By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost
North Rowan returns to the Yadkin Valley Conference, a league in which it flourished in the 1990s. The Cavaliers renew rivalries with Albemarle and West Montgomery and start new ones with the rest of a restructured league.
The YVC was a 2A conference when the Cavs last were members. Now it’s 1A, but it will be an awfully talented 1A league, at least the upper half.
North will encounter challenging jayvee travel on Thursdays to the league’s far-flung outposts, but the only unappealing Friday bus rides for the varsity this fall will be to West Montgomery (Mt. Gilead) and East Montgomery (Biscoe).
North has a compact non-league schedule ó three county opponents, plus nearby Lexington. That will save fans time, energy and gasoline.
North has 22 veterans back in uniform, including several bona fide studs, so it has a chance to make noise in 1A.
As poorly as the Cavaliers fared in 2009 (0-11 on the field, 1-10 in the record books), they could enjoy a winning season. Maybe they’ll soar as high as third in the YVC, although we’ll pick them fourth until they prove they can move the ball more consistently than they did in 2008.
The YVC starts alphabetically with Albemarle, and the Bulldogs also will hover at the top of the standings. With Thomasville now in the 2A ranks, Albemarle should be the state’s best 1A program.
Albemarle won the 1AA championship three straight seasons (2001-03) before Thomasville took over.
Albemarle was 12-2 in 2008. Both losses were to Thomasville, including a setback in the third round of the 1AA playoffs.
South Stanly (Norwood) won eight games last season, and coach Luke Little has half of his starters back. The Rebel Bulls have some rebuilding to do on both lines, but they have serious athletes.
Safety/receiver Detric Allen is headed to East Carolina, while defensive end Justin Taylor is a Virginia Tech commitment.
Cody Melton, a 1,000-yard rusher, also returns, but standout QB Desi Brown recently moved out of state.
South Stanly plays Albemarle Nov. 6 in a game that should decide the title.
West Montgomery was talented enough to play in the 1A state championship game as recently as 2007 and the Warriors were 8-5 on the field in 2008 before they forfeited all their wins for using ineligible players.
New coach John Pate, who came here from Georgia, was hired in June to restore order. Pate got a late start, but he won’t have a shortage of material.
North Rowan looks primed for fourth place, as the remaining quartet in the league all took lumps in 2008.
East Montgomery’s Eagles, young but athletic, should have the inside track for fifth.
Chatham Central (Bear Creek), North Moore (Robbins) and South Davidson (Denton) round out this unofficial poll. All three should be weaker than anyone the Cavaliers have been facing in the CCC.
Give Chatham Central the nod for sixth, based on its nickname. The Bears from Bear Creek makes sense.
North Moore boasts a refurbished stadium, although North Rowan’s varsity won’t get to play in it until 2010. A shiny stadium is worth something. Give the Mustangs a vote for seventh.
That leaves South Davidson’s Wildcats eighth.

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2008 YVC standings

YVC Overall
Thomasville 6-0 16-0
Jordan-Matthews 5-1 10-3
W. Montgomery 4-2 8-5
South Davidson 3-3 3-9
Chatham Central 1-5 2-10
North Moore 1-5 1-9
E. Montgomery 1-5 1-10

Conference changes
In: N. Rowan, Albemarle, S. Stanly
Out: Thomasville, Jor.-Matthews