Former Red Tornado star Ryan Succop has been the most reliable member of the 2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team. In recognition for his efforts in last Saturday's victory over the University of Alabama-Birmingham Ryan has been selected the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
This is Ryan's third time to be named SEC Player of the Week. The other two times were following South Carolina's victory over Mississippi State in 2006 and Georgia in 2007. The Ol' Ball Coach will be sorry to see Ryan go, that's for sure!
Wooo baby, yeah! The Terrible Terry Tate Defensive MVP Award goes to sophomore Tyshon Chisholm for his breakout performance against Maiden. I have already been impressed with his running and receiving capabilities. It doesn't surprise me at all to see him running wild on the defensive side of the ball as well. Offensively or defensively this kid needs to be on the field somewhere as much as possible. He is a playmaker, period. For the record, Tyshon's defensive numbers were 14 total tackles (11 solos), two tackles-for-loss and a sack.
Tyshon was certainly not the only one making things happen on defense last Friday night. Mikey Shook had his usual excellent game, finishing with 13 total tackles. Mikey also caused the fumble that Buddy Withers returned for Hickory's first touchdown. Our senior cornerbacks Trevin Parks and David Dula both made contributions to Justin Sizemore's interception total. Trevin had two picks and Dula had one. Fellow seniors Clay Johnson and Chavis Shuford also turned in good performances. Those two combined for 15 tackles, including a couple of tackles-for-loss by Shuford. He also was credited with a "quarterback pressure."
But I want to make a special point of bragging on the underclassmen. Considering his lack of varsity defensive experience, Tyshon's performance against Maiden was thoroughly impressive. But he was just one of many underclassmen who were getting it done in such a big way that it creates real excitement for what they can accomplish next season.
Keep in mind that seven of the top 10 tacklers last week were underclassmen. There are no senior linebackers this season. The outside linebackers, Buddy Withers and Tyler Barnette, combined for 21 total tackles. Barnette also snagged an interception while Withers lived every defender's dream by converting a turnover into six points. Buddy also broke up a pass and was credited with a "quarterback pressure." On the inside it was Drew Siciliano and Chisholm taking care of business. Siciliano finished the night with eight tackles. Cole Smithey saw limited action after last week's injury but he got a tackle and a "quarterback pressure."
There was also improved line play from the underclassmen. Junior tackles Alex Martin and Alex Dezayas combined for 10 tackles, easily their best performance of the season. And then there was defensive end D.J. Holloway. He finished with seven tackles, three of which were tackles-for-loss and another was a big sack of Justin Sizemore. With the nightmare part of the schedule now upon us, the rapid development of the younger defensive players is happening at just the right time.
Well it wasn't a great week for picks. The final game of the week was played last night up in Morganton with the expected outcome: another loss for the Freedom Patriots. That improved my results to 6-3 for the week. For the second week in a row I had trouble with South Caldwell and Alexander Central. The Spartans shutout McDowell in Marion and improved their record to 3-3 after a 1-3 start. Suddenly South is a contender in the NW4A? Meanwhile, Watauga beat Alexander Central in Taylorsville using a ball-control passing attack. The Northwestern Conference race should be an interesting one.
I also whiffed on my upset special, Fred T. Foard vs. Newton-Conover. I thought that Foard's "double e" (experience + efficiency) would be just enough to turn back the Red Devils. But Newton came out and applied their usual 2nd-half sleeper hold on the opposition. Boom, boom, out went the lights. How lucky is Hickory to be able to play these two teams in back-to-back weeks? Never a dull moment around here!
The biggest surprise in my opinion was how easily Hibriten rolled over St. Stephens out on Trailer Park Road. Makeup games can be tricky (Hickory's 2005 Homecoming game with Newton being a prime example) but I thought Saint would give the Panthers a much harder time than that! Coming a week after Hickory failed to beat the Indians and suddenly St. Stephens morphs into the French Army and waves the white flag in the first quarter? WTF? Hopefully the lopsided margin had more to do with St. Stephens suffering an emotional letdown after the natural high of finally beating Hickory than with the raw power of the Panthers! I guess we'll all find out in a few weeks...
The Red Tornadoes took care of business in the rain Friday night, whipping the Maiden Blue Devils 17-7 in Tom Brown Stadium. The win kept alive Hickory's hopes for a share of the CVAC title as the Red Tornadoes (2-1 in CVAC and 3-2 overall) are now in a three-way tie for second place with the Patton Panthers and this week's opponent, Fred T. Foard. Maiden (0-3 in CVAC and 1-4 overall) has now lost its last four games.
It was a sloppy game played in sloppy conditions as the rain fell throughout the contest. Fumbles were plentiful, especially for Hickory. The Red Tornadoes lost three fumbles but had no interceptions. Maiden quarterback Justin Sizemore was intercepted four times and Maiden also lost a fumble that was returned by junior Buddy Withers for Hickory's first touchdown. So despite the wet conditions Hickory's turnover ratio for the season actually improved to +6.
Another impressive statistic came in the passing department. Kevin Shelton completed seven of his 11 passes (64%) with no interceptions. That's 13 points higher than his overall completion percentage going into the game. Sizemore, by comparison, completed only four passes for a mere 47 yards. For the season he has thrown eight interceptions compared but only three touchdowns. Folks, that is not how the spread offense is supposed to work.
The ground games of the two teams were relatively equal. Once again Rakim Barrett led the way for Hickory, rushing for 72 yards (including a 19-yard touchdown) on 15 carries. He also caught a couple of passes for a total of 13 yards. Kyshell Geter found it tough going as the Maiden defense was apparently keying on him. He finished with 25 yards on 18 carries.
Hickory's defense kept the Blue Devils in check all night with the exception of Jacob Lineberger's touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. The "Mountain Man" Steve Ohnesorge of WBTV would call that an "oh-by-the-way touchdown." Maiden's leading rusher was Jordan Shade with 33 yards on 24 carries (1.4 yards per carry).
Another bright spot for Hickory was the play of junior kicking specialist Patrick Smith. Patrick continues to improve on a weekly basis and he played a big part in Friday night's victory as his punts repeatedly pinned the Blue Devils deep in their own territory. It's always true that field position and defense wins ballgames but it is especially relevant in bad weather. Most of the game was played in Maiden territory. Smith also hit both extra points and nailed a 30-yard field goal.
This will be the final football game between Hickory and Maiden. Hickory's combined record (Varsity and JV) against the Blue Devils now stands at 9-1. That, my friends, is what domination looks like.
Last Thursday night the rain did not let up. Neither did the Hickory High Junior Varsity as the Young Tornadoes pounded Maiden, 36-8, at Frank Barger Stadium.
Hickory's JV is now the only undefeated team in the CVAC. There is a big logjam of teams tied for second-place as we head into Week 7. Once again signs are pointing to Newton-Conover being the major threat to yet another conference title and, of course, The Streak. The Newton game will take place in the friendly confines of Frank Barger Stadium. The Young Tornadoes will have to face Hibriten in Lenoir, which can be a tricky place to win a ballgame. However, the Panthers have already lost a couple of games this season so that they may not be the threat they have been the last two seasons. But certainly they are not to be taken lightly.
The Hickory JV winning streak now stands at 60. The Red Tornadoes have also won 79 of the past 80 games going back to the 2000 season. That 2000 season was the last time Hickory JV did not win a conference championship.
In the first three victories this season the freshmen running back tandem of Casey Stinson and Quai Linebarger has simply and literally run roughshod over the competition. Stinson, for instance, racked up 379 yards and two touchdowns on only 31 carries (12.2 yards per carry, 126 per game). Linebarger was right behind him, with 345 yards and seven touchdowns on 47 carries (7.3 yards per carry, 115 per game). Linebarger in particular had a signature game against St. Stephens when he rushed for 209 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries.
In last week's Maiden game, however, it was sophomore T.J. Wimbush's turn to shine, even in the downpour. Wimbush picked up 129 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries. In other words, half of his touches resulted in scores and he averaged 21.5 yards per carry. Quai Linebarger was on his way to a great night (3 carries for 33 yards and a TD) when he suffered an injury and had to leave the game. Stinson finished the night with seven carries for 44 yards. Two other Tornado backs, Shaquan Reid (3 carries for 19 yards) and Tyree Rhinehardt (3 carries for 26 yards), also had brief but productive moments running the ball.
How dominant is the Hickory JV right now? Even in pouring rain the Tornadoes had success throwing the ball against Maiden. With sophomore starter Nick Bush sidelined with a fractured collarbone the freshmen quarterbacks, Kyle Johnson and Michael Helms, have struggled with the passing attack. But last Friday night they each completed their only pass attempts. Johnson found Jordan Walls-Davis on a 38-yard pass that should have been a touchdown. The referee insisted that the receiver was down at the one. Hickory scored on the next play. Later it was Helms connecting with Ciani Vega on a 52-yard touchdown pass. Two passes by two different quarterbacks to two different receivers resulting in two completions for 90 yards and a touchdown. You know what I call that? Sweet.
For the record, both Johnson and Helms have completed passes on 2-point conversion attempts. Johnson hit Walls-Davis for a 2-pointer against Bandys and found Steven Davenport open in the end zone on a conversion pass against St. Stephens. Last Friday night Helms connected with tight end Michael Payne for two points.
But it's not just on offense that the Young Tornadoes have been impressive. I can't say enough about the defense. There a great deal of speed on the defensive side of the ball. But the best thing about the defensive unit is the hardnosed, aggressive attitude. It's clear that these players, and really the entire JV squad for that matter, just really enjoy playing the game of football and love to hit and make noise and represent.
Of course, they aren't the first JV squad to have success on the field, along with the swagger and boldness that comes with the territory. It's an unfortunate fact of life that sometimes, as players mature and move on to the varsity and get closer to graduation, the enthusiasm for the game dissipates. I really feel, however, that this 2008 JV has the right attitude and hunger for the game and that it will continue to grow when they move up to varsity.
This is a must-win game for both teams. Maiden hasn't lost four consecutive games since Ronald Reagan was in the White House. And the Blue Devils haven't missed the playoffs in a long time, either. But that's what they are facing if they can't find a way to beat the Red Tornadoes.
Hickory needs to get right with this season in a hurry. There is no time left for soul-searching and "figuring things out." With Fred T. Foard and Newton-Conover up next things could get out of hand very quickly. As it is, Hickory is facing a potential playoff problem. Keep in mind that the CVAC only receives two playoff spots for its trio of 3A teams. Somebody is always the odd man out. In the past three years that has been somebody else's problem - not Hickory's. But after losing to St. Stephens last week and with Fred T. Foard coming to town next week it just might be Hickory left without a chair when the music stops. The last time Hickory lost to Foard was also the last time Hickory failed to make the playoffs. That's ominous. Please note that I'm suggesting that a loss to Foard automatically means Hickory won't go to the playoffs. That's not how it works. But obviously losing to both St. Stephens and Foard would put Hickory in a difficult spot. The Red Tornadoes must finish the season ahead of at least one of those teams.
I don't know why the Maiden folks decided to go ahead and play the game tonight in the rain. The Blue Devils want to establish their passing game and make good use of quarterback Justin Sizemore. The running game is not that strong and it got even less strong with the suspension of fullback Joshua Friday. The bad weather should not affect Hickory nearly as much. The offense is geared toward pounding the ball. The rain shouldn't be a factor. Perhaps Brian Brown has come up with a completely new strategy...or maybe he just wants to get this over with.
Tonight's games should provide some clarity in the murky CVAC title chase. Somebody is guaranteed to get their first loss of the season when Newton-Conover visits Fred T. Foard. And if St. Stephens can keep the momentum going following last week's historic win over Hickory, the Indians might be able to knock Hibriten from the ranks of the unbeaten. The flip side of that coin is that a Hibriten victory will eliminate the Indians from title contention. Three other teams, Hickory, Patton and Bunker Hill are hoping to stay in the hunt. There are also playoff implications for a couple of teams. There are only two playoff berths available for the CVAC's three Class 3A teams. For the first time in the league's short history the playoff race for the 3A schools is wide open.
NEWTON-CONOVER (2-0, 4-0) AT FOARD (2-0, 4-0)
Series Notes: The Red Devils have won seven of the last eight meetings in this rivalry, including the last three. Last season the Tigers hung with the Red Devils for most of three quarters before bowing out. Newton scored 16 unanswered points to turn a slim 21-17 lead into a 37-17 final.
What to look for tonight: Newton-Conover is the #3 team in the AP poll for Class 2A while the Tigers are now receiving votes in the Class 3A poll. A win tonight would surely push Foard into the state's top 10 for the first time since...when? But that's all just window dressing. The real issue at stake here is the race for the CVAC title. Newton shared the title in 2005 and 2006. Fred T. Foard hasn't competed for a conference championship since 2000. Strength of schedule favors the Red Devils but the Tigers have steamrolled over the opposition this season and are probably as well-equipped to deal with the Red Devils as anybody in the Unifour. The Tigers have played virtually flawless football this season. An argument could be made, however, that tonight's game is the first real test for Foard. Starting tonight, the Tigers could be facing a three-game losing streak (Hickory and Hibriten are their next two opponents). The key matchup tonight will be Newton's explosive offense versus Foard's league-leading defense. As I mentioned a couple of days ago the Tigers have a tendency to jump all over the opposition in the first half and force them to be one-dimensional. Newton plays rope-a-dope in the first half and then relies on halftime adjustments and occasionally a thrown chair by the head coach to pulverize teams in the second half. If Newton falls behind early in the contest the Red Devils may not be able to come back against the Tigers. On the other hand, Foard has not yet been tested in the latter stages of a game. The pressure of a tight ballgame with time running out may derail the Tigers. The Red Devils have been tested and have not blinked. We'll see if the Tigers have got the nerve.
HIBRITEN (2-0, 4-0) AT ST. STEPHENS (1-1, 3-1)
Series Notes: The Panthers have won three in a row in this series. Prior to 2005 St. Stephens had owned Hibriten, winning five straight. Last season the Indians took the Panthers into overtime before falling on the road, 27-24.
What to look for Saturday tonight: The Panthers and Indians are in a situation that is very similar to Newton-Conover and Fred T. Foard. The only difference is that St. Stephens has already visited Newton's woodshed. Hibriten wants to keep pace with Newton-Conover while St. Stephens wants to avoid being eliminated from the title chase. The Indians also don't want to fall behind Foard and Hickory in the battle for the league's two Class 3A playoff berths. St. Stephens was in this position last year, too. In 2007 the Indians took a 3-0 record into their game with Hickory only to lose it by a single point in the final seconds of the contest. St. Stephens went to Lenoir the next week and lost to Hibriten. So for the second week in a row the Indians are looking to avoid a repeat of history. The Panthers have played all but one of their games this season on the road and have not been hurt by the experience at all. Hibriten hung tough in North Wilkesboro and came away with a big win over Wilkes Central. Indian Stadium will be rockin' Saturday night but nothing that the Panthers can't handle. This contest will probably turn on three things: defense, special teams and turnovers. It may be that Saint's best weapon is kicker Brandon Hall. If he can do to the Panthers what he did to Hickory then Hibriten might have trouble putting points on the board. By the same token, Quin Smith is a game-changer and has the ability to disrupt anything the Indians might attempt on offense. Whichever team protects the football best will win.
BUNKER HILL (1-1, 1-3) AT PATTON (1-1, 2-2)
Series Record: This is the first meeting between these two juggernauts.
What to look for tonight: Here we have another good news, bad news situation. The good news is that both teams are currently tied for second place in the CVAC with one conference win apiece. The bad news is that there are no more West Caldwell's on their schedules. The good news is that somebody is going to get a win tonight. The bad news is that neither team will win another game this season. I have to give the nod to Patton in this contest because they have the stronger rushing attack and a better defense. The Panther backfield has scoring threats in running backs Brandon Bethel and Winfield Johnson but also a quarterback - Cody Story - who can beat a defense with his legs. When he airs it out Story likes to look for sophomore receiver Zack Cole, who averages 25 yards per reception. Bunker Hill will continue to rely on sophomore running back Devontaye Wilson and junior quarterback Cameron Beard. This outcome of this one is really anybody's guess. If Patton gets a win tonight they will looking to sneak up on somebody and get the required fourth win to become eligible for the playoffs. That, the homefield advantage and the natural enthusiasm of a new program should help the Panthers keep moving in the right direction.
WEST CALDWELL (0-2, 0-4) AT BANDYS (0-2, 1-3)
Series Notes: Bandys holds a comfortable 9-2 advantage in this series. The Trojans have no fear of the Warriors when playing at home, either. West Caldwell has never won a game at Butler Stadium.
What to look for Saturday night: Obviously Bandys is not the program that it once was but with a week off to pull things together the Trojans definitely have enough offense to blow the Warriors away. Mike Setzer's team is learning and growing but I don't see them standing up to the passing attack that we know Kyle Houser possesses. Plus I was impressed with how well Bandys ran the ball against us in the second half. If the Trojans can duplicate that effort again tomorrow night then they should roll over West Caldwell...for whatever that's worth.
The big CVAC matchup of the week takes place down at Fred T. Foard when the Red Devils of Newton-Conover come calling. We are now entering some weird, alternative universe where the Tigers are hosting a battle of 4-0 teams. Surely the alarm clock will go off in a minute and wake me up from this nightmare! Hibriten will get tested at St. Stephens. The other game in the area that interests me will take place at Cougar Flats when the Watauga Pioneers come down from the mountain to visit Alexander Central. Let's get down to business.
Hickory at Maiden Winner: Hickory
Bunker Hill at Patton Winner: Patton
Hibriten at St. Stephens Winner: Hibriten
Newton-Conover at Fred T. Foard Winner: Fred T. Foard
West Caldwell at Bandys Winner: Bandys
East Burke at A.C. Reynolds Winner: A.C. Reynolds
South Caldwell at McDowell Winner: McDowell
Watauga at Alexander Central Winner: Alexander Central
Grandview's Daniel Davis (#11) and Jordan Lockhart (#49)
The Grandview Eagles and Northview Hawks are the kings of the Catawba County middle school football world.
Last season the two Hickory High feeder schools rolled through their seasons undefeated and faced off in the All-American City Classic last October. The Hawks won a thriller and completed their season undefeated at 7-0. The Eagles, who had won the previous two Classics, settled for the runner-up spot and a 6-1 record.
This season both schools have picked up right where they left off last season. After yesterday's games the Hawks are 3-0 while the Eagles are 2-0. For more information on Hickory's middle school powerhouses, visit the middle school football page on TornadoPride.com.
Northview defeats Newton-Conover, 12-6
The Hawks went on the road for the first time this season and scored a crucial win over the Red Devils. Corey Stinson and Jalen Thompson scored for Northview to give the Hawks a 12-0. The Red Devils took advantage of a Hawk fumble to pull within a touchdown but a defensive stalemate ensued. Neither team was able to score in the second half. Coach Mike Mackie's team will face the Jacobs Fork Jaguars next Wednesday at Fred T. Foard's Tiger Stadium. The Hawks will look to increase their 10-game winning streak.
Grandview holds off Arndt, 12-6, in overtime
Coach Todd Teague's Eagles took on the Arndt Redskins at St. Stephens and came away with a hardfought overtime victory. The Eagles literally ate up the entire first quarter on their initial offensive possession. They eventually scored in the second quarter on a short run by Shaquille Smith. The Redskins managed to tie the score late in the game to send it into overtime. Grandview scored immediately and then held off the Redskin offense to clinch the win. The Eagles will be at home next Wednesday to host the Mill Creek Green Knights.
With the first quarter of the 2008 season now in the books, it's time to take a look at how each team in the CVAC has fared so far. Each team has played four games overall and two games against CVAC opponents. Right now the league breaks down into three neat little groups. At the top are three teams with 2-0 records in the CVAC. At the bottom are three teams that are winless in the CVAC. In the middle are the other four teams, each with one conference loss. It's guaranteed that these groups will be broken up this week when Newton-Conover visits Fred T. Foard and West Caldwell makes the long drive down to Bandys. But for the moment here's how each CVAC team has stacked up so far.
THE LEADERS:
Fred T. Foard... The Tigers have been explosive in rolling to a 4-0 record this season. The signature win was a 47-14 road victory against Maiden. It was Foard's first win in Maiden since 1982. The Tigers piled up a 40-0 halftime lead against the Blue Devils, highlighted by Quinton Owens' four touchdowns. Owens, who finished the game with 77 yards on 12 carries, reached the end zone on runs of six, five and nine yards and then punctuated his performance by intercepting a Justin Sizemore pass and returning it 28 yards for yet another touchdown. Quarterback Landon Isenhour directs the offense with workman-like precision and has made good use of Trent Safrit. The senior wide receiver is averaging 25 yards per catch so far this season. As you might expect from a team with 17 returning starters, the Tigers have been fundamentally sound on both sides of the ball and in all aspects of the game. Foard leads the league in total defense by a wide margin.
Hibriten... The Panthers piled up a 4-0 record before taking last week off. Like Foard, Hibriten is among the CVAC's top three in both total offense, total defense and turnover ratio. The passing game is not as essential to the Hibriten offensive attack but quarterback Jamichael Walton can strike through the air when necessary. He torched the South Caldwell defense in Week 2 by completing six of eight passes (75%) for 160 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-0 romp. The Panthers tend to blow out the opposition in the first half and then cruise through the final couple of quarters. But when the game is on the line in the fourth quarter, like it was in Week 1 against Wilkes Central, the Panthers take care of business. In that game the Eagles cut Hibriten's lead to 19-16 in the final period. The Panthers responded by scoring two quick touchdowns (South Carolina-bound Quin Smith scored on runs of 1 and 28, respectively) to win going away. Smith is as good as advertised on defense. He is everywhere.
Newton-Conover... Like Foard and Hibriten the Red Devils are 4-0 on the season. But Nick Bazzle's team goes about its business a little differently. Whereas the Tigers and Panthers go for the quick knockout, the Red Devils seem to prefer the "rope-a-dope" technique for wearing an opponent down before applying the knockout punch in the later stages of the game. In each of their past two games the Red Devils have appeared to struggle in the first half against St. Stephens and Maiden. Newton's halftime lead against the Indians was 8-0 with star tailback Dorian Jones having nothing to show for his efforts. Last week in a win over Maiden the halftime score was 7-0 in favor of the Red Devils. After the half, it's a different story. Newton scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to clinch a 21-6 win over the Indians. Jones picked up almost all of his 137 rushing yards in that final period. Last week against Maiden the explosion came in the third quarter as the Red Devils scored 29 unanswered points in a 36-7 win. Another scary aspect of Newton's game is the uncanny ability of the Red Devils to create turnovers. Newton is currently +10 in turnover margin, which is by far the best in the CVAC.
THE CHASERS
Hickory... The Red Tornadoes continue to improve, despite last week's setback against St. Stephens. For the first time this season Hickory boasted not one but two running backs with 100-yard performances. With the re-emergence of tailback Kyshell Geter the CVAC now knows that Hickory does indeed have three capable backs. Rakim Barrett has been solid every week and is on pace to get that 1,000-yard season. Sophomore Tyshon Chisholm has displayed a knack for scoring big-play touchdowns both as a runner and a receiver. Quarterback Kevin Shelton is taking care of business in the passing department. Prior to the "pick-6" that he gave up to Caleb Peterson last week, Shelton had only thrown one interception and even that was really the fault of the receiver when he tipped a catchable ball into the arms of the cornerback. While the overall production of the offense is less than what it was in 2007 there is balance, which keeps the other team's defense guessing. Defensively, the Red Tornadoes have done just enough to win. From a defensive perspective the loss last week was more of a draw. The winning margin was ultimately provided by the pick-6 in the first half. The bend-but-don't-break philosophy of this defensive scheme can be frustrating at times but I have to believe that every snap takes the Red Tornadoes a little closer to where they need to be on defense. The spread offense can really wear a defense out and Hickory has seen a steady diet of it so far this season. And guess what? Maiden runs the spread, too.
St. Stephens... Obviously the big news over on Springs Road was the historic victory last week against Hickory. The win brought the Indians to 3-1 on the season and confirmed for all that St. Stephens is a fundamentally sound football team. The Indians are really the sum of their parts. You can't point to any particular aspect of their game and say "that's their bread and butter." But they are good enough to exploit the other team's mistakes, which is the mark of a good team. In years past a team could make mistakes, give up some points and still be able to pound it down Saint's throat. Not this time. You make a bad throw against the Indian defense and you will get burned. You shoot yourself in the foot with penalties, the Indians will take good field position and score. Brandon Hall's kickoffs were ruthlessly effective, a la vintage Ryan Succop. Hickory had no choice but to drive the full 80 yards and that's hard to do on a consistent basis. Hickory dominated the stats but it was St. Stephens who made the crucial plays to put the winning points on the board. Time will tell if the Indians can maintain this "just win baby" mentality.
Patton... Yes, the Panthers are technically on a level with Hickory and St. Stephens for the moment. Yes, they are probably a better team than most people would have imagined in the pre-season. No, the Panthers are not genuine contenders for anything but an early start to basketball season. Patton's two wins (over Andrews and West Caldwell) have come against teams with a combined record of 0-8. Last week's loss to Fred T. Foard provided a more realistic example of what Patton can expect the rest of the way. The Tigers rolled to a 48-0 lead before the Panthers managed to avoid the shutout late in the game. Patton's strength on offense is its rushing attack, which is always a pretty good place to start. The ground game, spearheaded by junior Brandon Bethel, is not good enough to overcome the lack of a reliable passing attack or the lack of speed and depth on defense. When all is said and done, the bottom line is that Patton is a first-year varsity program and these are the problems that a newbie is going to face. The team features 13 freshmen and sophomores but only six seniors. This time next year the Panthers could easily be 4-0. But in 2008 things are about to get ugly for the New Kids. This week they host Bunker Hill which means that a 3-2 record is very possible. Then Patton will have to go on the road against Newton-Conover. That's when the fun stops. I think a 3-8 final record is a good possibility. That isn't half bad when you consider that St. Stephens was 0-11 in 2005 and Bunker Hill posted 1-10 and 0-11 records the last couple of years.
Bunker Hill... The Bears finally got that elusive victory they've been looking for since their last win (42-28 over 1st-year team Carson on September 1, 2006), more than two years ago. So, congratulations to the boys from Claremont. They will go for consecutive wins when they drive up to Morganton this Friday for a tickle war with the Patton Panthers. If the Bears can defeat the 1st-year program on Enola Road they will have put back-to-back wins together for the first time since October of 2004. Like Patton, Bunker Hill's CVAC victory came at the expense of lowly West Caldwell and it took overtime to get it done. The oddity of last week's victory was that it did not involve the passing game. Bunker Hill quarterback Cameron Beard only threw 12 passes, which is half of what he normally attempts. The Bears had a mere 20 yards passing which is way below their average. So apparently West Caldwell came in with a plan to shut down quarterback Cameron Beard. It wasn't a problem for the Bears, however, thanks to the talent of sophomore tailback Devontaye Wilson (18 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns). Beard and Wilson are underclassmen, so Bunker Hill may see happier times in 2009 but this week's contest at Patton is probably the last realistic opportunity for a victory. If they do win this week the Bears will have doubled their wins total from the past two seasons. I guess that qualifies as progress.
THE STRAGGLERS
Bandys... The good news for the Trojans is that they're 1-3 after four games. Last year they were 0-4. Furthermore, they've got West Caldwell, Bunker Hill and Patton coming up next. So I would expect the Trojans to be 4-3 when they host St. Stephens for Homecoming on October 17th. That's when things will get dicey again. It's ironic that of Bandys' final four opponents the least dangerous is Maiden. St. Stephens, Fred T. Foard and a season finale against Newton-Conover are all tough tests. But until then look for the Trojans to start winning and the local newspaper to start raving about the miraculous "turnaround" at Bandys. That's what happened last year but at the end of the season the result was the same: not even a sniff of a CVAC title for the Trojans. As expected, quarterback Kyle Houser has put up some big passing numbers. And against Hickory I saw some strong running by tailback Josh McCombs. But overall the ground game has not been solid and neither has the defense. The result has been a three-game losing streak on the heels of an increasingly puzzling victory over Mooresville in the opener. Mooresville hasn't lost a game since... I really can't explain how they managed to lose to Bandys. Probably the biggest casualty of all is Bandys' reputation.
Maiden... Is the glass half full...or half empty? Maiden is 0-2 in the CVAC. One could argue that it's because the Blue Devils have had the misfortune of starting off with Fred T. Foard and Newton-Conover. So, it's like they've already taken a lot of bad medicine and can now look forward to getting fat and sassy on the league cupcakes (West Caldwell on Oct. 10th, Bunker Hill the following week and Patton in the regular season finale). They also have a shot at beating archrival Bandys. The glass half empty theory, on the other hand, would suggest that one of the reasons that Foard and Newton look so strong right now is because Maiden is also a conference cupcake. In other words, are the Tigers and Red Devils really that good? Or is Maiden simply that bad. That question could be answered this Friday night when the Tornadoes blow into town. One thing we know for certain: the Blue Devils will be shorthanded on offense and defense this week (and next) due to the suspension of senior fullback/linebacker Joshua Friday (6'2, 215). Friday was ejected from last week's game against Newton-Conover for fighting and according to NCHSAA rules must sit out the next two ballgames. Friday is Maiden's top tackler as well as their short-yardage go-to guy on offense. This will hurt tremendously when the Blue Devils need to convert on 3rd- and 4th down or punch the ball into the end zone. It will also create some opportunities to exploit the Devil defense. Whoever takes his place won't be as big or as experienced. That's gotta hurt.
West Caldwell... The good news is that the future has to be better than the present or the recent past for the Warriors. There is no place to go but up and I have repeatedly insisted that Mike Setzer will get his alma mater back to where it used to be. By the time that happens, of course, West Caldwell will no longer be on Hickory's schedule so we won't really care about it. The bad news for the Warriors is that they've pretty much blown their chances to win a game in 2008. Back-to-back losses to Patton and Bunker Hill mean that West Caldwell is probably headed toward an 0-11 season. If that happens it will be the third different team in three different years during the short history of the CVAC that a league member has gone winless. The others, of course, were St. Stephens in 2005 and Bunker Hill in 2007. That's a blackeye for the CVAC and just another reason why I'm so happy to see Hickory move out of the conference and get away from the nonsense after this school year.
After playing second fiddle to Tyler Barnette in the Bandys game, senior Mikey Shook took back his spot at the top of the tackles chart with a great game against St. Stephens. Therefore, the Terrible Terry Tate Defensive MVP Award for outstanding service against the heatherns from Trailer Park Road goes to #11, Michael Shook.
For the record, Shook racked up 18 total tackles (10 solos) to which he added an interception that he almost took into the end zone. While I'm happy for Mikey, I would rather have the linebackers making all the tackles. The linebacking corps was pretty consistent. Smithey and Withers each had nine tackles while Barnette and Siciliano finished the night with eight tackles apiece. Siciliano led the team in tackles for loss with two. Geter and Smithey also recorded tackles for loss. D.J. Holloway was credited with a quarterback pressure.
Nevermind the fact that there were players in this game who were newly-born infants the last time St. Stephens defeated Hickory on the football field. I've discovered something really weird...
Did you know that in 1993, the year that Saint managed a 21-7 win over the Red Tornadoes, there was also bloody conflict in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia? That year the conflict involved not South Ossetia but the other separatist enclave within Georgia's boundaries: Abkhazia. Russian troops intervened in that conflict, as well. Let's hope that the peace process continues over there. We don't need any more trouble here at home!
But seriously folks...
Despite the history-making loss to the Indians, there were some bright spots for the Red Tornadoes. The best thing about the game was seeing Rakim Barrett and Kyshell Geter churning out 100-yard performances. I'm not sure why Tyshon Chisholm wasn't used more on offense but I'm not going to second-guess the coaches on that one.
The passing game was, on the whole, pretty good. The pick-6 that gave Saint its first touchdown was just bizarre and I'm sure Kevin would love to have that one back. Interceptions returned for touchdowns happen from time to time. Heck, Mikey Shook almost returned the favor with his interception that got us close to the goal line. Take away the pick-6 from Caleb Peterson (who had a career night against us) and it's tied, 21-21. Each offense scored three touchdowns.
I would also like to point out that the 3rd-down call in the fourth quarter was a good one. Despite what the idiot line judge said, the pass was complete to Trevin Parks and would have been a first down. I was standing right there and he clearly caught the ball, had control of it, and was beginning to advance on the goal line when the Indians caught up with him and knocked the ball loose. It was a catch and a fumble out of bounds, period. The linesman blew it and stubbornly refused to even consider that he might have been out of position and simply made a bad call. Nope, he had to go all BCRS on the coaches, which is a shame.
The odds are pretty good that Hickory scores a touchdown if that pass play had stood. Then the coaches would have had the option of kicking for the tie or, maybe, going for the win with a 2-point conversion. Now we'll never know. But for the people who want to say it was bad playcalling on Coach Worley's part, I have to disagree with them. It was a good call not only because the catch was made and should have been a first down but also because it's a play that we have run successfully in previous games this season...and scored touchdowns with it!
Regarding the areas where I think the team has struggled (O-line, defense, special teams) I have to give passing marks to the O-line and the defense. It's hard to be negative about the blockers when you have a pair of backs who each get 100+ yards on the ground and a quarterback who was one blown call by a ref away from another 100-yard passing performance.
Other than the three scoring drives by the Indians our defense shut 'em down for the most part. It was either feast or famine for Saint's offense. The key to their success was the ability to convert on third down. They got the yards when they needed them the most. That's the sign of a pretty good ballclub, which St. Stephens is.
Special teams was still a little shaky but the impressive thing was not that our guys did poorly but that St. Stephens' kicker, Brandon Hall, pulled off a great impression of Ryan Succop. Every kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback, forcing Hickory to march 80 yards every time. That's what our opponents used to have to deal with on a regular basis. Luckily both Hall and Peterson (and Patrick Jenkins and Graham McRary) will be gone after this season.
This loss reminds me of the shock I felt when we lost to East Burke in the 2003 season opener. It was shocking for two reasons, actually. First, everybody knew that the Red Tornadoes were going to be very good. So it was surprising for them to lose coming out of the gate. Second, the Cavaliers hadn't beaten Hickory since 1991. Was it the end of the world? It felt like it a little bit that night. But it didn't prevent the Red Tornadoes from compiling a 10-3 record and a trip to the second round of the playoffs. The only thing that really stood in Hickory's way that year was the eventual 3AA state champion Crest Chargers. The loss to East Burke was aggravating for a brief moment...and then the Red Tornadoes got down to business. I expect them to do something similar this week against Maiden.
I didn't really expect to witness history in the making last Friday night but that's what happened. For only the second time in 22 attempts the Indians of St. Stephens managed to get a win against the Red Tornadoes. The last time it happened (1993) the only thing that happened afterwards was a string of 14-straight wins by Hickory over Saint. So if history repeats itself then today's newborns will be in high school the next time the Indians "make history." By then, of course, the folks at St. Stephens will have been forced to scrap their nickname and everything associated with it for the sake of political correctness. C'est la vie!
I misfired on a couple of Northwestern Conference games to bring my record for the night to 8-3. In the case of Alexander Central versus Wilkes Central and South Caldwell versus South Iredell, it was the 4A schools who dominated. Normally this is exactly what you might expect but around here the 2A schools always hold their own against bigger schools. I thought South Iredell might get one against South Caldwell based on the fact that the Vikings knocked off Statesville the week before. Now it looks as though the Greyhounds just gave that game away. Meanwhile, the Cougar running back tandem of Logan Chapman and Kyle Bradshaw continued to power the Alexander Central offense. The Cougars beat the Eagles by three touchdowns. So, there you go.
There's been some chatter this week that maybe the Indians have Hickory's number this year. I seriously doubt it... Yes, the Indians have the same overall record as Hickory and they do have some weapons. But the 2008 St. Stephens Indians have nothing on the 2001 team. Now that team was a challenge for Hickory.
If you recall, when Hickory hosted St. Stephens at Frank Barger Stadium on October 12, 2001, the Indians boasted a 6-1 overall record. They were on a six-game winning streak after dropping their opener to Newton-Conover. They had senior tailback Thomas Gordon, the most producive back in the conference. Gordon was averaging 167 yards and two touchdowns per game. Even more impressive was the fact that he averaged exactly 10 yards per carry.
In a chilling preview of what Hickory could expect from Gordon and the Indians, St. Stephens had annihilated Fred T. Foard the week before, 68-6. Gordon was Superman that night, rushing for 277 yards on 10 carries, scoring five touchdowns on the ground and also catching a 13-yard TD pass. That same evening the Red Tornadoes had celebrated Homecoming by throttling the R-S Central Hilltoppers, 55-0.
But Hickory's record was only 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference. Their losses (to Statesville, Newton-Conover and Crest) had all been by wide margins. Prior to crushing the Hilltoppers, Hickory's other victories (over East Burke and South Caldwell) had been close contests that had not been particularly inspirational for the Tornadoes. Coming a week after suffering a bad defeat down at Crest (and falling below .500) the romp over R-S Central provided a big boost for Hickory's football psyche. It paved the way for what was shaping up to be an epic Battle of Hickory.
As usual, there was plenty of trash talking and promises on the part of Indian players and fans that they were going to humiliate the Red Tornadoes in their own stadium. They said that St. Stephens was the program of the future in Hickory while the Red Tornadoes were in decline. Gordon was going to run all over the Tornado defense. Quarterback Shane Matthews would pass at will to his top receiver, Brent Downs. They were going to do this in Hickory's stadium...
WBTV's "Mountain Man" Steve Ohnesorge was there to film the game for Football Friday Night. Frank Barger Stadium was packed as it always is for the Battle of Hickory. But the Indian fans made a crucial mistake. They placed a large paper banner on the front of their stands that read OUR HOUSE. I was infuriated. I know everybody else on the home was not at all pleased by this bit of disrespect. The Indians, under then-head coach John Jarman, were notoriously rambunctious. Just the year before Jarman had denied Hickory the use of the visitors locker room in the Indian field house. So Coach Elder had warmed up the team at Hickory and then bussed over, arriving after the National Anthem. Then the Red Tornadoes walked silently onto the field. A year later the Indians were really full of themselves. They thought they had good reason to be...
On the first play from scrimmage, the Indians lined up in an peculiar, unbalanced formation and tried to throw deep. Well, Shane Matthews threw it deep all right but right into the arms of Tornado safety Brian Parson at the Hickory 29. It took the Red Tornadoes six plays to score the first touchdown (a 42-yard pass from Cole Kenworthy to Roddy Long). Ryan Succop's PAT made the score 7-0 in favor of the "underdog" Tornadoes.
Succop's kickoff pinned the Indians deep and the defense forced the Indians into a 3-and-out situation. The snap sailed over the punter's head and through the end zone for a safety. After a 19-yard return by Desmond Burch on the free kick gave Hickory possession at its 48, the Red Tornado offense went back to work.
Kenworthy hooked up with Sterling Sanders for a 47-yard pass completion to the St. Stephens eight. Hickory was flagged for illegal procedure, pushing the ball back to the 13. Fullback Craig Barnette scored on the next play. Succop's kick made it 16-0 with 6:29 left in the opening quarter. Hickory put two more touchdowns on the board before halftime (5-yard run by Parson and a 13-yard run by Barnette) to take a 31-0 lead into the locker room. Mysteriously, the OUR HOUSE sign vanished from the Indians' wall.
St. Stephens saved some face in the second half, scoring a couple of touchdowns in the third quarter and one more in the final 12 minutes. But Hickory also scored a couple of touchdowns after the half, both involving Barnette. Craig caught a 9-yard pass from Kenworthy (whose dad was a former Indian quarterback in the early '80s) and also got in on a 3-yard run. The final score was 45-20. The humiliation and humbling of the upstart Indians was a beautiful thing for every member of the Tornado Nation. What a night it was! I must have watched the segment on Football Friday Night a thousand times. It never gets old. That's what this rivalry is all about!
ABOVE and BELOW...Varsity players and other members of the Mighty Tornado Nation enjoy a Thursday night at Indian Stadium as the Young Tornadoes administer another beating!
The Red Tornado JV overcame some sloppy play on their part to overwhelm the Indian defense in a 27-17 victory. The win improved Hickory's record to 2-0 in the CVAC and 3-0 overall. The St. Stephens JV dropped to 1-1 in the CVAC and 2-1 overall.
Leading the way for Hickory were freshmen running backs Quai Linebarger and Casey Stinson. Linebarger rambled for 209 yards and four touchdowns while Stinson contributed an additional 121 yards. Linebarger's touchdown runs were of 19, 13, 12 and four yards.
Also scoring for Hickory were sophomores Steven Davenport (2-point conversion pass from Kyle Johnson) and T.J. Wimbush (2-point conversion run).
I'd like to give a shout out to the offensive line: Tyler Jackson, Ryan Tyree, Deangelo Morzon, Jordan Williams, Daniel Rowe and tight end Michael Payne. Great job, fellas!
The Junior Varsity winning streak now stands at 59 and counting. Hickory has also won 78 of the last 79 games.
I said last week at this time that things were going to get interesting in the CVAC and boy did they ever! Fred T. Foard and Patton are up near the top of the standings while Maiden is near the bottom and Bandys is down at the end of Lonely Street in...Heartbreak Hotel. Meanwhile, in the Northwestern Conference, league play doesn't begin until next week. It's a down year for the conference and I'm thinking that the only undefeated team left - A.C. Reynolds - could taste defeat tonight in Waynesville. Let's do this.
Bunker Hill at West Caldwell Winner: Bunker Hill
St. Stephens at Hickory Winner: Hickory
Maiden at Newton-Conover Winner: Newton-Conover
Patton at Fred T. Foard Winner: Fred T. Foard
Alexander Central at Wilkes Central Winner: Wilkes Central
Ashe County at Watauga Winner: Watauga
McDowell at Surry Central Winner: McDowell
A.C. Reynolds at Tuscola Winner: Tuscola
South Iredell at South Caldwell Winner: South Iredell
The CVAC championship race suffered its first casualty last week. Stick a fork in Bandys 'cause the Trojans are done. The Red Tornadoes held Kyle Houser to less than 100 yards passing, approximately 200 yards below his per game average. Three more teams will be officially eliminated from contention tonight.
Meanwhile, the race goes on for the true contenders: Hickory, Hibriten and Newton-Conover. Oh...and Fred T. Foard! Sorry, I'm still getting used to the idea that Mountain View is the new Biggest Little Football Town in the World!
MAIDEN (0-1, 1-2) at Newton-Conover (1-0, 3-0)
Series Notes: The Blue Devils are clinging to a slim 20-17-1 lead in this series but it's the Red Devils who have been dominating lately. The two teams have played each other four times in the past two seasons with Newton claiming three victories.
What to look for tonight: Tonight the Red Devils pick up where they left off last season when they eliminated Maiden from the Class 2A playoffs. In fact, Newton-Conover beat the Blue Devils twice last season. Folks, this is not a good Maiden football team. On top of having almost no rushing attack to speak of, the Blue Devils are reeling from last week's shocker and the chemistry is all wrong. Even if Tom Brown were still stalking the sidelines I wouldn't give Maiden much of a chance but without his motivational skills I just can't see this team getting its act together enough to derail the Red Devil Express. Don't be surprised if A.J. Bazzle out-performs Justin Sizemore in the passing department tonight. Entering the season most people would have pegged Sizemore as the second-best passer in the CVAC behind Kyle Houser. Nobody would have said Foard's Landon Isenhour ranked with either of them. Yet Isenhour completed 50% of his passes last week for 111 yards while Sizemore completed only 25% of his passes for a grand total of 50 yards. He also threw two interceptions. The difference between Bazzle and Sizemore tonight will be the fact that Newton-Conover has a much more balanced offense and one that can move the ball effectively on the ground. This will create a greater number of favorable opportunities for Bazzle when it's time to go airborne. The Blue Devils don't do anything very well - offensively or defensively. Tonight Maiden joins Bandys on the bench with the other teams that won't compete for the CVAC title.
PATTON (1-0, 2-1) at FRED T. FOARD (1-0, 3-0)
Series Notes: Stop! You had me at hello... These teams have never played each other in a varsity game.
What to look for tonight: I seriously doubt anybody saw this coming. The Tigers have a really good chance of going 4-0 tonight when they host the New Kids. I don't know if or when the Tigers have ever begun a season with four straight wins but I think it will happen, barring a bizarre meltdown in the form of costly turnovers and penalties. I'm still not buying the notion that Patton is for real. Beating tiny Andrews and woeful West Caldwell may be cause for celebration on Enola Road but it's not gonna cut the mustard in the CVAC. Reality sets in for Patton and the long road to nowhere begins at Propst Crossroads. The least experienced varsity team in the conference comes face-to-face with the most experienced. With Landon Isenhour under center the Tigers have the ability to burn the Panthers via the airways almost as easily as on the ground. As previously mentioned Isenhour had a great night throwing the ball against Maiden. Also impressive, however, was running back Jaheil Washington, who picked up 102 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. His running mate, Quinton Owens scored three rushing touchdowns and also scored on a 27-yard pick-6. But Patton has a couple of running backs who can make things happen, too. Brandon Bethel is Patton's leading rusher and he broke loose for 150 yards last week in a 20-18 win over West Caldwell. Winfield Johnson came close to the century mark with 95 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback, Cody Story, is also a threat to run with the football. But Patton hasn't dealt with a defense like Foard's and everybody's stats are going to suffer. Foard wins this one hands down.
BUNKER HILL (0-1, 0-3) at WEST CALDWELL (0-1, 0-3)
Series Notes: Once upon a time Bunker Hill had a 7-0 lead in this series. But West has won the last four encounters. Last year's contest down in Claremont went to overtime, with the Warriors coming out on top, 23-17.
What to look for tonight: One thing is for certain: Somebody has to win this pillow fight. Yes, that's right. One of these teams is going to have their perfect season ruined. West Caldwell has dominated this series recently but on paper it seems that Bunker Hill has the more dangerous weapons. The Warriors played well against Patton but still couldn't put the New Kids away. Bunker Hill took a 49-0 beating at the hands of the visiting Hibriten Panthers. Since West has already blown its opportunity with Patton I'm afraid that if the Warriors can't beat the Bears tonight they may not beat anybody this season. If Bunker Hill loses tonight the Bears can still go on the road next week and hope for victory against Patton. I think the Bears do win this one thanks mostly to the combination of quarterback Cameron Beard, tailback Devontaye Wilson and wide receiver Robert Davis. They've also played a tougher schedule (hard to believe but Cherryville, North Lincoln and Hibriten trumps Ashe Co., South Caldwell and Patton). This is where Bunker Hill's 22-game losing streak comes to an end.
Business has picked up the last couple of years in the Battle of Hickory. The perennial underdog St. Stephens Indians have been knocking on the door and are hoping that this week's clash at Frank Barger Stadium will finally bust that door open. Beating Hickory High would take the Indians to a whole other level of excitement and satisfaction.
The misery and frustration that the Indians and their fans have suffered at the hands of Hickory High is not as long-standing as that of the Foard faithful against Maiden. Afterall, Saint did beat Hickory in 1993, nearly a decade after Foard's previous win against the Blue Devils. To be exact, the Indian losing streak to Hickory now stands at 13 and counting.
During that span there have been some close calls and several blowouts. Just in the last four games we have seen the extremes of both ends of the spectrum. The 2003 and 2004 games ended with Hickory on top, 56-0 and 47-0. The past two seasons, however, have been sickeningly close: 17-10 in 2006 and 31-30 last year. But for a missed PAT as time expired the game would have gone into overtime. The worst part about that game was the big lead that the Red Tornadoes squandered in the second half. Don't think for a moment that the memory this near disaster doesn't linger on for the Tornadoes.
So now it's 2008 and once again Hickory High enters the contest as the favorite despite having an identical 2-1 record as St. Stephens. Once again there is optimism over on Springs Road that this could be "the year." And true to form the Indian fans like to run their mouths about why they think their team will win. Usually such conversations include a reference to Hickory's program being on the "decline" or that Hickory lost too many great players to graduation and is rebuilding or the Indians have an impressive new player who transferred in from somewhere else and is going to "run all over" Hickory. We've all heard it many, many times.
Sometimes there is even some truth to the talk. There is no question that Jamelle Jeffries, a transfer from Cherryville, played a big part in Saint's near-victory in 2006. Sometimes the transfer occurs much closer to home, as in the case of former Red Tornado linebacker Jerry Grillo. For the past four years he was the linebacker of the future for Hickory. Now he is the linebacker of the here-and-now for St. Stephens. It was a good pickup for the Indians and he's already helped to solidify what has been a pretty good defensive unit so far. He set up Saint's only touchdown against Alexander Central in Week 2 with his 50-yard fumble return. His presence will add spice to Friday night's game for sure.
Another reason for high spirits in Indian Territory is the new head coach, Fred Whalen. The former offensive coordinator under Doug Justice, Whalen is responsible for installing the spread offense at St. Stephens. When Justice left suddenly to take the job at North Henderson back in June, the SSHS didn't hesitate to elevate Whalen because that's what the players and other coaches wanted. So everybody over there is happy about the way that situation turned out. And Coach Whalen got the best kind of start to his first season as "the skipper": an impressive 43-14 win on the road at West Lincoln. This was followed up by a rousing performance by the defense in a 10-7 win against Alexander Central in the home opener. First-game wins by first-year head coaches at St. Stephens don't happen very often. That's just another reason why the Indian faithful are highly energized these days.
Even in last week's 21-6 loss to Newton-Conover had some silver linings for the Indians. With an extra week to prepare, the Saint defense literally shut down the high-powered Red Devil offense. Newton's Dorian Jones, arguably the top running back in the CVAC, was completely held in check and had next to nothing in terms of yardage in the first half. The Devils and Mr. Jones got it cranked up in the final two quarters and won going away. But the Indian defense definitely made a statement last week. And you know that they don't have the same respect for Hickory's 2008 offense that they did for Newton. Frankly, Hickory is still struggling somewhat on the offensive side of the ball. The Indians think they see a chance to disrupt Hickory's plans this Friday. That means it's time to circle the wagons and protect Red's House!
Can you hear the drums? And are those smoke signals I see coming from the East Side?
They call him Terrible Terry Tate. He is simply the greatest office linebacker in the history of the game. But hardly anyone knows that Terry Tate played is high school football right here in Hickory. He embodies the spirit and the fury of the Red Tornado defense. And there's nothing he liked more than beating up on the St. Stephens Indians. In honor of this week's showdown with the Indians I present some of the highlights of Terry's amazing career.
As you know by now, the defensive stats from each game can be found on the 2008 Tornado Stats page of TornadoPride.com. For the record, the team's leading tackler in each of the first two games was senior safety Michael Shook (16 total tackles in each game). This past week, however, junior linebacker Tyler Barnette topped the charts with 16 total tackles. He also broke up a pass and had a couple of "quarterback pressures." So I'm awarding The Garnet & Gold Report's Terrible Terry Tate Defensive MVP Award to Tyler this week.
I also want to give some special recognition to junior Jason Hill. Jason saw significant playing time Friday night as an extra defensive back to defend against the Bandys passing attack. Jason finished the game with eight total tackles (putting him 3rd on the list behind Barnette and Shook) and also intercepted a Trojan pass and caused a fumble. He is also one of the fastest players on the team, so this is clearly just the beginning of his impact on the defense. I am looking forward to seeing him continue to develop as a player. Congratulations to Tyler Barnette, Jason Hill and the entire Tornado defense!
G&G: Terry, it's been over 25 years since your last game in a Tornado uniform. You're back in town this week to watch Hickory High play St. Stephens this Friday night. Are you excited?
TTT: Hell yeah, Triple T is excited. I remember playin' those boys my first three years in school. After we got through with them my junior year they tucked tail and ran, man. What was that score?
G&G: The final score in the '82 game was 53-6.
TTT: Sounds about right. That's how we rolled back then, man. Those boys from over there had nothin' on us when we got on the field. We taught them to fear us, baby.
G&G: Exactly right. Well, it's still that way today. What would you say to this year's Tornadoes as they prepare for the big game on Friday?
TTT: Hell, I'd probably tell 'em a couple of things that I learned a long time ago, baby. First of all, there ain't no secret to success in business or in life! The solution is simple, baby! One hundred percent heart, all day, everyday. Only quitters quit, and Triple T is a hitter, not a quitter. Believe that! That's what Coach Barger told us back in the day. He was right about it then just like I'm right about it now.
G&G: That's good stuff. What else would you tell the players?
TTT: Well I'd remind them boys to not take the so-called Indians for granted. I mean, you know... They ain't got much goin' on over there but that don't mean they won't try to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Hickory this Friday. Ain't no days off in this league, baby! Look man, fun is fun. Ain't no problem with chillin', when the chillin's right. But when things ain't happenin' the way they supposed to happen, you know it's time to condense the nonsense. I'm tellin' myself if I'm goin' out there Friday night for Hickory that just because it's Saint don't mean I'm out to lunch - I come to play, baby!
G&G: Terry, even back then you had a reputation for trash-talking that pumped up your teammates and intimidated players from the other teams. What kind of stuff would you say to Indians if you were on the field going after them this week?
TTT: [Chuckles] Well you know that me and my boy Kevin Hendrix were pretty notorious. But yeah, I'd probably get after that Indian quarterback just like in the old days. And after I drove his helmet a couple feet into the ground I'd jump up and yell somethin' like Wooo! You know you can't bring that weak ass stuff up in this humpy-bumpy! You can run, but you can't hide! Woo-baby-yeah! Your ass trapped in Red's House now, baby, Hickory's House of Pain! And there ain't no escape from that! Wooo!
G&G: I hear ya! You know, it's a shame but nowadays there are so many rules about celebrating and taunting and trash-talking that it's about to ruin the game. The refs these days would bury you in yellow flags now. I'm waiting on them to start conducting sensitivity training courses for players. What do you think about that? I know it has to bug you.
TTT: Hell yeah, it freaks me out, man. It ain't right! And I see it in my workplace, too. It's everywhere. Sensitivity trainin'? Hahahaha... Hey man, I'm a sensitive motherf***er. My tacklin' knows no race, gender, or creed! So bring it on! I'm an equal opportunity hittin' machine, all day, everyday, believe that. I am an enforcer man. Don't nothin' go down in my house. It's 100% heart, baby. Sure I check a few fools. I give 'em the pain. But sometimes it's about intimidation you know. It's mind games.
G&G: Absolutely...absolutely. So I hear congratulations are in order for you. You recently won a very prestigious award?
TTT: Ha ha, yeah. I just won the OSPN Office Athlete of the Century award. I gotta admit, Double G, I'm damn proud of that award, too. And I wanna thank the good folks at Felcher & Sons for giving me the opportunity to shine. Did you see the special OSPN did on me?
G&G: I sure did, Terry. In fact we'll play a clip from that segment in just a few minutes. But first, let's talk briefly about the injury you sustained a couple of weeks ago. What happened?
TTT: Well, it was a Monday-morning thing that just kinda happened. I mean, I was movin' down the aisle by the cubicles and just as Triple T reached the corner the dude with the mail cart rammed me in my left leg. I went down quick because of my knee. You always gotta worry about those knees, you know?
G&G: And yet you're already planning to go back in there? That's amazing, considering the severity of the injury.
TTT: You can't hurt this! I'm a machine, G! I'm built for this, son! Woo! Woo! Playin' hurt? Baby, that don't phase me! I don't got time for pain. The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is! Any bitch-ass think I'da lost a step, 'cause of what happened? 'Cause what happened to my knee and such?? Well he in for a surprise. A rude, painful surprise!
G&G: Well, let me just conclude by saying that in all my years of working in an office I've never seen any athlete rule the cubicles like you, Terry. You are the very definition of "office linebacker" and I couldn't be more proud to claim you as one of Hickory's own.
TTT: [Chuckles] Well thanks again, Double G, baby! Hey, I just do my job man. I do what my God-given abilities allow me to do and I thank Jesus Christ for it every single day. And do I enjoy what I do? [Chuckles] Hell, yeah.
G&G: Does it bother you that your jersey looks more like a St. Stephens jersey than a Hickory one?
TTT: Well, it ain't a perfect world, you know? I'd love for some Indian fan to run his mouth about it, though!
G&G: Any final comments for the Indians?
TTT: Oh yeah! You wanna play games St. Stephens? Well Terry's back, and I got a new game for you, St. Stephens! It's called "How Much Pain Can Saint Stand, Before Saint Learns Not To Play Games Anymore". That's my game, that's Hickory's game, and when it's game time, it's pain time, baby. Woo! Get ready for the pain, Saint! The Pain Train is comin! Wooo!
***Satire is a good thing and you will see a lot of it on this site. However, The Garnet & Gold Report does not condone or encourage any kind of taunting, excessive celebration or trash-talking that may result in a costly penalty. Trash-talking and taunting belongs in the office environment - not the playing field. Please behave responsibly when you are out on the field. Humiliating the Indians by scoring 10 touchdowns, however, is strongly encouraged! lol
But here is something that I'm sure the Foard folks who were in school that year remember very well...
Top 10 Music Singles from August, 1982
1. Eye Of The Tiger ...Survivor 2. Hurt's So Good ...John Cougar 3. Abracadabra ...Steve Miller Band 4. Hold Me ...Fleetwood Mac 5. Hard To Say I'm Sorry ...Chicago 6. Even The Nights Are Better ...Air Supply 7. Keep The Fire Burnin' ...REO Speedwagon 8. Vacation ...Go-Go's 9. Wasted On The Way ...Crosby, Stills & Nash 10.Take It Away ...Paul McCartney
But genuine cool was on the way! In September of 1982 one of the great television comedies of all time premiered on NBC... NORM!
I am so proud of the Red Tornado defense. In years past the Achilles Heel on defense for Hickory was the secondary. The primary threat posed by the Bandys Trojans on Friday was the throwing ability of junior quarterback Kyle Houser. The area's leading passer, Houser lit up the Tornado coverage last season for nearly 300 yards and five touchdowns to erase Hickory's 21-0 lead and force the game into overtime. The fact that the Tornadoes eventually won the game did nothing to diminish the effect of Houser's passing. He was only a sophomore. How much more damage would he do with a year's worth of maturation?
Fast forward to last week. As expected, Houser began the season in a blaze of passing yardage despite being one of only three returning starters on offense. After his first three games he was quickly approaching the 1,000-yard mark already. And what about big Seth Cranfill, the 6'3, 215-pound wide receiver? How on earth would the Tornado cornerbacks match up with him? Some of the "professional experts" were picking the Trojans to win, despite their 1-2 record. A common sentiment on the message boards was that while Hickory "should win" there was something out there that made it seem like Bandys might shock everybody and pull the upset. And then there was the thing about the last time Hickory's varsity visited Gary Butler Stadium the Trojans got their only win over the Tornadoes.
But the Red Tornadoes had the cure for all the doubters: just win baby! For the fourth consecutive time the game was decided in the final 12 minutes of the contest and for the third time in four meetings it was Hickory that came out on top. And now that Bandys has joined other area schools in refusing to play Hickory anymore this marks the end of this faux-rivalry. All the talk of the great new rivalry between Hickory and Bandys turned out to be just that: a lot of hot air.
Except on the field.
I can't remember seeing four consecutive years where the game was as tight as these games with Bandys. The average margin of victory over the course of the four games was less than a touchdown.
In 2005 Hickory led 10-7 after three quarters only to see Bandys surge ahead, 19-13. Darrien Burch's 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown brought the score back to a tie at 19-19 (San San Te's PAT failed). Carlos Shade scored the game-winning touchdown after LeQuan McCorkle lost a fumble. The final Trojan scoring threat ended with less than two minutes to go in the game on an interception.
The 2006 game ended in a Bandys victory only after Hickory failed on a 2-point conversion attempt that would have sent the game into overtime. Last year's game did go into overtime. Last Friday's game probably would have gone into overtime if not for the kind of late-game heroics we are becoming accustomed to from Kevin Shelton and Trevin Parks.
Please don't let the headline of this piece fool you. I am definitely not overlooking the accomplishments of the offense. It gives us the fans a great sense of confidence whenever we see the team finding ways to put points on the board exactly when the team needs them the most. Even in the loss to Statesville it was gratifying to see the offense still pounding and passing its way down the field.
But in my mind the unit that faced the biggest test was the defense. The Bandys defense was very green - not just in uniform but in experience. They only had one starter returning from last season. So to a certain degree it was expected that Hickory's offense would have success against a young Trojan defense. But nobody had stopped the Bandys passing attack. And if Bandys picked up exactly where it left off at the end of the 2007 game then last Friday might have been a bad, bad night for Hickory.
For the record, Kyle Houser entered the contest averaging approximately 328 passing yards per game. By the time the Tornado defenders were done with him 48 minutes later, he only had 98 yards on 11 completions. His completion percentage was a mere 39%. He had no touchdown passes. And Cranfill? He suffered from an acute case of David Dula all evening long and wound up with only one reception for 14 meaningless yards. And this is why I say that the defense won this game. The opponent's primary weapon was simply taken away.
To give Bandys head coach Randy Lowman a little credit it should be mentioned that he did make a sound adjustment at halftime and turned the ball over to senior tailback Josh McCombs and junior fullback Trenton Millsaps. The Trojans had some success on the ground. But even then it took a blocked punt and a bogus call by a line judge to set up the second and third Bandys touchdowns.
Although he doesn't get nearly as much acclaim for his passing skills as Houser and the kid from Maiden, our own Kevin Shelton has been very sharp in all three games thus far. Against Bandys he went 7-13-1 (54%) for 158 yards and a touchdown. And even his interception was actually a catchable ball that landed in the arms of the Bandys cornerback after being tipped by the intended receiver.
So yeah, the Hickory quarterback had a much higher completion percentage as well as 50 more yards. Shelton had two touchdown passes...the phenom from Balls Creek had exactly none. How do you like them apples?
I did not get the two 100-yard rushers that I was hoping to see. Instead I got a couple of 80-yard rushers. But that's ok by me. We'll get 'em next time. Rakim Barrett runs as hard on every play as anybody I've seen out there. When the offensive line finally gets their act together he will shine. And Tyshon Chisholm has proven to be not just a great runner but also a reliable receiver coming out of the backfield. His versatility will be key in the crucial games coming up in the next six weeks.
Finally, I can't say enough about senior Trevin Parks. I've yet to see him lose focus or lose his cool in a game, even when the team seems to be struggling. I remarked on it after the Border Bash and I've seen it in every game since then. Like the outstanding pointguard that he is, Trevin wants the ball in his hands when the game is on the line, period. I saw it again Friday night. Not only did he catch Shelton's pass late in the game but he kept himself from falling out of bounds and got into the end zone with second effort. He turned a completed pass into the game-winning touchdown. It won't be the last time. Of that I am absolutely certain.
I encourage all members of the Tornado Nation to buy a customized brick to be placed in the HHS Walk of Fame. We are in Phase II of our campaign to raise the remaining funds needed for completion of the Hickory High Athletic and Fitness Center. By buying a brick, your tax-deductible donation will allow for the completion of this state-of-the-art facility, while preserving a place in history among past, present and future students and supporters of our school.
The bricks will be placed around the front entrance of the building and eventually we hope to add them to the walkways leading from the new building to the different athletic fields and possibly to the main school building.
Each brick is 4" x 8" and cost $100. Bricks will be engraved in all capital letters, with a maximum of 21 total characters and spaces per line. You may have as many as 4 lines, but the manufacturer suggests a maximum of 3 lines looks best. All text will be centered. You can get an order form online or in the school's main office.
Please make check payable to: HHS Athletic Complex Campaign and return to school office or mail to:
Former Red Tornado star Ryan Succop has been the most reliable member of the 2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team. In recognition for his efforts in last Saturday's victory over the University of Alabama-Birmingham Ryan has been selected the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
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