By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Two players and a coach from Alamance County were part of a record-setting performance for North Carolina’s team in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas earlier this month.
North Carolina defeated South Carolina 49-24 in the matchup between high school senior all-star selections December 21 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Quarterback Dan Mahan of Williams, receiver James Newton of Western Alamance, and coach Jeff Snuffer of Western Alamance were part of the North Carolina contingent. Snuffer was an offensive coach.
The 49 points marked the most points scored by North Carolina’s team in the event’s 88-year history.
Mahan, a Duke signee, went 5-for-10 for 26 passing yards. Newman, a Gardner-Webb signee, made one catch for 8 yards on a fourth-quarter pass from Hickory quarterback Brady Stober as part of an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Newton also had a 25-yard kickoff return.
The only passing touchdown was thrown by Hickory receiver Jamien Little on a gadget play that covered 51 yards and accounted for more than half of the team’s 96 passing yards. That marked the final touchdown of the game. Little is also a Duke signee.
Havelock’s Johnny Williams, an East Carolina signee, rushed for three touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass to pick up Most Valuable Player honors. Havelock eliminated Western in the second round of the Class 3-A state playoffs in November.
The outcome marked North Carolina’s first victory in 12 years, though there were no games in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.
