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Wallace-Rose Hill star plans to enroll early
By
Sammy Batten
©2015 Bonesville.net
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Recruiting Class of 2016 Thumbnail Sketches...
Asked to describe the kind of impact
Keyshawn Canady has had on the Wallace-Rose Hill football program, head
coach Joey Price recalls the first play from scrimmage in last year's
1-AA state championship game against Starmount.
Canady, a junior running
back/cornerback, took a handoff on first down in the game played at N.C.
State's Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
“He took the handoff, cut back across
the field and ran 72 yards for a touchdown,'' Price said. “That's the
kind of player Keyshawn has been for us. He's made a lot of big plays at
big times, be it running, catching, returning kicks or playing
defense.''
The play sparked Wallace-Rose Hill to
a 34-21 victory and helped earn offensive player of the game honors for
Canady, who finished with 130 yards rushing on 14 carries.
The ability to create those signature
moments at any time is a big reason a number of Football Bowl
Subdivision programs offered the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder scholarships.
But East Carolina pulled off a major in-state recruiting coup on July 13
by securing a verbal commitment from Canady following an unofficial
visit to to the ECU campus.
Canady became the eighth member of
the Pirates' recruiting Class of 2016 after turning down offers from
Charlotte, North Carolina, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
“I think he just felt comfortable
with the (ECU) coaching staff,'' Price said of Canady's decision. “It's
not far from here, so his mom and dad don't have to drive far to watch
him play like they would have to Winston-Salem. I don't think Chapel
Hill was an option for him any longer after they changed defensive
staffs. But he just fell in love with East Carolina. (Outside
linebackers) Coach (Duane) Price put in a whole lot of time with
Keyshawn.''
Price first became aware of Canady's
talents as an eighth grader by simply “watching him in a straight-line
run.'' Speed is one of Canady's many attributes. He's been timed at 10.9
seconds in the 100-meter dash and was clocked at 4.29 and 4.25 seconds
in the 40-yard dash during a Shrine Bowl combine at Scotland High School
in June.
Canady joined the Wallace-Rose Hill
junior varsity as a freshman before earning a starting job on the
varsity as a sophomore. He helped the Bulldogs to a 12-3 finish by
collecting 60 tackles and four interceptions on defense, while rushing
29 times for 341 yards and seven scores on offense.
The performance merely set the stage
for a breakout 2014 season for Canady during Wallace-Rose Hill's title
run. In a single game against Pender County High, Canady touched the
ball only five times, but turned those opportunities into two
interceptions, 111 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
On the season, Canady produced 1,238
yard rushing and 20 touchdowns on 108 carries on offense, while making
72 tackles, two tackles for loss and four interceptions on defense.
ECU has recruited Canady as an
athlete. Price believes his star could play on the either side of the
ball, but likes him as a defender the best.
“He can lock somebody down at
corner,'' Price said. “We put him on the other team's best receiver and
because he holds that much down it eases the pressure on the rest of our
defense.
“But he plays every position for us,
including running back kicks. He's just a good player and a great
athlete. He has a 39-inch vertical jump. He's a muscular kid who can
bench 300 pounds and clean 300, so he's pretty strong. He may end up
playing safety because he's a big kid who can run through those alleys
and make big hits.''
Price compares Canady's skills to
another FBS player he helped develop while coaching at South Columbus
High School in Tabor City.
Bryan Dixon was a two-way star for
the Stallions between 2003-2005, who wound up signing to play safety for
North Carolina. Dixon lettered as a redshirt freshman for the Tar Heels,
but injuries cut short his college career.
“Bryan was a multi-purpose kid, and
Keyshawn plays a lot like him,'' Price said. “You could play them both
anywhere on the field.''
Canady is planning a December
graduation from Wallace-Rose Hill in hopes of enrolling at ECU for the
spring semester of 2016.
The Pirates are also in hot pursuit
of Canady's backfield mate at Wallace-Rose Hill, 5-11, 180-pound running
back Johnnie Glaspie.
Glaspie earned MVP honors in the
state championship game in part due to a 73-yard kickoff return for a
touchdown. He piled up 1,040 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns on 110
carries for the season, while contributing 69 tackles, eight tackles for
loss and two sacks on defense.
Appalachian State, Charlotte, ECU,
North Carolina, Wake Forest and West Virginia have all offered Glaspie
scholarships.
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07/20/2015 02:08 AM |
