Season opener is a disappointment

Normally I would have posted this before now but I had to give myself time to get some perspective on the 27-12 loss to Statesville on Friday. More than two days later I'm still pissed off!

It could be that I'm simply not used to seeing the Tornadoes lose the first game of the season. Yes, Hickory lost back-to-back openers in 2003 and 2004 to East Burke but those were the only times since 1992 that it happened. Even the 1993 team won its opener (14-10 over Statesville)... But that just proves that the outcome of the season opener doesn't necessarily predict how the season will turn out.

We were all furious after the loss to East Burke in 2003 because everybody knew that Hickory would be outstanding. Hickory hadn't dropped an opener since 1992 and hadn't lost to the Cavaliers since 1991. I was told that there was fighting on one of the team buses during the ride back to Hickory. That's how frustrating it was.

But when the season came to an end in mid-November the Tornadoes had put together a 10-3 record that included a pair of losses to Crest. East Burke turned out to be a good team, too. The Cavs were knocked out of the playoffs the same week as Hickory and finished with a 10-2 record, their best showing in more than a decade. And Crest? Well the Chargers overcame an 0-3 start and won 12 straight games, culminating in a 40-0 annihilation of previously-undefeated Eastern Randolph in the 'ship, to claim the 3AA state title. The point is that anything is possible.

Hickory has played 48 minutes of football so far. That leaves 480 minutes in which to make things happen before the playoffs. I believe the Red Tornadoes will do what is necessary to make the next 480 minutes of football a living hell for the opposition.

Bring it on!




3 things that were good:

• The passing game. For some reason it really didn't seem like the offense was having a good night throwing the football. But the stats tell a different story. Kevin Shelton completed 13 of 25 passes (52% and no interceptions) for 159 yards and two touchdowns. It probably would have been even better if he hadn't been forced to duck and cover so much!
  
  Furthermore, Trevin Parks and Anthony Wilson demonstrated once again their playmaking abilities. They each had four receptions, including a touchdown. Wilson finished with 91 yards while Parks had 43. But it wasn't simply the catches or the total yards that was exciting to watch...it was what they did with the ball after making the catch. Neither of the TDs was caught in the end zone - both players made it happen after the catch.
  
  On Wilson's touchdown it was awesome to see him make the perfect adjustment to stay in bounds and walk the tightrope down the sideline into the end zone. Most people would have let their momentum carry themselves out of bounds. So his ability to adjust and make a play is what made it a touchdown. Parks also showed good moves and speed in traffic after the catch to get himself into the end zone.



• The Defense.
  Yes, the effort by the defense wasn't quite good enough to get the victory but it was good enough to contain what was supposed to be a very potent Greyhound offense. Keep in mind that Statesville returned nine starters from last year's 9-4 team. And added to that was a transfer from another school who was a starter last year for that team. So Statesville had a very experienced unit out there (many of them 3-year starters) and yet they were only able to generate 227 yards of total offense. That's compared to Hickory's 226 total yards.
  
  Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about. Statesville's leading rusher Friday night was Andre Shepherd with 50 yards (1 TD) on 15 carries. A year ago Shepherd burned Hickory for 151 yards on 16 carries. A hundred yards less this time around with virtually the same number of attempts. Also, on Friday night the Greyhounds totaled 188 yards on the ground. A year ago that total was 212. On Friday night the Greyhounds had only 39 passing yards. A year ago that total was 81. So even with an extra year's worth of experience the Greyhound offense was less successful against a Red Tornado defense that featured a completely new corps of linebackers. And Trevin Parks had a clutch interception right before halftime, preventing a touchdown that would have put the Tornadoes down by three scores.



• Refusal to quit. For reasons that I will discuss shortly it was a very frustrating night for the Red Tornadoes. Hickory trailed Statesville throughout the game and it felt like all the breaks were going Statesville's way. Down 21-0 after three quarters it would have been easy for the team to just throw in the towel and retreat emotionally. I've seen it before. Players actually chatting and laughing on the sideline, oblivious to what's happening on the field. I didn't see that this past Friday. And obviously the Tornadoes put a couple of touchdowns on the board in the final 12 minutes.
  
  It was gratifying to see the Statesville chain crew freaking out after Wilson's touchdown. Despite everything, it was clear that they were scared to death that Hickory was going to find a way to pull out the victory. Yes, the Greyhounds promptly slammed the door on any real chance of a comeback by scoring their fourth touchdown of the night on their next possession. But it was great to see our kids still out there fighting for it. Trevin's TD catch and run was sheer determination on his part. That kind of determination will pay dividends this season.

3 things that were bad:

• The blocking. One of the areas of concern going into the season was the fact that the O-line has four new starters this season. So it shouldn't come as a big surprise that there were some problems with protection. And it's true that our regular starter at left tackle (Clay Johnson) was restricted in what he could do Friday night. Coming back from an injury sustained in the Border Bash he was only cleared to play one way - and he chose to play defense. But there were simply too many occasions when the Greyhounds had uncontested shots at Shelton. Shelton was taken down five times for a loss of 35 yards. That's not acceptable. I like seeing him in the shotgun but not because it's the only way to protect him from the defensive rush! The left side of the line and the center position must do a better job. I believe that Clay's return to offensive duty this week will help the situation. At some point the light will blink on and the blockers will finally "get it."



• Special Teams. In a word, awful! Too many sloppy mistakes, most of which are the result of not paying enough attention to it in practice. It's that simple. Hickory ought to be killing people with special teams and I'm not just talking about having a future D-1 kicker like a Succop or a San San. With the kind of speed that the the Tornadoes have the offense should always start with pretty good field position if the ball is returnable. The great thing about Ryan Succop was that he always put the ball in the end zone and thus made it impossible to return. So, yes, there will be times when kickoff returns are taken off the board as an option due to the other team having a great kicker. BUT... there are still those pesky punt returns...
  
  Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals! You can't wave "fair catch" and then run with the football. You can't yell "I got it! I got it!" and then let the ball roll past you. On field goals and PATs we need a clean snap, a flawless hold and a confident kicker who doesn't have to worry about getting a kick blocked because the line can't stop the rush. This all comes from increased reps in practice. There's a reason why "Beamer Ball" works so well. Hickory is missing a lot of opportunities by not focusing more on special teams.



• Douchebag Officiating! Yes, I know... The team has a responsibility to overcome obstacles, including the stripe-shirted jackasses with their little whistles and yellow hankies. What a freakin' disgrace that officiating crew was on Friday night! It's hard to tell it from the stands but believe me when I tell you...this group was long on attitude but woefully lacking in objectivity and fairness. I observed the crew before, during and after the game...complete and total assclowns.
  
  I'm not accusing them of deliberately favoring Statesville. It's not a case of "cheating" on the part of the the Greyhounds. No, it's something else. It's a mop-pushing scumbag nobody who dreams of Friday night when he can put his little uniform on and blow his little whistle and go out on the field and make himself the "big man" in front of the crowd. Bigger than the players and coaches. Bigger than the game itself! Because afterall, nobody pays attention to the clowns in striped shirts UNLESS they're throwing flags. So the only way to be the "big man" is to throw as many yellow hankies as possible, whether there was an actual infraction or not. Plain and simple abuse of authority - that's what happened Friday night. And it does have an effect.
  
  Hickory was flagged 12 times for 99 yards. Are you kidding me? A good example of the kind of douchebaggery that was going on Friday night would be the infamous triple-penalty, 34-yard disgrace perpetrated by the white-hatted jerk that virtually handed the Greyhounds a touchdown. Statesville is in a 3rd-and-13 situation at the Hickory 42 when the Statesville ballcarrier was shoved out of bounds on the Statesville side. There was no late hit or out-of-bounds hit...but that's what Captain Jackass called, right in front of the Statesville head coach. Suddenly Hickory gets flagged two more times for unsportsmanlike conduct, resulting in a grand total of 34 yards in penalties on a single play. Just like that Statesville went from 3rd-and-long to 1st-and-goal at the Hickory eight! A couple of plays later the Greyhounds scored to take a 14-0 lead.
  
  Last time I checked it was not a penalty to hit a player in bounds, no matter how far out of bounds he flies. Hickory was called twice for that particular infraction and neither time was it a legitimate call. Then there was the time that a Statesville player took a cheap shot at our quarterback but when the coaches complained about it the white-hatted douchebag replied that he had repeatedly warned Shelton to tuck in his shirt... WTF? Hello!
  
  I'm sorry but when the adults who have the responsibility to oversee the game make a decision to punish one team in particular simply because they can and get away with it...I tend to get a little upset.

And finally...

A quick word about Statesville head coach Randy Gusler. For a full year now he has repeatedly claimed that the reason Statesville lost to Hickory last season was because of turnovers.

"Last year we were up on Hickory and we let it slip away on turnovers."

Huh? Last year Statesville was "up" 12-7 at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, however, Hickory was up, 15-12. The turnovers he is referring to occurred in the second half. It's true that Statesville lost a couple of fumbles last year but Hickory threw a couple of interceptions. So the turnover ratio was 2-2. So it's not like the Greyhounds gave the ballgame away on turnovers. They just got whipped. I'm getting a little tired of Gusler not giving credit where credit it due. Wonder what his excuse will be next year when Hickory stomps a mudhole in the Greyhounds? Start the countdown to payback...

Pick 'em Week 2 recap

With 11 games to pick this week Captain Obvious and I solidified our leads over the others, although I dropped back one spot. Picking Hickory and Bandys to win didn't hurt much. Everybody expected Hickory to win and almost everybody thought Bandys would get it done against East Lincoln. Douche Bigelow was the blind squirrel who found the proverbial nut on that one when he went with the Mustangs.

I also went against my instincts when I picked East Burke to beat Greenville Southside. When in doubt it's always safer to pick the SC team to beat the NC, sad to say. But it was a conservative call since everybody else picked East Burke as well. No harm, no foul there.

The game where I went out on a limb was picking Mitchell County to beat McDowell County up in Spruce Pine. Captain Obvious went with the group in picking McDowell and that's the difference in our records for the time being.

It will be interesting to see just how many hyper-sensitive idiots pick against Hickory next week in the wake of our loss to Statesville...

Here is the leader board after Week 2:

1. Captain Obvious (16-5)
2. G&G (15-6)
3. Douche Bigelow (14-7)
4. Who? (13-8)
5. Jabba the Hut (11-10)
6. Bias the Clown (11-10)

The Uga VII era begins today! Glory! Glory to Ol' Georgia!

Brothers and Sisters rejoice!

Succop does his job perfectly in South Carolina win

In South Carolina's 34-0 route of the NCSU Wolfpack last night our own Ryan Succop did his job perfectly. He kicked field goals of 29 and 46 yards as well as all four extra points. Despite the win the Ol' Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, was not pleased with the performance of his squad. Starting quarterback Tommy Beecher, who played his high school football for Concord High School, was the game's leading passer (106 yards) but failed to complete a touchdown pass. More importantly, he also threw four interceptions!

What are they saying about last night's game today in the blogsphere?

Click here to get the Gamecock perspective.

Click here to get the completely disgruntled Wolfpack perspective.

Ryan did his thing and the SEC team rolled over the ACC team. I'm pleased with it, even if nobody else is!

Pick 'em Week 2

Hickory at Statesville
Winner: Hickory

Alexander Central at St. Stephens
Winner: St. Stephens

Ashe County at West Caldwell
Winner: Ashe County

East Lincoln at Bandys
Winner: Bandys

Hibriten at South Caldwell
Winner: Hibriten

North Lincoln at Bunker Hill
Winner: North Lincoln

West Lincoln at Maiden
Winner: Maiden

East Burke at Greenville, SC Southside
Winner: East Burke

Freedom at Shelby
Winner: Shelby

McDowell at Mitchell County
Winner: Mitchell County

A.C. Reynolds at Asheville
Winner: A.C. Reynolds

Hickory vs. Statesville 2002-2007

2002: The Tornadoes traveled to Greyhound Hollow and whipped the Hounds, 27-6, one day after several members of the Statesville varsity football team had vandalized Hickory High's school building and stadium with spray paint. The perpetrators were caught and 11 of them, including six starters, were suspended for the game.

Sophomore kicker Ryan Succop gave the Tornadoes an early 3-0 lead on his 38-yard field goal to cap Hickory's opening drive. Statesville took a 6-3 lead with 5:46 left in the first quarter on Walter Horne's 63-yard run. The PAT was blocked.

Hickory quarterback Cole Kenworthy, who had been flawless the week before in a huge win over East Burke, was not having his best game against Statesville. So with the offense stalled somewhat it was Succop who came in and tied the game up with a 33-yard field goal just before the end of the first quarter.

The turning point in the game occurred late in the first half as the Greyhounds were driving to take the lead. Statesville's junior tailback Cam Simpson, who ended the game with 101 yards rushing, his third-straight game with 100+ yards, fumbled on the Hickory 13. The Red Tornadoes recovered with 36 seconds remaining in the half. Kenworthy hit senior split end Brent Johnson for a 5-yard completion, and before the Hounds could bring him down, Johnson pitched to a streaking Desmond Burch. He went the final 65 yards for a touchdown. The 72-yard hook-and-lateral play was the first touchdown Statesville had surrendered so far in the 2002 season. Their two victories had both been shutouts. Succop's kick made the halftime score 13-6.

Hickory's Kejuan Wright padded the lead in the third quarter on touchdown runs of nine and three yards. The first PAT was blocked but Kenworthy made it up on the last touchdown by hitting tight end Will Baker for the two-point conversion to make the final score 27-6. Statesville could only gain 81 total yards in the second half and the Hounds never threatened again.

2003: In John Worley's second game as Hickory's new head coach the Red Tornadoes hosted the Greyhounds on August 29th. The Tornadoes were in a foul mood after losing a heartbreaker to East Burke the week before and made things tough for the visitors, keeping them off the scoreboard in a 21-0 romp.

Kejuan Wright was the game's leading rusher with 91 yards but it was Alex Wilson who did most of the scoring damage on that night. In the first quarter Wilson caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Rogers. In the second quarter it was Wilson finding the end zone again, this time on a 22-yard run. Fullback Paul Martin got on the board in the third quarter on a 13-yard touchdown run. Ryan Succop nailed all three of his PATs. Both teams turned the ball over four times and Hickory had twice as many penalty yards as Statesville. But Hickory also outrushed Statesville 214-54.

This was Coach John Worley's first victory. His record now stands at 48-15 (76%).

2004: For the second year in a row the Red Tornadoes suffered a season-opening loss to East Burke. And once again the Statesville Greyhounds bore the brunt of Hickory's frustration. Statesville's hotshot quarterback Brandon McLain was knocked out of the game in the first half and was unable to return. The Tornadoes piled up a 28-0 halftime lead and cruised to a final score of 28-6.

Junior tailback Carlos Shade had a great night in his second game as the team's top running back. Shade finished with 163 yards and two touchdowns (9 and 11 yards, repectively) on 24 carries (6.8 yards per carry). Fullback Kevin Odom scored from two yards out in the first quarter and Alex Wilson was on the receiving end of a 58-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Patrick Shelton. Like Shade this was Shelton's second start on the varsity. Shelton's numbers on this night were 6-10-0 for 147 yards and a touchdown.

Just as he had done a couple of years earlier, Walter Horne spoiled Hickory's shutout bid when he broke loose for a 78-yard touchdown run late in the final period. Another oddity of this contest was the presence of former Tornado head coach David Elder on the Statesville sideline as a Greyhound assistant coach. Elder would leave the Greyhound staff after the season ended.

2005: For the first time in over a decade the Red Tornadoes opened their season against the Greyhounds. The final result, however, was similar to the previous three games as Hickory flirted with a shutout before giving up a fluke touchdown in a 33-7 victory.

Senior cornerback Greg Covington got the night started just right when he got the "pick 6" on the second play of the game. He returned the interception 31 yards for a touchdown. Hickory's new kicker, junior San San Te booted the PAT for a quick 7-0 lead.

The Tornadoes continued to pile up the points in the second quarter. Carlos Shade, who racked up 80 yards on just eight attempts, scored on a 23-yard run. After Hickory blocked a Statesville punt (the Tornadoes blocked two punts in the game), split end Donovan Maddox hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Shelton. San San continued to kick extra points and Hickory took a 21-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Statesville's Corey Alexander put his team on the board when he picked up a Hickory fumble and scooted 62 yards for a touchdown. A successful PAT made the score 21-7.

In the second half the reserves filtered into the game, among them sophomore tailback Darrien Burch. With Shade sidelined with leg cramps, Burch made the most of his opportunity and showed his speed on a 56-yard touchdown run, his first varsity score. There would be plenty more...

Covington ended the game as he had started it - with a touchdown. Going in to play tailback he wound up busting off a 28-yard run. This was the beginning of a 6-0 start in Hickory's first year in the CVAC.

2006: The Tornadoes took a trip to Statesville to open the season and this time managed to hold onto a shutout as they routed the Greyhounds by a score of 30-0. Darrien Burch had a good night, picking up 142 yards on 25 carries. Statesville, on the other hand, only managed 36 yards rushing for the game. Junior linebacker Austin "Bruiser" Johnson was all over the young Greyhounds and they never really threatened Hickory's end zone. As a fullback Johnson opened the scoring with a touchdown run of two yards.

Darrien Burch scored his touchdown on a 5-yard run and San San Te successfully kicked both PATs for a 14-0 first quarter lead. After a scoreless second quarter the Red Tornadoes successfully experimented with the passing game as quarterback Jordan Wilson connected with Scottie Propst on a 46-yard touchdown pass. The defense contributed to the score by nailing Statesville's Justin Knox in the end zone for a safety.

In the final period reserve fullback Lamar Dixon plowed into the end zone from one yard out. San San Te was successful on all his PATs. The game also marked the varsity debut of sophomore tailback Kyshell Geter, who had 28 yards on four carries.

2007: Last year's game was a showcase for the depth of Hickory's backfield. Senior sensation Darrien Burch suffered from dehydration and did not play in the second half. While he was in the game, however, he did pick up 68 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

The Red Tornadoes went to the locker room holding a slim 15-12 lead over the visitors. The Hounds had actually led 12-7 after the first quarter thanks to touchdown runs by Keyon Harris and Andre Shepherd. Burch scored his second touchdown in the second period and then caught Shelton's two-point conversion pass to take back the lead once and for all.

With Burch on the sideline the rest of Hickory's championship backfield went to work to secure the victory. Hickory rushed for 209 yards after halftime with junior Rakim Barrett doing most of the damage. He led Hickory with 81 yards on just seven carries (11.6 yards per carry!) and scored the game's final touchdown on a 32-yard run. Before that it was Jordan Wilson hitting paydirt on a run of three yards. Meanwhile Statesville's Shepherd fumbled twice in the game to hamper the Hounds' momentum. The Hounds were never able to score after the opening period as Hickory sewed up a 29-12 victory. This was the beginning of a 13-0 run that only ended on the day after Thanksgiving.

Succop, Gamecocks on TV against NC State

When the South Carolina Gamecocks kick off their 2008 season tomorrow night at home in Columbia against the NC State Wolfpack it will be former Red Tornado great Ryan Succop (Class of '05) who will literally be doing the kicking. This is Ryan's final season in the Garnet and Black and he is undoubtedly one of the bright stars for the Gamecocks, just as he has been for the past three years. He is currently South Carolina's career leader in field goal percentage at .744 (29 of 39).

The game will be televised on ESPN with a start time of 8:00 PM EST. Here is the link for further information about the game: South Carolina Football Gameday Central.

I want to wish Ryan all the best for the 2008 season and as an SEC man I hope that the Gamecocks beat the crap out of State!

Mungro will start for EKU against Cincy

Former Red Tornado Rashaud Mungro (Class of '04) will be in the starting lineup for the Eastern Kentucky Colonels tomorrow night when they take on the Cincinnati Bearcats to open the 2008 season. Mungro has won the pre-season battle for a starting position on the offensive line and is #1 on the depth chart at right guard. The game will be played at Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium and the start time is 7:30 EST. The game will not be televised but the live radio broadcast can be heard at EKUsports.com.

Eastern Kentucky at Cincinnati game notes (pdf format)

Click here to view the photo gallery of the Colonels' Fan Day festivities. Rashaud is in several of the photos, signing autographs.

I would like to wish Rashaud the best of luck this season and say GO COLONELS! BEAT THOSE BEARCATS!

Kick Off is almost here! Are you ready?

Sweet 16

The Sweet 16 for Week 2 is out and here is another riveting video countdown by Observer writer Cliff Mehrtens. By the way, Hickory has moved up one spot to #9. Just think what might happen after the Red Tornadoes actually play a game and beat the Greyhounds Friday night in the Hollow... To see the entire poll, click here.

Greyhound Hollow awaits the Red Tornadoes

Our Red Tornadoes open their 2008 campaign with a road trip to Statesville this Friday night. Checking around the net earlier this evening I saw a Statesville fan predict a 21-point victory for the Greyhounds. Obviously I think that's a lot bull but it does demonstrate the level of enthusiasm the Greyhounds and their fans have for the 2008 season.

Here's a video about the opening of their pre-season practices a couple of weeks ago. (If the video doesn't play for you right away then just hit "refresh" and try again!)

The Statesville fans as a group are not obnoxious like some other fans that the Tornado Nation has to deal with but make no mistake about it: the Greyhounds are sick and tired of losing to Hickory. They want to send a message to all that Statesville football is back. They point to last season's 9-4 final record, including an appearance in the the second round of the playoffs, as evidence of a revival under head coach Randall Gusler. Coach Gusler enters his third year as the Statesville skipper with an 11-13 record. He took over the top spot following the disastrous 2005 season which saw the once-proud Statesville program hit rock bottom at 0-11.

Gusler had no choice but to start a bunch of sophomores during his first season. The Hounds improved to a 2-9 record. Now those sophomores are battle-tested seniors. One of their leaders is bullish tailback Andre Shepherd. Shepherd played well against Hickory last season in a 29-12 defeat, rushing for a game-high 151 yards and a touchdown on only 16 carries (9.4 yards per carry). He also coughed up the ball twice in the second half while trying to gain extra yardage. After gaining more than 1,500 yards rushing last season he has worked hard in the weight room in preparation for this season. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder can bench 320 pounds and squat 480 pounds.

Statesville lost only two offensive starters and Gusler is excited about their replacements. North Iredell transfer Logan Feimster fills the tight end position vacated by Dominique Nichols. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Feimster gives quarterback T.J. McCombs a huge target. He led North in receiving last season with 18 receptions for 229 yards.

Patrick McConnell, also a senior, will be playing his third different position on offense. Last year he lined up at guard, when depth became a problem, and tight end. He is slated to take over for Adrian Sloan at wingback.

Watch the Record & Landmark sports staff's analysis of Statesville's football team. Be patient with the video player as it takes a couple of seconds to start but it does work.

More to come...

Week 1 recap

Dang. There were some very scary performances turned in around the Unifour on Friday!

When looking back at Friday night's local games the first thing that jumps out at me and goes BOO! is the number of individual blockbuster performances. Topping the list has to be the Bandys tag team of quarterback Kyle Houser and wide receiver Seth Cranfill. Don't you dare call him "Doogie" because Houser was "da man" against the Mooresville Blue Devils, completing 16 of 27 passes for 452 yards and four touchdowns. The 452 yards set a new CVAC single-game record, as did Cranfill's 239 receiving yards from 10 receptions. Cranfill caught two of Houser's touchdown passes. And yet...

Bandys only won the game by five points, 40-35. As impressive as the air strike was for the Trojans their defense against the run was non-existent. Mooresville halfback Jjshaun Pinkston had a career night, scorching the Trojans for 268 yards and five touchdowns on 29 carries. The Blue Devils have never been known as a team that likes to go airborne and this year's group is no different. Quarterback Nathan Abraham only completed 50% of his 10 passes for a whopping 28 yards. So, if the Blue Devils are no threat from above shouldn't the Trojans have been able to stack the line and shut down the run?

And on the subject of rushing attacks it should be noted that Bandys tailback Josh McCombs led his team in that category, picking up 57 yards on 19 carries (3 yards per carry). I would have thought that with the Devils forced to back up and defend the pass that McCombs should have gained more than he did. Sure, you might argue that the Trojans didn't need a rushing game since they were deadly with the pass. But what happens when they face a team that does have a defense?

Another outstanding performance from Friday night was turned in by Newton-Conover's senior defensive back Shea Corpening. Corpening, a former standout at Grandview Middle School, sparked the Red Devils with a 95-yard kickoff return following East Lincoln's first touchdown. Corpening also picked off a pair of Mustang passes to help keep East out of the end zone for the rest of the night. The first interception was in his own end zone and the second was on the Newton 2-yard line. The only other Mustang points came on a 35-yard field goal in the 4th quarter. The play of Corpening accurately reflected the typical Newton-Conover way of winning ball games: DEFENSE!

The Mustangs actually outgained the Devils, 363-305, and yet lost by 27 points (37-10). The reason? The Red Devils won the turnover battle in a big way. East Lincoln gave the ball away six times (3 picks, 3 fumbles) while Newton only lost one fumble and had no interceptions. I don't know but I would be willing to bet that most, if not all, the Mustang fumbles were actually stripped away by Red Devil defenders. East quarterback Josh Wilson had the football literally taken away when he switched it from his right to his left hand. The thief, Chris Coulter, wasn't hauled down until he was inside the Mustang five. The Red Devils scored two plays later.

Believe me when I tell you that the most important league statistic to monitor this season will be the takeaway-giveaway ratio. Newton-Conover is usually at the top of the list and when the Red Devils are doing it "their way" they are awfully tough to beat. It should be noted, by the way, that Hickory led that statistic last season enroute to an 11-0 regular season.

I was also impressed with the performances of Hibriten's "Mighty Quin" Smith in a 32-16 win over Wilkes Central and St. Stephens' new quarterback, Matt Fussell (yes, it's spelled Fussell!) who led the Indians to a 43-14 massacre of the West Lincoln Rebels.

Expectations are sky-high for Smith in 2008 on the heels of his verbal commitment to Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks over the summer. The Mighty Quin did not disappoint his fans, rushing for 125 yards on only 15 carries (8.3 per carry) and scoring four touchdowns (3 rushing, 1 receiving). This is an impressive win for two reasons: the game was up in North Wilkesboro, a difficult place to win ballgames, and because Wilkes Central is expected to have a big year themselves. This was definitely not an easy season opener for either side but it was Hibriten that took the victory in the end.

Fussell and the Indians, meanwhile, ruined the debut of West Lincoln's latest head coach, Mark Latham. In his first start for the Indians Fussell was nearly flawless, completing 10 of 11 passes (no picks) for 144 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball 11 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. As expected, Fussell's favorite target was senior Patrick Jenkins with eight catches for 144 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown. Jenkins also scored a rushing TD. So in the battle of teams with new head coaches it was Fred Whalen of St. Stephens who got his tenure off to a winning start. It doesn't usually happen like that for new Indian head coaches. Oops!

UNIFOUR SCORES FOR AUG. 22ND

Bandys over Mooresville 40-35
Hibriten over Wilkes Central 32-16
Cherryville over Bunker Hill 49-41
St. Stephens over West Lincoln 43-14
Fred T. Foard over South Caldwell 33-7
Newton-Conover over East Lincoln 37-10
Freedom over Patton 29-13
Alexander Central over North Gaston 56-3

Pick 'em Week 1 recap

Well, I'm no "expert" of course, but...

I picked the same 10 games as the folks over at the Daily Birdcage Liner and things turned out pretty good for me. Captain Obvious and I dominated the rest of the field as we both posted 8-2 records. Jabba, Douche and Who? finished somewhere in the middle of the pack, each with 6-4 marks. Oddly, the ultimate Unifour high school guru, Bias the Clown, brought up the rear at *cough* ...5-5.

I'd also like to point out that my two misses (I picked Mooresville and Enka to win their games) were missed by all the "professioinal experts" as well. But those of us with clear vision could see that Bunker Hill, South Caldwell and East Lincoln were headed for defeat.

Here's the leader board as it stands after Week 1:

1. G&G (8-2)
2. Captain Obvious (8-2)
3. Douche Bigelow (6-4)
4. Who? (6-4)
5. Jabba the Hut (6-4)
6. Bias the Clown (5-5)

What was that?

After the first two offensive series of Hickory's scrimmage with Crest last night at the Cleveland County Jamboree I was feeling pretty good. The Red Tornadoes took the opening kickoff and proceeded to drive the ball down the field for touchdown. The backs looked good and Rakim crossed the goal line for the score. After Smith's PAT Hickory led, 7-0.

Then the Tornado defense did its job and forced Crest to punt. So far so good...

The next time the Red Tornadoes got the ball they started driving again. I'm sure that everybody watching could see that Rakim Barrett, Kyshell Geter and David Dula were effectively running the ball. But Geter had the ball knocked away from him at the end of a good run and Crest recovered. Then Crest scored. Hickory got the ball back and promptly turned it over again with another fumble. And once again the Chargers took advantage of the situation and scored. After that it was all Crest.

A great run is meaningless if it ends in a turnover. It's that simple. Turnovers are evil because they are demoralizing to your team and electrifying for the opposing team. That's what happened last night. In the pre-season and the early season games momentum is big part of a team's success. When you turn the ball over you also effectively surrender "big mo" to the other side. And we can't have that!

The final score was 35-7 in favor of a young but extremely talented Crest Chargers. Thank God it was just a pre-season scrimmage. Nothing like getting your nose bloodied without lasting consequences. Next year the Tornadoes will have to deal with the Chargers in a regular-season game.

The key now is for the Red Tornadoes to realize that they must practice hard during the week. They must practice the way they want to play. Protect the football in practice and it will be safe on Friday nights.

Pick 'em Week 1

Bandys at Mooresville
Winner: Mooresville

Bunker Hill at Cherryville
Winner: Cherryville

South Caldwell at Fred T. Foard
Winner: Fred T. Foard

East Lincoln at Newton-Conover
Winner: Newton-Conover

Patton at Freedom
Winner: Freedom

St. Stephens at West Lincoln
Winner: St. Stephens

North Gaston at Alexander Central
Winner: Alexander Central

Hibriten at Wilkes Central
Winner: Hibriten

McDowell at Enka
Winner: Enka

Watauga at Davie County
Winner: Davie County

ANALYZE THIS!

Breaking down the 2008 CVAC one team at a time...

#9 BUNKER HILL

I guess it's safe to say that 2007 was not a happy time for the Bears. An 0-11 record is a hard pill to swallow, even for Bunker Hill people. The good news, of course, is that it literally can't get any worse! But that doesn't mean it will get better, either. But I say YES, things will get a little better in 2008.

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 0-11 overall, 0-8 CVAC

Coach: Ron Turner
Career: 0-11 (1 year)

Returning Starters: 9; 5 on offense, 4 on defense

Primary Strengths: The Bears have a lot of returning experience and depth at the skill positions. Top of the list is sophomore tailback Davontaye Wilson who led his team in rushing with 556 yards on 101 carries. The Bears also return senior Robert Davis, the CVAC's receptions leader, who had 52 catches for 505 yards in 2007. Senior quarterback Jeremy Abernathy has some experience as a signal caller even though he played other positions most of the time. They have decent overall team speed and much improved team strength.

Potential Problems: The Bears will have to settle on a quarterback in order to maximize production. Departed signal caller Chase Patterson was "da man" for Bunker Hill in 2007, completing 150 of 347 attempts for 1,628 yards and 12 touchdowns. The athletic Jeremy Abernathy has been battling Cameron Beard for the starting job. Bunker Hill was dead last in the CVAC in rushing last year and that will have to change if the Bears are going to make any headway in 2008. Depth will continue to be a problem.

Key Losses: Quarterback Chase Patterson, wide receiver Centrail Williamson and linebacker Jarvis Howell.

Overview: The Bears were so bad last year that they could show significant improvement this season and still be pretty lousy. But they should still beat West Caldwell.

#10 WEST CALDWELL

A new day has dawned in Gamewell...but the journey back to respectability has only just begun. It boggles the mind that despite posting a lackluster 2-9 record in 2007 the Warriors are now facing a rebuilding year in 2008! From the head coach to the placekicker the Warriors lost it all after last season. "Progress" will be a relative term for West Caldwell this season.

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 2-9 overall, 1-7 CVAC

Coach: Mike Setzer
Career: 24-23 (4 years)

Returning Starters: 6; 3 on offense, 3 on defense

Primary Strengths: New head coach Mike Setzer is a former Warrior himself and is extremely fired up to be back at his alma mater. His return has caused an outpouring of enthusiasm and optimism among the Warrior faithful. Setzer, a 1994 West Caldwell graduate, was announced as the new coach after a five-month hiring search that included over 40 applicants. He played college ball at Winston-Salem State and East Carolina, and eventually logged time in the Arena Football League with the Charleston Swamp Foxes. Setzer has spent the last four years as the coach at Saint Pauls High School in Robeson County, where his teams went 24-23 with three playoff appearances. Just last season, Saint Pauls won nine games and advanced to the third round of the 2A playoffs under Setzer.

Potential Problems: The Warriors must replace their quarterback, their top three running backs, their top three receivers, their kicker...you name it. Plus, they have no depth to speak of.

Key Losses: Pretty much everybody.

Overview: I believe that Mike Setzer will be good for the Warriors. He has the will and the expertise to make them a better football team. I also believe that his return may signal a shift in the balance of power in Lenoir. I have long suspected that Hibriten has been the beneficiary of the decline at West Caldwell and that the rise of Hibriten and the downfall of West Caldwell were not accidental. Now that they've got one of their own at the helm in Gamewell there may be an exodus of talented players from Hibriten back to West Caldwell. Just a theory of mine. But whatever improvements Setzer accomplishes in 2008 will not be enough to keep the Warriors out of the CVAC cellar.

#8 PATTON

You probably thought I'd pick them to finish last in the CVAC this season, didn't you? Well, surprise, surprise, surprise! I am prepared to go out on a limb and predict that the Panthers will get a couple of league wins under their belt during this, their first-ever varsity season of football. All eyes will be watching to see which team gets to become the answer to a trivia question: Patton got its very first league win against...whom?

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: N/A

Coach: J.K. Adkins
Career: 13-13 (2 years)

Returning Starters: N/A

Primary Strengths: Cohesiveness due to not losing anybody from last year. Familiarity with the offensive and defensive schemes. The running game could be decent, depending on how well the line develops. Element of surprise?

Potential Problems: A complete lack of experience on the varsity level. Depth issues on both sides of the ball. They will have to rely heavily on the 8-quarter rule which allows JV players to suit up on varsity in order to provide depth. The intended starting quarterback, Cody Storie, was injured in the pre-season. Relying on underclassmen, even for established programs, is usually problematic.

Key Losses: N/A

Overview: I really have no concrete reason for picking the Panthers to finish in 8th place this season. I just have a feeling that they will find a way to upset a couple of opponents who, ironically enough, are not in much better shape in terms of varsity experience. The Patton faithful have already proven that they are diehard. I have said before that I think Patton will turn out to be the St. Stephens of Morganton: they try hard and are relentless but just can't quite get over the hump most of the time. Maybe I'm just fascinated by the idea that "beginner's luck" could actually exist and might even play a part in Patton's first varsity season. On the negative side... Because of the way Patton handled the decision to not play a varsity schedule in 2007 there are several CVAC teams thirsting for some payback for all the chaos Patton created. So look for some lopsided scores in the coming months. But I still say the Panthers ruin somebody's evening. You heard it here first!

#7 ST. STEPHENS

The Indians have a new head coach this season although he is no stranger to the program. Offensive coordinator Fred Whalen was elevated to the head coaching position when Doug Justice jumped ship to take the top job at North Henderson. What will this mean for the program over in Indian Territory? Stay tuned...

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 6-6 overall, 4-4 CVAC

Coach: Fred Whalen
Career: 0-0 (1st year)

Returning Starters: N/A

Primary Strengths: The Indians return some skill position players who should definitely have an impact in 2008. Probably the most important of these is senior Patrick Jenkins, who was the team's leading receiver in 2007 with 38 receptions for 549 yards and six touchdowns. Casey Peissel, Marshae Woods and Caleb Peterson are also valuable multi-purpose skill people that Whalen will rely upon.

Potential Problems: St. Stephens needs to find a quarterback in a hurry. Quarterback Matt Rowe was the heart and soul of the Indian offense last season as he completed 127 of 223 passes (57%) for 1,573 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also was the team's second-leading rusher with 583 yards and six touchdowns. He has graduated, however, and that leaves junior Matt Fussell at the helm of the offense. The fact that Fussell has zero varsity experience doesn't mean that he can't be effective. But it does mean that we don't know what is going to happen for the Indians this season. Furthermore, he will have to operate behind a completely rebuilt offensive line.

Key Losses: Quarterback Matt Rowe, top rusher Dustin Wilson, second-leading receiver Kelsey Rose, defensive end Evan Short, offensive tackle William Joseph.

Overview: The Indians made the playoffs last year by the skin of their teeth due mostly to the talents of departed quarterback Matt Rowe. He had a knack for making plays, as evidenced by the Indians' nearly-triumphant performance against Hickory last year. Another crucial element of last year's success for St. Stephens was the experience of the seniors who had suffered through consecutive 0-11 seasons in 2004 and 2005. Last year was the year of redemption for the program. Now the question is this: Have the Indians turned a corner in the evolution of their program? Or will they take a step back this fall? I say there is potential here for a successful season, at least by St. Stephens standards. They could finish a couple of spots higher...or they could finish a couple of spots lower. We shall see...

#6 MAIDEN

For the first time in a long time the Blue Devils will enter a football season without the services of the self-proclaimed "oldest rat in the barn," Tom Brown. Hope springs eternal, however, because there is another Brown in charge now. Brian Brown, son of Tom, is the new head ball coach at Maiden and who knows how that will turn out...

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 7-6 overall, 4-4 CVAC

Coach: Brian Brown
Career: 0-0 (1st year)

Returning Starters: 12; 8 on offense, 4 on defense

Primary Strengths: Senior quarterback Justin Sizemore reminds people a little bit of Tim Tebow. He is a big kid who can pass the ball but also run it when necessary. In addition to his 2,211 passing yards and 17 touchdowns last season he also was the team's #2 rusher with 423 yards and seven touchdowns. He is a playmaker who will have plenty of targets to chose from in 2008. The main target will once again be Brian Huffman, who was the team leader in both receptions (44) and yardage (527). Jordan Shade, Wesley Killian and Jacob Lineberger are also reliable receivers. Other than Sizemore all these kids will be heavily relied-upon for defensive duty once again.

Potential Problems: Shade, along with Joshua Friday, will attempt to provide some much-needed balance to Maiden's no-huddle, spread offense. The Blue Devils were not very productive in the rushing department last year as Shade, the leading ballcarrier, only accumulated 423 yards and four touchdowns. As a team Maiden ranked 6th in the CVAC for rushing and only managed 18 rushing touchdowns for the season. Depth could be a serious problem if the injury bug bites them. Perhaps the biggest question mark is coaching. It's been a long, long time since they've had to take the field without Tom Brown. It remains to be seen how the team will adapt to the new situation.

Key Losses: Reliable receivers Dexter Shelton, Alan Lane and Tony Wilson. They were also key members of the Blue Devil defense.

Overview: It's a new era at Maiden and it is unclear exactly how everyone will react to the new situation. There was a time not so long ago when Maiden was a dominant program in Class 1A with an intimidating little stadium, a gifted, record-breaking running back carrying the team on his shoulders and a legendary head coach stalking the sideline. Now all of that is gone and the mystique of Maiden football has taken several body blows because of it. I felt last year that Maiden was suffering an identity crisis following the graduation of Tommy Henry. I don't know if things will get any better this season, despite the talent of the quarterback. Chemistry is a crucial element in the success of a football team. The Blue Devils may be running the spread but they absolutely must get better at running the football if they want to challenge for the CVAC title. The jury is definitely still out on Maiden.

#5 BANDYS

The story of the Bandys Trojans in 2008 reminds me of an old Clint Eastwood spaghetti western. The Good: pass-happy quarterback Kyle Houser returns for his junior season after leading the league in yards-per-game (174.3) and touchdown passes (26). The Bad: Bandys only has two other starters returning on offense. The Ugly: They've only got one starter returning on defense. Ouch!

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 6-6 overall; 5-3 CVAC

Coach: Randy Lowman
Career: 166-92-1 (21 years)

Returning Starters: 4; 3 on offense, 1 on defense

Primary Strengths: Without out a doubt the rockstar on the Bandys roster is junior quarterback Kyle Houser. In his first season on the varsity all he did was complete 133 of 257 passes (51.8%) for 2,092 yards and 26 touchdowns. Nobody knows what Houser is capable of more than the Red Tornadoes. The sophomore signal caller led his 0-3 Trojans into Frank Barger Stadium and led the way as they overcame a 21-0 deficit to push the Tornadoes into overtime. Before it was over Houser had racked up 294 yards passing and five touchdowns. Hickory finally came out on top, 42-35, but the memory of Houser's exploits linger. Fortunately for Houser his favorite target, fellow junior Seth Cranfill, also returns for another season. Cranfill led the Trojans in receptions (49) and was second in yardage (633) behind John Mark Williams, who has graduated.

Potential Problems: Obviously inexperience will be the biggest problem for the Trojans. They were depleted on both offensive and defensive lines and so add depth issues to the lack of inexperience and it could be a bumpy ride in 2008. The Trojans will have to do a better job of running the football to relieve some of the pressure on Houser. He is not a threat to run the football so he'll have to have some other safety valve or else he will be a sitting duck. More distressing, however, is the lack of experience and size on the defense. The better teams in the league will look to drive the ball on the Trojans and thereby limit Houser's opportunities to make plays. The Trojans have been plagued with inconsistent play the last three years and must overcome that in order to be successful.

Key Losses: Almost the entire defense, including a handful of three-year starters. Top rusher LeQuan McCorkle has graduated. Other than Cranfill all of Houser's top targets from last year, John Mark Williams, Zach Hamby, Kyle Flynn, have graduated. Four of last season's starting offensive linemen are gone.

Overview: On top of losing practically their entire offensive and defensive starting units the Trojans almost lost their long-time head coach. Randy Lowman made the decision to retire from teaching after last season with the intent of returning as head coach after a six month waiting period. He almost didn't make it back due to circumstances that I won't delve into here. Fortunately for Bandys they have an experienced and tight-knit coaching staff that managed to carry on during all the off-season distractions. There is no question that Houser is very good at what he does and is expected to get even better as he continues to mature. But the Trojans will have to find a go-to guy for the running game. The first option is senior Josh McCombs, who racked up 501 yards on 88 carries in limited action last season. After him the Trojans will have to rely on somebody moving up from the JV. On the strength of Houser's abilities and the stability of the Bandys coaching staff I have picked them to finish fifth in the CVAC. I don't see them finishing higher than that but I can definitely see them finishing lower if they can't fill all the holes.

#4 FRED T. FOARD

It might surprise some folks to see the Foard picked to finish ahead of both Bandys and Maiden but you might as well get over the shock because the Tigers could be for real this time. The Tigers return 17 starters from last season. With that kind of stability on both sides of the ball the boys from Propst Crossroads can definitely make waves in the CVAC in 2008.

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 4-7 overall, 3-5 CVAC

Coach: Ryan Gettys
Career: 17-40 (5 years)

Returning Starters: 17; 9 on offense, 8 on defense

Primary Strengths: The first thing that jumps out at you when examining Foard's prospects in 2008 is the experience level of the players. With 17 starters returning the Tigers may be the CVAC's most experienced team. Senior quarterback Landon Isenhour is a skilled passer (1,090 yards and 8 TDs in 2007) and a husky kid who can get some tough yards on the ground when called upon. He'll be joined once again in the backfield by senior running backs Alex Miller and Jaheil Washington. Their numbers last season were not impressive due to a "committee" approach to running the ball but they can be effective. Isenhour's top targets from last year, Taylor Lassiter and Trent Safrit, also return. The defense will also feature a heavy dose of experience and better-than-usual speed.

Potential Problems: The Tigers must do a better job of running the football in 2008. Last year's offense only managed 1,274 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns for the entire season. Only Bunker Hill and West Caldwell did worse than Foard in the rushing department. Contrast that with Hickory, which led the league in rushing with 4,284 yards and 59 touchdowns. The experience factor could be nullified if the offense is unable to make plays. Speed on defense is lacking.

Key Losses: The Tigers only lost five starters from last year's squad. By far the most valuable of those was the kicker, Jon Teague.

Overview: Fred T. Foard missed the playoffs last season and so getting back to "the dance" is the top priority in 2008. With the kind of experience the Tigers possess on both sides of the ball there is little chance of them getting left out again. In my opinion the Tigers will wind up in a four-team race for 4th place in the CVAC, along with Bandys, Maiden and St. Stephens. Foard may have an edge, not only because of experience, but also because the other schools have experienced upheavals and distractions in the off-season. The Tigers, on the other hand, have benefited from a slow-but-steady progression that should bear fruit this season.

#3 NEWTON-CONOVER

Newton-Conover comes into the 2008 season with the league's top returning rusher in senior Dorian Jones (1,461 yards and 15 touchdown on 220 carries). The scariest part of this year's Red Devil squad, however, is a defense that features nine returning starters. If defense wins championships then Newton is obviously a serious contender.

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 9-5 overall, 6-2 CVAC

Coach: Nick Bazzle
Career: 68-44 (9 years)

Returning Starters: 15; 6 on offense, 9 on defense

Primary Strengths: Newton-Conover has experience and speed at the offensive and defensive skill positions. Their backfield is intact. Leading the group will be Dorian Jones at tailback and Josh Thompson at fullback. The duo combined to rush for almost 2,000 yards last year (1,971) and three other players Paul Forney, Marqual Nixon and Wesley Hight could all see time on the backfield. Quarterback A.J. Bazzle returns for his senior season after splitting time with last year's senior quarterback, Devon Danner. Bazzle was the better passer of the two and will undoubtedly look to increase his production in 2008. The defense is experienced, quick and aggressive which is about what you'd expect from a head coach who was a linebacker in college.

Potential Problems: If there is one team in the league with even less experience along the offensive line than Hickory, it's Newton-Conover. The Red Devils graduated their entire 2007 offensive line and must rebuild. Like the Red Tornadoes, Newton's success will hinge on how quickly and how well the new line gels as a unit. Newton-Conover was just plain lousy in the passing department in 2007. The Red Devils were last in the CVAC in passing attempts (111), passing percentage (42.3) and passing yardage (54.6 yards per game).Bazzle and Danner combined for a mere 704 yards passing last season. The Red Devils will have to develop a more balanced offensive attack to be successful in 2008.

Key Losses: The entire offensive line.

Overview: There aren't a whole lot of missing pieces to Newton-Conover's puzzle in 2008. They have a quarterback who is slightly more versatile than the principal starter last season and is definitely a better passer. Last year Devon Danner was a threat to run the football from his quarterback position. Bazzle will concentrate on his passing game this year. If the Red Devils can develop an effective offensive line and become more balanced in their offensive attack then they will be a strong contender for the CVAC title. The defense will always keep them in the ballgame no matter what happens on offense. There isn't much to separate Newton-Conover from Hibriten except the experience of the Panther O-line and the fact that the Devils must travel to Lenoir to face the Panthers. The Devils must also make trips to Bandys and Maiden. But the ultimate showdown will occur on October 10th when Hickory pays a visit to Gurley Stadium.

#2 HIBRITEN

For the second year in a row the CVAC boasts an SEC recruit - and Hibriten's got him. But while "the Mighty Quin" is the most celebrated Panther in Lenoir this season he is not the only one who can flat out bring it. Two teams are on a collision course set for October 24th at Frank Barger Stadium.

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 8-5 overall, 5-3 CVAC

Coach: Chuck Cannon
Career: 59-51 (9 years)

Returning Starters: 11; 5 on offense, 6 on defense

Primary Strengths: The Panthers have all three of their running backs returning. They are a solid group led by senior Quin Smith, the team's leading rusher a year ago with 1,075 yards and 17 touchdowns on 176 carries. The offensive linemen have played together as a unit for two years and they have good size. Hibriten also has explosive receivers. Senior Dylan Crump returns for his final season after leading the team in receiving yards in 2007. The Panther defense is hard-hitting and should be much more athletic. They may also have as much speed on the defensive side of the ball as they during their outstanding 2003 season. They have an outstanding punter.

Potential Problems: Hibriten will have to roll with a new quarterback this season after the graduation of last year's starter, Billy Crane. It was Crane's ability to run as well as throw that sparked the Panther offense in 2007. In addition to passing for 1,295 yards he also netted 611 yards rushing, 2nd-best on the team. The most likely candidate to replace Crane is junior Jamichael Walton who only threw two passes last year. Finding offensive balance could be a challenge this season. One of the returning starters, cornerback Matt Edwards, broke his leg in the pre-season and is lost for the year. Suddenly a very experienced secondary is short on depth. The defensive front is a question mark until they are battled-tested.

Key Losses: Versatile quarterback Billy Crane, who led the team in total yards (1,906) last season; receiver Billy Copper, linemen Brad Clark, Cameron Dula, Cole Minton and Parker Story. Also, current senior Matt Edwards due to injury.

Overview: Hibriten is the most proficient option team in the CVAC. They are virtually the only team in the league that utilizes the option which makes it difficult to prepare for them in just a week's time. If they can find a quarterback who can execute it effectively the Panthers will be very dangerous offensively. In addition to his future as an SEC player Quin Smith recently learned that he is a cousin of former Gamecock great Sidney Rice who now plays for the Minnesota Vikings. There really isn't much Smith can't do on the football field and he proved last year that he is durable enough to play both ways for the entire 48 minutes of a game. Hibriten is the only school in the conference that has given Hickory's JV squad a hard time. In fact, the Tornado JVs have had to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on the final play of the game in each of the past two seasons. Now everybody is on varsity and that definitely makes the Panthers extremely dangerous.

#1 HICKORY

The defending CVAC champs are back for more in 2008 and despite the loss of the league's 2007 offensive and defensive players of the year, the Red Tornadoes are loaded again. And the rest of the league can't wait to just get it over with.

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 13-1 overall, 8-0 CVAC

Coach: John Worley
Career: 48-15 (5 years)

Returning Starters: 14; 5 on offense, 8 on defense, kicker

Primary Strengths: This time last year Hickory entered the season with only one full-time defensive starter returning. A year later, the defending CVAC champs have eight defensive starters returning, backed up by several other players who saw plenty of "PT" last season. Among the eight returners are five who were voted All-CVAC in 2007. Three of those are in the secondary. Another strength will be the offensive balance that is essential to a successful season. Senior quarterback Kevin Shelton and a deep corps of talented receivers will provide the balance to the outstanding rushing abilities of fullback Rakim Barrett and tailback Kyshell Geter.

Potential Problems: Four of last season's five starting offensive linemen graduated last spring. That leaves lone returner Dalton Abee (tackle) to gel with four newcomers. The success of the offense will ultimately rest on the ability of the new starters to form a cohesive, effective unit. Also, the linebacking corps will also be completely new in 2008. Stopping the run will be a priority for this group, which will consist entirely of underclassmen. They will have to grow up in a hurry in order for the defense to live up to its potential. Another potential problem is the schedule, which features trips to Bandys, Maiden and Newton-Conover.

Key Losses: Last year's CVAC Offensive Player of the Year (Darrien Burch); the CVAC Defensive Player of the Year (Austin Johnson); 80% of last year's offensive line.

Overview: All the ingredients are there for a state championship run. History has shown that when the Red Tornadoes have an experienced defense and a balanced offense they are extremely hard to deal with. The only real question marks involve a lack of experience - not a lack of talent. Once the offensive line gels it should be an even more effective group than last year due to an increase in size (219 lbs. per man in '07; 236 lbs. per man in '08). The new starting linebackers aren't on the level of Austin Johnson nor are they seniors but they have good strength and quickness. Once they have mastered new Def. Coordinator Wayne Hicks' schemes they will be a force to be reckoned with. In the end perhaps Hickory's greatest strength this season is the leadership of an outstanding senior class. As a group they are 33-1 during their careers at Hickory. Expect more of the same in 2008!

Hickory ranks 10th in pre-season Sweet 16 poll

The first Sweet 16 poll of the new season is out and Hickory comes in at #10. The Red Tornadoes are one of only two Unifour teams to receive a ranking. Hibriten will begin the 2008 season ranked #16.

As I've said before the one genuine value of a pre-season poll is to show some respect for a quality program. So although a pre-season poll (especially an all-inclusive one like the Sweet 16) doesn't "prove" anything about how the season will turn out it does prove that Hickory is on the minds of the Observer's writers. It's almost time for the Red Tornadoes to start increasing that respect level by whipping some teams on the field. Crest will do for now!

It ain't for everybody, believe me...

Wanna know why some news-type people go into TV journalism while others wind up working in radio? Did you ever wonder what is the true difference between somebody who speaks the news and somebody who writes the news? Well, allow me to show you...

It's one thing to read about the Charlotte Observer's Sweet 16 poll but it's quite a different matter when watching Observer sports writer Cliff Mehrtens present the latest rankings. Watching Cliffy do his thing for the camera is an experience. I promise you that whether it makes you laugh or cry (or maybe just laugh until you cry) rest assured that you will get emotional from the experience. So without further ado, I present Cliff's pre-season video installment of the Sweet 16 rankings.

But wait! There's more...

Here are Mehrtens and the other half of the Observer's dynamic duo, Langston Wertz, Jr., in their first Prep Insiders video blog of the season. Sportscenter? College Gameday? Who needs 'em? Prep Insiders, baby. That's what's up!

HHS Alumni Update #4: Patrick Shelton

There is a definite sense of optimism on the campus of The University of the South this August. With 49 returners in better shape than they were a year ago and a record 43 freshmen from 17 states expected to produce some immediate results, the Tigers expect to turn some of their losses in 2007's 1-8 record into victories this year. The players have chosen the motto “finish” for the coming season.

A crucial element to any improvement this season is the return of Hickory's own Patrick Shelton at quarterback. Patrick won the job early last season and went 98-of-176 for 1,119 yards and six touchdowns. He also netted 106 yards rushing on 65 carries. The success of Sewanee's new pro-style offense will rest largely on his shoulders. At 6'1, 215 pounds Shelton has certainly been busy in the off-season preparing to lead his team.

"Last year I began by splitting time and ended up starting the last six games of the year," said Shelton. "We are intending to throw the ball more this year and I am hoping to complete over 60% of my passes and improve my efficiency rating from 111.25.

"Stats are nice," Shelton added. "But the real goal is to win games, and in order to do so we will need to score more points. I hope to put my team in a better position to do that this year. With an experienced corps of receivers coming back I feel that we could develop into a very potent passing attack."

Head coach Robert Black is pleased with the conditioning of his returning players and is confident that the hard work will pay off. He feels that the team should be more comfortable with the pro-style offense it used the last part of the 2007 season, focusing on high-percentage passes, but will keep the option game available as a change-of-pace.


















5 QUESTIONS FOR PATRICK SHELTON

1. What is your major? What career are you interested in pursuing after you graduate?

"I am majoring in Economics with an interest in Sports administration and management."

2. How would you assess the level of play in Division III football, particularly in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference?

"The level of play in Division III has dramatically increased over the years due to a larger pool of talent throughout the country. The SCAC is a very prestigious conference that sends competitive teams to the playoffs every year. One member, Trinity University, played for the Division III National Championship a couple of years back and thet are annually ranked in the Top 25. It's small college football but it's still college football."

3. Who else is in the SCAC?

"Conference members include Colorado College, Trinity University and Austin College in Texas, Depauw University in Indiana, Centre College in Kentucky, Millsaps College in Mississippi, Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama, and along with Sewanee in Tennessee is Rhodes College, which is in Memphis.

4. What is your favorite memory of playing football at Hickory High?

"Beating Maiden and Bandys in “thrillers” my senior season in front of capacity crowds were two of my favorite sports moments as they helped us wrap up the school’s first conference title in over five years. Also, just being able to play under the lights with friends that I grew up with was special."

5. What advice would you offer your brother Kevin as he enters his senior season at Hickory?

"I would offer Kevin a lot of advice but most importantly just to have fun and enjoy it because it’s once in a lifetime. There is nothing like high school football. I would love to get to play just one more game for HHS. I wish him all the best and hope he leads his team to an outstanding and unforgettable season."

Sewanee opens its season September 6th on the road at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.

The South's Oldest College Football Field

Sewanee's McGee Field is the South's oldest college football field in its original location, and the fourth oldest in the nation.

In the first game ever played there, then called Hardee Field, on November 7, 1891, Sewanee lost to Vanderbilt, 22-0.

In 1897, Coach John Heisman (as in the Heisman Trophy) brought his undefeated Auburn team to Sewanee and had to settle for a scoreless tie.

In 1948, former Southeastern Conference commissioner Roy Kramer was on the Maryville College team that lost 12-6 there.

Coach Bobby Bowden of Florida State is 1-1 on the field as a player and coach. Bowden played there in 1951 for Howard College, which lost 41-0, and in 1959 he coached Howard (now Samford) to a 20-0 win.

And speaking of Florida State... The last time Sewanee played a major football power of any kind at McGee Field was in 1949 when Florida State paid a visit and came away with a slim 6-0 victory. The following year saw Sewanee go down to Tallahasse as the homecoming opponent for the Seminoles when FSU dedicated Doak Campbell Stadium. That was Sewanee's last hurrah on the big stage of college football.


But during Sewanee's first 50 years of football (1891-1940) produced a home record of 106-15-9 (85%). Within that first half century was a near-perfect run of 51-0-4 from 1894-1913, including 32 straight wins (1901-1911), with Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi State among the fallen foes. A 7-6 loss to Georgia in 1914 barely slowed the Tigers as they were 29-4-3 at home the next 12 years.

Another interesting fact about the 3,000-seat stadium is that there are no lights. There have never been lights and, consequently, there has never been a night game played up on the Mountain.

Perhaps the most-asked question ever concerning McGee Field is this: "What's the deal with the words Yea Sewanee's Right on the pressbox?" The answer is that the words Yeah Sewanee's Right are the surviving line of a vintage 1890s cheer that goes like this:

"Rip `em up! Tear `em up! Leave `em in a lurch. Down with the heathen. Up with the Church. Yea, Sewanee's Right!"

Tradition never graduates.

The Ultimate Road Trip

The year is 1899 and you're Sewanee football manager Luke Lea. You've just blown a huge payday because you and your counterpart over at Vanderbilt couldn't agree on the proper split of gate receipts for the upcoming contest. So now there won't be a Sewanee-Vandy game in '99. There goes most of your operating budget out the window. So what do you do?

ROAD TRIP!

Being a firm believer in the concept of "go big or go home" you decide to start sending out telegrams to various schools, trying to get some paying gigs for your squad and the new coach, Billy Suter. Coach Suter is awfully young having just graduated from Princeton the previous spring. But he was quite the star athlete when he played for the Tigers. Anyway, you've got a game scheduled against Texas in Austin but that's not your concern. Afterall, Sewanee beat Texas 4-0 in Austin in 1898 enroute to an undefeated season (hey, a 4-0 record is undefeated!). No the real worry is how to bring in some much-needed revenue.

Since you're already scheduled to ride that train all the way out to Austin anyway, why not pick up a few games on the way back?

BRILLIANT!

And that's how Sewanee, the defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion and mythical "Champion of the South," came up with the ultimate road trip.

Described by some football analysts as one of the best teams ever, the Sewanee team of 1899 is accorded that lofty ranking not just for its 12-0 record but for its mid-season train ride into history.

A remarkable five wins in six days - all on the road and against Southern powers - placed the 1899 Sewanee team in a class by itself.

With stars like Ormond Simpkins, Hank "Diddy" Seibels, Warbler Wilson, J.W. "Deacon" Jones and "Wild Bill" Claiborne leading the way, the boys from Sewanee (they wouldn't officially be called "Tigers" until 1904) picked up where they had left off in 1898. They opened the season on October 21 with a 12-0 win over Georgia. Sewanee then disposed of Georgia Tech (32-0) in Atlanta, Tennessee (48-0) and Southwestern College (54-0) at home for a 4-0 slate in 14 days.

Having already matched last season's total of four wins and no losses the Sewanee juggernaut boarded a train for Austin and immortality.

On Thursday, November 9, 1899, Sewanee recorded it's fifth consecutive shutout, blanking the University of Texas, 12-0. The following day the team arrived in College Station and posted a 10-0 win over Texas A & M. On Saturday, November 11, a stopover in New Orleans resulted in a 23-0 romp over Tulane. The team took the Lord's Day off and by Monday were in Baton Rouge to face LSU. The locals were no match for the visitors and Sewanee thrashed LSU, 34-0. On Tuesday the train rolled into Memphis for a game with Ole Miss. This fifth and final game of the trip wound up as a 12-0 victory for Sewanee. Not only had they survived the trip they dominated every team along the way.

For their final home game of the season the Iron Men of Sewanee annihilated poor Cumberland College, 71-0. Then it was down to Montgomery, Alabama, for a game with John Heisman's Auburn squad. Heisman was already well-regarded in collegiate football circles but he wasn't quite a legend yet. He did manage to make an impression on the Sewanee players, however. Although Sewanee defeated Auburn that day (November 30) Heisman's squad was the only one to put points on the board against Sewanee's Iron Men. The final score: Sewanee-11 and Auburn-10. The season came to a glorious close just a few days later when the Iron Men eked out a 5-0 win over the University of North Carolina in Atlanta.

And Luke Lea? Well, as it turned out, people forgot all about his little spat with Vanderbilt. All's well that ends well...













The undefeated Iron Men of Sewanee's 1899 team

Red Tornadoes previewed on WSOC-TV

A couple of weeks ago a cameraman from Channel 9 sports spent a good two hours filming Hickory's practice. The preview aired Friday night. In the video Hickory is the second team previewed, after Watauga. Coach Worley and senior Mikey Shook are interviewed.

Tuscola coach impressed with Trevin Parks

In an article published yesterday in the Waynesville newspaper, The Mountaineer, Tuscola head coach Donnie Kiefer had nothing but good things to say about Hickory football, especially split end/cornerback Trevin Parks after witnessing the senior's 2-touchdown, 3-interception performance at the Border Bash last Friday.

"Overall, I thought it was a good thing for every team,” said Kiefer. “One of the exciting things was seeing Hickory play so well with Knoxville Fulton. Hickory has a player, No. 5, I believe that was one of the best I’ve ever seen on a high school football field."

That's high praise from a coach who definitely recognizes talent. I myself heard him commenting on Trevin's performance Friday night and that #5 needs to play college football. And with many big-time programs keeping an eye on Kiefer's star quarterback, Tyler "T-Bro" Brosius, one can imagine that he might tip 'em off to this kid from Hickory by the name of Trevin...