Contender Profile: Weddington

Back-to-back 3AA state champion Weddington is back and riding a 26-game winning streak. Last year, the Warriors rode both a high-powered offense and stout defense to a 37.5-point average margin of victory. The 2020 team loses some key contributors from the defense but returns 10 starters from its high-powered offense and will look to put up even more points this season. Not only are the Warriors experienced, but they also feature some talented underclassmen. In this feature, we’ll break down the team’s top prospects. <strong>Skill Positions</strong> It all runs through [player_tooltip player_id="28433" first="Will" last="Shipley"]. Our top player in the state is widely considered the top running back in the country and he’s the best skill player to come through the Tar Heel state since Todd Gurley. The crazy thing, is that the Warriors would have been fine without him. Shipley averaged seven touches a game through the team’s first five games as the Warriors elected to keep him fresh. The offense still averaged 39 points a game during that stretch. That was in large part due to 2021 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="28579" first="Dante" last="Casciola"] and his receivers. Casciola holds an offer from D1 Morehead State and runs the offense effectively and efficiently. He takes care of the ball and has controls the offense well, delivering accurate passes to the team’s many playmakers. At receiver, the Warriors will once again be stacked. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="28679" first="Landyn" last="Backey"] was a star at receiver as a sophomore, doing a little bit of everything for the Warriors, averaging 18 yards a catch and taking a third of his receptions the distance. He’s joined by senior [player_tooltip player_id="28590" first="Kambridge" last="Tuttle"] on the opposite side, a speedy outside receiver that excels in the route-running department. The Warriors have taller options too, with senior Zach Reda, a 6’5", 220-pound converted tackle at tight end and 2022 Brooks Johnson at H-Back. Johnson was a standout JV receiver a year ago and at 6’4", 200 pounds, Johnson is excellent as both a blocker and a big-bodied receiver. He’ll play a hybrid role this year as an in-line tight end and big slot receiver. Sophomore Zymill Patterson transferred in the offseason and could factor into the rotation. Behind Shipley are two future college running backs in senior Trey Gordon and junior [player_tooltip player_id="28664" first="Kyle" last="Parsons"]. Gordon is tough to bring down and Parsons is a home run threat, averaging over 10 yards a carry a season ago. <strong>Offensive Line</strong> The line doesn’t get nearly the recognition that Weddington’s skill guys get, but they’re one of the best units in the state. All five starters return in 2020, including center [player_tooltip player_id="28561" first="Alex" last="McLaughlin"], guard [player_tooltip player_id="28612" first="Nick" last="Aderholt"], and tackle [player_tooltip player_id="28546" first="Austin" last="Pronk"], all of whom will play at the next level. The Warriors also have a versatile 2023 offensive lineman in Josh Moraja that seems destined for an Ivy or high-academic school. Moraja can play just about every position on the line and will provide valuable depth up front. <strong>Front Seven</strong> If there’s any area that cold be considered a question mark for the Warriors, it’d be up front defensively. The Warriors lose the top linebacker in school history, their top edge rusher and two of the top three defensive tackles. The Warriors will count on senior Cory Hennings and junior Trace McCament to step up at linebacker. Both should have college opportunities with good seasons. Edge rushers [player_tooltip player_id="28553" first="Joe" last="Zovistoski"] and Cole Wiseman, both seniors, combined for 18.5 sacks a year ago and will anchor either side of the line. The Warriors won’t be huge on defense, but then again, they weren’t last year either. <strong>Secondary</strong> Believe it or not, the secondary might be the best position group for the Warriors. It starts with the best cornerback duo in the state in seniors [player_tooltip player_id="28509" first="Jalen" last="Newman"] and [player_tooltip player_id="28507" first="Bryson" last="Parker"]. Both are ranked in the top 12 in the state and rising, with over a dozen D1 offers apiece. The Warriors often use Shipley as a deep safety and Hennings as an in-box safety, giving them tremendous athleticism on the back end. <strong>Special Teams</strong> The Warriors lose an NC State signee that both punted and kicked a year ago, but will still be strong in the special teams department. Junior Matthew Moonan will take over all three kicking duties and has college potential himself. McLaughlin is one of the top long-snappers in the country and will provide consistency in the kicking and punting games.