Weddington's 'sleeper' now wide awake

Remember Sam Dashti’s name.

They’ll know it at Weddington High this fall, when Dashti is making tackles all over the field for the Warriors.

Dashti, a linebacker, appeared to be on the way to a fine prep career as a sophomore, when he was a promising starter. Then, though, he missed his entire junior season for personal reasons. Now he’s back.

“Sam could be a big-time sleeper, big-time,” new Weddington coach Justin Hardin said today. “He’s a really hard-nosed kid.”

He’s also 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, with 4.7-second speed in the 40-yard dash. Right now, he’s projected as an FCS school-caliber player, but if he grows a bit more and plays as well as Hardin thinks he will, he could boost his stock.

Hardin plans to play Dashti at both LB and DE, saying, “I've got to have him somewhere on my defense all the time.”

*Also, keep an eye on the Warriors’ center, Christian Lowder. He’s just a rising junior, but Hardin says he’s already one of the best long-snappers in the country, a trait that always attracts considerable attention from college recruiters.

While Lowder is 5-11 and 190 pounds, small for a center, he may not be done growing. And Hardin says, “He’s the toughest kid on the team.”—Stan Olson