Huddle Up, As Season Ends

 
Appropriate for today, we are most thankful to have John Shoop, Carolina’s former offensive coordinator, contribute “The Shoop Scoop” every Thursday. His latest piece is a moving tribute to some of the youngsters he recruited and coached at UNC. Don’t miss this from-the-heart tribute from a good friend of WCHL and Chapelboro. When the Tar Heel coaching staff turned over, it was our gain that Shoop remained in the community with his family for a year to call the color on weekly high school football broadcasts and write his Huddle column. Thanks, Coach.
 
Freddie Kiger is one of Chapel Hill’s greatest ambassadors, and the former teacher and long-time media personality used his vast historical knowledge to post a unique Friday column that shared some jewels about the town and university just before game day. In his last piece this Friday, Kiger reflects on the 85th anniversary of the Dedication Game in Kenan Stadium. As with all of FK’s writings, this final post is filled with facts and whimsy about our history.
 
As we had in our Drive To A Championship basketball special section last winter, UNC students from the Carolina Fever group contributed their oft-insightful and mostly humorous takes on the view from the Tar Pit. In football, it was Andrew Darvin and Alex Collette who made us laugh and think about things from a young perspective. Thanks, guys, and go get painted up.
 
Brian Chacos, a newcomer to Chapelboro but a Tar Heel lineman forever, took a Tuesday turn to tell us the players’ perspective before, during and after games – big wins and tough losses. Chacos, who played for John Bunting, says the thrill of strapping on those pads and entering Kenan Stadium through the home tunnel will never leave him and still juices his fall Saturdays.
 
And, of course, our Monday Morning quarterback has been the indomitable BobLee, whose 12-year-old BobLeeSays blog has become one of the most popular and hilarious on the Internet. BobLee always delivered with a follow-up piece that put the game, and all of its machinations, into a perspective that if not so proper be damned!

Occasionally, we also had guest columns, such as Kristin Tucker’s tailgating tips and Dave Kirk’s view from afar.
 
To all of you, plus the great action photos shot by Josh Drye and contributed by the Daily Tar Heel, thanks for making Huddle Up With The Heels regular reading for Carolina football fans this season, Coach Larry Fedora’s first and one we hope ends with a big victory over Maryland Saturday. See you next year!

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A Banner Year?

If the fortunes of North Carolina’s two largest football programs over the last week forecast the outcome on Election Day, the “blues” are trending upward and the “reds” are in a free fall. In other words, the North Carolina Tar Heels are feeling great about themselves while the N.C. State Wolfpack is in a panic […]

'Go, Romar, Go!'

Let’s discuss what happened in the first half Saturday at the Papa John’s Pizza Palace in Louisville.   Either the Tar Heels were still hung over from their disappointing loss last week at Wake Forest (which by the way got waxed by Florida State 52-0 earlier Saturday) and hurting by not having Gio B. and […]

You Can Call Him Jones

A few things you may not know about the new radio Voice of the Tar Heels: His proper name is Monrovie Jones Angell, IV. That’s on par with Forest Orion Mixon, III, which is Mick’s official moniker, and a lot more eccentric than just Woody Lombardi Durham (the First). His dad is Monrovie, the Third, […]

Inside Carolina: Fedora is Out

After the final Tar Heel football game of the season ended in a loss to NC State, today’s edition of “Inside Carolina” discusses the breaking news that coach Larry Fedora will not be returning next season. From the buyout of his contract to what’s next for the Tar Heels, it’s getting covered here.

Duke, And The War for Wiggins

Some sobering        thoughts on Car olina’s bad — really bad — loss to Duke Saturday night: The Tar Heels lost the battle but they may have won the War for Wiggins. More on that later. Larry Fedora has a new goal to hit Duke with a two touchdown lead (14 points) next fall before […]

Shoop Heads For Purdue

Everett Withers and the remains of the Butch Davis coaching regime were not retained, only one member of the old staff stayed in Chapel Hill.   John Shoop was still under contract for the 2012 season at UNC, so for the first time since grade school Shoop spent an autumn off the football field. […]

The Martin Report

Former Governor Martin’s report on his independent investigation into academic fraud at UNC is due Thursday, and my educated guess is that it will confirm what we already know and reveal little that we don’t. That’s the outcome UNC must have to finally put this scandal to rest and move on, and any new revelations […]

We've Got Our Coach!

Within 24 hours of going 8-4 in his inaugural season at the helm of UNC Football, Larry Fedora found himself the second longest tenured “major college” football coach in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.  Only Duke’s David Cutcliffe has been in his current position longer than Larry.   One of Coach Fedora’s eight victories, of course, […]

Heels Good Bet, Sort Of

LAS VEGAS – Well, when in Vegas . . . where gambling is legal. After finishing our final Good Sports show on WCHL before the Maryland-Carolina game, I was intending to go to the hotel sports book and bet on the Tar Heels to cover the 24.5 point spread by which they were favored to […]

Huddle Up, As Season Ends

With the 2012 Carolina football season drawing to a close, this is the last week of Chapelboro’s Huddle Up With The Heels. It has been a pleasure to contribute to this diverse special sports section, which was invented to inform, entertain and educate UNC fans of all ages.   Appropriate for today, we are most […]

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