Introducing Eric Breitenstein

I don't no where the D1 coaches are, but you guys are out of your minds if you don't think this kid can play at any level.The D1 coaches should be knocking down the doors to get this one. We have a kid, running back, in our conference that has signed with ECU and had other D1 schools interested in him. If he can play D1, why not Eric. Eric is about the same height, outweighs him by atleast 30lbs and is only about a tenth of a second slower in the 40. His football IQ is out of this world. He has put up slightly better numbers than that young man and all the while plays about 100 snaps a game. He also does this while all the other teams game plan for just him. He has put this team on his back and carried them to two of the best years in school history. If anyone has any pull with a D1 school, you would be doing them a huge favor by introducing them to Eric Breitenstein.

 

This is an article from the Independent Tribune from the Concord Kannapolis area.
An interesting view of Eric Breitenstein from an opposeing coach.

By Mark Stein
[email protected]
Saturday, November 17, 2007

BOONE - All Glen Cook could do was chuckle.
After watching Watauga tailback Eric Breitenstein’s dazzling performance Friday night, it seemed an appropriate response.
“No. 2 is an awesome player,” Central Cabarrus High’s veteran head coach said, shaking his head. “We thought we could stop him. Gee ... hello.”
Enough said.
Despite putting in a game plan specifically designed to stop the Shrine Bowl selection, the Vikings didn’t come close to slowing Breitenstein, who sliced and diced his way for 316 yards rushing and six touchdowns - both career highs - to lead the top-seeded Pioneers to a convincing 52-36 victory in the second round of the NCHSAA 4A playoffs at Jack Groce Stadium.
“I tell you what, he’s probably one of the best running backs I’ve seen in a long, long time,” Cook said. “He’s not fancy or nothing like that. It looks like he just sits there and slides and picks a hole and then all of a sudden he throws on the jets and he’s down the sideline. And nobody’s catching him.”
How dominant was Breitenstein?
Well, of his 23 rushes, 10 went for 10 yards or more.
“In the first half we were too fast getting up the field and opening up seams for him,” Cook said of Breitenstein. “So we slow-played it a little more in the second half and that didn’t work, either. The only thing I know is to put up a wall and make him jump it and then tackle him when he comes over.”
No where was his elusiveness more evident than on the Pioneers’ second possession.
On a third-and-goal from the Central 6, quarterback Blake Beason handed the ball to Breitenstein, who slammed into a wall of defenders at the line of scrimmage. It looked as if he was stopped for no gain, but he spun around, juked another defender and powered his way into the end zone to give the Pioneers a 14-0 advantage with 2:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Breitenstein had already staked Watauga to a 7-0 lead on its first series, capping an impressive four-play, 64-yard march on the opening series of the game.
Things went from bad to worse for Central on its next possession.
A high snap sailed over the head of quarterback Jordan Saunders, who scooped up the loose ball and was tackled in the endzone for a safety. A 31-yard return on the ensuing free kick gave Watauga great field position at the Vikings’ 38, and three Breitenstein runs later, the Pioneers had a 22-0 advantage one play into the second quarter.
“They’re well coached, without a doubt,” Cook said. “They do a good job with those kids. They’re probably not the most talented team we’ve faced this year, but I will say this. They’re the best coached team we’ve played. They do the best job with what they got. That’s what coaching is all about, taking what you got and doing something with it.”
The eighth-seeded Vikings, who finished at 5-8, answered the Pioneers’ early blitz with a solid drive, capped by tailback D.J. Moore’s 12-yard run to cut their deficit to 22-6. The two-point conversion attempt failed.
Central pulled closer after forcing a Watauga punt on the next series. A high snap sailed over the head of Watauga punter David Alger, who recovered the ball in the endzone for a safety to make it 22-8.
Breitenstein’s 18-yard run and Savva Kostis’ 29-yard field goal gave the Pioneers a 32-8 cushion at the break.
Breitenstein’s performance overshadowed a stellar effort by Moore, who rushed for 214 yards on 32 carries and three touchdowns. His scoring runs covered 12, 1 and 2 yards. Saunders rushed for 168 yards on only seven carries, highlighted by an 85-yard scramble for a score late that pulled the Vikings within 10.
But it too little, too late for the Vikings, who were done in by seven fumbles, four of which were lost.
“We’re proud of our seniors for what they accomplished this year,””Cook said. “They’re a great group of kids and we’re going to miss them. That’s about it. We had a lot of adversity this year. This was a good opportunity for us to come up here and win this thing. But it didn’t play out for us. I hate to say it, but sometimes the better football team wins. And tonight they were by far the better football team.” Watauga (10-3) advances to the third round to play Pembroke Swett, which ousted Asheville Reynolds 22-21.

 

The kid can play and he is a winner. Let's play the race card, were he black with the same size, stats, and reputation, he would have at least a half dozen offers from D1 schools. This guy is a beast that just makes plays. He will end up in a division 1 program somewhere and they will be rewarded with a player that will make other programs ask, " Why didn't we recruit this Guy"?

 

EB -Some kinda special

Not to be picky, but 1978 was pretty special. We had couple of kids from that team who went on to start for ASU. One went to Clempsun and started at linebacker. Another who went to Va Tech. A few others went on to play for smaller schools - Ferrum, Mars Hill, etc.

Anyway, I agree that EB is the best back - on offense and/or defense - to play at WHS. It's a shame people have their eyes closed. It would seem that some D-1 schools would want a good athlete, student, and citizen playing for them. His brother, who plays special teams for ASU, told me his senior year that EB was already a better player in 8th grade than he was. Speaks volumes.

 

wise one i am a black man that went to watauga my nephew on the team now,and i feel the same way, if he was a black kid in charlotte every d1 school in the country would be after him.hell i hear from friends and family off the mtn and the 1st thing they say is that white boy can play.not that he is a good ball player so race plays apart in it like it or not.but i played for his dad when he 1st came here and i know he will get to go on to college somewhere.

 

It baffles me, the last I heard was that Wofford was the only school to offer so far. A lot of programs will offer eventually.

 

Rivals.com

Rivals.com has the schools interested as Penn State, UNC, ECU and Wofford. Now that may be his schools of choice and they actually don't have a interest in him. I had heard that NC State was on the radar, and EB is a Coach O'Brien type player....hardworker, disciplined, knowledgeable, great teammate and model citizen.

 

EB

Good luck to EB this week and upcoming weekend as he practices and then plays Sat in the Shrine Bowl.

 

i keep hearing that he is going to navy,on ncpreps there is someone that says he at navy and knows 1st hand that where he is going.but with paul johnson going to gt dont know if he still wants to go.and without pj coaching at navy they will not win like they have been.

 

i would think that anyone who goes to a service academy has other things on their mind