‘You’re an NFL talent.’ How Chambers High’s James Pearce evolved into an SEC recruit
In August, after Chambers High had beaten his Cardinal Gibbons team in a late-night thriller, Gibbons coach Steven Wright made sure to find Cougars’ defensive end James Pearce after the game.
The way Pearce played had really impressed the longtime Raleigh-area coach.
“’Listen, man,’” Wright told Gibbons as the two clasped hands, “’you’re an NFL talent. Take care of your business because you’re going to be playing on Sundays.’”
That was the start of what’s been an amazing few months for Pearce.
Climbing the ranks
When high school football season began in August, Salisbury High linebacker Jalon Walker — who was named the N.C. Gatorade player of the year last season — was considered to be the state’s top defensive player.
Today, several high school football coaches the Observer has spoken to, including West Charlotte’s Sam Greiner, believe that Pearce — in a matter of months — has morphed from a relative unknown to level with Walker, who has committed to Georgia.
247 Sports ranks Pearce No. 15 overall in North Carolina but a top 30 recruit as an edge rusher nationwide. Pearce sports offers from more than a dozen Power 5 programs, including Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina.
“I think that James Pearce should’ve been close to” a finalist for Mr. Football, Greiner said. “Just his impact on the game and the way he’s so explosive that people have to game plan for him on the defensive side of the ball. We’ll see more and more from him, no doubt, but he was by far the best defensive player in the state.”
Pearce, 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, has one game left in his high school career. He’ll try to win a third straight state championship with his teammates when Chambers plays Cardinal Gibbons in rematch for the 4A championship Saturday.
“It’s a chance to get another ring,” Pearce said. “It feels good. It feels great. I’m grateful for this step and this moment. And I don’t want to waste this chance. It’s just following the lead of what coach (Glenwood Ferebee) tells you to do.”
‘Dominant’ performance
Peace leads the Cougars in sacks (14.5) and 14 more of his tackles have been for a loss. Despite facing near constant double teams, Pearce has has three forced fumbles, nine pass breakups, scored two safeties and has two interceptions. In last week’s 35-21 state semifinal win over nationally ranked Hough High School, Pearce showed off his potential.
As Hough was trying to rally to tie the score late in the fourth quarter, Pearce came screaming around the right end, beat his blocker, and arrived on the blind side of Hough quarterback Tad Hudson before Hudson, a North Carolina commit, could react. Pearce smacked the ball free and scooped up it up in one motion. A heartbeat later, he was in the end zone with the game-clinching points.
His third defensive touchdown of the season was the most important -- so far.
“He’s dominant,” Cougars coach Ferebee said. “And he’s dominant anywhere. He can play defensive end. He can play linebacker. He can play wide receiver.”
Ferebee said Pearce’s ability and game time energy remind him of former Cougars star Power Echols, who was N.C. Associated Press defensive player of the year after his sophomore and junior seasons. And Echols -- now at North Carolina -- would’ve been a favorite to 3-peat had he not left school early, last January, and missed the football season that was played last spring.
“They don’t do it the same way,” Ferebee said of Pearce and Echols, “but you can see the kids feed off of (Pearce’s) energy and emotion the same way they did when Power was here.”
‘Next’ can wait
Pearce told Ferebee he was going to put his recruiting on hold until after the state championship run was finished. He wanted to focus.
Sure enough, Pearce said he will not sign during the early signing period next week, but will wait to February. Currently the 247 “Crystal Ball,” which predicts where recruits might sign, says Pearce is 100 percent to South Carolina.
If so, the Gamecocks are getting a guy who said he knew from age 7 that he could be good at football; a guy who sometimes rides horses with his teammate Jeremiah Smith, a senior wide receiver; and a guy who isn’t too worried about having to try to beat Cardinal Gibbons again to win a state title.
“It’s hard to beat the same team twice,” he said, “but we’ve just got to go out there, follow our game plan and just win.”
In several media conferences leading into Saturday’s final, Wright has talked about the “old football adage” about beating the same team two times in a season, and how he hopes it’s right. He also has been saying it’s going to be hard to deal with James Pearce twice, too.
“I think our best approach for Pearce,” Wright said, “is to invite him over to our sideline and dress him out in Cardinal Gibbons gear.
“That’s going to be the best way to slow him down.”
