Football Recruiting Report
Monday, January 7, 2013
By
Sammy Batten |
![](../../../../images/StaffPix/SammyBatten_62x106.jpg) |
Pirates find
another jewel in Havelock
By
Sammy Batten
©2013 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
A.J. Coplon is a
mild-mannered, quiet teenager who you might not even notice strolling
the halls at Havelock High School. But put Coplon on a football field
and something changes.
"I'm pretty laid back in
regular life,'' Coplon admits. "When I'm on the football field, I'm like a
different person. I'm aggressive and physical and I like to make things
happen.''
The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder
brought those attributes and others the last two seasons in helping Havelock
produce a 33-1 overall record and back-to-back state 3-A championships. The
Rams earned a second straight state crown on December 1 by defeating Concord
55-21 in Winston-Salem at BB&T Field.
The defensive star of the
state title game for Havelock was Coplon, who scored on a 61-yard fumble
return to give his team a 28-21 lead, and later stripped a ball carrier and
recovered a second fumble.
Those kind of performances
were typical of Coplon as a senior and earned him All-Coastal 3-A Conference
and New Bern Sun Journal All-Area honors along with a spot on the
prestigious North Carolina Shrine Bowl squad. They're also why East Carolina
extended Coplon a scholarship offer, which the cornerback-receiver-kick
returner accepted back in late November.
"They (ECU) started talking to
me during the summer,'' Coplon said. "They had to work their way in because
I had a lot of good offers. But their coaches, I really liked them. They are
really involved with the players. I waited a while after they offered to
commit because I wanted to make sure I was comfortable. But after going over
for a visit and talking with my family, I felt it was the right place for
me.''
Coplon was being pursued by a
number of schools and also had scholarship offers from Appalachian State,
Charlotte and Coastal Carolina. But he chose to continue a Havelock
tradition by sticking close to home to play for the Pirates.
Havelock has many long and
deep connections to East Carolina and its football program. Head coach Jim
Bob Bryant is an ECU graduate and ex-Rams like former offensive lineman Guy
Whimper and current wide receiver Danny Webster have played for the Pirates
through the years. Along with Coplon, Havelock offensive tackle
Malcolm Ashley has also made a
verbal commitment to ECU's recruiting Class of 2013.
There's also a connection to
the Rams on the Pirates' current coaching staff. Director of football
operations Cary Godette, a Havelock native, was a defensive star for ECU
during the Pat Dye coaching era.
The Pirates have recruited
Coplon to play cornerback, a position where both 2012 starters completed
their eligibility last month in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Both
Leonard Paulk and Jacobi Jenkins were seniors, while backups Adonis
Armstrong and Kris Sykes will be seniors next season. Those departures could
open up some early opportunities for Coplon to earn playing time in
Greenville.
"I think I can come in and
compete for playing time next year,'' Coplon said. "When I went up there for
a visit, they told me what they did and I studied their defense. They're
losing some people and that should give me the chance to get on the field
early.''
Coplon hasn't spent much time
on the sidelines since getting his start in football while living in New
Bern. He began playing Pop Warner football at age five and started out
mainly as an offensive player.
"I didn't come from an
athletic family, but we all love football,'' Coplon said. "They (family)
signed me up and I've been playing ever since then. I was always pretty
good. I played a lot on offense at running back, receiver and tight end. I
didn't really start playing defense until I was in the ninth grade.''
After a move to Havelock with
his mother, Coplon earned a spot on the junior varsity squad as a freshman,
then moved to the varsity as a sophomore. But it wasn't until his junior
year that Coplon asserted himself as a starter in the secondary for a team
that went 16-0 and won the state title.
Coplon produced 35 tackles and
led the Rams with five interceptions. He gained 174 in return yards on the
interceptions and carried two back for touchdowns.
It was after that junior
campaign that Coplon realized he might have an opportunity to play major
college football.
"I started watching myself
after games on video,'' Coplon said. "Our coaches recorded every game, so I
took advantage and watched film every day. I saw myself improving and
getting better every game. It made me start thinking, if I kept working
hard, maybe I could get a scholarship.''
Havelock's only loss in 2012
came against eventual state 4-A champion and county rival New Bern by a
34-33 margin in the second game of the season. The Rams dominated every
other team on their schedule with the defense limiting the remaining 15
opponents to a scoring average of 9.3 points.
Coplon, who has been timed at
4.34 seconds in the 40-yard dash, was the star of that unit. He collected 42
tackles, intercepted seven passes and logged 219 in interception return
yards. In a game against Jacksonville, Coplon had two interceptions, 142
return yards and a touchdown. Coplon also had a 23.1 average on punt
returns, had 276 yards receiving and scored nine touchdowns between
interception and punt returns, and receiving.
Coplon is one of three
defensive backs who have made verbal commitments to ECU for the Class of
2013. He joined Xavier Smith of Raleigh's Wakefield High and Travon Simmons
from Hillgrove High in Powder, GA. Smith is a safety and Simmons is a
cornerback.
"I have a good feeling about
the class we're putting together,'' Coplon said. "I've been following
recruiting and they (ECU coaches) seem to be signing up some really good
talent. I can't wait until we all get to Greenville and start winning games
together.''
E-mail Sammy Batten
PAGE UPDATED
01/07/13 04:34 AM.
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