CCC week 5

[BlackKnightNut]

ND vs ED: ND wins, interested to see how the qb position is played and called. Does ND shift to a more balanced attack now? ED having a tough season so far.

OG vs Lexington: Oak Grove is on a high with a great start to the programs second season. Lexington not looking so good, especially putting points on the board. OG wins.

CD vs Tville: Central offense looking very imposing right now and their defense got a shutout last week. Tville depth is a concern, I think CD wins in the 4th quarter after all that power running.

WD vs Salisbury: not even close, Salisbury buries em.

Ledford vs South Rowan: Ledford looking a bit better on offense now, they win.

Not sure which one I want to go to this week... Might be Oak Grove and Lexington.

 

[LineBackerHeadCracker]

ND
OG
Central
Salisbury
Ledford

The best 5 teams in the conference will all win this week . I like ND big , OG big , Salisbury bigger . Ledford game maybe a little closer than expected . Central and Tville will come down to wire .

 

[CCCteamz]

ND
OG
Central
Salisbury
Ledford

The best 5 teams in the conference will all win this week . I like ND big , OG big , Salisbury bigger . Ledford game maybe a little closer than expected . Central and Tville will come down to wire .

I'm going with the same picks. I believe Central is a lot better than people realize with that double wing offense. After seeing what they did to Lexington, I believe they are gonna be hard to stop, even the top teams in the conference. I coached my son's pee wee team one year and was real close to running that wedge double wing offense. I have seen how it is run and it is very effective at wearing teams down. It is demoralizing to the opposing team if they can't stop it after the first couple of possessions. You have to be physical up front and really the only consistent I know to stop it is to take out the OL's legs so they can't setup the wedge blocking. I believe Central could possibly finish in the 4 or 5 in the conference. It is going to be a very interesting season.

 

[M193_55g]

ND vs ED: ND wins, interested to see how the qb position is played and called. Does ND shift to a more balanced attack now? ED having a tough season so far.

OG vs Lexington: Oak Grove is on a high with a great start to the programs second season. Lexington not looking so good, especially putting points on the board. OG wins.

CD vs Tville: Central offense looking very imposing right now and their defense got a shutout last week. Tville depth is a concern, I think CD wins in the 4th quarter after all that power running.

WD vs Salisbury: not even close, Salisbury buries em.

Ledford vs South Rowan: Ledford looking a bit better on offense now, they win.

Not sure which one I want to go to this week... Might be Oak Grove and Lexington.

Hard to argue with any of these.

 

[JUS-AH-FAN]

Went 4-1 last week. Central made me a fool. This not a fun week of football. Going to see if Central is for real for myself.

ND- Well it’s East. Expect ND to run it up this week, they coming off a Loss to the little Brother.

OG- OG is on a high, could be a bad thing. But Lexington don’t have it figured out another year.

Central- Think this one could be a close one. I had THS finishing 4th in conference. Some had them finishing 3rd. This game will tell us if they can make that happen. The only win they have is against a very bad Albemarle team. They lost to MC who’s only win is THS. Was last year a fluke? THS needs this win. The only win they possibly left on schedule could be Lexington, West, East, or South Rowan. They need this win. Could miss the playoffs.

Salisbury- Well it’s West

Ledford- I think South Rowan is in race with East for next year number 1 pick.

 

[PrepFanNC]

The only game in question this week is Central vs. Thomasville
(And maybe OG vs Lexington if OG is resting on their Laurels)

But my big question... Something is bad wrong at East. What in the world?

I know there were some ejections that took a couple of key East players out of the game on Friday...

But losing like that to South Rowan. It’s going in the wrong direction over there, and frankly... I’m shocked. I respect that coaching staff and really thought that they were on the way up this year.

 

[PrepFanNC]

Good news for ND. Their QB is likely not out for the season like I had initially heard. Looks like he’ll be out for a few weeks. Thankful for that news!

 

[bigtime_87]

ND, LHS, Salisbury, and OG win big. THS-CD is huge for playoffs, Dogs pull it out with special teams and big plays.

 

[CCCteamz]

The only game in question this week is Central vs. Thomasville
(And maybe OG vs Lexington if OG is resting on their Laurels)

But my big question... Something is bad wrong at East. What in the world?

I know there were some ejections that took a couple of key East players out of the game on Friday...

But losing like that to South Rowan. It’s going in the wrong direction over there, and frankly... I’m shocked. I respect that coaching staff and really thought that they were on the way up this year.

I was at the ED vs SR game. I really respect the coaches at East too but it kind of sounds like Hanner lost control of the team after the ejection of their starting RB and TE in the first half. From what i was told some of the players were talking back to coaches after that happened and Hanner sat a few starters on defense and maybe one on offense on the bench the rest of the game. The defense was already missing two starters because of injury so when a few more were sent to the bench I believe the rest of the team mentally checked out of the game that is why the score is what it was. On top of that the officiating was some of the worst I had ever seen. The refs were about to lose control of the game with several late hits on the East RB that weren't called. He said something to the ref and that is why he was tossed.

It has been mentioned by another poster that the East offense is too predictable with the play calling and that is definately true right now. Hanner calls about the same 7 or 8 plays every game out of the same single back formation, which is not very hard to defend. I've been to some of their games and really left scratching my head at the offensive play calls. East is not gonna be better athletically than most teams they play so they need to put in some motion, fakes, misdirections, reverses, trick plays in their offense to have a chance to consistently move the ball. I really hope they can turn it around at East, they have enough decent players to compete and have a chance to win most games.

 

[Slasher Killer]

That Double Wing offense is really hard to stop if there's a good team running it. When South Stokes was in our conference 5 years ago they ran it but they didn't have the O line to run it well but they had a RB who gave us fits. We beat them comfortably but I enjoyed that offense and respected it more after. Central's way better than that South team and they are big and physical.. they will be a stout draw from almost everyone this year.

Them vs Salisbury and the top 2 will be fun to watch. They will be dangerous as they finally believe in their-selves after several years of not doing so and they have serious momentum. When a team discovers it's confidence it makes them really dangerous.

Hope CD gets a nice playoff spot and maybe gets an upset win that would be awesome.

 

[ocdavis31]

Wondering about something for those who have seen Central Davidson play.
The last time Thomasville played them and that offense, they had two significant advantages.
On every offensive play, one of the wingbacks left a split second early, resulting in an extra offensive lineman in the scrum. I think it was called four times, but happened on every play.
The second was the amount of pushing and towing that went on. The back with the ball would grab a lineman’s jersey and get towed through the line, with everyone behind him pushing him with their hands.
The deception in that offense is difficult enough, without gaining those advantages. It was obvious that they were coached to do that.
Has anybody seen that from them this year? I’m hopeful their offense is a little cleaner this time around.

 

[BlackKnightNut]

Highlights for those interested from 2011.

 

[BlackKnightNut]

Doublewing and Singlewing are very good at misdirection. Add in the pure numbers at the point of attack and you have a very difficult offense to prepare for.

Rugby in pads, it is the complete antithesis to the spread formation. Spread wants to puts athletes in space, Wing offenses want to win with numbers and sleight of hand. Basically in a phone booth.

I think East and West would be very good with it with the kind of players they get. Lexington would be ridiculous IMO.

 

[JUS-AH-FAN]

I have a question? The magic win total number for playoffs is usually 6-7. Do ND get to that this year? Especially with the unknown of the QB injury length. Mentioned in a thread before, OG playing those cupcake games help towards playoffs. Could that hurt ND come November?

Central ability to run the ball and control the clock is not good for ND. Ledford and Salisbury are just as good if not better then ND at this moment. They would have to at least win 2-3 out those teams to at least not sit nervous. I’ll give them East, West, South Rowan, Lexington, & Thomasville.

0-3 is a Tough start.

 

[EDEagle66]

I was at the ED vs SR game. I really respect the coaches at East too but it kind of sounds like Hanner lost control of the team after the ejection of their starting RB and TE in the first half. From what i was told some of the players were talking back to coaches after that happened and Hanner sat a few starters on defense and maybe one on offense on the bench the rest of the game. The defense was already missing two starters because of injury so when a few more were sent to the bench I believe the rest of the team mentally checked out of the game that is why the score is what it was. On top of that the officiating was some of the worst I had ever seen. The refs were about to lose control of the game with several late hits on the East RB that weren't called. He said something to the ref and that is why he was tossed.

It has been mentioned by another poster that the East offense is too predictable with the play calling and that is definately true right now. Hanner calls about the same 7 or 8 plays every game out of the same single back formation, which is not very hard to defend. I've been to some of their games and really left scratching my head at the offensive play calls. East is not gonna be better athletically than most teams they play so they need to put in some motion, fakes, misdirections, reverses, trick plays in their offense to have a chance to consistently move the ball. I really hope they can turn it around at East, they have enough decent players to compete and have a chance to win most games.

The one thing that baffles me is you have a playbook with "X" amount of plays in there and you choose to run only 7 or 8 on Friday night. You have to be able to mix up the run and pass to keep the defense honest. I am just stating an opinion here but when the RB from Oak Grove decided not to play football at East that was a huge blow to the program. I think it is safe to say with the Oak Grove RB (Shewcow) and #4 (Wright) from East Davidson in the same backfield, the offense would be a whole lot better than it is right now. As a coach though, you have to play the cards that you are dealt and make adjustments according to the talent that you have. No doubt that East has talent but you (as a coach) have to put them in the right position to be successful. I give Coach Hanner all the respect in the world because I know the coaching staff and players work very hard at East. I just think he needs to adjust the offense a little and throw the ball a little more to open up the running game. Go Golden Eagles .

 

[crazyduke3]

I have a question? The magic win total number for playoffs is usually 6-7. Do ND get to that this year? Especially with the unknown of the QB injury length. Mentioned in a thread before, OG playing those cupcake games help towards playoffs. Could that hurt ND come November?

Central ability to run the ball and control the clock is not good for ND. Ledford and Salisbury are just as good if not better then ND at this moment. They would have to at least win 2-3 out those teams to at least not sit nervous. I’ll give them East, West, South Rowan, Lexington, & Thomasville.

0-3 is a Tough start.

I think, In 2A, 5 wins can get you in. So I absolutely think ND will win 5 games this year and get in. But they better wake up fast. They already are messing with any hope of a home playoff game.

 

[CCCteamz]

The one thing that baffles me is you have a playbook with "X" amount of plays in there and you choose to run only 7 or 8 on Friday night. You have to be able to mix up the run and pass to keep the defense honest. I am just stating an opinion here but when the RB from Oak Grove decided not to play football at East that was a huge blow to the program. I think it is safe to say with the Oak Grove RB (Shewcow) and #4 (Wright) from East Davidson in the same backfield, the offense would be a whole lot better than it is right now. As a coach though, you have to play the cards that you are dealt and make adjustments according to the talent that you have. No doubt that East has talent but you (as a coach) have to put them in the right position to be successful. I give Coach Hanner all the respect in the world because I know the coaching staff and players work very hard at East. I just think he needs to adjust the offense a little and throw the ball a little more to open up the running game. Go Golden Eagles .

The main problem with the East offense is the game plan and play calling. Yeah they've had some turnovers and penalties that didn't help but the offense is very inconsistent and you can't expect the defense to stay on the field the whole game. Yeah it would help if the RB would have stayed but East has a couple of other good size running backs (about 185-190lbs) that are close to the same size and athletic ability as Shewcow that I saw in the preseason scrimmages that Hanner isn't running for some reason. Using the same one back spread formation all the time with the same 4 running plays is too vanilla and easy for teams to stop. They need to mix in the bigger backs with some power runs and use a two back set and move #4 around some to get him the ball in the open field. They are throwing the ball plenty but it is too inconsistent to move the ball. They need to establish a running game with multiple backs and put in some jet sweeps and screens, etc to open the offense up. Hate to say it but if the offense doesn't change then East has no chance of winning any games this season.

 

[CCCteamz]

Highlights for those interested from 2011.

View embedded media

Wow, just watching those Central double wing highlights from 2011 makes it look like it is impossible to stop if run correctly. I coached my son's pee wee team one year and considered running it but thought it would be too hard to teach to pee wee kids. I did hear one of the only ways to possibly stop it is to have the D lineman dive bomb and take out the legs of the O lineman when the ball is snapped so you take out their ability to pull to block. The misdirection makes it difficult to tell where the ball is at and then the multiple lineman pulling and the defense being outnumbered at the point of attack are what make the offense click. If the OL were taken out when the ball was snapped it might give the defense a better chance of slowing the offense down. It will be interesting to see how some of the CCC teams defend it this season.

 

[BlackKnightNut]

Wow, just watching those Central double wing highlights from 2011 makes it look like it is impossible to stop if run correctly. I coached my son's pee wee team one year and considered running it but thought it would be too hard to teach to pee wee kids. I did hear one of the only ways to possibly stop it is to have the D lineman dive bomb and take out the legs of the O lineman when the ball is snapped so you take out their ability to pull to block. The misdirection makes it difficult to tell where the ball is at and then the multiple lineman pulling and the defense being outnumbered at the point of attack are what make the offense click. If the OL were taken out when the ball was snapped it might give the defense a better chance of slowing the offense down. It will be interesting to see how some of the CCC teams defend it this season.

When I watched my nephews play little league ball East Davidson was running the single wing. Do they still do that? Their coach did a good job with it, I love both single and doublewing.

 

[EDEagle66]

The main problem with the East offense is the game plan and play calling.

I agree 100%.

When I watched my nephews play little league ball East Davidson was running the single wing. Do they still do that? Their coach did a good job with it, I love both single and doublewing.

BlackKnightNut, I am not sure if they still run it but they ran it a few years ago when my youngest son played ball with Shewcow (East Davidson little league). You couldn't stop that single wing. East Davidson's team won the county championship that year for little league. If my memory serves me correct, East's little league team ran the ball for over 3,000 yards that season. They had one back that averaged over 20 yards a carry. Every time Shewcow touched the ball it took 2-3 kids to tackle him. I believe that Shawn Norton was the coach of that team that particular season. One thing about it, that guy could coach.

 

[Bull10Dog]

In my opinion East Davidson is a running back away from being 3-0. You have to have a running game to open up the passing game. The Leonard kid can throw the ball all over the field but if everybody knows what your doing its not that hard to stop. East has never had lighting speed but if they could mix it up would make up for some of the lack of speed. Central has a done a great job of making up for speed by playing smash mouth football and the results are wins. Im not sure what surprises me more this year North being 0-3 or East being 0-3, Im surprised at both. I was excited for some Bulldog football this year but looks like we are a year or two away from trying to be at top of the conference. Lexington struggling, this a good year for the East, West, Central and South Rowan to get some good wins, i would have included Oak Grove in that too but they have established themselves as front runners as far as im concerned. Ledford is the big question, with 2 back at QB I think its pretty obvious who you have to stop. I still think North wins out and oak Grove will lose a game or two.

 

[BlackKnightNut]

I think, In 2A, 5 wins can get you in. So I absolutely think ND will win 5 games this year and get in. But they better wake up fast. They already are messing with any hope of a home playoff game.

It's mostly about conference placement, but here goes...


2018 2A playoff berths before split

4 wins Farmville Central, Cummings

5 wins Lexington, Goldsboro, James Kenan, Croatan, First Flight, Hertford County, Bunn, East Lincoln, Fairmount

 

[PrepFanNC]

It's mostly about conference placement, but here goes...


2018 2A playoff berths before split

4 wins Farmville Central, Cummings

5 wins Lexington, Goldsboro, James Kenan, Croatan, First Flight, Hertford County, Bunn, East Lincoln, Fairmount

You’re exactly right. Conference placement is the foremost component. Cummings wasn’t a playoff worthy team, but they play in a terrible conference. Finishing second in that conference was all it took for them to get in.

FirstFlight... same deal. Plus, I’ve never seen a team other than them go for it on 4th and 12 from their own 25 yard line. Early in the game! Crazy.

So, with a 10 team CCC, all it takes is coming in 3rd place and you are automatically in. (Unless you tie for 3rd, then it is a coin flip/straw draw to see who gets the slot). After that, it comes down to MaxPrep rating for the wildcards.

Even if a team has more wins than the team sitting ahead of them in the standings, the conference finish dictates the eligibility. Which can hurt even more, because a team can’t get in based on maxprep rating if the team ahead of them in the conference doesn’t make the playoffs.

 

[bigtime_87]

East and West should be more competitive in football than they are. They have good numbers, size and enough skill guys to play some good football. Both have solid coaching staffs, so what is the miss with them?



.

 

[EDEagle66]

East and West should be more competitive in football than they are. They have good numbers, size and enough skill guys to play some good football. Both have solid coaching staffs, so what is the miss with them?



.

My question is this as far as East goes. Several family members asked the question a few years back when the Junior Eagles won the county championship running the single wing. Oh, and I might add, ran the ball for over 3,000 yards that year as well. Where is the disconnect between why they are successful at the junior level and that success doesn't translate at the high school level? If the single wing will work at the smaller level it will definitely work at the high school level. I am in no way trying to criticize anyone I am just asking a question. I know the talent is there at East but something seems to be missing. I support my Golden Eagles 100% but it gets very hard going to watch a game and watching a "vanilla" offense as a previous poster has mentioned. You can only leave your defense on the field for so long until they are worn out. I read somewhere yesterday where Central Davidson is running the ball at a 503 yards a game on the ground running misdirection. That misdirection offense seems to be working great from them. I believe this would be something that East may want to incorporate in their offense along with throwing the ball. Any thoughts?

 

[CCCteamz]

East and West should be more competitive in football than they are. They have good numbers, size and enough skill guys to play some good football. Both have solid coaching staffs, so what is the miss with them?



.

I've seen both East and West head coaches in multiple games and they are both good guys, teach good fundamentals and have good asst coaches but from what I've seen they lack the offensive creativity and in game coaching to consistently win. On top of that you have an expectation and culture of losing at both schools which is hard to change. Both coaching staffs seem to just accept losing every season instead of making whatever changes necessary to try to win. They sometimes have players in the wrong spots and sometimes play favorites with players too IMO. I've had family play at East so I know how it is. If you have the right coaching and offensive creativity you can win consistently. A good example is Central this season so far. They finally brought in some coaches that knew how to install the perfect offensive system for the type of players they have. The result is that they are now 3-0. If the same type of thinking would be used at East or West then they both might have a winning record right now too.

 

[CCCteamz]

My question is this as far as East goes. Several family members asked the question a few years back when the Junior Eagles won the county championship running the single wing. Oh, and I might add, ran the ball for over 3,000 yards that year as well. Where is the disconnect between why they are successful at the junior level and that success doesn't translate at the high school level? If the single wing will work at the smaller level it will definitely work at the high school level. I am in no way trying to criticize anyone I am just asking a question. I know the talent is there at East but something seems to be missing. I support my Golden Eagles 100% but it gets very hard going to watch a game and watching a "vanilla" offense as a previous poster has mentioned. You can only leave your defense on the field for so long until they are worn out. I read somewhere yesterday where Central Davidson is running the ball at a 503 yards a game on the ground running misdirection. That misdirection offense seems to be working great from them. I believe this would be something that East may want to incorporate in their offense along with throwing the ball. Any thoughts?

What is definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. This is true for East and West. I said this before on a previous post that if East doesn't change their offense then they won't win a game this season. If that happens then the coach should be fired. It is hard to go to games week after week and watch the same thing over and over. When you obviously have enough talent to win but don't make the necessary changes to give your team a chance then something is wrong.

 

[Bull10Dog]

East and West should be more competitive in football than they are. They have good numbers, size and enough skill guys to play some good football. Both have solid coaching staffs, so what is the miss with them?



.

At the end of the day High School football boils down to speed and strength, if you dont have one of them its hard to compete. A high school coach can only do so much with what he has to work with. Coach Brown won a lot of games with my Dogs but lets face it, it was men playing against boys for most of those years. Thomasville was bigger and when they were not bigger they were faster. East and West both need to rely on strength because its rare they ever have speed. I think East issue this year is they are missing a RB, put Shewcow back at East and it would be a different story. If the Dogs had Cunningham back they they would be a different team. From what I hear East JV team looks solid and if they work hard in off season I think things will get turned around. Just 2 years ago East won 6 games when Leonard was a Sophomore QB so its not like they are a football dumpster its just they have had transfers and injuries. I remember when they first beat my dogs a few years back I think Shewcow brother was the RB and they had some playoff teams during those years. I looked up scores from last year and looks like they were in every game other than North, Ledford and Wheatmore. Hanner i think is a good coach and we liked him when he was with Thomasville. West really has never had the numbers playing football, they have had some of the best athletes the county has ever had though with those Hurt kids years ago and the kid that went to wake (Josh Bush), not to mention they had a lineman play for Florida with Teabow and the Chris Leak. The winning is done in the off season when the talent isnt there you have to out work everybody.

 

[PrepFanNC]

At the end of the day High School football boils down to speed and strength, if you dont have one of them its hard to compete. A high school coach can only do so much with what he has to work with. Coach Brown won a lot of games with my Dogs but lets face it, it was men playing against boys for most of those years. Thomasville was bigger and when they were not bigger they were faster. East and West both need to rely on strength because its rare they ever have speed. I think East issue this year is they are missing a RB, put Shewcow back at East and it would be a different story. If the Dogs had Cunningham back they they would be a different team. From what I hear East JV team looks solid and if they work hard in off season I think things will get turned around. Just 2 years ago East won 6 games when Leonard was a Sophomore QB so its not like they are a football dumpster its just they have had transfers and injuries. I remember when they first beat my dogs a few years back I think Shewcow brother was the RB and they had some playoff teams during those years. I looked up scores from last year and looks like they were in every game other than North, Ledford and Wheatmore. Hanner i think is a good coach and we liked him when he was with Thomasville. West really has never had the numbers playing football, they have had some of the best athletes the county has ever had though with those Hurt kids years ago and the kid that went to wake (Josh Bush), not to mention they had a lineman play for Florida with Teabow and the Chris Leak. The winning is done in the off season when the talent isnt there you have to out work everybody.

I think this is a very smart post. Sometimes you are blessed with a group of fantastic athletes... sometimes you have to develop the talent you have and adapt to suit the kind of talent you have.

Which is exactly why no one can accurately judge how well a coach is doing until after a couple of years of them being in their current position. If the talent is still there, you can have a couple of great years... until the previous coach’s system and players are graduated. Then, the success, or lack thereof, belongs to the current coach.

 

[bigtime_87]

Coaches also inherit a good class of players, have a real good season the first year and after that it just doesn't click. So your right, give it a few seasons to see exactly what they can do with a program, good or bad.

 

[CCCGuy321]

What sets apart Ledford from East and West?
They have similar sizes and Ledford only slightly edges them out in terms of athleticism. Yet they also have a predictable offense. Are they better because their defense is superior or does that slight edge in talent go a long way?

 

[PrepFanNC]

What sets apart Ledford from East and West?
They have similar sizes and Ledford only slightly edges them out in terms of athleticism. Yet they also have a predictable offense. Are they better because their defense is superior or does that slight edge in talent go a long way?

I look forward to seeing other folk’s opinion on this. Truly, I’m interested in what folks have to say.

Here is my opinion:
I’ve found that, at least in Davidson County, and in recent history, the wealthier schools seem to excel (more often than not, there are always exceptions).

Softball, Baseball, Football, and some others.

Is it because of the greater likelihood that more students, per capita, can have access to something other than community ball? I tend to think yes. In Midway, Welcome and Arcadia, there are droves of people taking their kids to strength and agility classes. The amount of travel ball being played is far more frequent than down in the south.
Plus, you tend to have a larger gate on Friday nights, thus more money to invest into your athletic programs.
Remember, any new stadiums/upgrades in Davidson Co. come from boosters. No funds available to replace stadiums (like Glenn and Mt. Tabor).

Again, there are exceptions. East Davidson (which is fed by Title 1 Brown Middle) excels in women’s basketball. West Davidson (fed by Title 1 Tyro Middle) was playing in the state finals in volleyball last year.

Also, I don’t want to bash travel ball too much... but I hate it. It creates one sport athletes, and so many other things that I’d best not type, lest I piss you all off (and myself)

That is one thing that will be interesting to see in the future northern Davidson school landscape... Who can transition into “smaller school” ball. North was so used to having 1500+ kids, that they didn’t stress to kids how important it was to play more than one sport. Ledford, having been smaller for many years, did. Thus, they have more championships to show for it. (Mostly girls’ sports)

Ok, I’m done. That was too much to say in one post. Someone else weigh in!

 

[PrepFanNC]

Additionally, here is how MaxPreps views the CCC as of right now (MaxPreps ratings)

1- Salisbury - 137
2- Oak Grove - 152
3- N. Davidson - 170
4- Ledford - 171
5- C Davidson - 243
6- Lexington - 255
7- Thomasville - 298
8- W Davidson - 318
9- South Rowan - 333
10- E Davidson - 376

 

[Murpheel54]

I look forward to seeing other folk’s opinion on this. Truly, I’m interested in what folks have to say.

Here is my opinion:
I’ve found that, at least in Davidson County, and in recent history, the wealthier schools seem to excel (more often than not, there are always exceptions).

Softball, Baseball, Football, and some others.

Is it because of the greater likelihood that more students, per capita, can have access to something other than community ball? I tend to think yes. In Midway, Welcome and Arcadia, there are droves of people taking their kids to strength and agility classes. The amount of travel ball being played is far more frequent than down in the south.
Plus, you tend to have a larger gate on Friday nights, thus more money to invest into your athletic programs.
Remember, any new stadiums/upgrades in Davidson Co. come from boosters. No funds available to replace stadiums (like Glenn and Mt. Tabor).

Again, there are exceptions. East Davidson (which is fed by Title 1 Brown Middle) excels in women’s basketball. West Davidson (fed by Title 1 Tyro Middle) was playing in the state finals in volleyball last year.

Also, I don’t want to bash travel ball too much... but I hate it. It creates one sport athletes, and so many other things that I’d best not type, lest I piss you all off (and myself)

That is one thing that will be interesting to see in the future northern Davidson school landscape... Who can transition into “smaller school” ball. North was so used to having 1500+ kids, that they didn’t stress to kids how important it was to play more than one sport. Ledford, having been smaller for many years, did. Thus, they have more championships to show for it. (Mostly girls’ sports)

Ok, I’m done. That was too much to say in one post. Someone else weigh in!

I agree with almost everything you said - I will say there are ways to play travel ball and not have it hamper other opportunities. We play a spring schedule, take the summer off and play a couple of August/September tournaments. Of our 10 guys, 6 of them play football, baseball and basketball. We play travel to play more games and better competition. However, there are plenty out there that play their chosen sport year-round at 10 years old or younger and to me, that is a problem.

 

[PrepFanNC]

I agree with almost everything you said - I will say there are ways to play travel ball and not have it hamper other opportunities. We play a spring schedule, take the summer off and play a couple of August/September tournaments. Of our 10 guys, 6 of them play football, baseball and basketball. We play travel to play more games and better competition. However, there are plenty out there that play their chosen sport year-round at 10 years old or younger and to me, that is a problem.

You are absolutely right... I don’t know what the official name for those types of travel teams are.. I’ve heard them referred to as “travel light”, but I don’t know if that is appropriate. I like looking out for better competition... for example, community volleyball in davidson county is TERRIBLE. Great to introduce the kids to the sport, but when 7th graders are ducking, dodging and catching the ball, its time to look elsewhere.

 

[bigtime_87]

I think alot of the things I am mentioning below apply to other schools across the county and area, but for some reason overall, the programs are strong year in and year out and compete for conference, district and state level honors.

- Lots of $ and parental support, excellent facilities and opportunity. That multipurpose gym and facility offer every sport an opportunity to grow.
- Awesome strength and conditioning program. You can see it on the fields and in the gym during games (male and female).
- Student population that enables teams to have good numbers consistently
- Ledford has changed in diversity the last ten years or so and now has more athletic kids walking the hallways than in years past
- Extensive off season development programs create more competitive teams in wrestling, baseball, softball, basketball, etc.

 

[NCprepbball]

I agree. I believe a lot of Ledford’s success compared to West and East, has to do with money and support. There’s more money in the Ledford area which allows the kids more opportunities and access to improve as an athlete and they have more support from families and the community. Ledford seems to have pretty competitive teams in every sport. Hence why they’ve won the Cushwa Cup the last two years, since rejoining the CCC.

 

[Bull10Dog]

What sets apart Ledford from East and West?
They have similar sizes and Ledford only slightly edges them out in terms of athleticism. Yet they also have a predictable offense. Are they better because their defense is superior or does that slight edge in talent go a long way?

Ledford has not always been competitive, They got turned around when Cline took over coaching duties he took same talent and made them workout. But with that said Ledford has had some big time talent I mean they have put 2 running backs in the NFL in the last 20 years with Hoover and Hedgecock. They had a QB that played at Carolina in Jared Hall. The last couple years they have had 2-3 kids on each team go play college football. If you start with a good foundation it makes a difference. East and Ledford both had good teams in the 70's, East even had a kid go play at Notre Dame ( John Thomas). Even with my Dogs, Brown had big time talent, lots of D1 one guys came through the program. I really think if Hanner will stay at East and get kids to buy in and work out during the off season they will be some playoff teams in the near future.

 

[Bull10Dog]

I agree. I believe a lot of Ledford’s success compared to West and East, has to do with money and support. There’s more money in the Ledford area which allows the kids more opportunities and access to improve as an athlete and they have more support from families and the community. Ledford seems to have pretty competitive teams in every sport. Hence why they’ve won the Cushwa Cup the last two years, since rejoining the CCC.

What has always amazed me is that Ledford turned around mens sports in mid 90's and has never looked back.

 

[Wow71]

Chew on this score. CD JV beats Thomasville 74-50. Yes I said 74-50 in a JV game.