BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Jackson Ferrell of Campbell University has been named to the Top 100 Freshmen to Watch list by CollegeSoccerNews.com. The native of Fayetteville, N.C., was a two-time all-state selection at Fayetteville Academy and also completed with the North Carolina State and Region III Olympic Development Program teams as well as the CASL Chelsea USSF Academy team.

"We believe Jackson is a strong addition to our team and know that he will compete from the get-go," said eighth-year head coach Doug Hess. "He is one of the fittest players I have ever coached and brings so much energy to the game. We look for good things from him over his four years here at Campbell."

During Ferrell's four-year prep career, Fayetteville Academy won two North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association state championships and finished as runner-up twice. He was coached by former Campbell goalkeeper Andrew McCarthy at Academy, where his teams posted a 67-11-4 won-lost-tied record and won the state titles in 2005 and 2008, while finishing as runner-up in 2006 and 2007. Ferrell scored 25 goals and assisted on 14 others as a senior and finished his career with 58 goals and 65 assists

A two-time all-state selection, Ferrell earned all-Cape Fear region recognition on three occasions and all-Cape Fear Independent Conference notice all four years. He was also a standout on the 91 Olympic Development Program (ODP) State and Region III teams. He led the State team, coached by Doug Hess, to a runner-up finish at the 2008 ODP National Championship. As a member of the Region III ODP team, in 2007 and 2008, he was named to the 2008 Disney Showcase all-tournament team.

Ferrell played alongside fellow Camel freshman Justin Smith with the U-18 CASL Chelsea USSF Academy team, coached by former Camel standout Rusty Scarborough. That squad claimed the 2008 Disney Showcase Division Championship and clinched the Atlantic Division Championship.

His father, Tony was a four-year men's soccer standout (1973-76) and his mother, Laura (Bolton) Ferrell, was a four-year basketball star for the Lady Camels. Ferrell's father (1976) and uncle, Mike (1978) both won Campbell's Glen Brewster Memorial Award for leadership and courage.

Campbell will open its 2009 regular season Tuesday at UNC Wilmington in a 7:00 p.m. clash of two league regular season champions from a year ago. The Camels finished the 2008 campaign with a 14-6-0 overall mark and 9-0-0 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Seahawks were 10-9-1, 7-4-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Seven of the last eight games in the series, which dates to 1966, have been decided by a single goal. Campbell has won the last four contests in the series, including last year's 3-0 decision in Buies Creek, sparked by goals from Jason Keever and Khalil Johnson. Tuesday's contest marks the 44th between the Camels and the Seahawks. Campbell owns a 24-18-1 edge all-time over its Eastern N.C. neighbor.

Campbell was picked to finish second in the 2009 pre-season poll of Atlantic Sun Conference head coaches. That placement marked the fourth-straight year that Coach Doug Hess' squad has been chosen either first or second in the A-Sun voting. Campbell was on top of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 polls. The Camels won the A-Sun tournament title in 2007 and claimed last year's regular season crown.

Seven starters return from the 2008 Camel squad, which became the first-ever A-Sun school to finish a men's soccer season with a 9-0-0 regular season record. Despite a 4-3 loss to second-seeded Jacksonville in the A-Sun final at Buies Creek, Campbell earned its 12th conference final appearance since the Camels won their first Division I league title in the 1984 Big South tournament. Since joining the A-Sun in 1994, Campbell has reached the men's soccer final five times.

Over the last four years, CU won two A-Sun regular season championships (2005, 2008), one A-Sun tournament title (2007), and made the school's first appearance in the NCAA Division I College Cup (2007). In addition, CU led the conference in attendance for the third time in four seasons.

The Camels have been ranked in the South Region in each of the last four years and have compiled a 50-25-6 overall record (.654). The Camels also own the best A-Sun regular season record (25-4-4, .818) of all league members since the start of the 2005 season. In addition, the Camels received their first-ever, year-end national ranking (No. 25 by Soccer America) and finished third in the final South Region poll.

UNCW returns 10 starters from last year's CAA regular season championship unit, including 2008 CAA Player of the Year Devan Carroll (nine goals and two assists in '08) and Defender of the Year Indy Smith.

Following Tuesday's opener, the Camels entertain William & Mary on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in their regular season home opener.