Who Wins - Ashbrook@Huss and Lake Norman Charter @ North Gaston

[sasha_nc]

Anyone want to chime in on who wins these games Friday night?

Ashbrook @ Hunter Huss

On paper and on the field, the Green Wave should win with more talent available to them than Huss. Also, Ashbrook doesn't want to be embarrassed again as they were last week, but their record against poorer competition favors Huss. Plus, it's the bell game. Do the Huskies have more heart than the Green Wave? However, I admit to a bit of Schadenfreude when it comes to Ashbrook and would love for them to lose to the Huskies. What the heck - I can almost guarantee that whichever one I pick to win will lose - Ashbrook by 7.​

Lake Norman Charter @ North Gaston

Most of the computer models say North Gaston. Factors favoring the Wildcats - if they play a near perfect game, they can chew up some serious yards on the ground and put points on the board. The Knights offense is not robust enough to overcome that.

With a #1 seed in the 2A division on the line, LNC has more to gain than NG has to lose. If they can catch the Wildcats on an off-night, their defense may be enough to keep them in the game. Game is a toss-up, but I think the Knights pull this one off by 3.​

 

[egfan]

AB 27 HH 13
NG 21 LNC 6

 

[Godevilsgo]

What? This is a thread? I guess in the Big South this is big. Like asking who will win a Newton vs Bandys game. Yuck

 

[seadog28]

I'm with egfan. GDG, yuck is the word!

 

[redraider73]

Such is the Big South Conference games of the week. Crappy conference members = crappy games.

 

[redraider73]

Even the dude (Chuck Clubb?) who claims to have named every team name in the conference has deserted this message board.

 

[sasha_nc]

What? This is a thread? I guess in the Big South this is big. Like asking who will win a Newton vs Bandys game. Yuck

GDG,

The only Big South game that means anything this week is East Gaston/Forestview and their posters haven't seen fit to start a thread. It would have been poor form on my part to start one, IMO. The other schools don't have anyone so I was free to do as I like. The Crest posters have made it clear we aren't welcome on their threads as they consider the Big South (in its current configuration) and their posters irrelevant. The only other option is we could all pack up our keyboards and not post on anything. I can do that.

I just wanted to know if anyone thought Ashbrook would choke again this week or actually act like they had players from all of Grier's middle school championship teams. Ashbrook has lost to the two worst teams in the conference; Huss is the third worst. If North Gaston loses to LNC, they would have lost to all three 2A teams. Technically Huss is a 3A team in numbers and has been since 2013 (despite their current NCHSAA classification), but they have trouble beating 2A teams. A few years ago, only rarely would the teams in the Big South have lost to 2A teams like LNC or Cramer, not even the barrel scrapers or those having a bad year.

This is what having a split conference has done to us - the stronger teams can't get better because they have to play so many teams that can't provide sufficient challenge. The weaker teams get totally demoralized by blowouts and the mediocre remain mediocre. Crest, Shelby, and Kings Mountain are no exception - the top of the SMAC conference stuck with the rest.

 

[raidertime]

Split conferences are a bad idea and result in undeserving schools making it to the playoffs. Simmons is project a 4-6 2A team to be a 1 seed in the East. Would like to see the old Big South back together with Crest, KM, and the Big South 3A teams.

 

[redraider73]

Well said Sasha and Raidertime. I agree completely. After this week's thrashing of the Purple Pretenders, things should get more interesting with the playoffs.

 

[COUGAR-90]

Not exactly on topic, but can anyone explain why Ashbrooks coaching staff is still employed? The question is legit. More athletes than anyone around them and still can't win.

 

[sasha_nc]

Not exactly on topic, but can anyone explain why Ashbrooks coaching staff is still employed? The question is legit. More athletes than anyone around them and still can't win.

The only reason I can think of is that they do just enough to qualify for the playoffs which must be the only requirement for them. If there is another requirement, it is to showcase their middle school athletes just enough to get them a D1 football scholarship to Carolina.