New stars emerge for Hickory

T.J. Wimbush showing his speed

What an interesting game we saw on Friday night. How interesting? Well, check this out...

After the first 10 games of the season the top of Hickory's rushing chart looked like this:

1. Rakim Barrett - 1,126 yards
2. Kyshell Geter - 291 yards
3. Trevin Parks - 284 yards
4. Tyshon Chisholm - 250 yards

Obviously those aren't exactly eye-popping numbers, right? When it comes time to evaluate the 2008 season and figure out what went wrong the lack of production from the running game will be high on the list of grievances.

But here's where it gets interesting. Hickory rolled up 464 rushing yards in the regular-season finale against Bunker Hill. Not too shabby when you consider that of the team's top four rushers only one (Trevin Parks) got any carries at all. And for those of you who don't know, Trevin's normal positions are split end and cornerback.

Rakim Barrett? Suspended from the team for disciplinary reasons (the second time in a month). Kyshell Geter? Played only on defense before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. Tyshon Chisholm? He's been out with an injury for the past two weeks.

Now I will concede that Bunker Hill came into the game ranked dead last in the CVAC in both rush defense and total defense. The Bears were allowing an average of 254 rushing yards per game. But still, Hickory barely had any of its top rushers available. Surely Bunker Hill could deal with a depleted Tornado backfield just this one time. Uhh, no, apparently the Bears couldn't.

It was Senior Night at Frank Barger Stadium but this game will be forever remembered as a changing of the guard in the offensive backfield. Last week a freshman started a regular-season varsity game for the first time in more than a decade. Against Bunker Hill a sophomore tailback made the Tornado Nation forget its troubles and cheer wildly as he ran all over the visitors from Claremont.

Sophomore tailback T.J. Wimbush got his first varsity start and made the most of it, rushing for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries (8.3 yards per carry). Exactly one year after Darrien Burch set the school single-game rushing record (326 yards) Wimbush recorded the 12th-best rushing performance in school history and easily the best outing a Hickory sophomore has ever had. That's just flat-out impressive.

Freshman fullback Casey Stinson, getting his second straight varsity start, was on his way to having a great night himself. Before leaving the game with a foot injury he had already picked up 53 yards on just three carries (17.7 yards per carry). Indications are that Casey will be available for duty this Friday against Kings Mountain.

Senior fullback Tavish Johnson had a great night running the football. He showed surprising speed on his 69-yard touchdown run that resulted from a perfectly-executed trap play, the likes of which we haven't seen in two or three years. For a team that runs the Wing-T offense like Hickory there are few sights more satisfying than witnessing a fullback busting it right up the middle and then takin' it to the house. It was fun to see the sideline erupt in cheering for Tavish. He has hung in there and kept the faith, so to speak. That touchdown was quite a payoff.

But Hickory's rushing avalanche didn't end there. Jason Hill, a junior who usually goes in on defense, got his chance to carry the ball Friday night. He only touched the ball twice but one of those resulted in a 44-yard touchdown run. He is a player who has made the most of his limited playing time on both defense and offense. I think that he will play a much bigger role for Hickory next season. I look forward to seeing that.

It wasn't completely about the rushing game, though. Senior David Dula hauled in a Kevin Shelton pass and then turned on his jets and scored the 39-yard touchdown. The play impressed me because of the way Dula controlled the ball when it bobbled as he caught it. Instead of giving up on it and letting the ball hit the ground he fought for that catch, juggling it briefly before getting control of it and then setting sail for the end zone. That's called making a play. That's how it has to be if you want to make some noise in the playoffs. Good stuff!

Casey Stinson gallops downfield

Pick 'em Week 11 recap

It was a pretty good week for yours truly on the prognostication front. The final tally was 7-1 with the only blemish being Watauga's surprising loss to Freedom last Thursday night.

The Patriots have now won two games in a row, neither of which was played on a Friday night. They beat Alexander Central on a Saturday night due to a rain postponement and then beat Watauga on Thursday due to the Appalachian game being played in Boone on Friday. So now we know that the key to Freedom's success is to avoid Friday nights like the plague.

Going with Maiden and Alexander Central paid off - bigtime! It's quickly becoming apparent that Hickory's loss to St. Stephens was merely a fluke. The Indians haven't done anything since then - except lose to Bandys and Maiden, both teams that Hickory defeated.

Alexander Central has two good running backs and a promising quarterback. That's more than McDowell can say. I believe Alexander Central will be a pretty good team next season. Beating McDowell was more about 2009 than it was about this season.

I just want to thank the Maiden Blue Devils for doing my bidding last week. I called for them to inflict harm on the Indians and they obeyed. Now I must wash my hands of them. I hope Patton gets that shocking victory they've been looking for all season by whipping Maiden. I'm not holding my breath or anything...but it would be nice.

And speaking of nice... I was prepared to wash my hands of Bandys, too. But then I thought how sweet it would be if the Trojans could rise up and take revenge on Newton-Conover for the humiliating losses the Red Devils have inflicted on them the past few years. Now would be a great time for some payback. The added benefit for the rest of us? Keeping the Red Devils from getting even a piece of the CVAC title.

Since Hickory can't have it I prefer to see Hibriten and Fred T. Foard share the championship. Why? Simple. I hate Newton-Conover and because I think it would be cool for the final "original" CVAC crown to be carried off by a couple of teams that are headed into the new (and improved) Northwestern Conference next season.

Stick that in your juicebox and suck it!

Remember the good ol' days of September?

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.

Smith's kick completes dramatic last-minute victory

Shelton picks up a key 1st down


Just win, baby! When you're a team that is struggling you take the wins whenever you can get them. Going into the season nobody would have predicted that the Patton Panthers would give Hickory any trouble. But they came into Frank Barger Stadium and pushed the Red Tornadoes to the limit.

In the end, though, Hickory's junior kicking specialist Patrick Smith came through in the clutch. He calmly nailed a 35-yard field goal with three seconds left in the game to secure a 17-14 victory. Guess what? We'll take it!








Patrick Smith

Smith's kick reminded me of another junior placekicker for Hickory who also won a game with his leg. That was San San Te in 2005 who beat East Burke with 28-yard field goal in overtime. San San is now the starting placekicker at Rutgers. I see no reason why Smith can't become Hickory third consecutive Division I kicker. He has improved by leaps and bounds since taking over the kicking responsibilities at the beginning of last season.

Smith's heroics capped an excellent final drive by the Red Tornadoes, sparked by quarterback Kevin Shelton and wide receiver Trevin Parks. The drive was set up by a crucial defensive stand that forced the Panthers to turn the ball over on downs at the Patton 40 with 36 seconds left in the game. Three plays was all it took for the Tornadoes to get into Smith's range.

Shelton connected Parks for an 18-yard pass completion. Shelton looked to pass again, couldn't find a receiver, tucked the ball and ran hard, heading for the first-down marker. He went out of bounds after a 13-yard gain. On the next play Shelton hooked up with Parks again, this time for 11 yards to the 18. Enter Patrick Smith.

The win becomes a little more impressive when you consider that 70% of Hickory's rushing offense this season was standing on the sideline in street clothes. Senior running back Rakim Barrett, whose 858 yards represents 70% of Hickory's total rushing yards this season, was held out of action for disciplinary reasons after violataing team rules.

Hickory wound up being outrushed by Patton. The Red Tornadoes rushed for a total of 133 yards, 74 yards below their average. The passing game, by comparison, was not affected at all by the rainy conditions. Shelton completed 70% of his passes for 121 yards. That's slightly better than his per-game average. The big play of the night for the passing game was Shelton's pass completion to Trevin Parks who took it 55 yards for a touchdown.

I was pleased to see Hickory fight back not once but twice after falling behind by a touchdown. And it was good to see how they did it, too - mixing up the pass and runs effectively. I would love to see Shelton get a chance to run the ball a little more. He's no track star but he looked good hustling for that crucial first down on the winning drive. He's capable of getting some valuable yards like that from time to time.

There was a steady downpour throughout the first half and it did affect the quality of play. Nevertheless, Hickory did a poor job of protecting the football. Both teams played in the same nasty conditions but Hickory coughed up the ball five times and Patton recovered four of those fumbles. The Panthers only fumbled three times and Hickory only recovered one of those. The other turnover in the game was an interception thrown by Patton's Trevor Buchanan. Obviously it's possible to get away with this kind of sloppiness against a team like Patton. Unnecessary goofs like this cannot be allowed to happen this week against Hibriten.

On a related note, the Red Tornadoes struggled to stop Patton's 212-pound freshman running back Winfield Johnson. The defense must get more physical in stopping the run. They will be facing an experienced senior back in Hibriten's Quin Smith. He is as physical a back as Hickory will have faced all season. Stopping him must be priority number one this Friday.

Besides the game-winning drive, the thing that pleased me the most was seeing several underclassmen stepping up and taking control of the situation. This will have major implications for next season's success. The season is definitely not over. The Red Tornadoes are still working towards the playoffs and actually have a chance to play the spoiler this week. But most importantly of all is the fact that what happens from now on will lay the groundwork for the 2009 season.

Buddy Withers for the defense

Final thoughts on the Newton game

Michael Shook finds room to run

We'll never know what might have happened Friday night if Hickory's kickoff team hadn't allowed former Red Tornado Shea Corpening to return the opening kick 97 yards for a touchdown. If he had been stopped around the 20 and Hickory's defense had forced a 3-and-out on the Red Devil offense...who knows? Maybe the Red Tornadoes get on the board first and builds the necessary momentem to keep them in the game.

But that's not how it worked out.

Corpening rocketed down the far sideline and gave the Red Devils a lead they never really came close to relinquishing. By the end of the first quarter the Red Tornadoes were in a 21-0 hole. That lead was quickly increased to 28-0 when Joseph Bryant intercepted a Kevin Shelton pass and took it to the house from 34 yards out.

Down by four touchdowns the Tornadoes started the overwhelming task of digging out of the hole. They got halfway, cutting the lead to 28-14 in the third quarter on a pair of Rakim Barrett touchdown runs. At that point there was still time to battle all the way back for a win.

But that's not how it worked out.

Newton-Conover piled on another 21 points in the third quarter, including another "pick-6" when linebacker Paul Forney read Shelton all the way, stepped in front of his pass and went untouched into the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown. The kick made it 49-14. A lot of dogged running by a determined Rakim Barrett got Hickory down the field one more time late in the game and Barrett finished the drive on a one-yard touchdown run. Patrick Smith's PAT made the final score 49-21.

The statistics do not support a 28-point margin. Newton outrushed Hickory by only 25 yards. Hickory, meanwhile, passed for twice as many yards as Newton. But Hickory had to go the distance for its three touchdowns. Newton, not so much. And with all due respect to the speed and skill of the Red Devils, the three touchdown returns should not have happened.

It's been five years since Hickory gave up a touchdown on the opening kickoff. That was the second-round playoff loss to Crest in 2003. The entire week of that game had been spent prepping mentally to face a team that we have never beaten in the regular season. All that mental preparation went out the window when Jermaine Strong returned Ryan Succop's kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. That sparked a 19-0 win for the eventual 3AA state champs. The irony of it was that Succop's kicks almost always went into the end zone for touchbacks. I remember thinking at the time that the gunners had forgotten what to do because they hardly ever had to tackle anybody.

The point is that if you take away the three touchdown returns, which happen very rarely and don't need to happen at all, then the final score would have looked a little better. The players and coaches (and fans) might have kept up the fight more effectively instead of suffering from the creeping numbness that comes with a feeling of helplessness.

Another of Newton's touchdowns came immediately after they recovered a Hickory fumble. Special teams breakdowns, errors in the passing game and poor play-calling, penalties, missed assignments, lazy blocking, etc. will get you beat every time. That's what turns a game that should have at least been competitive into a route.

If a team can make costly mistakes then it should be able to eliminate those mistakes as well. There has not been a game all season when the Red Tornadoes haven't done something positive. Maybe it's a good night for Shelton, Parks and the passing game. Maybe it's a good night for Barrett running the ball. Maybe the defense hangs tough and takes away the other team's best offensive weapon. But there has yet to be a game this season when Hickory hit on all cylinders and played a complete, four-quarter game.

The question is why.

A lot of opinions are being offered up on the Tornado Central message board. We are officially in a bad place right now. It's a shame because in their frustration fans are overlooking some interesting developments. The one I find most fascinating is the installation of the direct snap to Trevin Parks. Ole Miss calls it the Wild Rebel formation. Tennessee calls it the G Gun. Oldtimers still call it the single wing. But it has been working pretty well. Rakim Barrett is turning in workmanlike performances every week. Kevin Shelton is rising in the ranks of Hickory's all-time best passing quarterbacks. A lot of underclassmen are getting valuable playing time.

The bottom line, however, is that Hickory is languishing below .500 this late in the season for the first time since 1994. That was also the last time Hickory finished a season with a losing record. Things are not quite that bad - yet. But the season is hanging in the balance right now. Buckle your seatbelts, brothers and sisters, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Final thoughts on the Foard game

It's official. Strange days are here. If I had written last spring that six games into the 2008 season the Red Tornadoes would be 3-3 but with victories over Bandys and Maiden and also 0-2 at Frank Barger Stadium after losing to St. Stephens and Fred T. Foard, well, you would have laughed at me. But that's where we're at in Week 8 as we face a road trip to Newton this Friday. It's more than a little nerve-wracking to think that Hickory is at .500 with the Red Devils and Hibriten left to deal with.

Here's some more weirdness. When was the last time anybody attended a Hickory football game and saw 28 points scored but no rushing touchdowns? For that matter how bizarre is it that the first seven touchdowns in a Hickory-Foard game were on pass plays? But it was entertaining.

I'm late with this summary because this game provided a lot of food for thought. I will approach it by reviewing the three things that I said Hickory must do in order to win the game.

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.

Hickory jumped out to a 21-6 lead, which was completely opposite of the way Fred T. Foard normally starts a game. So that was a mini-victory for the Red Tornadoes. The line was blocking and good things were happening because of it. Rakim Barrett finished the game with 182 yards on just 15 carries. That's a per-carry average of 12.1, which is the kind of effective running that we saw from him last season. Overall the Tornadoes rushed for 267 yards, certainly enough production to win a game in most cases. Kevin Shelton had a good night throwing the football, completing 50% of his passes for 118 yards and four touchdowns. I'm still looking but I can't find a Hickory game where the Tornado quarterback threw four touchdown passes. I've found several with three touchdown passes, but not four. And not only that but Hickory had four different receivers catching those TD passes. Last week I praised Foard for spreading the scoring around and so I have to give the Tornado offense props, too. Hickory had seven different players catch passes. That's good variety and, frankly, 118 passing yards combined with 267 rushing yards should always be enough for Hickory to win a game - if the defense is taking care of its business...

Michael Shook was the leading tackler (for the 3rd time in the last five games) and that just highlights how bad a night it was for the Tornado defense. Yes, the defense got after the Tigers early in the game. I saw some outstanding individual efforts from the cornerbacks in one-on-one situations with the Foard wide receivers. I loved the way David Dula fought for and won the battle with Trent Safrit for a pass that would have been a touchdown but, instead, became an interception. I've already praised Mikey Shook for his 14 solo tackles that, in most cases, were touchdown-saving stops. Tyler Barnette's punt block was excellent and set up Hickory's second touchdown. So the defense was making stops and setting up the offense to score. But once the score reached 21-6 the rest of the game was a long, frustrating retreat. Rakim Barrett's fumble late in the second quarter was quickly converted by the Tigers into a touchdown that closed the gap to 21-14, giving Foard the edge in momentum going into halftime. The third quarter was a draw with each team scoring a touchdown. Hickory held a slim 28-21 lead two minutes into the fourth quarter. Then came the collapse. After that the Tiger offense had its way with the Tornado defense. It was ugly. But even before that you couldn't help but feel that the Tiger offense was rapidly gaining confidence in its ability to move the ball. In thse situations there is simply no room for errors. The difference between this season and past seasons is that teams like St. Stephens and Fred T. Foard are good enough to exploit Hickory's mistakes whereas most of the time Hickory can get away with some sloppy play. The goal now must be eliminating the sloppiness. It's way too expensive these days.

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."

The Tigers did indeed score in bunches but they flipped the script by doing it at the end of the game rather than the beginning. I was thrilled to see Hickory jump out to a 21-6 lead and assumed that they had successfully negated the "shock and awe" that Foard likes to inflict on an opponent to start the game. But the deluge did finally come and it turned a close game into an embarrassing one. I guessed wrong about Foard's passing game. They stuck with it even though it was not immediately successful. In the end they wound up with better passing numbers than Hickory. But that didn't stop Quinton Owens from having a career night rushing the ball. And the Tigers continued to specialize in the big play. Landon Isenhour complete to Jameel Owens for a 23-yard touchdown pass. Isenhour complete to Chase Robinson for a 43-yard touchdown pass. Isenhour complete to Safrit for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Quinton Owens scores on a 68-yard run. As I said last week, the Tigers are scary fast.

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.

Turnovers and penalties can absolutely kill you in a tight ballgame. Hickory fumbled twice and Foard recovered the ball both times. And both times the Tigers immediately made Hickory pay for it. On Foard's first play after recovering Rakim's fumble (which came at the end of a nice run) Isenhour hit Chase Robinson for a 43-yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter a bungled snap from center by Hickory was recovered by Foard. On the next play Isenhour scored on a 13-yard keeper. Two fumbles, two touchdowns. It doesn't get any simpler than that. David Dula threw an interception late in the game that also led eventually to a Tiger touchdown but by then the game was already lost. Statistically speaking, the penalty situation for Hickory wasn't bad. Officially, the Tornadoes were only penalized three times for 30 yards, which is by far the lowest total this season. But still Hickory shot itself in the foot with needless penalties. With first-and-goal on the Tiger five, Hickory had back-to-back penalties that pushed the Tornadoes back to the 15 yard line. One of the penalties was for lining up offsides. Why does that happen? So instead of scoring a touchdown Hickory was forced to try a field goal. That attempt was ruined by a bad snap. Failure in the red zone due to stupid penalties and poor execution by the special teams. That's a prime example of why Hickory is at .500 for the season.

There are some good things happening these days for Hickory. But for every positive aspect there is a nagging problem that has yet to be solved. The good news is that the problems are fixable. The bad news is that time is running out.


Trevin Parks wins a battle with Jameel Owens

The biggest little what?

The Red Tornadoes took care of business in the rain Friday night, whipping the Maiden Blue Devils 17-7 in Tom Brown Stadium. The win kept alive Hickory's hopes for a share of the CVAC title as the Red Tornadoes (2-1 in CVAC and 3-2 overall) are now in a three-way tie for second place with the Patton Panthers and this week's opponent, Fred T. Foard. Maiden (0-3 in CVAC and 1-4 overall) has now lost its last four games.

It was a sloppy game played in sloppy conditions as the rain fell throughout the contest. Fumbles were plentiful, especially for Hickory. The Red Tornadoes lost three fumbles but had no interceptions. Maiden quarterback Justin Sizemore was intercepted four times and Maiden also lost a fumble that was returned by junior Buddy Withers for Hickory's first touchdown. So despite the wet conditions Hickory's turnover ratio for the season actually improved to +6.

Another impressive statistic came in the passing department. Kevin Shelton completed seven of his 11 passes (64%) with no interceptions. That's 13 points higher than his overall completion percentage going into the game. Sizemore, by comparison, completed only four passes for a mere 47 yards. For the season he has thrown eight interceptions compared but only three touchdowns. Folks, that is not how the spread offense is supposed to work.

The ground games of the two teams were relatively equal. Once again Rakim Barrett led the way for Hickory, rushing for 72 yards (including a 19-yard touchdown) on 15 carries. He also caught a couple of passes for a total of 13 yards. Kyshell Geter found it tough going as the Maiden defense was apparently keying on him. He finished with 25 yards on 18 carries.

Hickory's defense kept the Blue Devils in check all night with the exception of Jacob Lineberger's touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. The "Mountain Man" Steve Ohnesorge of WBTV would call that an "oh-by-the-way touchdown." Maiden's leading rusher was Jordan Shade with 33 yards on 24 carries (1.4 yards per carry).

Another bright spot for Hickory was the play of junior kicking specialist Patrick Smith. Patrick continues to improve on a weekly basis and he played a big part in Friday night's victory as his punts repeatedly pinned the Blue Devils deep in their own territory. It's always true that field position and defense wins ballgames but it is especially relevant in bad weather. Most of the game was played in Maiden territory. Smith also hit both extra points and nailed a 30-yard field goal.

This will be the final football game between Hickory and Maiden. Hickory's combined record (Varsity and JV) against the Blue Devils now stands at 9-1. That, my friends, is what domination looks like.

A victory 15 years in the making...

Nevermind the fact that there were players in this game who were newly-born infants the last time St. Stephens defeated Hickory on the football field. I've discovered something really weird...

Did you know that in 1993, the year that Saint managed a 21-7 win over the Red Tornadoes, there was also bloody conflict in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia? That year the conflict involved not South Ossetia but the other separatist enclave within Georgia's boundaries: Abkhazia. Russian troops intervened in that conflict, as well. Let's hope that the peace process continues over there. We don't need any more trouble here at home!

But seriously folks...

Despite the history-making loss to the Indians, there were some bright spots for the Red Tornadoes. The best thing about the game was seeing Rakim Barrett and Kyshell Geter churning out 100-yard performances. I'm not sure why Tyshon Chisholm wasn't used more on offense but I'm not going to second-guess the coaches on that one.

The passing game was, on the whole, pretty good. The pick-6 that gave Saint its first touchdown was just bizarre and I'm sure Kevin would love to have that one back. Interceptions returned for touchdowns happen from time to time. Heck, Mikey Shook almost returned the favor with his interception that got us close to the goal line. Take away the pick-6 from Caleb Peterson (who had a career night against us) and it's tied, 21-21. Each offense scored three touchdowns.

Overall, Hickory actually dominated the stats .

I would also like to point out that the 3rd-down call in the fourth quarter was a good one. Despite what the idiot line judge said, the pass was complete to Trevin Parks and would have been a first down. I was standing right there and he clearly caught the ball, had control of it, and was beginning to advance on the goal line when the Indians caught up with him and knocked the ball loose. It was a catch and a fumble out of bounds, period. The linesman blew it and stubbornly refused to even consider that he might have been out of position and simply made a bad call. Nope, he had to go all BCRS on the coaches, which is a shame.

The odds are pretty good that Hickory scores a touchdown if that pass play had stood. Then the coaches would have had the option of kicking for the tie or, maybe, going for the win with a 2-point conversion. Now we'll never know. But for the people who want to say it was bad playcalling on Coach Worley's part, I have to disagree with them. It was a good call not only because the catch was made and should have been a first down but also because it's a play that we have run successfully in previous games this season...and scored touchdowns with it!

Regarding the areas where I think the team has struggled (O-line, defense, special teams) I have to give passing marks to the O-line and the defense. It's hard to be negative about the blockers when you have a pair of backs who each get 100+ yards on the ground and a quarterback who was one blown call by a ref away from another 100-yard passing performance.

Other than the three scoring drives by the Indians our defense shut 'em down for the most part. It was either feast or famine for Saint's offense. The key to their success was the ability to convert on third down. They got the yards when they needed them the most. That's the sign of a pretty good ballclub, which St. Stephens is.

Special teams was still a little shaky but the impressive thing was not that our guys did poorly but that St. Stephens' kicker, Brandon Hall, pulled off a great impression of Ryan Succop. Every kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback, forcing Hickory to march 80 yards every time. That's what our opponents used to have to deal with on a regular basis. Luckily both Hall and Peterson (and Patrick Jenkins and Graham McRary) will be gone after this season.

This loss reminds me of the shock I felt when we lost to East Burke in the 2003 season opener. It was shocking for two reasons, actually. First, everybody knew that the Red Tornadoes were going to be very good. So it was surprising for them to lose coming out of the gate. Second, the Cavaliers hadn't beaten Hickory since 1991. Was it the end of the world? It felt like it a little bit that night. But it didn't prevent the Red Tornadoes from compiling a 10-3 record and a trip to the second round of the playoffs. The only thing that really stood in Hickory's way that year was the eventual 3AA state champion Crest Chargers. The loss to East Burke was aggravating for a brief moment...and then the Red Tornadoes got down to business. I expect them to do something similar this week against Maiden.

Here come your Red Tornadoes!

Pick 'em Week 5 recap

I didn't really expect to witness history in the making last Friday night but that's what happened. For only the second time in 22 attempts the Indians of St. Stephens managed to get a win against the Red Tornadoes. The last time it happened (1993) the only thing that happened afterwards was a string of 14-straight wins by Hickory over Saint. So if history repeats itself then today's newborns will be in high school the next time the Indians "make history." By then, of course, the folks at St. Stephens will have been forced to scrap their nickname and everything associated with it for the sake of political correctness. C'est la vie!

I misfired on a couple of Northwestern Conference games to bring my record for the night to 8-3. In the case of Alexander Central versus Wilkes Central and South Caldwell versus South Iredell, it was the 4A schools who dominated. Normally this is exactly what you might expect but around here the 2A schools always hold their own against bigger schools. I thought South Iredell might get one against South Caldwell based on the fact that the Vikings knocked off Statesville the week before. Now it looks as though the Greyhounds just gave that game away. Meanwhile, the Cougar running back tandem of Logan Chapman and Kyle Bradshaw continued to power the Alexander Central offense. The Cougars beat the Eagles by three touchdowns. So, there you go.

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.

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.

Not quite there yet...but moving in the right direction!

Sooner or later Hickory will solve its two biggest problems: mastering a sophisticated new defensive scheme and forging a cohesive, precision-oriented offensive line. When that happens the Red Tornadoes will begin to roll over and crush any team that gets in their way. Until then, the Tornado Nation will happily settle for the kind of gritty, never-say-die victory that we witnessed Friday night.

No, it wasn't pretty. Yes, the Cougars actually outgained the Tornadoes in total offense (320 to 251). In fact Central had more first downs, more rushing yards (and a higher per carry average) and more passing yards. But in the end it was Hickory that won the only statistical battle that really counts: 19 for us, 14 for them.

Despite their advantage in total yards the Cougar offense was shutout in the first quarter and the entire second half. The Cougars managed to score on a touchdown pass right before halftime and tie the game at 7-7. After that it was Hickory's offense that made things happen. The only points Central could manage in the second half was the 91-yard kickoff return by Logan Chapman that gave his team the lead. Chapman's return came immediately after Hickory had taken the lead on Rakim Barrett's short touchdown run. The only scoring in the fourth quarter was Rakim's game-winning 34-yard touchdown dash.

Ahhh, the kickoff return. That kind of thing should never happen against a team like Alexander Central. Not to take anything away from the Cougars. I was impressed with the abilities of their backfield. But there's no way that any of them should be able to go 91 yards on us. Crest? Yes. Statesville? Yeah, maybe. But not Central. I've said it before and others, as well. Hickory needs to be the one dealing out punishment on special teams. Hickory is the kind of team that could be murduring opponents on kickoff and punt returns. It's almost like free points! And nobody should be able to get a freebie on Hickory.

Another of my concerns has to do with our run production. Rakim had a great game, racking up 168 yards and two TDs on 28 carries (6 yards per carry). He is on track to get the 1,000-yard season that I predicted for him. But after him there just hasn't been much going on. Tyshon Chisholm and Kyshell Geter combined for 20 yards on six carries (each carried the ball three times). Keep in mind that last year against Central the Red Tornadoes had three ballcarriers finish the game with over 100 yards apiece.

In that contest, a 40-12 victory, Geter had 146 yards on 17 carries and Barrett had 109 yards on just six carries (Burch led the way with 157 yards on 20 carries). And those rushing yards did not come at the expense of the passing game, either. Shelton's numbers against the Cougars last year were good: 8-13-0 for 101 yards. That game was also memorable for the Trevin Parks halfback pass that resulted in a 63-yard touchdown for Jordan Wilson.

The difference this year is the inexperience of the work-in-progress that is our offensive line. Last year's squad came into the season knowing what to do, having paid their dues in 2006. Well, it's dues-paying time again. There is only one cure for inexperience: time.

Also, the line was not at full strength against Statesville. Hickory lost. With Clay Johnson at 100% this week the O-line was at full strength and the running game was clearly better. This coming Friday I expect the O-line will be even more improved. So, it's a process. "Better" is the goal every week for the line.

Hickory has been outrushed each of the past two weeks. That is rare. Statesville did it with 187 yards to Hickory's 68 (-119). Central did it with 225 yards to Hickory's 181 (-44). So, Hickory's rushing total is going up while the yardage deficit is going down. That's a positive trend.

Normally I would say that this week's benchmark would be to outrush the opposition altogether. However, because the Trojans have accomplished very little with their rushing attack so far, I think that simply outrushing them would not be much of an accomplishment. So instead I'm looking for Hickory to have two 100-yard rushers this week. It could be Rakim and Kyshell or Rakim and Tyshon or any combination you'd like. But Hickory needs to control the ball, move those sticks and dominate the rushing statistics. If this happens then we will know that the line is becoming what it needs to be: a precision machine.

It was definitely an exciting, dramatic game. What a huge moment when the Red Tornadoes went for it on 4th-and-9 at the Cougar 22 and got a crucial first down when Shelton found Parks on the sideline for a 19-yard gain. Barrett scored on the next play. Clutch plays pay dividends far beyond that play itself. The confidence that builds every time a team comes face-to-face with one of "those moments" and succeeds is priceless. Hickory has shown the ability to make clutch plays and, more importantly, has yet to quit. It's only a matter of time before the more "routine" aspects of Hickory's game get on track. And when it all comes together and the Tornadoes play a complete game some team is gonna get blasted.

GO HICKORY!!

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.

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...

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