Gatorade picks Nixon for N.C. honor

Fayetteville Britt offensive lineman is chosen the top player in the state

Fayetteville Britt offensive tackle Xavier Nixon was voted the Gatorade North Carolina high school football player of the year on Thursday.

The 6-foot-6, 280-pound Nixon has helped lead Britt to a 13-1 overall record.

He is scheduled to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January and in the Shrine Bowl Game of the Carolinas later this month.

The Buccaneers are at home tonight against Wake Forest-Rolesville (12-2) in the Eastern final of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4-AA playoffs.

Britt has rushed for 3,845 yards this season and averages 36 points per game.

Nixon is rated the No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in the country by Scout.com, and he has played eight games at defensive end.

He has 35 tackles, including nine for losses, plus one sack, and he has forced two fumbles.

HOWLE LEAVES EARLY: Bunn football center Ty Howle will graduate in December and enroll at Penn State in January.

"By leaving early, he'll get to go through spring practice and get a good start academically," said David Howle, Ty's father and his coach at Bunn.

Ty Howle is set to play in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at Coastal Carolina University on Jan. 2.

Other area players in the game are Durham Hillside runner Desmond Scott (a Duke recruit), Chapel Hill lineman Jared McAdoo (North Carolina) and Chapel Hill defensive back Dylan Farrington (uncommitted).

The game will be nationally televised by Fox College.

KELLY GETS TRIPLE: Ryan Kelly of Ravenscroft, a Duke basketball recruit, recorded the first triple-double of his high school career Wednesday night in a 76-64 victory over Durham Riverside.

Kelly finished with 38 points, 10 rebounds and 12 blocks.

The blocks break the school record of 10, set by Nate Williams against Fuquay-Varina during the 1997-98 season.

RICHMOND RINGS UP 44: Southern Lee's Akeem Richmond, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, scored 44 points and had 10 assists and nine steals in Wednesday night's 70-56 win over Fayetteville Pine Forest.

BULLOCK HONORED: Kinston junior Reggie Bullock, who is committed to the University of North Carolina, was voted the national high school basketball player of the week by ESPN.com.

The 6-foot-6 guard had 97 points in three games at a tournament in Peoria, Ill., over Thanksgiving weekend, breaking the Trusted Choice Tournament of Champions record for points scored by 24 points.

TEAM NEEDED: Southern Durham needs one more team to complete an eight-team boys holiday basketball tournament. Contact Southern athletic director Art Richmond at 919-560-3968.

TOYS FOR TOTS: The South Johnston baseball team is in the midst of its fourth annual Toys for Tots toy drive. The players are selling raffle tickets for a $100 Wal-Mart gift card. The players then buy toys and donate them to the Toys for Tots program.

Contact coach Keith Durham at 919-894-3146, ext. 1527.