Ashbrook's Otis intercepts pass in Shrine Bowl win

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Ashbrook’s Nortavius Otis played almost every snap on defense in Saturday’s Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and made one of the game’s biggest plays, too.

The senior safety came up with the game’s only interception and helped North Carolina to a 26-19 win over South Carolina in the 75th annual all-star game.

On a sunny day at Wofford’s Gibbs Stadium, Otis snagged his interception in the second quarter with the game was tied at six and South Carolina driving deep in North Carolina territory.

“I saw him (the receiver) running sort of a post, but I was telling my linebacker to make sure he stayed inside of him to jam him,” Otis said. “He played it and got a tip on the ball. After that, I just tried to finish the play.”

The pass was thrown by Blue Ridge’s Caleb Rowe, who has committed to Maryland. Otis returned the interception 25 yards from the North Carolina 10, helping the Tarheels thwart a South Carolina offense that was on a roll at the time.

The Ashbrook family was no doubt proud of Otis’ efforts Saturday as he recorded a team-high seven tackles (one for loss) and forced a fumble in North Carolina’s first win since 2009.

“What stood out the most to me was winning,” Otis said. “That’s what I wanted to do. The interception, that was good, too, but at the same time I just wanted to win. We were talking about it all week.”

The postseason has been good to Otis as he was also named co-defensive player of the year in the Big South 3A Conference. Now, the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder hopes his performance Saturday will open the eyes of college coaches because he has yet to receive an offer.

“I think it’ll help a good bit,” Otis said. “I’m just going to keep working out, keep training and wait for a call.”

Lincolnton running back Dee Littlejohn joined Otis on the 44-man North Carolina roster and served as one of four team captains with Crest defensive end Jonathan Bullard.

But Littlejohn’s role in this game was nothing like that at Lincolnton, where he set Lincoln County rushing yardage records for a single season (2,072) and career (4,296). On Saturday, he spent a lot of time in the backfield but only as a blocker. Littlejohn didn’t carry once.

“Like coach (Mark) Barnes said all week, ‘Just be a team player and put your egos aside.’ I just played my role and tried to do it my best,” Littlejohn said.

Littlejohn did get his hands on the ball once when he returned the second half’s opening kickoff 15 yards. Barnes, head coach for North Carolina and at Crest, spoke as highly of Littlejohn as any of his player.

“A lot of guys didn’t get the ball that are great athletes and are used to getting the ball,” said Barnes, head coach at Crest. “We thought Littlejohn was a great blocker. People that haven’t signed him have totally missed the boat. He is a phenomenal football player. If I was (Tarboro running back) Todd Gurley, I’d say I’m going wherever y’all sign him.”

Gurley and Littlejohn are both uncommitted. Gurley, who rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns against Littlejohn and the Wolves in the 2A state title game, put on another show with 119 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder scored on runs of 1 and 15 yards in the third quarter to give North Carolina the lead for good and was named North Carolina’s offensive most valuable player.

So two weeks after losing to Gurley’s Vikings for the state championship, Littlejohn found himself on the same team and doing the dirty work for him.

“It was weird, but me and him were cool before the game we played at states,” said Littlejohn, who said he met Gurley on Twitter. “There really weren’t any grudges held.”

Crest defensive end Jonathan Bullard (two sacks) and Chase defensive end Carlos Watkins (six tackles and four for loss) also contributed for North Carolina. Crest’s Dylan Hopper was a late replacement on the offensive line.

Mallard Creek’s Jela Duncan was another North Carolina standout, rushing for 112 yards and putting the game away with a 76-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter for a 26-13 lead.

North Carolina won for the first time since 2009 but South Carolina still holds a 41-30 lead with four ties.

“Our state takes a beating sometimes and people want to talk about how South Carolina football is better than North Carolina,” Barnes said. “The truth is both of them are really good.”

Lexington wide receiver Shaq Roland, committed to South Carolina, stole the show early with two touchdown grabs. Roland finished with eight catches for 143 yards on his way to South Carolina offensive MVP honors.

South Carolina’s defensive MVP award went to Bluffton linebacker Michael Grant (uncommitted), who logged nine tackles (four for loss) and two sacks.

Phillip Gardner: 704-869-1843; twitter.com/gazettephil

Follow @gazettephil

North Carolina 26, South Carolina 19

North Carolina        0 6 14 6 — 26

South Carolina        0 13 0 6 — 19

Second quarter

SC—Shaq Roland 18 pass from Joseph Copeland Jr. (Caleb Rowe pass failed), 8:51.

NC—Jamel Harbison 94 kickoff return (Bradley Pinion kick failed), 8:36.

SC—Roland 25 pass from Copeland (Kaleb Patterson kick), 0:39.

Third quarter

NC—Todd Gurley 1 run (Pinion kick), 4:45.

NC—Gurley 15 run (Pinion kick), 0:46.

Fourth quarter

NC—Jela Duncan 76 run (Pinion kick failed), 12:51.

SC—Virgil Shell-Smalls 1 run (run failed), 5:05.

                                      NC           SC

First downs                14             20

Rushes-yards              47-260       29-40

Passing yards             25             289

Total yards                285           329

Comp-Att-Int             4-9-0         24-40-1

Fumbles-lost               0-0            2-0

Penalties-yards           12-76        2-10

Punts-avg.                 4-38.5       4-51.0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—North Carolina, Gurley 19-119, Duncan 7-112, Stephen Houston 4-15, James Summers 7-12, Kwashaun Quick 8-5, Team 2-minus 3. South Carolina, Shell-Smalls 10-26, Rowe 5-21, Raymond Smith 5-8, Kevin Miller 1-4, Eric Boyles 1-minus 1, Daquan Lucas 2-minus 8, Copeland 5-minus 10.

PASSING—North Carolina, Summers 2-5-0 17; Michael Helms 2-3-0 8; Quick 0-1-0 0. South Carolina, Rowe 16-26-1 120; Copeland 8-13-0 169; Shell-Smalls 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING—North Carolina, Austin Duke 2-23, Jody Fuller 1-3, Jerome Hopper 1-minus 1. South Carolina, Roland 8-143, Kwinton Smith 8-67, Raymond Smith 4-14, Quinshad Davis 1-41, Spearman Robinson 1-11, Brandon Quattlebaum 1-8, Miller 1-5.