Ashe at MA
Last week the Bears did what they did best, roll over another county foe with ease. Like the saying always has said: speed kills. That was also the name of a crappy John Travolta movie that put me to sleep 5 different times, but that’s another story 🤣
This week they get a much needed change of pace as they host the Ashe County Huskies who are 3A and provide them a defensive challenge as they are a very deep and in the trenches air raid squad. Ashe isn’t the fastest but they are super stubborn and very well coached, they run that offense like the back of their hand. It will provide MA their best lineup challenge in a while and a needed test for the Bears on that end, they can’t afford to get rusty so I dig the challenge here. ? is will MA be scored on? There is always a chance that given the way they run that offense, they won’t match MA for speed but if they catch them on a good shot with a good length play they may pull that 6 out of the hat. Will it hurt MA to give up 6? Not at all, it’ll make them more wiser and prepared moving forward. They can’t afford to have rust heading into the playoffs. As athletic and advanced as a team is you can’t afford to do that.
E Surry at S Stokes
The Pilot Cards showed up like my gut told me would happen last week and managed to contribute to West Stokes’s offensive woes in a surprising shutout. I figured the Cards would have a good shot but a shutout? Totally surprising. But rivalries tend to do that and you can throw anything out the window when it’s that close. It’ll make 2024’s matchup in King all the more intense.
Now up for the Cards is one last home stand to end non conference before heading into the bye next week vs South Stokes, an old foe they’ve played consistently for ages. This game, like the North Surry game, was scheduled when Coach Diamont was still around, so a lot of the heat for this one is gone. South played surprisingly well, not great of course, but they limited a McMichael offense that went wild vs the Bush to 29 points last week which is wild to think considering how much South struggled the first two weeks. However they countered that with struggles still on offense, QB threw 4 picks. Time will tell if that was a fluke on defense or a sign of improvement for the Sauras who badly need any kind of positive momentum heading into NW play. However if they seriously want to play they got to find ways to quit making mistakes on offense. It’s been a very hard pre-season for the Sauras, it’s almost time to flip the switch.
I think East will be fine here. Their line play is superior and better coached than South is. South may have the speed advantage but East has momentum and are hungry, that matters more than people expect. However if East comes out and struggles South could stay around and be irritating.
SC at Elkin
Needless to say things haven’t been so fun for the Golden Eagles, who have struggled through a tough non conference slate and are desperate for any kind of momentum. Week 2 still seems to haunt them still as that was one game they shouldn’t have let slide away. Last week they didn’t have a shot against the Granite Bears and with a very bad injury to one of their main players they badly need to get out of the hole they are in. That being said, that will be easier said than done vs a very stubborn and motivated Elkin team who’s playing over their heads so far this season. The Elks are fresh off a bye and should be rested fully after a come from behind game they barely let slide vs West Wilkes they let slide just late.
These two always play very stubborn and hard fought matchups vs each other and I expect this year to be no exception. On JV the past 2 years they’ve split wins, 21 SC won by a big margin with the current junior class playing, but Elkin won by a shutout last year so this one can go either way.
I just don’t know enough about Surry Central’s status to pick a winner here. My gut says go with Elkin because they’ve played better but SC has that QB and he’s a game changer at any point. Elkin’s always struggled vs the pass and they lost last game due to it so I’m conflicted.
Starmount at N Wilkes
The Rams finally put together a solid outing on both ends last week despite the slow start as they took a 14-6 game in the first and just blew it wide open like a nuke descending into the desert, there was nothing left by the end. The Rams ended up with over 500 yards of offense and most of all rushing it. They passed very little and when they did it was successful. Couldn’t ask for a more better game for them. They are finally starting to defeat the inconsistency bug that haunted them for a majority of Grinton’s run. And this week they get one more easy matchup to defeat it as they host North Wilkes in a head scratcher of a matchup.
I don’t quite understand NW’s reasoning for scheduling this one. They had to have known that the team wouldn’t be up to par with a Starmount, but I guess they felt compelled to schedule it. Things are still quite messy for the Vikings who took an early 2-0 lead last week on a fluke then embarrassingly let EW score 48 unanswered, a really awful 4th made a respectable loss into an embarrassing one. Things just aren’t working for the Vikings right now. They are in the spread and they don’t have the talent to run it. Until they change that offense it won’t be a productive year for them. Especially not Friday vs the Rams.
I’ll be surprised if NW scores in this one, if they do then Starmount has a lot more to worry about.
Patrick Co, VA at North Stokes
The Danbury Vikings are hanging by a thread right now; they are badly beat up and low on kids at all age levels. They didn’t field a JV this year and watching film from South Davidson they have just 5-6 kids on the bench for depth. If the injuries keep on they will have to fold or postpone games until they get healthy. They badly need the break the bye week can provide them and it can’t get here fast enough but it’s too far away right now. Next week they face MA in an impossible task, I honestly won’t be surprised if they forfeit that one for safety reasons. I can’t say I would blame them there.
This week they host longtime rivals Patrick County who are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Their #’s are increasing every year and they have a solid established staff. We 7 on 7’ed them in June and I was honestly surprised at their talent. They aren’t a natural passing team (a wing squad,) but they played us hard. They have a solid core of skill guys who will be a pain to stop on the ground and their linebacker core was solid. They already have a W over Martinsville which is a huge win for them and they played their other game to a close loss. This one will be a change of pace they should enjoy.
Expect another running clock affair here. S Davidson was respectful and stopped at 42 last week after the half. I expect the same here, PC has no reason to score 50+.
Last week the Bears did what they did best, roll over another county foe with ease. Like the saying always has said: speed kills. That was also the name of a crappy John Travolta movie that put me to sleep 5 different times, but that’s another story 🤣
This week they get a much needed change of pace as they host the Ashe County Huskies who are 3A and provide them a defensive challenge as they are a very deep and in the trenches air raid squad. Ashe isn’t the fastest but they are super stubborn and very well coached, they run that offense like the back of their hand. It will provide MA their best lineup challenge in a while and a needed test for the Bears on that end, they can’t afford to get rusty so I dig the challenge here. ? is will MA be scored on? There is always a chance that given the way they run that offense, they won’t match MA for speed but if they catch them on a good shot with a good length play they may pull that 6 out of the hat. Will it hurt MA to give up 6? Not at all, it’ll make them more wiser and prepared moving forward. They can’t afford to have rust heading into the playoffs. As athletic and advanced as a team is you can’t afford to do that.
E Surry at S Stokes
The Pilot Cards showed up like my gut told me would happen last week and managed to contribute to West Stokes’s offensive woes in a surprising shutout. I figured the Cards would have a good shot but a shutout? Totally surprising. But rivalries tend to do that and you can throw anything out the window when it’s that close. It’ll make 2024’s matchup in King all the more intense.
Now up for the Cards is one last home stand to end non conference before heading into the bye next week vs South Stokes, an old foe they’ve played consistently for ages. This game, like the North Surry game, was scheduled when Coach Diamont was still around, so a lot of the heat for this one is gone. South played surprisingly well, not great of course, but they limited a McMichael offense that went wild vs the Bush to 29 points last week which is wild to think considering how much South struggled the first two weeks. However they countered that with struggles still on offense, QB threw 4 picks. Time will tell if that was a fluke on defense or a sign of improvement for the Sauras who badly need any kind of positive momentum heading into NW play. However if they seriously want to play they got to find ways to quit making mistakes on offense. It’s been a very hard pre-season for the Sauras, it’s almost time to flip the switch.
I think East will be fine here. Their line play is superior and better coached than South is. South may have the speed advantage but East has momentum and are hungry, that matters more than people expect. However if East comes out and struggles South could stay around and be irritating.
SC at Elkin
Needless to say things haven’t been so fun for the Golden Eagles, who have struggled through a tough non conference slate and are desperate for any kind of momentum. Week 2 still seems to haunt them still as that was one game they shouldn’t have let slide away. Last week they didn’t have a shot against the Granite Bears and with a very bad injury to one of their main players they badly need to get out of the hole they are in. That being said, that will be easier said than done vs a very stubborn and motivated Elkin team who’s playing over their heads so far this season. The Elks are fresh off a bye and should be rested fully after a come from behind game they barely let slide vs West Wilkes they let slide just late.
These two always play very stubborn and hard fought matchups vs each other and I expect this year to be no exception. On JV the past 2 years they’ve split wins, 21 SC won by a big margin with the current junior class playing, but Elkin won by a shutout last year so this one can go either way.
I just don’t know enough about Surry Central’s status to pick a winner here. My gut says go with Elkin because they’ve played better but SC has that QB and he’s a game changer at any point. Elkin’s always struggled vs the pass and they lost last game due to it so I’m conflicted.
Starmount at N Wilkes
The Rams finally put together a solid outing on both ends last week despite the slow start as they took a 14-6 game in the first and just blew it wide open like a nuke descending into the desert, there was nothing left by the end. The Rams ended up with over 500 yards of offense and most of all rushing it. They passed very little and when they did it was successful. Couldn’t ask for a more better game for them. They are finally starting to defeat the inconsistency bug that haunted them for a majority of Grinton’s run. And this week they get one more easy matchup to defeat it as they host North Wilkes in a head scratcher of a matchup.
I don’t quite understand NW’s reasoning for scheduling this one. They had to have known that the team wouldn’t be up to par with a Starmount, but I guess they felt compelled to schedule it. Things are still quite messy for the Vikings who took an early 2-0 lead last week on a fluke then embarrassingly let EW score 48 unanswered, a really awful 4th made a respectable loss into an embarrassing one. Things just aren’t working for the Vikings right now. They are in the spread and they don’t have the talent to run it. Until they change that offense it won’t be a productive year for them. Especially not Friday vs the Rams.
I’ll be surprised if NW scores in this one, if they do then Starmount has a lot more to worry about.
Patrick Co, VA at North Stokes
The Danbury Vikings are hanging by a thread right now; they are badly beat up and low on kids at all age levels. They didn’t field a JV this year and watching film from South Davidson they have just 5-6 kids on the bench for depth. If the injuries keep on they will have to fold or postpone games until they get healthy. They badly need the break the bye week can provide them and it can’t get here fast enough but it’s too far away right now. Next week they face MA in an impossible task, I honestly won’t be surprised if they forfeit that one for safety reasons. I can’t say I would blame them there.
This week they host longtime rivals Patrick County who are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Their #’s are increasing every year and they have a solid established staff. We 7 on 7’ed them in June and I was honestly surprised at their talent. They aren’t a natural passing team (a wing squad,) but they played us hard. They have a solid core of skill guys who will be a pain to stop on the ground and their linebacker core was solid. They already have a W over Martinsville which is a huge win for them and they played their other game to a close loss. This one will be a change of pace they should enjoy.
Expect another running clock affair here. S Davidson was respectful and stopped at 42 last week after the half. I expect the same here, PC has no reason to score 50+.
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