Carson Moss, one of Leesville’s offensive linemen, received the honor of playing in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas on Saturday, Dec 19. He is the only student-athlete from Raleigh who attended the Bowl this year.
The Shrine Bowl is a highly prestigious all-star football game that takes place in Spartanburg, NC. The top 46 high school football players of North Carolina play against the top 46 players of South Carolina after passing the rigorous tryouts, or combines, and multiple cuts. Moss was a first alternate to play at the Bowl and was informed by Coach David Green that he was needed after a Bowl player was injured.
“I had to literally grab some football equipment, paperwork, and my book bag, go home and pack, and leave as soon as possible. I found out around 2 and was on the road at about 4,” explained Moss.
Moss detailed the days leading up to the game. The players, he said, spent their time either eating or practicing. “There was a TON of eating involved,” he said. “They gave us a buffet at every meal, and there was a ‘country store’ that was open every night.” The players spent the remaining time getting to know each other, going to the Shriners’ Club and attending a large formal banquet the night preceding the game.
“We got to hear speeches from the head football coaches from NC State, UNC, Duke, Clemson, and Wake Forest. The food was great, and the coaches were actually very funny and entertaining,” he said of the banquet.
Moss’s preparation for the game was very different from the regular football games at Leesville. While he enjoyed the larger Wofford stadium and larger fan base, he was slightly disappointed with the amount of preparation time on the field and the lame pre-game speech. “I’m so used to Coach Green always end[ing] his pre-game speeches with the phrase ‘smack’em in the mouth’,” he said.
“However despite all of that, I still had a ton of fun and really enjoyed the experience.”
Moss’ contributed to the North Carolina team’s victory with a 24-14 win over South Carolina.
