Slash's MVAC/NW/WPAC Power Poll: Pre-Season/Week 1

[Slasher Killer]

This will be a first and something I’ve always wanted to do. I figure I’d do a poll just in my opinion every week or so for all the schools in the MVAC,NW, and WPAC. This one’s just how I will rate the teams at the start of the year (there’s a few I cannot rate due to them being mysteries to me,) and starting with the 2nd poll after week 1 it will change every week.

This isn’t done to be against any school in particular at all; I’m just ranking them where I see fit. It’s gonna be more to the point once I have stats to rank with. This is just a combo of my pre-season picks in one big poll. I will ramble less in future installments. People will fuss and argue but hey it’s part of it! If I get a good enough response I may do another one with you guys voting on it ala the media poll.



But anyways here we go:



1.Mount Airy (It’s a no brainer to put MA here considering they made it deepest out of anyone and return some fast kids. However they do have ? marks to address and need to replace some holes especially on the line and at QB.)


2.Wilkes Central (Defending MVAC champs; the Eagles will be athletic as always this year. However they gotta keep improving especially on defense to really be able to make deep in November. Their non conference slate will help to make them more battle tested.)


3.East Wilkes (The Cards from Ronda had a topsy turvy season in 2016 to say the least but as a whole it was a successful year for East as they have rarely had back to back winning years. This year they will be tested more out of the gate and will have some younger kids up; but the returning talent will be very solid. Lineplay and ball control will be their biggest ? mark for me on both sides.)


4.East Surry (The Cards from Pilot also had a bi-polar season last year. It was hard to tell which ES team would show up every week but when push came to shove they ended their season much better than most squads would have. They return a stud of a RB but got ? marks on defense and the passing game. Their D’s got to improve and they gotta take pressure of the RB in rough situations.)




5 is a two way tie:



5A. North Surry (The Greyhounds will be heading into 2017 with a ton of optimism. Depth is up as is the size of it’s senior class (20+ kids,) which will give Hound faithful reasons to breathe. Defense looks like it hasn’t lost much from last year and the offense is improving every day with new faces in the QB and RB spots. North faces a solid test out of the gate which will help make North battle tested. In that way it won’t be easy for outsiders to peg North really until week 2 when they play Elkin. Looks like a fun 10th anniversary season for your’s truly on Fridays.. )



5B. West Stokes (West had a year unusual for them last season as they went .500. Injuries and line struggles made for a tough go for the Wildcats but they managed to stay competitive where most teams wouldn’t have. They came within a few seconds of stopping Surry Central’s luck spree. This year I expect the Wildcats to be on the up. They bring two solid backs from the JV to put in the offensive backfield. They have a new offense for them as well. Main key right now is lineplay and injuries. The line’s gotta jell and they need to stay healthy.)



6. Forbush (The Falcons were all over the place in 2016. Besides a program statement win over Starmount it was hard to tell which Falcon team would show up every week. This year they have a ton of questions to answer for. A very talented senior class is gone and they will have mostly new faces in the skill spots. They do return Zane Johnson in the backfield which is a huge boost for them because he’s a great power back but the Falcons have got to find an offensive ID to take the heat of him properly. This opener will show that in spades. Lineplay also has to stay consistent on both sides because Forbush just doesn’t have blazing speed they gotta win in the trenches to make it hard for their opponent. With Johnson as the HC though they will always be a threat to upset.)



7. North Wilkes (This team is the one squad I can say that I have seen in person so far. The Vikings have big expectations this season and it’s hard to not agree with that they had the MVAC’s leading rusher and some size on the line; they should be expected to finish high. However they weren’t perfect; in fact they do have their flaws they got to address before they can do some things. Firstly their depth isn’t great at all. They had around 25/26 kids; say an injury bug pops up it’ll hurt em. Secondly their D is very easy to run against but then again the 2013’s squads D was too. Their D has got to become tougher to stop the top squads. If NW avoids the injuries they will do fine in MVAC play. Their first real test won’t be until Forbush though; like their Western rivals.)


8. Surry Central (The defending WPAC champions will be a totally different squad in 2017; but then again when you lose a ton of players who wouldn’t be different the next year? The Golden Eagles rode their large senior class to glory last season in a year for the ages; however many expect them to have a lot of growing pains this season. A valid prediction? I agree. There’s gonna be a lot of new names on the field for the Dobson Eagles but can they matchup to their predecessors? TIme will tell. They have 2 solid returning backs in Palacios and Martin so that’s a start. The opener vs. Elkin will show a lot for the Eagles in more ways than one.)


9.West Wilkes (The Blackhawks had their best season of the decade last year after a long and pained dry spell since the arrival of Hunt in 2013.After abandoning their fancy offenses for the old school option; it worked wonders. However it may be back to the patience streak again as the senior class that hit paydirt’s gone. That will leave a ton of questions especially in the trenches but the Blackhawks won’t be so adrift in regards to talent. They will return some kids including their stud RB and some size. It won’t be so hard to tell how the Blackhawks will be; they open with a great test in Forbush to open the season in Miller’s Creek. But after that will be a competitive non conference slate to boost their confidence before conference hits. I expect the Blackhawks to maybe be the X factor for the MVAC if they stay competitive.)



10. Ashe County (The Huskies had a rather sad season last year. It started with some promise but it got down and down as the year went along. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them; but they went out on a winning note so maybe they found some solace in it. 2017’s looking to be a transition year for them. Almost all of the 2014 Varsity kids are now gone and it’s a lot of new faces on the field for the Huskies; however there is talent aplenty on the offense. Their new QB has an arm but he will need time to get his grip on the offense. On defense they got to improve. Their non conference schedule is one of the hardest in the area and the hardest in that conference with Watauga, West Caldwell, and Hibriten headlining it. They definitely will be battle tested by mid September. It’s also fair to say it’s gonna be hard to properly spot them until then. That being said I liked what I seen when we 7 on 7’ed them; they could maybe surprise for 4th place if all the cards turn out. The MVAC’s middle pack could be very surprisingly strong.)

 

[Slasher Killer]

11. South Stokes (The Sauras have been thru a relative rollercoaster this decade. Jonathan Frasher took them to unprecedented heights at the start of the decade before it all fell down, then came Paul Hall for a season, and now Mike Holmes is in a spot to make the most of the potential JV talent that is coming up. Most experts have the Sauras as a team to watch in 1A and while I think that may be fair here in a year or two; this year I expect them to be better but how much is the question? Offensively they lost their stud RB’s but return a solid Wing QB and some speed with a good RB coming up. On the downside they only have about 25 kids so they gotta be warriors. Defensively they move up some solid talent who can turn them from a laughingstock to a solid defense. Besides West Stokes and North Wilkes their non conference slate will give them several solid chances for W’s. I say it’s possible for South to win anywhere up to 7 games this year. That’ll be a major step up for them. They just gotta make the most of it and it’s hard to say right now at least for me. I wish them the best though.)


12. Starmount (The Rams have definitely have had better days in their long history. The past 2 seasons haven’t been kind to the Rams. However this is a chance this season might be a competitive one for them. Their numbers appear to be up as is their older classmen numbers. I expect them to a much more physical squad this year. If their lineman has any say in it they look potentially better. I seen them at West Stokes’s lineman strength challenge and despite their low #’s they fought very hard all night. If they play at least 60% of that then I see them surprising folks. Maybe not 10 wins but Starmount ball may be coming back in a more down to earth way and the Rams could be in that crowded middle MVAC pack that looks for upsets. I wouldn’t look past the Rams at all.)


13. Atkins (This is a surprise for many but yes I have Atkins in a spot higher than the cellar. Coach Hamlin’s done a solid job with them since when he first got there; he literally inherited a nuked program that took it’s lumps the last couple of years but they have a chance to maybe win a few this season. Their JV squad last year was a talented one for what Atkins usually has with some big kids who could run it; from the way it looks they will be up this season. With a lot of seniors I expect the Camels to compete with their schedule but I still see massive success a while away. Ultimately time will tell if the Camels can truly compete at the 2A level; it’s hard to say. They need to find their offensive ID while improving on defense and in the trenches. I see them winning at least 1 though over South Davidson. Maybe 2 or 3 even; just gotta wait and see.)


14. Alleghany (The Trojans are literally one of the biggest mystery stories in the area. No one knows that much about them at all so I had to struggle to even put them on here. I did though just based off what I’ve seen from film of returning players. I think Alleghany will have a rebuilding year but I expect them to be competitive none the less. I think the new HC will ultimately be the biggest ? mark. He’s been a coordinator and AD for years and years but can her transition to being a HC? Time will tell. Their opener with the Vikings in Danbury’s gonna be one of the more interesting games on the first week docket. It will show a lot for both squads.)


15. Elkin (The Elks had their worst overall season in the 50+ years of the program last year going winless for the first ever time on varsity and only winning once on JV. This year however I expect to be a different one for the Elks on both sides. They have a more elder varsity squad and a solid freshman class from what I hearing. Ultimately it will come down to a few factors if the Elks want to break on thru for a W. Firstly they gotta make the most of their depth they only have right now 22 kids according to Max Preps. Secondly they gotta improve on defense they gave up anything and everything last year. Lineplay also has to get better but they look more stronger this year. I see this being a productive year for the Elks but it’s gonna take time it won’t be instant in non conference. I say the game with Alleghany will be a thriller. Maybe one of the mid pack teams if they fall apart. But again patience will be key in Elk land.)


16. North Stokes (Ahh yes the Vikings of Danbury. They went thru the abyss last year largely due to unjust and just cause. Push came to shove and the HC left for a more prestige job at a very late point. In come the program’s best coach to save face. Things are already on the up for the Vikings as they have close to 40 total kids out which after last season is a huge step up. However there is still room to grow. The varsity will have 20 sophomores vs only 15 upperclassmen; they will still be pretty young but I expect them to be much more competitive this season. Tons of wins? Definitely not but they can very well get a W vs. maybe Patrick County perhaps if they play solid ball. With Sessoms on board I expect them to play more fundamentally solid and be more competent. I think all of the area will be rooting for these guys this year. Don’t need any program to fold.)



Now I’m sure you all are wondering “Where’s Bishop, Carver, Walkertown, and Prep?” Well quite frankly I just don’t know anything about them enough to rank them. I’m not insulting these schools intentionally but I can’t rank anything I don’t know anything about. I may have seen some clips of the first two schools but they are hard to ponder. Prep I literally know nothing about.

I will include them next week because hey.. number’s don’t lie .

 

[Slasher Killer]

I got more a-coming folks..

My yearly JV thread's tomorrow and I'm bringing back my weekly projections! That'll be either tomorrow night or Friday .

 

[Illuminati704]

Looks pretty good Slash. Can't disagree with the logic. I do think whoever wins the East Surry - East Wilkes matchup should move to number one, tentatively.


MA has probably the best athlete in the area in Donovan Moore I think is his name. They are a safe bet at number one for now with their tradition, coaching and returning players.

North Wilkes returns a RB who ran for a gazillion yards and TDs last year and all their offensive lineman. I don't know if he will be enough to beat EW or WC though.

EW. As much as they are expected to be good, I still think they are being underrated. This team has the potential to be a title contender. Very good QB and cats like Jayveon Ross and Damien Reid to spread it around to in that tricky option offense that they have no problems throwing the ball around out of. These guys will be very good.

ES. They return a ton. Ray is as good as a RB you can find around here. Another team that is being underrated. They have title aspirations and with a coach like Diamond and a boat load of talent and experience, big things will happen.

I read on another site that WC has a really good freshman RB who is going to be "special". Joraye Morrison. Look out for his name. Of course they also have players like Jasiah Ferguson at WR and Tyler Boles and a very good QB to spread it around in that effective spread-option offense.

 

[Slasher Killer]

Looks pretty good Slash. Can't disagree with the logic. I do think whoever wins the East Surry - East Wilkes matchup should move to number one, tentatively.


MA has probably the best athlete in the area in Donovan Moore I think is his name. They are a safe bet at number one for now with their tradition, coaching and returning players.

North Wilkes returns a RB who ran for a gazillion yards and TDs last year and all their offensive lineman. I don't know if he will be enough to beat EW or WC though.

EW. As much as they are expected to be good, I still think they are being underrated. This team has the potential to be a title contender. Very good QB and cats like Jayveon Ross and Damien Reid to spread it around to in that tricky option offense that they have no problems throwing the ball around out of. These guys will be very good.

ES. They return a ton. Ray is as good as a RB you can find around here. Another team that is being underrated. They have title aspirations and with a coach like Diamond and a boat load of talent and experience, big things will happen.

I read on another site that WC has a really good freshman RB who is going to be "special". Joraye Morrison. Look out for his name. Of course they also have players like Jasiah Ferguson at WR and Tyler Boles and a very good QB to spread it around in that effective spread-option offense.

Not a bad write up at all man .

I've seen half of the Wilkes schools (North and East, woulda had 75% if West didn't get sick and back out,) and by far I would say NW's behind the top two. They will be good for what they represent (ground n' pound mountain boy style ball,) but they won't have the athletes to handle Central or East. Grimes is still good but he looked to me to put muscle on and he wasn't as fast as I expected. Their QB can flat out run though; he needs to be used more. I love what they run which is a no huddle run set in different formations. Defensivly they are like they usually are they struggle with the run. Right now I say they will win between 6-8 games as long as their depth doesn't drop. Their numbers were suprisngly low; their JV's had more players.

EW I agree's under the radar. We 7 on 7'ed them first this summer and I liked what I saw, I think they will pass it more this year. Their QB is fantastic; those 3 years of playing has helped him tremendously. Same for their stud WR. The QB kills at running the option; he's the best fundamental option QB I've seen. Their short passing game's solid as well as their screen game. I think they'll make noise this year as long as the new kids transfer to varsity ball well and lineplay stays solid.

Central I think naturally are a little over-hyped but they earned that after winning the title last year. That being said they will be a solid squad this year. Boles I hear is looking good and the freshman kid is the talk of the conversation from every wilkes talker I've heard. They will have potentially a good night tonight to start the year good.

East Surry's a classic Diamont team this year. They won't be like the '15 team at all but that's okay because Ray can run it; I think for a run based physicality squad they will be rock solid especially in conference play. Only squad I see matching them in the NW's Mount Airy. If East does figure their passing game out it will be intresting to see how far they will go.