PREP FOOTBALL: Top 5 things to watch | Hickory Daily Record

By: Chris Hobbs | Hickory Daily Record
Published: October 18, 2012 Updated: October 18, 2012 - 11:45 PM

The top five things Record Sports Editor Chris Hobbs and retired head coach Tom Brown, who was asked to provide insight, recommend following in tonight?s high school football games:

Does the race end?: Unless Newton-Conover (6-4, 3-1) can halt South Iredell (8-1, 5-0) at 19 straight conference wins, the Vikings lock up at least a share of the Catawba Valley Athletic 2A title and the conference?s top state playoff seed.

A win gives South Iredell no worse than a share of the league title, and the Vikings win it outright tonight if Bunker Hill beats Maiden in Maiden.

South Iredell is two wins away ? against the Red Devils, then at East Burke next week ? from a third straight 7-0 league record.

?One factor Newton-Conover can hang their hat on is they do have some team speed, probably as close (to South Iredell?s) as anybody,? said Brown. ?On paper, that gives them the best opportunity to win compared to anybody else in the league.?

Referring to a 24-13 victory at Bandys last Friday in which the Vikings were held to 12 yards and four first downs in the second half, Brown said: ?They (the Vikings) have shown an element of being human.?

Will it matter?: After an 0-7 start, St. Stephens (2-7, 1-3) has won back-to-back games heading into a home game against archrival Hickory (5-4, 2-2). But can the momentum of two straight wins carry any weight?

The teams St. Stephens beat, North Buncombe and Fred T. Foard, are a combined 2-16.

?I don?t foresee (that) being any change for them (the Indians) as a key to beating a quality team,? said Brown. ?Hickory can basically out-athlete them.? even if they (the Red Tornadoes) are not playing well. They?re just better.?

St. Stephens has won three of the last 25 matchup with Hickory, picking up a forfeit after last season ended (inadvertent use of an ineligible player) to add to wins in 1993 and 2008.

Bears are always..: Generally dangerous, but will Bunker Hill?s be when they get to Maiden (6-3, 4-1) and try to snap a 22-game losing streak against the Blue Devils?

The Bears (5-3, 1-4) are at best on a bubble for a spot in the state playoffs, one they aren?t likely to get without an upset of the Blue Devils.

Brown said if running backs Justin Lynch and Jon Sweet are in the Bunker Hill lineup, the Blue Devils better continue to bring their ?A? defense that posted shutouts in consecutive weeks against Bandys and East Burke.

?The key is if both of those kids are in the lineup, they (the Bears) can be a danger to anyone on their schedule,? Brown said. ?They?re game-changers, both of them, because they both can take it to the house on any play.?

With the state playoffs not likely coming, breaking a skid against Maiden could end up being the big deal for the Bears? seniors to remember about their final season.

Timing matters: An injury to running back Larry Clark on Oct. 5 has made East Burke?s remaining tasks just that must tougher. Clark?s spleen was ruptured in a game at West Caldwell (he had surgery and is recovering), and the Cavs (5-4, 3-2) now have one less offensive weapon.

East Burke would have had three key threats ? quarterback Jacob Young and running back Robbie McGee being the others ? as it tries to tackle Bandys (5-4, 2-3) in Catawba.

The Trojans do have their big three -- quarterback Anthony Toscano, receiver Hunter Lackey and a running game that features Devan Davis and Quiante Derr -- for a game that will impact state playoff seeding.

?Someone else has to step up,? Brown said of East Burke?s offense.

Asked how tough it can be for a head coach to turn to a role player and count on him to step up, Brown said:? ?You have to plant that seed early on. Our motto was always telling our kids ?You?re one play away?.? trying to keep that mindset that could happen and that it could be them (hearing) ?You gotta be the man, you gotta step up to the plate.??

Just a thought:? Your team played a state-ranked team (Statesville) and lost by 10 but stood toe-to-toe offensively (364 yards each). Now, add in that the next game, on the road, is against an unbeaten league leader.

That?s the scenario for Alexander Central (5-4, 4-0) as it heads to South Caldwell (9-0, 5-0) to play for first place in the Northwestern 3A-4A.

Can the Cougars? confidence be up enough they think they can beat the Spartans?

Brown said he knows Alexander Central will be game-planned to have a legitimate chance at victory.

?It goes back probably to preparation,? Brown said of the Cougars playing well against Statesville. ?If anyone (one coach) has the chance to pose as a spoiler, it?s (Alexander Central?s) Nick Bazzle. This ain?t his first rodeo.

?Nick has experience in eight, nine really big games and there?s a certain amount of knowledge gained by playing in big games.?

This one?s big.

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Source: http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/sports/2012/oct/18/prep-football-top-5-things-watch-ar-2706861/

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