Mecklenburg County showdowns highlight Observer high school football games of the week
Butler (1-0) at Mallard Creek (0-0-1), Fri., 7: Both teams were tested in their season openers. Butler used its special teams to help beat a strong Hough team last week. The Bulldogs blocked a field goal and two punts. Both punt blocks led to touchdowns and eventually a tough 21-10 win. Mallard Creek had to settle for a tie in its nationally televised game with Dutch Fork after storms delayed the game until after midnight. It ended in a 27-27 tie with Mallard Creek driving with under five minutes left inside the Dutch Fork 15.
Valor Christian (0-0) at Charlotte Christian (1-0), Fri., 7: Valor Christian is the reigning Colorado 5A state champion. The Eagles are coached by Ed McCaffrey, father of Carolina Panthers star Christian McCaffrey. Valor Christian, a 5A school of nearly 1,000 students, is ranked No. 1 among all Colorado high schools by MaxPreps. Charlotte Christian, a 4A private school of about 1,000 students, has won the past two N.C. Independent Schools Division I state championships. MaxPreps ranks the Knights No. 13 among all N.C. schools.
Charlotte Catholic (1-0) at Olney (MD) Our Lady of Good Counsel (0-0), Fri., 7:30: Good Counsel plays in the well-known Washington Catholic conference with schools like DeMatha and Gonzaga. It’s the No. 5-ranked team overall in the state of Maryland and No. 48 nationally by MaxPreps. Catholic, the two-time N.C. 3A state champ, is a top-100 team nationally in the High School Football America poll. The Cougars play back-to-back games against elite out-of-state competition, playing a top-10 team from Louisiana, Archishop Rummel, at home Sept 6.
West Charlotte (1-0) at West Mecklenburg (0-0), Fri., 7: The Lions got a 28-8 season-opening win at Garinger on Monday and are hunting back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 16 years. West Mecklenburg’s season opener with Rocky River was canceled. So this will be the debut of new Hawks coach Nick Mata. The Hawks have won the past three meetings in this Westside rivalry.
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
Friday
(all kickoffs at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted)
South Piedmont 1A
Mount Holly Mountain Island Charter at Christ the King, 7
Mecklenburg nonconference
East Mecklenburg at Ardrey Kell, 7
Berry Academy at Hopewell, 7
Butler at Mallard Creek, 7
Carolina Bearcats at Charlotte Latin, 7
Charlotte Catholic at Olney (MD) Our Lady of Good Counsel
Commonwealth Charter at Gastonia Highland Tech
Community School of Davidson at Winston-Salem Bishop McGuinness
Covenant Day at Charlotte Country Day, 7
Harding at Garinger, 7
Hickory Grove Christian at Simpsonville (SC) Southside Christian
Highlands Ranch (CO) Valor Christian at Charlotte Christian
Hough at Providence, 7
Lake Norman Charter at Mooresville Pine Lake Prep
North Mecklenburg at Olympic, 7
North Raleigh Christian at Southlake Christian
Providence Day at Rabun Gap (GA)-Nacoochee, 4:30
Rocky River at Gastonia Huss
South Mecklenburg at Independence, 7
Vance at Lynchburg (VA) Heritage
West Charlotte at West Mecklenburg, 7
N.C. nonconference
Alexander Central at Wilkes Central
Asheville at Lawndale Burns
Belmont South Point at Lincolnton
Boiling Springs Crest at Skyland Roberson
Boone Watauga at Ashe County
Cherryville at Forest City Chase
China Grove Carson at Salisbury
Concord at Harrisburg Hickory Ridge
Concord Jay M. Robinson at Marvin Ridge
East Burke at Marion McDowell
East Lincoln at East Rowan
East Rutherford at North Lincoln
Gastonia Ashbrook at Kannapolis Brown
Hickory Hawks vs. Mooresboro Thomas Jefferson Academy, at Lenoir-Rhyne Univ.
Hickory St. Stephens at Claremont Bunker Hill
Indian Trail Metrolina Christian at Waxhaw Cuthbertson
Indian Trail Sun Valley at Central Cabarrus
Kings Mountain at Monroe
Lenoir Hibriten at Hickory
Marshville Forest Hills at Red Springs
Monroe Parkwood at Concord Cox Mill
Morganton Freedom at Valdese Draughn
Mount Pleasant at Northwest Cabarrus
Newton Foard at Catawba Bandys
North Iredell at East Bend Forbush
North Rowan at West Rowan
Polk County at North Gaston
Richmond Senior at Anson County
R-S Central at Morganton Patton
Shelby at Asheville Reynolds
South Caldwell at Maiden
South Iredell at West Iredell
South Stanly at Monroe Union Academy
Statesville at Lake Norman
Statesville Christian at Cabarrus Warriors
Unionville Piedmont at North Stanly
Weddington at Indian Trail Porter Ridge
West Caldwell at North Wilkes
West Forsyth at Mooresville
West Stanly at Albemarle
West Wilkes at Avery County
Interstate
Cramerton Stuart Cramer at Fort Mill Catawba Ridge
Gastonia Forestview at Clover
S.C. nonconference
Cheraw at Marlboro County
Duncan Byrnes at Rock Hill Northwestern
Fort Mill at Chester
Fort Mill Nation Ford at Conway
Great Falls at Whitmire
Greenwood Raptors at Rock Hill Legion Collegiate
Indian Land at Lancaster Buford
Johns Island St. John’s at Kershaw Andrew Jackson
Kershaw North Central at Columbia
Lancaster at Winnsboro Fairfield Central
McBee at Chesterfield
Pageland Central at Lamar
Richburg Lewisville at Columbia C.A. Johnson
Rock Hill at Rock Hill South Pointe
Roebuck Dorman at York
Saturday
Pioneer Football League
Cabarrus Stallions vs. Asheville Saints, at Central Cabarrus, 4:30
Rock Hill Carolina Crusaders at Anderson (SC) Saints, 7
This story was originally published August 27, 2019 at 6:07 PM.