Up & Coming Weekly

October 17, 2017

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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28 UCW OCTOBER 18 - 24, 2017 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM If anyone was an automatic to be picked for this year's Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, you'd think Michael Edwards of South View was near the top of the list. "You'd think that on the outside looking in,'' said Rodney Brewington, South View head coach. But Brewington apparently breathed a sigh of relief when Edwards' name was one of the first ones called during the annual Shrine Bowl announce- ment recently. Brewington was with Edwards at the final invitation-only combine held for this year's North Carolina Shrine Bowl prospects. "You saw the linemen down there and we were a little worried,'' Brewington said. "There were some linemen down there I felt were deserving. We were so fortunate Mike got an opportunity to play.'' Edwards, who has already committed to Wake Forest, stands 6-foot-7-inches and weighs 255 pounds. He's served in a variety of roles for the Tigers this season, playing offensive guard and primarily left tackle, and also seeing action in the defensive line. "I'm sure he's going to be in the offensive line (at the Shrine Bowl), but I told them he's having a great year on the defensive side of the ball for us,'' Brewington said. Edwards' biggest asset is his mobility. "It's rare to see a kid that size who is that agile,'' Brewington said. The Shrine Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16, at Wofford College's Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. Brewington said he expects Edwards will have no trouble staying in top shape for the game. "He's in weightlifting class, and we get a lot of strength and conditioning every day,'' Brewington said. "We run every day and lift every day. He's on a very good regimen.'' Edwards said he chose Wake Forest mainly for the opportunity to get a good education. He plans to major in engineering and technology. He called playing in the Shrine Bowl "a big honor" and said he's got just one major goal in he game. "Dominate the person in front of me,'' he said. "That's about it.'' South View's Edwards Shrine Bowl pick by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Britt not over-celebrating Richmond win by EARL VAUGHAN JR. There's a problem with landmark victories that football teams record during the regular season. You don't get long to celebrate them. That was the message Jack Britt coach Brian Randolph shared with his team after the Buccaneers defeat- ed Sandhills Athletic Conference rival Richmond Senior 41-20. It was only the second time in 14 meetings a Britt team beat Richmond and was the first win for the Buccaneers over the Raiders on Britt's home field, unofficially named the Boneyard. "I told them to enjoy the victory throughout the weekend but to come back Monday ready to go,'' Randolph said. The reason was simple. Britt still has too many league games left with tough opponents to celebrate anything. But there are some things to be happy about at Britt. One of the big- gest is an improvement in offensive consistency and the ability to finish scoring drives. Randolph said that's something the Buccaneers have focused on since a couple of tough early out- ings with South View and Terry Sanford. "Kid are accepting the responsibility for their job,'' Randolph said. "They're doing their jobs consistent- ly, not just for one play or two plays, but for seven plays or 14 plays.'' He pointed to Britt's first scoring drive against Richmond, which covered 14 plays. The Buccaneers also had a 99-yard drive against the Raiders. "That was almost like a coming out party as far as us being able to finish a drive,'' he said. "I think our guys have to really take pride in that.'' But while the win over Richmond was a milestone for the program and a big one for Randolph in his first year as coach, Randolph doesn't want his team to put too much stock in the victory. "This is no disrespect to the (Richmond) team and the coaching staff they have now, but none of those players has been to a state championship or won a conference championship,'' he said. "We're not intimidated by the things they did in the past. They're a football team like we are. We came out, performed and competed as a football team and did well.'' One of the players who was at his best was junior quarterback Brennan Shortridge. Shortridge has bought into Randolph's offense and responded Friday by completing eight of 13 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns. "It was a momentum shifter, not just for the game but for the season,'' Shortridge said of the Richmond win. "The fact we were able to roll in there and not only hold our own but put up some good numbers was a big confidence boost for us.'' Randolph was pleased with the way Shortridge played within himself, and praised his touch on the ball. "There were two fourth-down conversions we made because he was able to sit back and use the thing God blessed him with, and that was the ability to throw a football,'' Randolph said. "Several times he made great clutch throws because he did what he was coached up to do.'' Shortridge said Britt's focus on improved execution since the losses to South View and Terry Sanford shows. "We lacked discipline and couldn't get in the end zone,'' Shortridge said. "I lacked confidence like everyone else, then after that first game I realized these are my boys and we can do it just like anybody else can do it.'' The win over Richmond puts Britt in a posi- tion to control its own destiny as far as win- ning a state 4-A playoff berth is concerned, but Randolph said that's easier said than done in the Sandhills Conference. "We can make that all go away by dropping a game,'' he said. "We need to take care of every single game. Our No. 1 mission is to make the playoffs.'' EARL VAUGHAN JR., Sports Editor. COMMENTS? EarlUCWS- ports@gmail.com. (910) 364-6638. Jack Britt football coach Brian Randolph Michael Edwards Junior quarterback Brennan Shortridge HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS Attention Students: Do you have a story or idea to share with High School Highlights? Email us at highschoolhighlights@upandcomingweekly.com

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