Three Wildcats selected to all-region teams
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Sports Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

MALCOLM FORD

Blacksburg High School had three all-region selections for this year's football and volleyball Class 2A Region II teams.

Senior offensive lineman Malcolm Ford and linebacker Maurice Brown, a North-South All- Star selection, were named to the all-region football team. Olivia Lecroy was chosen for the allregion volleyball squad.

Lecroy, a sophomore, is in her first season of volleyball for Blacksburg High School. For the year, she had a 97 serving percentage, 95 points on serves, 82 assists, and 35 aces.

Ford was a 4-year starter for the Blacksburg football team on the offensive line. He graded out over 80 percent in every game this year and had four grades over 90 percent.

He had 38 knockdown blocks for the season. He was voted the team's best offensive lineman last year and has a final grade over 80 percent for the last three seasons.

"Malcolm Ford is the kind of player you build your team around. He is a hard worker, very coachable, and never complains," Blacksburg football coach Robbie Blanton said. "He never misses practice and has done an outstanding job for us over the last four years. When we need some yards, we run right behind him or have him pull and be a lead blocker."

MAURICE BROWN

Brown was a 3-year starter at linebacker for the Blacksburg Wildcats. He finished his senior year with 92 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two caused interceptions and an interception.

His junior and senior year combined stats are 169 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, and 2 interceptions.

"Maurice has been an outstanding linebacker for us the last three years. He has a knack for finding the football and plays above his size," Blanton said. "His best asset is getting pressure in the backfield as evident by his 35 tackles for loss in two years. He really stepped up and became a leader for us down the stretch this year."