Mallard Creek vs. Butler is Friday’s top game, but here are 6 others to watch, too

No. 2 Mallard Creek (0-0) vs. No. 6 Butler (1-0), at Matthews SportsPlex, 7 p.m.: Mallard Creek is loaded with major-college talent, but the Mavericks remain untested, following the cancellation of last Saturday’s much-anticipated game with Dutch Fork. Butler looked strong Saturday in its 47-19 rout of Scotland County, with Keyon Lesane catching two scoring passes. The Matthews SportsPlex is near I-485 and Independence Boulevard.

Providence (1-0) at No. 1 Hough (1-0), 7 p.m.: Providence stunned the Huskies 31-27 last season and looked strong again in last week’s 45-13 rout of East Mecklenburg. Top-ranked Hough got 236 passing yards and four touchdowns last Friday in the 56-6 romp over reigning state 4A champion Harding.

No. 10 Vance (1-0) at Monroe (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: This game features two multi-threat quarterbacks in Vance’s Nigel Summerville and Monroe’s Tre Shepherd.

Gastonia Hunter Huss (1-0) at Concord Cox Mill (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Huss QB Zo Wallace threw for 307 yards and five touchdowns last week. Cox Mill QB Dane Horton had a three-touchdown performance in the Cougars’ opener.

No. 13 Kannapolis A.L. Brown (1-0) at Marvin Ridge (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Two more top-notch quarterbacks square off. Brown’s Jordan Medley completed 11 of 15 passes last week, and Marvin Ridge’s Jake Cameron had a big game in the Mavericks’ 37-9 win against South Mecklenburg.

No. 8 Richmond Senior (1-0) at Wake Forest (1-0), 7 p.m.: The Raiders had five interceptions in their 54-18 rout of Pfafftown Reagan. They visit the reigning state 4AA champions, who walloped Richmond Senior 38-13 a year ago in Rockingham.

Rock Hill Northwestern (0-1) at Duncan Byrnes (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Northwestern, reeling from its 49-14 loss to Rock Hill South Pointe, face a Cavaliers team that features standout running backs in Zack Hillstock and Chase Tinsley.

Steve Lyttle

This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 4:13 PM.