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Teams to watch in 3a.

Statesville definitely a dark horse. Just ask Crest and Hickory. 2 games I was most impressed by both games even in them losing both. They had their opportunities in the redzone just couldn't capitalize. Next year's qb is probably the best athlete on the team with Ethan Peet. Kid can take off for 80 or throw it 60 yards in the air. I think Statesville will make a deep run next year possibly similar to Hickory and East Lincoln. Next year will be interesting for sure
 
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Statesville definitely a dark horse. Just ask Crest and Hickory. 2 games I was most impressed by both games even in them losing both. They had their opportunities in the redzone just couldn't capitalize. Next year's qb is probably the best athlete on the team with Ethan Peet. Kid can take off for 80 or throw it 60 yards in the air. I think Statesville will make a deep run next year possibly similar to Hickory and East Lincoln. Next year will be interesting for sure
Are they interested in moving to a nice small town community to the west of them 🤣🤣🤣
 
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Not trying to rag on Statesville, but when they barely got by South Point in the first round, I was pretty sure they wernt going far.
South Point played that game without their starting fullback who also played a lot at linebacker, especially on big downs. SP’s qb also came into that game with bad wheels. SP wouldn’t have gotten by Crest in the second round without being full strength and even then it would have been a tough task.
As far as injuries go thats part of football. Statesville might have had some injuries as well. And the following week Crest defeated Statesville, but it wasn't a blow out.
 
Statesville definitely a dark horse. Just ask Crest and Hickory. 2 games I was most impressed by both games even in them losing both. They had their opportunities in the redzone just couldn't capitalize. Next year's qb is probably the best athlete on the team with Ethan Peet. Kid can take off for 80 or throw it 60 yards in the air. I think Statesville will make a deep run next year possibly similar to Hickory and East Lincoln. Next year will be interesting for sure
That Peet didn't play football last year. Is he going play his Senior year?
 
Statesville definitely a dark horse. Just ask Crest and Hickory. 2 games I was most impressed by both games even in them losing both. They had their opportunities in the redzone just couldn't capitalize. Next year's qb is probably the best athlete on the team with Ethan Peet. Kid can take off for 80 or throw it 60 yards in the air. I think Statesville will make a deep run next year possibly similar to Hickory and East Lincoln. Next year will be interesting for sure
Moving the last year QB back to NG?
 
As far as injuries go thats part of football. Statesville might have had some injuries as well. And the following week Crest defeated Statesville, but it wasn't a blow out.
I was just stating facts as I knew them. I wasn’t trying to make excuses, if it sounded that way I apologize. I expect if Ford had played the outcome would have been different. But again, that’s just what I think.
 
havelock was gonna be good regardless they had alot of returning starters on both sides of the ball
also alot of their leading players on offense was juniors hyman was like one the real losses on offense the leaders on defense was sophmores and juniors
 
I was able to watch two of their games (via TV and video). I saw lots of talent and speed but not a lot of discipline. Regular season they run over people but in the playoffs, well lot of teams have talent and speed.
Discipline wins close games.
Discipline wins close games. That Dudley Program since 2002, have been to 11 Eastern or Western 3A/3AA/4A Conference Finals, 7 State Championships, Winning 5 of those Championships. The question you should ask other than South Point beating them in a blowout in 2022, they have been a tough out on the road and home. most of the other loses came mostly from missed XP like in 1997 in the 3A Western 3A Finals, losing 21-20. Or 2002 3A Championship to Ashbrook 19-18. Or against Mount Tabor in the 3A Finals 24-20. How many programs other than Independence have had a 20+ Run of being a contender each year? Other than Reidsville???? The fact other than Mount Tabor have had their number. You sound like those young men has been wild and had flags left and right called against them. Maybe look back on the Shelby Crest and JM Robinson games and tell me was was more discipline when the scores was close early in the 3rd Quarter before Dudley pulled away. Asked Statesville, Kings Mountain, South Point and JH Rose who was discipline back in 2021. Since 2021 that Dudley team has been to 3 Western Conference Finals. Winning the 2021 Chip 69-40 over JH ROSE! But you judged a program off 2 games, lmbo!
 
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Discipline wins close games. That Dudley Program since 2002, have been to 11 Eastern or Western 3A/3AA/4A Conference Finals, 7 State Championships, Winning 5 of those Championships. The question you should ask other than South Point beating them in a blowout in 2022, they have been a tough out on the road and home. most of the other loses came mostly from missed XP like in 1997 in the 3A Western 3A Finals, losing 21-20. Or 2002 3A Championship to Ashbrook 19-18. Or against Mount Tabor in the 3A Finals 24-20. How many programs other than Independence have had a 20+ Run of being a contender each year? Other than Reidsville???? The fact other than Mount Tabor have had their number. You sound like those young men has been wild and had flags left and right called against them. Maybe look back on the Shelby Crest and JM Robinson games and tell me was was more discipline when the scores was close early in the 3rd Quarter before Dudley pulled away. Asked Statesville, Kings Mountain, South Point and JH Rose who was discipline back in 2021. Since 2021 that Dudley team has been to 3 Western Conference Finals. Winning the 2021 Chip 69-40 over JH ROSE! But you judged a program off 2 games, lmbo!
Dudley is the class of NC football right now. Easily the top program in the state the past 20 years regardless of classification. Coach Davis doesn't get enough credit for the success he has had at Dudley. Dudley is the most disciplined program I've seen in a long time. They will definitely challenge next year.
 
Dudley is the class of NC football right now. Easily the top program in the state the past 20 years regardless of classification. Coach Davis doesn't get enough credit for the success he has had at Dudley. Dudley is the most disciplined program I've seen in a long time. They will definitely challenge next year.
It’s hard to argue with that. Dudley teams are always well coached and very disciplined as a team and coaching staff.
 
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West still has some good athletes coming through this year. Their primary QB was young ( soph). The group last year was exceptional. I expect them to fall off, not off a cliff, but less than they’ve been the past two years.

Truitt Manuel is a special athlete/leader that Mills River won’t duplicate often and there are some other strong seniors leaving with him, Dimsdale (RB) being one of them.

IMO, West competes to win conference this year rather than being the hands down favorite to win it like last year and a 4th round playoff run isn’t likely.
I have not confirmed but I heard a rumbling yesterday that WH picked up a big time transfer from down the mountain. Anyone else heard the same?
 
Who would you remove/add?
I'd remove Oak Grove.
P.S. I can't remember any Mid PIedmont Conference football or basketball teams making it out of the second round. North Davidson did in football a few years ago before the last alignment. The Mid PIedmont Conference ( Oak Grove, Ledford, North Davidson, Asheboro, Central Davidson, and Montgomery Central ) is above average in baseball , average at best in football, and probably the weakest 3-A conference in North Carolina in basketball.
P.S. Asheboro's basketball team made it to the third round six or eight years ago, but that was the first time in decades they'd advanced that far.
 
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Dudley is the class of NC football right now. Easily the top program in the state the past 20 years regardless of classification. Coach Davis doesn't get enough credit for the success he has had at Dudley. Dudley is the most disciplined program I've seen in a long time. They will definitely challenge next year.
Not top in state but definitely up there. I'd put Reidsville in front of them. Shocked Reidsville and Dudley only plays in basketball and not football
 
I'd remove Oak Grove.
P.S. I can't remember any Mid PIedmont Conference football or basketball teams making it out of the second round. North Davidson did in football a few years ago before the last alignment. The Mid PIedmont Conference ( Oak Grove, Ledford, North Davidson, Asheboro, Central Davidson, and Montgomery Central ) is above average in baseball , average at best in football, and probably the weakest 3-A conference in North Carolina in basketball.
P.S. Asheboro's basketball team made it to the third round six or eight years ago, but that was the first time in decades they'd advanced that far.
Oak Grove was in the third round last year. Ledford was in the third round two years ago. ND was in the third round three years ago.

Agreed the conference is not a good one top to bottom. Basketball has never been the best. Baseball and softball one of the best historically in the state. ND bottoming out so much the past few years certainly doesn't help. The current administration is a joke.
 
Not sure how 71st continues to be overlooked. They have one of the hottest football and basketball programs in the state. Football has been in the hunt since around 2016 and basketball has been in the state championship 2 out of the last 3 years. Not only are they bringing everything back from last year, but they also have a stud linebacker returning from injury. QB Nance leads the football and basketball teams. Both teams are expected to return to the chip. The dirty birds will be the juggernaut of the east.
 
Not sure how 71st continues to be overlooked. They have one of the hottest football and basketball programs in the state. Football has been in the hunt since around 2016 and basketball has been in the state championship 2 out of the last 3 years. Not only are they bringing everything back from last year, but they also have a stud linebacker returning from injury. QB Nance leads the football and basketball teams. Both teams are expected to return to the chip. The dirty birds will be the juggernaut of the east.
I think most of us agree that 71st is the team to beat in the East. Quarterback is good, o-line is huge, but the big, young, defensive lineman is a special talent.
 
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Not sure how 71st continues to be overlooked. They have one of the hottest football and basketball programs in the state. Football has been in the hunt since around 2016 and basketball has been in the state championship 2 out of the last 3 years. Not only are they bringing everything back from last year, but they also have a stud linebacker returning from injury. QB Nance leads the football and basketball teams. Both teams are expected to return to the chip. The dirty birds will be the juggernaut of the east.
I don’t think anyone is overlooking them, it’s just the very small amount of people on this platform talked about them. They are definitely the East favorite in my opinion.
 
Not sure how 71st continues to be overlooked. They have one of the hottest football and basketball programs in the state. Football has been in the hunt since around 2016 and basketball has been in the state championship 2 out of the last 3 years. Not only are they bringing everything back from last year, but they also have a stud linebacker returning from injury. QB Nance leads the football and basketball teams. Both teams are expected to return to the chip. The dirty birds will be the juggernaut of the east.
I think for the most part everyone knows that 71st returns everything but there’s not as many posters from the eastern side of the state for 3A or 4A on preps. I wish it were though because I keep up with the Raleigh/Durham area here and there.
If it were based off returning production 71st would be the favorites, followed by Dudley and then Havelock, Hickory etc.
 
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Dudley is the class of NC football right now. Easily the top program in the state the past 20 years regardless of classification. Coach Davis doesn't get enough credit for the success he has had at Dudley. Dudley is the most disciplined program I've seen in a long time. They will definitely challenge next year.
Not to argue but Shelby has played in 11 State Championship games in the last 20 years winning 9 of them.In the other 9 years I believe Shelby played in 5 Western Championships. Not bad.
 
Not to argue but Shelby has played in 11 State Championship games in the last 20 years winning 9 of them.In the other 9 years I believe Shelby played in 5 Western Championships. Not bad.
I don’t think Dudley or one team soley is the class of NC. I would never put Shelby or Reidsville at the very top in the State. It’s impressive what both programs are able to achieve but at the same time there’s not as much competition year in and year out in the classifications both programs play in. 11 state games and 9 regional final games in 20 years is almost impossible to do in the highest classification even if you have a very good team every year. We know going into this next season it will more than likely be the same two teams in the West regional. Shelby wasn’t even a great team last season imo and still made it, which should tell you within itself about the competition.
 
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I was impressed with the size of players that Dudley had that were freshman and some underclassman that was on the varsity team They will be tough to deal with in the future.
 
I don’t think Dudley or one team soley is the class of NC. I would never put Shelby or Reidsville at the very top in the State. It’s impressive what both programs are able to achieve but at the same time there’s not as much competition year in and year out in the classifications both programs play in. 11 state games and 9 regional final games in 20 years is almost impossible to do in the highest classification even if you have a very good team every year. We know going into this next season it will more than likely be the same two teams in the West regional. Shelby wasn’t even a great team last season imo and still made it, which should tell you within itself about the competition.
How good would Dudley be in 3A if they had only 800 kids to pick from? Ask South Point and Burns how the competition in 2A is.
 
How good would Dudley be in 3A if they had only 800 kids to pick from? Ask South Point and Burns how the competition in 2A is.
Dudley, not too unlike Shelby, pulls from a much greater distance than just their normal parameters so this does not apply. Yall both have long played by different rules...rules that others are now adopting more widespread.
You love to bring up the four 2a years when we had a brand new head coach breaking in and SP had one bad year during that time... plus an abbreviated Covid season where they smashed Shelby. I believe 70% win percentage vs. 2a during this time. Big brother (crest) will tell you that you didn't want to play SP the last few years.
 
I don’t think Dudley or one team soley is the class of NC. I would never put Shelby or Reidsville at the very top in the State. It’s impressive what both programs are able to achieve but at the same time there’s not as much competition year in and year out in the classifications both programs play in. 11 state games and 9 regional final games in 20 years is almost impossible to do in the highest classification even if you have a very good team every year. We know going into this next season it will more than likely be the same two teams in the West regional. Shelby wasn’t even a great team last season imo and still made it, which should tell you within itself about the competition.

Ditto
 
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I don’t think Dudley or one team soley is the class of NC. I would never put Shelby or Reidsville at the very top in the State. It’s impressive what both programs are able to achieve but at the same time there’s not as much competition year in and year out in the classifications both programs play in. 11 state games and 9 regional final games in 20 years is almost impossible to do in the highest classification even if you have a very good team every year. We know going into this next season it will more than likely be the same two teams in the West regional. Shelby wasn’t even a great team last season imo and still made it, which should tell you within itself about the competition.
You can never make them uderstand it. They believe it no matter how it is laid out to them. We all know and we all see it. They're blind to it. Before long one of them other 3 cats will be notified of your post and they'll come on here with pure craziness.
 
You can never make them uderstand it. They believe it no matter how it is laid out to them. We all know and we all see it. They're blind to it. Before long one of them other 3 cats will be notified of your post and they'll come on here with pure craziness.

Unfortunately over half of 2A embody the chicken hawk mentality from Foghorn Leghorn
 
Dudley, not too unlike Shelby, pulls from a much greater distance than just their normal parameters so this does not apply. Yall both have long played by different rules...rules that others are now adopting more widespread.
You love to bring up the four 2a years when we had a brand new head coach breaking in and SP had one bad year during that time... plus an abbreviated Covid season where they smashed Shelby. I believe 70% win percentage vs. 2a during this time. Big brother (crest) will tell you that you didn't want to play SP the last few years.
Your 2017 team was one of the best in South Points history. We all know it. 2nd round exit.
 
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