Serious case of BCRS...

Somewhere the Evil Genius is smiling

It's unfortunate that no matter what gameplan a team comes up with to win a game a crew of bonehead officials can screw it all up. Whether through incompetence or an inability to resist the urge to make themselves bigger than the game and more important that the players, coaches and ticket-buying fans, the result is the same: tainting of the game.

I'm still sickened by what happened in our game with Kings Mountain on Saturday night. For the record, not only did Hickory have two first-half touchdowns called back on bad calls but the idiots in striped shirts also incorrectly flagged the Hickory defense for pass interference in the end zone on a 4th-down play that should have turned the ball back over to the Red Tornadoes but instead gave Kings Mountain a first down. The Mounties then scored their second touchdown of the game to push their fourth-quarter lead to 17-7.

Here are the three key incidents that helped change the momentum of the game:

1. In the second quarter Hickory began a drive on its own three that burned nearly five minutes off the clock. That's exactly the kind of drive that the Red Tornadoes needed in order to keep Kings Mountain's explosive offense on the sideline and bring the action to KM's end of the field. But the drive stalled on the Mountaineer 31. Facing a 4th-and-4 situation, Kevin Shelton completed a nice pass to Trevin Parks who raced into the end zone for an apparent touchdown. It was a gutsy call and a perfectly-executed pass play. That is until the side judge on Kings Mountain's side decided that somebody must be guilty of holding. Hickory had no choice but to punt.



2. After the Red Tornado defense hung tough on Kings Mountain's next possession the offense went back to work. Hickory drove into Mountaineer territory again and appeared to score when Trevin Parks took a reverse and then lofted a pass to Shelton on the sideline. Kevin not only made the catch but then got himself into the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown. A perfectly executed trick play that should have given Hickory a much-needed early lead. But the side judge on Hickory's side, a genuine hanky-tossing douchebag, threw a flag. Although he wasn't even in position to make the call he decided to flag Hickory for a phantom block in the back. It simply didn't happen.
   
   And here's the real human cost of such a boneheaded call by the official. Not only did it cost Hickory a touchdown but it also ruined a special moment for Kevin Shelton. It's not often that a quarterback gets to be on the receiving end of a pass, not to mention a touchdown pass. As I said, the play was perfectly executed by all 11 Red Tornadoes on the field, especially Trevin Parks and Kevin Shelton. They deserved to have that touchdown. There simply was no foul. But for all time, thanks to the jackass in stripes, the play will only live on in our collective memories (and the game film, of course). That's not much of a consolation prize after the play of a kid's career in his final high school game was stolen by some worthless stooge afflicted with acute BCRS!
   
   The Hickory fans who actually made the trip exploded in rage. People - even women - came out of the stands and down to the fence to yell at the knucklehead who threw the flag. I myself was threatened by him with ejection from the stadium because of a comment I made. Go figure!
   
   To complete the farce, Hickory maintained the drive and got into the red zone. A hard hit by a Mountaineer linebacker forced a fumble inside the five that was recovered by the players in black and gold. Give a team enough mulligans and they will find a way to take advantage sooner or later.



3. The final injustice occurred in the final period when Hickory was trailing 10-7. When you consider that Kings Mountain was the champion of the Southwestern Conference and the #2 seed in the bracket while Hickory finished fourth in the CVAC and was a lowly #15 seed playing on the road, a three-point deficit was very impressive and still manageable.
   
   After Kings Mountain had finally broken the scoreless tie late in the third period with a 29-yard field goal the Red Tornadoes quickly answered with a 64-yard scoring drive of their own. T.J. Wimbush led the way, picking up 41 yards. He capped it with a 13-yard touchdown run. Patrick Smith's PAT cut the Mountaineer lead to 10-7.
   
   On the ensuing kickoff the Mountaineers returned the ball to midfield. Despite the good field position the Tornadoes battled them, giving ground reluctantly. It came down to a 4th-down play, a pass to end zone. Not only was the ball not catchable but the receiver managed to fall down. The linebacker who was in coverage was watching the ball and not interfering with the receiver. Nevertheless, out came the flag. Instead of Hickory taking over at the 13 the Mounties were given an automatic 1st-and-goal. They scored on the next play. The extra point boosted the Mountaineer lead to 17-7.

Facing a 10-point deficit in the final quarter with time running out, the Red Tornadoes had no choice but to start gambling with the pass. Sure enough, on Hickory's next possession Kevin Shelton was intercepted by Zach Hopper. The Mountie linebacker then zoomed into the end zone to provide his team with an insurance touchdown that sealed the fate of Hickory's upset bid.

Earlier tonight I listened to the game between Shelby and Bandys. Bandys, a team from Catawba County, the underdog, playing down in Cleveland County. The Trojans pulled off an upset victory in overtime. I couldn't help but think that it could have been Hickory last week with the big upset down in Kings Mountain.

Of course, we'll never know for sure what would have happened if Hickory's two touchdowns hadn't been nullified and Kings Mountain's second touchdown hadn't been facilitated by a bad call. Maybe the Mountaineers would have found a way to win anyway. They were, afterall, the heavy favorites.

But you have to think that being down 14-0 at halftime would have had an effect on the Mountaineers. It's true, Kings Mountain did make adjustments in the second half that helped their offense. Yes, Hickory's kickoff and punt coverage units gave up too many yards to the Mountaineers that allowed Kings Mountain to have a short field. But all of that should have been in an effort to simply catch up - not forge ahead. If Hickory is winning 21-17 late in the game then maybe it's the Mountaineers having to gamble with the passing attack. Maybe Hickory intercepts and returns it for a game-clinching touchdown. We simply will never know. That's the sickness of it. That's the fault of the so-called referees. That's the real cost of Burke County Referee Syndrome.

Look at the assholes run!

One last look at the West Caldwell game

#5 Trevin Parks off to the races

Before focusing on the Bunker Hill I wanted to take a moment and discuss three things that were significant in last week's 35-20 victory over the Warriors. Yes, the score doesn't reflect how close the game was in the fourth quarter. Yes, the Red Tornadoes had to put up a couple of defensive stands in the red zone and resort to the wildcat formation to finally put the Warriors away.

Ahhh, but since nothing has come easy this season why should the West Caldwell game have been any different? The Red Tornadoes got 'er done and that's all that matters now. And Friday night they are in position to finish the CVAC chase ahead of St. Stephens. Hickory's football team is still in there fighting...even if the fans are not.

Here are three things that impressed me about the Red Tornadoes last Friday:

1. Kevin Shelton surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in passing yardage for the second straight year. Against the Warriors Shelton completed five of his nine pass attempts (56%) for 113 yards and a perfect 35-yard touchdown strike to Anthony Wilson. Shelton's total for the season is now 1,101 yards. He also has 12 touchdowns to his credit.
   
   Kevin now sits safely at #4 on Hickory's career yardage list. His total yardage for his varsity career is 2,418. He ranks behind only Tim Swanson (3,780 yards from 1997-1999), Cole Kenworthy (3,611 yards from 2000-2002) and Daniel Willis (2,729 yards from 1994-1996). Kevin's older brother Patrick is #5 on the list (2,097 yards from 2004-2005).



2. The wildcat formation really works well! The offense has been using the direct snap to Trevin Parks a little bit, here and there, for most of the season. It almost always results in positive yardage when used. That was particularly true against West Caldwell. With Hickory clinging to a 21-20 in the fourth quarter the Tornadoes put the ball in Trevin's hands twice, resulting first in a 55-yard touchdown run and then a 60-yard run to the end zone.
   
   Trevin finished the night with 176 yards rushing on just four carries (44 yards per carry). Not too shabby for a wide receiver, huh? In my opinion, the wildcat formation is just one example of what Hickory is capable of doing offensively to maximize the athleticism and speed that is so abundant in the program. Trevin's football career at Hickory High is almost over. But the wildcat formation needs to remain a significant weapon for the future.



3. The youth movement keeps rockin' on! The fans that actually showed up last Friday witnessed something that doesn't happen very often at Hickory High. Fullback Casey Stinson became the first freshman to start a varsity game since 2004.
   
   The last time it happened was when Austin Johnson was moved up to the varsity to play linebacker in the first-round playoff game against East Gaston. Even though Hickory lost that night, the Bruiser wound up as the game's leading tackler. He started every game for the next three years.
   
   Prior to that special night one must go all the way back to mid-1990s to find freshmen in the starting varsity lineup. I believe that Anthony Foust started a game or two as a freshman during the championship run of 1996. And, of course, that '96 team was loaded with seniors and juniors who had been starting since their freshmen years in '93 and '94.
   
   Stinson had some good runs early in the game. After that he was used more as a blocker. I thought he did a pretty good job with the blocking although he did miss one block that got his quarterback sacked. Heck, even seniors have their bad moments, so... Chock it up as a learning experience. But there is no doubt that Stinson played like he belonged out there with the veterans. That is huge. Good job, Casey Stinson!

I can't wait to see what happens next!

#35 Stinson runs interference for Parks

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!

Hickory vs. Patton

Tyshon Chisholm, Alex Martin vs. Patton JV in 2007

For obvious reasons there is basically no history between the Red Tornadoes and the Panthers. Hickory will, however, forever be the answer to this trivia question: "Which team gave Patton it's first-ever loss in a football game?"

So I thought I would do something a little different this week and do a direct comparison of the two teams by units. In other words, quarterback comparison, offensive line comparison, receivers, etc. By the way, most of the stats to which I will be referring can also be found on the Gameday Central page. So let's see where this takes me, shall we?

QUARTERBACK: Both schools boast senior quarterbacks. But that's where the similarities end. Kevin Shelton has two main responsibilities when the ball is snapped. He throws a pass or hands off to a running back. He is not a threat to run himself although he has had to run for his life a few times this season. Patton's Cody Story, on the other hand, is called upon to run the ball in designed plays. He has amassed nearly 200 yards rushing this season. But if the measure of these quarterbacks, statistically, is in their ability to pass the football then I have to give Shelton the advantage over Story. Shelton (59-114-5, 841 yds, 10 TDs) has completed more passes than Story (21-45-1, 366 yds, 4 TDs) has attempted so naturally the former would have more yards. But Shelton also has a significantly higher completion percentage (52% compared to 47%). This means that either Shelton is more accurate, his receivers are more sure-handed, or both. Either way, it favors Hickory. Both quarterbacks have done a good job of not throwing interceptions. Story has only one interception on his record and it occurred just last week. Shelton only threw two interceptions in his first six games (one of which was a tipped ball). Last week, of course, was a different story. Nevertheless, Shelton has thrown twice as many touchdowns as interceptions.

Advantage: Hickory

RUNNING BACKS: Patton has actually done a little better than Hickory running the football. The Panthers average 185 yards per game on the ground while Hickory averages 174. This is despite the fact that Hickory's primary rusher, Rakim Barrett, has more yards and a better per-carry average than Patton's main man, Brandon Bethel. To be more specific, Barrett has 858 yards and eight touchdowns on 138 carries. He averages 6.2 yards per carry. Bethel has 629 yards and three touchdowns on 118 carries. His per carry average is 5.3. But Patton has gotten more production out of its other rushers (especially the quarterback position) than has Hickory. In addition to Brandon Bethel and Cody Story the Panthers rely heavily on their big freshman fullback, Winfield Johnson. Hickory's other running backs, Kyshell Geter and Tyshon Chisholm, have struggled for much of the season. Chisholm has looked good when he gets the ball but his carries have been limited. A new wrinkle in the running game has been the introduction of the direct snap to Trevin Parks. This new formation has been used sparingly but it almost always produces positive yards. Last week against Newton-Conover Parks picked up 58 yards on just four carries (14.5 yards per carry) when the ball was snapped to him.

Advantage: Toss-up.

OFFENSIVE LINE: In the absence of reliable stats the best way to judge an O-Line is to check on a team's yardage production. As stated above, Patton has a 185-174 edge in per-game rushing average. But Hickory holds a 121-64 edge in per-game passing yardage. Hickory outgains Patton in total yardage, 295.1 to 249.7, which is substantial. Hickory also gains more first downs per game (14-9). I don't have stats to support it but I would guess that Hickory also has a edge in time-of-possession. I have been concerned about the state of the O-line at times this season but based on this criteria I have to say that Hickory is more effective on the line of scrimmage.

Advantage: Hickory

RECEIVERS: This is an area where Hickory should have a clear advantage. As already mentioned, Hickory holds a considerable advantage in passing yardage and half of the credit automatically goes to the receiving corps. Hickory's receivers are led by senior Trevin Parks with 22 receptions for 355 yards and five touchdowns. He is a clutch performer who not only makes tough catches but has a knack for picking up yardage after the catch. Junior Anthony Wilson is a similar type of receiver. Patton's top receiver is Zack Cole, a lanky sophomore who has 13 receptions for 302 yards and five touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Gil Logan had a big game for the Panthers in last week's loss to Newton-Conover. While Patton is capable of coming up with a big play through the air the edge here belongs to Hickory.

Advantage: Hickory

DEFENSE: Without having seen Patton play in person it's hard to evaluate the components of the defense. I have no way of assessing whether Hickory's defensive line is better than Patton's in a substantive way. I have Hickory's defensive stats but nothing for Patton. So, again, I have to rely on the overall stats of rushing defense, passing defense, total defense, scoring defense and turnover ratio. Hickory's defense has been marginally better at stopping the run. Hickory is currently allowing 204.2 yards rushing per game while Patton is giving up 222.1 yards. So neither defense has exactly been a stone wall in that regard. They are both somewhere in the middle of the CVAC rankings in that category. Hickory is also better, statistically, in stopping the pass. Hickory is allowing 80.7 yards per game to Patton's 106.1 and has double the number of interceptions. Both teams have given up seven touchdown passes. Scoring defense is also a wash as both teams are allowing an average of 27 points per game. Both teams are exactly even in turnover ratio. Hickory and Patton have both committed 15 turnovers and caused 15 turnovers. In the end, Hickory allows 44 yards less than Patton and has the edge in varsity experience.

Advantage: Hickory

COACHING: Hickory has been in the varsity football business since 1923. Patton has only been at it for a few months. The fact that the Red Tornadoes and Panthers have identical overall and CVAC records at this point in the season should raise some eyebrows. I'm going to reserve judgment on this category until after the game. The winner will show us who is doing a better job in 2008.

INTANGIBLES: Who wants it more, Hickory or Patton? Who has more to lose? I guarantee the Patton fans are wanting to see the Panthers make a statement in this one. They left Frank Barger Stadium last year after losing for the first time convinced that they had been robbed. I know this for a fact because I was approached by a couple of them who insisted that the officials had been biased and incompetent. The facts don't support that argument, of course, but that doesn't matter to the Panther faithful. Plus I have to believe that they see Hickory as being vulnerable right now. The Red Tornadoes are reeling from a pair of tough losses and everybody in the area is scratching their heads trying to understand why Hickory is performing so poorly. Furthermore, for a first-year varsity program the Panthers are doing awfully well. Obviously we have seen in the last few years teams that have been playing football for decades going 0-11. Patton has three wins this season no matter what else happens. So however you slice it the Panthers don't have much to lose but a lot to gain. On the other hand, Hickory desperately needs a win. I've already discussed how crucial it is that Hickory win the rest of its games in order to qualify for one of the CVAC's two 3A playoff berths. Hickory hasn't lost three games in a row during a season since 2000. Prior to that season you had to look all the way back to 1994 to find such a streak. The Red Tornadoes simply can't afford to keep dropping games. I say that Hickory needs the victory a lot more and therefore should want the victory a lot more.

Advantage: Hickory

GO HICKORY!!!

I'm for Bandys (and why you should be, too!)

There has been some concern this week about Hickory's chances of making the playoffs for the 13th time in the past 14 years. The CVAC has three Class 3A member schools but the league only gets two automatic playoff berths. Every year somebody gets left out. Normally this is a problem for St. Stephens and Fred T. Foard to sort out amongst themselves. But this year, following losses to both Foard and Saint, the Red Tornadoes finally have to take this seriously. But while the local "professional experts" are sipping on their hatorade and gleefully rubbing their hands while imagining a sub-.500 finish for Hickory I am going to map out a scenario in which Hickory goes to the playoffs - again - while the folks out on Trailer Park Road turn their broken hearts to basketball.

The first thing to understand is that going into tonight's games Hickory does not completely control its own destiny. Even if the Tornadoes win out and finish with a 7-2 record in the CVAC they could still wind up in a tie with St. Stephens (and probably Fred T. Foard). Any ties will eliminate Hickory. Hickory and St. Stephens are currently tied and the Indians could (in theory) run the table, too. So while the obvious best option for Hickory would be to simply keep winning it won't guarantee a berth.

Obviously Hickory is the heavy underdog tonight against Newton-Conover. Depending on what happens tonight the Tornadoes will most likely be viewed as underdogs in a couple of weeks when Hibriten comes to town. So it's not unreasonable to contemplate a scenario where Hickory loses two more games in the CVAC. For the sake of argument I will assume for now that Hickory holds serve against Patton, West Caldwell and Bunker Hill.

Hickory must win two of its next three games. It doesn't matter which ones but it has to be two-of-three. That means getting at least a split between the lead dogs - Newton and Hibriten. It's a tall order but certainly not beyond this team's capabilities. At the end of the day it's still our 11 guys against their 11 guys on the field. That's where things are decided. All the Red Tornadoes can do is to take care of their business and let the chips fall where they may.

Now let's examine those chips.

Fred T. Foard is still in the hunt for at least a share of the CVAC title. That's what is on their minds at the moment. Tonight Foard faces Hibriten, which probably means a loss for the Tigers. That would be their second CVAC loss which would eliminate them from the title chase. It would also set up one of three possible situations. First, they could be in a tie with either Hickory or St. Stephens. Second, they could be in a tie with both Hickory and St. Stephens. Third, they could maintain their one-game lead on the other two schools. All Foard needs to do in order to clinch a playoff berth is to keep things tied.

St. Stephens has the easiest game tonight among the 3A schools. While Hickory battles Newton and Foard takes on Hibriten the Indians square off with Bunker Hill at home. Since the Bears are 1-5 on the season and 1-3 in the CVAC the odds are heavily in Saint's favor. So they will most likely be 5-2 and 3-2 when tonight's festivities are over. That would move them one game ahead of Hickory if the Red Tornadoes can't find a way to beat the Red Devils.

When you examine Foard's and Saint's remaining schedules the first thing you notice is that they play each other on November 7th, the final week of the regular season. Based on what I've seen so far it should be Foard victory. But unless Hickory wins all five of its remaining games that third loss by Saint still won't be enough to guarantee a playoff spot for Hickory.

St. Stephens must lose at least two more games this season. And if Hickory loses to Newton and Hibriten then we would need the Indians to lose three more games! Let's say that they lose to Foard in the season finale. Who else can the Tornado Nation look to for a much-needed win over the folks from Trailer Park Road?

Bandys.

I say GO BANDYS GO!

The Trojans have made themselves notorious in recent years for stinking up the league early in the season. An 0-4 start last year followed by a 1-3 start this season. Not too cool, right? But Bandys has a good quarterback and good receivers. They have also finally decided to utilize the speed and power of tailback Josh McCombs and it's having a major impact on their offensive production. This is especially true in the absence of quarterback Kyle Houser, who is in the middle of a two-game suspension for getting ejected from the West Caldwell game. Trojan head coach Randy Lowman is now the dean of CVAC coaches and surely he's figured things out enough to allow the Trojans to maximize their potential. Plus that inexperienced defense they started with is no longer inexperienced. That's a crucial element right there.

Both Fred T. Foard and St. Stephens still have to face the Trojans. We need the Trojans to slap the big hurt on at least one of those teams. If you believe that Foard will defeat St. Stephens then the other loss for Saint will probably come at the hands of the Trojans. That would be a total of four CVAC losses, which would leave the Indians trailing Hickory by one game (if Hickory can upset either Newton or Hibriten).

Of course the Indians still have to deal with Bunker Hill, Patton and Maiden in addition to Bandys and Foard. I think any of those teams can beat Saint under the right circumstances. But for the moment it appears that Bandys is the most likely team to tag the Indians with the "fatal fourth" loss. Stay tuned.

GO HICKORY!

3 things Hickory must do tonight

Forget about the past. Forget about all the times that the Red Tornadoes have crushed the Tigers. None of that matters now because the 2008 Fred T. Foard Tigers are a very good football team. Everybody needs to understand that the Red Tornadoes are the underdogs in this contest. The fans need to approach the game with that in mind. What does it mean? It means that every first down, every good play, every hard hit by the Tornadoes needs to cause an explosion of cheering in the stands. There will be no throwaway plays in this game. Here is what Hickory needs to accomplish in order to win this game.

1. I would love to see Hickory get the ball first to start the game. If that happens then it is crucial that the Tornado offensive line establish itself and take control of the line of scrimmage. They have to play angry (but under control) and get very physical with the Tiger D-line. If Hickory can dominate the line of scrimmage then the Tornadoes will be able to run the ball effectively which will, in turn, loosen things up for the passing game. By contrast, if the Tornado O-line can't get any push against the Tigers then it will be a long night. The same goes for the Hickory defensive front. We simply can't afford to have the safety making all the tackles tonight. If Mikey Shook is forced to be the run stopper then Hickory will lose, period.

2. Hickory must not panic if the Tigers start the game with a scoring blitz. The Tigers are known for piling on the points early in the game and then coasting. Last week was the first time all year that the Tiger starters had to play in the second half - and they lost. So whatever happens with the Tigers on offense it is important that the Tornadoes not let it rattle them. Being able to run the ball effectively will help that situation. Also, Isenhour only throws the ball 9-10 times a game, no more than that. If the defense can shut down the passing game in the first half it should not be a factor in the second half. But they must always be on the alert for a Hail Mary downfield. Foard loves to score on the "big play."

3. Hickory must avoid turnovers and costly penalties. Since the loss at Statesville the Tornado ballcarriers have been very good at holding onto the football. Sure, in the downpour last Friday there were some fumbles but they did not affect the outcome of the game. Fumbles are going to happen in the rain. Tonight, however, will be clear and cool - perfect football weather. No excuses tonight. Hickory can't afford to give the Tigers any breaks. The same goes for penalties. Hickory is still one of the most penalized teams in the area. The yellow flags can absolutely ruin a good gameplan and make players become reluctant and hesitant. And the Tigers definitely don't need the help. Hopefully we will have a qualified crew of striped-shirts who won't feel the need to make themselves bigger than the game itself.

GO HICKORY!!

Fear the Spear? Indians think this is their year...

Kevin Shelton against Saint in '07


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?

Hickory beat Bandys with defense

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.

Folks, business is about to pick up.

My thoughts on tonight's game

I freely admit that this short but spirited series is completely impossible to analyze beyond the mundane stuff like: "The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win. Or the team that gets the ball last will score to win the game." All very true, of course. But there is no common thread that runs through all the games these past three years except that you just never know for sure how it will end. Three straight times the game has been decided in the 4th quarter OR beyond!

Do I think Hickory will win? Yes, I've picked them to win. Do I have a clue as to how they will win? Not really. It could be a fumble recovery or interception returned for a touchdown to clinch the victory. It could be a punt or kickoff return. It might be a career night rushing the ball for Rakim Barrett or a career night throwing the ball by Kevin Shelton.

I know this: Each team is hoping to grow up a lot tonight. Bandys has the added pressure of facing elimination from the CVAC race if they lose tonight. The Tornadoes won't be technically out of the running with a loss but the way things are shaping up with Newton-Conover and Hibriten it would not bode well for Hickory in the long run. Plus starting the season at 1-2 would be really uncool.

This will be the last time these two teams meet on a football field for a long time - if ever. Let's make this a great one tonight!

BCRS outbreak on the West Coast!

In case you thought Burke County Referee Syndrome (BCRS) was merely a local threat you should realize that it is part of a larger pandemic. Just this past weekend on the collegiate level there was a flare up of acute BCRS in in the Pacific Northwest when the woeful Washington Huskies lost a heartbreaker to the BYU Cougars.

The video pretty much speaks for itself. Quarterback Jake Locker drove the Huskies 76 yards in 17 plays, capped by his 2-yard plunge to pull Washington within one. But Locker was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown; replays showed Locker throwing the ball in the air before jumping with his teammates in the end zone. A penalty was assessed on conversion which effectively negated any thoughts of attempting a winning 2-point conversion. Instead it turned the PAT into a 35-yard field goal attempt. To complete the farce, BYU then managed to block the kick and preserve the victory. Have another look:



The sad part about this whole disgraceful episode is that yes, technically, the official was correct in his call. There is a specific stipulation in the rules concerning, among other things, tossing the ball in the air. So thanks to Rule 9, Section 2, Article 1 of the NCAA rule book, which says throwing the ball high in the air constitutes an unsportsmanlike penalty, the smug jackass who threw the flag felt perfectly justified in imposing himself on the game. Larry Farina, the official in question, decided that he is more important that Jake Locker or any other player, coach or ticket-buying fan in the stadium. Sad...but typical.

"After scoring the touchdown, the player threw the ball into the air and we are required, by rule, to assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty," Farina said in a statement given to Washington officials.

"It is a celebration rule that we are required to call. It was not a judgment call."

Required to call...

Or else...what? An extensive audit by the IRS? Internment at Guantanamo? Death by firing squad? It's nonsense. It's from a book of rules, not a book of laws. It's certainly not on a tablet full of commandments. The rules are not written in stone or in blood or in the heavens. It's a game that is incapable of functionig satisfactorily without emotion. I'm sorry but any IDIOT can tell the difference between honest, spontaneous celebration and deliberate taunting. There doesn't need to be a rule for it.

How many times have you heard it said, "If a ref wanted to, hell, he could throw a flag for holding on every play." The same could be said about "interference" by a defensive back. So why isn't a flag thrown on nearly every play? I mean, the rule book says, right? It's called judgment. Let me spell it out for the all the referee-types out there who have difficulty following along: J-U-D-G-M-E-N-T. Give it a try sometime, it won't bite you.

Why can't the real taunters be punished when they actually violate the rule rather than punishing all of us in advance by deliberately draining all the passion and exuberance out of the game? Why should the college game and, increasingly, the high school game, be ruined like the No Fun League has been ruined?

The kids don't make millions like the professionals do. Now they can't even have fun playing the game. Which means we the fans (whose money makes this whole thing work, by the way) get a diminished product for our hard-earned dollars. Once again, football officials and the shadowy "rules committees" that give them cover, keep thinking the game is about them. Instead of letting the players decide the game and giving the fans the opportunity to see an overtime finish, some official is feeling all important now because he applied the rules.

Because you know...rules ARE rules.

Newsflash: Nobody pays to see the officials throw flags (despite what the officials may tell themselves while checking out their potbellies in the mirror). Nobody appreciates the "sacrifices" made by the knuckleheads on the "rules committee" who are not interested in having to do the hard work of actually, you know, applying good judgment to a situation. Nope, better to write a rule about it and then hide behind it when stupid and needless controversies erupt.

All of this leads me to wonder if BCRS was cooked up in a lab somewhere and then unleashed on the unsuspecting sports world during the Cold War era. Perhaps some bizarre experiment gone horribly wrong? Gosh, what if there really is an evil genius lurking in some evil underground lair, plotting against the players, coaches and fans of this country? And if the evil mastermind does exist then that would help explain why the officials have no choice but to throw as many flags as possible.

Remember the words of Larry Farina: "It is a celebration rule that we are required to call. It was not a judgment call." I shudder to think about what would have happened to good ol' Larry if he hadn't thrown that flag. The Organization does not tolerate failure...

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."

Season opener is a disappointment

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

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

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

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

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

Bring it on!




3 things that were good:

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



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



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

3 things that were bad:

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



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



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

And finally...

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

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

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