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Some Hough football players are bypassing their senior season



Evan Pryor, the top-ranked player in the I-Meck 4A according to 247, will not play his senior year at Hough. /Doug Coats

One of the byproducts of high school football being scheduled for the spring, is top recruits facing a big decision on finishing out their prep careers.

The roster at Hough High is filled with future Division 1 players, and the Huskies already have had seniors announce they will enroll in college early. On Aug. 12, the N.C. High School Athletic Association issued a first-game date of Feb. 26, with the regular-season only lasting seven games.

Hough running back Evan Pryor announced Thursday he will enroll at Ohio State in January. He’s the No. 2-ranked all-purpose back in North Carolina, according to recruiting website 247.

“I would like to give a huge thanks to the entire Hough High School for not only believing in me to become a better football player, but a better man,” Pryor said in a Twitter post…. But in this decision, I feel confident and well-prepared. Thanks to the support from my coaches.”

The Huskies would’ve returned six D1 commits for 2020, five on the defensive side of the ball.

Cornerback Mario Love Jr. followed hours later after Pryor’s message. He plans to join N.C. State in January. Among their rivals, former I-Meck 4A Defensive Player of the Year Power Echols will bypass his final season at Vance.

Early enrollments are nothing new, especially in football, but this year that decision means athletes are not completing their final season.

Despite losing some of his top players for the delayed season, Hough coach Matt Jenkins is supportive of them in  a Twitter statement he posted on Friday.

“I hear all the time, ‘It will cost you wins, maybe a state title.’ My response is simple. If you know what our mission is then you wouldn’t have to ask the question. We couldn’t be happier for every one of them. Will we miss them? Heck ya!!! But we are so proud of each and every one of them. …

“Hough football isn’t just about (wins and losses) and state titles. We want to help create better men on and off the field and help these student-athletes go to the next level in any way we can. That is our true mission. Our mission at Hough is bigger than the field!”

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