nTime: 7:30 p.m.
nRecords: Statesville 1-2-1; West Rowan 2-2
nSeries: West leads 10-5
nLast meeting: West smoked the Greyhounds in 2010, piling up 506 yards of offense in a 40-0 victory
nLast week: Statesville lost an 18-17 struggle with 4A North Davidson; West Rowan turned it over five times and lost to South Pointe 23-9
nNext week: Statesville is home against North Iredell; West is home against South Rowan
nGame notes: Itís the NPC opener for both teams. In the preseason, Statesville was regarded as perhaps the top challenger to West Rowanís NPC dominance, but the Greyhounds lost their stellar junior quarterback Carlis Parker to an injury.
Coach Randall Guslerís Greyhounds tied Hickory, fell by 17 to 2A power South Iredell and edged Lake Norman in a defensive struggle before losing in the final minute last week to 4A North Davidson.
Obviously, the Hounds are still dangerous with backs Tristan Mumford and Treon Allison, receiver Brevin Renwick and a defense that held Lake Norman to a field goal. Josh Gaither, the super basketball player, has been installed as the QB, and heís about as athletic as it gets.
West coach Scott Young is 10-1 against Statesville, losing to the Hounds only when Cam Simpson and Walter Horne ran amok in 2003.
WR has won 26 straight league games since losing to West Iredell in 2007 and has won seven straight NPC titles, the last six outright.
West QB Zay Laster hurt an ankle Saturday, so itís hard to say how much heíll play and how much of a factor West receivers Jarvis Morgan and Tyler Stamp will be. Look for the Falcons to try to pound away with backs Dinkin Miller and Desmond Jackson running behind strong linemen such as Hunter Mashburn.