Monday, November 23, 2009

Minter: Watch out for First Assembly in 2010

Since the Eagles finished 13-0 and won the Division II NCSIAA state title Saturday night, it’s hard to see how First Assembly Christian can get better. But coach Mike Minter sees it happening.

“Keep this down low,” Minter said with a laugh a few minutes ago. “I don’t want Charlotte Christian and Charlotte Latin to know what’s going on. But we’ve got about 15 or 20 good football players who want to transfer in here.

“Next year, our offensive line could average 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds if everything works out. Just wait.”

Minter already has a bunch of underclassmen worth keeping an eye on. In particular, watch junior OG Christian Little, a 6-5, 315-pound load who also smothered opposing teams’ running games at DT when needed.

And there is junior CB Tyler Ryan, who runs a 4.5 40, is a shutdown corner and had seven interceptions—tops in the division—this season.

*Don’t forget the seniors, guys like DT Ainsley Miller, S/RB/QB Brandon Stegall and QB David Larson, offered enough potential that recruiters from Clemson, Duke, Virginia, West Virginia and The Citadel were on hand to watch the title game, Minter said.“Now I’ve got to get information on my seniors out to more schools.”

--Stan Olson

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

So what, you want to be the Oak Hill of football. It's apples and oranges when you compare it to Latin, Country Day and Christian. Those are teams that are based on largely homegrown talent. I seem to remember Victory Christian a few years ago. Similar articles/blogs in the Observer talking about all of the kids they were taking from the public schools, either because the kids couldn't play there or they were getting expelled. They could never get close to Country Day and Latin. Plus, I think the VCC players were better behaved, and not as likely to take part in a brawl.

Anonymous said...

hmmmm sour grapes for the young men in Concord? Home grown in Charlotte, maybe just more affluent?

Anonymous said...

If you call getting kids from all over the Charlotte metro "homegrown", then yeah you might be right. Latin, Country Day, Christian, Providence Day all recruit kids to come play a sport or sports at their school. The brawl,..LOL,... was started by a Providence Day kid, after their arrongance was stuffed up their you know what...you'd know if you were at the game. Get a life and stop hating on the new kid on the block. Get'em MIKE!

Anonymous said...

From what the paper said, a Providence Day kid did start the fight. One of the kids they brought in who couldn't compete at his public school. Christian recruits players, yes. I don't know about sour grapes, FA doesn't play Christian, Country Day or Latin. I wish they would, maybe they will next year. Anyways, According to an article written in a different publication, of Country Day's 37 players this year, 18 had been at the school for 12 years. Not hating, just pointing out it's a different beast.

On a side note, Christian and Providence Day are not affluent schools. Christian is a school full of rednecks and Providence Day is where kids go when they don't get into Country Day or Latin.

Anonymous said...

How many of those kids from 1st Assembly actually get to go to one of those colleges? None! They have no grades or discipline! Minter had the leading rusher in the state last year, Andrew Burton, the kid never went to college! Why? Grades or did the coach just care about winning and not the future of his players! I wonder is Mr. Minter counting on those kids from his school that were expelled for possession of drugs, including Michael Minter Jr.! How could that be a great environment when the coach son is expelledfor drugs! Don't get me wrong 1st Assembly is one of the most talented teams in the state, but attitude, discipline and lack of respect for opponents is a reflection on leadership! Which falls clearly on the COACH! So yes, they might win and look great doing it, but what are they doing to prepare themselves when the cheering stops! Or better yet what is Mr. Minter doing to prepare them
? He should want to raise strong children, than have to fix broken men!
So recruiting guys from public schools just to win games,might be great for Mr. Minter ego, but not preparing them for life will be a reflect on his soul!
So before you all shower Mr. Minter with so much praise do the research on all these so called college prospects and see where they actually go, if they go anywhere! A great coach or program never has to talk about what they did or is going to do, the program speaks for itself!
One more note, since Mr. Minter has been at 1st Assembly the standards for getting in has steadily dropped! All in the name of WINNING GAMES!
That's SAD!

Anonymous said...

Coach Minter was not involved in the "recruitment" of the FAC team when they won the State Championship in 2007. I find it very difficult to understand all the hatred and bitterness over a football game and only because they happen to have as one of their coaches an "ex-panther" as he is always referred to. I don't think anyone would give him a second look if he was "just a coach". To attack his children is totally unacceptable and shows the immaturity of the person who wrote the anonymous comment. Please go to your pastor and try to find out why you have so much hatred - it will eventually cause you much pain.
PS - it is RHYNE not Ryan.

Anonymous said...

I think that it is a distinct difference betwwen hatred and the truth! Hatred is meant to inflict pain, while the truth just hurts! Minter wasn't even the coach for 1st Assembly's first state championship team! Those kids were special, they enter the playoff at 4-5 and became a better team right in front of our eyes! That team was full of guys who had spent most of their high school years at 1st Assembly! It wasn't a team full of transfers who are chasing football glory from a retied panther.
I don't think any of this is an attack on his kids. It's just the brutal truth! While congratulations are in order for the team winning a state championship, lets not make Coach Minter out to be some savior.
How hard is it to go out and recruit talent from public schools and play against Division 2 private schools, where a majority of the kids are playing football for the fun of it!
I will be watching on signning day to see how many of those kids end up signning with Duke, Clemson, West Virginia or UNC!
For all of you who don't know, college coaches watch games all over the country, it doesn't mean they are so heads over heels about your team or players!

Anonymous said...

First Assembly opens the season at Charlotte Latin next September. Coach Mac granted Minter his wish and Mike's going to find out it doesn't matter how many ex-NFL players you've got coaching or D-1 prospects you've got. The result in inevitable ...... ask Charlotte Christian .....

Anonymous said...

To give you an idea of the level of play at First Assembly - I saw them in a game situation scrimmage at Marvin Ridge - they got waxed something like 35-0. They could not hang with MR, a good but certainly not great 3A public school.

Anonymous said...

You guys need to quit talking bad about a program that is using football to change kids lives. For your information the kid that was a running back last year actually went to Liberty to study to become a missionary. If you take the kids that come out of First Assembly football program and put them up against any other school you will see that kids come out better people and men. It is not all about winning on the field it is also winning off the field. For the person who wrote the bad things about Minter kid, I know you have never made a mistake before. See life is not about mistakes but it is about learning from them and growing from them. Why not give these kids from public schools a chance to get a great education and other options. For the record First Assembly had 4 kids that transferred in last year. By the way, a kid that had never played before Minter got there was coached into a player who made the All State Team. That sounds like great coaching to me. Get to know the facts before you judge