By Mike London

mike.london@salisburypost.com

SPENCER — North Rowan graduated its offensive quarterback, but not its defensive quarterback.
Linebacker Omar Lipscomb is back for his senior season after making 75 tackles as a junior, and should be one of the county’s most dynamic defenders.
“Omar is about as veteran a guy as any high school guy can be,” North linebackers coach Josh Sophia said. “Besides having lots of experience, he’s athletic and he’s physical.”
The Cavaliers graduated quantity and quality and lost more than head coach (Joe Nixon moved over to West Rowan) and their notable offensive guys. Also gone from the team photo are two imposing defensive linemen — mammoth tackle Wesley Jefferies and powerful end Shane Parker, the 2014 Rowan County Defensive Player of the Year.
Suggest to Lipscomb that the Cavaliers have more holes than Corbin Hills Golf Club, and he shakes his head and politely disagrees. Rebuilding isn’t an option.
“We’re reloading,” Lipscomb said. “We’re not going away. It’s still BGN.”
In the last three seasons, North Rowan — Big Green Nation — won 31 games. West Rowan won 24 in that span, East Rowan 19, Salisbury 19, Carson 15 and South Rowan five.
North also is the only Rowan team that’s won a league championship in the last two seasons, so a lot of Rowan fans are anxiously watching what happens in Spencer under new head coach Ben Hampton.
Hampton is preaching intensity and accountability and winning one play at a time.
In Lipscomb, he has the perfect leader by example.
“Omar was a good player last year and now he’s gotten bigger, faster and stronger,” Hampton said. “He’s a guy who can get downhill in a hurry. He’s one of those kids that’s worked since last November and he’s just blown up physically.”
The 6-foot Lipscomb played at 195 pounds last season. He said he’s packing a 215-pound punch now.
North Rowan employs a 4-2-5 defense. The front six are either returning starters or key reserves who played frequently. Lipscomb and junior Javin Goodine will be the two linebackers, with Lipscomb making the defensive calls and using his wheels to patrol the wide side of the field.
“That front six, that’s the strength of our team,” Sophia said. “That’s where we’ve got experience and we’re going to rely on them a lot — especially early.”
Lipscomb’s varsity experience dates back to being a sophomore sub behind Xavier Robinson, the Rowan County Defensive Player of the Year for 2013.
“He taught me a lot and I learned to play linebacker,” Lipscomb said.
Lipscomb says the best game of his career was his 11-tackle effort against Statesville last season, but it wasn’t any fun because the Cavaliers lost, 21-14.
He wouldn’t mind topping 11 tackles as senior, but team goals are his focus. Mostly he wants to see North three-peat as the county’s stingiest defensive unit.
“The goal is to fly around,” Lipscomb said. “That’s what we do.”