CHOCOWINITY — It’s only been a few weeks since Southside and Plymouth met in their thrilling semifinal showdown. The Vikings squeaked out the win, 17-12, to advance to and eventually win the 1-A state championship. The loss brought an end to Southside’s most successful season in over a decade. It also marked the end of the high school careers of the team’s 13 seniors.

That doesn’t mean their careers are necessarily coming to an end. Team captains Lawrence Brown and Donshae Tatum are two players that are serious about continuing to play in college. Brown has proven himself to be one of the state’s top running backs while Tatum has been a force on both the offensive and defensive lines.

In fact, Brown has been able to get back on the field since Southside’s playoff exit. He earned a spot in the Blue-Gray All-American Bowl, which took place at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. It was an opportunity to show his talents on a large stage, which is something rare for Southside athletes. Being a small school tucked away in Chocowinity puts them at a recruiting disadvantage.

He made the best of it, too. Brown didn’t see a ton of action, but made an impact with the chances he was given. He made two runs of at least 10 yards — including one with a nice stiff arm — and had two receptions for almost 20 yards.

Brown has tried to turn any disadvantages on the recruiting front into advantages. The lack of exposure has given him a chip on his shoulder.

“Some of it has put me in a down mood,” he said. “At the same time, it allowed me to say ‘Well, you’re just going to have to work harder.’ Me and my dad have been trying to stay on top of getting myself out. Despite the fact that I’m not getting the exposure I want, you never know. Something good can happen. If push comes to show, my coaches have said they’re positive I can go and walk on somewhere.”

It was a sort of culmination of all the hard work Brown has put into not only his game, but also in trying to get noticed. He’s been looked at by the Citadel and UNC-Pembroke. He would like to collect as many offers as he can so he has options.

Brown said he’s gone to NC Central, Old Dominion, UNC-Charlotte and UNC-Pembroke, among others, for camps. He also spent some time this summer training in D.C. He’s also been emailing and tweeting coaches to direct them towards his highlights.

Brown finished the year with 283 carries for 2,285 yards and 19 touchdowns. He caught three more touchdowns, too.

When recruiters stop by to look at some of a school’s players, they have a general idea of what they’re looking for. They have an eye test that players need to pass before they get looked at any more. That a bit of a disadvantage for the 5-8, 185-pound Brown.

However, that’s something that should help Tatum get more attention. At 6-2 and 282 pounds, he has an excellent frame for most line positions. He’s shown he can excel on both offense and defense, and his leadership has been incredibly valuable over the past few years.

“I’d tell (coaches) I think I’d fit in with their teams,” Tatum said. “I’d take on the challenges they’d put in front of me. I think I can beat those challenges. It’s just my mindset. I can accomplish great things.”

Tatum takes pride in how many times the ball was run to his side on offense. He’s shown he can make great blocks on that side of the ball. On defense, he was able to make key tackles. He averaged just a shade beneath three tackles a game. He knows the step up from high school to college would be quite the challenge.

“There’ll be a lot of guys bigger than me,” he said. “I’ve got to step up and play better and more physical.”

An ideal situation for Tatum would be staying local and playing at East Carolina. Fayetteville State is another school he’s interested in.