Friday Night Fever: Common Sense picks

Common Sense went 5-0 last week by picking the obvious favorites and is 10-1 for the season.

This week offers a considerably stiffer challenge, with a pair of unbeaten teams matching up and a pair of 0-2 teams squaring off.

Common Sense offers one pick tonight that may surprise fans and will pleasantly surprise Salisbury coach Joe Pinyan, who always wants to be the team picked against, but Carson has a lot going for it.

Carson 21, Salisbury 20

While you may wish to point out that it’s anything but sensible to predict a Carson victory against a Salisbury team that thoroughly walloped, trounced, drubbed, pummeled and demoralized the Cougars 50-6 last season at Ludwig Stadium, I’ll cheerfully wander out on a limb with a nod to the Cougars.

Carson actually battered Salisbury up front when the teams met at Carson in 2008, but the Hornets big-played the Cougars to death.

Not saying that Carson is ready for West Rowan. No one in his or her right mind is saying that, but Carson is very good.

One of my wise old friends insists South Rowan will beat Carson, simply because South has always beaten Carson, but anyone who has seen Carson play in 2010 probably is ready to buy an orange blanket and a Cougar bumper sticker.

Carson participated in two playoff games last season — both on the road — but tonight’s game is the most important regular-season game in school history and the biggest home game in history, with the possible exception of the first time the Cougars played host to neighbor South in 2008.

This is a chance to take the next step for the Cougars. Salisbury puts out a quality team every year. The Hornets were an inch away from the 2AA title game last year, and if you can beat Salisbury, well, that’s when people start taking you seriously.

The thinking here is that Carson has a significant edge in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and that’s where every football coach in America will tell you the game is won.

Throw in the high ankle sprain currently afflicting Salisbury kicker David Simons and the Cougars chances get a little better.

Of course, there’s also a chance Salisbury sprinter Romar Morris trashes the Cougars with five 99-yard runs and trashes this pick.

Romar is Romar, but Carson’s Shaun Warren is almost as uncatchable.

The other games:

South Rowan 20, NW Cabarrus 17

It’s a total tossup between 0-2s.

It’s also the resistible force meeting the movable object. Northwest is scoring 3.5 points a game. South is allowing 42 points a game.

West Rowan 28, Davie 14

Davie actually believes it can beat West, and not many teams can say that anymore.

The War Eagles will take their best shot at home, but look for the Falcons to make it 33 in a row.

A.L. Brown 24, Thomasville 21

Thomasville hasn’t visited Kannapolis since the mid-1970s when they were rivals in the old SPC.

Thomasville’s Quin Riley is a player.

Unfortunately, Brown’s Travis Riley isn’t expected to play again until he’s wearing Carolina blue.

Concord 21, East Rowan 7

The Spiders should win this one to avenge last year’s surprising loss to the Mustangs.

Let’s just hope it’s not the start of a new 25-game winning streak by the Spiders in the series.

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North Rowan is off tonight and will return to action at home against Lexington.