Established relationships can often pay big dividends in the world of college football recruiting. Such was the case for East Carolina in landing a verbal commitment on June 24 from Florida defensive lineman Javon Williams. Max Smith is Williams' head coach at Pinellas Park High School in Largo, a city on Florida's Gulf Coast situated South of Clearwater and across Old Tampa … [Read more...]

Football didn't appear to be part of Da'Mare Williams' future as his ninth-grade year began in the fall of 2020 at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, NC. Although older brother Montrell Turner had been the football team's leading rusher in 2016-17, Williams' mother was vehemently opposed to her younger son participating in the physical sport. "I played football in … [Read more...]

Thomas Langley was welcoming students to his health and physical education class to start the new year in 2020 at Metrolina Christian Academy in Indian Trail, NC, when a particular newcomer caught his eye. "I was like, 'Who is that kid?' '' Langley said. "He was probably 6-2, 220 (pounds) as a freshman. He just had these big shoulders and a wide frame. There was another … [Read more...]

Desirrio Riles was five years old the first time David Penland III saw him play football. "He was always the bigger guy on the field,'' Penland said. "I just knew later in his career that he was going to be a really good football player.'' That early assessment has come true as Riles played in his first varsity game as an eighth grader at University Christian, where he'd … [Read more...]

After Chris Rusiewicz was named head football coach at Northwest Guilford High in Greensboro, NC, last January, he naturally began watching game film from the 2022 season to evaluate the Vikings' returning personnel. One particular highlight confirmed the former college head coach had made the right decision to pursue the Northwest Guilford job. The game in early October … [Read more...]