The West Rowan football team has seen its offense click over the last few weeks but the Falcons will have their hands full Friday night with a defense that ranks high on the list of every coach who has played against it.
High Point Andrews (9-3), the second seed out of the Tri-County 3A Conference, will be visiting Mount Ulla for the second round of the state playoffs. And if the charter bus that brings the Red Raiders over isn’t speeding, the defense is sure to be once it hits the field.
At least, North Davidson coach Bill Butts, a former West Davidson High and Catawba College star, thinks so. His team lost to Andrews 24-0, breaking the Black Knights’ 21-game league winning streak.
“They were the most athletic team we played,” said Butts. “I’ll tell you what, they have an exceptional defense. They fly to the ball.”
Leading the way for Dave Mizell’s club is Freddy Aughtry-Lindsay, a 6-2, 218-pound linebacker. He has already signed with Wake Forest.
“He’s the real deal,” said Butts.
Doesn’t Scott Young know it? The West head coach has seen the films.
“He’s a great athlete, he’s very dangerous,” said Young. “He’s huge.”
Aughtry-Lindsay couldn’t help prevent Andrews from winning the Tri-County, however. In the regular season finale, the Red Raiders fell to Ragsdale 45-14.
In that one, Mizell’s junior quarterback Adam Mills was out with strained ligaments in his left ankle. But he was back last week and led Andrews to a 31-15 win over North Surry. Showing no ill effects of the injury, he threw for 122 yards and two touchdown passes.
“He can run and throw,” said Young. “He’s of the same type of Josh Lee of Kannapolis and Ryan Woodham of Northwest (Cabarrus).
It was a typical Andrews victory last week. The Red Raiders ran for 182 yards and had 304 of total offense.
As good as Aughtry-Lindsay and Mills are, Young thinks Bobby Rorie, the tailback, is the key to the offense.
“He’s going to get it most of the time,” Young said.
That was obvious last week. Against North Surry, Rorie, a 5-11, 170-pounder, scored four times, two on runs of 60 and 19 yards. His other two scores came on passes from the 6-foot Mills of 11 and 35.
Andrews also has a good kicker in Brian Baxter. He had a field goal of 30 yards against North Surry.
Young is impressed with the team speed on defense, especially in the secondary. Brandon Grace and Brian Gainey helped Andrews hold the Greyhounds to 3-of-17 passing for a meager 23 yards.
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As far as West, Young’s team is rolling. It has won nine straight games and stands 10-1 and champion of the powerful SPC.
There is only one question mark as far as injury. Ben Hampton, the starting fullback, turned an ankle in the Falcons’ 34-13 victory and was on crutches at game’s end.
“He’s hobbling a little,” said Young, who added Hampton should play.
West does have the advantage of staying at home.
“When you play on the road, you have to charter a bus, you eat at a restaurant and it’s just not your normal routine. A lot of people don’t understand the positives and negatives of that. So it’s a big advantage to be at home.”
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NOTES: Mizell is the son of Wilmer “Vinegar Bend” Mizell, who was a member of the 1960 world champion Pittsburgh Pirates. ... Tickets can be purchased at the school for $6. Tickets will be the same price at the gate.
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Ronnie Gallagher is covering West Rowan through the playoffs.
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