–Pigskin Report - Week 15 - by Michael Hughes
30 November 2007Christ School coach heads Tar Heel independents
NC wins again in NCISAA all-star classic
By Michael Hughes
Christ School coach Ben Williamson served as head coach for the third annual Oasis All-Star Shrine Classic, held the Saturday after Thanksgiving at Catawba College’s Shuford Stadium. The game pits the best seniors from North Carolina and South Carolina among each state’s independent schools.
Representing the western North Carolina region was quarterback/defensive back Xaundrae Tingling from Asheville School. Christ School featured a young team in 2007 and stands to have several honorees for next year’s game.
“[Tingling] represented Asheville School well,” Coach Williamson said. A 6’-2” speedster from New York, Tingling played at wide receiver and saw time at cornerback after putting in a solid week of practice.
Like the yearly Shrine Bowl for public school seniors, the all-star classic is sponsored by Shriners hospitals. It is organized by the Oasis Shrine Temple in Charlotte, which is not part of the Shrine Bowl game. The get-together between private schools in the Carolinas helps to raise awareness and needed funds for Shriners hospitals that help needy children from all across the country.
Williamson’s North Carolina squad won a thrilling 14-8 victory over South Carolina’s best. Last year’s game, also held in Salisbury, was won by NC 46-24, with Williamson assisting Raleigh Ravenscroft coach Ned Gonet. South Carolina seniors won the inaugural game in ’05, 41-35.
“It was an exciting game,” Williamson said of the Nov. 24 classic. “We expected [another] shootout” that never occurred. As seen from the previous two scores, the game is set up for offenses to flourish, but the North Carolina team was plagued by turnovers throughout the first half. For the game, NC lost the ball six times near the SC goal line.
“To go into halftime 0-0 was a surprise for us,” said Williamson. “We had moved the ball but had just turned it over. We needed to get ourselves together and execute a little bit better, and we were able to do that in the second half.”
The teams entered the locker room scoreless despite some well-orchestrated drives directed by Tar Heel quarterback Braden Hansen, who has committed to the University of North Carolina. Hansen, a 6’-5” lefty, was one of three representatives from Charlotte Latin, ranked as the best football team in the state among all schools, public or private. Hansen, the game MVP, and North Gaston QB A.J. Blue are considered the state’s top prep signal callers this season. Blue, a double threat (3,360 total yds., 35 total TDs) who faces a showdown with Asheville High tonight, was mysteriously left off the ’07 Shrine Bowl squad.
In Salisbury, there was still no score in the fourth quarter until Hansen found Latin teammate Brentin Bersin for a 41-yard touchdown strike with 2:32 left in the game. South Carolina returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a score, and the go-ahead two-point conversion made it 8-7, Sandlappers, with 2:13 to go. A nine-play drive for North Carolina, highlighted by a 37-yard pass from Hansen to Fayetteville Christian’s Cameron Penrose, led to a one-yard plunge from Charlotte Latin’s Ben Ashcroft, the game’s most outstanding defensive player, with 21.1 seconds left.
“He did a great job leading us all week, and he’s obviously talented,” Williamson said of Hansen. “He’ll do great at Carolina.”
Charlotte Christian, which defeated the West 3-A finalist Cougars on August 31, also had three participants for the Oasis classic.
The weather cooperated during a week of practice, with just a little rain on Thursday and slightly cooler temperatures for the sunny 2 p.m. game.
“The whole week was first class,” said Williamson. “The stadium was in excellent shape. It was a privilege and an honor to be a part of the week.”
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