KANNAPOLIS — Curveballs and changeups are supposed to be five months away, but A.L. Brown head football coach Ron Massey and his staff were thrown some pretty nasty ones on Tuesday afternoon.
After spending Sunday and Monday getting ready for Asheville High, the Wonders (9-2, including the recent Concord forfeit) had to abruptly shift gears yesterday and start preparations for a different guest of honor this Friday night.
All-too-familiar Belmont South Point.
The brackets for the 3A West playoffs had to be redrawn Tuesday after a court decision determined that North Gaston High would not have to forfeit six victories, after all. A Gaston County judge ruled that while a player who had transferred to North Gaston from Hunter Huss was indeed ineligible, North Gaston coaches weren’t at fault. Apparently those coaches had checked on the athlete’s academic standing, but were misled by falsified records. But, so far, no one can establish who exactly tampered with the records in the first place.
Where’s Judge Judy when you need her?
The NCHSAA vehemently opposed the ruling but had no choice but to re-seed the brackets based on North Gaston’s revised record. To make a long story short, the court case magically transformed North Gaston from playoff spectator into the No. 1 seed from the Big South Conference and the No. 6 seed in the West.
Big South co-champ South Point had originally been the league’s No. 1 seed and the West’s No. 6 and had been looking forward to hosting a first-round playoff game with Concord. Upon further review, however, coach John Devine’s Red Raiders dropped to the Big South’s No. 2 seed (they lost 37-34 to North Gaston) and dipped to No. 12 in the West, a seeding which entails a road date at No. 5 A.L. Brown.
Original Big South No. 2 Forestview trickled down to the league’s No.3 slot and luckless East Lincoln, originally the Big South’s third playoff team, dropped completely off the postseason radar screen. Understandably, East Lincoln is now contemplating its own legal action. But the Mustangs had better go to their hurry-up offense.
All told, five of eight first-round matchups in the West 3A bracket were scrambled by the 11th-hour ruling. Among others, Mooresville and Concord were handed a new foe — each other.
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South Point obviously took a hit from the controversial ruling, because the Raiders are better in their own Lineberger Stadium than on the road.
The switch in opponents isn’t a break for A.L. Brown, either, because while Wonder coaches were saying glowing things about Asheville on Monday, it was easy to tell they felt confident about facing a Cougar squad that had allowed 300-plus rushing yards and 35 points in dropping its regular-season finale.
The only certain beneficiaries of the impromptu South Point-A.L. Brown matchup are fans of both teams. It promises to be an awesome game.
“Our guys aren’t going to be scared of anybody,” said the always confident Devine, whose team has won five conference crowns since 1991. “We’ve played good competition and we come out of a good league that’s prepared us for the playoffs.”
And South Point should definitely be prepared for Massey’s guys, despite the short notice. Friday will mark the third meeting of the perennial powers in a year’s time.
Last Nov. 17, South Point outlasted the Wonders 38-31 in a double-overtime, second-round gem at Lineberger.
The Wonders exacted a measure of revenge on Sept. 14 of this season, charging from a 23-7 halftime deficit to beat the Red Raiders 33-30 at Memorial Stadium. It was a wonderful win, but, of course, the stakes weren’t nearly as high as in 2000’s playoff gut-wrencher.
What’s really amazing is that even those two games — and both were great, great, great games — pale beside the mind-boggling previous meeting of teams coached by Massey and Devine. In 1999, Devine’s South Point boys outscored Massey’s Kings Mountain team by a basketballish 56-52.
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Both teams are far better (and far healthier) than in September when South Point had ace kicker/third-string quarterback B.J. Richmond running its offense and the Wonders were a certified M.A.S.H. unit.
And when all its parts are in working order, Devine’s offense— known as the “Red Bone” or “Red Thunder” — could move the ball on the Baltimore Ravens. Last week against East Lincoln — remember, East Lincoln was in the playoffs prior to that court ruling — the Red Raiders rolled up 57 points.
South Point (6-5, 5-1) is paced by speedster Phillip Stowe, who returned a kickoff for a TD against the Wonders in September, and fullback Rasharde Reid, a diesel who chugged his way to 165 yards against Brown in last season’s playoffs. Reid, who scored three TDs in 17 minutes on Friday, is a 210-pound bull who’s being courted by Wake Forest and Carson-Newman.
The Red Raiders’ firepower presents a huge challenge for a Wonder “D” that will likely start just one player — linebacker Dewain McClure — who also started last season’s playoff game. The latest Wonder injury concern is defensive line anchor Chad Keller, who has a leg injury.
“He’s had a great year,” said Massey. “Hopefully Chad can play some.”
Of course, South Point’s ordinary defense is also going to have its hands full containing Wonder weapons Drew Maher (18 TD passes), Chris Carter (24 TDs) and Touché Allison (13 TDs). The speed of Allison and Carter dazzled the Red Raiders in September.
And while many Wonders will be starting their first playoff game, they’ll still have the experience edge. South Point is really young. Only five seniors start.
Massey says the key won’t be X’s and O’s but how his guys respond to the brighter lights of the playoffs.
“Since I’ve been a head coach I’ve missed the playoffs three times,” he said. “I’ve been in a lot of games. I’ve lost in every round there is. What I’ve learned is that first game is the most important. You just don’t know how your kids are gonna react to the playoff atmosphere. But if the kids come out and play well in that first one, then you can get rolling.
“This is Kannapolis and making the playoffs is expected here,” he added. “But now that we’re in there, the pressure should be off. Now’s the time when football’s supposed to be fun.”
The stage is set for serious fun come Friday. Maybe even another instant classic.
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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