It's always tough to gage next year right after the season concludes, but there is a lot of talent returning around the state...
1AA
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Tarboro has finally established themselves as the team to beat in 1AA as they didn't lose a game this year, and I'm not sure who can challenge them moving forward, especially from the East...
Mount Airy does return some great atheletes at the skill position in WR Greene and RB Smith but as bareman pointed out above...It's hard to replace a QB and several capable lineman. However, the Granite Bears will still be pretty stout next year..
East Surry was a different animal once Sophomore QB Stephen Gosnell took over about midseason, and Cardinal fans have got to be excited about their signal caller moving forward....
North Stanly had a breakout kind of year this year winning their first YVC title, and they return one of the most dynamic RBs in the state in Cameron Davis, so they will still be very explosive....The question is: who else returns for the Comets, and do they have what it takes to repeat as YVC champs, next season?
North Rowan has atheletes as does West Montgomery with the return of RB Damon Rhone Jr., so I expect both those teams to once again challenge for the YVC title...
South Stanly had a dynamic Sophomore QB in Jaquez Cooke who now has a year under his belt....Don't know what his supporting cast may be, but that youngster had some talent, and will be taking all the snaps, so the Rebel Bulls could be poised to make a big move in the YVC next year, depending on how many other players return?
Must confess that I don't know a whole lot about what other 1AA teams might have returning, but expect Swain County to field a more competitive team next year than they did this year, and I'm just basing that on the fact that they improved quite a bit toward the end of this season...
Edenton Holmes probably isn't going anywhere as long as their Head Coach Paul Hoggard remains there, so expect the Aces to once again be one of the top 1A schools in the East, next year....
Lakewood had a talented team this year as did Princeton, but don't know what either team has returning for 18'?
Pender County first year Coach Tim Smith seemed to turn the fortunes of the Patriots football program in Burgaw, and the team could be returning to respectability very soon....Stay tuned!....East Carteret started the season strong last year, but just never seem to get rolling once conference play began, so it will be interesting to see what happens with the Mariners next year?
It was also a memorable and historic year for Bessemer City last year, and I expect the Yellowjackets to once again field a competitive team in 18', but don't know off the top of my head what they have coming back next season...
1A
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For years, Cherokee has had the talent to challenge teams, but it always seemed in the past that some of their best talent was either wearing a Robbinsville, Swain or Smoky Mountain uniform...The impact of that first ever state championship banner could certainly change that situation because kids from the Reservation now know that achieving a state title at Cherokee is possible, and that could spell trouble for the rest of the SMC and the state IMO if that happens...The Crowe kid is a talented signal caller who will need to get bigger and stronger if he's going to try, and fill the enormous shoes left by the departure of QB Tye Mintz, but he will have Cade Mintz returning at WR along with a very talented RB in Evans, so Cherokee's offense could still be dangerous, especially if they can find some capable lineman....Defensively, Locust will be hard to replace on the DL as will the LBer #20 and Tye Mintz in the secondary, but again, the Braves have always had talent and size, and may also now have more kids who want to play football....The bigger question is will Coach Briggs be able to overcome his health issues, and be able to return as the Coach....I personally hope so because he was great motivation for his team this past season by being an example that nothing in this world can stop you if you have the desire to keep going on with your life...
Robbinsville will likely have the best RB in the SMC next year in Rylee Anderson, but replacing Bradley and Phillips on the O and D lines will be a tough task....The Black Knights were a veteran team this past year, and will have a lot of holes to fill when the season begins, but they have the tradition, and the Coach to get that done....
Murphy ain't going anywhere as long as Gentry is there, and they probably ain't going anywhere if he retires....Tradition as they say never graduates, so expect the Bulldogs to once again challenge for top honors in the SMC, and be a contender for the 1A title if they move back to the smaller 1A playoffs which is certainly a possibility...The Bulldogs do lose Curry at QB which will be tough, but they also return a lot of kids who will be very hungry after the loss at Mount Airy, so don;t discount the Bulldogs if they are in the 1AA playoffs either IMO...
Andrews, Hayesville and Rosman will all likely be much improved next year as all three teams will have talent returning along with several talented youngsters moving up from their respective JV programs, but all three will also still have a tough time breaking into the top 4 of the SMC....We shall see...
Elkin was a young team this year that really came on like game busters toward the end of the season, so expect the Bucking Elks to make some noise next year in the MVC and the state 1A playoffs...
Thomas Jefferson loses 17 seniors, but return their talented do everthing QB in McMullens, so they will still be very competitive next season, but will be challenged in the SPC by a very talented MICS team that returns a very talented QB in Marcus Graham and RB Elijah Burris, so the Raptors will likely be even more dynamic offensively next year than they were this past season, and may just be one of the favorites to win it all next year in the 1A playoffs...
The Community School of Davidson also had a talented signal caller this past season in Luke Watts, but I don't know if he was an underclassmen or not?...If he is returning, the Spartans will also be much improved next season...
Alleghany Coach and Native Noah Lyon made a big splash in his return to Sparta last year as the Trojans started the season 4-0 before the nosedive during conference play...With a season under his belt, the Trojans may be much improved, and more focused to have a better season next year?
Northampton had a historic season this year that was derailed in the playoffs by Plymouth....The early showdown next season between these two teams in Plymouth will tell us a lot about where these two teams stand when the season begins....The Jaguars beat the Vikings in the regular season matchup, but the Vikings won the 3rd round playoff matchup...Both teams will likely be a player in the 1A East again next year, and one of those two could be the Eastern 1A repersentative in the championship game?
North Duplin had a great season this year led by a great young man in Archer who will be sorely missed, but the Rebels' younger players also benefited by playing in a state championship game and getting more practice time with that, and that can never be discounted going into the next season...
Don't know what either Southside or Northside have returning next year, but one or both those teams could be poised for a move ....
Manteo which was traditionally a small 1A school, was placed in the 1AA playoffs last year, and don't know if that will still be the case next season?
Who will be the next man in line at Avery County is one question heading into the off season, and can the Vikings turn things around?
Mitchell County does lose some very talented kids who were great leaders, and those guys will be hard to replace, especially Young who guided the Mountaineers offense for several seasons but as mentioned above they do have a lot of talented kids including Noah Pitman, and they have a lot of talented kids also moving up from the JV program...The Mountaineers also have an outstanding young Head Coach in Travise Pittman who has done a great job in Ledger...
Another question is how good will Polk County be next year as Bruce Ollis settles in for his 2nd season in Columbus?....The Wolverines made a change at QB after the loss to Mitchell County, and they were a different team after that...Ollis had a pretty good debut this year in his return, so expect Polk to be even better next year in the 1AA....
Lots of questions for sure for lots of teams throughout the state heading into the offseason...
I just hope my Rosman Tigers can turn the corner, and do a better job of defending their home field in 2018, which wasn't the case this past season by winning only 1 game at home....That can't happen in the future if the Tigers are ever going to regain any respectability...The Tigers will host Brevard, Madison and SMC foes Andrews, Murphy and defending state champ Cherokee in Rosman next year, so it will not be an easy task to win any of those games, so we shall see?
Roar Tigers Roar!
