By David Shaw

CHINA GROVE — Opposing teams are starting to hate Carson’s Tristen McBride — and that’s exactly why the Cougars love him.

As a square-shouldered two-way lineman, McBride has become a certified problem for SPC adversaries. He’s a 6-foot-3, 270-pound shot of Red Bull, a pillar of strength and trust as a first-year center and a menacing DT/DE who brings a mean streak and level of grit to a defense that welcomes every bit of it.

“Put it this way,” second-year coach Jonathan Lowe inflected after Carson’s 12-9 homecoming night win over Concord. “He’s someone you’ve got to game-plan for. If I was lining up against somebody with his size and skill set, it would not be a fun Friday night. He’s a handful.”

Of course, that’s the point McBride makes and reinforces each week for the 2-4 Cougars. He’s made 18 solo tackles, including six TFLs. He’s had 18 quarterback hurries. He’s recorded six pancake blocks, an old-school stat that illuminates his proficiency as a pulling offensive lineman and downfield terror. It has earned him well-deserved recognition and respect, enough to land a roster spot in December’s East-West all-star game in Greensboro. “We’re thrilled beyond thrilled,” Lowe gushed.

That’s all fine and dandy to McBride. Just don’t ask him to praise his performance or take a bow to the balcony. He won’t have any of that.

“I’m really a humble person,” McBride said in that quiet, don’t-wake-the-baby voice of his. “I don’t like to brag about myself. I’d rather let other people share their opinion, good or bad. There’s always a bad snap or a bad play that I caused. A play I could have made, but didn’t. There’s always room for improvement — and that’s all I can strive for.”

He’s done more than enough for the Cougars, who limited Concord to 171 total yards, won their first conference game and kept their playoff hopes alive. McBride, originally a tight end in Carson’s 2021 veer offense, has played nearly every position on the offensive and defensive line the past two seasons. Lowe estimates he digs in on 95 percent of Carson’s plays from scrimmage. “Even when he’s winded, he’s out there making plays,” the coach said before joking, “I might have to get him one of those oxygen masks.”

“He’s blessed with athleticism and size,” added defensive coordinator Jason Stanley, a rugged South Rowan linebacker at the turn of the century. “But when you pair that with being a hard worker and a student of the game — with a high football IQ — you see the whole picture. We have a lot of kids with size and speed that come through the program, but if you don’t put in the work, you won’t be successful. Now Tristen, he ain’t scared to get dirty.”

McBride’s uniform looked like an unmade bed — and suitable for a laundry commercial — after Friday’s pulsating win. The Cougars yielded only one Concord first down and 44 yards of offense in the second half, when sophomore quarterback Griffin Barber steered them to a pair of touchdowns. The visiting Spiders ran only 18 plays in the third and fourth quarters and never took a snap beyond their own 43-yard line.

“I believe it was just great coaching, a great game plan,” said McBride, a two-time all-conference/all-county selection and card-carrying member of the school’s thousand-pound weightlifting club. “We shut down the run. Analytics said they run the ball 86 percent of the time and pass it 14 percent. That’s what we prepared for.”

And that’s what they got. Those numbers told Carson’s defense where the ball was going and notified Concord’s o-line it was going to be mugged for it. Despite being double and triple teamed, McBride was a powerful presence, sifting his way through airtight apertures and disrupting plays before they developed.

“It starts with (Stanley),” said teammate Carson Aman, the senior DB who blocked a first-quarter field goal attempt and was later involved in a frenzied, clock-draining scramble as time expired. “He’s a mastermind who knows so much. He puts star players in the right spots to make big plays.”

Perhaps none was bigger than the third-and-8, over-the-middle completion Barber threw to senior wideout Cooper Hinson with 7:30 remaining. The 12-yard pickup gave the Cougars a first down in Concord territory and prolonged their game-winning touchdown drive — a 67-yard/11-play march capped when Makani Guida scored on an 8-yard run with 2:40 to play. Moments later, linebacker Tristin Clawson barged in uninvited and sacked Concord quarterback Keyon Phillips on a fourth-and-long misadventure with 1:06 left. Thanks to pressure applied by McBride and linemate Bryson Bare, the play blew up almost immediately.

“That’s just Tristen,” Lowe said. “A quiet soul. But when he needs to get loud, he does. When we need a big play, he’s there. You won’t find a kid that works as hard to succeed as he does.”

McBride hopes to be playing on Saturdays next fall and has received tepid interest from a number of collegiate programs — including nearby Catawba, where his father Shawn was a fearless linebacker more than two decades ago. But in his reserved, somewhat guarded manner, he offered, “I don’t feel comfortable sharing that information right now.”

Fair enough. McBride doesn’t have to shout from the rooftops to be heard. This much is certain: his effort can’t be questioned; his performance can’t be ignored.

“He’s been to a few (prospective colleges),” Lowe said reassuringly. “Some guys see him on the offensive line and some on the defensive line. They’re hitting him up, but I think Tristen and his dad want to keep it private for now, just to see if anyone else comes out of the woodwork. I definitely see us having a signing day for Tristen McBride.”

And that’s something Carson’s fanbase will surely love.