Union County places two in Shrine Bowl

By BRIAN WHITMORE Sports Editor - Union Daily Times

It honors the state’s best football players and two hail from Union County. Union’s LaMarcus Stewart and Jonesville’s Pernell Thompson have been selected to play in the 68 th annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star football game.

The game will be played a 1 p.m. Dec. 18 at Wofford College’s Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg.

Jonesville head coach David Lipsey will coach linebackers for South Carolina’s Sandlappers.

He’s got a fine linebacker in Stewart.

Stewart (6-2, 210) has 64 tackles, 11 for loss, an interception, a batted pass and five pressures for the Yellow Jackets this season. This is the sixth straight year that a Union player has been selected.

"I’m surprised myself," said Stewart, on being selected. "This is a big challenge."

A 6-3, 180-pound wide receiver, Thompson was even more surprised at being selected. You see, he’s the first player from Jonesville ever selected to the Shrine Bowl. Class A players usually are overlooked.

But Thompson’s accomplishments couldn’t be overlooked. He has caught 28 passes for 414 yards and five touchdowns for the Wildcats this season.

"He has good size for a wide out, good hands and runs good routs," said Jonesville athletic director Donald Addis. "He works hard, has started for three years and plays both sides of the ball.

"We know he’ll represent our school and our state well."

Thompson should get his chance to shine, as the Sandlappers likely will pass a lot. Greenville’s Larry Frost is an assistant coach for the team and he’s brought along his quarterback, Jordan Sorrells.

The Shrine Bowl will give both Stewart and Thompson a chance to attract college attention.

"We’re tickled for LaMarcus," said Union coach Tommy Bobo. "This is a great individual award."

Bobo said the success of Union’s program has created a door to the Shrine Bowl for athletes that work hard enough to go through it.

"He’s physical enough to play inside and stop the run," he said. "He can play outside in space and cover receivers.

"He has a good combination of talents."

Unassuming, Stewart bragged on his teammates and a traditionally strong Jacket defense.

"Everybody hustles to the ball," he said.

Jonesville also has had great defenses from the past. Thompson wasn’t selected for his defensive skills, but certainly could be used there. As a safety, Thompson has four interceptions and 50 tackles.

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