Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland, Best To Last

1. Shelby (2-0) – Shelby looks like the best all around team in all three counties. They will be tested by South Point. But it looks like the South Mountain Athletic conference will be theirs to take this year.
2. Kings Mountain (2-0) – Kings Mountain looks like they will challenge Shelby and overtake Crest as the top 3A team in their league. They could get tested by Forestview this Friday.
3. Lincolnton (2-0) – Lincolnton escaped South Point 25-24 in overtime. Lincolnton is favored to take their conference.
4. South Point (1-1) – South Point took a hard loss to Lincolnton last week. They have a bigger test against Shelby. Don’t count South Point out. They could take that #1 spot from Shelby. A loss will not knock them too far down if at all.
5. Crest (1-1) – Crest has had a rocky start. They were beaten handily by South Point 27-12 and barely got past a young Ashbrook team. They are #5 by default right now. They have a bye week so they are not going anywhere.
6. East Lincoln (2-0) – They struggled with Hunter Huss in week one before squeaking out a 14-13 win. Beating a first-year program like Christ the King doesn’t tell us much. They play North Lincoln next whom they should beat handily.
7. Burns (2-0) – Burns blew out their first opponent 51-12, but had a hard time pulling away from Hunter Huss last week in a 31-26 battle. A win over Central Cabarrus won’t move them too far up as the Vikings struggled last week.
8. Forestview (1-1) – Forestview started off with a 27-6 victory at Providence Day. The Jaguars fought hard against a physical Clover team but fell 19-13, if they can give a powerful Kings Mountain team a run for their money they could move up.
9. Bessemer City (2-0) – Bessemer City has been a little bit of a surprise so far this year with a convincing 44-20 win over East Gaston. They had a defensive struggle against a much improved Mountain Island Charter team but prevailed 16-0.
10. Hunter Huss (0-2) – Hunter Huss came close to sniffing a win these past two games but haven’t been able to pull it off. They were up 13-0 on East Lincoln before losing 14-13. They were also in a dogfight with Burns. Being winless is what is putting them at #10, but being competitive is why they aren’t ranked lower.
11. Ashbrook (0-2) – Ashbrook is a hard team to figure out right now. First week, they surrender 41 first half points against Clover in a 48-13 rout. Then they only lose to Crest 14-7 but as mentioned earlier, Crest is struggling this year. Ashbrook also has their bye week this week.
12. Thomas Jefferson (1-0) – Thomas Jefferson opened up the season with a 56-0 win over Hickory Grove Christian. The Gryphons will have a harder time with the team I ranked just below them this week.
13. Mountain Island Charter (1-1) – Mountain Island Charter has made great strides from last year. They opened up with a 35-9 win over Central Academy and they gave Bessemer City a game last week before losing 16-0. If they can beat Thomas Jefferson Academy, that would be huge.
14. Stuart Cramer (1-1) – Cramer beat Cherrvyille 20-6 to open their season up. They also had a defensive struggle with R-S Central last week. Cramer is another team that’s hard for me to figure out, but only beating Cherryville 20-6 does not instill a lot of confidence.
15. West Lincoln (1-1) - They lost to a less than mediocre Draughn team at the start of the season 27-14, then beat North Lincoln 39-20. They typically don't fare well in their conference.
16. East Gaston (0-2) - Talk about a rough start. East Gaston sure has had that with blowout losses to Bessemer City (44-20) and Kings Mountain (56-7). Good thing the Warriors have a bye week this week.
17. North Gaston (0-2) - North Gaston also had a tough go at it. They were blown out by Kings Mountain 54-10. They lost to East Rutherford, but only by 27-14. This week, they travel to face a hot Lincolnton team. This could be another lopsided one.
18. North Lincoln (0-2) - Just like the previous two, the struggles have been real for North Lincoln. The Knights suffered losses to Lincolnton (63-7) and West Lincoln (39-20) and are likely to have another one when their final county rival, East Lincoln, comes to visit.
19. Cherryville (0-2) - Nowhere to go but up. Cherryville lost 20-6 to Stuart Cramer to open the season but was blown out by Chase the following week 33-6. Last year, Highland Tech was their only win. That could be the case this year as well.
20. Highland Tech (0-2) - The Rams suffer two ugly shutout losses to start the year off. The first was a 73-0 drubbing by Newton-Conover. The second was a 49-0 shutout to Central Academy. The Rams have not won a game since 2013.

Blue Eagles Start Fast, Hold Off Jaguars

                Clover got the ball first and had the ball for almost the entire first quarter. The Blue Eagles were moving the ball at will but also were plagued by penalties. Clover finally capped off the first drive with less than 26 seconds left in the first quarter. Quarterback Garrett Miller put the Blue Eagles on the board with a one-yard touchdown run with a quarterback sneak. His pass to Hayden Milley for a two-point conversion put Clover on top 8-0.

                Clover extended their lead with a 36-yard run by Darell Darling. Connor Owens’s run for the two-point conversion gave Clover a 16-0 lead. The Blue Eagles’ defense stymied Forestview’s running game the entire first half. So Forestview finally took to the air. Quarterback Mac England hit Chapperal Smith on a short slant route. Smith took it 66 yards for the touchdown. Dylan Disarro’s kick for the extra point cut Clover’s lead to 16-7. That would be the score at half-time.

                The scoring slowed down in the second half, however. The only scores in the second half were a 29-yard field goal by Clover’s Nick Sciba and a three-yard touchdown run by Forestview’s Jayveon Love. Outside of that, it was missed opportunities by both teams. The Blue Eagles fumbled at their own 35-yard line in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars would not capitalize on the miscue.

With less than two minutes left in the game, Clover appeared to go for the knock-out punch as they got close to Forestview’s end zone. But they would fumble again at the one-yard line. Once again,  the Jaguars would not capitalize. Clover holds on for the 19-13 win.

“It was amazing. Every time you got a group of kids that face that caliber of team and fight the adversity that they faced, I can’t say enough about them. We got a very special group.” said Clover head coach Chad Smith

The Blue Eagles have a bye week next week, then face South Point at home the following week.

“South Point is one of the best teams in both states. Mickey Lineberger does as good of a job as anybody and it is a privilege to get to play a team like that.” Smith said.

“We’ll show up Monday and try to get better. We saw some things we did well and saw some things we can build on. Got some kids I’m really proud of. We played against a really good football team. That region better watch out.” said Forestview head coach Chris Medlin “They were sending a lot of pressure so we had to adjust to that and find some ways to get some plays off. We had a chance there in the fourth quarter to win. We just didn’t make the plays.”

Forestview will be home again next week as they play Kings Mountain.

“They’re a good team. We got to be ready and have a good week of practice. They’ve gotten us the past couple of years.”

The win gives Clover its first 2-0 start since 2010. Forestview falls to 1-1.

Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland Week 2 Picks

Game of the Week: Lincolnton (1-0) @ South Point (1-0): Both teams opened the season up with wins. Lincolnton crushed county rival, North Lincoln, 63-7. South Point pulled off the upset that ended defending state 3AA champ, Crest’s, 32-game win streak with a 27-12 victory. This game will be a true measuring stick for both teams. How will Lincolnton’s high-powered offense fare against South Point’s stingy defense? The Wolves and the Red Raiders are favored to win their conferences this year.
 My pick: South Point 27 – Lincolnton 21


Mountain Island Charter (1-0) @ Bessemer City (1-0): These two teams both started the season out much different than they did last year. Bessemer City trounced East Gaston 44-20 last week while the Raptors took care of Central Academy 35-9. This is both teams’ conference opener. The winner of this game will already have a leg up as far as conference play goes.
My pick: Bessemer City 31 – Mountain Island Charter 28


Clover, SC (1-0) @ Forestview (1-0): Clover jumped out to a 41-0 half-time lead last Friday en route to a 48-13 win over Ashbrook. Forestview had a slower start against Providence Day but eventually prevailed 27-6. Clover opens up the season with a win for the first time since 2010. That year, the Blue Eagles swept the Gaston County teams on their schedule (South Point, Ashbrook & Forestview). They added Ashbrook and South Point back on after going four seasons of not playing them. Will they be able to complete the sweep again or will the Jaguars get in their way Friday at home?
My pick: Forestview 24 – Clover 21


Ashbrook (0-1) @ Crest (0-1): Not the start either team was looking for. Crest saw their 32-game win streak evaporate in thin air at the hands of South Point. Ashbrook got clobbered by Clover. Both of these teams could use the win for a confidence booster. Ashbrook has not beaten Crest since 2010 when the Green Wave beat the Chargers 20-17. The Chargers have not opened the season with consecutive losses since 2003. They started 0-3, but went on to win 13 straight games to win the 2003 3AA state title. Don’t look for them to lose this one, however.
My pick: Crest 35 – Ashbrook 7


Hunter Huss (0-1) @ Burns (1-0): Hunter Huss jumped out to a 13-0 lead against East Lincoln last week, but the Mustangs rallied to win 14-13. Burns had no problem with the Carolina Wildcats in a 51-12 rout. But the Huskies will pose a bigger challenge than the Wildcats. Last year, the Bulldogs edged Huss 29-26 so Huss is hoping for some payback.
My pick: Hunter Huss 24 – Burns 20


Shelby (1-0) @ A.C. Reynolds (0-1): Shelby started their defense of their 2A state title in dominating fashion last week dominating Freedom 49-0. The Rockets lost 21-6 at West Forsyth. Reynolds will have a hard time against Shelby’s defense. This game will not be close.
My pick: Shelby 28 – A.C. Reynolds 7


R-S Central (0-1) @ Stuart Cramer (1-0): Both teams started off with wins, but later one of these teams found out they have to forfeit. R-S Central beat McDowell 41-21 last week only to forfeit the win later. They will try and find redemption against Cramer. The Storm beat Cherryville last week 20-6. The Hilltoppers beat the Storm last year 28-21. Will Cramer get their revenge or will R-S Central be too tough.
My pick: R-S Central 21 – Stuart Cramer 14


East Gaston (0-1) @ Kings Mountain (1-0): Don’t expect this game to be close at all. Kings Mountain blew out their opponent (North Gaston) last week 54-10. East Gaston, on the other hand, was blown out 44-20 by theirs (Bessemer City).
My pick: Kings Mountain 49 – East Gaston 7


North Gaston (0-1) @ East Rutherford (1-0): North Gaston suffered a blowout loss in their home opener against Kings Mountain 54-10. They will look to rebound as they travel to East Rutherford. The Cavaliers pummeled East Henderson 43-0 last week. Things might not be much better for the Wildcats this week.
My pick: East Rutherford 31 – North Gaston 13


North Lincoln (0-1) @ West Lincoln (0-1): Both teams would love to leave last week in the past. West Lincoln fell to Draughn last week 27-14. But North Lincoln suffered an even bigger loss, a 63-7 drubbing by Lincolnton. Look for the Rebels to win in their home opener.
My pick: West Lincoln 28 – North Lincoln 7


Christ the King (0-1) @ East Lincoln (1-0): East Lincoln escaped in their home opening win against Huss 14-13. Their next opponent, Christ the King, lost in their varsity football debut 72-0. Look for the Mustangs’ second stringers to get some playing time in this one.
My pick: East Lincoln 63 – Christ the King 0


Cherryville (0-1) @ Chase (0-1): Another set of teams looking for their first win meet. Cherryville lost 20-6 to Stuart Cramer while Chase lost a tough one to Polk County 34-28. One thing is for sure, one of these teams will get in the win column tonight.
My pick: Chase 27 – Cherryville 7


Hickory Grove Christian (0-1) @ Thomas Jefferson (0-0): Hickory Grove Christian opened up the season with a 27-3 loss to Lake Norman Charter. Thomas Jefferson did not play last week so this will be their 2016 debut. The Gryphons have fielded competitive teams these past few years and this year could be another one of those.
My pick: Thomas Jefferson 24 – Hickory Grove 13


Highland Tech (0-1) @ Central Academy (0-1): Highland Tech suffered a brutal 73-0 beating last week against Newton-Conover. Though Central Academy suffered a blowout loss themselves last week, this one is still pretty predictable.
My pick: Central Academy 51 – Highland Tech 0

How Your State Champions Fared Week 1

Well, it was a mixed bag. NCHSAA state champions went 4-4 opening week.

Week 1 Winners:

4AA: Mallard Creek escapes a powerful Dillon (S.C.) team with a narrow 7-3 victory. Dillon won S.C. AA state championship last year. The Mavericks will have another tough match-up this Friday against Butler. Mallard Creek is a three-peat state champion and is looking to make it four in a row.

3A: Rocky Mount blew out South Granville 48-0. The Gryphons will face off with Middle Creek this Friday.

2A: Shelby had no problem against their first opponent either. The Golden Lions trounced Freedom 49-0. Shelby will try and keep that momentum going as they travel to play A.C. Reynolds. Shelby is also a three-peat state champion with hopes for a four-peat.

1AA: Wallace Rose Hill also started the year off on the right foot, beating Laney 28-13. The Bulldogs will try and keep their winning ways going as they travel to take on East Dublin.

Week 1 Losers:

4A: Charlotte Catholic fell in their season opener to Charlotte Christian 20-13. The Cougars were plagued by penalties and turnovers in the game. They will try and get back on track as they host Providence Day.

3AA: Crest, winners of 32 straight, fell to South Point 27-12. The Chargers were held scoreless in the first half as the Red Raiders raced out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and a 20-0 lead at half-time. Crest looks to rebound as they play host to Ashbrook.

2AA: Monroe also dropped their season opener. The Red Hawks fell 45-37 to Sun Valley. They will have another tough one as they travel to Marvin Ridge.

1A: Plymouth had a rough opening as they were shut out 34-0 by Northeastern. The Vikings will be on the road again. They will play at Williamston.

Others:

Defending NCISAA Champion, Davidson Day, fell in their 2016 opener against Erwin 41-28. Davidson Day will play Christ School this Friday.

In Rock Hill, S.C., two defending state champions went head-to-head. Northwestern (Defending AAAA – Div II Champs) took on cross-town rival, South Pointe (Defending AAA Champs). The Stallions took down Northwestern 30-23. The Trojans travel to Dorman Friday while the Stallions host Nation Ford.

Charlotte Christian Holds Off Charlotte Catholic

                Charlotte Catholic and Charlotte Christian closed out the night on the High School Kickoff at Memorial Stadium. Many were hoping the game between the two would be more competitive than the previous two. The Cougars and the Knights did not disappoint.

                The Knights of Christian raced out to an early lead. Quarterback Garrett Schrader connected with Josh Eboboko for a ten-yard touchdown pass. Christian Vansickle’s kick for the extra point gave the Knights the 7-0 lead. The Cougars would threaten when Angel Marrero would bust through the Knights’ defense for a 30-yard run, but he fumbled near the Christian 30. The Knights took over.

                Christian went up 14-0 with a one-yard touchdown run by Justus Woods and Vansickle’s extra point. Vansickle would put three more points on the board with a 36-yard field goal. Catholic moved the ball well at times, but could not seem to get out of their own way. Penalties seem to plague the Cougars for most of the first half. But one penalty that could have been the turning point of the game was following a chop block that put Catholic at 1^st-and-25, a Christian defender committed a late hit out of bounds. That resulted in the Cougars having a 2^nd-and-1.

                The Cougars would make the Knights pay for that mistake. Jack Brigham put Catholic on the board with a one-yard touchdown run. The extra point, however, bounced off the upright.

                The second half was more of a defensive battle. The only score in the third quarter was a 19-yard field goal by Knights’ kicker Christian Vansickle. Catholic would continue to shoot themselves in the foot. The Cougars would lose two more fumbles and quarterback Brady Berger was intercepted by Christian’s Obi Egbuna in the end-zone.

                The Catholic defense would continue to do their job and keep the Knights out of the end zone. With less than four minutes to go in the final quarter, Catholic finally reached the end zone once again. Berger connected with tight-end John Newman on a slant route. Newman took it 82 yards for a touchdown. Connor Demaine’s extra point put the Cougars within seven.

                With three timeouts remaining, Catholic opted to not go for the onside kick. They did stop Christian on the ensuing drive and got the ball back, but back-to-back sacks by Christian’s Carter Bugg and Carter McLennan would seal the deal for the Knights. Christian won the night cap game 20-13.

                Catholic will host Providence Day next Friday. Christian will host Carolina Pride.

Myers Park Dominates Country Day

                The Country Day Buccaneers were hoping to duplicate what Charlotte Latin did earlier in the day and take down another Charlotte 4A team. There would be no such luck for the Bucs as the Mustangs jumped out to a 27-0 half-time lead. Quarterback Jack Davidson threw two touchdown passes to wide receiver Elijah Bowick (31 yards and 4 yards). Aaron Jordan scored on a four-yard rushing touchdown. Kicker Tyler Dameron hit a 31-yard field goal early in the game to give Myers Park a 3-0 lead. He also kicked a 43-yarder to close out the Mustangs scoring in the first half.

                Country Day was not able to get anything going offensively in the first half. The Mustang defense smothered Country Day for most of the night. The Bucs were able to get on the scoreboard in the third quarter. Quarterback Wes Bingham threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Deangelo Epps. Alexander Drew’s kick cut the lead to 27-7.

                The Mustangs would not allow the Bucs to get any closer. Davidson would throw another touchdown pass. This time it was to Joshua Curry from 19 yards out. Dameron was 5-for-5 on extra points. The final score would be 34-7.

                Myers Park hosts Ardrey Kell next week. Country Day will host Robbinsville.

Charlotte Latin Handles Providence

                The Hawks started fast and never looked back in the opening game of the High School Kickoff Night against Providence. Demarkes Stradford took the opening kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown. Stradford also had a touchdown run (seven yards) and a touchdown reception (50 yards) from quarterback Bates Jones. Jones also threw another touchdown pass to Ryan Ensor (14 yards). Just like that, Latin was up 30-0 at half time.

                The Panthers were able to cut the Hawks’ lead in the second half. Quarterback Jack Cherry would hit Blake Proehl (son of Panthers receivers’ coach/former receiver, Ricky Proehl) for a ten yard touchdown pass. Nate Kibambe’s two-yard touchdown run and Bryce Porzenski’s extra point cut the lead to 30-14.

                Providence would not get any closer. Latin shut the door on any comeback attempt when Jones connected with Todd Hartert for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Providence did get an oh-by-the-way touchdown in the closing seconds when Cherry connected with Kevin McCann for an eight-yard touchdown reception That would make the final score 37-21.

                This is the first time since 2008 that a private school took down a 4A school. Charlotte Country Day took down Crest 15-14 that year. The previous year, the Buccaneers took down South Carolina 4A powerhouse, Northwestern 51-48.

                Providence plays at Vance next week. Charlotte Latin will be home against Northwood.

Wonders Stout In Season Opener, But Win At A Cost

                In a game that has traditionally been played as a season finale, the Wonders of A.L. Brown and the Spiders of Concord kicked their game off on Thursday. Brown is part of the MECA 4A conference while Concord plays in the South Piedmont 3A conference.

                The game got under way and it would be the Wonders that strike first. Brown quarterback Cordarius Butler hit Lewis Harris for a five-yard touchdown pass. Brian Gutierrez’s extra point kick made it 7-0. The Spiders would strike back with a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Larkin Lancaster to P.J. Hall. Landon Trott tied the game with the extra point.

                The Spiders took the lead when Wonder quarterback Butler was sacked and he fumbled. Ja’Nai Spratt scooped up the loose ball and took it 37 yards for a touchdown. The play was not the only costly because of the turnover. The play also resulted in Butler injuring his knee. He would not return. Senior Zac Williamson took over at quarterback.

                Mistakes doomed Concord, however. Following a muffed punt that put A.L. Brown at the one-yard, the Wonders would capitalize. Jahia Mahatha punched in it on the next play. Gutierrez’s kick gave the Wonders the lead at 14-13. The Wonders extended their lead to 21-13 with another run by Mahatha, this time from three yards out. That would be the score at half-time.

                The third quarter was a stalemate for the most part. The only score in that period was a Gutierrez 26-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Spiders came back to life. Justin Nicholson returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown. Their two point conversion to cut it to three points failed however. That would be as close as Concord would come. The Wonders put the nail in the coffin with an interception from Steven Howie that was returned 35 yards for a touchdown.

                The final would be 31-19 in favor of A.L. Brown. The Wonders host South Rowan next week. Concord takes on Albemarle.

               

Forestview, Sloppy But Victorious

                For most of the game, it looked almost like a game of chess as both teams’ offenses were not able to do much for most of the game. The only scoring in the first half was a quarterback draw play, which Mac England took 60 yards for a touchdown. Dylan Disarro’s extra point made it 7-0.

                The Chargers were also plagued with kicking game woes as they missed three field goals on the night. One of them was blocked, though. Providence Day was able to respond midway through the third quarter with a one-yard plunge into the end-zone by Gabe Montgomery. The point after was mishandled however. So Forestview would keep the 7-6 lead.

                That would be the only highlight for the Charger offense. The Jaguar offense went to work from there. On the ensuing drive, Jayveon Love scored his first of two touchdowns. This was from 80 yards out. Love scored again early in the fourth quarter with a 25-yard touchdown run. The score was 20-6 at that point. Chapperal Smith capped off the night for Forestview with a six-yard touchdown run. The extra point kick by Dylan Disarro was good. He was 4-for-5 on his kicks.

                “We’re 1-0, that’s the goal.” said Forestview head coach Chris Medlin “(Mac England’s touchdown run) gave us a spark and our defense kept us in it and let us hang around long enough and we got a few plays to break. (Jayveon Love) had some good runs. Chapperal Smith came in and had some good runs and we were just fortunate enough to get a little momentum in the second half.”

                “We just made a lot of mistakes that you can’t make. They capitalized off our mistakes and it comes down to that. Our defense did a great job but we didn’t help them that much.” said Providence Day coach Adam Hastings “We got to turn around and be ready to go on Monday. That’s all we can do. (Charlotte Catholic) is a good football team. We played them a lot when I was at Ardrey Kell so I have an idea on what kind of football they play. We better be ready to go.”

                Providence Day travels to play Catholic next week. Forestview will be home against Clover, S.C.

                Jayveon Love led Forestview with 209 all-purpose yards (164 yards rushing, 45 yards receiving) and two touchdowns. Nate Whitaker, Jacob Ash, Jackson Moore, Christian Harwell, Caleb Mayfield and Cameron Jackson were also in on. Harwell, Jackson, Mayfield, Ash, Jared Carter and Rhett Jenkins also had tackles for loss. Jalen Sanders intercepted Providence Day quarterback, Dan Horton, once and Tremayne Booker recovered a fumble to end the game.

Gabe Montgomery led the Providence Day offense with 112 yards rushing and a touchdown. Ross Berry and Elijah Brown registered sacks for the Chargers. Ikem Ekwonu, Osita Ekwonu, Adam Hardy, Harmon Nobili, and Will Filiault each had tackles for loss. Kyle Wood intercepted Forestview quarterback Mac England twice and Cole Brown recovered a fumble.

Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland Week 1 Picks

Game of the Week: Crest @ South Point: High school football is back and what better way to open up the season with two teams who made the trip to the state title last year. Crest won the 3AA state title with a dominant 55-21 win over Southern Durham. South Point, however, came up short in a 24-21 overtime decision to Rocky Mount. The Chargers are riding a 32 game win streak. But they will be counting on some new faces to contribute as key starters such as Tre Harbinson and Willie Green have graduation. The Red Raiders also have to replace some talent on the offensive side of the ball as QB Deontre ‘Goo’ King and FB Ryland Etherton and more also graduated.

But the old saying goes "Tradition never graduates." Both of these teams are rich in tradition. Look for this game to a slobberknocker. Crest has taken the last two games (35-13 in 2014 and 31-13 last year) so South Point is looking to flip that script and snap the Chargers’ 32-game win streak. If you don’t have a game to go to, William Lineberger Stadium will be the place for you.
My pick: Crest 27 – South Point 24


Ashbrook @ Clover: An old interstate rivalry is renewed. These two teams last played in 2011 with Ashbrook winning 10-7 in three overtimes. Clover, however, leads the all-time series 8-7. The Blue Eagles have struggled as of late and are coming off a 1-10 season. But with 17 starters back on the team this year, Clover should be a much improved team. Ashbrook has had an up and down roller coaster ride last year, finishing off at 6-6. The Green Wave beat competitive teams last year in Parkland, Forestview and East Gaston. They also lost some headscratchers such as a 10-0 decision to North Gaston and a 15-9 loss to Lake Norman Charter.

The Green Wave would love to see more consistency. A win Friday night at Clover would be a great start toward that mission. But it is not usually an easy task when crossing the state line.
My pick: Clover 16 – Ashbrook 14


Forestview @ Providence Day: The Post-Moe Neal Era begins at Forestview. Moe Neal became Gaston County's all-time high school leader in points scored, receptions and total yardage (6,882). Those are some big shoes to fill for the Jaguars. The Jaguars opened the season with a 28-14 win over the Chargers last year, but it was a roller coaster ride from there. The Chargers started the season 1-3 but found some success down the stretch, winning four out of their last six games. The Jaguars lost four out of their last five. In two of those losses, they led by 20+ points at some point.

With 13 starters back from last year's 5-7 squad, the Jaguars are hoping to duplicate the success of the 2013 and 2014 squads. The Chargers under second year coach, Adam Hastings, look to be on the move up.
My pick: Forestview 28 - Providence Day 24


Hunter Huss @ East Lincoln: As with Forestview, a new era starts with East Lincoln. Both Surratt brothers are gone. Chazz is at UNC Chapel Hill while younger brother, Sage, has transferred to cross-county rival, Lincolnton. The Mustangs return 10 starters from last year. The Huskies had one of the youngest teams in the area last year and with much experience returning, the Huskies should be more competitive.
My pick: East Lincoln 23 - Hunter Huss 20

Kings Mountain @ North Gaston: Kings Mountain had a great run last year going 9-2 in the regular season and making it all the way to the fourth round of the playoffs. They suffered a big setback this offseason when WR/DB/KR Jake Merchant went down with a torn ACL. But the Mountaineers should still be dangerous this year with starting quarterback Darren Burns returning along with bruising runningback Darian McClain. North Gaston is hoping to improve off of last year's 4-7 season. The Wildcats were close in some of those losses. with 13 starters returning this season, they are looking to turn many of those close losses to wins this year. But the Mountaineers will not be an easy outing.
My pick: Kings Mountain 31 - North Gaston 14

Freedom @ Shelby: Shelby is coming off their third consecutive state title. The Golden Lions blasted Kinston 57-21 in the 2A state title game. Freedom fell in the second round of the playoffs last year to Kings Mountain 21-6. The Patriots lost key runningback B.J. Emmons to graduation. He is at Alabama. The Patriots will try and fill those shoes, but against a defending state champion with most of their defensive starters returning, that will be a really tall task.
My pick: Shelby 35 - Freedom 14

East Gaston @ Bessemer City: East Gaston had their first winning season since 2006 last year. The Warriors finished with a 7-4 regular season record and went 5-2 in conference play claiming sole possession of second place. They were beat in the first round of the playoffs however. They fell 43-28 to Hibriten. But they have to replace several starters on offense like quarterback Alex Adams and runningbacks Tyler Spurling and Robert Washington. The Warriors only return six starters this season. Bessemer City is hoping to bounce back from their 4-8 season. A win against East Gaston would help steer them in the right direction. This game should be close.
My pick: East Gaston 24 - Bessemer City 20

Stuart Cramer @ Cherryville: This looks like a big mismatch. Last year, Stuart Cramer throttled Cherryville 42-0. The Storm returns 14 starters from last year while Cherryville returns ten. The Ironmen also bring in a new coach after Keith Fox resigned in the offseason. Tim Pruitt takes the reigns at Cherryville. Don't think this one will be any closer than last year's lopsided game.
My pick: Stuart Cramer 45 - Cherryville 6

Highland Tech @ Newton-Conover: The Rams came to visit the Red Devils last year, but left with a 54-0 drubbing. The Rams do return 14 starters from last year, but they also bring in a new coach. Don't look for this game to be any different from last year.
My pick: Newton-Conover 48 - Highland Tech 6

Lincolnton @ North Lincoln: Last year, the Wolves drubbed the North Lincoln 62-8 in the season opener. But the Knights are hoping with 13 starters back that they can start the year off better and be more competitive in the North Piedmont Conference. Lincolnton made it all the way to the fourth round last year, but fell 37-21 to eventual state champ, Shelby. Lincolnton is favored to win the Southern District 7 conference this year and with the addition of Sage Surratt, whom transferred from East Lincoln, it's hard not to pick Lincolnton.
My pick: Lincolnton 47 - North Lincoln 20

West Lincoln @ Draughn: Last year did not go the way either team wanted. Draughn narrowly missed the playoffs with a 5-6 record. The Rebels also missed the playoffs, but were 4-7 and had only one conference win. Both are hoping to turn their fortunes around. A win tonight will be a great start to that goal. The Wildcats beat the Rebels 23-6 last year. Will West Lincoln get payback or will the Wildcats prevail again?
My pick: Draughn 20 - West Lincoln 15

Carolina Wildcats @ Burns: Burns started off 3-0 last year, but would lose their final seven games. The Bulldogs should not have any problems with the visiting Wildcats from Pickens.
My pick: Burns 45 - Carolina Wildcats 6

Central Academy @ Mountain Island Charter: Mountain Island Charter begins their third year of football, second in varsity. It was a tough start for the Raptors last year as they began 1-5, but they reeled off five consecutive victories to close out the season and snuck into the playoffs with a 6-5 record. They would lose to Winston-Salem Prep 50-22 in the first round however. The Raptors have 15 starters back and with more experience, they could compete for the Southern Piedmont Conference title. Their first task is against Central Academy, the team they lost 20-18 to in last year's opener.
My pick: Mountain Island Charter 27 - Central Academy 20