All-State Team

RALEIGH -- Six-time champion Charlotte Independence again followed its title run with a strong showing on The Associated Press All-State prep football team for North Carolina.

Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and offensive lineman Pierre Andrews represented the Patriots on the 2005 team, marking the sixth straight year Independence followed a state title with multiple All-State picks.

Independence tied with three other schools — Davie County, Elkin and West Columbus — for the most picks to the 30-man squad, which was released Wednesday after voting by a panel of the state’s media members.

Defensive lineman Terry Adams earned his second All-State selection for Elkin and was joined by place-kicker Wells Stewart. Linebacker Logan Buchanan and defensive back Raeshon McNeil represented Davie County on the team, while West Columbus had defensive lineman Ricardo Crawford and punter Ryan McCleney.

Nicks earned 23 of a possible 26 votes to join Southern Durham offensive lineman Carl Johnson — a Florida recruit earning All-State honors for the second straight season — as the leading vote-getters on the team.

Andrews earned his second-straight selection to the team with 19 votes, tied for second-most on the team with Thomasville running back Quan Warley. Adams’ 18 votes led the AP defensive team.

Shelby’s Tavorris Jolly was voted to the team as an “athlete,” a position added this year to recognize all-around players who often play more than one position.

Jolly, a Shrine Bowl pick and North Carolina recruit, ran for 1,287 yards and 16 touchdowns with five receiving scores at running back and had five interceptions at defensive back. He also returned a punt and kickoff for scores, earning MVP honors in leading his team to the 2-AA title.

Nicks — a North Carolina recruit — led the state with 1,819 receiving yards and had 20 touchdown catches, earning MVP honors with 205 yards receiving in the Class 4-AA final. Andrews was the top blocker on an offense that averaged nearly 39 points per game.

Behind the pair of Shrine Bowl picks, Independence became the first team in state history to win six consecutive football titles and pushed the nation’s longest winning streak to 92 games.

Warley ran for 3,304 yards and 43 touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs to a second-straight state title. He was joined in the backfield by Cary running back Josh Adams (2,688 yards, 29 TDs) and Wilson Beddingfield quarterback Bennett Johnson (3,891 yards, 43 TDs).

Johnson’s selection marked the first time since 1999 that Independence did not have the All-State quarterback, with Chris Leak being picked from 2000-02 and Joe Cox selected in 2003 and ‘04.

Joining Nicks at wide receiver was Maiden’s Petey McClain, who had 1,449 yards and 16 scores. Lincolnton’s Demery Brewer was picked at tight end after catching 11 touchdown passes.

Joining Johnson and Andrews on the offensive line were Charlotte Catholic’s Mario Acitelli, Winston-Salem Carver’s Chris Hairston, Lumberton’s Hutch Eckerson and Fayetteville Smith’s Thurman McDonald. Eckerson and McDonald tied for the final spot with eight votes each.

On defense, Adams — who had 100 tackles and seven sacks — was joined on the line by Crawford, Richmond County’s Tavares Brown and Winston-Salem Mount Tabor’s Tripp Russell.

Crest’s Brandon Spikes led the linebackers with 16 votes. He was joined by Buchanan, Ayden-Grifton’s Matt Tripp and Catawba Bandys’ Matt Woodlief. Tripp and Woodlief tied for the final spot with seven votes each.

The 6-4, 235-pound Spikes led his team in tackles for the third straight year. The defensive MVP of the 3AA title game in 2004, he’s the subject of a heated recruiting battle between Virginia Tech, Florida and Alabama.

North Carolina recruit Kendric Burney of Southwest Onslow led defensive backs with 15 votes after averaging 10 tackles per game. He was joined by Greensboro Grimsley’s Robert Lane, who played almost every down and had 10 interceptions while playing running back and quarterback to lead Grimsley to its first state final since 1960.

Also voted to the defensive backfield were Asheville’s Crezdon Butler — a Clemson recruit who led his team to its first state title since 1922 — Burlington Williams’ Alex Crisp (120 tackles), East Lincoln’s Thomas Huntley (11 INTs) and Davie County’s McNeil, a Notre Dame recruit with six picks.

Elkin’s Stewart and West Columbus’ McCleney each had 12 votes to lead the AP special teams. Stewart went 10-for-12 on field goals and 69-for-70 on extra-point kicks, while McCleney averaged 41 yards per punt. High Point Andrews’ Marcus Gilchrist was named kick returner after returning four kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns.



2005 AP All-State team.

The 2005 Associated Press All-State prep football team for North Carolina. Votes in parentheses.

OFFENSE

QB—Bennett Johnson, Beddingfield (9)

RB—Quan Warley, Thomasville (19)

RB—Josh Adams, Cary (8)

WR—Hakeem Nicks, Independence (23)

WR—Petey McClain, Maiden (11)

TE—Demery Brewer, Lincolnton (16)

OL—Carl Johnson, So. Durham (23)

OL—Pierre Andrews, Independence (19)

OL—Mario Acitelli, Charlotte Catholic (10)

OL—Chris Hairston, W-S Carver (9)

OL—Hutch Eckerson, Lumberton (8)

OL—Thurman McDonald, Fayetteville Smith (8)

DEFENSE

DL—Terry Adams, Elkin (18)

DL—Tavares Brown, Richmond Co. (13)

DL—Ricardo Crawford, West Columbus (9)

DL—Tripp Russell, Mt. Tabor (8)

LB—Brandon Spikes, Crest (16)

LB—Logan Buchanan, Davie Co. (12)

LB—Matt Tripp, Ayden-Grifton (7)

LB—Matt Woodlief, Bandys (7)

DB—Kendric Burney, SW Onslow (15)

DB—Robert Lane, Grimsley (10)

DB—Crezdon Butler, Asheville (9)

DB—Alex Crisp, Burlington Williams (7)

DB—Thomas Huntley, East Lincoln (7)

DB—Raeshon McNeil, Davie Co. (7)

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK—Wells Stewart, Elkin (12)

P—Ryan McCleney, West Columbus (12)

KR—Marcus Gilchrist, High Point Andrews (17)

ATH—Tavorris Jolly, Shelby (6)

 

Congrats to Spikes and Jolly from Cleveland County.