Home
to many of the finest co-eds in the Southeast, the Wright Building
walkway serves as the epicenter of ECU’s central campus. As a student
who sits on those bricks everyday, Eric Gilmore posts his rankings and
opinions, “wright” or wrong, on hot button sports topics.
High
School Football
Top 11 (4A Only)
- Independence- Ranked No. 5 in USA
Today
National Poll, won 84 straight
- J.H. Rose- Rose beat Washington
78-0,
have pity for cross-town rival DH Conley
- Richmond Co.- Ed Emory continues
winning tradition, Raiders still undefeated
- Wakefield- Philip Rivers’ dad,
Steve,
has instilled pride in Wolverines
- Jack Britt- Buccaneers fresh off
55-0
win over Pinecrest, host Douglas Bryd
- Garner- Trojans face a tough test
against Aleric Mullins and one-loss East Wake
- Butler- Undefeated Charlotte squad
will
travel to take on No. 11 Providence
- Mount Tabor- Virginia commit O.C.
Wardlow among the state’s best athletes
- Providence- Last-second field goal
to
Independence was a heartbreaker
- Southern Durham- Spartans should
handle
East Chapel Hill easily
- Cary- Star running back Josh Adams
continues to carry team through Tri-7 play
Can
Rose compete
with Independence?
With Rose’s 78-0 backhand slap of Washington last
Friday, Rose made a statement directed westward. Sure, Rose has proven
they own the eastern side of the state by beating smaller schools. But,
the real question is whether the Rampants can compete with the state’s
elite.
Looking at this year’s team, one quickly realizes
2004 was a lean year. Greg Thomas did one heckuva job in helping to
will the Rampants to a second consecutive state title with roughly
seven seniors.
This 2005 Rose squad is laced with talent and has no
foreseeable weaknesses. Morgan Randall is the lone college commitment
thus far. Senior Maurice Weaver is a talented running back. But, the
real prospects lie in the junior class. Quarterback Brian Blick, backup
running back Jonathon Williams and defensive back Josiah Andrews all
have Division I-A potential.
Independence is down compared to years past. That’s still
not saying much considering they’ve won 84 straight. The Patriots
suffered a scare against Providence in winning 45-42 on a last second
field goal.
The Charlotte area school graduated quarterback Joe Cox and
receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, both Georgia signees.
Tom
Knotts is back at the helm after a two-year hiatus as quarterbacks
coach at Duke. He has a legitimate running back in Cameron Henegan and
a stellar offensive lineman in Pierre Andrews.
But the situation
will remain a moot point until someone yells at Charlie Adams, the
executive director of the North Carolina High School Association.
Independence
competes in the 4-AA division while Rose plays in the 4-A.
To answer the
question, Rose could compete. Would they win? Probably not. But until
then, they’ll have to settle the only game remaining on their schedule
in New Bern.
College
Football
Top 11
- USC- Luck of the Irish went Trojans’
way, No. 1 total offense in nation
- Texas- Secondary will be tested by
lethal Texas Tech passing attack
- Virginia Tech- Still have something
to
prove, tough game in Turtlelville
- Georgia- Two-game lead in SEC east,
Outdoor Cocktail Party will be huge test
- Alabama- Tide won’t stay undefeated
very
long with Vols rolling in
- UCLA- Undefeated record makes Bruins
fans forget 2004 Las Vegas Bowl loss
- Penn St.- Nittany Lions gave up a
heartbreaker, national title hopes in Ann Arbor
- Florida St.- Weatherford shouldn’t
have
59 attempts with loaded backfield
- Miami- Hurricanes haven’t allowed
double
digits in 4 games, No.1 total defense
- Texas Tech- Leach won’t rack up
600+ passing yards against Longhorns
- LSU- Les Miles lucky to grab win
with
five turnovers, Auburn a dangerous game
Heisman
Watch
- Vince Young- Needs another Ohio St.
performance against suspect Texas Tech D
- Reggie Bush- Proved worth in South
Bend,
Averaging 8.9 yards per carry
- Brady Quinn- Tom Brady
protégé would be leader if defense held on 4th
down
- Matt Leinart- Stock dropped with 2
INT’s, lack of mobility being exposed
- DeAngelo Williams- Nation’s leading
rusher deserves more national attention
- Laurence Maroney- Power back can
blame
punter for miscues, loss at home
- DJ Shockley- Quietly creeping up the
list despite mediocre statistics
For
some unforeseen reason, I’ve been fighting the urge to rank things.
Armchair quarterbacks critique every poll
they see. So, why can’t I have a poll? And in this case, I’d figure
that I would have more than one. If you disagree with anything, shoot
me an e-mail.
Random Thought of the Week:
Could I be a better high school coach than Dick
Butkus?
Eric Gilmore
ejg1102@mail.ecu.edu
