2 prep football All-Star games, Queen City Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, to kick off Saturday
On Saturday, 89 high school football players from Mecklenburg County will play in two All-Star games in North and South Carolina.
In Mecklenburg County, the first Queen City Senior Bowl will begin at noon at the Matthews SportsPlex. That game will feature 80 Mecklenburg County seniors.
At 1 p.m. at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the 83rd Shrine Bowl will kick off. The Shrine Bowl matches some of the top N.C. public school seniors against their S.C counterparts.
On the N.C. team, 18 off 44 players are from the Observer’s coverage area, including nine from Mecklenburg County. There are eight Observer-area players on the 44-man S.C. team.
In recent years, however, Mecklenburg County has not been as well-represented in the Shrine Bowl game. In 2017, for example, four players made it.
That’s one of the reasons Queen City Senior Bowl organizer Bobby Collins brought the idea for a local game to Charlotte, one year after finding success with a similar event, the Metro Bowl, in Columbia, South Carolina The second Metro Bowl was scheduled for Friday night.
Unlike the Shrine Bowl, Collins’ games feature public and private school players.
“Back in 2004, I started my coaching career at West Mecklenburg,” Collins said. “I saw how much talent we had in the area, and we might’ve had nine kids sign (college scholarships) that year. Nobody played in the Shrine Bowl. And that was unfortunate. ... We wanted to be able to give those guys an opportunity to be seen by college coaches, be able to do some community service and to be able to give back to the city of Charlotte at the same time.”
After expenses, Collins said proceeds from Saturday’s game, up to $10,000, will go to Charlotte’s Metro School, which supports students with special needs.
“Nobody looked at this by saying we’re trying to step on the toes of the Shrine Bowl” by playing the same day, Collins said. “When you think about high school football players, you don’t want to make those guys take an additional two weeks off after the Christmas holidays and try to coordinate this game.
“It’s our job as coaches to give kids opportunities. We gave other players in Mecklenburg County an opportunity to be able to go and play in front of their peers and in front of their town for first time ever and be able to give back to their city, so it wasn’t at all anything to disrespect the Shrine Bowl.”
The two coaches for the local game said practices this week have been a blast.
“Just to see the kids interact with each other,” said Butler High’s Brian Hales, “and building relationships and talk about some of their previous battles has been so much fun.”
Hales will coach the East team. Providence Day’s Adam Hastings will coach the West.
“I had no idea I’d have this much fun,” Hastings said. “I think the kids are the same way. ... We’ve got public school kids, private school kids, and you’re looking out there and everybody can play. ... I don’t get a chance to interact with (coach) Eric Morman at North Meck or Nick Mata at West Meck, and it gives us an opportunity to work together and realize how fortunate we are in this city to have great coaches and great players.”
WANT TO GO: The Queen City Senior Bowl is at noon at the Matthews SportsPlex. Tickets are $7 in advance (queencityseniorbowl.com) or $10 at the gate. Parking is $5. The game will be televised on WAXN, Channel 64 and ESPN3.
▪ The 83rd Shrine Bowl begins at 1 p.m. at Wofford College in Spartanburg. Tickets are $20 at the gate. Parking is $5. The game will be shown on tape-delay on ESPNU on Dec. 22 (8 a.m.) and Dec. 24 (10 a.m.)
▪ Observer-area N.C. players playing in Saturday’s Shrine Bowl: Isaiah Bess, QB, Shelby; Anderson Castle, RB, Watauga; Maliek Faust, DB, Harding; Elijah Burris, RB, Mountain Island Charter; Trey Byers, DB, Ashbrook; Will Cobb, LS, Weddington; Stefon Thompson, LB, Vance; Roe Chitwood, LB, Myers Park; Alec Mock, LB, Weddington; Chris Morgan, LB, Maiden; Jonny Hassard, OL, West Rowan; Chance Carroll, OL, Hough; Malik McGowan, OL, Charlotte Catholic; Tavien Ford, OL, Olympic; Ray Rose, WR, South Point; Cedric Gray, WR, Ardrey Kell; Da’Qon Stewart, WR, North Meck; Stephen SIngs, DL, Vance.
▪ Observer-area S.C. players playing in Saturday’s Shrine Bowl: Ger-Cari Caldwell, WR, Northwestern; Nathan Mahaffey, RB, Nation Ford; Tylik Edwards, DB, Rock Hill; Quay Evans, DL, Chester; Xavier McIver DE, Cheraw; Will Boggs, OL, York; Rontarius Aldridge, DL, South Pointe; Jaylin Lane, WR, Clover; Khalil Ellis, TE, York
Full rosters at Shrine-Bowl.com
QUEEN CITY SENIOR BOWL EAST ROSTER
Player, School, Position
Donta Armstrong, Vance, TE
Lashawn Audrey, Garinger, DB
JB Awolowo, Charlotte Christian, DB***
Chris Bailey, Garinger, TE
Benari Black, West Charlotte, LB
Melsy Bonilla, Independence, OL
Michael Cartwright, Victory Christian, H-Back
Cody Cater, Providence Day, QB
Charles Charnock, Providence, OL
Jackson Concannon, Providence Day, DL
Quentin Cooper, Country Day, DB
Silas Cruse, West Charlotte, QB
Elijah Culp, Mallard Creek, DB
Edward Dellinger, Country Day, K
Daniel Eury, West Mecklenburg, OL
Quincy Evans, Phillip O. Berry, OL
Delmar Glaze, West Mecklenburg, OL
Jaden Goodman, Lake Norman Charter, WR
Ezekiel Hinkleman, East Mecklenburg, DL
Cole Hooker, North Mecklenburg, DB
Iwuan Jackson, West Charlotte, RB
Logan Jones, Charlotte Christian, WR
Keydrell Lewis, Mallard Creek, OL
Marqui Lowery, Vance, DB
CJ McCray, Mallard Creek, LB
Rico McDonald, West Mecklenburg, DL
Arabee Muslim, Mallard Creek, OL
Dustin Noller, Mallard Creek, QB
Jordan Payne, Vance, WR
Stephen Payne, Country Day, DB
Jabin Reid, North Mecklenburg, DL
Michai Riley, Vance, WR
Sir Allen Stokes, East Mecklenburg, LB
Nathan Strother, Phillip O. Berry, WR
Solomon Sutton, Vance, LB
Julian Swann, Country Day, DL
Jmari Taylor, West Mecklenburg, RB
Dylan Tucker, Vance, DB
Shai Wheeler, Independence, WR
Andrew Wilks, Country Day, LB
Quentin Williams, Mallard Creek, DL
Coaches: Brian Hales, Butler, head; Andrew Howard, Berry; Bob McKay, Lake Norman Charter; Drew Witman, Charlotte Country Day; Nick Mata, West Mecklenburg; Josh Harris, West Charlotte; Eric Morman, North Mecklenburg; Jeff Caldwell, Garinger
QUEEN CITY BOWL WEST ROSTER
Player, School, Position
Kalil Alexander, Rocky River, LB
Will Auker, Ardrey Kell, DL
Reggie Bowman, Butler, DB
Jordan Brown, Myers Park, DB
William Castro, Harding, OL
Devin Chandler, Hough, WR***
Akiel Cross, South Mecklenburg, LB
Jackson Edwards, Charlotte Latin, OL
Marquise Fleming, Olympic, DL
Twan Flip Jr., Myers Park. WR
Brian Grier, Rocky River, LB
Korey Hailey, Rocky River, QB
Michael Hetzel, Ardrey Kell, WR
Durrell Johnson, Mountain Island Charter, DB
Bryce Jordan, Olympic, DB
Jared Joseph, Ardrey Kell, QB
Owen Kenney, Hopewell, WR
Kwesi Kyeifordjour, Hough, H-Back
Vy’Shonn Lawrence, Hopewell, DL
Luca Lutzel, Southlake Christian, DB
Logan Mauldin, Myers Park, TE
Barrutti Mazangu, Harding, DL
Cade McCoy, Ardrey Kell, OL
Cameron McGill, Olympic, OL
Isaiah Mcilwain, Rocky River, WR
Parker Mendenhall, Myers Park, OL
Storm Monroe, Hough, LB***
Jacalyn Morrison, Butler, DB
Tim Newman, Myers Park, RB
John Park, Butler, DL
Trey Richburg, Butler, DL
Kaishaun Royster, Rocky River, DL
Colby Schefers, Olympic, K
Christian Sellers, Mountain Island Charter, DL
Torricelli Simpkins, Olympic, OL
Adam Szabo, Ardrey Kell, OL
Dekerius Thompson, Harding, WR
Austin Tolber ,Charlotte Latin, LB
Quan Webber, South Mecklenburg, WR
Jamal Worthy, Butler, RB
Zane Zilinski, Olympic, P
Gavin Zinkil, Charlotte Catholic, DB***
Coaches: Adam Hastings, Providence Day, head; Van Smith, Harding; Matt Jenkins, Hough; Jamelle Byrd, Hopewell; Joe Evans, South Mecklenburg; Orlando Gray, Rocky River; Brandon Thompson, Olympic; Robert Washington, Mountain Island Charter
***Denotes Unable To Participate In Game
