Standouts get recruiters' attention

Fernando Velasco coaxed a full scholarship from Georgia with his nimble feet and 325 pounds in 2002.

That was one. Then receiver Sean Walker snatched an offer to Vanderbilt in 2003. And now Jefferson County will line up almost 600 pounds with 6-foot-7 Willie Thompson and 6-foot-4 Cameron Walker at each offensive tackle spot in 2004.

One found gold. Two was an anomaly. Could three and four be fads? The communities of Louisville, Wadley and Wrens have quickly become a place where college programs can unearth talent.

"The kids have always been here," Jefferson County coach J.B. Arnold said. "We just had to get them exposure. It's nice impressing folks at these camps with players no one really knew a whole lot about."

Thompson, a stretch to say just 280 pounds, can carry 40 more pounds on a frame offering an 82-inch wingspan. Recruiting guidepost Rivals.com tagged him the No. 95 prospect in Georgia. He has offers from Louisville and East Carolina, with interest from South Carolina and others brewing.

"My opinion is he'd have offers from Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt if his test score was a bit higher," Arnold said. "He's got an 860 on the SAT, but those schools like a 900 before they offer."

Walker is another story. He needs improvement on his test score to qualify for a scholarship, as his grades are sufficient.

"This may sound like a coach bragging on his kids but these boys are legit," Arnold said. "They could play anywhere."

WESTSIDE STORY: The momentum Westside had gained during the years was stunted last season.

"There were a lot of factors," Westside coach Gerald Barnes said. "Part of that was facilities. We had to load up the bus to Cross Bridge Baptist Church to practice. We were living out of our buses everyday. There were a lot of downs."

Enter "The Battlefield."

That's the name for Westside's new stadium after a student contest. Westside's "Battlefield" is probable for the season opener, while its locker room maybe a lap behind in the construction time line. The stadium will resemble the Glenn Hills facility, with an expected capacity of 6,000.

"Playing at home will be nice for all of us," Barnes said. "Nobody has went to a true Westside home game in a while. It's a beautiful place. There's traffic from folks poking their heads around for an early look."

Westside has 47 players in camp. Twenty freshmen will join the team on Monday. Wideout/safety Eric Taylor and middle linebacker Jay Tarver, both seniors, will be standouts. The Battlefield" opens on Aug. 20 against Richmond Academy.

POOR RETURNS AT RICHMOND: Imagine how most coaches would feel with four starters back. Or lining up 22 starters on opening night with 13 young men who've never played a varsity game.

So, how's the sleep these days, Jamie Echols?

"I've got to say our inexperience worries me," the 10th-year Richmond Academy coach said. "But I'm encouraged by this crew. We had guys working out at 6 in the morning in January. We've got 50 guys working hard now. It's already the hardest working group I've been around at Richmond."

Last season's standout returnee, Jon McKinney, moves from defensive end to linebacker in a showcase move. He's the strongest and best player on the team.

HEPHZIBAH HOPES: Another two Rebels have emerged as college prospects during the summer camp circuit. Linebacker J'Michael Swain and corner Dimere Martin did well in showcase workouts.

Hephzibah already had two players in the Division I-AA category. Bruce Lee is the team's best overall player at linebacker.

"He is our defensive go-to guy," Hephzibah coach Todd Booker said. "If I had 11 guys with a nose for the ball like Bruce, I wouldn't have to watch so much film. I could just turn 'em loose and watch them play."

The 6-foot, 185-pounder is one of the team's seven returning starters (10 total) on defense. Hephzibah opens Aug. 27 with Laney at Richmond Academy.

DOMINO EFFECT: It's almost Old Testament-esque at North Augusta. The recruitment of Reggie Merriweather, Brandon Thomas and Andre Young in recent years begat the interest of 2005 headline recruit C.J. Byrd.

The line continues.

The University of California-Los Angeles sent a letter last week announcing their intention to recruit North Augusta's Marcus Jackson. Jackson runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds. He bench pressed 325 pounds and power cleaned 250 in spring testing.

UCLA recruiting coordinator Eric Bienemy, the former college great, saw Jackson while he was in town to take a look at Byrd. He found another gem for 2006.

"College coaches came here looking at C.J. this spring, and Marcus caught their attention," North Augusta coach Joe Long said. "C.J.'s offers kind of brought the attention in for the rest of our players to benefit from."

Reach Jeff Sentell at (706) 823-3425 or jeff.sentell@augustachronicle.com.