HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Previews of Friday’s Week 10 games

N. Lincoln battles N-C for South Fork 2A

lead; Bears chase fourth straight win

 

By CHRIS HOBBS

HobbsDailyReport.com

A brief look at Friday’s varsity football games involving teams from the South Fork 2A, Northwestern Foothills 2A and Northwestern 3A-4A. All statistical references are unofficial:

 

SOUTH FORK 2A

NORTH LINCOLN (7-1, 4-0)

at NEWTON-CONOVER (6-2, 4-0), 7:30 p.m.

Lots of football still to be played, but tonight’s winner in Gurley Stadium takes over sole possession of first place in the conference.

It’s likely to be an emotional night for North Lincoln head coach Nick Bazzle, win or lose. He spent 24 years at Newton-Conover – 19 as head coach – before moving on to Alexander Central. He retired there and was pulled back into coaching last season by the appeal of doing it in his home county (he was a football star at East Lincoln).

Steven Pack, in his second season as the Red Devils’ head coach, was North Lincoln’s head coach previously.

Both coaches will have an impact but tonight’s game will come down to the players and plays, and each team has reason to believe it has the upper hand.

RB Allen Wilfong (144 carries for 764 yards) and QB Justice Craig (92-154-3 for 1,349 yards) lead the Red Devils while the Knights rely on a few more hands-on-the-ball guys – RB Jake Soorus (53-494 yards) chief among them – and defense.

EAST LINCOLN (7-1, 3-1) at MAIDEN (5-3, 2-2), 7:30 p.m.

The Mustangs need a win at Maiden to stay firmly in contention for a league title.

Maiden has a two-game win streak in the series and has won 21 of their 29 games all-time against the Mustangs.

The Blue Devils won a baseball slugfest-like 13-10 last season in Denver, N.C., but that is the only game among the last eight that was not high scoring; the winner’s scoring total in those seven games – 58, 42, 42, 48, 56, 49 and 44.

QB Justin Barnett (59-for-110, 947 yards) and RB Cole Barber (85-744) have been key contributors this year for East Lincoln, and Maiden QB Ethan Rhodes (86-135-5, 1,643 yards) and WR Dylan Abernathy (44 for 836 yards) are probably the best throw-catch duo in the league.

WEST LINCOLN (6-2, 2-2) at BANDYS (4-4, 1-3), 7:30 p.m.

West Lincoln needs something it hasn’t had since 1988 – a win in Butler Stadium – to stay in the top four in the conference standings.

The Trojans have won 11 straight over the Rebels at Butler and 18 straight overall (and 21 of the last 22).

West Lincoln last beat Bandys at Bandys in 1988, winning 8-7.

A stingy defense and good team play have helped the Rebels remain steady under new head coach Darren Ponder, with RB Canon Bridges (146-1,206 yards) leading the conference in rushing.

Bandys has not played well over its last few games and has three games — including tonight’s — to play itself into the state playoff picture.

RB Isaiah Gilchrist leads Bandys with 649 yards rushing.

Tonight’s game is the 50^th between the Rebels and Trojan, and the Trojans lead the series 38-10-1.

LAKE NORMAN CHARTER (1-7, 0-4) at

LINCOLNTON (2-6, 0-4), 7:30 p.m.

The winner tonight gets out of last place in the conference.

QB Jeff Womack leads Lake Norman Charter while the Wolves rely heavily on RB Amontre Finger (97-310) and QBs E.J. Manjarres, back in the lineup after missing four games with an injury, and Reed King sharing time at the position.

NORTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS 2A

WEST IREDELL (5-3, 3-1) at BUNKER HILL (4-4, 3-1), 7:30 p.m.

It’s certainly one of the biggest home games in many years for the Bears, who are going for their fourth straight victory. They come in sharing second place with West Iredell.

The Warriors have won the last four times they’ve visited Claremont, averaging 47.2 points per game in those wins.

The teams have met 22 times since 1981, each winning 11 games.

This one could be high-scoring because the Warriors have a number of good skill position players – including QB Eli Kitchens – and the Bears have their share as well.

Bunker Hill QB Carson Elder threw for 261 yards in last Friday night’s win at East Burke, hitting six different receivers.

The Bears have won three straight games – over Fred T. Foard, Draughn and East Burke – but none of those three create the matchup problems that the Warriors do.

Does that really matter? At worst, it can reduce the game to a) who plays better; b) who believes they will win and “b” might be the more important one for a Bears team that has built some confidence.

EAST BURKE (2-6, 1-3) at HIBRITEN (7-1, 4-0), 7:30 p.m.

Pretty simple for the Panthers – if they keep winning, the only team in the league that could potentially tie for the conference title would be the West Iredell at Bunker Hill winner.

East Burke leads the series since 1980 by 13-8 but has not won in Lenoir since a 2011 season-opener, 49-21.

Hibriten may not be as deep and powerful as the previous two seasons, but the Panthers still have that “feel” about them under new head coach Sam Mackey.

East Burke features RB Josh Moore, who has become the Cavs’ all-time leading rusher.

WEST CALDWELL (1-7, 1-3) at PATTON (2-6, 1-3), 7:30 p.m.

Could be a close game tonight in Morganton, where the Panthers try to win their fourth straight in a series with the Warriors.

West Caldwell snapped a 21-game losing streak last Friday by beating Fred T. Foard 14-13, also handing head coach Mike Biggerstaff the first win of his second tenure leading the Warriors.

Patton has struggled offensively the whole season, scoring 20 or more points only twice even though QB Weston Fleming (111-320 rushing) and RB Bryson Ratliff (61-392) have been bright spots at times.

NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A

HICKORY (2-6, 2-1) at

SOUTH CALDWELL (4-4, 1-2), 7:30 p.m.

The Red Tornadoes are in third place, a half-game back of second-place Freedom, as they go for their fourth straight win in a series against the Spartans.

Hickory traditionally plays well in Hudson – 12-4 there since 1982 – and it has one of the league’s best runners as RB Cody Young comes in with 856 rushing yards on 168 carries.

The Spartans can give defenses fits with their versatility, ranging from QB Avery Raynor (94-413, rushing and 55-118-11 for 960 passing) to RBs Spencer Piercy (82-549 in seven games) and Isaiah Kirby (70-334, 198 yards in last two games).

Hickory will have to play its way into the state playoff bracket.

South Caldwell and McDowell are the league’s 4A teams, and the Spartans won that head-to-head game to virtually wrap up a postseason bid.

ST. STEPHENS (4-4, 1-2) at 

ALEXANDER CENTRAL (5-1, 1-2), 7:30 p.m.

The Indians get a tough assignment tonight, heading to Taylorsville with an eight-game losing streak in the series overall and they’re 0-8 on Alexander Central’s field since the 1982 season.

The Cougars bring weapons – RB Steve Montgomery (123-1,103) leads the way – and they’d be helped by winning out re the state playoffs … after a 0-2 conference start.

St. Stephens relies on its passing game – QB Connor Williams and WR Zach Lee have hooked up for seven scores – and Williams needs 103 yards to clear 1,000 this season.

It will be the 45^th game for Butch Carter as head coach at Alexander Central (31-13).

St. Stephens’ last win over Alexander Central was 10-7 in 2008 in Hickory.

McDOWELL (1-7, 0-4) at

WATAUGA (8-1, 4-0), 7:30 p.m.

The Pioneers can wrap up at least a share of the conference title if they handle the Titans tonight in Boone.

Watauga is the only team unbeaten in league play, with idle Freedom (3-1) and Hickory (2-1) the teams with a loss each, and Freedom and Watauga have not played yet.

Pioneers QB Anderson Castle should be a prime candidate for conference player of the year (150-1,392 yards rushing; 29-45-2 for 736 yards passing), and RB Jaiden Bond is a big play waiting to happen (66-922 rushing, 11-355 receiving and 13 of the 16 scoring plays he’s been involved in are 20 or more yards … five or 50 or more yards).

RB Quantavin Moore (104-620) and QB Riley Moore (40-for-85, 544 yards) lead McDowell.