MA at North Stokes
Not gonna write much on this one, no need to downmouth North Stokes or over talk MA. This is just a game they gotta get done. I expect North Stokes to give it their all here. Best thing for both teams is to get it done fast and healthy on the way out. MA can’t afford to focus on Starmount yet. They can wait until 9 or 10 tomorrow for that.
Surry Central at North Wilkes
The Golden Eagles throttled the Elks last week in a game not many were sure how it would go, I honestly expected it to be closer and for a bit it looked like it would be as Elkin had a 7-6 lead. SC just opened things up with the pass and Elkin struggles vs the pass, always has with this group. SC used their strengths to their advantage last week for a nice cruising win. I expect another one of the same type this week as they head to Hays to play North Wilkes, who against all odds scored twice on Starmount last week. However this group of Vikings have struggled to find any consistency moving forward on either side of the ball at all levels so I don’t expect another 2 TD performance from them unless SC just struggles on defense.
Elkin at South Stokes
On paper South would be the favorite here due to their performance from out of nowhere last week vs East Surry, and that was something they really needed, Elkin meanwhile just fell apart last week into a hole and gotta find their way out of it. However I’ve seen both in person as we played South and scrimmaged Elkin, and honestly I think this one could be a true tossup. South has the better and more explosive offense with speed but Elkin is way more physical and I think they have a little more heart when it matters deep down. That will be enough to keep it close. This one could go either one in this one so I’m not picking it.
Alleghany at Starmount
Against all odds the Rams have overcome their consistency issues they’ve had the past few years and won games they might not have won before. Weeks 1 and 2 especially were hard fought and well earned. Last week was their easiest win of the year so far and one of the easiest ones they will have. However they gave up 12 to a NW team struggling to make it, it’s not a good thing for them if they truly want to contend in November in 1A ball. They gotta be able to either get a shutout or prevent less with the solid talent they have. This week will be a good test for that as they host a very stubborn and hard fighting Alleghany squad. Alleghany’s deep in their tough portion of the schedule but they have played it very well with 2 close losses to 2 very good squads and a very respectable loss to one of the best 1A teams in the west last week. The Trojans aren’t exactly a pushover, and for Starmount to overlook them for the Bears would be a major mistake for sure. Alleghany’s lineplay is very consistent and will give Starmount of their better tests on that side of the field. If the Rams want to contend they need to dominate and put the game away, if not the Trojans will stay around.
Forbush at West Wilkes
Now for a game that has a lot of implications on the Foothills race. Both of these teams badly need a break moving forward as they’ve not had the easiest time this year. The Bush is off a bye after a dreadful start to the season, while West Wilkes doesn’t get their break until the end of the year, but took a respectful loss to West Iredell last week in a game I didn’t think would be as close. The winner of this game gets a lot of momentum at a very important time as they can move forward and be competitive in a conference that is more wide open than people realize. However it’s going to be easier said than done and going to take a lot of consistency and that’s an issue both of these teams have had. I just think right now West is better of the two, they’ve played more respectable outings. However I expect this one to be another down to the wire affair like last year. West dominated every aspect of the game and limited the Bush to not much yardage, however they couldn’t get the job done, and let it slide super late and took a pounding from Bush’s line which was huge then. This year Bush is way younger and don’t have the size edge on West so it may be a completely different affair. Just wait and see on this one, if the Bush pull a rabbit out of a hat I won’t be surprised either.
