My article from today's
Robesonian newspaper:
The first Wednesday in February has now become the official day to reload for The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s football program, not rebuild. As the Braves’ inaugural signee in 2006 Brandon McLaurin put it, “it’s just another day to add some extra weapons to our arsenal.”
Following last season’s surprising 9-1 campaign, Braves head coach Pete Shinnick welcomed a new crop of 26 freshman and five transfers Wednesday afternoon at Bob Caton Fieldhouse, spotlighting Robeson County’s version of national signing day.
“We are very excited and pleased with this year’s class,” Shinnick said, after UNCP’s 2009 signing day included a record list of players. “This is the most complete class we’ve ever put together and our staff has put in a lot of hard work bringing these guys in.”
After addressing size and team speed in previous years, Shinnick said the philosophy this season was to bring in players that best fit the program and its future.
“We went back to square one with this year’s class,” Shinnick said. “We return 21 of 22 starters from last season, so most of these guys knew red-shirting is a possibility. It was the first time we’ve recruited with that guideline.”
Headlining the roster of new Braves is South View High defensive back Quinton Pate. The 5-foot-10 play maker from Cumberland County intercepted three passes as a senior and has been a key target for UNCP since his sophomore year.
“He’s a dynamic and physical guy,” Shinnick said. “We identified him as one of the top guys in this region early on. We’re glad he decided to be a part of this program.”
The Braves tapped into Cumberland County again for 4-A state champion teammates Devante Bush and Kris Jackson. Both were three-year starters and All Mid-Southeastern Conference selections last season for Bob Paroli’s Seventy-First Falcons.
“We start with the 910 area code and spread out from there,” Shinnick said. “These three guys from Fayetteville will be an excellent addition to our program.”
Northern Carolina’s 2-A player of the year Justin Rodgers is another highly-touted Braves commit. The 5-foot-11, 230-pound fullback-linebacker hybrid from Bunn rushed for 1,670 yards last season and scored 16 touchdowns for the Wildcats.
Wednesday’s class included five transfers who have already enrolled at the University for the spring semester. Linebacker Anthony McDonald was invited to the junior college all-star game last year after a stellar season at East Central Community College in East Central, MS. Offensive lineman Brandon Holland, who stands at a massive 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, played in three games as freshman at Virginia Tech in 2006.
Another transfer, offensive lineman Deshaun Dilworth from Shaw University, was originally contacted by the Braves’ coaching staff two years ago but picked the Bears over the Braves on signing day.
“Deshaun decided to come back to us and he fills a need for our program on the offensive line,” Shinnick said.
A pair of quarterbacks also signed with UNCP on Wednesday, a necessity according to Shinnick. Since the Braves only have three scholarship signal-callers returning, it was vital to add two more players to the mix under center. Dual threat athlete Teland Todd and pocket-passer Luke Charles both signed letters-of-intent to call plays at quarterback for the Braves, strengthening a prolific offense that averaged 32.6 points per game in 2008.
“We feel we have a complete team now,” Shinnick said. “The future of our program looks great as long as our guys continue to grow and develop.”
Atlanta Braves general manager Frank Wren and Ken Griffey Jr.'s agent have began talks about the possibility of bringing Jr. to Atlanta for the 2009 season. 
