East Rowan (6-3, 5-0 NPC) at Statesville (8-1, 4-0 NPC)
Series: Statesville leads 9-2
2011: Tristan Mumford destroyed the Mustangs, passing for 219 yards and rushing for 105 in a 30-0 victory. East had minus rushing yards.
History: East’s most recent victory in the series was in 2009 when the Mustangs used a staggering 409 rushing yards by Quentin Sifford, Jamey Blalock and Chris Moore to win 31-27 in Greyhound Hollow.
East’s only other victory over the Hounds came in the first round of the playoffs in 1991. East won that one 35-34 in overtime.
Last week: East kept it rolling with a 47-14 romp against South Rowan. Statesville won 37-27 against 4A Alexander Central.
Notable: The last time East shared a conference championship was 1997 when the SPC ended in a three-way tie between East, A.L. Brown and Concord.
East won one of the NPC’s two divisions in 1974, but it lost that year’s NPC title game to Mooresville. That means you have to go all the way back to 1970, the senior season for C.M. Yates and Johnny Yarbrough, to find the last time the Mustangs were outright conference champions. They can accomplish that feat tonight if they can beat the fourth-ranked team in 3A on the road.
Statesville’s lowest point total of the season was in a 30-20 win against 2A power South Iredell. Stateville’s only loss was 37-35 on Sept. 7 at North Davidson, which is still unbeaten and ranked in the top 10 in 4A.
Calvin Edwards (1,050 rushing yards) and Madison Hedrick (735) key the veer attack for the Mustangs, and East’s defense has allowed just 35 points in five NPC contests.
Statesville’s talented ensemble includes Shrine Bowlers Mumford (East Carolina) and QB/safety Carlis Parker (Virginia Tech). Cornerback Breon Borders (Duke) is another standout.
Next week: East, which is playing a 10-game schedule, is off next week. Statesville wraps up the regular season at South Rowan.
Thomasville (3-6, 3-0 CCC) at Salisbury (6-2, 3-0 CCC)
Series: Thomasville leads 17-14-1
2011: With Quanny Johnson carrying the ball 44 times, the Bulldogs prevailed 34-27 at Cushwa Stadium in the regular season. Thomasville also won 27-16 in a rematch in the third round of the playoffs.
History: The Hornets and Bulldogs staged epic games in the 1970s when they were SPC rivals and they battled memorably in 1995 when the Bulldogs beat a powerful Salisbury team in a third-round struggle that essentially determined which team would become state champion.
Salisbury’s most recent win was in 2010 at Ludwig Stadium, and that 10-7 headknocker came down to a game-saving tackle by Kavari Hillie.
Last week: Thomasville topped West Davidson 35-5. Salisbury beat Lexington 37-25.
Notable: Thomsaville got off to an 0-6 start, mostly because its schedule included larger schools with very good teams – Davie (7-2), High Point Central (7-2) and North Davidson (9-0). Since CCC play began, the Bulldogs have been winning.
Salisbury lost early to 3As East Rowan and West Rowan, but it has run off six straight wins since then.
Salisbury halfback Justin Ruffin needs 15 rushing yards for 2,000 for his career. He’s scored 39 TDs the last two seasons.
Salisbury coach Joe Pinyan is 1-3 against coach Allen Brown’s Bulldogs. SHS will be seeking to clinch a share of its sixth CCC title during Pinyan’s 10-season tenure.
Next week: Salisbury finishes the CCC regular season at East Davidson. Thomasville will be at Cushwa for its traditional regular-season finale against Lexington.
West Rowan (7-2, 2-2 NPC) at Carson (3-6, 2-2 NPC)
Series: West has won all six meetings.
2011: West rolled 44-14 in Mount Ulla to clinch an eighth straight NPC title.
History: There hasn’t been a close game in the series yet. Carson was very strong in 2010, but West smashed that Shaun Warren-fueled team 41-14 in a heavily attended game in China Grove that created one of the worst traffic jams in history.
Last week: West used three Tyler Stamp TD passes and suffocating defense to take care of North Iredell 42-0. Carson won 36-28 at West Iredell and is still on track to qualify for the playoffs.
Notable: Carson sophomore Brandon Sloop has rushed for 442 yards in the past two weeks, but run defense is West’s strength. Led by linebacker Logan Stoodley, the Falcons have permitted a meager 51 yards per game on the ground.
Austin McNeill threw two TD passes against the Falcons in 2011, and the Cougars may have to go to the air more than they would like. McNeill, a junior, is the school record-holder with 30 career TD passes.
Carson senior K.J. Pressley is fourth in county history in career receiving yards with 2,180. He had five catches for 86 yards and a TD against West in 2011.
West’s offense is gaining traction. The Falcons rushed for a season-high 315 yards last week. Daisean Reddick has four straight 100-yard games.
Next week: West Rowan is at home against West Iredell. Carson plays North Iredell at home.
West Montomery (5-4, 3-2 YVC) at North Rowan (6-3, 4-1 YVC)
Series: North leads 5-4
2011: West Montgomery bullied the Cavaliers twice, smacking them 38-7 in the regular season and walloping them 45-6 in the first round of the playoffs. West Montgomery QB Jaquil Capel scored six TDs in those games. Fortunately for the Cavs, he’s moved on.
History: North registered a big 26-22 win against WM late in the 2010 regular season that brought a YVC championship to Spencer, but two weeks later, West Montgomery stifled the Cavaliers 14-0 in the opening round of the playoffs.
Last week: North was able to rest banged-up players and was still able to cruise 35-6 at Chatham Central. West Montgomery rolled to a 41-6 win against South Davidson.
Notable: North owes West Montgomery for three straight losses, including two season-enders, but it’s a dangerous game for the Cavaliers.
West Montgomery’s YVC losses are to Albemarle (27-10) and South Stanly (35-24) and the Warriors can still can climb into a tie for second if they win tonight. It’s worth noting that West Mongtomery has won four straight road games.
North should have young QB Alexis Archie back, and Jareke Chambers (681 rushing yards, 13 TDs) should have another productive night on the ground.
Next week: North should have a breather at South Davidson to wrap the regular season. West Montgomery has its traditional battle with East Montgomery.
Davie County (7-2, 2-1 CPC) at Reagan (7-2, 2-1 CPC)
Series: Davie leads 3-0
2011: Adam Smith threw four TD passes to lead Davie to a 28-17 victory.
History: Davie’s had tough battles with Reagan the past two seasons.
Notable: Davie’s defensive numbers are remarkable. The War Eagles. led by defensive lineman Jamal Lackey, have allowed just 54 passing yards per game and just 8.2 points.
Freshman Cade Carney moved to quarterback last week and has rushed for 1,436 yards and 13 TDs. Carney has rushed for 130 or more yards in eight of nine games. Only West Rowan has stopped him, which tells you something about West’s run defense.
Reagan is 5-0 at home, so Davie could have its hands full in Pfafftown.
Next week: Davie hosts North Davidson and hopes to be playing for the CPC title. Reagan is at Mount Tabor.
NW Cabarrus (3-5, 2-3 NPC) at A.L. Brown (7-2, 4-1 SPC)
Series: The Wonders have dominated 36-3-1.
2011: Kalif Phillips ran for two scores, caught two TD passes and blocked a punt in a 44-7 romp. He also sold popcorn at halftime.
History: It hasn’t been fun for the Trojans, who haven’t topped the Wonders since 1976. Voters were busy electing Jimmy Carter then, so a lot of odd things were happening.
Northwest came close to breaking through in 2010 but lost 20-13.
Brown’s 97-0 victory against a good Northwest team in 1998 remains a fond – or bitter – memory for those who witnessed it.
Notable: Phillips is back in action after missing two full games, so the Wonders should win. Northwest owns league wins against Robinson and Mount Pleasant, but the Trojans have been overmatched at times in a league that boasts five stout teams.
Next week: The Wonders are at traditional rival Concord, while Northwest is at new rival Cox Mill.