WEST ROWAN
Joe Nixon experienced great success as a West Rowan assistant coach. Then he had had three terrific seasons (31 wins) as head coach at North Rowan before taking the reins back at West Rowan.
“It’s been a transition coming back to West,” Nixon said. “But it’s been all positive. The kids have been fantastic. They’re excited and they’ve been getting after it pretty good.”
Nixon said the Falcons had 82 players out for the first day of practice.
“We’ve got a lot of veteran players, so our job is just to get those guys going,” Nixon said.
West Rowan will host a four-team scrimmage on Aug. 11. Heavyweights Charlotte Catholic, Hough and West Forsyth will be coming to Mount Ulla.
West Rowan also will scrimmage Ardrey Kell on Aug. 14, at Rocky River.

SALISBURY
Back for his third season at the helm of the Salisbury Hornets, coach Ryan Crowder was pleased with the first day of official practice.
“Sometimes practice drags,” Crowder said with a laugh. “But the kids are really excited about this year. This was one of those three-hour practices that seemed like an hour and a half. I looked down at my watch — and it was over.”
Crowder said equipment has been issued to 86 players. Because of family vacations and other factors, attendance was only 59 on Saturday morning, but Crowder expects the Hornets to have about 75 players in the program when all is said and done.
Salisbury scrimmages at Northwest Cabarrus on Aug. 11. Salisbury will be in the Mooresville Jamboree on Aug. 14, taking on Marvin Ridge.

EAST ROWAN
The Mustangs closed with a rush in 2014, and coach Kenneth McClamrock, a rookie head coach last season, is still upbeat.
“We had a great turnout for the first day — 85 guys,” McClamrock said. “It would be nice to have 90 or 95, but we got the kids out that we were expecting.”
There’s been mixed feeling about this year’s 10-day spring practice period. McClamrock is a supporter.
“I’d say that the spring practice helped us be two months ahead of where we were last season on this date,” McClamrock said. “We’ve already put almost all of our offense in and a lot of our defense. We’re excited about where we are as a team and as a program.”
The Mustangs will be Wyrick-less, but they still expect to be pretty good. They will hold a “Midnight Madness” practice on Aug. 9
East has taken on a series of 4A teams in 7-on-7s and they’re heading to a jamboree at Richmond County on Aug. 14, where they will be involved in a rotation against several 4A teams.

CARSON
Veteran coach Joe Pinyan welcomed 75 Cougars to the first day of official practice.
“We issued equipment to 108, so we’ve still got to find out where some kids are,” Pinyan said. “But all in all, we had a great first day. It wasn’t too hot. We got a lot of work done.”
The Cougars recently spent three days at a camp at East Wilkes, making a return visit after East Wilkes camped with Carson last summer.
The run-run-run Cougars won’t have Brandon Sloop and Darren Isom in the backfield, but that hasn’t diminished Pinyan’s enthusiasm.
“I’ve been doing this 31 years, but I still get excited every time a new season comes around,” Pinyan said. “This is what I do.”
Carson will host a scrimmage jamboree on Aug. 11 and the Cougars will take part in the Mooresville Jamboree on Aug. 14, matching up with St. Stephens.
Carson will begin the regular season a week later than the other Rowan County schools.

—Mike London