RALEIGH — N.C. State freshman basketball player Scooter Sherrill enjoyed his first day in the spotlight at the Entertainment and Sports Arena on Saturday. But a few hours later, just a few hundred yards from the ESA over at Carter-Finley Stadium, an old AAU hoops teammate of Sherrill’s still had no idea when his chance to shine would arrive.

Sherrill’s buddy is named Nick Maddox, and he’s a sophomore flanker for the Florida State football team. And, yes, it’s the same Maddox who led A.L. Brown High to the 3A state championship in 1997 and was twice named Player of the Year in North Carolina. After Maddox’s record-shattering senior year, during which he broke the state’s career record for touchdowns, he was regarded by more than one analyst as the nation’s finest running back.

Strong, fast, smart and a model citizen, Maddox was recruited by everyone from Newberry to Nebraska. He finally signed with Florida State at a press conference attended by hundreds, breaking the hearts of fans of UNC, Georgia and Tennessee — his other finalists.

But the fairy tale is still waiting for a happy ending.

Maddox, 6-feet, 190 pounds, was one of only three Seminole freshmen who didn’t red-shirt last year — coach Bobby Bowden explained the decision by saying he’d be lucky to have Maddox for four years, much less five — but played sparingly at running back. His freshman totals were 29 carries for 111 yards. Most came in the season opener against Louisiana Tech (46 yards) and his visit to Chapel Hill’s Kenan Stadium (39), the same venue where he scored four TDs in his legendary ‘97 state title game performance.

Dozens of reporters clustered around Maddox after the Seminoles destroyed the Tar Heels last September. But after FSU took apart N.C. State 58-14, just 13 months later, his audience had dwindled to one.

Maddox, a forgotten man? Is it possible?

With the same backs who played ahead of Maddox in ‘99 — seniors Travis Minor and Jeff Chaney — returning to the team this year, the Seminoles switched Maddox to flanker. That was fine with Maddox, a devastating pass-catcher in his prep days, because it looked like his best chance to get on the field. The Seminoles usually pass more than they run.

“Yeah, it was OK with me,” said Maddox. “Partly it was me going to them about making a move, partly it was them coming to me.”

So far, the results haven’t been especially favorable for Maddox. He’s listed on the two-deep as the backup to senior superstar Marvin Minnis, who averages more than 100 receiving yards per game.

Maddox did play quite a few snaps against the Wolfpack — entering the game for the first time with six minutes elapsed — but nothing was thrown in his direction. The Seminoles punished the Wolfpack on the ground, meaning Maddox blocked, which isn’t his forte, or ran decoy pass patterns.

Maddox touched the ball only once, a 7-yard punt return on which he danced about 30 yards. It was his 11th punt return of the season. He’s also run back three kickoffs and has put up decent averages as a return man— 12.3 on punts; 20.3 on kickoffs.

The only other occasions when Maddox got in camera range were his enthusiastic high-five of roommate Anquan Boldin after a TD catch and when Maddox chased Adrian Wilson to the end zone when N.C. State fooled the Seminoles with a fake punt. Maddox was the deep man, and while he back-pedaled away from two blockers, Wilson sprinted by and Maddox never could close the gap.

Saturday’s game served as a microcosm of Maddox’s sophomore season. Maddox has certainly played more this year than last, but has been an extra, not a star. He has only seven catches, ninth on the team.

Oh, there have been flashes. He made a spectacular leaping catch in the end zone against the Tar Heels — he seems to pick on them, doesn’t he? — for his first Seminole TD on Sept. 16.

“People said that was a great play,” said Maddox. “I thought it was pretty routine. When you play for Florida State, you have to make plays.”

And Maddox says that’s exactly the point that those who are disappointed in his college career to this point are missing.

“I say this a lot,” Maddox said with a frown. “Florida State is different. Here, you can’t be selfish with how much you play. There’s always someone ahead of you who’s good, and there’s always people behind you who are pushing you, too. It’s just different.”

Maddox is right about that. Every one of the 52,000 who watched what the Seminoles did to a 5-2 Wolfpack team Saturday could tell you that they’re a whole lot different.

N.C. State head coach Chuck Amato, a Seminole assistant last year, said this summer he wasn’t sure he had a single player who could start for Bowden. The Seminoles are merely 117-14 since 1990 and have lost two ACC games since joining the league in ‘92. No fewer than 15 Seminoles made All-ACC first or second team last season. And, of course, the Seminoles earned three rings last season — for the ACCchampionship, the national championship and the Sugar Bowl victory.

“Winning is fun. Winning is still the important thing,” said Maddox. “Where else could I have gone to school and gotten a national championship ring? Would I trade that for yards — for touchdowns?

“No.”

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Maddox’s most loyal fan remains his mother, Pat, who still lives in Kannapolis. The drive to Tallahassee is not a short one, but she hasn’t missed a game yet. She flies a Seminole flag on her front porch and wore a Seminole wind-suit to the A.L. Brown game on Friday night. There’s no sign that she’s upset at all with how things are going. In fact, she practically laughs out loud when she’s asked if there’s any truth to the rumors that Nick is considering transferring.

“Transfer?” she asks. “To where? Why? Nick’s hanging in there. He’s learning and he’s winning. He’s part of it.”

Mrs. Maddox led a delegation of about 40 Kannapolis residents to the State game. And while she was in the neighborhood, she checked out Scooter, whom she loves like a favorite nephew. She also got to see her cousin, David Thompson, greatest player in Pack history, accept the cheers of adoring thousands when he was introduced at the ESA.

Maddox’s son used to receive the same sort of cheers in Kannapolis. She still believes he’ll hear them some day in Tallahassee. But with his career nearly at its halfway point, Nick hasn’t caught many breaks.

“He ran back a punt 83 yards for a touchdown against Duke,” said Pat. “Oh, it was just beautiful. It would have been third longest in Florida State history. But wouldn’t you know, they brought it back.”

“That one hurt a little,” admitted Nick, “because usually when there’s a penalty, I see flags. On that one I didn’t. I thought I had it. Yeah, it was disappointing.”

Not surprisingly, Maddox has disappointed no one in the classroom.

“His advisor told me he had a chance to be an academic All-American,” said Pat.

But will Maddox get enough playing time to win honors on the field? Hard to say, but Bowden and his assistants say Maddox is working hard — that his day will come.

“Will next year be the year for me? Maybe — but I just don’t know,” Maddox says with a sigh and a shrug. “Will I be a receiver or a running back — I don’t know. I’ll just do what the coaches tell me and we’ll see what happens.”

But then Maddox shows that his sense of humor hasn’t deserted him through two years of trials. Asked which team his mom, an N.C. State graduate, had been cheering for, a smile crosses his face.

“I don’t know the answer to that one either,” he said. “But I’m gonna go find her right now and ask her.”

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Assistant sports editor Mike London covers college football for the Post.