Bleacher Report - Articles by Brad Crawford

Prep Football: All-Region OT Omar Smith Makes Impact in North Carolina

Brad Crawford — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:41:36 -0500

The big uglies. Yeah, you’ve heard of them, the offensive linemen that are left out of headlines, news releases, and highlight reels despite fighting tooth and nail in the trenches every Friday night. But if you ask anyone familiar with the success of Purnell Swett’s magical playoff run this season, one particular lineman has been anything but ugly.

His name is Omar Smith.

Otherwise known as a lumbering terror on the football field, the 17-year-old offensive tackle played an integral role in running back Marlin Locklear’s 1,897-yard season, including 10 games of helping Locklear eclipse the 100-yard rushing barrier.

The majority of Swett’s offense in 2007 began behind big No. 76, as Smith paved the way for the Ram backfield, separating wide-open rushing lanes and clearing paths to the endzone.

Smith, a Pembroke, N.C. native and senior at Purnell Swett High School, has been playing football since he was a 6-year-old trying to grab an opponent’s flag. He recalls this season’s trip to the third round of the state playoffs as, “something made for a movie, almost like Friday Night Lights."

The game-changing offensive tackle was awarded for his countless pancake blocks and in-your-face attitude on the football field. In 2007 Smith was awarded Two Rivers All-Conference First Team, joining six other teammates with the same recognition.

Smith credits his parents, Barbara and Demarsh, for teaching him that discipline and hard work can lead to a successful future, both on and off the gridiron.

“My Mom and Dad are some hard-working people,” Smith said. “They’ve taught me to put education first in my life and football second. I’ll always appreciate the values I’ve learned from them.”

Camaraderie, above all else, is the reason Smith plays football.

“Everything in football depends on how well you work as a team,” Smith said. “Football is the only game that isn’t dominated by individual talent, you must work together to get the job done. Coach Heil stresses working together as a team and will not let us leave practice until discipline and togetherness is learned.”

Memorable block against AC Reynolds

Ask Smith what his most memorable play from Swett’s 10-4 season this past year and he’s quick to jump to an answer.

“Man, there is one play that sticks out that I will never forget from this year,” Smith said. “I blocked two guys from AC Reynolds on their backs on a toss sweep to the right side.”

The play Smith recalls occured during the Rams’ 22-21 first round playoff victory over AC Reynolds as the 6-foot-2 offensive tackle bulldozed a linebacker, catapulting the defensive player into another teammate.

“Coach Heil called a toss sweep to Marlin (Locklear) to my side. I knew I had to block the linebacker and I ended up putting the cornerback on the ground too,” Smith said laughing. “AC Reynolds came here and thought they could win on our field. They were cocky and I wanted to make sure I did my part to come out, play hard and win.”

College football perhaps

Although college letters haven’t been flying in by the masses to Smith, who is finishing his senior year at Purnell Swett, the cool and collected lineman does not seem to worry.

“I know what skills I have and I know I’m good enough to play,” Smith said. “Most colleges that have contacted me want to try and walk-on, letters stopped coming later on this season.”

Smith says he may enroll at Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and try to walk-on the Chanticleers’ football team in the fall.

South Carolina Football Recruiting Central: QB Stephen Garcia Headlines Last Year's Class

Brad Crawford — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:48:49 -0500

As national signing day approaches and Gamecock fans anxiously anticipate Feb. 6, the usual disappointing news reports about big time possible signees ditching South Carolina for high-profile teams are rapidly spreading through the Associated Press newswire.

Star in-state recruits such as DaQuan Bowers and A.J. Green have both spurned South Carolina offers for Clemson and Georgia, respectively.

Bowers (6-foot-4, 270) is ranked as the No. 1 prospect by ESPN and No. 7 by Rivals.com as the physical specimen at defensive end from Bamberg, S.C., registered 33 tackles-for-loss this past season and 15 sacks.

A.J. Green (6-foot-4, 184) is a tall, lengthy wideout from Summerville High School in S.C. and high school teammate of current Gamecock signee, quarterback Reid McCollum. How fitting would it have been for the 14 touchdown receiver to hook up with his pass provider in Columbia?

The annual pipe dream awaits for South Carolina fans as barks and roars are becoming more influential than rooster calls for in-state recruits.

Heading into the 2008 recruiting class outlook, five consecutive losses to finish last season dampened South Carolina’s chances at a top-notch recruiting class this February, including a 51-31 blowout at home against Tim Tebow in November.

South Carolina's 2006 class registered in the Top 5 by most recruiting sites including Rivals.com and ESPN, as last year's lineup was headlined by a long-aired quarterback, three defensive ends and a solid linebacker who made an immediate impact in nine games.

2006 Class Coming Into Form

South Carolina’s premier signee of the 2006 class was head coach Steve Spurrier’s personal choice of Stephen Garcia, a redshirt-freshman from Tampa, Fla. who will undoubtedly compete with 6-foot-4 sophomore Chris Smelley for the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback position.

Coach Spurrier expects Garcia’s athleticism and Smelley’s knowledge of the game to play an important factor next season and has even added a few option plays in the Cock-N-Fire offense for Garcia, who expects to be a dual-threat player under center in the 2008 opener against N.C. State on Aug. 28.

“We’ve got a kid here now, Stephen Garcia, that can run with the ball,” Spurrier said in a recent interview with Joe Person of The State newspaper.

“We’re going to have a run-quarterback offense a little bit here and there. I hope Chris Smelley can run a little bit with it. But I’m convinced now that if your quarterback can’t run with it, it’s difficult back there. It’s hard.”

With Syvelle Newton playing quarterback for the Gamecocks during their 8-5 2006 campaign, South Carolina converted third downs with a 48 percent success rate; 34 percent in comparison last season as signal callers Blake Mitchell and Smelley displayed patterns of immobility and unwillingness to scramble.

2008’s Most Notable Recruit (thus far)

Reid McCollum (6-foot-4, 195), QB, is a pocket passer from Summerville High School in S.C. McCollum will find himself into a five-way battle for the starting quarterback position and isn’t expected to compete for extended time under center in his first season (most likely a redshirt year).

I would list McCollum as the fourth on the team depth chart following USC’s Garnett and Black spring intrasquad game in April.

All Gamecock fans stay tuned to bleacherreport.com on Feb. 6 as I will be updating players that have signed with South Carolina by the second. Player bios and statistics will be available as well for readers. Until then, Fear the Spur!

UNC-Asheville Dampens Gamecocks NCAA Hopes

Brad Crawford — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:39:15 -0500

In an already disappointing first half of the 2007-08 season, the University of South Carolina’s men’s basketball team is unofficially on life support following a stunning 61-58 home loss to UNC-Asheville on Jan. 5.

South Carolina’s (8-6) three-point upset loss all but ends any hopes of an NCAA tournament bid as the Gamecocks open their conference schedule Jan. 9 at undefeated Vanderbilt.

The Bulldogs (11-3) came into Saturday’s matchup with South Carolina showing two-thirds of their losses coming to Tennessee and Virginia Tech, both formidable SEC and ACC conference contenders. UNC-Asheville travels to Chapel Hill Jan. 9 to play Roy Williams and his North Carolina Tar Heels.

UNC-Asheville scored the game’s final 10 points as South Carolina’s ineptitude on offense showed in the last four minutes with zero points and a couple of badly missed three-pointers.

Head coach Dave Odom’s days as the Gamecocks’ leading man could be numbered as South Carolina’s loss to UNC-Asheville marked the first time a mid-major squad has ever won in the Colonial Center, Columbia’s newest basketball arena that opened in 2002.

The former Wake Forest head coach now carries a 122-91 overall record in seven years with South Carolina, with the only NCAA tournament bid coming in the 2003-2004 season. The Gamecocks have won a pair of NIT championships during Odom’s tenure, but have managed just 36 SEC wins in seven years.

Devan Downey, South Carolina’s transfer guard from the University of Cincinnati, has proved to be the Gamecocks’ lone bright spot this season leading the team with 18.6 points per game.