5 bold prep football predictions: Myers Park to learn there are ‘good losses’

1. Football will be played Friday: With as many delays and near delays from the weather this season, it’ll be good to a have a nice, crisp fall night to play on, and no hurricane to deal with. Temperatures in the Charlotte area will dip into the ‘50s. Bring a sweater. CMS schools, however, will have Friday off. Here’s why.

2. QB Sam Howell and Indian Trail Sun Valley will score more than 10 points Friday: Sun Valley (5-2, 1-2 Southern Carolina 3A) plays Monroe (4-3, 1-2) at home Friday. Sun Valley, which had been averaging 39 points per game, lost 28-7 at Charlotte Catholic last week, ending a 48-game streak of scoring in double figures. Sun Valley had not been held under 10 points since losing 34-0 to Weddington Oct. 24, 2014.

Monroe, which has lost two of its past three games, is allowing more than 22 points per game this season. Expect a lot of points scored in this one, from both teams.

3. The biggest Cabarrus County game in forever - not involving A.L. Brown or Concord - kicks off Friday night: Unbeaten Central Cabarrus (7-0, 1-0 South Piedmont 3A) is at unbeaten Northwest Cabarrus (7-0, 1-0) and it feels as though it’s been awhile since the game of the year in Cabarrus County didn’t involve Kannapolis Brown or Concord - or wasn’t the Bell Game between those two rivals. DeAndre Boykins’ OT run last week gave Central is first-ever win over A.L. Brown and set the stage for Friday’s county showdown.

4. Expect North Meck to give Hough a big push: North Meck (5-2, 1-2 I-MECK) probably can’t win a league title but can improve its potential playoff positioning with an upset over No. 2 Hough (7-0, 3-0). The Huskies have won seven straight in the series, but three of the past four meetings have been close. Hough has won them by a combined 10 points (Editor’s note: this game has been moved to Oct. 19).

5. Myers Park will discover that there is such a thing as a ‘good loss’: The Mustangs lost their dream of an unbeaten season, falling to an inspired Butler team, a rash of turnovers and mental mistakes in a 39-22 loss last week. That will focus Myers Park (6-1, 2-1 Southwestern 4A) - which was probably guilty of an inflated ego due early-season blowouts - for a serious playoff run. Step 1 is at Harrisburg Hickory Ridge (4-3, 2-1), which can still win the league title by winning out. So this is no cupcake for Myers Park. (Editor’s Note: this game has been moved to Nov. 9)

This story was originally published October 11, 2018 at 3:20 PM.