The swarm lands at East Mecklenburg

East Mecklenburg High has no sure-fire BCS prospects, but rather a number of players on the bubble, kids who could play at college football’s highest level if they gain a little height, a little speed and a little strength as they go through their senior seasons.

And yet even at East Meck, the evaluation period that allows coaches to stop by schools and visit with prospects has made things a little bit nuts.

The evaluation period began April 15 and runs through May 31. Since its start, Eagles coach Greg Hill can’t remember all the schools that have dropped by. But he can give you a list of most of them off the top of his head.

“Well, Georgetown, North Carolina, N.C. State, Wisconsin, Georgia State, Air Force and East Carolina,” he said. “Oh, and Duke, Norfolk State, Wake Forest and Furman.”
Hill paused. “And Elon and Appalachian. All of them were physically here, I saw them, and I’m sure I’m forgetting a couple.

“Wofford, The Citadel and Princeton called me on the phone.”

The evaluation period allows two visits from each program to a particular high school. One can be used to assess a player’s athletic abilities while the other checks his academics.

We wanted to give you a look at a typical high school. Imagine the mob scene at schools with top prospects enrolled.

--Stan Olson