Official Central Carolina 6th Grade FBU NC Preview

<strong>Get Familiar: </strong>Making its debut in the FBU National Championship tournament, Central Carolina enters the tournament with a blank slate but high expectations. This team is made up of athletes from the greater Raleigh area and features a lot of kids who don’t necessarily get the publicity or opportunities that athletes from Charlotte and beyond get. This 6^th grade bunch (class of 2028) arrives with a quiet confidence and a bit of a chip on its shoulder because not much is expected of them…yet. <strong>How they’ll light it up: </strong>This team plans to use overall speed to accomplish their goals. Coaches tell me they have a bunch of sub 5.0 forty yard-dash guys, which is absolutely flying for athletes just in the 6^th grade. Expect this team to throw it around a lot, but to also rely on their “track stars” to make a difference. They plan to operate out of the spread most of the time, but made no secrets about their ability to run the ball as well as throw it. Central Carolina coaches went on to say that a lot of folks have the misconception that Norther Carolina football is about power but they are hoping to change that narrative with creativity on offense. <strong>How they’ll shut it down: </strong>Central Carolina said they look forward to challenging people to throw at them. They’re very excited about the options they have in the secondary, highlighted by a bunch of kids 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-8 blanketing receivers on the outside. They plan to maximize the strength of their defense with two high safety’s playing centerfield and keeping everything in front of them. Coaches have scouted the tournament and lamented that they understood just how fast other teams can be. <strong><u>Mt. Rushmore</u></strong> <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-243421 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/ChaseBrevard-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Chase Brevard | Quarterback</strong> As athletes move up the prep football ranks, position changes are put of the maturing process and that sums up Brevard. Last year he was hands down the top running back on this Central Carolina group, but this year he will transition to the quarterback role. This past season the dual-threat field general led his local league in total touchdowns and coaches marveled at his ability to spin the rock 40-50 yards while rolling out. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-243422 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/TristanWardlaw-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Tristan Wardlaw | Linebacker</strong> An absolute physical specimen for just being in the 6^th grade. Passes the eye test right away in terms of build and athletic ability. A talented running back during the regular season, his primary role will be as a linebacker for team Central Carolina and coaches are fired up to have him patrolling the middle of the field. Simply put, he’s a tackling machine and should be close to double digit tackles in nearly every game they play. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-243424 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/AhmadFrancisJr-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />[player_tooltip player_id="232392" first="Ahmad" last="Francis"] Jr. | Athlete</strong> Sounds a little weird to say since he’s in only the 6^th grade, but Francis Jr. has “grown up” in the FBU system and has been participating since the 4^th grade. A year ago Francis Jr. caught 14 passes over the course of the tournament and is looking to up those numbers yet ago. He’s seen time at quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back during his time playing in the FBU tournament but will settle in as a receiver this year. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-243427 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/GenesisAllen-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Genesis Allen | Offensive Line</strong> Athletes at 5-foot-8 and 200 pounds could start at many small-town high school varsity programs around the country, yet here’s Allen in just the 6^th grade. As if the size wasn’t enough, he’s also an incredibly athletic kid who could play tight end if the situation called for it. During Central Carolina inner-squad scrimmages, he has been dominating some of the 7^th grade defensive linemen, per the coaches. Those same coaches also refer to him as a “Trench Monster” and think they can build around him for the next three years. <strong><u>Offensive Ballers to Know</u></strong> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li><strong>Cl’menta Crosby | Running Back</strong></li> <li><strong>Kylen Crisp | Athlete</strong></li> <li><strong>Jacob Johnson | Wide Receiver</strong></li> </ul> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Defensive Ballers to Know</strong></span> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li><strong>Caden Carolina | Defensive Back</strong></li> <li><strong>Cleveland Perry | Defensive Line</strong></li> <li><strong>Donte Watkins | Defensive End</strong></li> <li><strong>Aaron Feaster | Defensive End</strong></li> </ul>