Former Trojan in spotlight at The Citadel

By Earl Gault - Herald correspondent

Former Northwestern High School quarterback Bart Blanchard has become somewhat of the focal point for The Citadel's football season.

An action photo of Blanchard graces the front of the school's Web site, CitadelSports.com, along with the phrase “The Citadel Football ‘09, One Vision,” and a telephone number for ticket information.

Blanchard and the Bulldogs will open the season at North Carolina, ranked No. 20 in preseason by The Associated Press, at 6 p.m. Sept. 5 in Kenan Stadium.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Blanchard will be a junior this season. A year ago, the ex-Trojan played in all 12 Bulldogs games, starting 11. He completed 205 of 345 passes for 2,436 yards and 19 touchdowns with 11 interceptions and had a passer efficiency rating of 130.53.

Blanchard's best effort last season came against Georgia Southern, when he completed 27 of 48 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns, making it the fifth-best passing performance in school history.

Last season, coach Kevin Higgins' Bulldogs were 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the Southern Conference.

Blanchard is one of three Rock Hill-area natives on the Bulldogs roster. He joins defensive lineman Chris Billingslea (Fort Mill) and offensive lineman David Rogers (York Comprehensive).

Billingslea (6-5, 233) and Rogers (6-6, 288) are redshirt freshmen.

APPALACHIAN STATE — Freshman Troy Saunders (Chester) is listed as a defensive back on the Mountaineers' football roster.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Saunders was rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. He recorded 124 tackles, three interceptions, 11 pass breakups and two sacks as a senior last season for the Cyclones.

A three-year starter and an all-state pick last season, Saunders helped Chester to back-to-back appearances in the South Carolina AAA title game.

The Mountaineers, favored to win the Southern Conference, will open the season at noon Sept. 5 at East Carolina.

SOUTH CAROLINA — The Gamecocks lost one of their top baseball recruits on Monday when catcher Wil Myers of Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, N.C., signed a professional contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Myers, the Royals' third-round choice and 91st player taken overall in the June draft, reportedly received a $2 million signing bonus.

The 6-3, 185-pound Myers seemed to be headed to college until reaching agreement with Kansas City on Monday, the final day draftees could sign.

As a senior, Myers batted .532 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs.

TENNESSEE — Former Volunteers and Rock Hill High School standout Jonathan Hefney has seen a lot of action during his first season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.

A 5-9, 190-pound defensive back, Hefney has 27 tackles and recorded his first career interception last Saturday in the Bombers' 39-12 loss to Montreal.

Hefney signed with the Bombers on May 26. He had brief stints in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

WOFFORD — After a stop at a junior college, former Fort Mill High School pitcher Thomas Nichols will join the Terriers for his final two years of college eligibility.

A 6-3, 205-pound left-hander, Nichols began his prep career at Fort Mill but transferred after one year. Nichols went to Charlotte Christian Academy, which has won the North Carolina AAA state championship seven times in the past eight years.

Nichols, a 2007 graduate of Charlotte Christian, has spent the past two years at USC Salkehatchie in Allendale. He appeared in 11 games for the Indians last season, going 2-0 with a 5.51 ERA. In 34 1-3 innings, Nichols struck out 16 and walked 11, allowing 21 earned runs and giving up 54 hits.