Friday’s Charlotte-area high school football schedule and best games
Friday’s Charlotte-area high school football preview is below. (Win-loss records are from either fall 2020 or spring 2021 seasons.)
A.L. Brown (6-2) at North Mecklenburg (1-6), 7 p.m. The visiting Wonders are a perennial playoff contender and will be led this year by QB Cam Kromah, a three-year starter who threw for nearly 1,100 yards in the spring season. But North Mecklenburg also has a three-year starter at QB, in John Geter IV. The Vikings could be poised for a good season, with 17 returning starters.
Bessemer City (1-6) at Community School of Davidson (5-3), 7 p.m. Bessemer City is coming off a rare losing season, and the Yellow Jacket defense looked strong last week in a 6-0 scrimmage victory over North Gaston. The host Spartans have big-play threats in Riley Millholand, Bennett McCreary and Trebor Carbonaro. They should be able to score points in bunches this season.
No. 1 Chambers (10-1) at Cardinal Gibbons (9-1), 7 p.m. The two-time defending state 4AA champ visits the 4A runner-up in a stellar opening-week game in Raleigh. Some of the state’s top players will take part, including Chambers RB Daylan Smothers, The Observer Offensive Player of the Year in the spring 2021 season. Cardinal Gibbons has 11 all-conference and two all-state returnees, including TE Jake Taylor, a Duke commit who is an excellent receiver and a top-notch blocker. This is the kind of game you’d expect to see in the state semifinals or championship.
No. 11 Charlotte Christian (6-1) at No. 8 Weddington (6-1), 7 p.m. These two teams have combined for seven state championships in the last four seasons. Charlotte Christian, the defending private school 4A champion, should be strong defensively, with DL Hudson Jones, LB Drew Waldrop and DB Grant Tucker. Weddington’s string of three 3AA public school state titles ended in the spring, and the Warriors have only six returning starters. A pair of talented sophomores, CB Sam Neely and DE Brooks Mauk, are part of the new-look Weddington team.
Charlotte Country Day (2-4) at Trinity-Byrnes School (4-6), 7:30 p.m. Only six starters are back for the Buccaneers, and they’ll have to rely on some talented two-way players in the early going. The Bucs beat Trinity-Byrnes 43-20 in their only previous meeting, two years ago.
Chester, S.C. (2-4) at No. 7 Providence (7-2), 7:30 p.m. Providence was to have opened the season with neighborhood rival Ardrey Kell, but COVID issues forced a cancellation. The Panthers instead will face the Cyclones, a longtime South Carolina 3A power. QB Zan Dunham and RB Darius Head were Chester’s top two rushers last season. Providence’s Jamar Price is among the area’s top running backs, and he’ll have an experienced line in front of him.
Christ the King (3-4) at Harrells Christian (8-1), 7 p.m. The Crusaders were 3-38 in their first four seasons of football but rebounded nicely in the spring. They have several key players returning off that team but must stop Harrells Christian RB Devin Gardner, who rushed for 1,463 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.
Cox Mill (3-4) at Hopewell (1-6), 7 p.m. Cox Mill has only three returning defensive starters, and the Chargers will have to rely on talented RB Tyrell Coard and the offense to carry them. Hopewell has an experienced defense, led by DBs Will Humphrey and Major Weathers.
East Mecklenburg (1-6) at Berry Academy (3-4), 7 p.m. East Mecklenburg, under new head coach Lennie Sanders, is short on experienced players. Sanders plans to use his more talented players on offense and defense. Berry Academy should have a potent offense behind QB Jalil Quick and all-conference RB Christian Haile.
Harding (0-7) at Garinger (0-7), 7 p.m. The visiting Rams played a very young team in the spring, and head coach Van Smith hopes that experience will translate into victories this fall. QB Diego Parks and RB A.J. Jenkins will lead the Harding attack. Parks is a junior, Jenkins a sophomore. Garinger nearly scrubbed its varsity season, but first-year head coach Shon Holloway is attempting to revive the program with a very young team (only three seniors).
Hickory Grove Christian (2-3) at Asheville Christian (1-5), 7 p.m. Veteran coach Tad Baucom arrived last year at Hickory Grove Christian, and the Lions showed immediate improvement. This year, they hope to be a playoff team, behind RB Sean Dickey, who carried for 756 yards last season. Asheville Christian averaged less than 10 points a game during a spring schedule against home school teams.
Lake Norman Charter (0-0) at SouthLake Christian (0-0), 7 p.m.Neither of these teams has played a game in two years, as both opted out of the 2020-21 season due to concerns about COVID-19. But Lake Norman Charter has 18 starters back from a junior varsity team that did play in the spring. SouthLake Christian QB Matt Lutzel threw for 1,760 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2019 and leads the attack this year.
Olympic (6-2) at Sun Valley (0-6), 7 p.m. Olympic’s offense might be slow to get started as the Trojans replace their starting QB and RB from the spring. But the defense is loaded and will be tough to score on. That’s quite a challenge for a Sun Valley team that has gone 2-15 the past two seasons. The Spartans have been building with young players, though, and sophomore QB Brady Turrif hopes to lead the resurgence.
Rocky River (3-4) at Porter Ridge (4-3), 7 p.m. These neighborhood rivals are now in different conferences, with Porter Ridge moving to the new Southern Carolina 4A and Rocky River remaining in the Southwestern 4A. Rocky River QB Khalil Archie is a passing-running threat. Porter Ridge appears loaded this season, with 16 returning starters, including all-state OL Will Harty.
West Mecklenburg (1-6) at Montgomery Central (1-4), 7:30 p.m. Coach Beady Waddell’s son, Beady IV, is a standout RB and should give the Hawks a powerful ground game. Montgomery Central has much of its starting lineup back from the spring, including leading rusher Darrien Little and leading tackle DaQuarius Cuthrell.
Top games outside Mecklenburg
Pisgah at No. 16 Crest – Unlike a number of games canceled this week due to COVID-19 problems, the Pisgah-Crest game has been called off due to severe flooding in the Canton community. According to several reports, the Pisgah High football stadium suffered significant damage from flooding Tuesday. A number of homes in the Canton community also were damaged or destroyed. Officials from both teams announced Wednesday that the game would be called off.
It was Crest’s second attempt to play Friday. The Chargers originally were scheduled to play Freedom, but COVID issues at Freedom High caused that game to be canceled.
No. 12 Monroe (7-3) at Marvin Ridge (4-2), 7 p.m. QB Khamoni Robinson passed for more than 2,000 yards and led Monroe to the 3A semifinals as a freshman last spring. He’s back with a powerhouse lineup, including all-state WR Shaleak Knotts. But Marvin Ridge, which barely missed the playoffs in the spring, has eight starters returning off a strong defense and should be tough to score on.
No. 4 Richmond Senior (4-1) at Mount Tabor (11-0), 7 p.m. Perennial 4A power Richmond Senior visits defending 3AA state champion Mount Tabor in one of the state’s premier opening-week games. The visiting Raiders are led by QB Kellen Hood, an all-state candidate. Mount Tabor was a senior-laden team in the spring and is rebuilding at most of the skill positions.
No. 10 Shelby (6-3) at Kings Mountain (8-1), 7:30 p.m. It’s the first of the Cleveland County rivalry games. Shelby’s strength this season is on the offensive and defensive lines, led by DL Malacki Hamrick, a North Carolina commit. Kings Mountain lost several skill-position players from the spring, but RB Caleb Holland, a breakaway threat, returns.
This week’s Charlotte high school football schedule
Friday
All kickoffs at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted.
A.L. Brown at North Mecklenburg, 7 p.m.
Chester (SC) at Providence
Bessemer City (1-6) at Community School of Davidson, 7 p.m.
Chambers at Cardinal Gibbons, 7 p.m.
Charlotte Christian at Weddington, 7 p.m.
Charlotte Country Day at Darlington (SC) Trinity-Byrnes
Christ the King at Harrells Christian, 7 p.m.
Cox Mill at Hopewell, 7 p.m.
East Mecklenburg at Berry Academy, 7 p.m.
Harding at Garinger, 7 p.m.
Hickory Grove Christian at Asheville Christian, 7 p.m.
Lake Norman Charter at SouthLake Christian, 7 p.m.
Olympic at Sun Valley, 7 p.m.
Rocky River at Porter Ridge, 7 p.m.
West Mecklenburg at Montgomery Central
Albemarle at Thomasville
Ashe County at Wilkes Central
Burns vs. Forestview, at Stuart Cramer High
Cabarrus Warriors at North Raleigh Christian, 7 p.m.
Chase at Mountain Heritage
Cherryville at Avery County
Concord at Ashbrook
Draughn at Thomas Jefferson Academy
East Burke at Patton
East Gaston at North Gaston
East Lincoln at Hibriten
Fred T. Foard at Maiden
Hickory at Alexander Central
Hickory Hawks (6-3) at Andrews
Hunter Huss (2-4) at Hickory Ridge
Lake Norman at West Iredell, 7 p.m.
Lincolnton at South Point
Metrolina Christian at Union Academy
Monroe at Marvin Ridge, 7 p.m.
Mount Pleasant at Central Cabarrus
New Hope Academy vs. Carolina Bearcats, at Weddington Optimist Park
Newton-Conover at Polk County
North Lincoln at West Lincoln
North Rowan at East Rowan
North Stanly at Ledford
Parkland at South Rowan, 7 p.m.
Parkwood at Cuthbertson, 7 p.m.
Piedmont at Forest Hills, 7 p.m.
Pisgah at Crest
Richmond Senior at Mount Tabor, 7 p.m.
R-S Central at McDowell, 7 p.m.
Salisbury at West Rowan
Shelby at Kings Mountain
South Iredell at North Iredell, 7 p.m.
Statesville at Jesse Carson, 7 p.m.
St. Stephens at Bandys
Stuart Cramer at Bunker Hill
T.C. Roberson at Watauga
West Cabarrus at Northwest Cabarrus
West Caldwell at South Caldwell
West Stanly at South Stanly
Idle: Ardrey Kell, Charlotte Latin, Covenant Day, Freedom, Highland Tech, Independence, Jay M. Robinson, Pine Lake Prep, West Charlotte