College football notes: Boston College coach is sky high on FBA's Joe Sparacio

A pair of Southwest Florida players are part of the thus-far most memorable Boston College run in quite some time.

Michael Walker is a senior starting wide receiver and kick returner who played quarterback at Naples High. Joe Sparacio is a true freshman linebacker from First Baptist Academy who got some nice playing time early on after becoming the Daily News Football Player of the Year.

No. 14 Boston College (7-2) is 4-1 in ACC play and has won three straight games, including Saturday's big 31-21 victory at Virginia Tech. The Eagles are in their first year of inclusion in the College Football Playoff rankings. They broke in last week at 22 and have climbed to 17.

Last Saturday's win was Boston College's first as a ranked team since November 2008 and it made the Eagles just 9-18 all-time against the Hokies, for whom freshman Oscar Shadley of Golden Gate is a long snapper.

Walker didn't have a reception in it, but he had one carry for nine yards and returned two punts for 33 yards and a kickoff for 22 yards. On the season, Walker has 13 receptions for 182 yards and nine carries for 54 more. He averages 12.1 yards on punt returns, which ranks him 10th nationally, and 25.6 yards per kickoff return, which rates 21st.

Football: Walker, Naples hugely represented at Boston College game

The son of Billy, the First Baptist football coach and athletic director, Sparacio played in three early games and has three tackles. He has made a good impression on Eagles coach Steve Addazio.

"Joe Sparacio is going to be a great player for us," Addazio said. "Wonderful human being. Comes from an unbelievable family. His dad, Billy, was his high school coach and he's a great guy.

"This kid is just a beautiful kid. Tough, athletic. Loves football. High character. Faith is important in his life."

Football: FBA's Joe Sparacio signs with BC

Walker and Sparacio have a lot to look forward to this Saturday when the Eagles host No. 2 Clemson (9-0) in a game that will be ABC's 8 p.m. Saturday prime-time game.

"We are playing in a very tough side of this conference right now," Addazio said. "We have handled our business and now we have the opportunity to play the No. 2 team in the country who is p laying lights-out football. To back home to Chestnut Hill, to play a big-time game ... I hope our fan base is as energized as our team right now."

Fils-aime gets shot at running back ... sort of

Former Naples High standout running back Carlin Fils-aime switched back from Tennessee's defense to his more natural position just over two weeks ago and has certainly made the most of his limited opportunities.

The rock-solid 5-foot-11, 180-pound junior got his first three carries of the season during a 27-24 loss at South Carolina two games ago and churned up 23 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown run.

During last week's 14-3 Homecoming win against Charlotte, Fils-aime got just one tote, but picked up 10 yards on it. That gives him 33 on four carries, for a Volunteers-best 7.5 yards per carry.

Football notes: Former NHS standouts Byrd and Fils-aime Volunteer for D

Fils-aime has played defensive back during all nine games for Tennessee (4-5) and has three tackles.

Last season, Fils-aime had 31 carries for 216 yard for a team-best -- among players with more than two carries -- 6.9-yard average with two touchdowns.

Fils-aime was the 2015 Daily News Offensive Player of the Year and was an All-Class 6A first-teamer that year. ESPN called him a 4-star recruit and the eighth-best running back in the country.

But the Vols fired Butch Jones and hired Jeremy Pruitt in December. Fils-aime and current and former teammate Tyler Byrd seem to have been lost a bit in the coaching shuffle.

A 5-11, 200-pound junior, Byrd had three receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown and two carries for 19 yards last season, but he also was moved to defensive back. He's played in nine games there and has two tackles. He also has a catch -- 20 yards for a touchdown in a Oct. 20 loss to top-ranked Alabama.

Byrd also was a consensus 4-star recruit out of Naples High.

Tennessee, which is just 1-3 in the SEC, hosts No. 12 Kentucky this Saturday.

Spotlight for Stobaugh

Fort Myers alum Ben Stobagh, a former All-Lee County quarterback and defensive back, is a redshirt freshman cornerback at North Carolina.

He also is a walk-on, and was the first of those since 2013 to be a Tar Heels team captain last Saturday when North Carolina hosted Georgia Tech. The 5-10, 160-pound Stobaugh was one of five team captains, and North Carolina football tweeted this upon the announcement that include photos of them all: "Here are your captains for this week's game vs. Georgia Tech. They've shown character and leadership all week."

UNC FB WalkOns had a less stiff spin on its Twitter announcement: "Ben's hobbies include paying out-of-state tuition and getting to team meetings early enough to read for pleasure. He's on his second novel of the season!"

Stobaugh has played in all eight games for North Carolina (1-7), which lost, 38-28, against Georgia Tech and has a tackle. The Tar Heels are at Duke this Saturday.