It was time to call off the dogs -- in the first quarter.So coaches at Kannapolis (N.C.) A.L. Brown did just that. Their star player, receiver
Damien Washington, played just a couple of plays in the second quarter before he was given the cue that his night was complete."The first quarter is when I did most of my work," the 6-foot, 180-pound athlete said.And how. Washington gained 272 yards in little more than a quarter. Yes, 272 yards in a 63-12 romp against rival South Rowan High School."It was a good feeling," the North Carolina commitment said. "I guess it was just my night."Washington scored four touchdowns in the first quarter. He had scoring runs of 57, 64 and 61 yards and caught an 80-yard touchdown pass.In a night of staggering stats, the most impressive may have been that Washington was only tackled once."They weren't talking junk or nothing," Washington said. "They weren't saying too much of nothing."After the game, South Rowan was talking -- complimenting Washington on his standout performance. Shelby (N.C.) High did much of the same the week before when Washington scored three touchdowns, one on a kickoff return, and ran for 108 yards.Washington has to be considered one of the most intriguing commitments of UNC's shaken-up 2012 signing class.Richmond was the lone school that offered him a scholarship before the Tar Heels came along shortly after Butch Davis was fired. Washington, was in better hands after the change even though UNC had long said they were interested."It was just the head coach," he said. "(Interim head) coach (Everett) Withers was wanting to offer me before coach Davis got fired."Washington likely flew under the recruiting radar because of not playing one position consistently. He started his junior season in 2010 playing quarterback before moving to tailback. He's also played receiver and safety. Washington maintains that the variety has made him a better athlete even if it hurt him among some talent evaluators."That's part of the reason why I don't have a lot of scouts and publicity," he said. "If I had a primary position that would help me out more than playing a bunch of positions."Washington plans to take the same attitude to college that he's had in high school: He'll play wherever he can have an impact, whether that is receiver, safety, kick returner or all the above."I just want to play," he said. "I just want to get some playing time and put in some work."Perhaps even in the second half.
Johnson picks up his first offerKeeon Johnson picked up his first scholarship offer and it likely won't be his last.East Carolina was the first to offer a full ride to the junior receiver from Kannapolis (N.C.) Brown. The 6-3, 195-pound wideout also has strong interest from North Carolina State, North Carolina, Duke, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Florida and Florida State.