F
ive former Bladen County football stars are currently on college football rosters and one will start the season Saturday, Sept. 3. Three of them started their 2016 season this past Saturday.
West Bladen’s Brandon Council and East Bladen’s Farrell Murchison, Larrell Murchison and Saquan Johnson are the four Bladen players who are on college rosters this season.
West Bladen’s Malique McDowell who rushed for 1,065 yards last season has signed a letter of commitment with St. Andrews University in Laurinburg. The St. Andrews Knights will not play their initial season of football until 2017. McDowell and 57 other freshmen that signed with St. Andrews will be redshirted for the 2016 season.
Class of 2015 West Bladen grad Brandon Council is listed as a 6-4, 330-pound offensive lineman on the Akron University football roster. The Zips open their season at home against Virginia Military Institute at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
“Brandon should have a great opportunity to get on the field from talking with him,” said former West Bladen Coach Russell Dove who coached Council at West.
Akron, a member of the Mid-American Conference, finished 8-5 last year under Coach Terry Bowden and defeated Utah State 23-21 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The Murchison twins, 2015 graduates of East Bladen, both played at Louisburg College last season. Running back Farrell Murchison led the Hurricane ground game a year ago with 675 yards rushing in just 7 games and scored 7 touchdowns.
Defensive end Larrell Murchison played in 7 games and was credited with 18 tackles – 13 solo tackles – as the Hurricanes posted a 7-1 record in 2015.
Johnson was chosen in the 28th round of the 2011Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers and played 130 games over 4 seasons from 2011-2014 with the Rangers’ Rookie League and Class A baseball teams.
With his baseball career over, Johnson returned home and enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke with the intention of playing football. “Saquan wanted to play and Pembroke was not helping him be able to (get on the field),” said East Bladen Coach Robby Priest.
Johnson then transferred to Louisburg College where he joined the Murchison brothers on the 2016 Hurricane team. The Texas Rangers are still paying the bills for Johnson’s college career as part of his baseball contract.
Saturday Louisburg pounded Jireh Prep 57-7. The Hurricanes will travel to Annapolis, MD Friday for a 2:30 p.m. game against the Navy JV team.
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