Salisbury Post rankings for the CCC, SPC, CPC and MECKA: 1.Hough (7-1); 2. Mallard Creek (7-2); 3. A.L. Brown (7-1); 4. Vance (5-3); 5. West Forsyth (6-2); 6. Reagan (7-2); 7. West Rowan (7-1); 8. Concord (7-1); 9.Robinson (5-3); 10. North Davidson (6-1); 11. Hickory Ridge (5-3); 12. North Meck (6-2); 13. Mount Tabor (4-5); 14. Central Cabarrus (3-4); 15. Davie (3-6); 16. West Charlotte (2-7); 17. Carson (4-4); 18. North Rowan (3-5); 19. Thomasville (5-3); 20. East Rowan (2-6); 21. R.J. Reynolds (4-4); 22. Cox Mill (2-6); 23. Hopewell (1-8); 24. Lexington (5-2); 25. East Davidson (4-4); 26.Salisbury (2-6); 27. Parkland (3-5); 28. NW Cabarrus (2-6); 29. South Rowan (0-8); 30. West Davidson (2-6).
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The picks are 40-5 for the season and were 5-1 for the second week in a row. The miss for the second week in a row was a close Salisbury loss in a CCC game. I’ll do the Hornets a favor and pick them to lose this week. That may be all the incentive they need to get over the hump.
Picking Hough over A.L. Brown turned out to be the right pick, but that was a high-level game that could’ve gone either way.
Lots of tough picks tonight, including a very big Concord- West Rowan game.
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CONCORD AT WEST ROWAN
RECORDS: Concord (7-1, 6-0 SPC). West Rowan (7-1, 6-0 SPC).
LAST WEEK: Concord kept rolling by beating Carson, 35-14. West Rowan took care of East Rowan 28-7.
LAST MEETING: Concord whipped the Falcons, 32-6, at Bailey Stadium in 2014.
THE SERIES: Concord leads, 14-4. The Spiders have won the last three, including a second-round 3A playoff game in 2012. West Rowan’s last victory in the series came in the third round of the 2011 state playoffs.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Both quarterbacks (Concord’s Keenan Black and West Rowan’s Kacey Otto) have been outstanding and both have a fine corps of receivers.
OUTLOOK: There can’t be any two teams in the state who have had more similar seasons. Concord lost its opener on the road to 4A A.L. Brown but hasn’t lost since. West Rowan dropped its opener on the road to 4A Mooresville but hasn’t lost since.
The winner takes sole possession of first place in the SPC race, although Hickory Ridge has only one loss and still has a game with West. Concord still has to deal with a Robinson club that may be as talented as anyone in the league.
These are two of the top programs in 3A. West Rowan was in 3A state championship games from 2008-11, while Concord played for titles in 2012 and 2013.
Concord is unbeaten in the SPC the last three seasons. Teams coached by West’s Joe Nixon have won 19 straight league games.
PICK: West Rowan 21, Concord 14.
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EAST DAVIDSON at NORTH ROWAN
RECORDS: East Davidson (4-4, 1-1 CCC). North Rowan (3-5, 2-0 CCC).
LAST WEEK: East Davidson lost a 13-7 tussle with Thomasville. North Rowan won 13-0 against West Davidson.
LAST MEETING: In 2014, the Cavaliers built a 20-3 halftime lead and won 27-10.
THE SERIES: North leads, 14-4. North has won the last two seasons. The schools didn’t meet from 2009-12 when the Cavaliers were 1A. East Davidson’s last win over North was 10-6 in 2008.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Linebacker Javin Goodine leads the Cavaliers with 53 tackles. Defensive end Zion DeBose has forced four fumbles.
East Davidson fullback Mason Burchette had 102 rushing yards when the Golden Eagles beat Salisbury.
OUTLOOK: There’s almost no chance it won’t be a defensive struggle because every CCC game is a defensive struggle. East Davidson has won three low-scoring games this season by scores of 10-6, 17-14 (in overtime) and 14-7 and has managed to limit mistakes and maximize opportunities.
North showed signs of breaking out offensively last week, picking up 300 yards and refusing to turn the ball over for the first time this season.
North has won 12 straight CCC games.
PICK: North Rowan 14, East Davidson 7.
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THOMASVILLE at SALISBURY
RECORDS: Thomasville (5-3, 2-0 CCC). Salisbury (2-6, 0-2 CCC)
LAST WEEK: Thomasville won 13-7 against East Davidson. Salisbury lost 17-14 to Lexington.
LAST MEETING: In 2014, the Hornets scored in the closing seconds on a Riley Myers-to-Ryan Jones pass, got a two-point conversion from Antwond Glenn and beat the Bulldogs, 8-7.
THE SERIES: Thomasville leads, 18-16-1.The series has included memorable postseason confrontations in 1973, 1974, 1995 and 2011.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Glenn is the hub of the Hornets’ offense (572 rushing yards) and had a career-high 32 carries last week. Tyquan Anderson is a dangerous return man for the Bulldogs, who are tied for first in the CCC with North Rowan.
OUTLOOK: Despite scoring a modest 16 points per game, Thomasville has won five times because its fierce defense allows just 10 points per game. Thomasville is 2-2 on the road.
Salisbury is 2-0 when it scores more than 14 points and 0-6 when it scores 14 or fewer.
On Oct. 23, 1915, Salisbury was shut out in its football debut against Greensboro. The Hornets should score tonight, but can they score more than once?
PICK: Thomasville 14, Salisbury 7.
•••
NW CABARRUS at CARSON
RECORDS: NW Cabarrus (2-6, 2-4 SPC). Carson (4-4, 2-4 SPC).
LAST WEEK: Northwest was drilled 43-13 by Hickory Ridge. Carson was beaten 35-14 by Concord.
LAST MEETING: Carson stampeded for 413 rushing yards and wiped out the Trojans 49-10.
THE SERIES: Northwest Cabarrus won the first four meetings and still holds a 5-2 lead.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Carson fullback Dylan Livengood (471 rushing yards) and halfback Austin Lear (six TDs) are having productive seasons.
OUTLOOK: Both teams have triple-option offenses and both teams feature orange as their dominant color, so it’s going to look almost like an intrasquad game.
But it’s actually a key game as far as sorting out the pack in the middle of the SPC. Both teams are part of a four-way tie for fifth place in the league at 2-4. Northwest beat South Rowan and Cox Mill, winning both games by a single point. Carson owns SPC wins against South and East Rowan.
Carson’s offense has been more efficient, and the Cougars should get their first win against a school from outside Rowan County.
PICK: Carson 28, Northwest Cabarrus 7.
•••
SOUTH ROWAN at HICKORY RIDGE
Records: South Rowan (0-8, 0-6 SPC). Hickory Ridge (5-3, 5-1 SPC)
LAST WEEK: South was thumped, 45-0, by Central Cabarrus. Hickory Ridge flattened Northwest Cabarrus 43-13.
LAST MEETING: Hickory Ridge cruised to a 44-14 win against the Raiders in 2014.
THE SERIES: Hickory Ridge put up 64 points against the Raiders in 2013 and leads the series, 2-0.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: South Rowan quarterback Heath Barringer has hung in there in a tough season. Hickory Ridge running back Jaylen Rudisell (898 rushing yards) and quarterback Greg Waslo (662 passing yards, 620 rushing yards) are outstanding players.
OUTLOOK: Rudisell has five 100-yard rushing games, and it’s just about a sure thing that he’ll get another one tonight. The last three weeks South has allowed 399, 424 and 354 rushing yards.
When the NCHSAA figured ADMs last fall, South Rowan had 962 students while Hickory Ridge had 1,570.
In other words, South is a 2A-sized school that sometimes plays 4A-sized schools in SPC games.
PICK: Hickory Ridge 42, South Rowan 10.
•••
EAST ROWAN at ROBINSON
Records: East Rowan (2-6, 1-5 SPC). Robinson (5-3, 4-2 SPC)
LAST WEEK: East lost to West Rowan, 28-7. Robinson destroyed Cox Mill, 45-0.
LAST MEETING: The first and only meeting was on Oct. 19, 2001, and that game provided some history. East’s Cal Hayes. Jr. rushed for a school-record 344 yards on 27 carries and led the Mustangs to a wild 29-21 victory.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: East junior Max Wall is always capable of a Hayes-like performance, and he’ll be looking to break loose after being shut down by West Rowan.
Robinson has several special players, but running back Josh Rutherford and enormous (but mobile) nose guard Desmond “Bo” Mason have created the most problems for the Bulldogs’ opponents.
OUTLOOK: Robinson is good. The three losses were close ones to West Rowan, Hickory Ridge and A.L. Brown.
In three of its last four games, East has managed just one TD, and one won’t be enough tonight.
PICK: Robinson 28, East Rowan 7.
•••
A.L. BROWN at MALLARD CREEK
Records: A.L. Brown (7-1, 2-2 MECKA). Mallard Creek (7-2, 3-1 MECKA).
LAST WEEK: A.L. Brown lost, 21-7, at home to Hough. Mallard Creek won, 22-21, in overtime against Vance.
LAST MEETING: Mallard Creek beat the Wonders, 53-35, in 2014.
THE SERIES: Mallard Creek leads, 2-0. The Mavericks pounded A.L. Brown, 49-7, in 2013.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mallard Creek pulled out the Vance game when quarterback James Smith ran for a touchdown and running back Chancery Bowman ran for a two-point conversion.
A.L. Brown QB Damon Johnson will be eager to get back on the field. Johnson played a tremendous game when the Wonders handled Vance, but he ran into tough times (five turnovers) against Hough.
OUTLOOK: The Wonders go as their trigger-man goes, so they’ll need a game from Johnson similar to the one he provided against Mallard Creek last season when he rushed for a career-best 170 yards.
Brown’s defense is much tougher than it was last season, so if they score 35 this time, they’ll win.
Both teams have lost in the league to Hough, so this is an elimination game as far as chasing a conference title.
PICK: Mallard Creek 28, A.L. Brown 21.