Editor’s note: All statistical totals referenced are unofficial and historical information is from research and files of HobbsDailyReport.com that dates back to the 1980 season (or before if noted).
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
SOUTH FORK 2A
MAIDEN (4-0) at BANDYS (3-1), 7:30 p.m.
Maiden puts its 16-game regular-season win streak on the line when it goes for its 50th victory in a storied series that started with Maiden winning 32-0 in 1955 and going 25-0-3 against the Trojans before Bandys won for the first time in 1981.
Running back Ethan Howard will lead Bandys against archrival Maiden on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Bandys as both teams open South Fork 2A play.
The rivalry, led 49-13-3 by Maiden, has grown more friendly as the series has aged but it’s still the one game on each school’s schedule that fans value as a must-have. If either team is having a “down” year it’s made better if one of the wins is against the next door neighbor.
Maiden has won three straight, seven of the last eight and eight of the last 10 in the series as it comes to Butler Stadium hunting a victory.
Since Bandys won for the first time, 9-6 in 1981 at Bandys, the Blue Devils are 11-7 in Butler and Maiden leads the series 24-13.
Bandys hasn’t beaten Maiden at Bandys since 2009 (41-6 when Trent Millsaps ran for three TDs and 134 yards on 30 carries and Kyle Houser ran for one and threw for two while throwing for 222 yards).
Maiden’s defense has been stellar this season so far and the Blue Devils have plenty of offensive weapons, especially in the passing game, that could pester the Trojans after they struggled to stop Hickory’s passing game last Friday and blew an 11-point halftime lead in a 28-27 loss.
QB Bain Sipe has thrown for 654 yards and six TDs with Montrell Stinson (11-250, 3 TDs) and Dylan Abernathy (12-207, 3 TDs) his primary targets. RB Malik Kennedy leads Maiden’s ground game with 333 yards on 31 carries and five TDs, and RB Lee Turner has six rushing scores.
Bandys’ option offense under new head coach Tom Eanes is also dynamic and deep; the Trojans often have multiple players gain 70 or more yards, led by RB Ethan Howard and QB Lake Hojnacki.
There are few reasons not to expect the ball to move up and down the field – both offenses can do that, plus Bandys has shown it doesn’t necessarily have to throw a lot to be effective.
So what could separate the rivals?: Turnovers, of course… and Sipe versus the Bandys secondary should be interesting to watch. If Maiden can’t throw the ball when it wants to and has to go more with its running game to win, what happens in the trenches – the hogs versus the hogs or as former Maiden assistant coach Butch Parker calls them, the fat boys versus the fat boys — could decide the outcome.
NEWTON-CONOVER (2-2) at LINCOLNTON (1-3), 7:30 p.m.
The Wolves go for their fifth straight home win in the series when the Red Devils visit to play the 19th game in the series since 1980 (Lincolnton leads 10-8).
Newton-Conover beat the Wolves in Newton last season but there’s no one back on the roster who scored in that game, where the Red Devils snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Wolves.
The Red Devils last won in Lincolnton in 2002, 21-14 when Matt Wilson threw for two TDs including a 75-yarder to Jason Schmidt.
Newton-Conover will rely on RB Allen Wilfong (68-564, 6 TDs), QB Justice Craig (32-51-4, 514 yards, 5 TDs) and playmaker Kyjuan McClain (16-326, 2 TDs; 2 punt return TDs) as it chases head coach Steven Pack’s fifth career win (4-11).
RB Jamal Littlejohn leads the Wolves (48-363), scoring six rushing TDs last Friday in a 46-0 victory over East Gaston that halted a 0-3 start.
EAST LINCOLN (2-2) at LAKE NORMAN CHARTER (2-2), 7:30 p.m.
QB Chase Jones (39-74-2, 564 yards, six passing TDs, four rushing TDs) and WR Sidney Dollar (14-260, 5 TDs), who has a 100-yard interception return TD and an 84-yard rushing TDs) will lead the Mustangs, who have won back-to-back games after a 0-2 start.
Jones had 194 yards of total offense when East Lincoln beat the Knights 28-7 a year ago, plus Lucas McConnell – who had two scores in that game – is back.
WR Davis Wilder has nine catches for 255 yards for the Knights, whose offense includes QB Jeff Womack (13-31-1, 322 yards) and RB Jaden Goodman (16-205, 10 catches for 207 yards).
Lake Norman Charter will play its 50th game under head coach Mark Steele (17-32, fifth season) while Mustangs head coach David Lubowicz is 8-8 since taking over two seasons ago.
WEST LINCOLN (4-0) at NORTH LINCOLN (2-2), 7:30 p.m.
Interest is growing in the Rebels, who go for a 5-0 start as they take the field under head coach Tom Sain (45-53, ninth year) for the 99th time.
The Rebels have been versatile in their hot start with RB Brendon Ikard (35-400, 5 rushing TDs), RB Nakathan Phanshook (48-432, 7 TDs), QB Seth Willis (16-22-0, 360 yards, 6 TDs) and WR Jesse Hatcher (9-258, 4 TDs) all in the offensive mix.
Ikard had 228 rushing yards and Phanshook added 160 when West Lincoln beat North Lincoln 56-49 a year ago.
The Knights counter with RB Clayton Cribb, who has 341 rushing yards this season and had a season-high 201 against the Rebels last season, and QB Landon Beard (14-31-3, 251 yards, 1 TD).
North Lincoln head coach Nick Bazzle, who returned to coaching after two years away, goes for career win No. 132.
NORTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS 2A
BUNKER HILL (0-5) at HIBRITEN (5-0), 7:30 p.m.
Defending conference and state 2AA champion Hibriten goes for its sixth straight win over the Bears and its 22nd straight overall in a game that, on paper, is a heavy mismatch.
LEWIS
Bunker Hill, still chasing the first career win for head coach Patrick Clark, has scored twice this season – once on offense and once on defense.
The star of last year’s 49-3 win by Hibriten returns – RB McKinley Witherspoon torched the Bears with six carries for 178 yards and four rushing TDs.
Hibriten leads the all-time series 10-4, which includes going 5-2 against the Bears in Lenoir.
This is Bunker Hill’s first game at Hibriten since a 56-0 loss in 2007, and the Bears have not won in Lenoir since Bryan Kennedy ran for three scores in a 36-15 win in 2000.
A win would give the Panthers’ Clay Lewis his 87th career win in nine seasons (86-28).
PATTON (2-3) at FRED T. FOARD (1-4), 7:30 p.m.
The Panthers and Tigers meet for the seventh time and Patton goes for its third straight win and fifth in the series on homecoming night at Foard.
RB Bryson Ratliff (58-213 yards, 3 TDs) leads Patton, 2-1 at Foard all-time, and RB Matthew Byrd is also back in the Patton lineup. He ran nine times for a season-high 100 yards and two TDs as Patton won 42-18 a year ago.
The 30th game with Derrick Minor as Tigers head coach will come after an explosive night by Foard RB Corey Siemer as Foard beat St. Stephens last week for its first win of the season. Siemer had 242 rushing yards and he is at 76 carries for 494 yards and five TDs this season.
QB Jack Colosimo is Foard’s other key offensive weapon (65-197, 2 TDs; 97 passing yards).
Both teams won nine games a year ago.
Patton goes for its fourth win all-time in Catawba County (3-6 with two wins at Foard and the other at Hickory).
WEST IREDELL (2-3) at DRAUGHN (0-5), 7:30 p.m.
Draughn continues to chase the first win for first-year head coach Chris Powell, and the Wildcats could have the first 1,000-yard passer in the three Greater Hickory area leagues if Braxton Cox throws for at least 30 yards.
Cox is 70-for-138 for 970 yards and three TDs but has been intercepted 11 times. RB Tyler McKinney leads Draughn’s rushing game (71-211, 7 TDs) and WR Colton Singleton has 29 catches for 343 yards and one score.
West Iredell beat Draughn 28-14 a year ago at West Iredell when graduated QB Dillen Davis ran for 144 yards on seven carries and went 8-for-10 for 150 yards passing.
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A
FREEDOM (3-1) at ST. STEPHENS (1-3), 7:30 p.m.
Freedom has beaten St. Stephens in all five of their previous matchups, with an average win margin of 34 points.
BIRCHFIELD
The Patriots have outscored the Indians 100-28 in Freedom’s two visits on Springs Road and QB Jayden Benfield, who returns, led last year’s 36-0 win in Morganton with two rushing TDs and another passing.
Benfield is 60-for-89 for 864 yards and 12 TDs already this season with three good-hands targets, Desmond Caldwell (21-231), Jaxon McMahon (19-256) and Christian Fox (19-256, 5 TDs).
The Indians are playing a young QB, sophomore Connor Williams, and again getting a steady running game from Xavian King (66-311, 3 TDs). Williams has thrown for 430 yards and three scores and WR Zach Lee has 20 catches for 356 yards and three TDs).
McDOWELL (2-2) at HICKORY (2-2), 7:30 p.m.
STOBER
The Red Tornadoes, coming off a refuse-to-fold comeback victory at home over Bandys (28-27), lead their series with the Titans 12-7.
Led by QB Bryce Stober (59-100-7, 753 yards, 7 TDs), Hickory is growing more and more confident. WRs Jaylin Harper (24-408, 2 TDs) and Davis Amos (13-101, 3 TDs) are Stober’s primary targets and they are getting RB Cody Young into the mix to give the offense more balance.
Brothers Adam Randolph and Andruw Randolph are having good seasons for McDowell – Adam is 50-for-73 for 786 yards with seven scores and Andruw had four rushing TDs, two TD catches and 247 rushing yards on 17 carries. WR Dakota Effler adds 14 catches for 237 yards.
Hickory head coach Russell Stone has 270 career wins and is 8-8 at HHS while Andy Morgan needs a win to get his 10th at McDowell (9-18, third year).
WATAUGA (4-0) at SOUTH CALDWELL (1-3), 7:30 p.m.
Watauga head coach Ryan Habich is climbing toward 100 career wins and the Pioneers go for No. 98 in Hudson when the teams meet for the 39th time since 1980 (South Caldwell leads 22-16).
Jackson Greene, who went under center early in the opening game after Anderson Castle was injured, has 33 rushes for 410 yards and four scores and 442 passing yards and four scores as Watauga hasn’t skipped a beat.
Add in RB Jaiden Bond (28-365, 5 TDs) and RB Bryce Satterfield (57-372, 6 TDs in three games) and the Pioneers are a challenge for any defense.
The Pioneers and Spartans have played 17 times in Hudson since 1982 and the Spartans are 12-5.
RB Spencer Piercy leads the South Caldwell offense.
WEST CALDWELL (0-4) at ALEXANDER CENTRAL (4-0), 7:30 p.m.
After not playing from 2000 through 2016, the Warriors and Cougars match up again.
The Warriors have had success in Taylorsville, winning their last three trips there. They are 6-3 in their games there since 1980 and the last win there was in 2000 (28-13).
Alexander Central goes for career win No. 126 for Butch Carter, and they’re 21-7 under Carter as they begin defense of their Northwestern 3A-4A title.
The Cougars have five players with at least 186 rushing yards, led by Steven Montgomery (28-416, 6 TDs with an average TD going for 39 ½ yards) and Easton Rhoney (17-262, 3 TDs). RB A.J. Miller has added 260 yards on 32 carries and five TDs.
West Caldwell’s DeVore Holman, 6-10 with the Warriors, is in his 60th game as a head coach tonight.
