The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543694
32 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN ven though a hurricane had knocked out power all over town, the Miami Gardens Ravens were going to play their game. It was moved to a Tuesday evening in steamy South Florida, but no weather event was going to sideline this team of talented 11-year- olds, led by quarterback CJ Bailey and his star supporting cast. The game was more than just two little league squads facing off. Upwards of 5,000 people flocked to the field that night. The turnout surprised head coach Rod Mack, a former University of Miami linebacker, but it would soon become the norm for the star-studded youth team. Bailey, who would go on to sign with NC State, ran the offense, aided by at least eight other future Division I skill players. Wherever they went, crowds followed. The team, which had formed when the players were 8 years old, became one of the focal points of the region. From Key West to Pensacola, the Miami Gardens Ravens were the show. "We went to the national tourna- ments, and when those kids came in it was like watching Tiger Woods on the green with the crowd behind him," E MIAMI MIAMI HEAT HEAT To Boost Its Offense, NC State Revives A South Florida Youth League Powerhouse Via The Transfer Portal Quarterback CJ Bailey (left) and transfer receiver Chance Robinson (right) have been working this spring to recreate the chemistry they had as little league teammates growing up in the Miami area. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS