Effingham's Michael Carie Headed to Greenville (Added Coach McDonald Comments)

Effingham's Michael Carie ("Big Mike", as some call him) will continue his football career. Carie recently signed with Greenville College to play defensive back, and will also handle kicking and punting duties, a position he excelled in for the Hearts.

"I went to the Effingham vs. Taylorville game, and I noticed Michael and was very impressed," said Greenville College Coach Joel Lira. "I kept my eyes on him throughout the season, and reached out to him after the football season. He was very busy with basketball, so the recruiting process was fairly slow until it was over. Then it picked up after basketball season, until he decided Greenville was the school for him."

"Michael was our place kicker the past two years and added corner-back and punting his senior year," said EHS Coach Mike McDonald. "He was First Team All-Apollo Conference as a defensive back and was also on the Decatur Herald All-Area team last year.

"He led the area with eight interceptions and set the school record for career field goals with six and most extra points in a season with 38; he also tied the season field goal record with four." 

Carie's positive attitude and humor were traits commonly referred to by his teammates during his time at EHS, as well as his drive and determination. There were several instances where Carie, a noted soccer player for EHS, would finish either soccer practice or a game, then head to play football, oftentimes both ways during a game.

"Coach McDonald does a great job with his young men, preparing them for the next level so I don’t see Michael have too much trouble fitting in," said Coach Lira. "There is always a transition from high school speed to college, but with Michael's ability to be coachable and work ethic, I don’t see it being too much of an issue.

"We plan to play Michael at corner where he had eight interceptions his senior year. We are only returning two upperclassmen in that position, so we are hoping he can fill a very much needed void. He is a big, strong, and fast individual, and we see those skills helping him at the college level. Being the special team coordinator, he is a dynamic kicker. He will battle for the kicking position with another freshman from Alabama. However, where I really like him is at punter. We are a rugby style punt team, and I see his athleticism giving us opportunities for big punts and plays.

"Adjusting to the speed of the college game is very important, and learning a whole new playbook. Most guys after practice want to go to their dorms and play video games, or take naps . . . the ones that “get it” quicker are the ones in their play books. So for Michael or any other Effingham football player going to college, I encourage them during camp to buy into the program and learn the playbook."

"Michael used his athleticism and aggressiveness to become one of the best defensive backs in the area. He will have to learn more difficult defensive schemes at the college level and will have to adjust to the overall increase in speed and the collegiate level. He was only able to practice with us for a limited amount of time while playing soccer; so given the increase in practice time and his willingness to learn he should have a great chance to contribute at Greenville College.
 

"Michael was a good player for us, but he was just as good a teammate. He had a great attitude and brought a lot of levity to some very tense situations. He got along great with all his teammates and was very good at supporting the other players on the team. Michael has great family support and will be in a great situation at Greenville as his brother Alex is on the soccer team and his family and friends will be close enough to see him play."

Coach Lira talked about the Greenville program and how they finished last season.

"Last year we played a lot of freshmen offensively, and on defense we had a lot of role players stepping into the starting roles. So as a whole it was a rebuilding year, but we still managed to be a 7-3 team. With another very impressive recruiting class (Class of 2019), I encourage everyone to watch the Greenville Panthers this season."

One of Greg's postgame interviews with Carie can be seen here, along with the entire past season of Hearts Football.