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SportsHiggins(continued from page 26)It’s not often that one response cansummarize what sets a person apart. Butin Higgins’ case, the lack of excitementpretty well describes what has made thesenior one of the area’s best swimmers:If he’s not improving, he’s not succeeding.“He’s been a very determined swimmer,”said his mother, Sally. “He’d sethis goal, and you could see it in theraces: He was going to (achieve thegoals he set).”With two siblings swimming in college,some might assume that the Higginschildren were born with chlorinein their veins, but Collin said he wasn’tunlike any other kid. He played baseballin the spring and swam in a neighborhoodleague during the summers.But when he was 7 years old, hedecided to follow his older brother,Charlie, and sister, Caroline, to Swim-MAC, for more competition. But after acouple years, the intensity continued tobuild. And at one point, Higgins wasn’tsure if he wanted to continue to swimor if he wanted to give the dry-landactivities another try. At the age of 10,Higgins already was practicing 11 or 12times a week, and it was beginning tofeel like a grind.“I wasn’t into it,” he recalled. “Myheart wasn’t there.”It was the middle of the season andhis mother was fine with his decision totry other things. It’s not as if Sally andher husband, John, had grown up asswimmers, so the pressure to stay in thepool wasn’t there.But the pressure not to quit surewas.“I said, ‘You know what Collin? We’vepaid for the whole year, so you needto finish the whole year out,’” Sallyrecalled. “‘We’re not going to let you justquit. Then, if you don’t want to go backin the fall, that’s fine. You don’t have togo.’”It’s a good thing his mother didn’tcave in to his request. That same summer,Higgins set a club record in hisage group, which was just the boost heneeded.“That’s all it took,” Sally said. “Afterthat, he was ready to go.”His career took off.“Each year, I got progressively a littlebetter, so that motivation got me going,”noted Higgins. “There have been somedown moments where getting up at 4:30a.m. is pretty rough, but I think seeingwhere I came from to where I am now,that’s really gotten me where I am.”But for all he’s accomplished in hiscareer, this season will be a bit differentfor Higgins; for the first time in his life,he won’t have any siblings in the poolwith him. Brother Charlie is a junior atVirginia Tech and sister Caroline alsojoined the Hokies this year.Charlie was always the tough-lovetype, Higgins said. Charlie was the typeof swimmer who’d remind his siblingsabout practice and pushed everyoneelse, to the point that Collin said hisbrother assumed a quasi-coaching rolefor the Hawks. Caroline was the opposite,more of a go-with-the-flow type.“It was good having them around toknow I wasn’t the only one in the householdthat had to get up that early,” Collinsaid with a chuckle.But as for missing their presence atmeets, it’s a temporarysituation. Higginsrecently signedto swim at VirginiaTech with Charlieand Caroline.Higgins hadother opportunities,but he chosethe Hokies overNorth Carolina,Florida State, LSUand Louisville.Location and academiccurriculumplayed a big part inHiggins’ decision,especially sincehe hopes to studyengineering at VirginiaTech.“I want to beclose to where Ican go home on the weekend but farenough to where my parents can’t pullany surprises,” he said, laughing.But before then, Higgins said he andhis Charlotte Latin teammates have apoint to prove. Last season, despite Higgins’record-breaking times, the Hawksfinished third in the state behind CharlotteCountry Day and Raleigh Ravenscroft.Despite the success, Higgins isn’tcocky. In fact, he errs on the side of caution,even when it isn’t required. Almostapologetically, Higgins pointed to thefact that the Hawks had beaten CharlotteCountry Day in both a dual-teammeet and the conference meet headinginto last year’s state championships. So,yes, the Hawks were expecting to win.“We were really confident going intoCharlotte Latin’s Collin Higginsstates,” he said. “We knew it would beclose, but now I know you have to beready for anything. You don’t know forsure what’s going to happen.”As if he needed any more motivation,Higgins said he also wants to prove toVirginia Tech – and big brother Charlie– that the Hokies made the right choiceby offering him a scholarship.“Some seniors tend to slide, but Iwant to prove to (Virginia Tech) that I’mworth what they’ve offered me,” he said.“I’m trying to catch (Charlie) and hopefullyI’ll be there beating him one day.”He pauses.“I don’t want to be one of those peoplethat slips – I want to try to bettermyself,” he added.And anything else simply won’t do, nomatter how many records he breaks. qAaron Garcia/SCW photoSports Shorts(continued from page 27)Best in Class award, given by the PGATour at its Tournament Advisory Councilmeetings. The award was based onthe south Charlotte tournament’s overallpresentation, as well as innovationssuch as the EZ Pay payment plan thatwas enacted this year to combat thelagging economy.“To win ‘Best in Class’ once is anhonor, but to win it two consecutiveyears is a tremendous tribute to the hardwork and dedication from the manypeople that had a hand in the success ofthe Wells Fargo Championship,” KymHougham, the tournament’s executivedirector said in a prepared statement.“We’ve had a philosophy of improvingthe tournament experience for ourpatrons each year, and we look to makefurther improvements going forwardwith the support of Wells Fargo.”In 2011, the tournament will be heldMay 5-8 at Quail Hollow Club.Charlotte Christian middle-schoolbasketball teams sweep tourneyOn Dec. 4, the Charlotte Christianmiddle-school boys and girls teamseach won the Golden Corral ChristmasClassic, hosted by Covenant DaySchool.The Charlotte Christian girls went3-0 in the tournament with wins overCharlotte Prep, 27-8; Carmel Christian,39-15; and Covenant Day, 36-14.The boys also went undefeated, collectingwins over Providence Day’sseventh-grade team, 33-9; CharlotteCountry Day, 48-32; and ProvidenceDay’s eighth-grade team, 52-29.It was the second Golden CoralChristmas Classic title in three yearsfor the Knights girls team and the firstfor the boys.Country Day hoopsters give backOn Dec. 9, the Charlotte CountryDay varsity and JV boys basketball teamshosted the second-annual BasketballChristmas Party, which benefited theHarvest Center of Charlotte.Photos courtesy of Candace GowanThe Charlotte Christian Middle School boys basketballteamThe Charlotte Christian Middle School girls basketballteamOrganized by senior player Mac Cramer,the event allowed young men andteenagers from the Harvest Centerto play basketball with the Bucs. Theteam donated athletic socks and shoesfor the event, along with water, Gatoradeand dessert.The Harvest Center of Charlotte isa nonprofit dedicated to serving lowincomefamilies, the homeless and areayouth by providing food, clothing, classopportunities and Bible studies.For more information, visit www.theharvestcenter.orgor call 704-333-4280.Bucs wrestlers fall to EaglesOn Dec. 10, the Charlotte CountryDay wrestling team lost to SouthLakeChristian Academy, 45-27.Five Country Day wrestlers earnedwins, including 152-pounder SamWishnek, who pinned Bobby Troutmanin 1 minute, 36 seconds; 171-pounderWill Davis, who pinned Gant Allen in3:07, 189-pounder Thomas Campbell,who pinned Coleman Palmer in4:37, 215-pounder Carter Touma, whooutscored Jackson Smith, 4-1; and285-pounder Dalton Waite, who pinnedNate Taylor in 38 seconds. qPage 30 • Dec. 17-23, 2010 • South Charlotte Weeklywww.thecharlotteweekly.com
SportsSuper 10(continued from page 26)It wasn’t a surprise that the Bucs wontheir first N.C. Independent SchoolsAthletic Association state title since2004.3. Vance (11-4)Make no mistake: The Cougars werethe surprise team in Mecklenburg footballin coach Phil Culicerto’s secondseason.It wasn’t just that they came withina victory of reaching the state championshipgame at North Carolina’s largest– and most difficult – classification(4AA); the Cougars were throwbacks,making their opponents abandonedwell-thought-out game plans to playVance’s way: gritty.The Cougars had one of the best allpurposeplayers in the state in defensiveback/return man/receiver CalvinHunter and a pair off young, offensiveup-and-comers in quarterback IsaiahLaster and running back Larenz Bryant.Vance also finished an impressive 6-1in the I-MECK 4A conference, secondonly to Mallard Creek.Unfortunately, the Cougars ran intothe Butler Bulldog machine in the statesemifinals. And, well, nobody passedthat test this year.4. Mallard Creek (13-1)The Mavericks were surprising thisseason, too, but only in the fact that theywere eliminated from the state playoffsbefore reaching a Class 4AA semifinalshowdown with Butler.Mallard Creek lost to Vance, 10-7,in the quarterfinals and, with all duerespect to the Cougars, it’s hard not towonder if things would’ve been differentif Mavericks star quarterback MarquiseWilliams, a North Carolina TarHeel recruit, hadn’t been hampered byan ankle injury.We’ll never know.But what we do know is the Mavericks,who won the I-MECK 4A conference2010 Preseason Super 10Here’s how our staff saw the top 10 teamsbefore the 2010 season kicked off:1. Butler2. Mallard Creek3. Independence4. Charlotte Latin5. Providence6. Olympic7. Berry8. Charlotte Catholic9. Charlotte Country Day10. HopewellAlso receiving votes: Vance (2), ArdreyKell (1), Charlotte Christian (1), WestCharlotte (1)www.thecharlotteweekly.comCharlotte Country Day players prepare to receive their state championship trophy last month.title with an 8-0 record, were magicalthis season. Even with the seven-pointoffensive stinker in the season finaleagainst Vance, the Mavericks averaged50 points per game, thanks to highlightreelplays from Williams and pass-catchersJamel Harbison, Kevin Asante andBrent Spisak. Mallard Creek also hadone of the best offensive lines in townand a defense that allowed a paltry 8.86points per game.5. Charlotte Catholic (14-1)Even by Charlotte Catholic’s loftystandards, this was a remarkable seasonfor the Cougars, who romped toanother conference championship andlooked as formidable as any of its twostate championship teams of the 2000s.They also posted wins over Class 4AAplayoff squads South Mecklenburg andProvidence, as well as private-schoolchampion Charlotte Country Day andrunner-up Charlotte Latin.Heading into their season finaleagainst Boiling Springs Crest, the Cougarshad six runners who carried the ballat least 15 times and averaged at least6.2 yards per game: David Herlocker(51 carries for 11.2 yards per attempt),Nick Johnson (108 for 9.9), StevenBevilacqua (176 for 9.3), Ben Thomas17 for 7.2), Nick Beato (29 for 6.8) andVince Campagna (32 for 6.2). Oh, andfreshman sensation Elijah Hood startedon the JV squad but didn’t miss a beatwhen he saw varsity action, averaging15.4 yards on his 14 carries.Alas, Crest ended the Cougars’ thrillingpostseason run, but it certainlydidn’t diminish their legacy.6. Berry (11-3)The 2010 campaign marked the bestseason in Cardinal history. Granted, theschool’s only been open nine years, butwhat Berry did was eye-popping, nonetheless.The Cardinals were aggressive on bothsides of the ball, and they boasted collegeprospects at a number of positions.The highest-profile player undoubtedlywas running back/wide receiverGermone Hopper, who many believehas Southeastern Conference talent.But even with Hopper missing muchof the season with an injury, Berrystill dominated opponents, thanks toquarterback Kenny Patterson, receiverQuincy Ekechukwu and linebackersNick Dawson and Elijah Williams.The Cardinals looked destined for theClass 2AA championship game untilfalling to Salisbury, 45-35, in the thirdround.Next year, they move up to Class3A competition. Expect coach AndrewHoward’s squad to remain strong.7. Ardrey Kell (8-5)The Knights carved out their own littlespace among the great stories of the2010 season, thanks, in large part, tofirst-year coach Adam Hastings’ abilityto improve upon the strong foundationformer coach Marty Woolbright laid forthe fifth-year school.And then there was the magic of JustusPickett.Ardrey Kell’s star running back easilyeclipsed the 2,000-yard mark and foundhimself among the greatest runners inMecklenburg County history. His electricity,coupled with Hastings’ emphasison fundamentals and toughness, madethe Knights a team you just had towatch for on the Friday night highlightshows.Along the way, Ardrey Kell won thefirst playoff game in school history,35-10 over South Mecklenburg, beforedropping out in the second roundagainst mighty Mallard Creek.The Knights would’ve had an evenbetter record this season, but they hadto forfeit a victory over Weddingtonafter inadvertently using a player whosephysical had expired. However, finishingsecond in the Southwestern 4A conferencewith a 5-2 record is no small feat,and the Knights show no signs of slowingdown in the future.8. Charlotte Latin (9-3)When the season started, we didn’tknow this would be Hawks coach LarryMcNulty’s swan song. And although itdidn’t end with his 12th state championship,it still was a thing of beauty.The Hawks lost to just two teams thisseason: No. 2 Charlotte Country Day(twice) and No. 5 Charlotte Catholic.That’s a rare distinction. The rest of thetime this season, despite losing severalAaron Garcia/SCW photokey players to injury, the Hawks werestellar, thanks to the tireless running ofJalen Ross and Thomas Armstrong, andan aerial attack engineered by collegeprospect Sam Spence.The defense included two of theCharlotte Independent Schools AthleticAssociation’s best in Stephen Ball andColton Walls (a Clemson Universitycommitment), as well as defensive backsCharlie Fellers and Scott McGinnis.Unfortunately for the Hawks, theysimply didn’t have enough for CharlotteCountry Day, which ousted them in thestate title game.9. Hopewell (8-5)Hopewell tied with SouthLake Christianfor the most on-the-field lossesamong Super 10 teams, but that doesn’tmake what the Titans accomplished anyless impressive.Hopewell established a milestone thisseason by defeating traditional powerhouseWest Charlotte for the first timein school history, 30-27. Led by therugged running back duo of DondreLewis-Freeman and Denzel Heath, theTitans averaged more than 23 pointsper game and also managed to shake offa three-game losing streak to advance tothe second round of the state playoffs,where they dropped a close 17-7 decisionto No. 3 Vance.No shame in that at all.And perhaps more important to Titansfans, Hopewell posted its fourth consecutivevictory over archnemesis NorthMecklenburg in the annual Battle forthe Shield.Yes, it certainly was a productive seasonfor coach Chris Rust’s squad.10. SouthLake Christian (8-5)The Eagle football program has grownby leaps and bounds in recent years, andthis season marked some of its greateststrides.All year, SouthLake Christian battledinjuries to key players, includingstar quarterback/defensive back SamRemick, who quietly had one of themost spectacular seasons in the county.Despite the physical setbacks, theEagles made it all the way to the N.C.Independent Schools Athletic AssociationDivision II semifinals, falling tostate runner-up Westminster Catawba.But the Eagles’ season won’t beremembered for that loss.Several veterans lived up to their preseasonhype – receiver/linebacker TravisHallman, receiver Demetri Allison andlineman Charles Hazzard – and a numberof other players found their way intothe spotlight – cornerback Andre Dioufand linebacker Taylor Jurney.Along the way, SouthLake finishedwith the second-most victories in schoolhistory, falling one game short of 2007’s9-3 campaign.How ‘bout them Eagles?! qSouth Charlotte Weekly • Dec. 17-23, 2010 • Page 31
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