Top performers left out in cold in Shrine Bowl selections
A big congratulations to the Midlands players who were selected for the 2015 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. While they were all deserving, there were some players around the Midlands who were left off who are very capable of playing in the prestigious game. This is a salute to those players.
TERRENCE WILSON, RB, BATESBURG-LEESVILLE – This was not an omission due to depth at the position. This young man is clearly one of the best backs in the state and should have been a second or third pick behind Tavien Feaster of Spartanburg. This was a big miss for the Shrine Bowl staff.
LOGAN BAILEY, QB, CHAPIN – While I can’t argue with the two quarterback selections for the roster, Bailey should have been considered as at least an “athlete” on the roster. There is not another quarterback in the Midlands impacting their team like Bailey has with the 6-0 Chapin Eagles.
CHANCE WALKER, ATHLETE, SWANSEA – Walker’s omission might have more to do with his move to quarterback this year, but his impact on the Swansea team and on the games is huge. He is clearly a game-changer. His omission was more of a depth issue.
TREY MITCHELL, LINEBACKER, LEXINGTON – This comes down to the two-player-max from any school. Lexington already had a WR and DB selected, and combined with the tremendous depth at the linebacker position, Mitchell was on the outside. But he is having an all-star year.
RAQWON NILES, OL, RICHLAND NORTHEAST – Niles is having a tremendous year on the offensive front and while it is a deep position in the state this year, I feel like if there were two or more linemen from the Midlands selected, he could have easily been one of them.
EVAN ESTRIDGE, P/WR, CHAPIN – Estridge is having an all-star year as a punter, averaging 50 yards per punt, and because of his ability to play wide receiver, he would have been an excellent choice as a specialist who gives you other options.
Keep in mind, the Shrine Bowl is a difficult team to select because of the limited number of spots and a large number of players to choose from. The coaches do their best to watch film and get all the information they can on the players.
This story was originally published October 7, 2015 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Top performers left out in cold in Shrine Bowl selections."