Head coach Justin Hardin and family.

Tyler Buckwell photo.

 

By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

Sixth in a series of reports on high school football teams …

KANNAPOLIS — A.L. Brown’s football team has an SEC-caliber guy, and when one of those special guys rolls through the program, you want to be good and need to be good.

Auburn recruit Tai Buster only has three stars next to his name at this time, which makes you wonder what the 4-star and 5-star guys look like.

Buster, who said no thanks to Penn State and Florida, among others, when he committed to the Tigers last March, is at least 6-foot-3 and at least 280 pounds. Despite that size, he can move. Some rate him among the top 25 offensive linemen nationally. There’s a reason. There are Wonder running plays on which Buster buries a lineman, keeps going and takes out a linebacker.

A.L. Brown was only 5-6 last year — that’s seriously hard times in Kannapolis — and there really aren’t a lot of guys back from that team, which included 23 seniors. Only eight starters are back.

The defensive line was wiped out. The receivers are gone. But there’s hope. Buster is back and two dynamic offensive weapons are back. They are quarterback CJ Gray and running back Mekhi Herron.

A.L. Brown head coach/offensive coordinator Justin Hardin, son of legend Bruce and a quarterback who won big at A.L. Brown in the late 1990s, was a popular choice as the new head coach but experienced a challenging first year at the helm that included several molar-grinding losses. The Hickory Ridge game was a tough loss. The Lake Norman game was a tough loss. Wonders left it on the field for two games with Mooresville and still lost both, including an OT setback in the first round of the playoffs.

That’s the thing about a 5-5 regular season. You’ll probably make the playoffs, but you’re going to draw someone very good in the first round, on the road, so you’re most likely headed for 5-6.

A.L. Brown did manage to finish last season on an upward trajectory with three wins, plus the two combative Mooresville losses in the final five games. The victories down the stretch included continuing a winning streak against Concord.

Gray is a super athlete, a potential draft pick as a baseball pitcher next summer, and an athlete who could play college football, college baseball (he’s committed to N.C. State) or both. An excellent student, he’s got a lot of options in front of him.

Gray, son of former Livingstone College tight end Charlie Gray, threw for 1,750 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior, and he’s a still-growing, mobile guy who also can make plays with his feet. He rushed for 357 yards and seven TDs. The Wonders will use a lot of run-pass option plays out of the spread with Gray being counted on to make smart decisions.

Herron rushed for 1,462 yards with 17 touchdowns in 2023, so the running game is in capable hands, especially when you can run behind Buster, who is a tackle for the Wonders, although he may switch to guard in college. Herron was consistently productive, turning in eight 100-yard games.

Messiah Bennermon is fast. He will get carries and is a candidate to be a kick returner.

Jakeb Johnson and Drake Watts give the Wonders two more returning offensive line starters. Jaydon Harker and Marco Almendarez will likely take the other two spots.

New receivers include Navariy Young, Ja’Meer Langley, Keshaun Kellam and Jason Brown.

There are a few building blocks left on the defensive side, including middle linebacker Parker Laughlin, the leading tackler a year ago. Jorge Noriega and junior Montinez Posey are expected to start next to Laughlin.

A.L. Brown’s base defense is a 4-3, although the Wonders may opt for a 4-2-5 look this year to try to slow down pass-heavy opponents.

Keith Kellam, a linebacker last season, has moved to the defensive line. That green group is also expected to include Matai Grier, Jahad Huff and Sabreion Campbell.

Safety Jesse Morton returns to lead the secondary. Other top DBs are expected to be safeties Maddox Langley and Gavin Yow and corners Cainen Miller and Isiah Wright.

Brian Rojo is the kicker. Gray handles punting duties, although the Wonders don’t plan to be punting all that often.

Ka’seim Black, who played at A.L. Brown and Averett, returns as defensive coordinator.

There are ties to the glory days on the coaching staff including NFL vet Mike Morton, who played for the Wonders’ 1989 state champions, and Jeremy Ryan, who was on the Wonders’ staff for too many special seasons to count. Morton, Ryan and Rod Ledbetter are defensive line coaches.

Kaleb Spry, a former Wonder offensive lineman who played at Western Carolina, is the special teams coach and coaches linebackers.

Charlie Gray coaches the offensive line.

 Johnny Delahoussaey, who played at A.L. Brown and the University of Charleston, coaches receivers. Former Wonder Chavis Maxwell coaches running backs.

The schedule looks manageable. The non-conference games are all against members of the 3A South Piedmont Conference — West Rowan, Northwest Cabarrus, South Rowan and Concord.

In the league, the Wonders need to go 4-2 in Greater Metro Conference games to have a stout season. They were 2-4 in the GMC in 2023.