5 Bold Predictions about Friday’s high school games
1. Raider Magic will be alive and well
There’s something special that happens when Richmond Senior football gets rolling like it has this year and is playing at home in the playoffs. The fans get revved up and good things seem to happen for their team. They call it “Raider Magic.” It might be a ball that bounces their way, a great catch or a gust of wind that comes up just when the other team is beginning a drive.
There will be some “Raider Magic” that happens Friday when Myers Park comes to town. But will it be enough for Richmond to end Myers Park’s own magical run through the playoffs?
2. Hough won’t get shut out again
When Vance shut Hough out 25-0 on Nov. 9, it was the first time in three seasons the Huskies had been held scoreless. Hough has rebounded since then with victories over North Mecklenburg and Mallard Creek. The Huskies’ 19-7 second-round vict over western No. 1 seed Mallard Creek last week had to be an enormous confidence booster.
3. Charlotte Catholic-Hunter Huss won’t be as low scoring as you might think
Charlotte Catholic and Gastonia’s Hunter Huss have 11 shutouts combined between them. Both teams allow less than a touchdown per game. But both teams’ offense have been hot, too. Huss is averaging 41.2 points in its past five games. Catholic is averaging 42.5 in its past six.
4. Watauga will show the state that it’s for real
Watauga was 13-0-1 in 1978 and had not been unbeaten since — until now. Playing up in the mountains, the Pioneers are 13-0 and outscoring teams 46-10. But Watauga — led by RB Bryce Satterfield, son of App State coach Scott Satterfield — hasn’t played the stiffest of competition. That changes when 2016 state champ Weddington comes to town Friday.
5. Running backs will have big nights at Hibriten
Catawba Bandys’ Ethan Howard has 11 games with at least 100 yards. He’ll lead the Trojans against reigning state champion Lenoir Hibriten. Hibriten’s McKinley Witherspoon has 1,537 yards and averaging (no typo) 18.3 yards per carry.