Since my Rosman Tigers are getting ready for basketball practice, I thought that I would get everyone's idea of what to expect in the 2nd round of the playoffs....Here's my own personal thoughts...
1A West
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This week we will find out just how important those first round BYES were as all 4 teams that received those BYES will entertain the first round winners...
Top-Seeded Mitchell will be a heavy favorite against the Community School of Davidson who won their first round game on the road at South Stokes by a TD(29-22)...The Spartans who come to Ledger with an overall record of 6-6 finished 4th in the SPC, and did beat the Union Academy Cardinals on the road(38-36) in Week 10...They also scored 42 points on Thomas Jefferson in a week 8 loss(63-42), so they are capable of scoring a lot of point of offense, but were beaten handily by both MICS(67-14) and Bessermer City(60-15) in Davidson...Mitchell County is undefeated at home this season, and has lost only to 2A Mountain Heritage in Burnsville in the conference opener(30-20), but breezed through the rest of their WHC opponents, so it will likely be a long night, and a long ride home for the Spartans this friday ...
Perhaps the most anticipated matchup in the Western 1A next friday will be when Robbinsville makes the trip down the mountain to face Mountain Island Charter...The Black Knights had their way with my Rosman Tigers(57-16), and will be a tough matchup for the 2nd seeded Raptors who will rely on the talents of QB Marcus Graham and RB Elijah Burris who are both capable of having a big night if the Black Knight defense doesn't corral them early and often...The Raptors do have size on the offensive line, and they do have some big and talented WRs who will pose a matchup problem for the Black Knight secondary, but this Black Knight team is a veteran bunch who have been through the SMC battles,, and have recently played in the state 1A title games, so they will be battle tested, and will be perhaps the best Defensive Line that the Raptors have faced this season as both Phillips and Bradley are big and tough foes in the trenches....RB Rylee Anderson is quick and follows his blockers well, while Wiggins is a big RB who can be tough to bring down when he breaks the line...The Black Knights also have a potent passing attack as Orr runs good routes, and has great hands....The Raptors are unbeaten at home, and will pumped-up to face a SMC team after Murphy ended their season last year....Expect this to be a barnburner right down to the end...
In the other side of the bracket, 2nd seeded Cherokee had a week to lick their wounds after losing to Murphy in the season finale, which ended the Braves unbeaten season...The Braves still won the draw amongst fellow Conference Champs Swain County and Murphy to get the first round BYE in the 1A playoffs...The Braves will also play their first playoff game against the team that they met in the first round last year in Cherokee, and that is the Union Academy Cardinals who the Braves beat last year in the first round in a high-scoring affair(51-34), so you know the Cardinals are going to be pumped for the 2nd round rematch with the Braves...The Cardinals(8-4) played everyone tough in their first year in the SPC, and handed SPC champ Thomas Jefferson their only loss of the season in the season finale after narrowly losing to both MICS(28-21) and Bessemer City(8-7) on the road...The Cardinals ran away(42-14) from Alleghany in the first round, so this will not be an easy win for Cherokee in the 2nd round, but I do expect the Braves to prevail, provided Tye Mintz is healthy, and they limit their turnovers...
Thomas Jefferson who received a BYE after losing at the Union Academy to close the season will need all of their weapons to be healthy when Elkin comes to town for the 2nd round matchup...The Bucking-Elks are hitting their stride at the right time of the year with their passing attack in full throttle mode after zooming by Hayesville(50-7) in the first round...Elkin(6-6) has won 4 straight heading into the matchup against the Gryphons, and are a very dangerous and confident team heading into this 2nd round matchup...Thomas Jefferson certainly benefited from the BYE from a health standpoint, and is a veteran team with 17 Seniors who have had a great season(10-1), and have not lost at home heading into this matchup, which will be the first time that these two teams have met on the gridiron to my knowledge...The game will depend on the health of Gryphons Jr. QB McMullens and whether he can run the ball effectively against the Bucking-Elks' defense...If healthy, the Gryphons offense will be hard to stop with Lay running the ball, but the Gryphons defense will be challenged by the high-powered passing attack of Elkin, and this will likely be a high scoring game between two potent offenses...Again, it will come down to the health of McMullens and what he can provide on offense, and what schemes the Thomas Jefferson Coaches can devise to stop the Elkin offensive attack...
1A East
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Top Seeded North Duplin(11-0) has had a great season, and was challenged in a tough Carolina Conference with narrow wins over Lakewood(21-14), Union(27-26), Princeton(40-39 OT) and Rosewood(28-21) to close the season, but they found a way to win those close games, and that's what good teams do...They certainly benefited from the BYE week, but will most likely be tested in their 2nd round matchup with Southside(7-5)...A team that they beat(30-6) handily early in the season on the road that gave the Seahawks their first loss of the season...Back in week 10 Southside loss to County rival Northside-PT(16-12), and lost their season finale to South Creek(29-24), and were OPEN in the final week of the season to make adjustments for the upcoming playoffs, and get healthy...It apparently worked as the Seahawks shutout(20-0) Northside-PT in the rematch last friday, and will now get to see if they can avenge another loss this week at Top-seeded North Duplin....I expect it to be a closer game than the first regular season matchup, but I expect the Rebels to prevail...
5th seeded Pamlico(8-4) humbled(40-8) visiting Albemarle in the first round in the Bulldogs first ever Eastern playoff game, and will likely be more than 4th seeded Columbia(5-4) can handle in the 2nd round...The Hurricanes finished 2nd in the Coastal Plains Conference behind Tarboro, and beat both Northside and Southside(29-22) during the regular season, and will likely be waiting for either Southside or North Duplin in the 3rd round....
In the other side of the Eastern 1A bracket, Plymouth(7-5) won their 4th straight game in a row last friday as they smashed(38-8) North Edgecombe in the first round....The Vikings who have made 5 straight trips to the 1A Finals know what it takes this time of year to advance, and will be a tough opponent for South Robeson(3-8) in the 2nd round....The Mustangs will have had two weeks to prepare for the Vikings invasion next week as they had a BYE last week, but a champions' mentality is coming to Rowland this week, and I expect Plymouth to knock off the 3rd seeded Mustangs...
2nd seeded Northampton has had a historic season, winning 10 games in a row since that opening season loss to 2A Roanoke Rapids, and they blitzed their way through their first season in the Tar-Roanoke Conference in claiming their first TRAC title...There was only 1 team in the TRAC that offered any kind of resistance, and that team was Southeast Halifax who lost to the Jaguars 22-6 back in week 8, but have won 5 straight since that time after edging(14-7) 10th seeded South Creek last night...The Jaguars best I remember returned a fumble or interception on the last play of the first half during the regular season in their victory over Southeast Halifax, so the Trojans will not be intimidated by the Jaguars in the rematch this coming friday in Gaston, and could pull the upset if the Jaguars get caught looking ahead to that possible 3rd round matchup with Plymouth who they beat(16-14) back in the 5th week of the season....
That's how I see the 2nd round matchups shapiing up, and welcome your comments and views...
1A West
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This week we will find out just how important those first round BYES were as all 4 teams that received those BYES will entertain the first round winners...
Top-Seeded Mitchell will be a heavy favorite against the Community School of Davidson who won their first round game on the road at South Stokes by a TD(29-22)...The Spartans who come to Ledger with an overall record of 6-6 finished 4th in the SPC, and did beat the Union Academy Cardinals on the road(38-36) in Week 10...They also scored 42 points on Thomas Jefferson in a week 8 loss(63-42), so they are capable of scoring a lot of point of offense, but were beaten handily by both MICS(67-14) and Bessermer City(60-15) in Davidson...Mitchell County is undefeated at home this season, and has lost only to 2A Mountain Heritage in Burnsville in the conference opener(30-20), but breezed through the rest of their WHC opponents, so it will likely be a long night, and a long ride home for the Spartans this friday ...
Perhaps the most anticipated matchup in the Western 1A next friday will be when Robbinsville makes the trip down the mountain to face Mountain Island Charter...The Black Knights had their way with my Rosman Tigers(57-16), and will be a tough matchup for the 2nd seeded Raptors who will rely on the talents of QB Marcus Graham and RB Elijah Burris who are both capable of having a big night if the Black Knight defense doesn't corral them early and often...The Raptors do have size on the offensive line, and they do have some big and talented WRs who will pose a matchup problem for the Black Knight secondary, but this Black Knight team is a veteran bunch who have been through the SMC battles,, and have recently played in the state 1A title games, so they will be battle tested, and will be perhaps the best Defensive Line that the Raptors have faced this season as both Phillips and Bradley are big and tough foes in the trenches....RB Rylee Anderson is quick and follows his blockers well, while Wiggins is a big RB who can be tough to bring down when he breaks the line...The Black Knights also have a potent passing attack as Orr runs good routes, and has great hands....The Raptors are unbeaten at home, and will pumped-up to face a SMC team after Murphy ended their season last year....Expect this to be a barnburner right down to the end...
In the other side of the bracket, 2nd seeded Cherokee had a week to lick their wounds after losing to Murphy in the season finale, which ended the Braves unbeaten season...The Braves still won the draw amongst fellow Conference Champs Swain County and Murphy to get the first round BYE in the 1A playoffs...The Braves will also play their first playoff game against the team that they met in the first round last year in Cherokee, and that is the Union Academy Cardinals who the Braves beat last year in the first round in a high-scoring affair(51-34), so you know the Cardinals are going to be pumped for the 2nd round rematch with the Braves...The Cardinals(8-4) played everyone tough in their first year in the SPC, and handed SPC champ Thomas Jefferson their only loss of the season in the season finale after narrowly losing to both MICS(28-21) and Bessemer City(8-7) on the road...The Cardinals ran away(42-14) from Alleghany in the first round, so this will not be an easy win for Cherokee in the 2nd round, but I do expect the Braves to prevail, provided Tye Mintz is healthy, and they limit their turnovers...
Thomas Jefferson who received a BYE after losing at the Union Academy to close the season will need all of their weapons to be healthy when Elkin comes to town for the 2nd round matchup...The Bucking-Elks are hitting their stride at the right time of the year with their passing attack in full throttle mode after zooming by Hayesville(50-7) in the first round...Elkin(6-6) has won 4 straight heading into the matchup against the Gryphons, and are a very dangerous and confident team heading into this 2nd round matchup...Thomas Jefferson certainly benefited from the BYE from a health standpoint, and is a veteran team with 17 Seniors who have had a great season(10-1), and have not lost at home heading into this matchup, which will be the first time that these two teams have met on the gridiron to my knowledge...The game will depend on the health of Gryphons Jr. QB McMullens and whether he can run the ball effectively against the Bucking-Elks' defense...If healthy, the Gryphons offense will be hard to stop with Lay running the ball, but the Gryphons defense will be challenged by the high-powered passing attack of Elkin, and this will likely be a high scoring game between two potent offenses...Again, it will come down to the health of McMullens and what he can provide on offense, and what schemes the Thomas Jefferson Coaches can devise to stop the Elkin offensive attack...
1A East
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Top Seeded North Duplin(11-0) has had a great season, and was challenged in a tough Carolina Conference with narrow wins over Lakewood(21-14), Union(27-26), Princeton(40-39 OT) and Rosewood(28-21) to close the season, but they found a way to win those close games, and that's what good teams do...They certainly benefited from the BYE week, but will most likely be tested in their 2nd round matchup with Southside(7-5)...A team that they beat(30-6) handily early in the season on the road that gave the Seahawks their first loss of the season...Back in week 10 Southside loss to County rival Northside-PT(16-12), and lost their season finale to South Creek(29-24), and were OPEN in the final week of the season to make adjustments for the upcoming playoffs, and get healthy...It apparently worked as the Seahawks shutout(20-0) Northside-PT in the rematch last friday, and will now get to see if they can avenge another loss this week at Top-seeded North Duplin....I expect it to be a closer game than the first regular season matchup, but I expect the Rebels to prevail...
5th seeded Pamlico(8-4) humbled(40-8) visiting Albemarle in the first round in the Bulldogs first ever Eastern playoff game, and will likely be more than 4th seeded Columbia(5-4) can handle in the 2nd round...The Hurricanes finished 2nd in the Coastal Plains Conference behind Tarboro, and beat both Northside and Southside(29-22) during the regular season, and will likely be waiting for either Southside or North Duplin in the 3rd round....
In the other side of the Eastern 1A bracket, Plymouth(7-5) won their 4th straight game in a row last friday as they smashed(38-8) North Edgecombe in the first round....The Vikings who have made 5 straight trips to the 1A Finals know what it takes this time of year to advance, and will be a tough opponent for South Robeson(3-8) in the 2nd round....The Mustangs will have had two weeks to prepare for the Vikings invasion next week as they had a BYE last week, but a champions' mentality is coming to Rowland this week, and I expect Plymouth to knock off the 3rd seeded Mustangs...
2nd seeded Northampton has had a historic season, winning 10 games in a row since that opening season loss to 2A Roanoke Rapids, and they blitzed their way through their first season in the Tar-Roanoke Conference in claiming their first TRAC title...There was only 1 team in the TRAC that offered any kind of resistance, and that team was Southeast Halifax who lost to the Jaguars 22-6 back in week 8, but have won 5 straight since that time after edging(14-7) 10th seeded South Creek last night...The Jaguars best I remember returned a fumble or interception on the last play of the first half during the regular season in their victory over Southeast Halifax, so the Trojans will not be intimidated by the Jaguars in the rematch this coming friday in Gaston, and could pull the upset if the Jaguars get caught looking ahead to that possible 3rd round matchup with Plymouth who they beat(16-14) back in the 5th week of the season....
That's how I see the 2nd round matchups shapiing up, and welcome your comments and views...
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