Phillip Adams breaks out in a wide smile reminiscing about his days at Rock Hill High School with Tori Gurley.

When he was utilized at quarterback in football and as a shooting guard in basketball, the South Carolina State senior defensive back placed the future University of South Carolina wide receiver (then named Tori Childers) in position for numerous scoring opportunities. In the process, the duo teamed up with S.C. State linebacker David Erby to win a Class 4-A title in Division I football in 2004 and claimed another one together in boys’ basketball two years later.

“It was very competitive,” Adams said. “Tori, he’s a real competitive person. We’re all competitive and we all worked hard. We worked real hard in high school. That’s why we were so good together. We won two state championships together and we were real cohesive. We constantly worked together. We constantly hung out together, so it just came natural because we all hung out together.”

Those competitive juices will once again flow between the three Bearcats alumnus when they reunite at Williams-Brice Stadium. Much like they did during practice in high school, Adams and Erby will try to keep Gurley out of the end zone when the 14th-ranked Bulldogs visit the Gamecocks.

“I can’t have that on my resume,” said Adams, laughing, when asked about giving up a touchdown to Gurley. “No. Being his homey, I can’t have that on the resume like that. It’s going to be a good matchup.”

For the season, Gurley has had four touchdowns called back due to penalty. That’s the only blemish so far during a freshman year in which he leads South Carolina in receptions (16) and receiving yards (240).

His acrobatic catches and veteran-like route-running has already made Gurley a Gamecock fan favorite. Neither Adams or Erby are surprised by the big-play potential displayed early by their childhood friend and rival.

“He led by example,” Adams said. “He just worked hard and he had God-given ability. He was taller than anybody out there. He was a 6-5 receiver and he could jump out the gym. On the field, nobody could guard him. With that, when I was at quarterback, the only thing I did was throw it up to him and he went and got it.”

“He’s the same player that he is now,” Erby said. “Big receiver who can go up and catch the ball. Tough. Still the same.”

Adams’ most vivid memory of Gurley in high school was how he inspired the Bearcats prior to their state championship win over Goose Creek.

“I remember in the lockerroom, Tori got up and just shouted ‘Let’s Go!’ and we were all emotionally motivated to get that done,” Adams said. “In football, it was about the same thing.”

Even after moving on to S.C. State, Adams said he continued to encourage Gurley as he worked to make himself eligible for a Division I scholarship at New Hampton Prep in New Hampshire.

“I constantly told him as he went to prep school that all you’ve got to do is keep on playing your game,” Adams said. “And when you get there, everything’s going to happen. When he got to South Carolina, he had to redshirt last year. I said that’s the time for you to get into your playbook and focus on what you’re trying to do and that’s what he did. So I’m not surprised where he’s at.”

Adams and Erby have more than contributed to the Bulldogs’ success during their four years in Orangeburg. Adams was a preseason first-team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection and top punt returner, while Erby has blossomed into the team’s leading tackler two years after tearing his knee before the 2007 game against South Carolina.

They see Saturday as an opportunity to prove they are just as capable of performing against Division I teams, even at the expense of Gurley.

“We know it’s going to be an exciting affair between us,” Adams said.

“It’s a friendship and rivalry,” Erby said. “We’re going to be friends after the game.”

Bring the Noise

The bombastic, ear-piercing sounds blasting from Oliver C. Dawson seemed more apropos for a

“Homecoming” concert than a S.C. State practice.

For the Bulldogs, pumping up the stadium speakers’ volumes with songs by T.I., Nas and Rick Ross while running the two-minute offense served a valuable purpose in preparation for Saturday’s game against South Carolina. All week, the goal has been to mimic the noise level expected at Williams-Brice Stadium in hopes of better handling it as compared to two years ago.

“I think we’re prepared,” Erby said. “We’re using more signals now than we did two years ago, so we should be on point.”

North Carolina State transfer defensive back Dominique Ellis played at Williams-Brice last year and said the noise level there is more problematic for opposing offenses than defenses.

“It was live,” he said. “I think the focus was basically for our offense. It’s not too bad for defense. When the offense gets down in the ‘Red Zone,’ the fans crank it. They take it to another level.”

Although the Wolfpack lost, Ellis said the team communicated well throughout using hand signals. The key was keeping everybody on the same page, a unison found plentiful among the Bulldog defenders.

“We have a saying,” Ellis said. “Our coach has got some ‘Blue Magic’ here and nobody messes with the ‘Blue Magic.’ We all keep it together. Nobody changes nothing. As long as everybody studies the same, film work and everything, everything’s great.”

S.C. State ‘Believer’

Following practice, S.C. State head football coach displayed a sky blue school t-shirt with the word “Believer” spelled across his chest. The T-shirt is not only a part of a campus campaign coordinated by Bulldog defensive lineman and Student Body President Zachary Middleton, but also sums up the team’s attitude facing South Carolina in light of the latest point spread listing the Bulldogs as a 37 1/2 point underdog.

Ellis especially bristles as the talk of S.C. State being a “warm-up” opponent for South Carolina.

“The big thing between FBS and Division I-AA, they say we don’t have the athletes,” Ellis said. “The only thing they have on us are the numbers. They’ve got more scholarships (85), therefore they’ve got a little more depth. There’s no such thing as a warm-up game for us.”

Washington a semifinalist for National Academic Award

S.C. State wide receiver Matt Washington was one of 154 student-athletes, including Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, named Thursday as semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.

Sponsored by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Washington was nominated by the school who were in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2, are a significant contributor to the team and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

The award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.

The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 29. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2009 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, each receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000, will be announced live at the NFF’s Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 8 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

Tickets still available

Fans can still purchase tickets for Saturday’s game at the S.C. State Ticket Office for $35. Tickets are also available for the Bulldogs’ three remaining home games (Oct. 17 against Florida A&M, Oct. 31 against Delaware State and Nov. 14 against Morgan State). For more information, call (803) 536-8579 or visit the school website at www.scsuathletics.com.

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.

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