By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
NEWTON-CONOVER SCHEDULE
(all games at 7:30 p.m.)
August
18—Bunker Hill (E)
September
1—at Hickory
8—at E. Burke
15—at Hibriten
22—LINCOLNTON
29—at BANDYS
October
6—W. LINCOLN
13—at LAKE NORMAN CHARTER
20—N. LINCOLN (Homecoming)
27—at MAIDEN
November
3—E. LINCOLN
Conference: South Fork 2A.
Head coach: Matt Beam (100-52-1, 12 years; 19-15-1 at Newton-Conover, 3 years).
Last season’s records: 6-5 overall, 2-5 Southern District 7 Athletic 2A, tied for fifth place.
Last season’s results: Highland Tech, W 73-0; at Asheville, W 29-25; Hickory, W 57-13; Central (Va.), W 41-32; at W. CALDWELL, L 12-14; MAIDEN, L 28-33; at W. LINCOLN, L 21-24; at E. LINCOLN, L 21-42; LINCOLNTON, L 6-49; at BUNKER HILL, W 36-24; BANDYS, W 31-29.
SCHOOL FOOTBALL HISTORY
Last season in state playoffs: 2015, 2AA.
Last state playoff victory: 2012, d. Ashe County 49-0, first round.
All-time state playoff bids: 27.
Conference titles since 1980: 15 (7 outright, 8 shares); 2012 Catawba Valley Athletic 2A (share).
BY THE NUMBERS
OVERALL
Returning starters: not available
Returning lettermen: not available
OFFENSE
Returning starters: not available
Leading returning rusher: Tylor Stinson (209-1,621, 21 TDs).
Leading returning passer: Shamar Baker (18-27-2, 225, 3 TDs).
Leading returning receiver: Jaheim Mullen (42-448, 3 TDs).
Other players to watch: Ernie Squarles (Sr., WR); Francisco Tapia (Sr., K); Kyjuan McClain (Jr., RB-WR).
DEFENSE
Returning starters: not available
Players to watch: Jaheim Mullen (Jr., DB); Myles Baker (Jr., DB); Tailand Stewart (Sr., DB).
OUTLOOK
As Beam begins his fourth season in Gurley Stadium, this could be the year the always high expectations are met.
Conference coaches tabbed the Red Devils as the favorite to win the conference championship, and the South Fork 2A coaches know their stuff.
Beam also knows his stuff, though he probably expected to have more than 19 wins after three seasons in Newton. He has a proven track record — also guiding teams at North Lincoln and Burns to success — and his goals are always to be No. 1. He’s a second-place-is-first-loser kinda guy.
Why are the Red Devils ready for a breakout season? They’ve been playing young players who have gained experience, they’re going to be better defensively, and Beam’s an experienced motivator.
He may not toss a chair across the locker room as a means of getting the Red Devils fired up – something former head coach Nick Bazzle once did – but he challenges players to step up.
Newton-Conover averaged 315.4 yards per game on offense and more than 6.3 yards per play last season, and it has some viable offensive threats, especially Shamar Baker and Jaheim Mullen.
But if you want to see if the predictions are correct – and a title is coming to Newton-Conover – watch the defense.
Last year, the Red Devils were tougher to run against (173.4 yards per game) than the season before, much tougher against the pass (tied East Lincoln with a league-low 10 TD passes allowed) and one of only three teams in the Southern District 7 Athletic 2A to hold opponents to fewer than 300 yards a game (276.6, behind only West Caldwell and East Lincoln).
Getting the ball more may prove important as well. The Red Devils had a plus-1 turnover ratio and (unofficially) had only 548 snaps while opponents ran 564 plays (those two figures do not include punts and kickoffs).
Newton-Conover could easily be 3-0 after three games — they play Bunker Hill, Hickory and East Burke — and then makes a trip to Hibriten. If they pop the Panthers, especially on the road, look out. Anything that gets the Red Devils fired up is going to matter — if they get on a roll they’re very likely to deliver their first league title since sharing one five seasons ago.