Ardrey Kell-Olympic highlights this week’s prep football schedule
Olympic at Ardrey Kell this Friday is the Charlotte Observer’s high school football game of the week, and that may be a bit of a surprise.
Ardrey Kell (6-1, 3-0 SoMECK) has won six straight games. Since the school opened in 2006, the Knights have won more than six games — in a season — just five times. This is Kell’s longest win streak since 2014 when the team finished 9-4 with a second round playoff loss.
The Knights have never won seven straight.
Olympic (6-2, 3-0) has won three in a row and six of its past seven. Olympic has not had this many wins, or a winning season, since a 7-5 team under Barry Shuford in 2013. First-year coach Brandon Thompson looks like a strong candidate for league coach of the year and is getting production from QB Sean Bowles (706 yards passing, seven TDS), running back Cameron Smith (1,277 yards rushing, 6 TDs) and senior defensive lineman Marquise Fleming (43 tackles, 3.5 sacks).
Harrisburg Hickory Ridge (6-1, 3-0 Southwestern 4A) at Myers Park (7-0, 3-0), Fri, 7: Hickory Ridge has won three in a row and hopes to grab sole possession of first place. It’ll need big games on defense from Charlie Blazi (60 tackles, sack), Joey Tuders (46 tackles) and Tyrell Davis (four interceptions) to slow a Mustangs’ offense averaging more than 50 points per game. Myers Park is off to its best start since 1983, the last time it won the conference title outright.
Butler (4-3, 2-1 Southwestern 4A) at Independence (4-3, 2-1), Fri, 7: This used to be one of the region’s biggest and best football rivalries, a game between teams that have won 10 of the past 19 state championships. But Independence dipped in recent years. Now, the Patriots have won two straight behind QB Arnold Taylor (1,013 yards, 10 TDs), RB Davion Nelson (703 yards, 8 TDs) and DL Tyson Clawon (58 tackles, 10 sacks). Butler, fighting injuries, will try to bounce back from last week’s loss to Myers Park and stay one game out of the lead in the league title race.
Mooresville (3-4, 1-2 I-MECK 4A) at Lake Norman (4-3, 1-2), Fri, 7:30: Iredell County’s biggest rivalry resumes with both teams looking to improve their potential playoff positioning. The loser could be in trouble. Both teams will try to snap two-game losing streaks.
Lawnsdale Burns (6-1, 3-0 Southwestern 2A) at Shelby (6-1, 3-0), Fri, 7:30: Could this be the league title game? Shelby has won three straight since a blowout loss to Kings Mountain. Burns has won six straight since losing to Kings Mountain in its own blowout loss to start the season.
Gastonia Huss (5-1, 2-0) at Boiling Springs Crest (6-2, 3-0), Fri, 7:30: Both teams have won four straight games and head into this first-place game on a roll. Huss upset Kings Mountain last week when Kings Mountain was the state’s No. 1 3A team.
Northwest Cabarrus (7-0, 2-0 South Piedmont 3A) at Central Cabarrus (5-2, 1-0), Fri, 7:30: The two league unbeatens meet in what looks like the Cabarrus County game of the year. Central has lost to 4A Hickory Ridge (6-1) and 3A Gastonia Huss (5-1).
This week’s schedule
Friday, Oct. 18
(all kickoffs at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted)
I-Meck 4A
Hough at North Mecklenburg, 7
Mallard Creek at Hopewell, 7
Mooresville at Lake Norman
Vance at West Charlotte, 7
SoMeck 7 4A
Berry Academy at West Mecklenburg, 7
Harding at South Mecklenburg, 7
Olympic at Ardrey Kell, 7
Southwestern 4A
Butler at Independence, 7
East Mecklenburg at Rocky River, 7
Harrisburg Hickory Ridge at Myers Park, 7
Indian Trail Porter Ridge at Garinger, 7
Big South (NCISAA)
Charlotte Latin at Charlotte Christian, 7
Sandhills 4A
Fayetteville Britt at Pembroke Purnell Swett
Fayetteville Seventy-First at Scotland County
Lumberton at Southern Pines Pinecrest
Richmond Senior at Raeford Hoke County
Northwestern 3A-4A
Boone Watauga at Hickory St. Stephens
Marion McDowell at Alexander Central
Morganton Freedom at South Caldwell
Big South 3A
Gastonia Ashbrook at Kings Mountain
Gastonia Huss at Boiling Springs Crest
North Gaston at Cramerton Stuart Cramer
North Piedmont 3A
China Grove Carson at East Rowan
North Iredell at Statesville
South Iredell at West Rowan
South Piedmont 3A
Concord Jay M. Robinson at Concord
Kannapolis Brown at Concord Cox Mill
Northwest Cabarrus at Central Cabarrus
Southern Carolina 3A
Indian Trail Sun Valley at Monroe
Marvin Ridge at Waxhaw Cuthbertson
Monroe Parkwood at Weddington
Unionville Piedmont at Charlotte Catholic
Piedmont Athletic Conference
Cabarrus Warriors at Indian Trail Metrolina Christian
High Point Christian at Southlake Christian, 7
Central Carolina 2A
Central Davidson at East Davidson
Lexington at North Davidson
Midway Oak Grove at West Davidson
Salisbury at Ledford
Thomasville at South Rowan
Foothills 2A
Claremont Bunker Hill at East Burke
Lenoir Hibriten at Valdese Draughn
Morganton Patton at West Iredell
Newton Foard at West Caldwell
Rocky River 2A
Anson County at Mount Pleasant
Marshville Forest Hills at Montgomery Central
South Fork 2A
Catawba Bandys at East Lincoln
Lincolnton at West Lincoln
Maiden at North Lincoln
Newton-Conover at Lake Norman Charter, 7
Southwestern 2A
East Rutherford at Belmont South Point
Forest City Chase at East Gaston
Lawndale Burns at Shelby
Mountain Valley 1A-2A
Allegheny County at East Wilkes
Ashe County at Wilkes Central
Boonville Starmount at West Wilkes
Elkin at North Wilkes
Western Highlands 1A-2A
Avery County at Marshall Madison County
Bakersville Mitchell County at Burnsville Mountain Heritage
Polk County at Black Mountain Owen
Southern Piedmont 1A
Bessemer City at Mooresville Pine Lake Prep
Cherryville at Monroe Union Academy
Mooresboro Thomas Jefferson Academy at Gastonia Highland Tech
Mount Holly Mountain Island Charter vs. Community School of Davidson, at Mallard Creek High, 7
Yadkin Valley 1A
Albemarle at North Stanly
Chatham Central at North Rowan
South Davidson at North Moore
N.C. nonconference
Arden Christ School at Charlotte Country Day, 7
Hickory Grove Christian at Covenant Day, 7
Hickory Hawks vs. Carolina Bearcats, at Lenoir-Rhyne Univ.
Providence Day at Fayetteville Trinity Christian, 7
South Stanly at West Stanly
VC/NC Royals at Harrells Christian, 7
Winston-Salem Quality Education at Statesville Christian, 7
Interstate
Gastonia Forestview at Fort Mill Catawba Ridge
S.C. Region 3 5A
Clover at Rock Hill
Rock Hill Northwestern at Fort Mill Nation Ford
S.C. Region 3 4A
Columbia Ridge View at Blythewood Westwood
Rock Hill South Pointe at Richland Northeast
York at Lancaster
S.C. Region 4 3A
Chester at Camden
Indian Land at Columbia Keenan
S.C. Region 6 3A
Cheraw at Loris
Dillon at Aynor
Lake City at Marion
S.C. Region 4 2A
Bishopville Lee Central at Kershaw North Central
Chesterfield at Pageland Central
Kershaw Andrew Jackson at Richburg Lewisville
S.C. Region 2 1A
Great Falls at McBee
Timmonsville at Lamar
Byes
Hickory, Providence, R-S Central,
Fort Mill, Lancaster Buford, Winnsboro Fairfield Central
Saturday, Oct. 19
Metrolina
Asheville School at Rabun Gap (GA)-Nacoochee, 2
Pioneer Football League
Asheville Saints at Anderson Cavaliers
Cabarrus Stallions at Johnson City (TN) Tennessee Silverbacks, 4:30
Nonconference
Rock Hill Legion Collegiate at Rock Hill Carolina Crusaders
This story was originally published October 14, 2019 at 4:11 PM.