[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 56 (Friday, March 30, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          WILDCATS WIN IT ALL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2007

  Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, a high school football team in the Sixth 
District of North Carolina recently confirmed and put a new spin the 
old adage that ``If at first you don't succeed, try, try and try 
again.'' On December 9, 2006, Eastern Randolph High School defeated 
two-time defending state champion Charlotte Catholic 15-7 to capture 
the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 3-AA 
football title. The Wildcats, determined to overcome two past losses in 
the title game, used a tenacious defense to smother the Cougars' high-
powered offense that averaged more than 31 points and 300 yards a game 
during the regular season and held Charlotte Catholic to its lowest 
point total of the year.
  Senior linebacker Seth Clapp told the Asheboro Courier-Tribune that 
Eastern Randolph's previous attempts to win it all fueled the Wildcats 
all season long. ``It hasn't sunk in yet,'' Clapp told his hometown 
newspaper. ``We came out here with a great opportunity. We came down 
here to win and nothing else. My freshman year, we got beat and I said 
if we ever made it back, we're coming down here to win and nothing 
else.'' Win it all the Cougars did at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh 
to capture the Randolph County school's first football championship 
since 1983.
  An assistant coach when the Wildcats last won the state title, 
Eastern Randolph Head Coach Burton Cates told the Asheboro Courier-
Tribune that he did not have to do a lot of convincing to motivate his 
squad this season. ``They set their goals very high,'' he told the 
newspaper. ``They didn't start talking about this last August, they 
started talking about it last January. They were very disappointed in 
the way the year ended last season (a 41-14 loss to Williams in the 
state semifinals) and they knew they could be successful and make 
history at ER like the 1983 team did.'' As a former assistant coach, 
Head Coach Burton Cates knows the value that a strong coaching staff 
brings to a championship quest. Joining him in guiding the Wildcats to 
the state crown were assistant coaches Greg Hardin (the offensive 
coordinator), Carl Anker, Lou Peters, Eric Hall, Jose Espaillat, and 
Adam Smith on the offensive side of the ball and Ed Tysinger, Charles 
Arrington, Cecil Mock, Mark Heilig, Rick Larrick, and John Plimpton 
handling Eastern Randolph's stellar defense.
  Every member of the Eastern Randolph football team played an 
important role in securing the school's first state championship since 
1983. Among the winning Wildcats were Jerrell Milliner, Tyler Hasty, 
Jake Millikan, Kentrell Bartell, Ethan Rotenberry, Jarod Bowman, 
Patrick Wright, Kevin York, Josh Hardin, Manny Troxler, Zed Wampler, 
Michael Blackmon, Jeffrey Fisher, Scott Riddle, Dexter Brooks, Jordan 
Smith, Tyler Tuttle, Lee Spinks, Matt Simmons, Dominique Grier, Seth 
Clapp, John Hancox, Atiq Chaudhry, Dennis Bowden, Ryan Hammond, Michael 
Cheek, Ethen Bailey, Malcolm Greene, Joel Brown, Bill Stanley, Derek 
Spinks, Ethan Haithcock, Dennis Jones, Scottie Shears, John Scotton, 
Scott Staley, Trent Hughes, Zach Webster, Andrew Chilco, Preston Jones, 
Jakob Chilco, Daniel Ritter, Keith Walker, Lloyd Newman, Brantley Fox, 
Jacob Deaton, A.J. Cannon, Justin Stanley, D.J. Mabry, Nick Picard, 
Adam Hicks, Josh Wishon, Travis Clapp, Miguel Uribe, Kenny Lassiter, 
Billy Jaynes, Brent Gallimore, Justin Allred, and Heath Muller.

  All of the coaches and players will tell you that the support staff--
those you don't see on the field--also play a vital role in completing 
a championship run. Congratulations are in order for team physician Dr. 
Robert James, statisticians Larry Ellison, Roger Whitehead and Rick 
Freeman, coaches assistants Bonika Terry, Dewain Baldwin and Kateira 
McClain, video director Mo Mower, hospitality director Sandy Hardin, 
voice of the Wildcats Ron Berbaum, radio play-by-play announcer Tony 
Wright and color analyst Neill Kivett.
  All can take pride in helping Eastern Randolph become the NCHSAA 3-AA 
state champions this past football season. From Principal R. Parks 
Allen, the faculty, staff, students, families and fans of the Wildcats 
will confirm that if at first you don't succeed, look to Eastern 
Randolph to prove that if you try, try and try again, you can achieve 
your ultimate dreams.




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