Team Preview – West Mecklenburg Hawks
As we get closer to the start of the season, we will be taking a look at team previews from across the Charlotte Metro Area. We have a lot of talented players here in the city, and every year there…
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Continue ReadingAs we get closer to the start of the season, we will be taking a look at team previews from across the Charlotte Metro Area. We have a lot of talented players here in the city, and every year there are new faces that will become the star of their teams on Friday Nights. We’ll take a look at them, as well as the overall team prospects for the upcoming year!
The West Mecklenburg Hawks have been slowly building their program from the ground up, playing very young players the past 2 years, and this year they look to take a step and contend for the state playoffs. Head Coach Beady Waddell IV has been able to build a strong core of players that make up the heart of this team – the key for them is to be able to have the support around those players to push up to the next level in the tough Queen City Conference. Winning 4 games last year showed the progress of the program – they only won one game in the season before that – so the players and coaches are doing the right things to continue to move the program in the right direction.
The Hawks are led by the talented coach’s son – Beady Waddell V. He is an excellent linebacker and team leader – he is vocal and captains the defense – he makes the calls and makes sure everyone is lined up in the right position at all times. He also is a 3-down player – he can stuff the run and cover in short spaces against running backs and tight ends. Expect him to play some offense at running back as well. Damarco McClure is a very good defensive end who has flown under the radar because of where he is, but I expect him to take another step this season into the spotlight. He is 6’2 225 pounds and does an excellent job coming off the edge at his Defensive End spot and rushing the passer. He earned some accolades at camps this offseason and should gain recruiting attention as the regular season goes along. Kayrie Lytle Jr. will join him on that same defensive line, and Lytle’s specialty is quickness off the ball in that interior defensive line to just bring disruption to blocking schemes. There are several highlights where he is in the backfield literally right after the snap, and he’s forcing sacks and tackles for loss.
Omari Sanders-Richardson is a Cornerback who has excellent speed and excels in man coverage. He will be someone the Hawks will depend on against another team’s #1 wide receiver on the outside to try and limit him and shut him down. Neko Brown is a rangy free safety who has excellent ball skills, and he can do some good things with the ball in his hands on offense also. He is the true definition of an ATH, and I’m excited to see him hopefully get a bigger opportunity on offense. He also run supports well and can tackle well in open space. Also on offense, WR Jeremy Black is speed, speed, and more speed. He will excel in the slot and on Special Teams – he can really fly with the football in his hands and be a home run hitter for the Hawks. Expect Offensive Lineman Caleb Coble to be an important part of the offensive line this upcoming season – he is a 2024 prospect at 6’3 and 260 pounds that can move pretty well. He may help out on the defensive line as well.
Looking at the Hawks schedule, they are the first ever opponent for the Palisades Pumas – a new school in Southwest Charlotte, so that will be some pretty cool history there. Their matchups against Berry, West Charlotte, and Harding are all a part of the “Westside Championship” which is something that schools on the west side of Charlotte all compete for, and for West Meck, they are a traditional Charlotte school, so winning that would mean a big deal to their alumni, and reflect another step that the program takes forward. Ultimately, they have taken some lumps and gotten better the last two years. Their key will be finding a good quarterback that can get the ball into their playmaker’s hands, and finding some depth to supplement some very good top-end players. If they can do that, I expect the Hawks to return to the State Playoffs this season.