High school football in North Carolina: A look ahead to Week 2, and back at Week 1
The opening week of the High School Football season lived up to the hype and presented fans across the Carolinas with a glimpse of what traditional fall football is like. Of course, we played a shortened season back in the spring, but last week we saw thousands of screaming fans once again pack stadium bleachers, and it felt so good to be back.
I mentioned the hype, because if you follow shows like Talking Preps, or follow the sport on the various Social Media platforms, you could almost feel the anticipation building up for last Thursday’s kickoff.
If you found yourself in the newly renovated American Legion Memorial Stadium in uptown Charlotte, you knew you were in the presence of something special.
There was an almost palpable level of excitement surrounding both incredible games — Charlotte Catholic vs. South Meck and Hough vs. Myers Park — and the spectacle and action that was on display that night exceeded expectations.
However, the question does remain, was last week’s excitement a sign of things to come? Or could there be some roadblocks ahead, as we’re seeing the harsh reminder that we’re not out of the grasp of the COVID-19 pandemic quite yet?
Without casting gloom and doom over you, we’re going to skip past the depressing stuff and look ahead to what should be another amazing weekend of prep football across the region.
Our statewide game of the week will take place on Saturday, so I’ll leave it for a little bit later, but first let’s look at some exciting matchups that you’ll be able to choose from if you are still trying to decide on a game to see.
▪ Anybody who has followed High School Football for long enough in North Carolina is bound to know that Cleveland County may be the biggest hotbed for talent and gridiron excitement. There is just something about the Highway 74 corridor that runs across our southern border that produces amazing football.
Lawndale, which is on the northwestern side of the county will be the place to be on Friday as two of the most ferocious defenses in the state square off in this battle between 2A and 3A powerhouses. The Crest Chargers, who will be playing their season opener on the road against Burns, is one of the toughest, and most physical teams in the state.
If you like hard-hitting action, get there early because these two foes typically pack the house in anticipation of their yearly donnybrook.
Burns quarterback Ben Mauney was able to spread the ball around to multiple receivers in the Bulldogs tight win over Forestview last Friday, but will he have enough time to escape the aggressive Crest defenders?
▪ Looking at a Triangle-area power, last year’s 4AA runner-up Rolesville Rams had a week-one hiccup, losing to Pinecrest on Saturday. Coach Martin Samek’s squad won’t have to ponder on that loss for long this week as they travel to Kernersville to take on East Forsyth, one of the best programs in the state.
The Pinecrest defense was able to stymie the Byrum Brown-led offensive attack, and things won’t get any easier as he’ll have to go against one of the best defenders in the state in 3-star cornerback Isaiah Crowell.
To make this game interesting, Samek was once an assistant under East Forsyth head coach Todd Willert, so these two veteran coaches will certainly know each other’s moves, and counter-moves.
▪ Moving to the far northeastern portion of the state, Elizabeth City will be rocking on Friday as 3A power Rocky Mount comes calling against the Northeastern Eagles. Rocky Mount is fresh off a huge victory on Thursday that saw them not only beat, but shutout the perennial powerhouse Tarboro Vikings 12-0.
This game will feature one of the best defensive linemen in the state, in the 6-foot-3, 239-pound Kaevon Freshwater, who’s on the Mr. Football short list. The Gryphons have a very solid offensive attack, but quarterback Stephon Jones will have to account for Freshwater on every offensive snap.
▪ Coming back to the Queen City, Keffer Stadium will be electric as Charlotte Catholic hosts Hickory Ridge. What this stadium lacks in size, it makes up for in atmosphere, and both these 4A powers have ambitions of winning a state title.
Not only will the Ragin’ Bulls have to take on the hostile environment, but they’ll also have to find a way to break through one of the best defenses in the state. Fortunately for the Bulls, they have one of the best players in the nation in junior receiver Christian Hamilton.
▪ And finally, let’s stay in Charlotte for the Game of the Week, once again at the historic confines of Memorial Stadium.
Be sure to make plans to attend Saturday’s showcase between two of the top programs in the state as Butler hosts Richmond County. You don’t even have to be an avid follower of prep football to know that these are two of the top programs in the state.
The quarterback battle alone is reason enough to attend as Richmond’s Kellan Hood squares off against Butler’s Xavion Brower, but both of these squads feature strong coaching staffs, and it is very likely that many of the starters for both teams will end up playing on Saturday’s in the coming years.
About the author
Chris Hughes, 44, has loved high school football since he was kid growing up in Kannapolis. He played at South Rowan and coached for eight years at South Rowan and Fayetteville Byrd. He’s covered high school football since 2007. Reach Chris with story ideas and comments at chughes@carolinapreps.com