Something's weird on Gilead Road - Carolina Weekly Newspapers

SportsBremner(continued from page 29)me,” said Bremner, who chose Chineseinstead of English because he liked theway it looked.“He told me, ‘You have to work to besuccessful.’ I just wanted (the tattoo) toremind me to work hard.”It appears that Bremner has put hismoney where his ink is. The Viking’srigorous training regimen is paying offin his third season. Bremner’s scoring20 points and dishing out 4.2 assists percontest. He scored 30 points or moreagainst Garinger on Dec. 8 and WilmingtonNew Hanover on Dec. 29, he’sneck-and-neck with forward BernardSullivan as the team’s leading scorer.“He’s a gym rat,” said North Meckcoach Duane Lewis. “There’s a lot ofpeople who talk it, but when they leavethe gym, (they don’t work on theirgame). They say it, but they don’t do it.“When Bremner leaves the gym,I know he’s going to lift (weights). Iknow he’s going to get shots up on hisown. People who work on their game,it shows. That’s the bottom line. Carlinworks hard, and he’s being rewarded forit.”The North Meck coaching staff hasalways had a lot of faith in Bremner’sabilities. In 2007, Bremner was just thefourth freshman to make the Vikings’varsity roster in Lewis’ 11-year career.The others are Sullivan, Jamie Skeenand Quan Fletcher.Bremner struggled through alukewarm sophomore campaign, averagingeight points and 2.5 assists pergame. Last season, he deferred to allconferenceperformers Andre Marholdand Kyle Gaillard in North Meck’ssenior-driven system.This year, however, Marhold’s playingat Duquesne University (Pa.), whileGaillard is a key reserve for the Collegeof William & Mary (Va.), and with justone senior on the current Viking roster,Lewis challenged Bremner and Sullivanto lead the squad as co-captains. Itappears Bremner has responded.“A lot of people didn’t understand thatCarlin’s always been very talented,” saidLewis. “This season, Carlin knows it’shis and Bernard’s show. There are moreexpectations on him, so his confidenceis up.“Last year he knew he was the fourthor fifth guy, but now he knows he has toproduce because he’s counted on. He’sdoing a great job.”If Lewis’ testimony for Bremner’swork ethic isn’t enough, then collegerecruiters can back him up.Midway through his junior season,Bremner said Division I programs suchas Cornell, Virginia Commonwealth,Richmond and The Citadel have contactedhim about the possibility of playingfor them.Bremner’s 4.0 GPA in North Meck’shonors program prove he can handlethe academic side at those schools. Ifhe continues his stellar play throughoutthe I-MECK 4A conference’s regularseason and Class 4A state playoffs, hemight have the luxury of choosing frommultiple scholarship offers.“My goal is to play college basketball,and that takes a lot of work to getthere,” said Bremner. “Once CoachLewis hinted that I might make thevarsity basketball team at our summerteam camps before my freshman year,I started focusing on basketball seriously.”A dream for twoAt North Meck games, Bremner isimpressive as he dribbles the ball up thecourt to initiate the offense. Once hecrosses the halfcourt stripe, the 6-footercrouches over, softly shifting the basketballback and forth between his hands,which are just inches above the court.The basketball manages only to bounceknee-high before Bremner returns itto the hardwood. His eyes are raised,never questioning whether the basketball’sstill in his hands.Bremner’s defender, however, followsthe basketball like a cat watching a danglingpiece of string. The opponent’s eyesmove back and forth, watching nothingbut the basketball. When the defenderfinally finds the courage to take the bait,he reaches out to swipe at the ball. Butby then it’s too late. Bremner blows pasthis defender toward the basket.Bremner’s quickness with the ball issurprising considering he’s carrying theweight of two dreams on his shoulders.In the late 1970s, Eric Bremner wasan accomplished high school footballplayer and state finalist in the shot put.Eric said his 58-foot effort in NorthCarolina’s state track and field meet“would have won every state championshipsince 1978.”But during Eric’s junior year, his collegesports aspirations were cut shortby a neck injury. He suffered temporaryparalysis, ending his football career.Now 50 years old, he’s recovered andowns two Iron Thunder Saloon andGrills, one on Speedway Boulevard inConcord and another in Asheville.Bremner said one would never knowhis father suffered a serious injury inhigh school. The eldest Bremner’s stillextremely active, lifting weights everyday. His father’s relentless work ethicset the standard for Bremner’s accomplishmentson the court.“We used to challenge him at a veryyoung age,” said Eric, who coachedhis son’s elementary school-aged AAUteams. “I told him, ‘I don’t care whatyou do, but if it’s worth your time, thengive it your best effort.’”Eric said he doesn’t want to live vicariouslythrough his son. Still, Carlin carriesthe torch for two.“A part of me wants to make it to collegebasketball because he couldn’t,”said Bremner. “I want to achieve it forhim, too.”If Bremner does make it to the collegebasketball promised land, he can’ttake his father with him; Eric will staybehind to run his restaurants.But at least now, Carlin Bremnerwill carry his father’s words onto thecourt. qHopewell at North MecklenburgThe boys gameWhen: Friday, Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m.Records: Hopewell 16-0, 5-0 in I-MECK 4A; North Meck 11-4, 0-4Series history: North Meck leads the regular-season series, 10-6Coaches: Eric Davis (Hopewell), ninth season; Duane Lewis (North Meck), 11thseasonLast meeting: In 2009, Hopewell had already clinched the conference regular-seasonchampionship before its 53-52 victory over North Mecklenburg on Feb. 12. The Titans’regular-season finale victory over their crosstown rival, however, gave Hopewell the firstundefeated regular season in northern Mecklenburg County since 1987.Players to watch: Hopewell: senior forward Jordan Downing, senior center DeMonBrooks and senior forward Bryce Hawkins; North Meck: junior point guard CarlinBremner and junior forward Bernard Sullivan.Key matchups: The Vikings rely heavily on Bremner to manage their offense. He’llbe challenged by the Titans’ tenacious backcourt defense, sparked by seniors EarlMcLaurin, Justin Avery and Adrian Addie. Expect each Titan to take a turn houndingBremner, who rarely makes a trip to the bench. But don’t take your eyes – or ears, forthat matter – off the war of chants between the two student sections. It’s worth the priceof admission, especially with the proximity of the bleachers in North Mecklenburg’s tinygym.What’s at stake: In the past, the two regular-season games between the Titans andVikings went a long way toward determining the conference champion. Midway throughthe conference slate, however, North Meck limps in with four league losses. Hopewell,on the other hand, enters the game undefeated for the second year in a row, eyeinganother conference crown.The skinny: Can North Meck’s Sullivan and Bremner keep up with Hopewell’s starstudded,veteran roster? The Vikings will need heavy contributions from more than one ofits role players to make this game interesting. Then again, never count out the underdogin a rivalry game, especially when it can ruin the favored team’s perfect record.– Chris HuntThe Hopewell-North Meck seriesBOYS2001-02North Meck 58, Hopewell* 40North Meck* 71, Hopewell 632002-03Hopewell 59, North Meck* 44Hopewell* 67, North Meck 612003-04North Meck 61, Hopewell* 51North Meck* 48, Hopewell 382004-05North Meck* 75, Hopewell 40North Meck 86, Hopewell* 49North Meck leads series, 10-6* home team2005-06North Meck* 64, Hopewell 50North Meck 59, Hopewell* 492006-07Hopewell* 55, North Meck 48North Meck* 58, Hopewell 502007-08Hopewell 54, North Meck* 48North Meck 66, Hopewell* 642008-09Hopewell* 61, North Meck 47Hopewell 53, North Meck* 52www.huntersvilleherald.com The Herald Weekly • Jan. 15-21, 2010 • Page 33