Junior Varsity does it to Hibriten again!

Kyle Johnson returns an interception

Two years ago a deep pass from David Dula to a streaking Marcus Sims scored the winning touchdown for Hickory as time expired. Last season it was Tyshon Chisholm returning a blocked field goal attempt for a touchdown as time expired to beat the Panthers. So what happened last night up in Lenoir?

Nothing quite as dramatic as what we've seen the last two years but still plenty exciting. The Red Tornado JV, winners of 64 straight and 83 of their last 84 games, fell behind on the scoreboard twice during the contest before scoring what turned out to be the game-winner with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter. The Tornado defense then held on to clinch the 16-13 victory.

It was another good night for sophomore tailback T.J. Wimbush and freshman fullback Casey Stinson. And their success is a credit to the blocking of the offensive line. Whenever the game was in jeopardy Hickory responded with impressive drives to re-take the lead.

Wimbush scored Hickory's first touchdown from five yards out. The two-point conversion was successful. That made the score 8-7, Hickory. After falling behind 13-8 the Tornadoes reponded immediately with a drive that culminated in Stinson's 13-yard touchdown run. Hickory again went for - and got - a two-point conversion.

Hickory returns home to Frank Barger Stadium next Thursday to host the West Caldwell Warriors.

Dametrius Lewis moves in for the kill

Tornado JV blasts Patton, 42-0

Shaquan Reid approaching warp speed

For the first time since 1996 a Hickory football team traveled to Morganton for a game. The last time it happened, September 27, 1996, the Red Tornado varsity spanked previously undefeated Freedom by the score of 33-14. Of course the Red Tornadoes spanked everybody that year.

Last Thursday night it was the undefeated Tornado JV's turn to bring home victory. Mission accomplished!

Sophomore tailback T.J. Wimbush continued his rampage through the CVAC, ringing up a pair of touchdown runs of 16 and 20 yards respectively. But he had some friendly competition from Shaquan Reid. The freshman speedster also scored two touchdowns, each from 14 yards out. Keep in mind that Reid is a starter at cornerback but is just one of several reserve running backs for the Young Tornadoes. Another backup, Dalvin Parson, got his first touchdown run of the season. Also scoring was sophomore fullback Jake Meade.

The win was Hickory JV's 63rd in a row and also its 82nd out of the past 83 games going back to the middle of the 2000 season. The win also maintained Hickory's slim lead in the CVAC championship chase, one game ahead of Bunker Hill. With showdown looming in three weeks with the Bears, Hickory must first travel to Lenoir this coming Thursday for a tough game with the Hibriten Panthers. The last two Hickory-Hibriten encounters have gone down to the wire. This week's game probably won't be any different. Hibriten beat Newton-Conover, 34-13, to improve its record to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the CVAC.

GO HICKORY!!

Representing on the sideline!

Junior Varsity passes the Newton test

Will Creech returns a kickoff


The junior varsity contest between Hickory and Newton-Conover on Thursday was every bit as exciting and nerve-wracking as anticipated. Both teams came into the game loaded with offensive weapons and those weapons did some damage. But in the end it was Hickory that had a little bit more.

The Red Tornadoes, trailing 30-24 in the final five minutes, drove down the field and scored the winning touchdown with 2:30 left in the game. T.J. Wimbush did the honors, dashing in from nine yards out. The 30-30 tie was then broken when quarterback Michael Helms passed complete to Casey Stinson for the 2-point conversion. The defense held their ground against a final Red Devil onslaught to preserve a 32-30 victory.

Wimbush and Stinson had great nights running the ball. Stinson scored on a 25-yard pass play from quarterback Kyle Johnson that was doubly impressive because Stinson juggled the ball after it hit his hands but he stuck with it and controlled the ball, tucked it and scampered into the end zone. That's called making a play.

Another example of making a play occurred when Hickory was on the Newton goal line and the ball was knocked loose and fell into the end zone. Steven Davenport alertly pounced and covered it for the touchdown. That's the hustle that makes the difference between winning and losing in a tough ballgame.

Jaquavius Johnson thrilled the fans with a scorching 62-yard touchdown run. With all the great running backs on the squad it's not all that easy to get carries sometimes. J.J. made the most of his opportunity and that's called making a play.

I also have to mention one play that impressed everybody on the Hickory side (and perhaps the Newton side, too). Sophomore Robert Liljeberg, a soccer player brought in to kick for the JV, kicked off to Newton after a Tornado touchdown. The Red Devil return man broke loose and turned on the jets. He got past everybody. Everybody, that is, except for Liljeberg. The kicker turned on his jets, closed instantly on the ballcarrier from about five yards away and nailed him. The unexpected burst of speed and the terrific finishing tackle made everybody go "oooh, ahhh." And rightly so. I could be wrong but I believe this is Liljeberg's first year of football. That's called making a touchdown-saving play. Awesome!

Every week it's the same thing for me. Every week I am more and more impressed with this group of young men. Some people tend to dismiss JV football as no big deal. But they keep score on the JV level and everybody is playing to win. When faced with a challenge you must overcome it. That's significant on any level.

The win boosted Hickory JV's winning streak to 62. It was the JV's 81st win out of the last 82 games. More importantly the win maintained Hickory's lead in the hotly contested CVAC race. Hickory is the only undefeated team in the league. It was the second loss of the season for Newton-Conover. There is one team left with only one loss and that's Bunker Hill. This could set up a showdown in the final game of the season as the Bears will be looking to end Hickory's streak and get a share of the CVAC title.

The Young Tornadoes will travel to Morganton this Thursday to face the Patton Panthers.

Wimbush gets free behind #61 Ryan Tyree

Junior Varsity: Tornadoes vs. Devils

The biggest JV game of the year is now upon us. I don't want to diminish the importance of the final four games on the JV schedule (especially the big one up at Hibriten in two weeks) but tomorrow night's clash at Frank Barger Stadium between our Tornadoes and the Red Devils is basically for all the marbles.

Newton-Conover is breathing down Hickory's neck in the CVAC race with a 4-1 overall record and a 3-1 mark in CVAC action. Newton's only loss was on September 11th when St. Stephens pulled off a 32-29 upset. That was one week before Hickory beat the Indians, 28-17.

Newton's offense is explosive and is led by sophomore running back Octavius Harden. Some of Harden's highlights this season include monster performances against East Burke in a 28-6 win, Maiden in a 52-20 win and Patton in a 49-24 win.

In the season opener against East Burke Harden rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries (16 yards per carry). He also scored on an 85-yard kickoff return and a 71-yard pass play.

Harden was equally spectacular against Maiden. He had five carries for 188 yards and three touchdowns. That's 37.6 yards per carry. Just as he did against East Burke, Harden added a long touchdown reception (56 yards) and kickoff return (65 yards), to make five touchdowns on the evening. He finished the game with 320 all-purpose yards.

After racking up 130 rushing yards and a touchdown against Fred T. Foard in a 27-22 victory, Harden had another explosion last week against Patton. This time he rushed for 295 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries (29.5 yards per carry). The touchdown runs were of 90, 52 and 49 yards, respectively. He also caught a 61-yard touchdown pass. He finished the game with 364 all-purpose yards.

In addition to Harden the Red Devils rely on the skills of sophomore quarterback Adonis Hewitt. It was Hewitt who scored on an option keeper in the final minute of the game to clinch the victory over Foard. Another backfield stalwart is running back Jamal Coates.

Rising up to stop the Harden Express will be Hickory's outstanding defensive unit. Hickory has more speed on defense than any team Newton has faced this season. The Tornado headhunters are aggressive and adept at swarming to the football.

Hickory has its own arsenal of offensive weapons. Freshman tailback Casey Stinson got his high school career started with a bang when he rushed for 104 yards on 10 carries in the opener against Alexander Central. He followed that up the next week with 154 yards on just five carries (30.8 yards per carry). After five games he has 520 yards on 52 carries (10 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. In last week's victory over Fred T. Foard, Stinson showed off his pass catching skills with three receptions for 43 yards. He also rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown.

Sophomore tailback T.J. Wimbush has come on strong the past couple of weeks after freshman Quai Linebarger was injured against Maiden. Wimbush burned Maiden for 129 yards rushing and three touchdowns on just six carries. Last week against Foard he gained 163 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Fellow sophomore Tyree Rhinehardt is yet another scoring threat. Last week Rhinehardt had only one carry but turned it into a 30-yard touchdown run.

The Red Tornadoes utilize two quarterbacks, both of whom are freshmen. The passing game was important last week against Foard. Michael Helms went 3-5-0 for 76 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He also completed a 2-point conversion pass to Stinson. Kyle Johnson was 2-3-0 for 27 yards in the passing department. He also scored a touchdown on a one-yard keeper.

If Hickory goes to the air tomorrow night the most likely targets will be sophomores Ciani Vega and Steven Davenport, freshman Jordan Walls-Davis (all wide receivers), sophomore tight end Michael Payne, and Casey Stinson coming out of the backfield. Vega and Davenport both caught touchdown passes last Thursday against Foard.

Last year's Hickory-Newton JV game at Gurley Stadium was a barnburner. If you don't normally attend the JV games you don't know what you're missing! You don't want to miss this one, believe me.

GO HICKORY!

Junior Varsity makes it 60 in a row

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.

I can't wait to see what happens next!

Linebarger, Stinson, Tornadoes too much for Saint

#34 Quai Linebarger and #32 Casey Stinson


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.

T.J. Wimbush gets into the open

Long Live The Streak! JV takes care of business

Steven Davenport returns a fumble for a TD


The Hickory JV squad traveled to Cougar Flats last night in a quest to maintain a winning streak that began in 2002. The Young Tornadoes rolled to a 24-7 win over the Alexander Central, extending The Streak to 57 games. The Hickory JV has also won 76 of its last 77 ballgames.

The junior varsity squad did not have the opportunity to participate in any pre-season scrimmages. In years past they would have gotten some reps in at least one scrimmage prior to starting the regular season. This season the varsity participated only in the Border Bash and the Cleveland County Jamboree, neither of which includes JV action. Furthermore, this contest was the second of the season for the Alexander Central JV, who opened their season last week. In my estimation the only thing that kept the score relatively low was Hickory's inexperience. They will only get better and better and the season goes along.

The 2008 JV is as talented and athletic as any of the ones that came before it. This is not surprising since the freshmen were members of last year's outstanding middle school squads. Northview went 7-0 while Grandview finished 6-1 in 2007.

Scoring first for the Young Tornadoes last night was sophomore T.J. Wimbush on a 7-yard run. Fellow sophomore Steven Davenport pounced on a Cougar fumble and sprinted 42 yards for the next touchdown. Later it was the freshmen's turn, as the explosive Casey Stinson led Hickory downfield with some outstanding runs before capping it off with an 8-yard run. The final score of the night was on a 13-yard run by freshman Quai Linebarger.

Stinson was the game's leading rusher with 104 yards on 10 carries.

The Young Tornadoes will open CVAC play next Thursday night, 7:00 PM, at Frank Barger Stadium.