The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/759726
88 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER A s of mid-December, all but four of NC State's commitments in the senior and junior classes were done with their high school seasons. Here is a breakdown of how the Pack commits did: Defensive end Deslin Alexandre, Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High Alexandre missed a few games during the regular season with a high-ankle sprain, but he returned in time to help lead Deer- field Beach to the semifinals of the state's Class 8A (largest classification) playoffs, where the Bucks fell to visiting Miami Southridge High, ending Deerfield Beach's season at 10-3. The 6-5, 235-pound Alexandre, who is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, continues to be recruited by ACC rival Pitts- burgh, and he hosted Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi on an in-home visit in December. He is expected to enroll early at NCSU. Tight end Adam Boselli, Jacksonville (Fla.) Episcopal School The most recent commit and a two-star prospect, Boselli saw his season end when Episcopal lost at Tallahassee (Fla.) Flor- ida State High in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs. Episcopal concluded the season with an 8-2 record. The 6-4, 210-pound Boselli finished the season with 736 receiving yards and hauled in seven touchdown receptions. Running back Erin Collins, Seffner (Fla.) Armwood High Armwood's year ended earlier than ex- pected with a loss at Lake Gibson (Fla.) High in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs. Lake Gibson would advance to the state championship game. Entering the final game of the season, Collins had rushed 63 times for 533 yards (8.5 yards per carry) and caught 25 passes for 324 yards despite missing two games with an injury and sharing carries with five- star Ohio State junior running back commit Brian Snead. He finished the year with 13 touchdowns (10 rushing, three receiving). Tight end Damien Darden, Pikeville (N.C.) C.B. Aycock High Darden (6-4, 245 pounds) endured a tough ending to his senior season when Aycock was forced to forfeit four early- season wins due to using some players that had expired physicals. As a result, C.B. Aycock missed the state playoffs with a 2-9 overall record. The three-star prospect caught 32 passes for 481 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior, and he is enrolling early at NC State. Wide receiver Emeka Emezie, Waxhaw (N.C.) Marvin Ridge High It was a historic season for Emezie at Marvin Ridge. He was one of two play- ers, joining lineman Dmitri Emmanuel, to become the first athletes from the school to be selected for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game, played Dec. 17 in Spartanburg, S.C. Marvin Ridge also went deeper into the state playoffs than ever be- fore, reaching the third round in the 3-AA classification before losing in overtime to Harrisburg (N.C.) Hickory Ridge. In 14 games, during which Marvin Ridge went 8-6, Emezie caught 99 passes for 1,387 yards (14.0 yards per catch) and 18 touchdowns. Rivals.com rates the 6-3, 200-pounder as the No. 83 wide receiver in the country. Wide receiver Max Fisher, Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga High The two-star Fisher (6-3, 200 pounds) was named first-team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference after catch- ing 41 passes for 583 yards (14.2 yards per catch) and four touchdowns. Gonzaga finished the year 8-3. Defensive tackle Grant Gibson, Charlotte Mallard Creek High Gibson played mostly at offensive guard this season for Mallard Creek, which saw its three-year reign as the state's 4-AA champions end in November with a sec- ond-round loss on the road at Matthews (N.C.) Butler High. The 6-1, 300-pound Gibson is rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 19 defensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com. Linebacker Darius Hodge, Wake Forest (N.C.) High The three-star prospect was enjoying a monster season for the Cougars, who won their first 13 games to reach the semifi- ■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Seasons To Remember Three-star wide receiver Emeka Emezie caught 99 passes for 1,387 yards and 18 touchdowns this season for Waxhaw (N.C.) Marvin Ridge High. PHOTO BY RYAN TICE