SPENCER — Newton-Conover head football coach Nick Bazzle says he was a little surprised that North Rowan won its second-round 2A state playoff game at Shelby last Friday.
At least Bazzle was surprised until he sat down Saturday and watched film of the Cavaliers. Bazzle, whose team is 10-2 and seeded sixth, was dazzled.
“Now that I’ve seen ‘em, I’m not surprised at all,” said Bazzle. “That bunch could beat anybody. We haven’t been up against anybody like that. North will be the best we’ve seen.”
All of which is standard coach-speak for this point in the playoffs. When you get to the state quarterfinals, the “weak sisters” as Catawba coach David Bennett likes to call them, have already taken inventory. Anybody still playing at this point is good and coaches like to pump up whomever they’re playing that particular Friday like they’re the ‘67 Packers.
But, then again, Bazzle, who is in his second year as head coach after 11 years as an assistant, has a point. The Cavs, despite their modest No. 7 seed and 9-4 overall mark, are pretty special even though they managed to slip through the season without a whole lot of local notoriety because of the historic things that were going on at South Rowan and West Rowan.
The Cavs haven’t lost since Sept. 29 when 4A South beat them in Landis. They’ve won seven straight games, which is the longest winning streak at the school since they won eight in a row in 1996.
This is the first North team to reach the quarterfinals since 1994, and the Cavs haven’t lost at all since Graham Hosch, who was on his way to breaking every passing record known to man, went down with an injury and was replaced by junior wide receiver Alfonzo Miller, the county’s fastest player.
Hosch, who in one of the greatest “it’s about team, not me” moves in prep history, accepted a receiving role when he returned to action, was great as the Cavs’ quarterback. But Miller has been even more than that. He’s been like a being from another planet who possesses powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. While the other Cavs get dressed in the fieldhouse, Miller’s been suiting up in a phone booth.
Two weeks ago, Miller ran for three scores in a first-round romp over Northwood. Last week, he ran for a TD and threw for two (both to Hosch, by the way, which was pretty cool).
“Alfonzo Miller is the Michael Vick of high school ball,” said Bazzle, sounding like he might ask for an autograph. “Statesville in our league (the Southern District-7) has a quarterback (Myron Miller, no relation to Alfonzo) who can scramble like the North kid. But North’s guy throws the ball better.”
Miller has posed an unsolvable dilemma for opposing coaches. There are only 11 guys on defense — and that hasn’t been nearly enough folks to contain Miller’s running ability and to cover his receivers. Much less to stop running back Marcus Lawing, who’s been banging out big chunks of yardage behind North’s rather large O-line.
“Northwood played good pass defense against us,” says North coach Roger Secreast, “but we were able to run it on them. We couldn’t run against Shelby last week, so we didn’t. We threw. Nothing’s locked in stone when we go into a football game. There’s always a contingency plan. Usually we can do one thing or the other.”
And that offensive flexibility makes the Cavs a real pain in the posterior for opponents, even top-notch ones like the Red Devils, who have lost only to Maiden and Bandys.
The problem tonight is that Bazzle’s team is also nicely balanced.
The Red Devils are a triple-option, ground-oriented team, but quarterback Curt Dukes, a junior who has rushed for 1,400 yards this season, throws the ball much better than most option QBs.
Then there’s halfback LaDoux Wilson, a miniature Nick Maddox. Wilson is only 160 pounds or so, but has amassed an amazing 1,935 rushing yards. And then there’s fullback Alex Shuford, who was the main man last Friday when Newton-Conover drummed Lincolnton out of the playoffs 58-21.
“Our backfield is our strength and our offense has been consistently productive,” said Bazzle, whose team eased past West Stanly 35-20 in the first round after romping to a quick 35-0 lead. “The last three weeks the defense has come on some and that’s made us pretty good.”
Pretty good?
Now, it’s Secreast’s turn to lavish praise.
“Wilson has as much speed as we’ve seen this year,” he said. “Their defensive line isn’t as quick as Shelby’s, but they’re disciplined and they’re good. Playing that team on the road will be a huge challenge for our kids.”
But no bigger a challenge than winning at No. 2 Shelby a week ago. In that one, the Cavs gave up 24 unanswered points, then rallied for 28 straight of their own for an improbable 34-24 win.
“It was a good win,” said Secreast, never one to whoop and holler. “Maybe one of the best we’ve had. It’s one we’ll remember. It was sort of like going to A.L. Brown and winning. Shelby’s got that same kind of tradition. They’re supposed to win.
“Still, I wouldn’t say beating Shelby was any bigger than beating (defending 2A champ) High Point Central earlier this year.”
Which is as good a time as any to mention that the Cavs are a perfect 8-0 against 2A teams.
“No, we haven’t lost to a 2A yet,” said Secreast with a smile. “That’s something we’d like to continue for awhile.”
The prediction here is that the Cavs will keep torching 2A tonight. But expect a shootout. Something along the lines of 35-31.
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