STUDENTS HONORED AT FOOTBALL AWARDS BANQUET AT SMITH CENTER
CHAPEL HILL— A number of student-athletes and other individuals with direct ties to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association were honored on Tuesday night at the Bill Dooley Triangle East Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame awards dinner.
The event was held at the Smith Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina and was the 16th annual held by the chapter.
High school scholar-athletes from a number of high schools in Durham, Orange, Wake and Pitt Counties were recognized with scholarships. Those winners included: Adam Nelson of Apex; Ben Snotherly of Athens Drive; Craig Chapman of Ayden-Grifton; Samuel Stone of Broughton; Eric Taylor and Nassar Omar of Carrboro; Thomas Robinson of Cary; Darrian Hooker of Cedar Ridge; Brian Wistner of Chapel Hill; Jordan Maness of Enloe; Ethan Ricci of Fuquay-Varina; Christian Wood of Garner; K.J. Herndon of Holly Springs; Ryan Mangum of Leesville Road; Joseph Strasser of Middle Creek; James Ayscue of Millbrook; DeAngelo Hopkins of Northern Durham; Jonathan Douglas Jr. of Panther Creek; Gideon Lance of Riverside; Andrew Hart of J.H. Rose and Alex Cody of Sanderson.
Davis Whitfield, commissioner of the NCHSAA, and Jerry McGee of the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association were among those who presented the awards to the recipients.
In addition, Kenny Browning of the University of North Carolina football staff received the Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football award. He is a former head football coach at Northern Durham High School, where his teams posted an outstanding 178-35 record, and he is a member of the NCHSAA Hall of Fame.
Another NCHSAA Hall of Fame member, Dr. Bill Friday, was presented with the Distinguished American Award. The 90-year-old Friday is also a member of the NCHSAA Hall of Fame and was an outstanding high school athlete at the old Dallas High in Gaston County. Former NCHSAA executive director Charlie Adams, himself a member of the NCHSAA Hall, made the presentation.
Woody Durham of the Tar Heel Sports Network served as master of ceremonies for the event and UNC associate athletic director Rick Steinbacher was the keynote speaker.
Presentations were also made to university scholar-athletes from five football programs located in the area served by the chapter. Those winners included Bryan Morgan of Duke, Matt Milner of East Carolina, Justin Campbell of North Carolina Central, Mike Maurer of North Carolina State and Michael Ingersoll of North Carolina.
