Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Across the PrepNation: Charlotte

Time to check in again with John Teal, our man in Charlotte, N.C. He witnessed West Charlotte's 20-14 upset of regionally ranked Butler on Friday/Monday.


By John Teal


West Charlotte traveled back to east Charlotte Friday (and again Monday) to play undefeated Butler. The Lions lost to Indy the previous week while Butler came in undefeated but untested. The Bulldogs are loaded with talented skill position players with five being elite D1A recruits. WC is loaded with speed and has some huge offensive linemen.

The game was suspended Friday night with nine minutes to go in the third quarter. WC had just scored to go up 13-0 and was preparing to attempt the PAT when a bolt of lightning sent the teams to the dressing rooms.

Play resumed Monday night with a converted PAT and a 14-0 lead for WC. WC upped it to 20-0 on a long pass after a scramble by qb Darius Thomas at the end of the third period. Thomas is good quicks and size to go with a good arm and nice accuracy.

Butler was able to score on a 35 yard pass from Ryan Charest (Illinois verbal) connected with Jarrett Boykin making it 20-7 with seven minutes to play.

On the next possession WC faced third and twelve and attempted a middle screen that was returned to the WC 15. Next play Butler runs a midsdirection and the wideout runs it up the middle cutting it to 20-14.

WC drove the ball and had a second and one on the Butler 32. Butler stopped them and took over with a little under a minute to go. Charest connected on two passes including one over the middle to Mickey Brewer for about fifteen yards. Brewer lateraled the ball to a Butler receiver dragging across from the opposite side. WC ran him down. Charest then ran eight yards and spiked the ball making it third and two. Two passes fell to the ground and WC had the victory.

WC's speed and physical play on the Butler wideouts threw the Bulldogs off their game. Butler did not stretch the field and hit the short passes underneath. Seemed the field was bottled up for the Butler receivers.

This game changed attitudes. Butler had been picked to be the team to take out Indy the last game of the season but after the last two weeks no one is so sure.

Elsewhere, regionally ranked Indy beat Vance 28-0 in a game called early in the third period. Vance was stopped on a two point conversion in the last minutes in 2006. With a new school, Mallard Creek, opening and losing alot of seniors Vance is not up to its past level.

Greenville Rose lost for the second week in a row. After winning 38 straight it is apparent that Rose is in a rebuilding year. Wilmington Hoggard, Rose's semifinal victim last year, manhandled the Rampants 48-17.

NOTE: PrepNation is looking to add more bloggers from across the country to contribute game reports, commentary and other nuggets about high school football and boys basketball. Drop us a line at prepnation@aol.com if you are interested.

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