Can Lincolnton take the top spot this year? Can Farley lead Maiden and new coach Will Byrne to a conference title? How will East Lincoln be with all-everything QB Chazz Surratt? Any thoughts?
Southern District 7 predictions
- Thread starter Deana_King
- Start date
I did pretty good last year so I will take a shot at it again. The SD7 is the best 2A sports conference in the state. That can't be questioned.
1st- Lincolnton. A number of graduates open slots on both sides of the ball. Lincolnton returns enough power at the RB, QB, and WR to be explosive. It really depends on what offensive mix of plays the Wolves use this year. I'm hearing the offensive line will not fall off from last year. Defensively they will be solid but not as strong as last year. To make a deeper run this year they need improvement in the secondary.
2nd-East Lincoln. No Chazz Surratt is always a drop off. The new QB got thrown into the heat last year from the third round to the state title. I think he's going to be very good. Receivers return and both can make big plays. Gonna miss Colton Banks at RB and short receiver. Defensively they return enough with experience to exceed last years expectations.
3rd-Maiden. Better defensively up front. Better at linebacker. Still will need offensive players to fill the secondary roles. QB Farley returns. Not sure what role Mayfield the QB will take. RB returns and has a lot of speed. Not much offensively should change with the play calling. Question mark is offensive line maturity.
4th-West Caldwell. Couple skill players return and nothing should change in the way they address plays called. I have asked about the defense but nobody seems to know how that side of the ball will go.
5. Soccer is your daddy
6. Nice cheerleaders
7. Who cares
8. Football is a sport?
1st- Lincolnton. A number of graduates open slots on both sides of the ball. Lincolnton returns enough power at the RB, QB, and WR to be explosive. It really depends on what offensive mix of plays the Wolves use this year. I'm hearing the offensive line will not fall off from last year. Defensively they will be solid but not as strong as last year. To make a deeper run this year they need improvement in the secondary.
2nd-East Lincoln. No Chazz Surratt is always a drop off. The new QB got thrown into the heat last year from the third round to the state title. I think he's going to be very good. Receivers return and both can make big plays. Gonna miss Colton Banks at RB and short receiver. Defensively they return enough with experience to exceed last years expectations.
3rd-Maiden. Better defensively up front. Better at linebacker. Still will need offensive players to fill the secondary roles. QB Farley returns. Not sure what role Mayfield the QB will take. RB returns and has a lot of speed. Not much offensively should change with the play calling. Question mark is offensive line maturity.
4th-West Caldwell. Couple skill players return and nothing should change in the way they address plays called. I have asked about the defense but nobody seems to know how that side of the ball will go.
5. Soccer is your daddy
6. Nice cheerleaders
7. Who cares
8. Football is a sport?
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Correct me if I am wrong. I can't remember remember a Catawba County team beating East Lincoln or Lincolnton since the formation of conference. Even if their was a win at some point its clear these two schools have dominated the conference. Catawba County is a shell of itself from the last five years in football while the other sports have prospered immensely.
Wrestling has dominated the state from the SD7 with Newton winning 3 state titles and West Lincoln 1 for a four year sweep. That trend should continue. Newton has had titles in soccer, multiple tennis and golf titles, and East Lincoln went to two consecutive basketball finals. I'm happy the realignment has grouped the majority of these teams together for 4 more years.
The Lincolnton, East Lincoln, and Maiden games will be fun to watch. Each have athletic quarterbacks and running backs. Hopefully Maiden can represent Catawba County well. Offesively they should be very good. If the defense improves they will compete for the top two slots.
Wrestling has dominated the state from the SD7 with Newton winning 3 state titles and West Lincoln 1 for a four year sweep. That trend should continue. Newton has had titles in soccer, multiple tennis and golf titles, and East Lincoln went to two consecutive basketball finals. I'm happy the realignment has grouped the majority of these teams together for 4 more years.
The Lincolnton, East Lincoln, and Maiden games will be fun to watch. Each have athletic quarterbacks and running backs. Hopefully Maiden can represent Catawba County well. Offesively they should be very good. If the defense improves they will compete for the top two slots.
Looks pretty good to me GDG,,,,I will not call the coach out but I gave a opinion on the Lincolnton-NC game last year and was blasted out by the coach on Facebook...even though N-C is my team,I felt they were going to get beat badly and he took offense to it...well,what happened?...
LOL. You get called out by a coach who has tried to get a job elsewhere each of the two years he has been at Newton-Conover? Beam needs to look in the mirror. Bless his heart.
I can't wait. This season is going to be pretty exciting in this conference. I still think East Lincoln is going to be pretty darn good. It is just a system that works. East has not lost a conference game nor have they lost a home game in like five years. This year could be much different though and time will tell.
Maiden is the question mark for me. They return some very talented guys on offense. They just have some issues lately on defense and if they could improve just a little they will be very good. if they could improve dramatically, look out!
Lincolnton always has talent and they appear to have gotten themselves another good coach. It wouldn't surprise me if they won the conference.
Don't sleep on West Caldwell. They should improve and west had a good team last year.
Newton-Conover should be loaded every year. Not sure what's going on over there but if they had all the talent in the hallways on the field they would be something.
I can't see Bandys staying down. They have a long way to go but I'm sure they will improve. I have no idea what West Lincoln or Bunker Hill will have. Would like to know more about them if anyone knows.
Maiden is the question mark for me. They return some very talented guys on offense. They just have some issues lately on defense and if they could improve just a little they will be very good. if they could improve dramatically, look out!
Lincolnton always has talent and they appear to have gotten themselves another good coach. It wouldn't surprise me if they won the conference.
Don't sleep on West Caldwell. They should improve and west had a good team last year.
Newton-Conover should be loaded every year. Not sure what's going on over there but if they had all the talent in the hallways on the field they would be something.
I can't see Bandys staying down. They have a long way to go but I'm sure they will improve. I have no idea what West Lincoln or Bunker Hill will have. Would like to know more about them if anyone knows.
Excluding Newton and Hickory (different school system) there is one issue that needs to be resolved if what coaches tell me is true. The middle schools have cut kids with a target of 35. Seems that's the limit on a bus as no mixing of cheerleaders and players is allowed. Kids who get cut usually don't come out again. With decreasing participation after 14 years of age the numbers game becomes problematic. With more kids taking part time jobs given the economic decline in Catawba County this policy of one bus limit will continue to keep the high school rosters down. Usually kids who are out of the sport for short periods never return in high school. Given the middle schools travel only within the county why would one bus be a limit. Six games at $15 gas for a total of $90 is an issue?
" Lincolnton returns enough power at the RB, QB, and WR to be explosive. It really depends on what offensive mix of plays"
GDG, I agree with your overall analysis. I also am interested in the mix of the run and pass plays at Lincolnton. Lincolnton will have a good running game as they always do but I'm expecting them to open things up and throw the ball more this year with Littlejohn in his 3rd varsity season and some good receivers. Littlejohn's little brother who is sophomore is a good running back that will probably be used in the backfield with McClain. He was on the varsity last year as a freshman but broke his foot prior to the first game of the season and saw only limited action late in the season when he wasn't 100%.
GDG, I agree with your overall analysis. I also am interested in the mix of the run and pass plays at Lincolnton. Lincolnton will have a good running game as they always do but I'm expecting them to open things up and throw the ball more this year with Littlejohn in his 3rd varsity season and some good receivers. Littlejohn's little brother who is sophomore is a good running back that will probably be used in the backfield with McClain. He was on the varsity last year as a freshman but broke his foot prior to the first game of the season and saw only limited action late in the season when he wasn't 100%.
Even if that were true he is an excellent basketball player, and one man is not going to make Lincolnton football much better and East Lincoln less of a threat for sweeping the conference again. As it was stated above East Lincoln has a system and the system is team first, individual last. It's worked since Bynum started.
Without the surratt kids that system wouldn't have been that great, just look at last year when chazz went down. They will be good but not great like they have the last 4 years. But the wolfs will be pretty good with Sage especially in basketball.
Last year I was told he would move schools with speculation he would go private for basketball. Not sure how I said it but something like "strange not to hear the Surratt name at East Lincoln". Lincolnton would be a surprise for me with so many more options. I don't think from a football perspective it changes Lincolnton's playbook.
No Sage Surratt. No Cameron Dollar. I have to revise my predictions.
1. Lincolnton- no change
2. Maiden
3. East Lincoln- Byus still is a top 10 coach in NC
4. West Caldwell- no change
1. Lincolnton- no change
2. Maiden
3. East Lincoln- Byus still is a top 10 coach in NC
4. West Caldwell- no change
Sage is officially enrolled at Lincolnton...he participated in our first 7 on 7 this evening @ Alexander Central...Dollar is not leaving East....
I can confirm I spoke to Cameron Dollar and he is not leaving. He just committed to Charlotte for football.
The usual early workout jitters and mental mistakes. Best I could see is we will be perfectly fine once everyone gets the reps needed to feel comfortable and gel...I will say this...with Langdon on one side and Sage on the other ...defenses are gonna play hell in coverage. ...plus McClain, and the Littlejohn cousins are going to be a handful out the backfield.
Does this mean Lincolnton will push Shelby out of the top spot of small 2A west? Too bad they haven't scheduled each other out of conference. Would be a nice matchup to see.
I lot of football yet to be played but I predict Shelby and Lincolonton will see each other in the small 2A west championship game with Shelby being favored.
I agree with this. Last year I saw two great teams play at Allen Field. Lincolnton will need to ramp the defensive effort up in the secondary to compete against Shelby this year. Linconlton vs South Point should be a great game.
They played for years until 2013. They were even in the same conference in the early 70s (SWC I think) then they were in the South Piedmont 1A/2A together from 97-01 and the Midwest 2A from 01-05. The 9 team SMAC probably had something to do with why they haven't played since 2012. Hopefully the series will resume in 2017. Shelby will be in a 6 team league but 3 of the 6 nonconference spots will go to Burns, Crest and KM so I'm not sure. The NCHSAA really dropped the ball by not putting Shelby, East Gaston and South Point in a conference with the Lincoln County schools.
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