Hough at Mallard Creek among Observer-area prep football games of the week
Games of the Week
No. 6 Hough (11-3) at No. 2 Mallard Creek (13-0), 4AA Regional finals, Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Well, these two know each other pretty well. They are both in the I-MECK conference and are about a 20-minute drive apart. The players are well-acquainted. Mallard Creek, which beat Hough 41-7 last month, seeks its fourth NCHSAA 4AA state final appearance in five years. Since the Mallard Creek loss, Hough has won four straight games and is averaging 42 points during the run. Hough is seeking its first state final appearance under first-year coach Matthew Jenkins.
No. 7 Vance (12-3) at No. 5 Harding (12-1), 4A Regional finals, Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Vance has never been to the state final but is in the semifinals for third time in four years under fourth-year coach Aaron Brand. Harding High head coach Sam Greiner, once a Vance High assistant, has led the Rams to their first regional final since 1987 – the last time Harding made the state championship game.
No. 13 Concord Robinson (12-2) at No. 3 Charlotte Catholic (14-0), 3A Regional finals, Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Since 2004, there have only been two seasons (2008, 2009) when Charlotte Catholic did not reach the Western Regional championship game. The Cougars hunt their ninth state final appearance. Robinson, which opened in 2007, has won 11 straight games and set a school-record for victories. It’s aiming for its first state championship appearance.
No. 14 Sun Valley (11-3) at Asheville Reynolds (13-1), 3AA Regional finals, Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Sun Valley has advanced to the state semifinals as a No. 13 seed and is going for its first state finals appearance, led by junior quarterback Sam Howell. Reynolds beat South Iredell Friday and another top area quarterback, Charlotte 49ers-bound senior Brady Pope.
No. 11 Shelby (11-2) at No. 12 Lenoir Hibriten (14-0), 2AA Regional finals, Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Shelby has won 23 straight postseason games and four straight state championships. It’ll play Friday to reach a fifth final in a row. Hibriten is in the regional finals for the second year in a row. It lost 26-0 to Belmont South Point last season in the state 3A semifinals after winning its first 14 games.
No. 1 Rock Hill South Pointe (14-0) vs. Hartsville (13-1), S.C. 4A state finals, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.: South Pointe, ranked in the top five of several national polls, has won 19 straight playoff games and three state finals. The Stallions hope for a fourth state title ring Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. South Pointe has beaten Hartsville in state championship wins in 2014 and 2016.
This story was originally published November 27, 2017 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Hough at Mallard Creek among Observer-area prep football games of the week."