We will be in touch with Coach Craig later this week to get his take on the first few days of practice for the defending Div. 1-AA State Champion Wolves.

Goose Creek head coach Chuck Reedy is very encouraged by what he has seen just three days into their Spring camp. The defending State Champion Goose Creek Gators will start full pad practice today. Coach Reedy has told Instant Radio Rivals he is “very pleased with the attitude and work ethic of his senior leadership”.

More High School notes coming your way later this week.

-Mike Mizell

coach Russell Zehr

Horn practically begged Bruce to NOT play football about this time last year and was a heavy influence in him making the recent announcement to stick to basketball only.

After Horn was let go Bruce’s first thoughts were to possibly leave South Carolina altogether to salvage his  basketball career elsewhere. That train of thought has since been replaced with possibly returning to the football team.  Bruce has been torn between his first love which is basketball and football which some in his camp think gives him the best chance to play sports as a professional after his college days are over. We were always told before Bruce showed up to watch Spring football practice last year and announce he would join the team in the Fall that it would not be a matter of if but when he would join the football team in 2011. As of now Bruce fully plans on being with the football team this Fall and so far none of his meetings with new basketball coach Frank Martin has him thinking otherwise.

Our ACC Atlantic Pre Spring Power Poll

1. The Seminoles probably win  the Atlantic last season if not for poor early season scheduling and injuries. The offensive line should be better helping out a porous running game while giving EJ Manuel more time to shine. I’m reluctant picking them first as many make that mistake year end and year out. This pick could  change before Fall.

2. NC State returns four offensive linemen from 2011 and I put a lot of stock in the lines of scrimmage. CB David Amerson the NCAA’s leading interception specialist from last season also returns. If they can manage a running game QB Mike Glennon could finally excel for head coach Tom O’Brien. I think this is the year O’Brien makes his presence known in the ACC outside of the “Tar heel State.”

3. Clemson is loaded at the skill position and the big play dimension on offense is unlimited in potential. How their thin offensive line and new defensive coordinator pan out will go a long way in determining if they can build off of last year’s championship season.

4. Wake Forest returns 9 of it’s top 12 tacklers from 2011. They can be a factor in the Atlantic they protect Tanner Price. That will be difficult however losing four of their offensive linemen from last season.

5. Tied at number five is Maryland and Boston College who I believe will field better teams overall than last season. Spoiler role for both teams who shouldn’t be overlooked by their Atlantic division peers.

I think top to bottom the division should be better and more balanced. Is there enough Power in this Poll to help the conference regain some sort of respectability on the National stage? I think there’s a chance especially Florida State can get it going in 2012. What Tom O’Brien says about Glennon’s progress this spring should tell us what kind of chance the Wolf pack will have. Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell has his work cut out for him this spring coaching up an inexperienced unit.Florida State presents more of a consistent match-up problem for their opponents right now than anyone else in the division persuading me to give them the nod for now.

            The Capital One Bowl trophy had barely been hoisted when Steve Spurrier threw down the gauntlet for the upcoming season by proclaiming “12 in 2012”.  Anyone who knows Spurrier knew what he meant- this was not empty “coach speak”; it signaled that since the Gamecocks had broken through and won eleven games for the first time ever, it was natural for Spurrier to raise the bar to the next level and seek even greater heights.  Spurrier knows that twelve wins would likely mean an SEC East Championship and a shot at a BCS game, something the Gamecocks narrowly missed last year when they lost to Auburn by three points.  As was pointed out in a recent story, Spurrier cannot help himself.  He loves numbers, records and history and puts a tremendous amount of importance on it because he believes that not only does it  help motivate his players and coaches, it is what makes the “HBC” tick. 

When Spurrier arrived on the South Carolina campus in late 2004, he had Williams-Brice Stadium painted garnet and black throughout and added to the stadium ramps the names of players and coaches who held single-season and career records.  This was not merely done for aesthetics; it was also done to give present and future Gamecock players and coaches something to shoot for, in particular, Steven Orr Spurrier.  Not coincidentally, when the 2012 season kicks off, Williams-Brice will sport some new record holders, one of them being “Most Wins In A Season- 11 Steve Spurrier”.  Even though Spurrier holds numerous records and can recite the scores and stats from every important game in his storied career, having his name in the stadium is very important to him.  As big as it is though, Spurrier nonetheless considers this to be just the beginning of what should be a record-setting year, since two career marks that he has been gunning for will be within his reach this season.

You get the feel from listening to some of the kids who inked with the Gamecocks on National Signing Day that the program is starting to sell itself, something the coaches in Columbia didn’t have in their arsenal three or four years ago. Spurrier mentioned in his Signing Day press conference that South Carolina has more to offer prospects than ever before. Steve Spurrier Jr. added that the team’s record, accomplishments and facilities have also contributed to Signing Day success as of late.

Landing Mike Davis out of Georgia’s backyard after he decommitted from the Gators is one thing. Doing so with Lattimore and a wealth of other tailbacks on the current roster is another. Oh yeah, don’t forget his brother was a pretty good running back at Clemson, and with all that entailed his opinion of South Carolina still couldn’t be poisoned. Davis said this about choosing the Gamecocks:

“I felt at home there. Once I visited, I knew I could be at home, really. It’s close to home, my family can see me play, and I know I can do big things there.”

You don’t get the feeling South Carolina coaches had to twist his arm to sign with the Gamecocks despite his arm being twisted to go anywhere  but Columbia during the recruiting process.

Speaking of playing close to home Lexington WR Shaq Roland became the fourth South Carolina Mr. Football to sign with the Gamecocks in as many years. Alshon Jeffery spurned the other USC three years ago to sign with Carolina, he should have won Mr Football.

Their decisions helped in getting the ball rolling for the Gamecocks in keeping the really good talent home.

Lattimore took notice of the decisions of past elite Palmetto State talent when he was making his decision on where to attend college. I think it’s safe to say Roland will be turning NFL scouts heads the same as Gilmore, Lattimore, Clowney and Jeffery have turned the heads of South Carolina high school players toward Columbia.

“The success they’ve had the past couple of years and the great recruiting classes, I just wanted to be a part of it,” Roland said. “They are a team on the rise. They are going to do great things next year. It’s a place where I can go and play early as a freshman. And all my family and friends can come see me play.”

Spurrier said shortly after arriving in Columbia he wanted to make South Carolina “cool place to play”.

It seems he’s done that – probably his most important accomplishment since arriving in Columbia.

One of the things used against South Carolina by Clemson, Georgia and other SEC coaches on the recruiting trails is that you can’t win there. I’ve heard stories of even the most respected coaches (cough cough Mark Richt) looking at kids with raised eyebrows asking  them, “are you sure you want to go there”. Coaches trying to use the ole “they can’t win in Columbia” pitch will have to get more creative in their mud slinging.

Brendan Nosovitch is an interesting prospect who didn’t garner a huge list of offers from the elite programs, but did garner the Gatorade Player of the Year his junior year, a Mini Maxwell Award winner and a Parade All-American. Spurrier likes him and he has the rare combination skill set of being mobile while also having a good pocket presence.

Needs were met especially at the defensive back position.

I counted eleven players added to the roster from the State of Georgia.

Seems a better quality of person is being targeted by the staff or maybe a better quality of person is seeking to play for the Gamecocks.

-Mike Mizell

Terrence Campbell

Haney Part Two                               http://stateofdisunionbook.com/

His take will be  more insightful than most considering he covered the Oklahoma Sooner football team for the 2011 season and is familiar with Clemson having covered it’s rival South Carolina for many years with the Charleston’s Post and Courier.

Travis Haney