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This is the sixth installment of the Post's eight-part series on football practices of
area high school teams.
Today: A.L. Brown.
There is no greater football honor at A.L. Brown High school than being named a summer
captain.
Summer captains set the example for the team in the "off-season." They are
expected to show the way in June and July in the informal workouts in the weight room, in
the sand pits, on the hills and on the track.
Summer captains are not appointed by the powers that be. They are voted upon by their
peers every May and are an accurate barometer of exactly which players are the most
respected in all of Wonderland.
Last year, the summer captains were Nick Maddox, Nick Gill, Danny Jenkins and Paul Allen -
all household names in Kannapolis.
Head coach Bruce Hardin shed some light on his latest leaders on Tuesday.
"The team elected Kurjuan Kirkpatrick, Justin Chambers, Blair Hardin and Justin
Hardin," said the coach.
The man who has a record of 109-23 over the past 10 years with the Wonders, ticks off the
names "Blair Hardin and Justin Hardin" like they were casual acquaintances, not
the twin boys he eats supper with every night after practice.
But the pride in his voice is unmistakable.
His boys are much more than just the "coach's sons." They've got good genes, but
they've also been willing to do the extra work required to make the climb from extras to
stars.
In 1997 when the Wonders won the state 3A title, sophomore Justin backed up William Craft
at quarterback and was a contributor.
Blair played on the unbeaten jayvees, then came up to the varsity for the fun of the
playoff run.
Last year, as juniors, the Hardins' roles expanded. Starting QB Justin threw 23 touchdown
passes. Starting wideout Blair caught 10 passes - five for TDs.
This year, they will be counted on to do considerably more.
Blair likely will play both ways - as a wideout and at cornerback.
Justin must key the offense, especially until the Wonders' new stable of running backs
gets its fast, but inexperienced, feet wet.
With his kids out of Maddox's mighty shadow and thrust into the limelight for the first
time this season, Hardin wants to make absolutely certain that the 1999 edition of the
Wonders does not become just another father-son show.
"I don't want anything to take away from my team," the coach says. "It's
still about the team. Every kid out here is important to me. I coached football for 30
years before I ever coached my own kids."
Still, the 54-year-old pigskin wizard can't help but be pleased with how fanatically his
sons have prepared for their moment in the sun.
The young Hardins look ready. Their biceps and calves bulge with hard-won new muscle.
Just a couple of years ago, the Hardin kids were sort of cute and cuddly. Now, they are
compact, hard-nosed, powerful athletes. They weigh only 175, but both can bench-press over
300 pounds. Justin is fast. He runs a 4.6 40-yard dash. Blair is even swifter. He covered
the 40 on Thursday night in 4.53.
Justin has a howitzer for a right arm. At practice, he effortlessly whips warmup passes to
hapless jayvees standing 30 yards away. The tight aerials threaten to knock them off their
feet as they carom off their chests.
If Justin was 6-4 instead of 5-11, there might be another recruiting circus in Kannapolis
this season similar to the one Maddox attracted last year. As it is, football guru Arnold
Solomon ranks him as the state's No. 11 signal-caller.
Both Hardin boys attended the Naval Academy football camp in June.
Out of 400 campers, Justin was named the outstanding quarterback. Blair was named the
outstanding receiver.
Justin fell in love with the Naval Academy, thought Chesapeake Bay was beautiful and is
seriously contemplating making the one-letter move from Kannapolis to Annapolis after high
school.
"I'm looking into getting all the appointments lined up," Justin says.
Coach Hardin heartily approves if that's the direction Justin's life takes.
"It's a wonderful education, no doubt about that," he says. "Justin will
have to weigh the academics, the athletics and the (five-year) commitment to the
service."
Blair, less serious than Justin, is keeping a wide open mind about the future. Asked if he
and Justin will remain a duo after high school or go their separate ways, Blair is
non-committal.
"You've got to remember I've been around him 17 years," he says, making a face.
Besides the Navy camp, both Hardins went to N.C. State's football camp. And Blair attended
prestigious Boys State at Wake Forest.
But now, it's time for that last round of Friday nights in Memorial Stadium.
"Maybe there's a little more pressure on me this year," says Justin. "But I
think we've got a chance to have a good team. It could be a great senior year."
n
LAST ROUNDUP: This will be the last go-round for Bill Wightman, the defensive coordinator
who has been instrumental in A.L. Brown's extraordinary football success since he came
over from Central Cabarrus in 1978.
Wightman, who starred in his playing days at East Carolina in the late '60s, is officially
retiring on October 1. However, he will coach throughout this football season and will
teach through the first semester.
n
NEW FACE: The Wonders' coaching staff returns intact, but there is one new face.
Assistant principal Tony Paroli has joined the team.
Paroli has plenty of previous coaching experience, and enjoyed considerable success at
Fred T. Foard and Bandys high schools in the Hickory area before joining the
administrative staff at A.L. Brown a couple of years ago.
"Getting out there and coaching is fun," he said. "I get to know the kids
in a different setting and they can see me in a different light."
Paroli will handle the offensive line.
That means that last year's o-line coach, Bob Jacobs, shifts to the defensive line.
The new assignment won't be a big deal for Jacobs, who has coached everything from backs
to behemoths for the Wonders during his long years of service.
Asked if he would miss his o-line guys, Jacobs chuckled. "Not really," he said,
"we've got so many kids playing both ways, I'm still going to see my old bunch when
they're on defense."
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DEPTH PERCEPTION: The Wonders, as
always, will be quick, strong and committed, but they will be spread paper thin. As many
as a half-dozen players could start on both sides of the ball.
Thursday: North Stanly. |
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