Red Tornadoes turn the corner

Barrett picks up some of his 180 yards

This is the time of year when Hickory frequently gets a dramatic victory, usually an upset, and occasionally in overtime. Hibriten came into the game with a 7-1 record and a #7 state ranking. Hickory entered the contest with a 4-4 record and in tight competition with St. Stephens for an automatic berth in the playoffs.

The situation from a Hickory standpoint reminded me of this scene from The Blues Brothers:



But it was the Red Tornadoes who took the fight to Hibriten last night in a hard-hitting, big-play game that defied the odds and ended in a tie that required two overtimes to break. Even though the final score went against Hickory the game was about as close to a "win-win" situation as you will find in football.

The heavily favored Panthers got their first-ever victory over Hickory and in doing so kept pace with the other CVAC leaders, Newton-Conover and Fred T. Foard. Hibriten's conference championship hopes hung by a thread and the Panthers knew it. In the end, they scored the winning points and then stopped Hickory to secure the victory.

But make no mistake about it. Hickory came away with a win, too. On two different occasions the Red Tornadoes fell behind by 14 points. And both times they fought their way back. The fact that the game had to go into overtime was a victory for the Tornadoes. How you fight is how you will be remembered.

Our Red Tornadoes fought hard and well. The intensity of the players, several of them newcomers to the varsity, was great to see. The obvious adjustments to the defensive gameplan was great to see.

The determined running of senior Rakim Barrett, as usual, was great to see. Back in action after being held out of last week's game for disciplinary reasons, Rakim had his best game ever, rushing for 180 yards and two touchdowns. That brings his season total to 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns. He reminds me of former Tornado running backs Brandon Michaux and Craig Barnette. Both of them were tough, dogged runners who took hard hits and kept right on going.

The list of things that made me happy last night at the game is pretty long. David Dula's 51-yard kickoff return following Hibriten's touchdown that made the score 28-14. Dula's big return set up the first of Barrett's touchdowns. That made the score 28-21.

Then there was the big hit that freshman Dametrius Lewis and junior Dalton Hudson put on the Hibriten kick returner, forcing a fumble that was recovered by junior Jordan Thompson at the Panther 21. Barrett scored from there on the very next play. It's always great to see one of our running backs break into the clear and gallop to the end zone.

Then there was the Hibriten field goal attempt that would have given the Panthers a victory except that the ball hit the left upright and bounced away, no good. Hey, sometimes you have to be lucky. The excitement on the sideline was terrific. That's when the game is really fun (as long as the breaks are going your way).

The intensity of the players, from beginning to end, was great to see. I also enjoyed how excited and pumped up they were when they tied the game. Hickory has had nothing but success in overtime in recent years. The players were completely confident about their chances of success in the overtime periods. And they had good reason to be. There were some things Hickory did on offense that Hibriten never did really stop.

I was so happy with the way the Tornadoes handled the challenge of playing one the best teams in the state that it took a little while for the sting of the loss kicked in. To come so close to victory when most people didn't think it even possible is a bummer. But now the players and their true fans know that they can be successful on the field this season. And the seeds of greater success have been planted.

The Red Tornadoes now have an opportunity to sharpen their game against the conference cupcakes, West Caldwell (0-9) and Bunker Hill (1-8). If all goes according to plan the Tornadoes will enter the playoffs. There is still a possibility that they could secure the second automatic berth if St. Stephens loses its last two games. Otherwise Hickory will receive a wildcard berth.

Another historical moment coming up?

Jordan Wilson breaks loose at Hibriten in 2007

It's been a season of milestone victories for Hickory's opponents. Statesville got its first win over Hickory since 2001. St. Stephens beat Hickory for the first time since 1993 (and for only the second time in the series). Fred T. Foard won against the Red Tornadoes for the first time since 2000. Now here comes Hibriten, perhaps the best team Hickory has faced all year. Behind a high-octane offense and a stingy defense, the Panthers will be the heavy favorites to do something they've never done before: Beat Hickory.

This game will be the last opportunity in the regular season for Hickory to make a statement to the rest of the league. The final two weeks of the season should - emphasis on should - be routine for the Red Tornadoes. Even in this downer of a season Hickory should beat West Caldwell and Bunker Hill. I'm not encouraging the players to take either the Warriors or the Bears for granted. Of course not! I'm just stating the obvious. Those games should be Hickory wins, period. Which means that nobody will be impressed by them.

But a win this week against arguably the best team in the Unifour, coming on the heels of their victory over previously undefeated Newton-Conover, would be huge. It's an exciting moment and should be viewed as a golden opportunity - rather than a potential disaster. After all, the game is decided on the field. It's 11 guys versus 11 other guys. And the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of the Panthers, believe me.

The key matchup in my opinion will be Hickory's offense versus the Panther defense.

Statistics indicate that Hickory will have a hard time stopping Hibriten's rushing attack. Defending the run has been Hickory's biggest problem this season. The Panthers, on the other hand, are the best rushing team in the league right now. Hickory's defense is currently allowing an average of 200 rushing yards per game. Hibriten's offense is averaging 278 yards of rushing per game. They also pass the ball effectively, if infrequently. The Tornado defense could play well and still not be able to shut the Panthers down.

I think, however, that Hickory can move the ball against Hibriten's defense. Yes, the Panthers have some headhunters on that side of the ball. Yes, they hit hard. I remember being impressed at the hitting that was taking place on the field up in Lenoir. You could hear it as well as see it. Quin Smith is a beast and he will get his share of tackles. Hibriten's goal will be to stop Hickory from doing what Hickory wants to do: run the football. This should create some opportunities for success in the passing department.

I personally would love to see some deep routes thrown. Shelton can throw the deep ball as well as anybody and even if one gets picked off, it's no worse than a punt. If Shelton has time to throw he can pick a defense apart. Parks and Wilson are capable and reliable. So is Michael Shook. So is Tyshon Chisholm. Hibriten is currently allowing 114.5 yards per game through the air. That's an opening waiting to be exploited. And if Hickory's air strikes are successful then the Panthers will have no choice but to back up a bit. That's when Hickory will grind out the yards, move the chains and shorten the game.

It will require Hickory to be very efficient and very careful with the football. The Tornadoes simply can't afford to give Hibriten anything. One of the many things that the Panthers do well is to avoid turnovers while at the same time forcing the other team to turn the ball over multiple times. Hickory must take advantage of every opportunity and control the time of possession. Every drive must end in one of two ways: a score or a punt deep into Panther territory.

Field position and special teams could play a major role in this game. If the Red Tornadoes don't come away with points then they at least must force the Panthers to go 80+ yards to score. Any time you make a team go 80 yards or more the odds are against them scoring. When you're the underdog you must play all the angles and do the little things right. It may be a wet field on Friday or it may not. Hopefully the conditions will be dry. Patrick Smith has shown the ability to put the ball in the end zone for automatic touchbacks. The more he does that the fewer opportunities Hibriten will have to showcase its speed with returns.

If Hickory can take care of the "little things" such as protecting the football, getting good special teams play, avoiding silly penalties, blocking downfield, then the Red Tornadoes can put themselves in a position to win this game.

This can be done...and now would be the best time to do it!

Breaking down tonight's CVAC games

Obviously all eyes tonight will be focused on the big matchup in Gamewell, where the West Caldwell Warriors will host the Fred T. Foard Tigers in a key CVAC contest. The Warriors come in with a perfect record and seem poised to make it eight in a row for the season. I honestly don't think there is anything the Tigers can do about it, either!

In other action, the Hibriten Panthers will host the Newton-Conover Red Devils. The Panthers suffered a heartbreaking defeat last week when Coach Cannon made the decision to try a two-point conversion play for the win instead of kicking for the tie. He gambled, they lost, and now the Panthers must win tonight to keep pace with Newton and Foard. Meanwhile, the Red Devils come back this week following their fluke victory over Hickory. For those who care, this will be a contest between two teams ranked in the AP Class 2A top ten. Newton is ranked #3 while Hibriten dropped to #10 after last week's loss.


FRED T. FOARD (4-1, 6-1) AT WEST CALDWELL (0-5, 0-7)

Series Notes: Foard brutalized the Warriors last year by the score of 61-6 and guess what? It could be even worse this time around.

What to look for tonight: The Tiger scrubs have been waiting for this night all season. Everybody gets into the game when West is the opponent. Hallelujah! The Tigers will hold serve tonight and keep the pressure on Newton and Hibriten. When the night is over the Tigers will either be in sole possession of second place in the CVAC or they will be in a three-way tie for first place. It's all good for the Tigers tonight. They just have to guard against the temptation to look past West and be thinking about the big game with Bunker Hill next week.

MAIDEN (1-4, 2-5) AT BUNKER HILL (1-4, 1-6)

Series Notes: Maiden has won 18 straight against the Care Bears of Bunker Hill and yet, curiously, nobody really cares these days.

What to look for tonight: Don't even bother. Go to Butler Stadium and pull for the Bandys Trojans to beat St. Stephens.

NEWTON-CONOVER (5-0, 7-0) AT HIBRITEN (4-1, 6-1)

Series Notes: Newton leads this series, 9-2. Red Devil head coach Nick Bazzle has never lost to Hibriten.

What to look for tonight: The Red Devils seem to have everything going their way these days. They are off to their best start in more than a decade, including the 2000 season when Newton went all the way to the 2A state championship game (resulting in a loss to Southwest Onslow). Hibriten, on the other hand, has spent the past week thinking about what might have been in the wake of a painful last-minute loss to Fred T. Foard.

The two teams are very evenly matched from a statistical standpoint. They are at the top of the CVAC team rushing category and both have outstanding workhorse running backs in Dorian Jones and Quin Smith. Although they are both efficient in the pass department they are hardly prolific. Newton ranks last in the CVAC in passing yardage yet has the league's second-best pass completion percentage. These teams keep the errors to a bare minimum as evidenced by the fact that they lead the league in the turnover ratio category.

Both teams are stout on defense. Newton's defensive speed in particular can be deadly to an opposing offense. Such was the case in last week's victory over Hickory. Hibriten has a bluechipper at safety in senior Quin Smith, who has verbally committed to South Carolina. He is extremely active and covers the entire field in true headhunter fashion. The Panthers may be able to do a better job than Hickory did in defending the outside lanes. This could be an opportunity for Newton fullback Josh Thompson to have a big game.

Given the stakes involved and the close similarities of the two teams it's easy to see how this game could go down to the wire, just like it did last week for Hibriten against Foard. Maybe this week it's Hibriten's turn to catch a break.

ST. STEPHENS (4-2, 5-2) AT BANDYS (3-2, 4-3)

Series Notes: The Indians upset Bandys in 2006 and 2001 but otherwise the series has been dominated recently by the Trojans. Bandys holds a slim 23-21 lead in this rivalry.

What to look for tonight: As I predicted right after Hickory defeated the Trojans on their home turf back in September, Bandys has won three straight against the bottomfeeders of the conference: West Caldwell, Bunker Hill and Patton. Now I am seeing them described by the local experts as being "on fire." Well, of course they are. Everybody catches fire when they face West Caldwell, Bunker Hill and Patton. But now it's time for the Trojans keep "the fire" burning and get a win over the visiting Indians.

Bandys has the league's top offense despite playing the past two games without ace quarterback Kyle Houser and two other offensive starters. Senior Josh McCombs has continued to run the football with power and is racking up major yardage. With Houser and wide receiver Seth Cranfill back in action the Trojans should really be able to move the ball tonight with a great deal of success.

Yes, St. Stephens has a pretty good defense. I was particularly impressed with the play of senior Graham McRary's effort against Hickory. But the Indians have been much less successful against teams with efficient, balanced offenses. That's why St. Stephens lost to Newton-Conover and Hibriten. Furthermore, the player who did more than anybody else to beat Hickory, senior Caleb Peterson, is lost for the season. His absence didn't hurt St. Stephens in last week's win but the Indians will definitely miss him on both sides of the football tonight.

I think St. Stephens will get exposed tonight. Observers will realize that with the exception of the historical win over Hickory a few weeks ago the Indians really haven't accomplished that much this season. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Tornado Nation are with the Bandys Trojans tonight as they host the misfits from Trailer Park Road. It is a game that the Trojans absolutely must win! Just win, baby!

Breaking down this week's CVAC games

Will Fred T. Foard pull off another upset tonight? Or will Hibriten eliminate the upstart Tigers from the CVAC title chase? It's been a magical season for the Tigers so far but perhaps tonight the alarm goes off and the dream ends. Mr. Owens, meet Mr. Smith!

The Bunker Hill Bears are looking to steal one from St. Stephens down on Trailer Park Road. You may have heard that I'm a pretty fanatical Red Tornado fan. I'm also a big fan of whoever is playing St. Stephens. So, you know...go Bears!

BUNKER HILL (1-3, 1-5) AT ST. STEPHENS (2-2, 4-2)

Series Notes: St. Stephens is looking for its third straight win over Bunker Hill.

What to look for tonight: Bears quarterback Cameron Beard threw for 244 yards and a touchdown against Bandys. Unfortunately the Bears only averaged 2.4 yards per carry on the ground and had trouble getting into the end zone. They also allowed Josh McCombs to rack up 247 yards and four touchdowns on their defense. The Indian defense will shut Bunker Hill down unless the Bears find a way to keep 'em honest by running the football. St. Stephens doesn't have a back as bullish as McCombs but they do have Caleb Peterson and Antonio Sherrill who have deceptive speed. Saint coach Fred Whalen seems to come to battle with a pretty good gameplan every week and his team is certainly good enough to take advantage of whatever an opponent gives away. The jury is still on out on Bunker Hill's Ron Turner, who is in his second year as head coach. The Indians should also have a pyschological edge, as well. While the Bears are playing for pride and building towards the future the Indians know they must keep winning in order to maintain the inside track to a guaranteed playoff berth.

HIBRITEN (4-0, 6-0) AT FRED T. FOARD (3-1, 5-1)

Series Notes: Foard leads this series, 8-3. Hibriten got its third victory over the Tigers last season up in Lenoir by a score of 35-10.

What to look for tonight: Earlier in the season the Tigers didn't have to work very hard in the last couple of quarters of their games. They had big leads against inferior opponents and were able to coast a bit. The last two weeks, however, the Tigers have been pushed hard by Newton-Conover and Hickory. Foard proved to me that they know how to play four full quarters of football as evidenced by their 26-point explosion in the final 10 minutes of their historic win against Hickory. They'll get another stern test tonight from the visiting Panthers. Hibriten moves the ball with ease behind an experienced offensive line and a host of running backs led by Quin Smith. Foard has even more experience than Hibriten and doesn't make too many mistakes. This experience helps the Foard coaching staff make the right adjustments during the game which is what happened last week at Frank Barger Stadium. Another plus for the Tigers is that team speed that I raved about last week. They made a believer out of me, I have to say. Nevertheless I have to give the edge to Hibriten simply because the Panthers are more accustomed to winning than the Tigers. And the Panthers will be fighting to keep pace with Newton-Conover as they look forward to meeting the Red Devils face-to-face next week in Lenoir.

BANDYS (2-2, 3-3) AT PATTON (2-2, 3-3)

Series Notes: These two teams have never played each other. In fact, has Bandys even been to Morganton for a football game before?

What to look for tonight: Bandys wants to survive this road trip and get past the whole Kyle Houser suspension thing. For the second week in a row we can expect to see Bandys emphasize the ground game with senior running back Josh McCombs, who had a monster performance last week against Bunker Hill. But Patton can't afford to overlook Bandys quarterback Dillon Crites who did a good job last week himself, passing for 99 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers can sling the pigskin a little, too. Quarterback Cody Story was 8-11-0 for 124 yards and two touchdowns last week against Newton-Conover. Tonight he will be looking to connect with his main man downfield, wide receiver Zach Cole. In last week's game Cole hauled in five passes for 104 yards and both touchdowns. The Panthers also have a nice stable of backs. Brandon Bethel, Johnny Bristol and Winfield Johnson are all developing into rushing threats. Story himself is one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the Unifour. If the Panther line can hold up I think the sheer variety of the Patton offensive attack could be effective against a Trojan defense that has yet to impress anybody.

WEST CALDWELL (0-4, 0-6) AT MAIDEN (0-4, 1-5)

Series Notes: Maiden is 7-0 against the Warriors. Last season Tom Brown got his 350th career victory when the Blue Devils routed West by the score of 38-15.

What to look for tonight: One of these two losers is going to get its first conference win of the season. Wow. Tom Brown is gone. The mystique of Blue Devil football apparently left the building with him. The good news for Maiden is that Justin Sizemore got his mojo back last week in a 38-27 loss to Hibriten. Sizemore completed 17 of his 28 passing attempts for 344 yards and a couple of long touchdowns (80 yards to Nate Johnson and 61 yards to Cody Beal). Maiden also got a good performance from senior tailback Jordan Shade (23 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown). That kind of balance gave the Blue Devils a fighting chance against a superior Hibriten squad. Tonight the Devils play that other bunch from Lenoir and if they put up similar numbers to last week the score will be big for the home team. West Caldwell was virtually shut down last week offensively by St. Stephens. Almost half of West's total offense came on a 50-yard touchdown run by Steve Haley. It's homecoming at Maiden and the Blue Devils should win this one.

Breaking down this week's CVAC games

With the exception of the Hickory-Foard game the pickings are pretty easy tonight. The big question is whether or not Bandys has enough firepower to escape Bunker Hill with a win. The Trojans are flying without their ace quarterback Kyle Houser and his favorite wingman Seth Cranfill (not to mention tackle Kyle Talbert) due to their two-game suspension for fighting in last week's game with West Caldwell. NCHSAA rules are specific: If a player is ejected from a game for fighting then he will be ineligible to participate in the next two games. Hibriten looks to hammer another nail in Maiden's coffin while Patton visits Gurley Stadium to face the Red Devils. Good luck with that! St. Stephens versus West Caldwell? Yawn.

BANDYS (1-2, 2-3) AT BUNKER HILL (1-2, 1-4)

Series Notes: These two teams have played each other 50 times with Bandys winning 26 of the contests. Bunker Hill's last victory over Bandys was in 2000.

What to look for tonight: It's been a season of streak-breaking victories and this could be another one. The engine that makes the Bandys offense run not be on the field tonight. Without Kyle Houser the Trojans are in danger of becoming very one dimensional. If they try to maintain their usual passing attack with a first-time starter it could be disastrous. I believe Coach Lowman will emphasize the running game tonight to relieve the pressure on the new quarterback. The Trojans are capable of pounding the ball with Josh McCombs and Trent Millsaps against a thin Bear defense. I don't think the Trojans will abandon the passing game altogether, however. But the rushing game will be used to set up the pass, which is not how Bandys normally operates. Even though Cranfill is banned for two games there are still some highly-qualified receivers to utilize. The Bears can also pass the ball and Davontaye Wilson has breakaway speed. Bunker Hill may be able to mix things up on offense just enough to create some chaos for the Trojan defense. Remember that the Trojans have not been particularly stingy on that side of the ball this season.

MAIDEN (0-3, 1-4) AT HIBRITEN (3-0, 5-0)

Series Notes: These two teams haven't played each other very often but Maiden has dominated the series, 6-1. Maiden has never lost in Hibriten's Jeff Storie Memorial Stadium.

What to look for tonight: Maiden has never lost to Hibriten in Lenoir...until tonight. Hibriten is simply too good this season to blow it against a team like Maiden. The Blue Devil faithful are all scratching their heads and talking out loud about all the "talent" Maiden has and wondering why such talented players aren't doing a better job. The answer is simple: Maiden does not have talent on their team this season. The big name coming into the season was Justin Sizemore, the quarterback. But after five games he has looked merely average at best. He has thrown almost three times as many interceptions as he has touchdowns. How pathetic is that? Even his raw numbers are unimpressive, despite the fact that he is a spread formation quarterback. Hibriten runs the ball well enough that the Panthers may not even bother with the passing game tonight. They will control the ball, run that clock and shorten the game. Last year the Blue Devils upset the Panthers in Tom Brown Stadium. There's zero chance of that happening tonight up in Lenoir.

PATTON (2-1, 3-2) AT NEWTON-CONOVER (3-0, 5-0)

Series Notes: These two teams have never played each other.

What to look for tonight: There is a chance that the Panthers might put up more of a fight than most people would expect. But honestly, I don't see Patton knocking off the Red Devils. Last week Newton-Conover defeated Foard, the most experienced team in the league. The first-year varsity program from Morganton doesn't even know what it's like to deal with the Devils in Gurley Stadium. One matchup that will be somewhat interesting will be the duel between Newton's Dorian Jones and Patton's Brandon Bethel. Statistically they are two of the best backs in the CVAC. Jones is more experienced and more versatile but Bethel is a quality young running back. He will be even better next season. There are interesting similarities between Newton quarterback A.J. Bazzle and Patton quarterback Cody Story. They are capable of getting first downs with their feet as well as their throwing arms. When it's all said and done, however, Patton will head home with its second CVAC loss.

ST. STEPHENS (1-2, 3-2) AT WEST CALDWELL (0-3, 0-5)

Series Notes: West Caldwell owns the series, 11-4, but the Indians have won the last two games.

What to look for tonight: Tonight's game will mark the beginning of a five-game winning streak for the Indians. Hear me now, believe me later people! The Indians have two conference losses but that's only because they've already played the top two teams in the league. In fact, they have played perhaps the three toughest CVAC opponents they will face all season. The only quality team left on Saint's schedule is Fred T. Foard on November 7th. The local "professional experts" will probably trip all over themselves praising the magnificent "turnaround" of the Indians. Don't be fooled, though. The reason the Indians are about to embark on winning streak is because the teams they are playing include the following: West Caldwell (0-5), Bunker Hill (1-4), Bandys (2-3), Patton (3-2) and Maiden (1-4). It's too soon to tell how well the Indians will do against Fred T. Foard. If I'm right about this, then it just illustrates how crucial the Hickory-Foard game is to the playoff picture. St. Stephens could very well be 6-2 in the CVAC going into the final week of the regular season.

Pick 'em Week 6 recap

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...

Breaking down this week's CVAC games

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.

Leaders, chasers and stragglers in the CVAC race

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.

Pick 'em Week 5

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

Starmount at East Burke
Winner: East Burke

T.C. Roberson at Freedom
Winner: T.C. Roberson

Pick 'em Week 4 recap

This week I'm going to combine my Pick 'em recap with the regular weekly recap of CVAC games that didn't involve the Red Tornadoes. As you know, I am definitely not a "professional expert" like some. So it gives me great pride to point out that I was a perfect 11-0 this past week picking the outcome of local football games. So now that I'm 100% correct, there's really no need to compare myself with anybody else. It wouldn't be fair to the others...

Obviously the big news from Friday night was the shocker down in Maiden. After more than two decades of frustration and failure the Fred T. Foard Tigers unloaded on the Blue Devils, 47-14. Apparently the final score is a little misleading when you consider that the score was 40-0 at halftime. So not only did the Tigers humiliate the Blue Devils on their own field but they actually called off the dogs in the second half and took it easy on the homers. I had a feeling that Foard would pull off the upset and I gave the reasons why: Foard has a strong running game and an equally strong defense. Maiden has neither of those things. And because Maiden can't run the ball effectively or play defense, the aspect of their game that is supposed to be "good" - the passing attack - is rendered harmless. I mentioned last week that this was an opportunity for the Tigers to make a statement about how good or how average they were going to be this season. Well, now we have our answer. Hickory has Fred T. Foard for Homecoming this season. Too bad it couldn't be Maiden!

The other big matchup involved our friends from Springs Road and the Dirt Devils from out there in Rootin' Tootin' Newton. In this case the contest was much closer than the final score indicates. Newton was only up 8-6 going into the fourth quarter. So either the Devils have some inconsistency problems or (I believe) the Indians really do have a good defense. Don't forget what a difference it made to Alexander Central when they lost to St. Stephens in Week 2. The Cougars racked up 455 yard in total offense in a 56-3 win over last year's Class 3A West Region champ, North Gaston. The Indians, however, cut that yardage total in half and held Central to a single score in a 10-7 win over the Cougars.

The difference maker in the Newton-Saint game was Red Devil running back Dorian Jones. He ran for approximately 100 yards and a touchdown in the final period to seal the victory. St. Stephens is struggling offensively, scoring just 16 points in their last two ballgames. There will be a lot more on the Indians as the week progresses.

The Patton Panthers have now won two football games. So far, so good for the folks up on Enola Road in Morganton. There are several severe beatings awaiting the new kids later this season but in the meantime they certainly can enjoy the reality of being tied with Hickory in the CVAC standings. My advice? Take a photograph and frame it quick. The good times ain't gonna last, friends.

Finally, don't tell anybody this (it's a big secret) but Hibriten is pretty good this year. Shhhhhhhhh! That's just between me and you. I got that from a reliable source, though... We'll talk later about the situation in Lenoir.

Breaking down Friday's CVAC games

Bandys and Hibriten got the ball rolling last week in the CVAC's first game of 2008. Hibriten took an early lead in the standings by ripping the Trojans to shreds, 45-27. This week everybody else jumps into the fray. Three new head coaches (Brian Brown of Maiden, Fred Whalen of St. Stephens and Mike Setzer of West Caldwell) will get their first taste of life in the CVAC when they get that W or L next to their name. This week's slate of games should tell us quite a bit about who the real contenders will be for the final "original" CVAC title. Let the games begin!

FRED T. FOARD (2-0) at MAIDEN (1-1)

Series Notes: The Tigers are hoping that this is the year they can break a Maiden winning streak that now stands at 22 and counting. Maiden shutout Foard 35-0 last year. The last Tiger victory in this series was in 1985.

What to look for tonight: This is the week when Foard either puts up or shuts up. At 2-0 the Tigers can use this game to make a statement that they're ready to be a contender or they can do what comes naturally and take another beating at the hands of the Blue Devils. The Tiger defense has only allowed seven points in two ballgames. In fact, Foard hasn't allowed a score in the last seven quarters. The top offensive threats for the Tigers are quarterback Landon Isenhour (averaging 113 passing yards per game and 51 yards rushing), receiver Trent Safrit (4 catches for 100 yards) and running back Quinton Owens (12 carries for 96 yards - 8 per carry). Maiden will counter with its spread offense, featuring quarterback Justin Sizemore (27-55-1, 372 yards, 3 TDs). Sizemore is a talented passer who reminds folks, visually anyway, of a poor-man's Tim Tebow. But like the Gators, Maiden's ground game is highly suspect. Equally questionable is the Blue Devil defense. Last week Maiden gave up 345 rushing yards in a 40-23 loss to Lincolnton. If the Tigers can withstand the Maiden air assault and not panic they can control the tempo of the game with their superior rushing attack. Give me a stout defense over a pass-happy offense anytime.

HIBRITEN (3-0) at BUNKER HILL (0-2)

Series Notes: Hibriten has won three in a row against the Bears and is 12-8 overall in the series. The Panthers crushed Bunker Hill up in Lenoir last year by the score of 56-0.

What to look for tonight: This one could get out of hand real quick. Hibriten is better than it was last year at this time while Bunker Hill is suffering through a 21-game losing streak. Last year's experienced Bear ballclub went 0-11. The Bears graduated a bunch of players and entered this season in rebuilding mode. But then almost every season is a fixer-upper in Claremont. In last week's 45-27 romp over Bandys the Panthers scored pretty much whenever they wanted to until the starters got bored and the reserves got a chance to play. I doubt many of Hibriten's starters see the field after halftime in this one. Consider this: last week the Panthers had five guys rush for at least 50 yards. The total was 311. New quarterback Jamichael Walton only completed three passes - but they went for a total of 101 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Besides, the word on the street is that Hibriten wants to be the object of everybody's affection.

WEST CALDWELL (0-2) at PATTON (1-1)

Series Notes: Stop! You had me at hello... These teams have never played each other in a varsity game.

What to look for tonight: The new kids on the block had to go deep into the Smoky Mountains to find that elusive first-ever victory...but they got it done. Patton beat tiny Andrews High, 34-24, to claim the school's first varsity victory. The Panthers scored in a variety of ways, including a nice 48-yard TD run by Brandon Bethel, a 35-yard pass from quarterback Cody Story to Zack Cole, a 40-yard fumble return by Chris Wiseman and finally a 60-yard scamper by Story. Even though this is Patton's first season of varsity competition the Panthers did have a pretty good JV team last season and Burke County has strong middle school programs. So the Panthers may be a little better equipped than other teams in a similar situation. West Caldwell continues to struggle but I still maintain that the future is bright for the Warriors under new head coach Mike Setzer. This game is a golden opportunity to get off the snide and back into a winning mindset. To know exactly how tough things are right now up in Gamewell just consider that last Friday the Warriors took a 35-0 beating from South Caldwell - the same South Caldwell team that took a similar beating from Fred T. Foard in Week 1. The good news for the Warriors is that even if they don't get a win this time there is always Bunker Hill next week!

Newton-Conover (2-0) at St. Stephens (2-0)

Series Notes: In 2007 the Indians snapped Newton's 10-game winning streak in this series with a 13-10 victory. But that's only their second win in the last 16 meetings.

What to look for tonight: Somebody is gonna get their first loss tonight. It isn't often that we can say that about this game. There have been times in the recent past when neither one of these teams was worth much. That is definitely not the case this time around, however. Last week the Red Devils road-tripped to Icard and slaughtered the East Burke Cavaliers, 35-8, for what was apparently the "Championship of the Unifour." I'm still scratching my head over that one... On paper it did look like one heck of a matchup. But the Red Devils quickly and easily brought the Cavs to their knees, taking a 29-0 lead before the homers finally put some points on the board. As expected, Dorian Jones is having a great season for the Red Devils. Against the Cavs he exploded for 174 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries (10.9 yards per carry). He also caught three passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. I heard he also worked the concession stand in the 4th quarter and then drove the team bus back to Newton. What a player! All of this behind a completely rebuilt offensive line. Scary, seriously.

St. Stephens has looked good in their two victories (43-14 over West Lincoln and 10-7 over Alexander Central). Although the margin of victory was much slimmer against Central the victory was actually a lot more impressive. West Lincoln is a punchline, period. But we know that the Cougars can play some football. Quality win for the Indians, just like it was for the Red Tornadoes. However, in my humble opinion, the jury is still out on the Indians. What does it say about an offense when the quarterback is the team's leading rusher? I don't care who it is - St. Stephens or the University of Florida - if you're relying on your quarterback to get it done on the ground as well as in the air, you've got a problem. Quarterback Matt Fussell is the Indian rushing leader (72 yards per game) as well as the passing leader (88 yards per game). That won't be enough to get a victory over a complete team like Newton-Conover. On the bright side, St. Stephens did have an extra week to prepare for this. That's got to be worth something, right?

NEWS FLASH!! NEWS FLASH!!

EUREKA! The Daily Record's ace sportswriter Captain Obvious has discovered that water is wet and the sun is hot...

But wait! There's more!

In the best tradition of Woodward, Bernstein and other legendary investigative journalists, Captain Obvious has laid it all on the line and risked his reputation to uncover and expose the truth behind the recent success of the Hibriten Panthers: they're really, really good!

Wow, that's hot. I wouldn't have gone there...oh wait. I did go there on August 21st and picked the Panthers to finish second in the CVAC. (Like I was really going to pick them ahead of the Tornadoes) and talked about why the Panthers are a dangerous team.But now...well, now Captain Obvious is starting to re-think the CVAC situation. The Panthers are now 3-0 for the season with a league victory over Bandys already in hand. Shocker! Except that Hibriten administered a similar spanking to the Trojans in last season's CVAC opener. Throughout most of the 2007 season the common wisdom was that Hibriten was the last test for Hickory on the way to an undisputed conference title. Emphasis on test. The Panthers were a dangerous team then and they're an even more dangerous team this year - and nobody who follows local football here is surprised by that.

He then continues with a brief synopsis of the season so far:I can let the reference to "our affection" go as poetic license. Because as we all know, the Daily Record sports department is waaaaaay above playing favorites... But the idea that any of us need enlightening as to the undeniable strengths of the Panthers is precious. Bless his lil heart! He is a true professional expert.

He then supports his ground-breaking thesis on Hibriten football prowess by quoting the "Mighty Quin" Smith himself:Yeah, slim chance before. No chance now. Captain Obvious is absolutely not afraid to call a cat feline.

Then Captain Obvious really sticks the landing by quoting Coach Cannon on the matter of radar-awareness here in Catawba County:I'd just love to know who came up with the notion that any coach or football aficionado in this county was actually taking Hibriten for granted?

Actually saying that which goes without saying? Captain Obvious loves to go there.

Mild-mannered dude by day, thrill-seeking, truth-talking, poet-journalist on Friday night. Just doing his duty.

"I don't think Bunker Hill is bad. Just misunderstood."

The last word on last week!

Wow, for some reason I am still running way behind schedule here. Maybe it's because of the beginning of the college football season on top of Labor Day on top of...yada yada yada, blah, blah, blah! I don't know!

Anyway, before I proceed with the discussion about this week's opponent there are a few observations about the games from last Friday that I would like to make.

• As expected, Brian Brown's debut as Maiden's head coach was successful. Of course, why wouldn't it? For the 15th straight time the Blue Devils beat the crap out of everybody's favorite opponent, West Lincoln. I can't think of another team that has been as successful as the Rebels at getting the other team's season off to a fantastic start. I mean it's almost pointless to go over the details of the 38-7 win because the Rebels are profoundly awful. I was surprised to see that Justin Sizemore only threw for 119 yards and one touchdown. Maybe he was pulled fairly quickly because of the impending blowout. I'll take a look at the quarterback situation shortly.



• The Bandys Trojans found a way to lose to East Lincoln, the same team that Newton-Conover dismantled in Week 1. But hats off to the Trojans for fighting back from a 28-12 deficit after three quarters and tying the game at 28 all before giving up the game-winning touchdown with 1:49 left in the final period. This makes two weeks in a row that quarterback Kyle Houser has put up big passing numbers that normally would signal a big victory - but didn't.



• I didn't think it was possible but Hickory was not the most persecuted...um, penalized team in the area Friday night. The East Lincoln Mustangs suffered the indignity of getting flagged 15 times for a spine-chilling 161 yards! Seriously? It's amazing because the week before in the first game of the season the Mustangs were only penalized six times for 45 yards. Now I'm not an "expert" but it would seem to me that a team would be more likely to play undisciplined football in the season opener than in the Week 2 game. We're supposed to believe that a team that managed to control itself in the opener suddenly lost its marbles and went on a rule-breaking rampage in the second game? No folks, the difference is that some officiating crews choose to do their jobs properly while others choose to act like guards at a prison camp. From now on this phenomenon will be referred to as Burke County Referee Syndrome or BCRS. Unacceptable!

Once upon a time Paul Newman was afflicted by BCRS. Here is a classic demonstration and application of BCRS and what it does to a man's pyche.



• Hey, Hibriten can pass the ball, too! Before the season began one of the key issues for the Panthers was finding a successor for graduated quarterback Billy Crane. Well Week 1 provided a first look but Week 2 confirmed what I suspected: Jamichael Walton can not only run with the football when necessary but he can also throw it. In a 35-0 stomping of rival South Caldwell Walton completed six of eight passing attempts for 161 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions - in the first half!

Well, I guess that does it.

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

#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.