Mecklenburg County, who have signed:

Recruit High School Pos. Ht, Wt College

Quantres Grant A.L. Brown LB 6-0, 235 N.C. A&T
Sean Fortson A.L. Brown Ath 6-1, 180 Coastal Carolina
E.J Branch Albemarle RB 6-0, 215 Catawba
Keonte Davis Albemarle DL 6-2, 265 Lenoir-Rhyne
Justin Bowles Alexander Central RB 5-8, 190 Lenoir-Rhyne
Quentin Caple Anson County DB 5-11, 185 N.C. A&T
Matthew Woodlief Bandys LB 5-11, 240 Wake Forest
Brandon Jackson Burns RB 5-11, 200 N.C. A&T
Ulysses Tuft Burns WR/DB 5-11, 171 Navy
Brandon Spikes Crest LB 6-4, 230 Florida
Lavonte Kendrick Hunter Huss WR 6-11/2, 180 N.C. A&T
Michael Kennedy Hunter Huss DL 6-1, 275 Fayetteville State
Martin Guyer NW Cabarrus TE 6-4, 230 Lenoir-Rhyne
Tre Hemphill NW Cabarrus LB 5-11, 245 Va. Union
Steven Tilghman NW Cabarrus CB 5-8, 160 Va. Union
Anthony Williams NW Cabarrus DT 6-1, 265 Appalachian State
Tavorris Jolly Shelby DB 5-11, 180 North Carolina
Jordan Gilmore South Point LB 5-11, 210 Citadel
Cameron McGlenn South Point DB 6-0, 180 Elon
Tyler Lemons South Point QB/S 6-0, 180 Davidson
Justin Young St. Stephens RB 5-11, 200 Lenoir-Rhyne
Chris Dalton West Iredell WR 6-2, 164 Virginia
Julian Samolu West Rowan LB 6-1, 205 Catawba
Lamont Savage West Rowan WR 5-10, 160 Lenoir-Rhyne

[SHB2K]

Wow, reading this would make one think that (2nd to Lenoir-Rhyne) we have the area on lock! I just hope we have as much quality as we have quantity.

[Gator]

Recently, things from that area have been more of quantity than quality.

[DECKS]

Gator quit hating!

Seriously Thornton is another excellent pick up. The defense carried Indy for the first part of the season and at the heart of it all was the bookends of Thornton & Jeremy Bing. Not only is he a good pass rusher but surprisingly a very good run stopper that knows how to force the run back inside. May need to red shirt him and add a few more pounds or possibly play him at line backer. I'd leave him at defensive end!

[AggieGroove]

Dex: Surprisingly, someone listen and recruited out of Charlotte with vigor! Did you send a note to the Aggies FB coaches about their lack of recruiting the last few years from that area? If Thorthon is that good, why was he not recruited by the ECUs, Apps, or Furmans? Do you know who else recruited him? He is a little light in the azz for college lineman, thought!

[Aggie One]

He was also offered by App State, ECU, SCSU, and UT-Chattanoga. He actually bulked up during and after the season was over and is now a legit 6-3, 230 with 4.6 speed.

We stole him at the last minute, wants to major in computer technology. We'll probably move him to LB or TE once he gets here this summer.

[AggieMike]

RaDon was just up here last weekend its a shame we couldnt land him cause his family PERIOD is talented, but anybody from the I or from Charlotte is cool wit me obviously

[Aggie One]

As I stated in my post a few weeks ago, Fobbs and his three assistants intended to recruit Charlotte and western N.C. heavily.

It's not over yet.

[Brandmasta]

How tall is Lavonte Kendrick? Is 6-11 a typo?

[AggieMike]

6' 1 and a 1/2

[Aggie911]

Recently, things from that area have been more of quantity than quality.

[/color]

Gator,
I agree!!

[DECKS]

Uh if you two hadn't noticed we haven't had a lot of top producers from anywhere! That goes back to coaching.

[aggiejazz]

I don't see any reason to criticize the recruiting or the recruits we have gotten. The recruits are boys who will become young men and hopefully good -to- very good football players in the next few years. It will be a mix of good coaching and the players personal desire to work hard and get better daily that will give the football program good results. All these recruits have good accomplishments on their high school football resume.

[hawkeye]

We may pick up a 6'3 180 WR from Purnell Swett. Looks like he needs a couple of days to decide.


www.robesonian.com/articles/2006/02/06/news/sports/sports04.txt

Several area gridders still mulling their choices

By Dennis Pillion - Staff writer
As expected, Hutch Eckerson, Robeson County's biggest recruit this year, faxed in his national letter of intent to play football at South Carolina early Wednesday morning, but there are several other prospects whose college football future is still up in the air.

Leading that list is Purnell Swett's Shrine Bowl receiver/safety Marquel Pittman, who nearly signed with Western Carolina on Wednesday but decided at the last minute that he was not yet ready to make a decision.

“His family still has some issues with travelling to see him play,” Purnell Swett coach Russell Stone said. “He didn't turn anybody down, and the colleges that were interested in him (Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb and North Carolina A&T) said he could take a couple days to think it over.”

Concerns about distance from home may swing Pittman's preference from Western Carolina, which is a five-hour drive from Pembroke, to North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, which is about 21/2 hours away.

Pittman may visit the A&T campus this weekend, and could branch out from his original list of favorites.

“This gets UNCP and Fayetteville State in the picture a little bit,” Stone said.

Pittman likely will not be the only Purnell Swett player to play college football.

Linebacker Brian Brewer, multi-position player Tommie Locklear, offensive tackle Matt Locklear, wide receiver Justin Dial and quarterback Jeremy Sessoms are all exploring their options with Division II or Division III schools, while defensive lineman Carrington Locklear is considering junior college.

Stone said these prospects attended UNCP's football open house last week, and some- especially Dial - were excited they might get an opportunity to play so close to home.

“He wants to be on the first Braves football team in 50 years,” Stone said of Dial.

Three prospects from Lumberton High also checked out UNCP at the open houe. Tight end/defensive end Holland Cook and twin brothers Brandon and Brian Walton, both defensive backs, are all waiting for scholarship offers, and will consider the Braves if they are offered.

Thomas Townsend of Fairmont, The Robesonian's Offensive Player of the Year, is looking at Louisburg College as a potential destination.

Townsend led Fairmont on offense and defense, leading the county with 1,432 rushing yards. He was also named the Southeastern Conference's Player of the Year.

Fairmont coach Kim Brown said academic questions have kept larger schools from recruiting Townsend, but that there are several smaller schools interested, including Louisburg, Methodist College and Chowan College.

[Deleted]

Thornton is listed as 6-2...that is nice size for an OLB...the key to whether he is a lb or de will be whether he can play in space...it seems you guys need players what difference does it matter where they come from? if they can play..lost 21 players plus the ones that will leave or have left. It would be nice to beat WCU for a player that is eligible....given a choice would you recruit western or eastern nc the hardest?.......HU had a great recruiting class ditto for tenn state...they got 2 qb( univ of sc) & wr (mason unc wr) that can play..