Offense-Defense bowl moving to beach

By Barry Byers - Barry Byers

The Offense-Defense All-American Bowl, one of the elite high school all-star football games in the nation, is relocating from the Orange Bowl in Miami to the Myrtle Beach area in 2009.

The game, featuring 88 of the best high school seniors in the country, will be held Jan. 2, 2009, at Coastal Carolina University's Brooks Stadium and will be nationally televised by the Fox College Sports Network and selected Fox Sports affiliates throughout the country.

The 2008 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl was the last game played at the Orange Bowl before its demolition, but O-D Sports officials didn't have to look far for a new home site. With the company's headquarters in Myrtle Beach, it made common sense and good business sense to hold the game there.

The players are selected for the game from the Offense-Defense Top 100 list -- a national ranking system identifying the top players in the country. Sports Illustrated signed a two-year agreement for exclusive use of the ranking in its publications.

O-D Football Camps offer a three-tiered program of training: Youth/Prep for ages 7-18 that provides fundamental instruction for all skill levels; Select, a non-contact, positional camp for experienced, high school-aged athletes; and Elite, an invitation-only, non-contact camp and showcase for top players.

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers will serve as the featured instructors for the Offense-Defense Football Camp at UNC Charlotte on June 29-July 3.

The deadline for registration is May 31. To register, visit o-d.com or call (843) 903-1888.

• MORE FOOTBALL: Fort Mill football coach Ed Susi, along with his staff and players, will conduct two football camps at the high school this summer.

The first is June 9-12 for elementary school players. The second is June 16-20 for middle schoolers. Players must be in grades 4-8, and each camp will run from 9 a.m.-noon.

The cost is $125, with a $25 discount for children from the same family.

The camp is a non-contact camp and will focus on the basics of football: Receiving, tackling (with dummies), pursuing, throwing, kicking, running and punting. Athletes will participate in "team concept" football: They will learn how to line up in the base sets of the Fort Mill offense and defense, and learn the proper drills that go along with the schemes.

Campers will work and compete against their own age group depending on how many athletes attend. Water will be provided; campers can also bring their own drinks.

Make checks payable to Joey Blethen, Tega Cay Recreation Center, 120 Shoreline Pkwy, Tega Cay, SC 29708. E-mail rec@tegacaysc.org for more information.

• ERASED: Apologies to several of Herald-area athletes who qualified for this weekends's Class AAAA state track meet but were left off the list or listed under the wrong event of those going.

Rock Hill's Asa Watson will compete in the discus. Northwestern's Charlie Snipes will compete in the pole vault with teammate Spencer Cote and South Pointe's Terry Squibbs, who were listed under the shot put.

• GOLF: Indian Land didn't win the war, but the Warriors won one of the battles at the Class A state championship golf tournament.

Indian Land's Chase Hunter took medalist honors with a two-day score of 147. The Warriors placed eighth as a team, shooting a 368. The tournament was held at The Links at Stoney Pointe in Ware Shoals.

Great Falls had one player qualify as an individual, Zack Dry. He shot 84 on the first day and 89 on the second.

• SLUGGER: Great Falls' Isaiah Lynn was among the state leaders in home runs this season with 13.

Lynn, a sophomore outfielder, hit four in his final home game, a playoff win against Tamassee-Salem. Three were hit out of the park, another was an inside-the-parker.

Lynn became the third Herald-area player to be named the S.C. "No Spit" All-Star of the Week award as the best high school baseball player in the state who had pledge not to use spit tobacco -- on or off the field.

As a weekly winner, Lynn is now eligible to win the South Carolina "No Spit" All-Star of the Year.

Previous local winners were another Great Falls player, Gaither Bumgardner, and South Pointe's Brad Zebedis.