Touché making name for himself

KANNAPOLIS — There’s some debate over whether A.L. Brown speedster Aundrae Allison is the hottest receiver around, but none over whether he owns the coolest nickname.

Aundrae, you see, answers to “Touché.” Thousands are known as “Lefty,” “Butch” or “Sandy.” But “Touché”? That racks up major style points for originality.

Allison’s mystifying monicker came his way not because he’s a member of the local fencing club, but because his mom felt that young Aundrae’s crawling style mimicked the motion of swashbuckling cartoon character, “Touché Turtle.”

Allison’s just thankful his wonder years didn’t remind any family members of “Peter Potamus” or “Huckleberry Hound.”

At any rate, Allison, now a senior and a two-sport star of Bo Jacksonesque proportions, still responds cheerfully to that childhood tag of Touché. So that’s what his teammates and coaches unfailingly call him.

Head basketball coach Shelwyn Klutz will tell you that “Touché really lit it up tonight.” Head football coach Ron Massey will offer that “Touché really made big plays for us.”

Wonder football play-by-play man Frank Santore much prefers “Touché” to Aundrae. As in, “Touché breaks a tackle. Touché to the 40, the 30, the 20, the 10! Touché to the house!!” Santore’s been making that colorful call — one he joyfully punctuates with animated parries and thrusts — more and more frequently.

Allison lost two teeth and practically all of two ballgames when he took a lick at Concord in September. But in the six games he’s been hale, he’s made defenders look as slow, as well ... turtles. Allison’s caught 28 passes for 580 yards and seven TDs and has added another four scores on mind-blowing kick returns.

“More than anything, Touché’s made a difference in field position,” said Massey. “Teams don’t want to kick it to him.”

No doubt. But Touché first made a name for himself in hoops.

Anyone who’s wandered into Brown’s Bullock Gym the last two winters can tell you what the slinky 6-foot-1, 180-pound Allison can do with a basketball in his hands.

But then he scored three TDs against North Rowan in the Wonders’ first football game this season, and his gridiron skills were no longer top secret.

These days, Allison calls football his first love, but he admits he kissed the sport off for many years.

“I was into football as a young kid,” he said. “Seventh grade’s when I started concentrating on basketball, because I’m from a basketball family. I didn’t play football in middle school or in ninth and 10th grade.”

The strongest push for Allison to expand his athletic horizons came, surprisingly enough, from Klutz, the guy who had the most to lose. Klutz made the suggestion because he saw that while Allison could make the toughest reverse layup in traffic look ridiculously easy, the all-conference slasher played only in spurts. With his quickness, Allison could make foes look silly whenever he desired, but he didn’t always take charge.

“Coach Klutz encouraged me. He thought if I went out for football it would make me more aggressive in basketball,” explained Allison.

So Allison showed up for summer passing league prior to his junior year and impressed the newly arrived Massey and his defensive coordinator, Aubrey Hollifield.

“We saw Touché and we got excited,” remembers Hollifield.

Allison earned starting assignments as a junior — remarkable for a rookie in the program. He was an asset, though not a star. His numbers: 19 catches for 383 yards and only two TDs.

“Touché was just getting comfortable, getting a feel last year,” said Hollifield.

Now locked in a serious comfort zone, Allison’s making opposing defenses melt like ice cream in August.

His increased success, all agree, is a product of his surprise enlistment in the Wonders’ weight program over the summer.

“I worked hard and got stronger,” said Allison. “Last year, it was like I was getting by on athletic ability alone. This year, when I’ve had chances to make plays, I’ve made them.”

“He’s always had speed and those soft hands from basketball, but now you see him just pulling away from tacklers,” said Massey.

Hollifield’s so sold on Allison’s football ability that the Wonders now use him both ways. Allison’s happily added safety to his expanding resumé.

“He’s pretty good there too,” said Hollifield. “Real physical.”

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It may be the heart of football season, but there’s nothing Allison would rather do than grab Zach Massey’s (the coach’s son) basketball and spend free moments effortlessly drilling smooth jumpers.

“Touché loves that ball,” chuckles Massey. “And there’s nothing at all wrong with him shooting around a little bit.”

The problem for Allison — and it’s not a terrible dilemma to have — is that he’s become so proficient at football that he’s actually getting more attention from colleges in his “second” sport.

“He may have the opportunity to make a choice,” said Massey. “He’s opened up a lot of eyes in the football arena. He’s looking better and better with that football uniform on.”

Yet, when Allison sleeps, his head is still filled mostly with hoop dreams.

“What I’d really love to do (in college) is both sports,” said Allison. “I haven’t heard from any big schools in basketball. If I get a chance at a good football school, I could go that way. But basketball, that’s still my No. 1 goal.”

How far can Touché go in hoops?

“Hard to tell,” said Hollifield, who also assists with Wonder basketball. “But when I was at Wake Forest (he played football for the Deacons in the 80s), we had worse guards on the basketball team. He’s good. Touché can do about anything he wants.”

Right now, Touché’s doing so many good things that a football season that once looked like a disaster appears headed for a serious playoff run. Which means Klutz may not have his main man — the one he “loaned” to football— until after basketball season’s under way.

“I know Shelwyn hopes he gets Touché back pretty quick,” said a smiling Massey. “But I hope Shelwyn doesn’t get him until December. That’ll mean we’ve had a real successful football season.”

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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com .