First Assembly's Stegall shuts down likely Tar Heel WR Brantley

Lost in the fine print of Friday’s deluge of high school football results was Concord First Assembly’s 26-0 victory over Durham Mt. Zion Friday night. In that one, First Assembly coach Mike Minter moved safety Brandon Stegall to cornerback, telling the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Stegall to shadow Tehvyn Brantley, Mt. Zion’s ace receiver but just 5-8 and 165 pounds, everywhere.

Few top-ranked defenders have been able to stop Brantley at camps and combines this summer, but Stegall, who spent much of the summer battling mononucleosis, was up to the challenge, holding Brantley to no catches.

Mt. Zion threw to Brantley five times, and Stegall broke them all up. At one point, he hit Brantly so hard that he knocked his helmet off.

Minter said this morning, “After the game, that kid told Brandon that he was the best DB he ever played against.”

Stegall also played quarterback, and rushed for 100 yards and two TDs out of his team’s spread offense.

According to Brandon’s dad Randy, a large number of schools, including Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Duke and Florida State, had expressed interest in his son, but the mono threw everything off-track.

Now Brandon is healthy again, and things should be picking up.

--Stan Olson

If you have recruiting information, please email me at solson@charlotteobserver.com