#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.