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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JUNE 20-26, 2018 UCW 25 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM David Lovette Rodney Brewington Trey Beckett Donovan Brewington Loss of offensive line biggest concern for South View by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Last season, the Bears saw nine players go down with season-ending injuries and had several others who missed parts of the season because of injuries. But, as head coach David Lovette likes to say, excuses are for losers, and this year during spring practice he began the work of trying to get back to what he described as "being Gray's Creek.'' On offense, he said that means finding what he called the team's north, returning to the kind of ex- plosive running game the Bears' wing-t offense has been famous for under Lovette. Defensively, he said the Bears want to do a better job of recognizing things and reading their keys. Last year's rash of injuries saw the Bears go 1-10 overall and 1-7 in Patriot Athletic Conference play, beating only winless Douglas Byrd. e Bears enter the 2018 season optimistic with depth at running back. Andre Allen, who rushed for 693 yards and nine touchdowns last year, is back. "He's a very good athlete,'' Lovette said. Also returning is Trey Beckett, who was a 1,000-yard rusher as a sophomore but dipped to 793 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Beckett, like his coach, of- fered no excuses for how the Bears finished last year. "You've got to push through with what you've got, regardless of who's playing out there,'' he said. Also like Lovette, he wants the offense to be explo- sive again. "I remember seeing Gray's Creek running up and down the field on everybody,'' he said. "I want to get back to being great.'' As for his role on this year's team, Beckett said he wants to be a leader and set a good example for the younger players. "I'm telling them not to take anything for granted,'' he said. "I want to dominate the field, both sides of the ball.'' Also back for the Bears along with Allen and Beck- ett is Cedrick McDowell, who had 665 yards rushing and five touchdowns in 2017. e versatile Trevor omas, one of the players Gray's Creek lost for the season last year, is being counted on to play multiple roles. "He's going to play some receiver, quarterback and running back,'' Lovette said. "We're going to try to use him different ways.'' e Bears lost one of their top defensive players with the graduation of Aaron Harrison, who will at- tend Charleston Southern. A trio of players is expected to help lead the defense, among them Dominique McMillan, Isaiah Mills and Kendall Evans. While Lovette is appreciative of the chance to prac- tice in the spring, he wishes the North Carolina High School Athletic Association would follow the lead of bordering states like Tennessee and Georgia and allow a few days of full contact practice during the spring. But, he said, "Any sort of practice is about get- ting better. at's our big thing. Hopefully we can achieve that.'' In the 2017 football season, South View's team continued its gradual return to the glory days of the pro- gram in the early part of the 21st century. e Tigers of Rodney Brewington were 9-4, tied with Overhills for the best fin- ish among 4-A schools in the combination 3-A/4-A Patriot Athletic Conference, and went on the road to get a first- round state playoff victory over Jamestown Ragsdale. With four-year starter Donovan Brewington back at quarterback, along with a stable of solid skill play- ers, the future looks bright for the Tigers. Still, there are some holes that need to be filled. Coach Brewington spent the spring practice sessions looking for what he called diamonds in the rough and players who can perform well at multiple positions. His biggest worry this spring was to begin the dif- ficult task of replacing the entire offensive line. "Getting those young kids ready has been the biggest thing,'' he said after gradua- tion took all five down line- men as well as the tight end. If he is able to cobble together a solid group of blockers, they'll have plenty of talent to be blocking for, starting with Donovan Brewington at quarterback. e coach's son is the leading passer returning in the county, throwing for 1,906 yards last year and 21 touchdown passes. He was only intercepted three times and, along with departed Terry Sanford quar- terback Christian Jayne, was the only county passer to complete 60 percent of his attempts, 63.1 percent. "He's the general on the field,'' Coach Brewington said of his son. "It's rare you have a four-year starter. It has been an interesting ride to watch him develop.'' Matthew Pemberton will likely lead the running back corps for the Tigers, while Emery Simmons returns as one of the top receivers in the Cape Fear region, having already given an oral commitment to Indiana. Last year he was the third-leading receiver in the county in total yardage with 55 catches for 997 yards and 12 touchdowns. "Everybody's got their eye on them,'' said Dono- van Brewington of his top target. "He opens it up for everybody else." As he enters his fourth season as the Tiger quar- terback, Donovan feels his knowledge of the game has improved and he's able to make better decisions in certain situations, maturing both as a quarterback and an athlete. He plans to get more work in over the summer on his footwork and throwing mechanics. "I'm looking forward to producing better numbers than we did last year,'' he said. His experience is going to be crucial because of inexperience elsewhere. "is is the youngest team I've coached in a long, long time,'' Coach Brewington said. "We'll be start- ing nine or 10 sophomores.'' HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS Gray's Creek seeks return to greatness by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Athlete of the Month for the School Year 2017-2018: August - Xeaiver Bullock (E.E. Smith) September - Justice Gallaway-Velazquez (Cape Fear) October - Christian Jayne (Terry Sanford) November - Justice Gallaway-Velazquez (Cape Fear) January - Alexandria Scruggs (E.E. Smith) February - Daniel Peede (Pine Forest) Michael Vernagallo (Cape Fear) Dallas Wilson (Cape Fear) March - Justin Ebert (Terry Sanford) April - Andrew Jayne (Terry Sanford) May - Carlie Myrtle - Jack Britt (Softball) 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 50 MONDAY & BRINGING YOU THE BEST IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS 6-8pm