Ethan Howard (32) leads Bandys High against West Lincoln on the road tonight in a key South Fork 2A game. He goes in needing 613 more yards to become the Trojans’ all-time leading rusher. The Trojans have 17 straight wins over the Rebels./MICHELLE THOMPSON PHOTO
Howard officially needs 613 yards to
become Bandys’ all-time rushing leader
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).
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
SOUTH FORK 2A
BANDYS (7-1, 4-0) at WEST LINCOLN (7-1, 3-1), 7:30 p.m.
In easily the most anticipated Rebels-Trojans game since the early 1970s, Bandys goes in needing a win to – at worst – continue to share the South Fork 2A lead with North Lincoln.
The Rebels have won three straight since their only league loss, 7-6 at North Lincoln, and the Trojans have won four straight since blowing a lead at Hickory and losing their only game of the season, 28-27.
Both teams have good size on their lines, so pay particular attention to the trenches … whomever wins that war will likely win the game.
Bandys has history on its side – it has won 17 straight over West Lincoln, eight straight at West Lincoln and leads the series 37-10-1 – and the Trojans have embraced the option offense new head coach Tom Eanes brought with him when he left Patton to become Bandys’ head coach.
The game features three of the league’s top running backs – Ethan Howard of Bandys and Brendon Ikard and Nakathan Phansook of West Lincoln.
Howard is chasing the all-time career rushing record at Bandys, now with an official established 4,064 yards by former RB Chris Spade as the career mark. That means Howard needs 613 yards to pass Spade.
Spade’s official totals were confirmed by Bandys’ athletic department on Friday morning after Randy Moose — who kept football stats for the school for more than 20 years before retiring from that – provided Spade’s season-by-season totals.
Ikard has rushed for 850 yards to lead the Rebels with Phansook adding another 784 and QB Seth Willis providing 300 rushing yards and 475 passing.
West Lincoln has not beaten Bandys since 1982 at Bandys, 28-24 when Brad Smith caught two scoring passes, Von Burgess and Jeff Cochrane each threw a TD pass, Jeff Mason ran for a TD and David Abernathy ran for a TD (he was the team’s leading rusher that year with 382 yards).
MAIDEN (5-3, 1-3) at EAST LINCOLN (4-4, 2-2), 7:30 p.m.
Maiden, after snapping a five-game losing streak in the series with a double OT home win a year ago, battles the Mustangs for the 15th time since 1980 (Blue Devils lead 9-6).
QB Bain Sipe is nearing 2,000 passing yards for the season (88-150-2 for 1,685) as the Blue Devils try to collect career win No. 25 for head coach Will Byrne.
East Lincoln plays its 21st game under head coach David Lubowicz (10-10), relying heavily on QB Chase Jones (75-14-13, 1,169 yards) to lead the way.
East Lincoln has won four straight home games over Maiden, which last won in Denver, N.C., 20-19 in 1993, a night Russell Campbell kicked two field goals.
NEWTON-CONOVER (4-4, 2-2) at
NORTH LINCOLN (6-2, 4-0), 7:30 p.m.
This one might tug a bit at the heart of North Lincoln head coach Nick Bazzle, as he faces his former school for the first time. He did not face the Red Devils while head coach at Alexander Central from 2012-2015.
All that aside, Bazzle needs a victory to stay, at worst, tied for first place with Bandys in his first season as head coach at North Lincoln.
On the other sideline is head coach Steven Pack, who after one season (2-9) left North Lincoln to replace Matt Beam as head coach at Newton-Conover.
Both teams have top notch RBs, Allen Wilfong leads the Red Devils and the Knights countering with Jack Soorus (63-567 yards) and Clayton Cribb (144-856).
Newton-Conover rolled last year in the schools’ first meeting, winning 49-6 at Gurley Stadium.
Bazzle goes in with 135 career victories, coaching in his 223rd game as a head coach, and this is Pack’s 20th game as a head coach.
LINCOLNTON (1-7, 0-4) at
LAKE NORMAN CHARTER (2-6, 0-4), 7:30 p.m.
Lincolnton has failed to win at least one conference game once – in 1985 – since the mid-1970s, and this might be the Wolves’ best shot at a South Fork 2A win this season.
QB E.J. Manjarres leads Lincolnton (45-96-8 for 415 yards), which has lost four straight since beating East Gaston 46-0.
Lake Norman Charter has lost five straight since beating Community School of Davidson 30-10.
NORTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS 2A
BUNKER HILL (2-7, 2-2) at WEST IREDELL (4-4, 2-1), 7:30 p.m.
The Bears have won back-to-back games as the head to West Iredell, where they have won four straight times.
West Iredell has won the last two games in the series but trails 10-11 in 21 games the teams have played since 1981.
RB Raheem Carson and QB Desmond Anderson have been the leaders the last two games for the Bears, who got first-year head coach Patrick Clark his first win on Oct. 5 at Draughn (37-20) and the second last Friday at Bunker Hill (26-21 over East Burke).
FRED T. FOARD (3-5, 2-1) at DRAUGHN (0-9, 0-4), 7:30 p.m.
Foard has had two weeks to prepare for winless Draughn and the Tigers will pursue career win No. 47 for head coach Derrick Minor.
RB Corey Siemer (157-1,040 yards) and QB Jack Colosimo (114-634) have been the sparkplugs for Foard, now 15-17 under Minor in his third season.
Draughn QB Braxton Cox has been a bright spot in a tough season for the Wildcats, unofficially needing 74 yards against the Tigers to reach 2,000 for the season (143-254-6 for 1,926 yards).
HIBRITEN (8-0, 3-0) at EAST BURKE (1-7, 0-3), 7:30 p.m.
Hibriten goes for its 25th consecutive victory as it continues to defend its Northwestern Foothills 2A and state 2AA titles from a year ago.
Panthers head coach Clay Lewis, in his ninth season, is a win away from 90 for his career (89-28) and will – as always – rely on the team’s tremendous depth and explosive offense.
Hibriten has won three straight in the series but is 7-13 against the Cavs since 1980.
This is the 20th game for Mark Buffamoyer as East Burke’s head coach (3-16, second year).
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A
ALEXANDER CENTRAL (6-2, 2-2) at ST. STEPHENS (3-5, 2-2), 7:30 p.m.
Alexander Central chases its eighth straight win in the series and third straight in Hickory as it tries to keep pace and in the hunt for a state playoff bid in the Northwestern 3A-4A.
The Cougars usually play well at St. Stephens and come in again with a dynamic rushing game led by RBs A.J. Miller (71-643) and Steven Montgomery (49-619).
RB Xavian King could still win the league rushing title for the Indians. He unofficially needs 70 yards against the Cougars to reach 1,000 for the season.
Alexander Central is 15-2 against the Indians since 1980, and that includes St. Stephens not winning at home in the series since 2008 (10-7).
SOUTH CALDWELL (2-6, 1-3) at HICKORY (4-4, 2-2), 7:30 p.m.
Hickory goes for its third straight win in the series after having six straight before that.
QB Bryce Stober (109-186-12 for 1,320 yards), RB Cody Young (63-443) and WR Jaylin Harper (51-756) give the Red Tornadoes a shot at winning every game.
Hickory is 10-10 in two seasons under head coach Russell Stone, who has 272 career wins, and has gone 28-6 against the Spartans since 1980.
South Caldwell last won at Barger Stadium in 2015 (46-34) when Butter Weaver ran for three scores and 92 yards and threw a TD pass.
WEST CALDWELL (0-8, 0-4) at FREEDOM (7-1, 4-0, 7:30 p.m.
Freedom QB Jayden Birchfield can unofficially reach 2,000 yards passing this season with 36 against the Warriors.
The Warriors won last year 44-42 in Lenoir after Freedom had won five straight and 11 of 12 before that.
The Patriots need a win to keep pace with Watauga in the league race, and they are chasing career win No. 95 for head coach Luke Little (in his first season at Freedom).
WATAUGA (8-0, 4-0) at McDOWELL (3-5, 1-3), 7:30 p.m.
Watauga needs a win to, at worst, continue to share first place with Freedom (they play next Friday in Boone).
RBs Bryce Satterfield (126-842 yards), Jaiden Bond (50-809) and Jackson Greene now give the Pioneers three players with at least 600 rushing yards this year.
This is game No. 71 for head coach Ryan Habich at Watauga (51-19).