Common Sense says Carson-East Rowan is a pretty big rivalry that will grow considerably bigger when the Cougars and Mustangs square off in front of a frenzied house in China Grove tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Carson has its first good football team, and that always creates excitement. People are thinking and wearing orange.
Roughly 10 miles away, the Mustangs also boast a good team. Gridiron success is rare enough at East that a four-game winning streak has energized the citizens of Granite Quarry, Faith, Rockwell and Gold Hill.Both schools were in the have-not category last season when East was 1-10 and Carson was 3-8, but both are haves now. Credit maturity, sweat and coaching.
Both are locks for the state playoffs. Carson is 4-2. East is 5-1.
Both won their NPC openers against clubs that had more team speed but less experience, less cohesion and less brawn on that all-important offensive line.
The similarities in the two teams are striking.
Both are coached by big guys who take them one practice at a time, one week at a time, and relish each win for players who lost often in the past but kept coming back for more.
Both believe in power, ball-control football.
Both teams shut out North Rowan.
Both teams got overwhelmed physically by Salisbury, then pulled together shortly after being hammered by the Hornets.
Both have rookie quarterbacks who are managing games and not turning it over.
Both have emerging receivers, strong O-lines and underrated defenses.
One of these teams may finish third in the NPC. Heck, tonight’s winner may even finish second. South-Carson and South-East look like close games right now.
Who wins tonight?
East coach Brian Hinson asked, pleaded, begged, beseeched, entreated, implored, petitioned and demanded not to be picked. That’s something else he has in common with Carson coach Mark Woody.
Hinson’s the only one who’s going to be a fan of Common Sense. Being picked as the no-respect underdog in this one is motivation worth a field goal.
The thinking in this mostly empty head is that, while there will be many good players on the field, the lone brilliant one will be wearing No. 5 for the home team. Look for Shaun “Bush” Warren to make the difference.
The picks were a dismal 7-3 last week, bringing the season tally to 32-8.
The embarrassing misses included Carson’s 40-14 destruction of Statesville and North Rowan’s stunning victory at South Stanly.
Carson 21, East Rowan 14
In 2007, we were wondering if we’d live long enough to see Carson win a ballgame. Now power-ratings guru Arnold Solomon says the Cougars are No. 30 in 3A.
That’s a turnaround.
West Rowan 35, West Iredell 14On paper, it looks like just another ho-hum blowout, but West Iredell moves the ball better against the Falcons than anyone in the NPC. Head coach Mark Weycker has figured out something.
South Rowan 28, North Iredell 7South can win this one playing badly, but it’s important that it plays well and gets back on track. Long season. South can still do special things despite last Friday’s punch in the jaw.
North Rowan 20, East Montgomery 7
Cavs are favored for the first time in a long time.
North’s road win last week was enormous. South Stanly was a consensus preseason pick as the YVC’s No. 2 or No. 3 team.
There are numerous victories waiting for the Cavs, who jumped to No. 303 in the state in the Massey Ratings. The YVC includes teams ranked 358th, 366th, 376th and 381st. North gets a chance to beat up on all of them.
Also in the YVC: Albemarle 31, West Montgomery 15; South Stanly 37, Chatham Central 7; North Moore 26, South Davidson 24
A.L. Brown 37, Central Cabarrus 7
This won’t be the year Central finally beats the Wonders. The streak is at 20 straight … and counting.
Also in the SPC: Concord 21, Robinson 13; Hickory Ridge 24, Cox Mill 0; NW Cabarrus 34, Mt. Pleasant 14Salisbury and Davie have the night off.