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SPORTS WeeklyBulldogs win second Super 10 crownAaron Garcia/SCW photoby C. Jemal Hortonsports@thecharlotteweekly.comIt’s that time of year again!Carolina Weekly Newspaper Group announces itsfinal Super 10 Football Rankings of 2010, crowningits annual champion from the 31 teams in MecklenburgCounty.All season long, we labored through our weeklyselections, and the final ones were no exception. Infact, these were even more difficult.1. Butler (16-0)Ok, this one was easy.For the second consecutive year, the Bulldogs areClass 4AA state titlists and Super 10 champs. Whenyou take into account the fact that Butler facednational and local scrutiny yet still managed to emergeunblemished, it says a lot about coach Mike Newsome’sbunch.Final 2010 Super 10Football RankingsRank, TeamRecord1. Butler 16-02. Charlotte Country Day 10-23. Vance 11-44. Mallard Creek 13-15. Charlotte Catholic 14-16. Berry 11-37. Ardrey Kell 8-58. Charlotte Latin 9-39. Hopewell 8-510. SouthLake Christian 8-5Also receiving votes: Providence Day (1)Charlotte Latin School senior Collin Higgins has signed a National Letter of Intent to swim forVirginia Tech.Butler football players, who celebrated their 44-0 victory over Wake Forest-Rolesville in the Class 4AA state championship gamein Raleigh Dec. 11, also have been honored as Carolina Weekly Newspaper Group’s Super 10 football champions for the secondconsecutive season.The Bulldogs literally had it all this season – a polishedrunning game led by Jahwan Edwards and DeionWalker, a passing game that improved weekly underhighly touted quarterback Riley Ferguson and a corpsof budding stars at wide receiver, and a selfish defensepaced by All-American linebacker Kris Frost.Heck, at one point this season, the Bulldogs had thenation’s No. 1-ranked punter, Tommy Hibbard – notthat he had to do it that often. But when he was calledupon, Hibbard was special.Just like the entire team.2. Charlotte Country Day (10-2)Let the debating begin.Some of you probably cringe at the thought of a privateschool being the No. 2-ranked team in the county.Well, the 2010 Bucs were unlike most private-schoolteams.Make that any team, private or public.In the state.Country Day was able to play smash-mouth footballwith running back Thomas Passenant, yet the Bucshad one of the most effective passing offenses around,featuring quarterback Morgan Roberts and receiversBrian Erb, Wake Hamilton, Lee Harrison and BrandonSantiago.The defense, which allowed just 15 points per outing,was downright nasty. Consider: This season,offensive power Charlotte Latin averaged 17 pointsper night in its two games against Country Day; in itsother 10 games, Latin averaged 40.3.The Bucs’ two losses this season came by a combinedeight points – 35-28 in overtime to Charlotte Catholic,which reached the public-school 3AA state semifinals,and 18-17 to conference rival Providence Day.(see Super 10 on page 31)Making a SplashLatin’s accomplishedHiggins feels he hasmuch more to proveby Aaron Garciaaaron@thecharlotteweekly.comAt first, Charlotte Latin boys swimmerCollin Higgins was a bit underwhelmedby his records and the blazing times thatearned him those distinctions.Last February, during the N.C. IndependentSchools Athletic Association 3Achampionship meet, Higgins broughthome gold in two events. He finished the100-yard backstroke in 50.15 secondsbefore logging a 1-minute, 54.02-secondtime in the 200 individual medley.His finish in the 100 backstroke set astate record, while the 200 medley timeis still tops at Charlotte Latin.“Oh, OK,” he thought to himself.A ho-hum response to what hethought was a ho-hum mark.“I wasn’t even focused on the recordor anything,” he recalled. “I reallywanted to break 49 (seconds in the 100backstroke).(see Splash on page 30)C. Jemal Horton/SCW photoPage 26 • Dec. 17-23, 2010 • South Charlotte Weeklywww.thecharlotteweekly.com