Talent abounds on the high school gridiron

(Editor’s note: The Sampson Independent sports team wanted to do things a little bit differently as the school year, and sports season, approaches. While the Pigskin Preview is coming out later this month, this piece will provide a glimpse into some of the local football talent at each of our high schools. We have chosen one player from each school that we think will be the impact player, which doesn’t necessarily mean the one with the most yards or touchdowns but rather the ones we believe will have the biggest impact on their team this season. Please note that the statistics used to determine these players might not be complete, as some schools do not have their full statistics online.)

Clinton Dark Horses —

Jayden Williams, LB

Clinton had a punishing defense to match their high-powered offense last season in their state championship run, and Jayden Williams was a big part of it.

As a sophomore last season, Williams was second on the team in total tackles — trailing by just one, for 53 on the season. Seven of those came as tackles behind the line of scrimmage, and if you watch any tape on him, you’ll think he had 100.

A swing pass into the flats, a quaterback trying to make a play on his feet, or a running back bouncing to the outside didn’t matter to Williams; he was a dark hole in the backfield, disrupting everything he could.

Even on special teams, Williams could be seen breaking through blockers in pursuit of the ball and blocking punts.

With hair reminiscent of famed safety Troy Polamalu, his game certainly looks like a mimic of the punishing defensive back. He looks to have added some size to his frame in the offseason, which at linebacker, is a good thing for him.

Williams is listed as both an MLB and OLB, but is sometimes categorized as the “Mike” backer, which is essentially the quarterback of the defense.

Harrells Christian Academy

Crusaders — Chamani Newton, RB

NFL talent like Darren Sproles may come to mind if you watch Newton with the football in his hands. Seriously, this kid is fast and shifty. While it’s unclear what his measurables are — one place has him listed at 5 foot 11 inches, 145 pounds, and another has him at 6 foot 4 inches, 183 pounds — it’s clear that he could have an impact for the Crusaders this season. If the former is outdated, a 5-inch and 40 pound growth would do him wonders for this season.

HCA primarily plays out of the infamous Wing-T, or a variation thereof. This relies on misdirections and more runs than Forrest Gump. While there are passing plays out of it, and Harrells does a good job of incorporating them, this is a very run-heavy offense.

Last year, the Crusaders boasted 2,602 yards on the ground, and Newton accounted for 429 of them as a sophomore, including two games where he had more than 100. With his build, and especially if he did add that size this offseason, he could be a great wideout or slot receiver, opening up a better passing attacking by Harrells.

They do, at times, run a spread version of their offense, which allows some passing. Having a receiver with NFL size (at his new listed stats, he’s about the same size as Devonta Smith) could provide a whole new ball game.

Keep your eyes on Newton to have a great year on the field in 2024. He could easily rank as one of the top area talents.

Hobbton Wildcats —

Daniel Aguilar, RB

Coach Joe Salas said “Hobbton will always be a pass-first team” in an earlier interview, and the team’s 3,443 passing yards last season back that up. However, the 1,219 rushing yards by junior Daniel Aguilar have a story to tell of their own.

In the 11 games that he played last season, Aguilar had 5 where he rushed for more than 100, which gave him an average of 110.8 yards per game. He also tacked on 15 touchdowns on the ground.

His biggest game of the season came alongside Hobbton’s, as he rushed for 270 yards and 4 touchdowns in their shootout loss to Pender, 106-83, which was the highest scoring game in NCHSAA history.

At 5 foot 9 inches, 170 pounds, he’s the stout-sized running back that the game used to revolve around. It wasn’t long ago that the Barry Sanders and Maurice Jones-Drews of the world were the talk of the town. Best described as a “mean ole bulldozer” or “snot-nosed Pit Bull,” who are fan favorites from a time that has since passed, in favor of more pass-game compatible backs.

He is nearly the opposite archetype of HCA’s Newton — instead of being tall and lanky, he is smaller and compact, which means a punishment for the defenders trying to stop him from scoring.

Be on the lookout for the name Daniel Aguilar in Sampson County football this season.

Lakewood Leopards —

Calvin Lacewell, RB

Slippery. The best way to describe #24 that dons the black and gold of Lakewood. You cannot tell the story of Sampson County football last season without talking about Calvin Lacewell.

In the words of the infamous football commentator Chris Berman, Lacewell was often “rumblin’, bumblin’, stumblin’” his way through defenses in his freshman campaign, putting up 917 yards on the ground for the Leopards last season. A good imagery for this is a pinball bouncing off the bumpers or a ping pong ball bouncing all around.

Lacewell, albeit younger than most of the opposition and even his own teammates, quickly adapted to varsity football. He truly made mountains out of mole hills when it came to exploiting his opposition. If there was a hole, he would find it. If there wasn’t a hole, he’d find another. While not the stereotypical “bruiser” back, his agility and lightfooted running abilities seemingly gave him the advantage he needed.

No measurables were to be found, but he seems to be about a mix of of both Newton and Aguilar — smaller frame, but also fast and quick.

His size and stature makes it easy for him to make opponents look like they’re on skates, with quick misdirections and fakes. That is, if he’s in the open field and not carrying a slew of defenders with him gaining the extra yard or two.

Lacewell is sure to be a name that many announcers will be calling in the Leopards’ 2024 campaign.

Midway Raiders —

Ke’Mari McNeill, WR/DB

Word to the wise for Midway opponents this season: don’t let McNeill and his 4.45 40-yard dash speed into the open field, because once he turns on his jets, he’s off to the races.

The 5 foot 11 inch, 165 pound senior has worked himself into a spot where he could be a leading receiver in the county, if all goes to plan. He has the size of wide receivers we have seen in college and professional football and the speed to match. Couple these with his abilities on the basketball court, and he’s a very well-rounded athlete that could find himself in a great position this season and beyond.

On the offensive side of the ball, he was the Raiders’ number two receiver last year, snagging 46 catches for 667 yards and 10 touchdowns. Midway passed for over 2,000 yards last season, and did not have a 1,000 yard receiver, meaning that the targets were split amongst their corps. For him to have double-digit touchdowns means he was a threat that was used often.

Looking at his highlights from last year, you could see many times where he snatched the ball over the top of the defenders, a la Randy Moss.

Midway utilized running back Cody Ammons in the ground attack last season, which lead to him having a near-1,300 yard year, but he transferred to Harnett Central for his senior year. This leaves either a big hole at running back, or for players like McNeill, an opportunity for the Raiders and their new coach Barrett Sloan to launch an onslaught of a passing attack. With weapons like Ke’Mari, this might be the move the make.

Defensively, McNeill also shined, playing his length, speed, and hands to his advantage at cornerback. This could prove to be advantageous to himself and the Raiders this season, as a lengthy defensive back is an advantage not every team has.

McNeill is sure to be giving opponents headaches on both side of the ball this year.

Union Spartans —

Jayden Murphy, RB/OLB

There isn’t as much game film on Murphy as some of the others, but his skills on the field tell his story just the same.

No measurables were to be found for #11 on the Spartans, but he looks to be a solid size for his sophomore campaign.

In every clip, it didn’t seem to matter where Murphy lined up — whether right where the ball was going or on the opposite side of the field — he was going to find the ball carrier and make the play.

He was seen chasing down receivers, plugging running holes, and just being an absolute menace on the field at times.

The Spartans ran the old-school 4-4 defense a lot last year, with four down linemen and four linebackers — a “base” defense that is not seen in any level of football nearly as much as it used to be. Murphy shines in his spot as one of the outside linebackers, a position that today is often fused with defensive end (now referred to as “Edge Rushers”), with many players being in a three-point stance.

It’s refreshing to see someone still play a pure position like OLB, and Jayden his doing the position justice. Continued work through the offseason could have him poised to be making a big impact for the red and white Spartans.

While the Spartans didn’t have the ideal showing last year, players like Murphy were a breath of life into the Spartan football team and community, not giving up on plays and showing heart.