ALEXANDER CENTRAL SCHEDULE
(all games at 7:30 p.m.)
August
18—Burns
25—at Wilkes Central
September
1—at N. Iredell
8—N. Lincoln
22—at W. CALDWELL
29—WATAUGA
October
6—at FREEDOM
13 – McDOWELL
20—ST. STEPHENS
27—at HICKORY
November
3—at S. CALDWELL
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
Conference: Northwestern 3A-4A.
Head coach: Butch Carter (111-84, 16 years; 7-5 at Alexander Central, 1 year).
Last season’s records: 7-5 overall; 3-4 in North Piedmont 3A-4A, fifth place.
Last season’s results: Watauga, W 46-35; at S. Caldwell, W 54-7; Bandys, W 75-32; at Ashe County, W 82-42; at S. IREDELL, L 27-55; N. IREDELL, W 55-8; at N. LINCOLN, W 48-7; LAKE NORMAN, L 21-45; MOORESVILLE, L 14-35; at STATESVILLE, L 27-28; W. IREDELL, W 68-25; at Greensboro Dudley, L 8-52.
SCHOOL FOOTBALL HISTORY
Last season in state playoffs: 2016, 4A.
Last state playoff victory: 2009, d. Porter Ridge 38-21, first round.
All-time state playoff bids: 16.
Conference titles since 1980, last: 3 (2 outright, 1 share); 2010 Northwestern 3A-4A.
BY THE NUMBERS
OVERALL
Returning starters: 10.
Returning lettermen: 14.
OFFENSE
Returning starters: 5.
Leading returning rusher: Bryson Godfrey (135-1,496, 14 TDs).
Leading returning passer: Gunnar Anderson (83-129-5, 1,318, 6 TDs).
Leading returning receiver: Bryson Godfrey (28-427, 6 TDs).
Other players to watch: Devon Weiss (Sr., RB); Kendall Flowers (Sr., WR); Isaac Chapman (Jr., OL); Lyndon Strickland (Jr., TE); Noah Greene (Sr., OL; Caleb Dula (Sr., OL); Frank Dockery (Sr., OL); Lucas Walker (Jr., OL).
DEFENSE
Returning starters: 5.
Players to watch: Devon Weiss (Sr., LB); Kendall Flowers (Sr., DB); Isaac Chapman (Jr., DL); Lyndon Strickland (Jr., DL-LB); Noah Greene (Sr., DL); Caleb Dula (Sr., DL); Frank Dockery (Sr., DL); Lucas Walker (Jr., LB).
OUTLOOK
The Cougars have been picked as the favorite to win the conference championship by league coaches, primarily because they have a potentially explosive offense with many of their core skill players returning.
Godfrey is as talented a player as you will see in the Northwestern 3A-4A this season, and also back is Gunnar Anderson. He started last season and was pressed into varsity service early in his career.
The Northwestern 3A-4A will be – and feel – a bit different than what the Cougars have seen in the last four seasons in the North Piedmont 3A-4A, where there were more high-scoring offenses than there’s likely is to be in the new league.
Defense is where the Cougars have to shore some things up – last year, they scored 27 points (twice) and 21 in losses.
Carter is the third head coach in Taylorsville in the last 10 seasons – Tom Harper and Nick Bazzle also had some success there — and the Cougars will go for their 12th postseason bid in the last 15 seasons.
Alexander Central had missed the postseason for two straight years when Carter came in last year and got them back on track.