Panthers vs Raiders

Carolina cornerback James Dockery, right, breaks up a pass intended for Oakland receiver Rod Streater in the second hald during the NFL game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sunday December 23, 2012. 

Carolina receiver Louis Murphy, right, congratulates Steve Smith after he caught a touchdown pass in the first half. 

Oakland linebacker Miles Burris, left, breaks up, and nearly intercepts, a pass intended for Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams. 

Oakland quarterback Matt Leinart throws a pass to running back Mike Goodson. 

East Lincoln, 2A State Champions

Tarboro defensive back Aaron Moore, left, breaks up a pass intended for East Lincoln receiver Jesse Earnhardt in the end zone during the NCHSAA 2A state championship game at Wake Forest University on Saturday December 1, 2012.

East Lincoln receiver Tyler Brock reacts after catching a touchdown pass in the second half during the championship game.

East Lincoln receiver Jesse Earnhardt outruns a host of Tarboro defenders.

East Lincoln receiver Jesse Earnhardt catches a pass as Tarboro defensive back Najee Brown takes a tumble.

Jack Rhodes congratulates his son, East Lincoln linebacker Justin Rhodes, after they defeated Tarboro.

East Lincoln running back Marquis Pharr dives into the endzone past Tarboro defenders Radja Bobbitt, left, and Quentin Roberson.

Football Highlights 2012

Cherryville defenders Darius Harris, left, and Ryar Davis attempt to intercept a pass intended for Bessemer City's Asante Sanders during the game at Bessemer City on Friday September 21, 2012. The pass was incomplete.

South Point fans cheer the Red Raiders during the game at Ashbrook on Friday September 28, 2012. 

Crest defensive back Michael Smith attempts to block an extra point attempt from South Point kicker Aaron Camp, with Diontrea King holding, during the game at South Point on Friday November 9, 2012. The kick was good, but Smith was able to successfully block an extra point attempt later in the game.

Ashbrook students do the wave as Assael Mendoza runs by with an Ashbrook flag during the game against South Point at Ashbrook on Friday September 28, 2012.

South Point fan Drew Sprinkle, 7, does his signature dance move, the 'Sprinkler,' during the game against Crest at South Point on Friday November 9, 2012.

Panthers vs Buccaneers

Tampa Bay wide receiver Arrelious Benn catches a pass pass in the end zone during the second quarter of the game against Carolina on Saturday December 24, 2011 at Bank of America Stadium. The pass was initially called incomplete, but on review was ruled a touchdown. 

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton evades Tampa Bay defenders Quincy Black, left and Frank Okam during the first quarter. 

Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams breaks the tackle of Tampa Bay defender Ahmad Black during the second half. 

Best of 2011: Prep Football

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Prep football season came to a rather anticlimactic close for me a few weeks ago. Unlike previous years when it seems like I covered one or two teams extensively throughout the year, this year I was all over the place.

I saw a few good games (or first halves, anyway), got a few good pictures, but never felt really inspired. Maybe it's just that I'm in my fourth year of being a newspaper photographer and it's starting to feel like I've done it all before.

In any event, enjoy this slideshow of some of my best pictures from this past season.

ACC Championship

I devoted a great deal of time during Saturday's ACC championship game to trying to find and get shots of one specific Clemson assistant coach that had local ties. He may or may not have actually been on the sidelines at any point during the game, but I did manage to get a few decent shots of game action.

And on another note, I dropped my stainless steel water bottle as I was getting out of my car (I had to park about five blocks away, just FYI), splitting it open at the bottom. Normaly they have free bottled water in the field media workroom (I've heard it referred to as the 'media lounge'), but today? All out.

So I had to ride the elevator up and down and all around, then walk half way around the concorse amid screaming fans just to pay $4 for a bottle of water.

At the end of the evening, I would say my day was better than the Hokies' but worse than the Tigers'.

Panthers vs Falcons

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Just Missed It

Lincolnton defensive lineman Jamie Stamper celebrates after Lincolnton recovered a ball fumbled by Polk County during the playoffs game at Lincolnton on Friday November 26, 2010.

Lincolnton defensive back Jonathan Sherrill, left, nearly intercepts a pass intended for Polk County receiver Ryan Thomas during the playoffs game at Lincolnton on Friday November 26, 2010. Sherrill was unable to maintain control of the ball as he went to the ground.

Touchdown Pass

Cherryville's Dashaun Brooks, left, makes a touchdown reception over Bessemer City defender Damian Scott to end the first half at Cherryville on Friday October 29, 2010.

Three Ways to Fly

Here's three pictures of Burns' Darius Lowe at full extension in the air getting tackled, diving into the endzone, and leaping after a fumble during a preseason jamboree scrimmage against East Gaston. Just a coincidence that I got all three similar shots of the same guy in three totally different situations.

State Champs!

Tarboro's Brandon Richardson, above, rallies his team after they defeated Burnsville Mountain Heritage in the 2-A state championship game Friday Dec. 11 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Burnsville Mountain Heritage defender Clay Parker, below, tackles Tarboro running back Chris Lane Friday.

Tarboro running back Chris Lane, above, was named the offensive player of the game.

Shedding tears of joy, Tarboro's Takoby Cofield, right, walks onto the field with teammates Jamias Williams, center, and Darrius Staton after Tarboro's victory. 

Tarboro's Markell Pettaway shows off the 2-A state championship trophy.

Emotional Rollercoaster

Southern Nash players, above, react as their team takes on South Johnston in overtime during the Eastern Regional final. Only minutes later players try to collect their emotions after losing the game with a blocked extra point attempt.

N.C. Wesleyan Game Day

Running back L.J. Scott, left, and wide receiver Donte' Mack relax in the locker loom at N.C. Wesleyan on Sept. 12 while waiting on their shuttle bus to Northern Nash High School for a home game against Salisbury. With no football stadium on campus, even the team's home games are on the road.

This fall, I spent a whole Saturday documenting a game day for the N.C. Wesleyan College football team, from breakfast to victory. With a few news assignments squeezed in there for good measure, it was a long day, but a fun project.

You can view the full slideshow of photos here: www.rockymounttelegram.com/sports/nc-wesleyan-football-ga...

N.C. Wesleyan wide receiver Devontae Atkins, below, leaps over Salisbury University defender Phillip Sheppard during game action Saturday at Northern Nash High School.

Football Illustrations

Each Friday this fall we ran a piece of feature art with the prep preview story in the Telegram. For several of the biggest games I did a photo illustration.  This one is for the biggest game of the regular season around here--the cross-county rivalry of Tarboro and SouthWest Edgecombe.

I composited elements from about 9 different pictures to make the train picture below. I still like the concept, but being my first real attempt at such a large scale composite I now look back and see a lot of little things I could have done differently.

Please note: no football players were harmed in the making of these photographs. =)

Face Off

SouthWest Edgecombe quarterback Chris Ellerbe, left, and Rocky Mount High quarterback Collins Cuthrell.

The sports editor came to me with an idea a few weeks ago. We would shoot these two quarterbacks facing opposite directions and run the photos side by side so that the end product would look like they were starring each other down--except they would each be on their own turf.

It inspired me a little. The above photos are what I ended up shooting. I lit and posed the two exactly the same way (except in in opposite directions of course), and tried to expose the sky so I had dark skin on a lighter background and light skin on a darker background for contrast. If only they had different color jerseys...

Anyway, I was pleased with the outcome.

The picture below is of Nash Central High School multi-sport standout athlete Dominique Holloway, taken for an athlete-of-the-week type feature. It's unrelated to the above photos, except that it was taken on the same busy evening of football portraits across two counties!

Down East Viking Football Classic

Elizabeth City State wide receiver Dexter Manly, right, lets a pass slip through his hands as Chowan's Jackey Moore applies pressure during game action in the Down East Viking Football Classic at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. A member of the Elizabeth City State marching band drum line, below, makes faces while performing at half time.

Elizabeth City State defensive end Malcolm Jenkins, right, strips the ball from the hand of Chowan quarterback CJ Westler.

Futbol to Football

North Gaston High School senior Drew Stewart practices kicking field goals at Revolution Park in Charlotte on Monday January 26, 2009. Stewart, a soccer player since childhood, has become a skilled football kicker in just two years and has chosen to make football his sole collegiate sport.

Panthers vs Buccs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Bryant, right, breaks past the defense of Carolina Panthers cornerback Ken Lucas as he runs into the end zone for a touchdown early in the second half of NFL game action at Bank of America Stadium on Monday December 8, 2008. Below: Carolina wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, left, stretches for extra yards as he is tackled by Tampa Bay safety Jermaine Phillips after receiving a Jake Delhomme pass in the first-half.

Football Season Rolls On

Grier middle school football players celebrate their 8-0 win over Southwest in the Gaston County middle school football championship game at Hunter Huss High School on Tuesday October 28.

I shot no less than three football games this week; two high school games that were rescheduled (due to rain that never came) and the Gaston County middle school football championship.

If I had gone to the Panthers NFL game on Sunday I could have made it four days straight, but that probably would've sent me to the nuthouse! Besides, I had a fun and better-paying assignment on Sunday--more on that later.

In any event, I thought I'd blog my favorite photo from each game. Enjoy.

A member of the Bessemer City High School color guard (above) performs during halftime in a game between Lincolnton and Bessemer City on Monday October 27. Below: Brandon Stamey looks to evade North Lincoln defender Pat Sykes (#26) as he returns a kick off for Cherryville High School during game action on Saturday October 25.

Touchdown!

With the fans reflected in his visor, Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams runs through the end zone for a touchdown in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday October 5, 2008. The Panthers defeated the the Chiefs 34-0.