1.Mount Airy
The Granite Bears took care of business in Dobson with no problems at all to end the non conference slate. In fact the only real struggle was to see if MA could get a shutout (it was a little bit short.) This week the Bears face a rather interesting opponent: the bye week before entering the conference period. However expect it to be one of little challenge until East Surry week rolls into play.
2.East Wilkes
The Ronda Cards got a statement win as they rolled into Hays and dominated their northern rivals at will for a good majority of the game. They held NW’s rushing attack pretty solid and cut Grimes off for most of the night. For East it was the opener they needed and a way to tell the critics that they are for real. However in this business you cannot stop when you’re high on your laurels so the Cards are prepping for this week’s outing vs. the Blackhawks out of the western end of the county. Last season West surprised the Cards in a thriller so the Ronda Cards have revenge on their minds.
3.Wilkes Central
The Eagles finally had a dominant win of their caliber last week. A lot of that was due to the return of their QB who’s been hurt for a good while. With the QB’s return the backup returned to the WR core and with the offense flowing fully it proved to be an ugly night in Miller’s Creek as the Eagles ran wild over West. This week could be another showing of the same as the Eagles play their Northern rivals; who Central beat by a comfortable margin to win the MVAC title last year. For a repeat to occur the Eagles D has got to step up or else it could be an offense show.
4A.East Surry
The Pilot Cards blew everyone’s minds last week as they went to Guilford county and played out of their heads in a spectacular game. Sadly it all went amiss when the Cards FG attempt went for nothing but a nice try and the 4A team survived and prevented the very rare 1A upset over a 4A school. However not all is amiss for the Cards as they enter the bye week with a winning record before starting conference off. The game is one that will boost their morale in the long term before they roll into the conference pool.
4B.North Surry
The Greyhounds had the least publicized game out of these 3 however it was the most complete one as they decimated Atkins off the bat. The ‘Hounds shut down Atkins’s pass game and limited them to 1 first down in the opening half while putting up 42 points. However the Camels scored a desperation pass with :45 seconds left to avoid getting shutout 2 years in a row. It was a nice morale boost for the Greyhounds after a disappointing rivalry game the week before. However the Greyhounds better have their lunch pail ready as they return home for homecoming against Walkertown. The Greyhounds are getting ready to venture into the superunknown vs. a hard to figure Wolfpack squad to open a 2 game home stand.
4C.West Stokes
West opened their conference slate with a win but not an epic one over Walkertown for the third year in a row. West’s offense has troubles producing early which made the game close; however after halftime the Wildcats showed up ready to play and put the game away. It was definitely a tale of two halves for the Wildcats however I’m sure the win boosted their spirits when they needed it. This week the ‘Cats travel to Yellow Jacket land to play Carver in a very important game for WPAC play. Last year Carver after a publicized mess of a week came hard headed and dominated West very surprisingly. A safety on West’s part prevented the shutout. This year should be different entirely. A win for West would be some sweet tasting revenge over a team that’s given them headaches since 2013 as well as more than likely putting an end to Carver’s dreams of a conference title. However it’s not easy to win at Carver; so the ‘Cats must be ready to go early.
7.North Wilkes
The Vikings of Hays for the first time in a good while got outhit and dominated by their Ronda rivals. East proved to be the first regular season squad to shut down the NW offense and Grimes; while making NW’s defense look silly with it’s gameplan. It was an ugly game for the Vikings; however they gotta be ready for the WC juggernaut or else it could be just as ugly as last Friday. WC’s both more athletic and varied. Plus this game will about the return of Tyler Boles to Hays for the first time as a starter after the drama that brought an end to his run at North Wilkes 2 years back. It might be a bittersweet night for the Vikings when the game’s over considering what coulda been..
8.Starmount
The Rams took a close effort into the locker room last week; however they turned from Dr Jekyll into a bunch of Mr. Hyde's as they completely dominated the Elks in the second half as they earned their 2nd straight win and 2nd straight trophy in a row over their Bridge Partners. The win is big for the Rams as it has started a win streak which is unusual for this group; however this week will be a test for them as they play Alleghany. The Trojans got a rude welcoming by a hungry Ashe team last week and want a do over. This one could be a hard hitting doozy that any football die hard would love; two teams who love to thud and run it at you will be going headfirst. The ? is can the Rams handle success enough to not get big headed and can they handle a team like them who is hungry for a rebound? If Alleghany was to pull this off we would see some history as it would be the Trojans first win over the Rams; the closest Alleghany’s come was a 2 point loss in late 2009. What will happen? Wait and see.
9.Forbush +2
Needless to say; the Falcons pulled off one of the biggest upsets I’ve seen in a long time last week. Granted Carver’s having it’s issues but it’s Carver, the team that dominated Forbush and the WPAC in the last alignment. Forbush never came close to matching the Jackets before; so for Forbush to win 2 games in a week vs. Carver is huge. This win is a badly needed one for the Falcons as they needed a major morale boost; and this will go down as perhaps Chris Johnson’s biggest win of his career. However the Falcons cannot rest on their laurels thru the rest of the year or it could go very rough for them. This week they are off to rest up before returning to action vs. Atkins for their very first matchup down in Winston.
10.Ashe County
The Huskies finally got the snake off their back as they dominated Alleghany from the start to start conference and have a happy homecoming. However the Huskies have a different test entirely as they go down the mountain to face Elkin for their homecoming. Elkin offers a different taste entirely as they are speedy instead of being a ground and pound squad. Last year these two squads were finishing off disappointing seasons vs. each other and put up a ton and I mean a ton of points on each other. Elkin struggled to find a defensive plan to attack the Huskies as Ashe ended their season by putting up 73 points on Elkin as they broke the scoring record from 2006 and both teams finished with a combined 115 points. I expect this one to be more down to earth but it’s hard to tell with these two teams matchup.
11.West Wilkes -2
12.South Stokes +2
The Sauras literally had to fight a war to win last week as they found theirselves down 20 points off the bat to a young but athletic Bartlett Yancy squad. However South showed what hard will and character they had by coming back and taking control in the 2nd half. However like with Trinity they had to hold the more athletic team at bay but this time not in OT. South’s snakebite curse showed in venom last week however they took care of business and got out of Caldwell county with their 2nd win of the year and some momentum entering the bye. Next week they host WS Prep for not only their homecoming but more than likely for 3rd place in the Northwest.
13.Elkin -1
14.Alleghany -2
15.Surry Central
Central struggled to keep up with the Granite Bears but that’s the case of many a team this year. However an 0-5 start is one many in Dobson did not expect to happen this year. However the Golden Eagles have a chance to fix that as they play Atkins for the first ever time to open conference play. The Camels will offer Central many challenges especially on defense. For Central to have a chance to win they gotta step up and play tough on the D side when it comes to the pass as Atkins loves to air it. Offensively they gotta let Palcios do what he can do. It’s gonna come down to if Central’s defense can answer the bell or not. If not then it could be a slugfest.
16.Bishop +1
The Villains got a comfortable yet not solid win over the Greensboro Panthers home school team to enter conference play with some momentum. However they will face the buzzsaw known as East Surry out of the gate so it’s gonna be quite a challenge for this young team. However all is not done for the Villains as they have a chance to win some games inside of conference play and earn a playoff spot.
17.WS Prep -1
18.Atkins
The Camels opened conference play with a dud effort vs. a motivated North Surry squad; however they gotta overcome that disappointment to finish the year out. They got a solid chance to compete vs. a down Surry Central squad. This may be Atkins’s best chance at a win inside of the conference.
19.Walkertown +1
Walkertown made their game with West Stokes close for a half; but time will tell if that’s largely due to West’s play and another part of the downturns they’ve had this year so far or is the Wolfpack starting to slowly turn the corner. This week doesn’t get anymore easier for the Wolfpack as they travel to North Surry for their first ever matchup with the Greyhounds. These two teams have never played before so it’s a journey into the unknown for both. Walkertown needs a good performance to save face before the end of the year, this could be a chance to do it but it will be a tough test for the young Wolfpack.
20.Carver -1
21.North Stokes
The Granite Bears took care of business in Dobson with no problems at all to end the non conference slate. In fact the only real struggle was to see if MA could get a shutout (it was a little bit short.) This week the Bears face a rather interesting opponent: the bye week before entering the conference period. However expect it to be one of little challenge until East Surry week rolls into play.
2.East Wilkes
The Ronda Cards got a statement win as they rolled into Hays and dominated their northern rivals at will for a good majority of the game. They held NW’s rushing attack pretty solid and cut Grimes off for most of the night. For East it was the opener they needed and a way to tell the critics that they are for real. However in this business you cannot stop when you’re high on your laurels so the Cards are prepping for this week’s outing vs. the Blackhawks out of the western end of the county. Last season West surprised the Cards in a thriller so the Ronda Cards have revenge on their minds.
3.Wilkes Central
The Eagles finally had a dominant win of their caliber last week. A lot of that was due to the return of their QB who’s been hurt for a good while. With the QB’s return the backup returned to the WR core and with the offense flowing fully it proved to be an ugly night in Miller’s Creek as the Eagles ran wild over West. This week could be another showing of the same as the Eagles play their Northern rivals; who Central beat by a comfortable margin to win the MVAC title last year. For a repeat to occur the Eagles D has got to step up or else it could be an offense show.
4A.East Surry
The Pilot Cards blew everyone’s minds last week as they went to Guilford county and played out of their heads in a spectacular game. Sadly it all went amiss when the Cards FG attempt went for nothing but a nice try and the 4A team survived and prevented the very rare 1A upset over a 4A school. However not all is amiss for the Cards as they enter the bye week with a winning record before starting conference off. The game is one that will boost their morale in the long term before they roll into the conference pool.
4B.North Surry
The Greyhounds had the least publicized game out of these 3 however it was the most complete one as they decimated Atkins off the bat. The ‘Hounds shut down Atkins’s pass game and limited them to 1 first down in the opening half while putting up 42 points. However the Camels scored a desperation pass with :45 seconds left to avoid getting shutout 2 years in a row. It was a nice morale boost for the Greyhounds after a disappointing rivalry game the week before. However the Greyhounds better have their lunch pail ready as they return home for homecoming against Walkertown. The Greyhounds are getting ready to venture into the superunknown vs. a hard to figure Wolfpack squad to open a 2 game home stand.
4C.West Stokes
West opened their conference slate with a win but not an epic one over Walkertown for the third year in a row. West’s offense has troubles producing early which made the game close; however after halftime the Wildcats showed up ready to play and put the game away. It was definitely a tale of two halves for the Wildcats however I’m sure the win boosted their spirits when they needed it. This week the ‘Cats travel to Yellow Jacket land to play Carver in a very important game for WPAC play. Last year Carver after a publicized mess of a week came hard headed and dominated West very surprisingly. A safety on West’s part prevented the shutout. This year should be different entirely. A win for West would be some sweet tasting revenge over a team that’s given them headaches since 2013 as well as more than likely putting an end to Carver’s dreams of a conference title. However it’s not easy to win at Carver; so the ‘Cats must be ready to go early.
7.North Wilkes
The Vikings of Hays for the first time in a good while got outhit and dominated by their Ronda rivals. East proved to be the first regular season squad to shut down the NW offense and Grimes; while making NW’s defense look silly with it’s gameplan. It was an ugly game for the Vikings; however they gotta be ready for the WC juggernaut or else it could be just as ugly as last Friday. WC’s both more athletic and varied. Plus this game will about the return of Tyler Boles to Hays for the first time as a starter after the drama that brought an end to his run at North Wilkes 2 years back. It might be a bittersweet night for the Vikings when the game’s over considering what coulda been..
8.Starmount
The Rams took a close effort into the locker room last week; however they turned from Dr Jekyll into a bunch of Mr. Hyde's as they completely dominated the Elks in the second half as they earned their 2nd straight win and 2nd straight trophy in a row over their Bridge Partners. The win is big for the Rams as it has started a win streak which is unusual for this group; however this week will be a test for them as they play Alleghany. The Trojans got a rude welcoming by a hungry Ashe team last week and want a do over. This one could be a hard hitting doozy that any football die hard would love; two teams who love to thud and run it at you will be going headfirst. The ? is can the Rams handle success enough to not get big headed and can they handle a team like them who is hungry for a rebound? If Alleghany was to pull this off we would see some history as it would be the Trojans first win over the Rams; the closest Alleghany’s come was a 2 point loss in late 2009. What will happen? Wait and see.
9.Forbush +2
Needless to say; the Falcons pulled off one of the biggest upsets I’ve seen in a long time last week. Granted Carver’s having it’s issues but it’s Carver, the team that dominated Forbush and the WPAC in the last alignment. Forbush never came close to matching the Jackets before; so for Forbush to win 2 games in a week vs. Carver is huge. This win is a badly needed one for the Falcons as they needed a major morale boost; and this will go down as perhaps Chris Johnson’s biggest win of his career. However the Falcons cannot rest on their laurels thru the rest of the year or it could go very rough for them. This week they are off to rest up before returning to action vs. Atkins for their very first matchup down in Winston.
10.Ashe County
The Huskies finally got the snake off their back as they dominated Alleghany from the start to start conference and have a happy homecoming. However the Huskies have a different test entirely as they go down the mountain to face Elkin for their homecoming. Elkin offers a different taste entirely as they are speedy instead of being a ground and pound squad. Last year these two squads were finishing off disappointing seasons vs. each other and put up a ton and I mean a ton of points on each other. Elkin struggled to find a defensive plan to attack the Huskies as Ashe ended their season by putting up 73 points on Elkin as they broke the scoring record from 2006 and both teams finished with a combined 115 points. I expect this one to be more down to earth but it’s hard to tell with these two teams matchup.
11.West Wilkes -2
12.South Stokes +2
The Sauras literally had to fight a war to win last week as they found theirselves down 20 points off the bat to a young but athletic Bartlett Yancy squad. However South showed what hard will and character they had by coming back and taking control in the 2nd half. However like with Trinity they had to hold the more athletic team at bay but this time not in OT. South’s snakebite curse showed in venom last week however they took care of business and got out of Caldwell county with their 2nd win of the year and some momentum entering the bye. Next week they host WS Prep for not only their homecoming but more than likely for 3rd place in the Northwest.
13.Elkin -1
14.Alleghany -2
15.Surry Central
Central struggled to keep up with the Granite Bears but that’s the case of many a team this year. However an 0-5 start is one many in Dobson did not expect to happen this year. However the Golden Eagles have a chance to fix that as they play Atkins for the first ever time to open conference play. The Camels will offer Central many challenges especially on defense. For Central to have a chance to win they gotta step up and play tough on the D side when it comes to the pass as Atkins loves to air it. Offensively they gotta let Palcios do what he can do. It’s gonna come down to if Central’s defense can answer the bell or not. If not then it could be a slugfest.
16.Bishop +1
The Villains got a comfortable yet not solid win over the Greensboro Panthers home school team to enter conference play with some momentum. However they will face the buzzsaw known as East Surry out of the gate so it’s gonna be quite a challenge for this young team. However all is not done for the Villains as they have a chance to win some games inside of conference play and earn a playoff spot.
17.WS Prep -1
18.Atkins
The Camels opened conference play with a dud effort vs. a motivated North Surry squad; however they gotta overcome that disappointment to finish the year out. They got a solid chance to compete vs. a down Surry Central squad. This may be Atkins’s best chance at a win inside of the conference.
19.Walkertown +1
Walkertown made their game with West Stokes close for a half; but time will tell if that’s largely due to West’s play and another part of the downturns they’ve had this year so far or is the Wolfpack starting to slowly turn the corner. This week doesn’t get anymore easier for the Wolfpack as they travel to North Surry for their first ever matchup with the Greyhounds. These two teams have never played before so it’s a journey into the unknown for both. Walkertown needs a good performance to save face before the end of the year, this could be a chance to do it but it will be a tough test for the young Wolfpack.
20.Carver -1
21.North Stokes
