Big private school battle highlights Observer-area prep football games of the week
Charlotte Country Day (4-0, 0-0 Big South 4A) at Providence Day (3-0, 0-0), Fri, 7: It’s been awhile since a big local private school game didn’t involve reigning Division I state champion Charlotte Christian, but here we go with two teams on a definite come-up.
Country Day is off to its best start in seven years. The Bucs, despite winning the Division II state title last season, have lost eight straight conference games and are 7-21 in league play since winning the 2010 Division I state championship. The Bucs are in position for a third straight winning season. Providence Day is hunting its first back-to-back winning seasons since a trio of them from 2010-12. This is the Chargers’ first 3-0 start since 2011, when they beat Charlotte Country Day in the Division I state championship game.
Myers Park (3-0) at Hough (1-2), Fri, 7: Hough has dropped games to regional powers Butler and Duncan Byrnes (S.C.), but the Huskies have multiple Division I recruits, are still a threat to advance deep into the 4AA playoffs, and should present nationally ranked Myers Park with their first real challenge of the season. Mustangs’ QB Drake Maye played his freshman season at Hough.
Shelby (3-0) at Kings Mountain (3-0), Fri, 7:30: Cleveland County rivals hook up in the game of the year in that area. Shelby is the reigning N.C. 2AA state champion and has won 15 straight. Shelby has also won the past eight meetings in this series, dating to Kings Mountain’s 20-17 victory in 2010. But the 3A Mountaineers have been resurgent of late. Kings Mountain is working on its third straight season with double-digits wins and has lost the past two meetings with the Golden Lions by eight total points.
Harrisburg Hickory Ridge (3-0) at Northwest Cabarrus (4-0), Fri, 7:30: Under first-year coach Jupiter Wilson, a former UNC offensive lineman, Hickory Ridge is averaging nearly 43 points per game. Northwest Cabarrus, which has won 16 straight regular-season games, averages 44. Northwest tailback Shady Blake is averaging 10.9 yards per carry (327 yards, seven touchdowns).
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
Monday, Sept. 16
Catawba Ridge (SC) at Weddington, 6
Olympic at East Mecklenburg, 7
Christ the King at Mooresboro Thomas Jefferson Academy, 5:30
Ashe County at West Caldwell, 6:30
Bakersville Mitchell County at Marion McDowell, 6
Fort Mill Catawba Ridge at Weddington, 6
Morganton Freedom at Morganton Patton, 7:30
South Caldwell at Lenoir Hibriten, 7:30 (resumed, with Hibriten leading 14-0 in second quarter)
Friday, Sept. 20
all kickoffs at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted)
Big South (NCISAA)
Charlotte Country Day at Providence Day, 7
Mecklenburg nonconference
Asheville School at Southlake Christian
Berry Academy at West Charlotte, 7
Charlotte Latin at North Raleigh Christian
Commonwealth Charter at Cabarrus Warriors
Covenant Day at Charlotte Christian
Harding at North Mecklenburg, 7
Myers Park at Hough, 7
Olympic at Alexander Central
Providence at Butler, 7
South Mecklenburg at Vance, 7
West Mecklenburg at Hopewell, 7
Western Piedmont
Hickory Grove Christian at Victory Christian
Central Carolina 2A
Central Davidson at Thomasville
East Davidson at North Davidson
Ledford at South Rowan
Midway Oak Grove at Lexington
Salisbury at West Davidson
Southern Piedmont 1A
Christ the King at Mooresville Pine Lake Prep
Gastonia Highland Tech at Cherryville
N.C. nonconference
Albemarle at Cameron Union Pines
Avery County at Valdese Draughn
Bakersville Mitchell County at Franklin
Bessemer City at North Lincoln
Black Mountain Owen at Brevard
Burnsville Mountain Heritage at Hendersonville
Canton Pisgah at East Rutherford
China Grove Carson at North Stanly
Concord at Statesville
Concord Jay M. Robinson at Anson County
Cramerton Stuart Cramer at Belmont South Point
Davie County at South Iredell
East Henderson at Polk County
East Lincoln at East Gaston
Elkin at South Stokes
Fayetteville Britt at Wilmington New Hanover
Forest City Chase at Rosman
Gastonia Ashbrook at Boone Watauga
Gastonia Huss at Central Cabarrus
Harrisburg Hickory Ridge at Northwest Cabarrus
Kannapolis Brown at West Rowan
Lawndale Burns at Newton-Conover
Marshall Madison County at Sylva Smoky Mountain
Marshville Forest Hills at Unionville Piedmont
Montgomery Central at Eastern Randolph
Morganton Freedom at Boiling Springs Crest
Mount Pleasant at South Stanly
Newton Foard at Hickory St. Stephens
North Iredell at West Iredell
North Rowan at East Rowan
North Wake Saints at Chatham Central
Pembroke Purnell Swett at Wilmington Hoggard
Pfafftown Reagan at Hickory
Rabun Gap (GA)-Nacoochee at Andrews
Roanoke Virginia Spartans at Statesville Christian
Shelby at Kings Mountain
South Caldwell at R-S Central
West Lincoln at East Burke
West Stanly at Trinity Wheatmore
Interstate
Carolina Bearcats at Columbia Keenan
West Wilkes at Grayson County (VA)
S.C. Region 4 2A
Bishopville Lee Central at Pageland Central
Kershaw North Central at Kershaw Andrew Jackson
Lancaster Buford at Chesterfield
S.C. nonconference
Cheraw at Lamar
Chester at Lancaster
Columbia A.c. Flora at Richland Northeast
Fort Mill Catawba Ridge at Blacksburg
Fort Mill Nation Ford at Indian Land
Great Falls at Due West Dixie
Lake City at Manning
Lake View at Marion
Lower Richland at Blythewood Westwood
Lugoff-Elgin at Fort Mill
Newberry at Winnsboro Fairfield Central
Rock Hill Northwestern at Sumter
Rock Hill South Pointe at Greenville
West Florence at Camden
York at Rock Hill
Byes
Allegheny County, Ardrey Kell, Ashe County, Boonville Starmount, Catawba Bandys, Charlotte Catholic, Claremont Bunker Hill, Community School of Davidson, Concord Cox Mill, East Mecklenburg, East Wilkes, Fayetteville Seventy-First, Garinger, Gastonia Forestview, Hickory Hawks, Independence, Indian Trail Metrolina Christian, Indian Trail Porter Ridge, Indian Trail Sun Valley, Lake Norman, Lake Norman Charter, Lenoir Hibriten, Lincolnton, Lumberton, Maiden, Mallard Creek, Marion McDowell, Marvin Ridge, Monroe, Mooresboro Thomas Jefferson Academy, Mooresville, Morganton Patton, North Moore, North Wilkes, Raeford Hoke County, Richmond Senior, Rocky River, Scotland County, South Davidson, Southern Pines Pinecrest, Waxhaw Cuthbertson, Weddington, West Caldwell, Wilkes Central
Aynor, Clover, Dillon, Loris, McBee, Richburg Lewisville, Timmonsville
Saturday, Sept. 21
Nonconference
Cabarrus Stallions at Anderson (SC) Cavaliers, 7:30
Rock Hill Carolina Crusaders vs. Asheville School, at York High, 7