MA at Starmount
The Black Hole is starting to face some challenges now with kids getting hurt; their best athlete on offense is out for quite a bit of time supposedly. MA is in a spot that they have to play some ball now with unproven kids and that makes them vulnerable. However they face a Starmount team that still is struggling to find consistency and should be okay here. However they cannot afford to overlook anyone now. They got upset 10 years ago epically the same way.
Surry Central at Elkin
This game looked like an easy win for Elkin back in the summer but after losing their star athlete and their issues plus SC’s start I’d put the Golden Eagles as the favorite here. SC has took it on the chin in 2018/19 from these guys and these kids BADLY want to knock off the Elks. Elkin meanwhile won a game they weren’t supposed to win Monday and are off from a very short week. Central ultimately has all the edges here. They are both more physical than Elkin is and they run a very hard to prep for offense in a short time. Elkin’s gonna be under the 8 ball in quite a few ways and I just don’t see Elkin’s line overcoming SC’s.
North Wilkes at West Wilkes
The Vikings let one slip last week on the mountain as Ashe came back to score late to win it out; letting an upset slip for the Vikes. This game on paper looks to be their last best chance to get a W but in order to do so they got to face an equally fired up West squad who has their best chance to get a W this week. This game is honestly kind of hard to figure.. North Wilkes is easy to figure they love to rely on their O and airing it out but West is more of a mystery. They’ve had tough teams all season and not a single break. But this could be their shot to fully comne out; they can’t afford to let this one slip. Honestly I see this one being more closer than what everyone thinks. If West can fully get healthy and figure out their faults I could see them pulling one out here. West is a tricky beast. In that way I’ll skip this one I don’t want an omlet on my head.
South Stokes at East Wilkes
The Ronda Cards made theirselves look bad Monday night to say the least; undisciplined, over aggressive, and not consistent down the stretch. They have had issues the last few games but it seemed to overly fester itself on Monday and things won’t get any better as they host the Sauras and ole’ Dave. South had a hard loss last week but are looking decently okay and are ready for a push into conference. A win here would give them absolutely killer momentum as they open up that stretch. There is a very good chance of an upset here as East is looking lost and Wilmoth needs to get them into gear; Dave is not a good coach to go against in that state. Carrick will also be a good test for that defense and I see him giving them fits. I just see the kids in Ronda being a little bit better around the core moreso than South but there could be an upset here too.
Alleghany at North Stokes
The Vikings return home to Danbury badly needing momentum as the past two weeks haven’t been good for them. Thankfully they have homecoming but it’s against a very stubborn Alleghany team which the Vikes haven’t beaten in quite a bit. This will prove to be quite a tough game for both teams but I think it will come down to who does best with the ball and overall talent and I think the two skill players for North Stokes will do it here but Alleghany is known for being hard to pick against so I wouldn’t be surprised for a choke here too for the Vikes. North Stokes badly needs this win as a loss here would show their inability to beat a team higher than them and their year would be done pretty much. Same for the Trojans but they don’t have the pressure on them the Vikes do. It could go either way but my gut says North Stokes. However I’d be glad to be wrong here.
West Stokes at Morehead
It’s been a rough two weeks for the Wildcats who haven’t had much success so far in their mid state return. McMichael surprised them all over the ball and Walkertown got a statement win last week. Morehead meanwhile had a week off to recoup and rethink after North Forsyth thudded them all over the place in their opener. The rest week will prove to be helpful for the Panthers here as West has two weeks of wear along their low numbers. These teams are an awful lot alike but Morehead has a few more athletes than West does. Line wise MH is a little bigger but both teams are playing ironman ball. The strength of schedule for Morehead is way more harder and that will give them a boost. They know how to take hits and keep going and West is a team more at their level so I expect a good game but I think Morehead wins a close one here.
This is the first matchup in 21 years between these two schools surprisingly. It never made much sense to me that these two schools didn’t keep playing as they are a lot alike in setup and athletes. Anyways EM leads the series all time 2-0; they were West’s 2nd game in 1999 and West scored their very first TD vs them. Lot of history here and I’m thrilled to see a return to it.
Ashe Co at Alexander Central
These young Huskies had to brawl with the Hays kids to pull out that W so the program won’t go winless for what woulda been the first time. But now these fellas have to go into conference play against that conference which is loaded with consistent 3A and 4A teams,. AL Central is the lowest teams in terms of prestige and consistency but that doesn’t mean they are a cupcake by any stretch and nor should the Huskies overlook them. It’ll be a rough few weeks for these kids but they can learn under fire and grow for the future this way.
North Forsyth at HP Andrews
The Vikes started off strong early vs a rusty Reidsville before they started shooting theirselves in the foot and the Rams took off to make it a big and ugly win. However NF did score 12 points which is a very good thing for them as that shows their offense can produce now. Things stay tough this week as they go to Simeon to play a very hard to figure HP Andrews team. They looked good vs Parkland then they came out and did something I never imagined seeing in all my years (they let McMichael score 49 points on them.) This can go one of two ways:
1.HP Andrews is just awful
Or
2. McMichael is that good.
This week will show a lot for the Red Raiders. Honestly though if they couldn’t beat McMichael then they won’t North Forsyth. NF is way more speedier too which will be a good match for Andrews’s equally fast speed. It could be much closer but NF badly needs a win to stay afloat and I see them getting it. Their games vs Walkertown and McMichael look to be quite fun. Andrews is still quite young and learning but I see these two teams having some good games the next three years.
Reidsville at Walkertown
Reidsville came out rather rusty before waking up and taking care of business on Tuesday. However a short week is never good for any school and they have to drive down to Walkertown which is a nice haul. The Pack is coming off a statement win vs West Stokes and are feeling the momentum which should give them a boost. However Walkertown struggles against teams with wide open offenses and especially ones with speed and I don’t expect much to change here. WT losing that WR will show it’s pains this week as they won’t be able to air it out as well. Their defense will be what makes or breaks them here. If they have a Mt Pleasant style performance then they could be okay but if they have a performance like the 2nd half vs Ledford then ouch. Reidsville is better than both of those teams. It’s put up or shut up time for the Pack.
Carver at CSD
Carver is getting a lot of raves for their performance in the conference so far and they finally managed to put together a fully consistent game last week as they shut Bishop down quite well. They have a lot of momentum right now but it will be matched by this Community School team who by a nice margin knocked off Mountain Island Charter who was the favorite for the conference. Both this game and the MIC matchup will mean a lot for Carver. A win here will put them in the driver’s seat for the conference title and will be a lot of help to get them get a playoff spot. However that is easier said than done as CSD is really good. They are very well coached and have a passionate staff and fanbase. Carver are the new kids on the scene and the flavor of the moment. This game will say a lot for their consistency. They didn’t play well at all vs McMichael and they looked like a lot what they used to in the 2A days. If CSD has a good first half then it might happen again but if not we may have a close one here. CSD hasn’t face a kid like Blackburn and they struggle vs power run backs.
Very good shot for Carver here but my gut says CSD. I’d be happy with either of these teams winning the conference out. Both deserve it.
WS Prep at MI Charter
This is one of the easier write ups so I won’t waste time: WS Prep’s offense is a hot garbage machine. MIC hasn’t played anyone but they are way better coached and way faster.. Gonna be a rough night for the Phoenix.
The Black Hole is starting to face some challenges now with kids getting hurt; their best athlete on offense is out for quite a bit of time supposedly. MA is in a spot that they have to play some ball now with unproven kids and that makes them vulnerable. However they face a Starmount team that still is struggling to find consistency and should be okay here. However they cannot afford to overlook anyone now. They got upset 10 years ago epically the same way.
Surry Central at Elkin
This game looked like an easy win for Elkin back in the summer but after losing their star athlete and their issues plus SC’s start I’d put the Golden Eagles as the favorite here. SC has took it on the chin in 2018/19 from these guys and these kids BADLY want to knock off the Elks. Elkin meanwhile won a game they weren’t supposed to win Monday and are off from a very short week. Central ultimately has all the edges here. They are both more physical than Elkin is and they run a very hard to prep for offense in a short time. Elkin’s gonna be under the 8 ball in quite a few ways and I just don’t see Elkin’s line overcoming SC’s.
North Wilkes at West Wilkes
The Vikings let one slip last week on the mountain as Ashe came back to score late to win it out; letting an upset slip for the Vikes. This game on paper looks to be their last best chance to get a W but in order to do so they got to face an equally fired up West squad who has their best chance to get a W this week. This game is honestly kind of hard to figure.. North Wilkes is easy to figure they love to rely on their O and airing it out but West is more of a mystery. They’ve had tough teams all season and not a single break. But this could be their shot to fully comne out; they can’t afford to let this one slip. Honestly I see this one being more closer than what everyone thinks. If West can fully get healthy and figure out their faults I could see them pulling one out here. West is a tricky beast. In that way I’ll skip this one I don’t want an omlet on my head.
South Stokes at East Wilkes
The Ronda Cards made theirselves look bad Monday night to say the least; undisciplined, over aggressive, and not consistent down the stretch. They have had issues the last few games but it seemed to overly fester itself on Monday and things won’t get any better as they host the Sauras and ole’ Dave. South had a hard loss last week but are looking decently okay and are ready for a push into conference. A win here would give them absolutely killer momentum as they open up that stretch. There is a very good chance of an upset here as East is looking lost and Wilmoth needs to get them into gear; Dave is not a good coach to go against in that state. Carrick will also be a good test for that defense and I see him giving them fits. I just see the kids in Ronda being a little bit better around the core moreso than South but there could be an upset here too.
Alleghany at North Stokes
The Vikings return home to Danbury badly needing momentum as the past two weeks haven’t been good for them. Thankfully they have homecoming but it’s against a very stubborn Alleghany team which the Vikes haven’t beaten in quite a bit. This will prove to be quite a tough game for both teams but I think it will come down to who does best with the ball and overall talent and I think the two skill players for North Stokes will do it here but Alleghany is known for being hard to pick against so I wouldn’t be surprised for a choke here too for the Vikes. North Stokes badly needs this win as a loss here would show their inability to beat a team higher than them and their year would be done pretty much. Same for the Trojans but they don’t have the pressure on them the Vikes do. It could go either way but my gut says North Stokes. However I’d be glad to be wrong here.
West Stokes at Morehead
It’s been a rough two weeks for the Wildcats who haven’t had much success so far in their mid state return. McMichael surprised them all over the ball and Walkertown got a statement win last week. Morehead meanwhile had a week off to recoup and rethink after North Forsyth thudded them all over the place in their opener. The rest week will prove to be helpful for the Panthers here as West has two weeks of wear along their low numbers. These teams are an awful lot alike but Morehead has a few more athletes than West does. Line wise MH is a little bigger but both teams are playing ironman ball. The strength of schedule for Morehead is way more harder and that will give them a boost. They know how to take hits and keep going and West is a team more at their level so I expect a good game but I think Morehead wins a close one here.
This is the first matchup in 21 years between these two schools surprisingly. It never made much sense to me that these two schools didn’t keep playing as they are a lot alike in setup and athletes. Anyways EM leads the series all time 2-0; they were West’s 2nd game in 1999 and West scored their very first TD vs them. Lot of history here and I’m thrilled to see a return to it.
Ashe Co at Alexander Central
These young Huskies had to brawl with the Hays kids to pull out that W so the program won’t go winless for what woulda been the first time. But now these fellas have to go into conference play against that conference which is loaded with consistent 3A and 4A teams,. AL Central is the lowest teams in terms of prestige and consistency but that doesn’t mean they are a cupcake by any stretch and nor should the Huskies overlook them. It’ll be a rough few weeks for these kids but they can learn under fire and grow for the future this way.
North Forsyth at HP Andrews
The Vikes started off strong early vs a rusty Reidsville before they started shooting theirselves in the foot and the Rams took off to make it a big and ugly win. However NF did score 12 points which is a very good thing for them as that shows their offense can produce now. Things stay tough this week as they go to Simeon to play a very hard to figure HP Andrews team. They looked good vs Parkland then they came out and did something I never imagined seeing in all my years (they let McMichael score 49 points on them.) This can go one of two ways:
1.HP Andrews is just awful
Or
2. McMichael is that good.
This week will show a lot for the Red Raiders. Honestly though if they couldn’t beat McMichael then they won’t North Forsyth. NF is way more speedier too which will be a good match for Andrews’s equally fast speed. It could be much closer but NF badly needs a win to stay afloat and I see them getting it. Their games vs Walkertown and McMichael look to be quite fun. Andrews is still quite young and learning but I see these two teams having some good games the next three years.
Reidsville at Walkertown
Reidsville came out rather rusty before waking up and taking care of business on Tuesday. However a short week is never good for any school and they have to drive down to Walkertown which is a nice haul. The Pack is coming off a statement win vs West Stokes and are feeling the momentum which should give them a boost. However Walkertown struggles against teams with wide open offenses and especially ones with speed and I don’t expect much to change here. WT losing that WR will show it’s pains this week as they won’t be able to air it out as well. Their defense will be what makes or breaks them here. If they have a Mt Pleasant style performance then they could be okay but if they have a performance like the 2nd half vs Ledford then ouch. Reidsville is better than both of those teams. It’s put up or shut up time for the Pack.
Carver at CSD
Carver is getting a lot of raves for their performance in the conference so far and they finally managed to put together a fully consistent game last week as they shut Bishop down quite well. They have a lot of momentum right now but it will be matched by this Community School team who by a nice margin knocked off Mountain Island Charter who was the favorite for the conference. Both this game and the MIC matchup will mean a lot for Carver. A win here will put them in the driver’s seat for the conference title and will be a lot of help to get them get a playoff spot. However that is easier said than done as CSD is really good. They are very well coached and have a passionate staff and fanbase. Carver are the new kids on the scene and the flavor of the moment. This game will say a lot for their consistency. They didn’t play well at all vs McMichael and they looked like a lot what they used to in the 2A days. If CSD has a good first half then it might happen again but if not we may have a close one here. CSD hasn’t face a kid like Blackburn and they struggle vs power run backs.
Very good shot for Carver here but my gut says CSD. I’d be happy with either of these teams winning the conference out. Both deserve it.
WS Prep at MI Charter
This is one of the easier write ups so I won’t waste time: WS Prep’s offense is a hot garbage machine. MIC hasn’t played anyone but they are way better coached and way faster.. Gonna be a rough night for the Phoenix.
