Area Conference Rundown Midway/Game Picks for Week 7

[Slasher Killer]

WARNING there's gonna be a lot here so I'm gonna split this up by conference I have 3 to post and the game picks.

 

[Slasher Killer]

MVAC:
​

Wilkes Central:


The Eagles have underperformed more than many expected. North Iredell was hungrier than WC was and the two other 3A teams are having two of their best years. Defense took a while to get going but after last week’s shutout they look primed to maybe have a nice showing in the conference. Offense is much younger than previous years but thanks to the QB and Morrison they are performing now. This week’s game and the one in two weeks will ultimately show what they have on defense as they play two of the MVAC’s best offenses. Offensively Morrison needs to show out and the run needs to stay solid.



East Wilkes


The Ronda Cards had a rough time to start the year. Storms prevented EW from scrimmaging North Surry and RJR early on and they had to settle for Avery and they underperformed against a very young Avery squad. ES destroyed them for another round in the opener however the Ronda boys have started to turn things around. They had some pendulum wins in their streak ranging from crushing (SC/Forbush,) to a survival game (Walkertown,) to a solid opener last week. The Cards look to be start clicking at the best possible time as they have finally figured Wilmoth out (I’m sure getting a bunch of new shiny helmets from the Panthers will help too.) Last week’s win was huge as it showed maturity and opportunistic playing. They have a big rivalry game this week but if the Cards can stay consistent they can surprise for the top 1A seed. The Starmount and Elkin games will be very hard played ones.





Ashe:


The Huskies have been quietly over performing under the radar. The talented sophomore class of theirs have been playing hard and have changed the Huskies for the better. Their defense is much more competitive this year and their run game is 2 times better. They have W’s so far and that’s very solid because they didn’t come close last year in those 2 games. The West Caldwell game really struck me because WC had the size edge on Ashe yet it ended with a killer win for them; much impressive. Last week they fought for the W and that RB had a statement game. This week vs. Elkin could be a true statement game for the Huskies as they have been a thorn the past few years. However a loss isn’t the end of the world the Huskies have plenty chances at W’s. A playoff spot in 2018 is very likely.




Elkin:

The Elks have their most physical team since Wood’s first year and it’s showed so far. Defense is great vs the run and their option offense is working great. However the Elks have serious flaws in the secondary and the depth still isn’t great. Last week they let a back and forth game slip away with a bad throw which was a reversal of fortune for a lot of this year for the Elks. Question is more than likely with a level head can they pick up the pieces? They gotta stay aggressive on defense and control the ball to beat some of the more pass friendly and athletic squads to even have a chance at the conference. A loss this week or next week will outright kill their chances for the gold. However they could potentially be the top 1A squad if they win their last 2 games and Starmount loses to East Wilkes.





North Wilkes;

NW has been quite a surprise this year; I expected them to have a down year however they managed to make it out of non conference against all odds undefeated. They have finally found their passing offense after a few years of not having a solid vertical game and they have a high scoring O. However their defense just isn’t there yet and it cost them last week as they couldn’t slow down an opportunistic offense of EW who capitalized off the Vikings turnovers. Time will tell if NW’s sloppy play was due to their errors or having a big head. The next month could be a very challenging one for the Vikes; they face either teams with size, speed, or can chunk it. If their O doesn’t carry the load properly it could be a bunch of hard nights for the Vikes.





Starmount:

The Rams are a program waiting to find it’s spark. They have played several teams hard this year but they just haven’t been able to complete it yet. MA they played out of their heads yet against Forbush they played lost. This team is very hard to peg; but if Grinston is allowed to do his thing then they will be a strong team again potentially in a few years. However for them to get thru this year they gotta find that consistency. Last week may have been the discovery period they needed; they fought their hearts out for that win and they got it. Now they have a solid chance of having a winning streak which would help to get them a playoff spot. But in order to get that extra game they gotta win some tough ones. North and especially East Wilkes I see being some country football style throwdowns on the road for the Rams. East is jamming at the right time and NW has that offense. Both offer solid tests to these young Rams. However given their history with both in MVAC play as of late you can leave everything on the field.










West Wilkes:

The Blackhawks have been solidly underwhelming this year. Despite having a lot of upperclassmen this group hasn’t really struck my eyes yet. They played very rough vs Forbush and easily coulda lost that one and they fell apart vs Bishop. However they played inspired ball vs Bunker Hill but laid an egg vs Central. This week could very much define their season as they host East Wilkes. A close game or even an upset will very much save their season but a loss will more than likely leave them in the wilderness to find for theriselves and have to fight for a playoff spot.

West happens to be the last of a dying breed; they are the last pure Wing T team left in this area. That makes the dangerous because they run a offense no one else runs. Something to ponder..




Alleghany:

The Trojans are a tough team to peg. In non conference it was a one way or another performance those 4 games; 1st and last game were routs, and the other two were respectable loses. Last week the Trojans played the Huskies very hard for 3 quarters but one break later Ashe took off and turned it into a rout. Those are the breaks in high school ball. I see it being an interesting rest of the year for the Trojans. If they play that hard headed every week I see them being a thorn in a lot of people’s backs and they have a game vs West which they almost won in 2017 that could easily turn around this year with how mediocre West has been.

Worst case the Trojans can enjoy their JV season; they have their best JV squad in a long time this year.










Conference Predictions:




Top 3:

Ashe
East Wilkes
WC



Mid Range:


Elkin
Starmount
North Wilkes




Rest:

Alleghany
West Wilkes






Most Improved: Ashe County easily. Very good year for a young varsity squad but can they keep the big play performances up?

Most Disappointing: West Wilkes. Blackhawks just haven’t had a real memorable performance yet.

Team to watch: Elkin. They can ultimately be enough of a spoiler to potentially win the 1A side of the conference however they gonna have to bunker down and fight the faster and pass happy squads they face.

 

[Slasher Killer]

Northwest:​

MA:

Same ole same ole for the Bears. Greene is on another planet and his brother isn’t far off. QB has a ton of yards but then again anyone would with the WR core they have. Smith’s really underused in the offense at RB but he will be fine for next year. Defense is a step off last year’s team but their secondary is still hard to pass against. Don’t see many of the local teams hanging with this team. Their performance vs Central shows how they will fare in a lot of games besides East and the 3rd/4th rounds perhaps.

Maybe later on they may face a team that can give them a game but right now the Bears are easily the #2 1A team.




East Surry:

The Pilot Cards have had a wacky start to the year. First two games weren’t a bit challenging for them and that ultimately coulda started their undoing as North Surry was the first team that played them tough and showed their faults. Central played hard for a little while but West ultimately was in a good spot and exploited it. 7 turnovers would kill any squad and it did the Cards. Last week they did play Ragsdale tough late but ultimately the Tigers just was too much of a load for East to take on this year.

Conference slate presents a chance to have a nice winning streak for the Cards; however easier said than done. Bishop will come ready to thud and Prep will be much faster than the Cards. Lineplay and the status of Gosnell will depend a lot on these results. The Stokes schools meanwhile present the Cards two chances to clean up before their matchup with the Granites. Playoffs however could be a playground for the Cards.




South Stokes:

The Sauras have had a very disappointing season so far. Many including myself figured they would be a solid #3 squad but after their collapse vs North Wilkes they haven’t been right since. Losing the QB during the scrimmages I’m sure wasn’t a help but it seems the Sauras just haven’t found the offensive ID it needs yet. Defense can’t carry the load for them and it resulted in several losses. Last week’s game vs BY showed their depth of their troubles as they had BY on the ropes and let them come back epically with a big pass and a kickoff return for momentum to the W. South’s gonna have to cut on those to even stand a chance vs Prep.



Bishop:

The Villains have been one of the definite surprises of the season so far all across the area. They managed to do better than expected last year however not many figured they would follow it up with something better however they managed to do so with not a lot of fanfare. Numbers still aren’t great so far for the Villains (again without a JV team,) but they managed to make it all work on Friday’s. The close loss vs NW showed what potential they had and the close loss to Trinity followed it up. 4 wins in a row for them has them sitting pretty; especially after breaking the area’s record for most points in a win: 84. They stats wise have the conference’s 2nd best offense so they have a reason to be proud however they cannot rest on their laurels. East won’t allow that and in order to get 3rd place they gotta play hard the rest of the year.



WS Prep:

The Phoenix have had the usual start for them: some wins but nothing really impressive. They had a solid shot at a statement win week 2 vs Walkertown however they blew a 3 TD lead solidly in the 4th; another chance blown. WSP has hands down some of the faster kids but their typical weakness is showing as they just haven’t put it together yet in terms of physicality. In order to contend for third they gotta be willing to thud it up with Bishop and South or else it will be another failed year. Prep has too much talent to be meddling for 4th. That new DE they got could be the best defensive player in the NW in 2 more years but they need some kids to help make him better. They can build their rep but by having a solid rest of their year. Their game vs Bartlett Yancy presents them a chance to right the ship before they host South Stokes.



North Stokes:

Welp.. I admire the Vikings fight so far; things couldn’t be much rougher yet they are fighting hard each week. JV wise is ultimately what everyone in Danbury is up for this year as the Vikings are much competitive and have a win under their belts. Maybe in a year or two we will see them pay off on Fridays..






Prediction:



1.Mount Airy
2.East Surry
3.Bishop McGuiness
4. WS Prep
5.South Stokes
6.North Stokes




Most Improved: Bishop by far. If they keep this momentum up and go small 1A they could possibly make it a round or 2 in the playoffs. Bishop vs. CSD or Elkin could be a fun 2nd round matchup.

Disappointment: South Stokes. For the amount of talent they had return it’s been a very sad year for the Sauras. They could easily have 3 wins by now if they had lived up to their potential.

X Factor: Bishop/Prep. Both have a solid chance at 3rd but it’s hard to pick which one will pull it off. Bishop right now has the edge but if Prep beats South then it will be a slugfest in November for 3rd and potentially a home playoff game for the winner in Kernersville.

 

[Slasher Killer]

WPAC:​

West Stokes:

West is having its first real West year in a few years after the ‘15 squad and their size left. This year’s group has both elements to what make West work: size and speed. Their skill guys have quite a punch to them and the O line’s on the up. QB is very solid and Brown’s an underrated RB. The Wildcats showed their defense off last week limiting Walkertown to a very odd 2 points; you don’t see that very much these days. However they gotta stay consistent like that the rest of the way. Their homecoming game this week vs. Carver will be their biggest test so far. Carver will be their fastest challenge in conference and a chance to re-do their mistakes vs MA in week 2. However their lineplay and offense has to stay productive and keep Carver’s O off the field.

West is a marked team so they gotta stay on a high level every week but that’s always been a norm at West.





North Surry:

Despite their record the Greyhounds are a very hard willed and competitive squad. Their record is deceiving because take a few mistakes away the ‘Hounds would be 5-1; however the loses have made the ‘Hounds battle tested for conference. Last week was one of North’s more crushing conference openers as they throttled Atkins to an embarrassing 49-0 loss in their homecoming game. Atkins couldn’t do anything on offense and D had a hard time facing the multiple offensive options North hs. Run game is stout for the ‘Hounds as Smith at RB has had to carry the load while Swartz had his knee looked at but passing game isn’t a total failure either. Defense is young but after that shutout the ‘Hounds should have some more confidence. This week they take a long haul to Walkertown to play the Wolfpack and it should provide North a challenge; the ‘Hounds cannot rest on their laurels the rest of the way. The Sky is the limit for this group of ‘Hounds.



Atkins:

Times have definitely been better for the Camels. After a solid 4 win season in which Atkins’s battle tested senior class had some big wins (Central/South Davidson, Walkertown, and Forbush,) and a second place finish in the JV standings the Camels had some serious hope for their future. However it’s been a downgrade of a year for the Atkins squad. Their offense is badly ineffective as they just don’t have the playmakers last year’s team had and their defense lacks the killer edge it coulda had. Transfers and the injury bug is killing Atkins’s potential. Sadly it doesn’t look much better for the Camels the rest of this season. They host Surry Central this week for their homecoming game in what could be their one shot a W; however easier said than done. Atkins is gonna be in rebuilding mode for a few more seasons the way it looks.





Carver:

The Yellow Jackets are in a critical mass at the moment. Their offense is non-existent as they struggle to produce yards out of a singular offensive set and have been shut out 5 games in a row. On D they fared much better last week as they limited the ‘Bush to only 20 on homecoming night however Forbush exploited Carver’s mistakes to get those points. The Jackets just don’t have any consistency right now. Offense has no identity and defense stays on the field. They have got to find a way to get stops and produce points or they could be in for a even rough rest of their season. They still face a solid 3 team stretch before their bye. The last two games after that bye however could be their playground if they figure it all out.





Walkertown:

The Wolfpack have managed to improve quite a bit from 2017. Only a win may not be much to a lot of respectable programs but for Walkertown that is a big deal after the misery of 2017. The ‘Pack have one of the conference’s best RB’s on O and some size on the line however they lack consistency on both sides of the ball especially offense. They have been shut out 3 times this year. For Walkertown to grow they got to be able to put points up and prevent other teams from scoring by being physical and consistent. The program is a work in progress in a lot of ways this year. However if they manage to stay consistent they can perhaps win a few near the end of the year and make the 2A playoffs; they have a tough schedule enough to make it due to it’s strength.



Surry Central:


Hard to believe but the Golden Eagles are just two years removed from their title it feels like another world. Almost all of those kids are gone now and it shows as Central’s having it worst season since the 2000’s. Both sides of the ball especially the defense are very young and it has shown very frighteningly so far especially against WC and MA. However they had a bit of brilliance vs East Surry a few weeks back but they just haven’t been consistent at all as of yet in order to compete or come close for a win. They have the first real shot at one this week down in Winston vs Atkins; however they gotta play 4 solid quarters and win on the line or else it will be back and forth. Next few games could very hard fought by them however can they find that consistency to beat Atkins and compete in the final two games?





Forbush:


Last but not least is the ‘Bush. These kids are very surprising I figured it would be a rebuilding year similar to 2012 but these Falcons have played hard in all but 1 game this year. The offense is full of youngin’s however they play hard and fight much like Johnson’s Forbush teams always do. The line has some size to them but the team as a whole lacks that breakaway speed the good ‘Bush teams have. Until they do they gotta rely on their ball control skills and opportunistic D. That’s how they beat Carver last week and really past 2 years. Johnson’s the best fundamental coach in the conference; he gets a ton out of these kids not many else would. With him there they will always be a threat.







Standings:




Top 2:

North Surry
West Stokes




Middle of the Road:

Forbush
Walkertown




The Rest:


Atkins
Carver
Surry Central






Surprise: Forbush. Much expected them to have a rougher go this year but like Elkin/Ashe they are head somewhat.

Disappointment; Atkins. They have struggled to keep talent in house and it’s showing badly now.

X Factor: ‘Bush/Carver. Forbush plays spoiler a ton but Carver could possibly be a thorn if they ever figure their systems out enough to play people. Forbush however will always be around.

 

[Slasher Killer]

For MVAC anc WPAC the standings weren't pickable so I posted schools in Alphabetical order by grouping.

 

[Slasher Killer]

Week 7 Picks:


Elkin at Ashe


It’s homecoming for the Huskies as they host the Elks which have been a thorn in Ashe’s back the past couple of years. Hampton hasn’t lost to Elkin at Ashe however they have played Ashe really hard the last two years. In 2016 both teams combined for 115 points as Ashe put an end to a rough season and Elkin went 0-fer. Last year Elkin had Ashe on the ropes before Ashe shut the lid. This year I see being another tough game. Elkin is on the ropes this time after last week they need a W to stay alive for the title; Ashe meanwhile is 1-0 and wants to stay alive for a playoff spot. This game will come down to the defenses of both squads especially Elkin’s. Elkin struggles against the pass and big plays but against the Run. Elkin has quite a task on their hands as Ashe’s RB is jamming right now. However if Elkin can shut the run down it will all be about the pass. Elkin has got to be ready to stop both or it’s gonna be a long night. The Elks need to pick their poison.



Surry Central at Atkins


The Golden Eagles were humiliated last week in every form of the game as MA didn’t need very much to put the game away. Central badly needs momentum right now and they have a great shot to do so vs down and out Atkins. Atkins meanwhile is in the same boat they were dominated from the first snap and could nothing against North Surry last week besides help from flags. They just don’t have the playmakers from 2017 and it hurts them.


It’s Atkins’s homecoming and for both the best chance to get a W. However only one can do so and it looks like Central will probably do it. They are just more of a squad.



Carver at West Stokes


The Wildcats host their 20th homecoming court tonight as they host a lost Carver team hoping for any sliver of momentum. The Jackets haven’t score in 4 games and are trying any kind of offensive set for points. Defensively they had a good showing allowing only 20 to the ‘Bush however the Falcons exploited the Jackets weaknesses across the board for a majority of those points. Hard to rate the Jackets because they are a mess week to week. The Wildcats meanwhile are jamming right now and have a solid shot for a shutout this week. The Jackets will be a great speed test for the ‘Cats however if West’s defense can produce like it and O can show off like it should it won’t matter. Could be one of West’s best homecoming wins.




First Assembly at North Stokes


The Vikings had a week off and hopefully aren’t so banged up. They host Concord’s First Assembly Academy in a game that oddly, maybe could shock everyone. CFA is in the same boat as North Stokes is according to MP. They have less than 20 players, are very, very young, and have lost big time to several private schools on their schedule. It could very well be a thriller in Danbury. CFA’s defense is very, very bad (248 points allowed in just 4 games, 62 point average,) but their offense produces some points. This game will come down to if North Stokes’s offense can come alive after that melaise they have had all season and get going. Perhaps the JV skill players would help here quite a bit. They have some good speed and JV QB can chunk it. It might be the Vikings’s night in more ways than one.

I’m going with CFA to be safe but I’d gladly make a wrong pick here.



Alleghany at Starmount

The Rams fought to win last week against a team everyone expected to win. It was a hard fought and solid win for the Rams. This week will be a big test for the Rams as they strive to be consistent and start a win streak. For a young team like this one that is a great task. Alleghany badly wants a spark to get them going. I think the size wars on the line could be even but Starmount’s skill guys are better than Alleghany’s and that’s where the edge could come from. They gotta stay 100% in their heads though.



East Wilkes at West Wilkes


The Ronda Cards last week played like their old selves again; they exploited NW’s weaknesses and big heads and took some fumbles to the promised land and held out the Vikings assault long enough to win. It seems these kids are starting to click and get used to Wilmoth’s styles. However they have a solid rivalry game on their slate this week in Miller’s Creek. West may be a blah team this year but they have a lot of size on the line and will be hard to push around. East’s gonna have to play smart and be willing to thud it out. Turnovers will hurt them here as West will ball control them whenever chance they get. East badly needs to stay focused here or it will be a rough game.




North Wilkes at Wilkes Central


The Eagles finally came alive and made easy use of the Blackhawks last week. This week they expect a much solid challenge as they host the highest scoring offense in the conference. It will be a great test for the young Eagles defense badly in need of a statement. To shut NW’s offense down in all forms would be a great rallying cry for these kids. However if NW can keep their O on the field and exploit some of WC’s flash into mistakes it could be closer than we all think. However at the end of the day I just think WC”s speed advantage will be too much for NW; they struggle against speed and the pass. WC could have a good night in the air.




Bartlett Yancy at WS Prep (At Carver)

WS Preps’ big time game last week ended in a resounding thud while the Bucs used 2 big plays to overcome a stubborn South Stokes team. BY looks to have some solid speed on them so it may be equaled out by the Phoenix. WSP meanwhile is at home but not at Atkins (it’s their homecoming,) so they are playing at Lash Stadium at Carver. This will be a unique game for the Phoenix in a game they badly need to win. They need some sort of momentum before they open conference with South. A win here will make them have a bit more pep in their step. BY however is no pushover. Could go either way. If Prep’s gonna live up to their hype they need to win the next two games.

 

[Deana_King]

Alleghany plays at Starmount