Good afternoon,
Conference play starts soon for our area teams and I decided to look at a breakdown of the area teams and the surprises, both good and bad. I'll also reflect on pre-season thoughts and provide a new conference prediction for each conference based on their current non-conference performance. Please let me know what you guys think.
Surprises:
Alleghany: The Trojans are off to a 4-0 start. They have played a pretty weak non-conference slate, however their progression, especially for a 1st year coach cannot go unnoticed. How they play in conference against significantly better competition remains to be seen but they have certainly been a pleasant surprise.
Wilkes County: The 4 Wilkes Schools again look to be the contenders in the MVAC. Three of the teams are undefeated, regardless of strength of competition and the other has competed well against some very good big 3A teams.
Walkertown: They are down. They lost a lot of seniors last season but with the talent pool they have, you would expect them to remain competitive. Still plenty of talent so a turnaround isn't impossible.
East Surry: Obviously, the Cards are still a VERY good football team but with the talent and experience they had returning from last season, I don't think many would have predicted a 2-2 start. They will still be a factor and will contend for their conference title. Heck they still might even be the favorite.
Conference Reviews:
East Wilkes: No surprises here. Still not getting the respect they deserve beyond the area, but the majority of folks here understand they are for real. Vestal, Reid and co. area a deadly bunch on offense. Stopping the run won't matter. They are very good at throwing the ball and are comfortable doing it. This team, barring injuries will make a late round push and is a legitimate title contender. Their defense is pretty dang stout too. Coach Adkins has done an outstanding job with this program.
Wilkes Central: 2-2 start for the Eagles. They have been dealing with injuries since the season opener. They may finally get their QB back after the Bye. The Eagles competed well against Alexander Central and Watauga in the 1st half of both games. They have already played the toughest teams they will see, so they will be prepared. Once Wyatt comes back and Ferguson/Brooks are able to move back to the WR position, you're going to see a very explosive offense with a much improved defense.
North Wilkes: The Vikings are off to a great start. They have played extremely weak competition however and it may come back to bite them. Grimes is still a beast and one of the better backs around. The Vikings have opened their offense up a little more and got other playmakers involved like Ethan Brown and Cedric White. This is something they needed to do to in order to not remain one-dimensional when they play East, West and Central. They are undefeated and did what good teams are supposed to do. Can't argue with an undefeated start.
West Wilkes: The Blackhawks, like the Vikings are off to an undefeated start as well. Like North, they have played weak competition. Also like the Vikings, they have beat those teams like good teams are supposed to do. I would have liked to see them play some tougher teams but they are healthy and rolling with confidence. Putting Ortiz at QB has allowed them to be very explosive, as he is a threat to throw or run and can do both well. We will know a lot more about this team with they face WC in a couple of weeks.
Alleghany: What a start for the Trojans. For a small 1A school, with a new coach and all the unknowns, this is an unbelievable start. Haven't had a chance to see them play but they aren't a team you can take lightly. I don't think they'll have anything for the top of the conference but this team could be a tough out once the playoffs roll around.
Ashe: The Huskies have played what amounts to the hardest schedule in the area. Getting blown out by Hibriten and Watauga would happen to the majority of teams in our area. They did lose to Avery but showed tremendous improvement against West Caldwell, who they hung around with the entire game. They'll throw the ball 65 times a game and that's tough to prepare for. Until they shore the defensive unit up they wont be able to compete with the top-tier conference teams.
Starmount: The Rams have showed improvement. They competed well with MA, East Surry and West Stokes. They also beat Forbush. Not the Starmount of old, but still definitely a team to keep an eye on. They will give a few teams fits this season and maybe even knock one off in an "upset". Still more work to do, but Starmount will get back to their inning ways sooner rather than later.
Elkin: The Bucking Elks are a better team this season than last. They have one of the most explosive athletes in the area in Jaylen Mayes and an abundance of talented underclassmen. Unfortunately that's not looking like it will be enough this season. They do have one of the most talented classes around so expect the Elks to show improvement.
Mount Airy: The Bears keep rolling. Hard to expect anything else from Coach Holder and this storied program. For the millionth year in a row, they look like one of the top 1A teams in the state. They have a really speedy team this season led by D1 athlete Donovan Brown and Holder. Young backs Smith and Frost are a deadly duo themselves on the ground. With a suffocating defense and great kicker, its easy to see this team winning double-digit games and playing after Thanksgiving.
East Surry: No mistake about it, even after dropping 2 games early in the season, the Cardinals of the North are still a very good football team. They were very competitive against both East Wilkes and North Surry. They almost had a scare against Surry Central but that might be attributed more to the Eagles improvement than East Surry's talent. With coach Diamont, this team is capable of anything. They also have a pretty good RB there in Ray.
South Stokes: I don't know a lot about the Sauras but they seem to be a competitive team this season after making the drop down to 1A.
Bishop-McGuinnes: Like South Stokes, I am not very familiar with the Villains.
Winston-Salem Prep: The Phoenix have a lot more depth and bodies this season. Still, a rough start to the season hasn't boded well. With all the athletes they have, you would expect a better product on the field.
North Stokes: The Vikings have given up over 200 points while only scoring one TD through 4 games and they haven't exactly played a murders-row of competition. They can only go up from here, but unfortunately a winless season looks imminent at this point.
North Surry: The Greyhounds are looking great. They have a pretty balanced team with a great defense. They Hounds always seem to have talent and its nice to see them put it together this season. Mount Airy will be a big measuring stick this week. So far so good for North Surry. Tailback Ryan Smith is a player and I believe they have 2 backs who are averaging over 100 ypg.
West Stokes: The Wildcats are 3-1, only losing by a couple TD's. All games have been relatively close indicating West plays to their competitors level which isn't unusual for high school. Solid team with young skill position players. Expect this team to improve significantly as the season progresses.
Carver: don't know a lot about Carver. I know they are always loaded with speed and athletes and have played a very tough schedule. In fact they have played the toughest schedule in all of 2A. Not a team to sleep on by-any-means. The Jackets will be a contender in this conference, as they should be.
Surry Central: The Golden Eagles, while not near as talented as last season have been showing signs of improvement. They hung in there with Wilkes Central for a half and nearly pulled the upset against East Surry. They run that tricky triple-option offense. This team can make some noise as well in the WPAC.
Forbush: I can never quite figure the Falcons out. They have a good coach and great talent. Its like they can never seem to put it all together.
Atkins: The Camels have blown 2 teams out and been blown out twice themselves. Another athletic team that looks to have showed tremendous improvement. They look competitive enough to fight for one of the top 4 spots this season.
UPDATED CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS:
MVAC:
1. East Wilkes
2. Wilkes Central
3. West Wilkes
4. North Wilkes
5. Alleghany
6. Starmount
7. Ashe
8. Elkin
I really believe there are 3 tiers in this conference. East Wilkes and Wilkes Central could be interchangeable. West and North are tier two. Spots 5-8 are also interchangeable. This is a very hard conference to predict with so much parity between the tier levels.
NWC:
1. Mount Airy
2. East Surry
3. South Stokes
4. Bishop
5. Winston-Salem Prep
6. North Stokes
The only thing I'm sure of is Mount Airy and East Surry will finish 1 & 2, maybe in a different order but it will be between them. Spots 3-6 are a little bit harder, but South Stokes at 3 and North Stokes at 6 are a safe bet. Bishop and Prep could flip-flop.
WPAC
1. North Surry
2. West Stokes
3. Carver
4. Atkins
5. Surry Central
6. Walkertown
7. Forbush
What do you guys think?
Conference play starts soon for our area teams and I decided to look at a breakdown of the area teams and the surprises, both good and bad. I'll also reflect on pre-season thoughts and provide a new conference prediction for each conference based on their current non-conference performance. Please let me know what you guys think.
Surprises:
Alleghany: The Trojans are off to a 4-0 start. They have played a pretty weak non-conference slate, however their progression, especially for a 1st year coach cannot go unnoticed. How they play in conference against significantly better competition remains to be seen but they have certainly been a pleasant surprise.
Wilkes County: The 4 Wilkes Schools again look to be the contenders in the MVAC. Three of the teams are undefeated, regardless of strength of competition and the other has competed well against some very good big 3A teams.
Walkertown: They are down. They lost a lot of seniors last season but with the talent pool they have, you would expect them to remain competitive. Still plenty of talent so a turnaround isn't impossible.
East Surry: Obviously, the Cards are still a VERY good football team but with the talent and experience they had returning from last season, I don't think many would have predicted a 2-2 start. They will still be a factor and will contend for their conference title. Heck they still might even be the favorite.
Conference Reviews:
- MVAC:
East Wilkes: No surprises here. Still not getting the respect they deserve beyond the area, but the majority of folks here understand they are for real. Vestal, Reid and co. area a deadly bunch on offense. Stopping the run won't matter. They are very good at throwing the ball and are comfortable doing it. This team, barring injuries will make a late round push and is a legitimate title contender. Their defense is pretty dang stout too. Coach Adkins has done an outstanding job with this program.
Wilkes Central: 2-2 start for the Eagles. They have been dealing with injuries since the season opener. They may finally get their QB back after the Bye. The Eagles competed well against Alexander Central and Watauga in the 1st half of both games. They have already played the toughest teams they will see, so they will be prepared. Once Wyatt comes back and Ferguson/Brooks are able to move back to the WR position, you're going to see a very explosive offense with a much improved defense.
North Wilkes: The Vikings are off to a great start. They have played extremely weak competition however and it may come back to bite them. Grimes is still a beast and one of the better backs around. The Vikings have opened their offense up a little more and got other playmakers involved like Ethan Brown and Cedric White. This is something they needed to do to in order to not remain one-dimensional when they play East, West and Central. They are undefeated and did what good teams are supposed to do. Can't argue with an undefeated start.
West Wilkes: The Blackhawks, like the Vikings are off to an undefeated start as well. Like North, they have played weak competition. Also like the Vikings, they have beat those teams like good teams are supposed to do. I would have liked to see them play some tougher teams but they are healthy and rolling with confidence. Putting Ortiz at QB has allowed them to be very explosive, as he is a threat to throw or run and can do both well. We will know a lot more about this team with they face WC in a couple of weeks.
Alleghany: What a start for the Trojans. For a small 1A school, with a new coach and all the unknowns, this is an unbelievable start. Haven't had a chance to see them play but they aren't a team you can take lightly. I don't think they'll have anything for the top of the conference but this team could be a tough out once the playoffs roll around.
Ashe: The Huskies have played what amounts to the hardest schedule in the area. Getting blown out by Hibriten and Watauga would happen to the majority of teams in our area. They did lose to Avery but showed tremendous improvement against West Caldwell, who they hung around with the entire game. They'll throw the ball 65 times a game and that's tough to prepare for. Until they shore the defensive unit up they wont be able to compete with the top-tier conference teams.
Starmount: The Rams have showed improvement. They competed well with MA, East Surry and West Stokes. They also beat Forbush. Not the Starmount of old, but still definitely a team to keep an eye on. They will give a few teams fits this season and maybe even knock one off in an "upset". Still more work to do, but Starmount will get back to their inning ways sooner rather than later.
Elkin: The Bucking Elks are a better team this season than last. They have one of the most explosive athletes in the area in Jaylen Mayes and an abundance of talented underclassmen. Unfortunately that's not looking like it will be enough this season. They do have one of the most talented classes around so expect the Elks to show improvement.
- NWC:
Mount Airy: The Bears keep rolling. Hard to expect anything else from Coach Holder and this storied program. For the millionth year in a row, they look like one of the top 1A teams in the state. They have a really speedy team this season led by D1 athlete Donovan Brown and Holder. Young backs Smith and Frost are a deadly duo themselves on the ground. With a suffocating defense and great kicker, its easy to see this team winning double-digit games and playing after Thanksgiving.
East Surry: No mistake about it, even after dropping 2 games early in the season, the Cardinals of the North are still a very good football team. They were very competitive against both East Wilkes and North Surry. They almost had a scare against Surry Central but that might be attributed more to the Eagles improvement than East Surry's talent. With coach Diamont, this team is capable of anything. They also have a pretty good RB there in Ray.
South Stokes: I don't know a lot about the Sauras but they seem to be a competitive team this season after making the drop down to 1A.
Bishop-McGuinnes: Like South Stokes, I am not very familiar with the Villains.
Winston-Salem Prep: The Phoenix have a lot more depth and bodies this season. Still, a rough start to the season hasn't boded well. With all the athletes they have, you would expect a better product on the field.
North Stokes: The Vikings have given up over 200 points while only scoring one TD through 4 games and they haven't exactly played a murders-row of competition. They can only go up from here, but unfortunately a winless season looks imminent at this point.
- WPAC
North Surry: The Greyhounds are looking great. They have a pretty balanced team with a great defense. They Hounds always seem to have talent and its nice to see them put it together this season. Mount Airy will be a big measuring stick this week. So far so good for North Surry. Tailback Ryan Smith is a player and I believe they have 2 backs who are averaging over 100 ypg.
West Stokes: The Wildcats are 3-1, only losing by a couple TD's. All games have been relatively close indicating West plays to their competitors level which isn't unusual for high school. Solid team with young skill position players. Expect this team to improve significantly as the season progresses.
Carver: don't know a lot about Carver. I know they are always loaded with speed and athletes and have played a very tough schedule. In fact they have played the toughest schedule in all of 2A. Not a team to sleep on by-any-means. The Jackets will be a contender in this conference, as they should be.
Surry Central: The Golden Eagles, while not near as talented as last season have been showing signs of improvement. They hung in there with Wilkes Central for a half and nearly pulled the upset against East Surry. They run that tricky triple-option offense. This team can make some noise as well in the WPAC.
Forbush: I can never quite figure the Falcons out. They have a good coach and great talent. Its like they can never seem to put it all together.
Atkins: The Camels have blown 2 teams out and been blown out twice themselves. Another athletic team that looks to have showed tremendous improvement. They look competitive enough to fight for one of the top 4 spots this season.
UPDATED CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS:
MVAC:
1. East Wilkes
2. Wilkes Central
3. West Wilkes
4. North Wilkes
5. Alleghany
6. Starmount
7. Ashe
8. Elkin
I really believe there are 3 tiers in this conference. East Wilkes and Wilkes Central could be interchangeable. West and North are tier two. Spots 5-8 are also interchangeable. This is a very hard conference to predict with so much parity between the tier levels.
NWC:
1. Mount Airy
2. East Surry
3. South Stokes
4. Bishop
5. Winston-Salem Prep
6. North Stokes
The only thing I'm sure of is Mount Airy and East Surry will finish 1 & 2, maybe in a different order but it will be between them. Spots 3-6 are a little bit harder, but South Stokes at 3 and North Stokes at 6 are a safe bet. Bishop and Prep could flip-flop.
WPAC
1. North Surry
2. West Stokes
3. Carver
4. Atkins
5. Surry Central
6. Walkertown
7. Forbush
What do you guys think?
