By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
SCHEDULE
(all games at 7:30 p.m.)
August
17, at Burns
24, Wilkes Central
31, N. Iredell
September
7, at N. Lincoln
21, W. CALDWELL
28, at WATAUGA
October
5, FREEDOM
12, at McDOWELL
19, at ST. STEPHENS
26, HICKORY (Homecoming)
November
2, S. CALDWELL
ALEXANDER CENTRAL COUGARS
CARTER
Conference: Northwestern 3A-4A.
Head coach: Butch Carter (121-86, 17 years; 17-7 at Alexander Central, 2 years).
Last season’s records: 10-2 overall; 6-1 Northwestern 3A-4A, champion.
Last season’s results: Burns, W 28-23; at Wilkes Central, W 28-6; at N. Iredell, W 46-0; N. Lincoln, W 40-36; at W. CALDWELL, W 59-35; WATAUGA, W 38-33; at FREEDOM, W 33-27; McDOWELL, W 55-21; ST. STEPHENS, W 59-21; at HICKORY, L 28-38; S. CALDWELL, W 57-14; Playoffs: Cuthbertson, L 28-35.
SCHOOL FOOTBALL HISTORY
Last season in state playoffs: 2017, 3AA.
Last state playoff victory: 2009, d. Porter Ridge 38-21, first round.
All-time state playoff bids: 17.
Conference titles (or shares) since 1980, last: 4, 2017 Northwestern 3A-4A.
BY THE NUMBERS
OVERALL
Returning starters: 11.
Returning lettermen: 20.
OFFENSE
Set: Multiple Wing-T.
Returning starters: 5.
Leading returning rusher: Tevin Clark, 5-10, 215, Sr. (83-524, 10 TDs).
Leading returning passer: None.
Leading returning receiver: Clark (4-31, 1 TD).
Other key returnees: Jaden Houston, 5-11, 285, OL, Jr.; Dalton Drumie, 6-3, 200, OL, Jr.; Lucas Walker, 5-10, 185, WB, Sr.; Lyndon Strickland, 6-2, 235, TE, Sr.; Steven Montgomery, 5-7, 165, RB-WR, Jr.
Top newcomers: Garrett Martin, 6-3, 265, OL-DL, Jr.; Zach Wooten, 5-10, 150, WR-DB, Jr.; Colston Yount, 5-10, 155, Ath., Jr.; Easton Rhoney, 5-10, 155, QB, Jr.
DEFENSE
Set: Multiple 50.
Returning starters: 6.
Players to watch: Isaac Chapman, 6-2, 275, DT, Sr.; Jordan Brown, 5-10, 215, LB, Sr.; Jamison Benfield, 5-11, 175, Safety, Jr.; Jesse Schronce, 5-11, 145, DB, Sr.; Nick McNeely, 5-9, 210, LB, Sr.; Colby Cockrell, 5-9, 225, DL, Sr.; Maguire Hittle, 6-3, 280, DL, Sr.; Marterion Howell, 6-1, 230, DL, Sr.
OUTLOOK
Butch Carter’s third season as head coach in Taylorsville should be another solid one but the Cougars, at least on paper and based on returnees and where they need new stars in the lineup, there’s work to be done.
The Cougars lost six starters to graduation – including offensive studs at QB (Gunnar Anderson, signed by Lenoir-Rhyne University) and RB Bryson Godfrey (signed by Coastal Carolina).
Returning RBs Tevin Clark and Steven Montgomery are viable players to feature in a Multiple Wing-T offense but the Cougars will need more offensive weapons to be anywhere near as explosive as they were last season when they scored 509 points.
In a response to HobbsDailyReport.com about his team, Carter said he feels the strengths will be the front seven on offense and defense, a good offseason in the weight room and the recent success of his junior varsity team.
Alexander Central has 11 returning starters and will be trying to mesh them with an influx of players from a junior varsity that, like the varsity, won a conference title a year ago. That JV team went 10-0.
Carter indicated a concern in the lack of experience at skill positions – Anderson, for instance, was in the mix at QB in some role for four seasons – and on special teams.
“We will be young and inexperienced in quite a few spots,” said Carter, who was head coach at South Caldwell for 15 years, winning 104 games there. “The front seven on both sides has the potential to be good.
“We’ll have to protect the football and limit turnovers and we’ll need to step up and force some turnovers and makes some stops for us to be successful.”
The Cougars should contend for the Northwestern 3A-4A title again… and they have a thorn of sorts in their side(s) to draw some intensity and purpose from – they won 10 games and a league title last season but were gone — in a stinging loss at home to Cuthberson – in the first round.