Looks like things could get interesting when season comes in especially with 3A. I hope I got this right. AC Reynolds returning good core of players with additions of a good QB transferring in. At 6’4 around 220. This may get really interesting during playoffs.
Hickory, Dudley, AC Reynolds?
- Thread starter Vik-Val 86
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Dudley is loaded also and will be a serious threat in 3a west. Their WR group is unbelievably talented.
Do not forget West Charlotte and South Point in the west. Both should potentially have their best teams in the last few years. Also the two Cleveland County 3A schools will always have something to say on that west side of the bracket. The west same as last year will be all about matchups and who can stay healthy late in the season.
Do you really feel South Point is in the realm of the Dudley/WC/Hickory conversation?
Quite frankly I think East Lincoln is more of a darkhorse for challenging those top-3 than anyone else.
If I were ranking the West today.... I'd probably go with....
Hickory
Dudley
West Charlotte
A.C. Reynolds
Crest
Oak Grove
East Lincoln
Kings Mountain
JM Robinson
North Lincoln
NW Cabarrus
West Henderson
in that order.....
Then my fringe teams would be South Point, Ashbrook, Statesville, Ledford, Tuscola, Pisgah.
Quite frankly I think East Lincoln is more of a darkhorse for challenging those top-3 than anyone else.
If I were ranking the West today.... I'd probably go with....
Hickory
Dudley
West Charlotte
A.C. Reynolds
Crest
Oak Grove
East Lincoln
Kings Mountain
JM Robinson
North Lincoln
NW Cabarrus
West Henderson
in that order.....
Then my fringe teams would be South Point, Ashbrook, Statesville, Ledford, Tuscola, Pisgah.
South Point returns a lot, have a lot of young talent in their sophomore class, and will be boosted by a couple of transfers. This year’s version of the redbone should be improved by having much more speed/athleticism in their wing positions. It would not surprise me to see SP throw it more this season. SP is a bad matchup for Hickory or WC because of style of play. Dudley is a bad matchup for SP this year.
I think Oak Grove and North Lincoln will be pretty good this season also. Ashbrook definitely will have top ten athletic talent but not so sure about top ten on the field production.
All the college coaches and local coaches rave about the talent this year at Ashbrook. I don't know how the season will turn out, but I've been told by coaches in the conference that they could be a sleeper to win the league.
Oak Grove has slowly built into a powerhouse. The talent and coaching there is top-tier. They'll probably eventually be 7A-8A in future realignments, but they are knocking on the door for competing for a 3A state title this year.
While I don't think this is the year they dethrone Dudley as the top Triad team, they are not that far off.
North Lincoln returns 28 seniors, they will be a special bunch this year, but they do lack some depth. But they'll give Hickory and East Lincoln a run, and Statesville is talented enough to enter that battle as well.
From the sounds of it. 3A looks to be even stronger this year. Going to be exciting year of watching HS football.
On paper they are a contender for the league every year.
Their two Achilles heels have been their quarterback play and defending play action passes. Ashbrook believe they have solved one of those issues and are really high on their young quarterback AJ McClain. He is short but he is very savvy, athletic, and has a good arm. His dad and one of his uncles both started multiple years at qb for Kings Mountain. His dad started a couple of really good seasons under the late Coach Massey in KM. As usual Ashbrook will have size and speed to burn but will be young overall in their o-line. There is a lot of football talent in Gaston County right now.
Are you coming to the Pisgah-Tuscola game this year? First time we’ve played at Pisgah since the flood. It will be a really big crowd!
Yes! I will as I’ve been invited to a pregame tailgate.
Is there anyway you can message me closer to the game?
I think Dudley wins the ship this year they gave the game away to hickory last season imo
Right about all this - but it's the rising junior class - not soph. class with the big talent.
I know that South Point had a lot of underclassmen who led the team last year, I have no doubt that this year will be a very strong year for the Red Raiders. I just don't know that they are on the level with a Hickory or Dudley (Not many teams will be), but I have no questions about the fact that they'll be rock solid in 2024.
What I do know is that after 35+ years of being around NC HSFB, South Point is always exceptionally well coached, they always play solid defense, and that when they have strong runs of talent, they always win big.
What I do know is that after 35+ years of being around NC HSFB, South Point is always exceptionally well coached, they always play solid defense, and that when they have strong runs of talent, they always win big.
OMG if that is what it takes to get your visit, Mt Airy does some of the best tailgating anywhere and you are certainly invited ANYTIME you can fit it into your schedule.
If the QB and FB is healthy for SP they are difficult to handle. North Lincoln and Hibriten both run similar offenses and can beat some more athletic but less disciplined teams.
Was Dudley favored a few years back when they gave up what seemed like 100 points to the Red Raider option attack?
And you are 100% correct. That's why I'm such a big fan of the option attack. Whether a double-wing; split-back veer; Wing-T, Flexbone, etc.; a well-ran, disciplined physical/power option-run attack against defenses in this finesse spread era that we live in can be hard to defend, and as you mentioned, results prove it.
There is word that Charlotte Catholic will going back to the more traditional Wing-T attack this year, and if so, I think it makes them a bona-fide Top-15 4A program today, and the same could be said about South Point.
Agreed. It always about match-ups and who can take away the other teams bread and butter. Also, I need to add in coaching adjustments.
For me, Kings Mountain was the perfect example of having the defense to shut Hickory down but not the offense to get them to the game. This year's (coaches adjustments)plan of run heavy with last years defense would have made a big difference.
We need more Single Wing teams in the world.
Nobody wants to watch running clock games for the first 13 to 14 weeks of the season lol
It doesn’t surprise me that Charlotte Catholic is going back to what it traditionally has run. The late coaching change almost dictates that Catholic runs a system that its players are already familiar with. One thing about good option offenses is that EVERY player on your defense is going to have to be able to play physical hard nose football. There is no hiding on defense lol.
LOL, Thank you so much for the compliment. But those of Mt Airy Fans quite like placing small bets on "will the clock start running at beginning of 3rd quarter or later".
In all honest, this year may be different. At least until ..... halftime. LOL
Yes Mt Airy should be loaded again this year, but the question is: just how long will it take for the team to jell.
IMO, Dudley's D line and linebackers ran out of gas late in the game. Hickory never quit and won this game as they did the next week against 71st.
West Hendo had their shot on Hickory early on in their game but didn’t have enough - But as a hypothetical if West Hendo had won would they even made it to the state title game ?
West Hendersonville had a good defensive game plan early but was one dimensional offensively against Hickory. Passes to Maueal was not enoough to overtake the Red Tornadoes.
