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'05 GA TE Stephen Gowland (Auburn walk-on)

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tOSU is still showing some interest with occaisional mail. No phone calls that I'm aware of though. The only way he would make it up for the scUM game would be as an official visitor, and that seems unlikely. All of Stephen's college visits have been unofficial. He's been to Ole Miss, Tennessee, and today at Auburn again for the Georgia game. Auburn is bombarding him with mail.
 
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For the fourth time in the past five years, both Buford and Parkview will play in the state semifinals at the Georgia Dome. Buford is making its fifth straight appearance and is seeking its fourth straight state title, while Parkview is going for its fourth AAAAA title in five years.

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Parkview’s Jack Grovenstein and Stephen Gowland, right, tackle Houston County’s Ronnie Hiley (3) in Friday night’s game
 
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Staff Photo: Anthony Stalcup
Defensive ends Stephen Gowland and Gator Parker anchor the Parkview defense as the Panthers head to the Georgia Dome today in the Class AAAAA semifinal game against Walton.
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http://www.gwinnettdailyonline.com/GDP/archive/articleA18C36DB517744059B042AFC9EB56899.asp

Gator Parker summed up the Parkview defensive ends’ duty well with one line — “We don’t make the tackles. We create them.”
Parker and fellow defensive end Stephen Gowland have loads of responsibility in the Panthers’ schemes, and their tremendous play is a big reason why one of the best defenses in the state calls The Big Orange Jungle home. A traditional power on defense, Parkview may have its best end combo ever in Parker, a junior, and Gowland, a senior.
“Technique-wise, they’re the best we’ve had,” said Parkview defensive coordinator Larry Massey, who joined the program in 1995. “They take to coaching well and they’re intelligent kids. We’ve always done the same stuff (on defense) and they have to sacrifice themselves a lot of times for the linebackers to make plays.
“But they’re not only doing their jobs, they’re also making plays.”
The Parkview defensive ends, coached by David Jacobs and Chan Brown, rarely get to charge up field like some schemes, instead relaying on proper technique and positioning. Massey put the ends’ jobs in simple terms: Gowland is supposed to eliminate the tight end and Parker is expected to take out the weakside offensive tackle, duties that free up the Panthers’ linebackers to make tackles.
It’s a job they’ve done well, helping the defense hold opponents to 7.3 points, 96.8 rushing yards and 52.8 passing yards per game entering tonight’s Class AAAAA semifinal matchup with Walton at the Georgia Dome.

“Both of them are big and strong and they allow us to anchor down inside on the tight end and the backside tackle,” Massey said. “That allows us to do some things with our linebackers so they can run a little more.”
Not that Gowland and Parker aren’t making plays themselves. Only three Parkview players have more than 200 points in the defense’s production chart and Gowland and Parker are tied for first at 248, 40 points ahead of the No. 3 point scorer.
Gowland, also a top tight end, has excelled in his first season as a defensive starter. He’s second on the team with 118 tackles, has caused three fumbles and recovered three fumbles. A top Division I-A recruit, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is tied with Parker for the team lead with seven tackles for losses.
“He’s strong and he’s quick,” Parker said of Gowland. “He’s explosive off the ball. Our whole defense is like that. We all hustle. You can make a lot of plays when you hustle.”
Parker, who missed six games of his sophomore season with a broken ankle, leads the team with eight sacrifices, essentially giving up yourself so a teammate can make a big play. The 6-2, 230-pounder, the starting third baseman and a pitcher on Parkview’s baseball team, also is third on the defense with 99 tackles.
Despite his underclassmen status, he has earned the kind of respect normally reserved for a senior. Nicknamed “Gator” by a youth league coach because he clamped down on tackles and didn’t let go like an alligator, Parker has played to a high level but he’s also proven to be a leader.
He addressed the entire team before the McEachern quarterfinal game to show a photo of him in tears after a 2003 quarterfinal loss to Newnan. The lesson was clear — don’t let this happen again.
“Everybody has so much respect for him,” Gowland said of Parker. “His ability to address the whole team shows what a good leader he is. His heart is about the biggest you’ll see in high school football.”
When he teams up with Gowland, it forms quite a dominant pair. Gowland was the tight end of the year at the Touchdown Club of Gwinnett’s season-ending banquet, but Parker was left off the team, which surprised Parkview head coach Cecil Flowe and his staff.
“They’re both having great years,” Flowe said of the defensive ends. “They’re responsible for a bunch of our success on defense. Stephen Gowland is a tremendous player and it’s a total aggravation to me for a kid like Gator Parker not to be on the All-County team. That’s ridiculous. He’s a great player and he deserves to be on there.”
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Congrats to Stephen and Parkview. While it seems a long shot, since he really seems to want to stay South, I hope Stephen is the true TE in this Buckeye class...
 
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Stephen's team lost in the state finals to Lowndes 17-14. He played in the Georgia North-South All-Star game making one catch for 23 yards. He was selected first team all-state tight end by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Recruiting-wise he's playing a waiting game with two other tight end prospects Auburn favors. It appears that if either Tommy Trott of Montgomery, AL or Gabe McKenzie of Mobile, AL decide to go elsewhere, then Stephen will be offered and will accept.
 
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Rat, feel free to post summaries for the community...

BN $

Stephen is in a small bind as he has waited so long for the Auburn offer that other potential opportunities have filled up classes. Stephen is considering a visit to Florida Atlantic, has not spoken to tOSU in quite a while, and is contemplating a walk-on slot at Auburn.
 
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Stephen really wants to play for Auburn. He and his family are trying to work out the details because he will most likely attempt to walk-on, which means paying out of state tuition. The Auburn coaches are working to find different avenues for financial aid for Stephen. He hopes to walk-on and earn a scholarship.
 
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