By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

Friday’s high school football games …

SALISBURY — Salisbury hosts Thomasville at Ludwig Stadium on Friday, a matchup that not only will kick off the league race in the Central Carolina Conference, but also could finish it.

North Rowan should also be a factor, but the Salisbury-Th0masville winner immediately becomes the favorite to win the CCC championship.

Thomasville has documented football history back to 1927, and the record book shows that in 1928 the boys from Thomasville and their counterparts from Salisbury tangled on the gridiron, battling to a scoreless tie. Maybe that’s where this intense rivalry got started.

Thomasville almost always has been good at football. In 1964, the Bulldogs, who had long-time NFL defensive tackle Ron Carpenter and N.C. State running back Charlie Bowers on the roster, ruled the old Western North Carolina High School Activities Association. At least two major newspapers voted Thomasville the No. 1 team in the entire state.

Thomasville won NCHSAA 2A state titles in 1991 and 1995, when the Bulldogs became the first team in the state to go 16-0 and shut out eight opponents. That 1995 title basically was decided in the third round when Thomasville beat one of the all-time great Salisbury teams, 14-6.

After Thomasville moved down to the 1A ranks, the Bulldogs won state championships in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008.

The history of Thomasville vs. Salisbury includes the history of Salisbury’s Boyden High vs Thomasville, but it’s also partly the history of the Black schools — Salisbury J.C. Price vs. the lads representing Thomasville’s Church Street School during the days of segregation. In the most legendary matchup in that series, the 1946 J.C. Price Red Devils, coached by S.W. Lancaster and led by Steve Gilmore and Fletcher Jones, beat Church Street School, 8-6, in a monumental defensive struggle.

In 1968, Thomasville beat down a good Salisbury team, just poured it on them, 46-0. It was, by far, the worst defeat ever suffered in the 10 seasons that Pete Stout and his staff coached Boyden and Salisbury teams. Boyden fans shed no tears a few weeks later when Shelby battered Thomasville in the WNCHSAA championship game. It may be the only time folks in Salisbury have ever cheered for Shelby.

Stout was a calm, cool, disciplined coach, but the sight of Thomasville red made his blood hot after 1968. The story goes that he vowed to never to lose to Thomasville again — and his teams didn’t.

In 1974, Salisbury beat Thomasville, 7-6, in the regular season and beat the Bulldogs again, 7-6, two weeks later in the SPC Championship Game. Thomasville was determined to punch in 2-point conversions after their touchdowns. The Hornets were even more determined not to let it happen.

From 1969 through 1975, Stout’s last season in Salisbury, Thomasville managed one tie in the fierce rivalry, but no wins.

That 14-all tie came late in the 1973 season and was followed just two weeks later by Salisbury’s total destruction of  an 8-2-1 Thomasville team. The score was 52-0 in the South Piedmont Conference championship game. Stout had waited patiently for five years to repay the Bulldogs for the humiliation of 1968, but his memory was long. Talented Salisbury teams almost always showed mercy, but on that night there was none.

But Stout moved on, and Allen Brown, who had replaced George Cushwa as Thomasville’s head coach in 1972, kept Thomasville near the top of the area football world.

Salisbury beat Thomasville in overtime in 1981 for head coach Bob Patton, but Thomasville owned the rest of the 1980s.

After Thomasville beat Salisbury in 1988, the programs went their separate ways for two decades.

The rivalry wasn’t revived until Thomasville, after winning four state championships in a five-season span in 1A, moved back to 2A and reappeared as a heated rival for coach Joe Pinyan’s Hornets in the Central Carolina Conference. Classic tussles were fought every season.

Allen Brown began his second stint as head coach of the Bulldogs in 2007, so he actually battled both Stout and Pinyan, in an amazing career that included 331 wins at the helm of the Bulldogs.

In 2011, Salisbury went 11-3. Two of the losses were to Thomasville. The second one came in the third round of the playoffs.

Thomasville struggled for a while (2014-17), but started moving back in the right direction again in 2018.

Salisbury has been on an upswing under Brian Hinson and Clayton Trivett since 2017.

• • •

Thomasville (3-1) at Salisbury (4-0), 7:30 p.m.

This is the WSAT Radio Game of the Week.

Salisbury has won the last five meetings. Thomasville’s most recent victory in the series was in 2016.

Trivett, a former Thomasville offensive lineman, coached the Hornets to a 35-12 win last season.

Thomasville lost its opener to a good Randleman team, but has won three straight since then.

Salisbury has been impressive on both sides of the ball.

Running back Jamal Rule has been the county’s most dynamic offensive player so far with 862 rushing yards and 12 rushing TDs.

Salisbury receiver Deuce Walker had 10 catches last week and is only 8 yards away from the school record for career receiving yards.

Mike Geter didn’t have a touchdown pass last week, a rarity for him, but he should surpass John Knox as Salisbury’s all-time total offense leader on Friday. Knox had 5,496 yards (rushing and passing) in four varsity seasons, while Geter has 5,388.

Salisbury is favored by 32 points by the Massey Ratings, but Thomasville-Salisbury games are rarely decided by 32.

•••

West Rowan (0-3) at Carson (1-2), 7 p.m.

That 0-3 for the Falcons looks like a typo, but it’s reality. West hasn’t been 0-3 in more than two decades.

West had a good chance to win at A.L. Brown, but was overwhelmed by Davie and Mooresville in its last two outings.

The Falcons, like the Cougars, were open last week, so they’ve had some time to work on things.

Carson got a win against Piedmont in its last outing.

Michael Guiton has passed for 321 yards for the Cougars, while Jay McGruder has been a workhorse back with 50 carries for 292 yards and four TDs.

West back Jaylen Neely has almost identical stats with McGruder. He’s rushed for 284 yards and four TDs.

West has crushed Carson 17-1 in this series and has won 10 in a row since Carson’s stunning victory in 2013, but it’s OK to call it a rivalry, as there have been quite a few stellar games.

That list of great games includes West’s 34-31 win in 2022.

West beat Carson in two overtimes in 2014 and also beat the Cougars in OT in the state playoffs in 2015.

West is favored by 21 points by the Massey Ratings. Given the history of the series that makes sense, but on paper, this looks like a much closer game than that.

•••

NW Cabarrus (3-0) at South Rowan (1-2), 7 p.m.

It’s early and a lot can happen, but the Trojans appear to be on a collision course with Robinson for a meeting on Oct. 20  that will decide the SPC championship.

This is the SPC opener for South and Northwest.

Northwest, coached by former Catawba receiver Eric Morman, has put together a solid defensive crew and owns a solid win against A.L. Brown and shutouts of Mount Pleasant and West Cabarrus. Jackson Forrest has five sacks for the Trojans.

Northwest is also proficient on offense, as QB Alex Walker, a long-time starter, has attracted Division I offers. He’s thrown six TD passes. Ray Jay Waters averages nearly 100 rushing yards per game.

South QB Brooks Overcash has thrown seven TD passes. Landon Richards, who missed the opener, has provided a high percentage of South’s offense in the last two games with his rushing and receiving.

South still leads the all-time series 21-14, although the Trojans have chopped into that lead in recent seasons.

Northwest has won the last four meetings, including a 67-6 drubbing of the Raiders in 2022.

South’s most recent victory in the series came in 2014 when the Raiders won 18-13.

Northwest is favored by five touchdowns by the Massey Ratings and is given a 99 percent chance of winning. Since Northwest beat A.L. Brown and South was no match for the Wonders, that prognostication is understandable.

•••

South Davidson (3-1) at North Rowan (3-1), 7:30 p.m.

While the teams have the same record, North has tackled a much stiffer schedule and will be expected to handle the Wildcats in the Central Carolina Conference opener for both teams.

North always has handled the Wildcats in the past. Literally, always. The Cavaliers are 10-0 against South Davidson.

North is favored by 35 points by the Massey Ratings to make it 11 in a row.

North rolled 40-6 in the 2022 meeting, but that still was a relatively successful outing for South Davidson. North had shut out the Wildcats six straight times before that, including a school-record 74-0 massacre in 2016.

North QB Jeremiah Alford has thrown at least one TD pass in every game and also has run for at least one TD in every game so far.

Jaemias Morrow has two 100-yard rushing games and has totaled 347 rushing yards and four TDs against some pretty strong defenses.

South Davidson is a Tanner-heavy team. Tanner Delattre does the throwing, while Tanner Walters is the primary receiver.

•••

Concord (2-1, 0-1 SPC) at East Rowan (0-3, 0-0 SPC), 7 p.m.

It’s a Friday with the latest installment of some incredibly one-sided series, and here’s another one.

Concord and East have played often over the years, but the Mustangs have only won three times, while the Spiders have won 42 times. There was one tie.

Concord has won the last nine meetings since East romped 30-0 in shocking fashion in 2009.

East’s other two wins in the series also came in “9” years — 1979 and 1969, in the WNCHSAA’s Piedmont championship game.

Concord won 35-14 in 2022, although it was a tough game for a long time.

East lost quarterback Gavin Walker to a broken collar bone two weeks ago when it took on Salisbury, so Will Klingler will the quarterback.

Kicker Carter Honeycutt and receiver AJ Goodman are the constants for the Mustangs. Goodman has 14 catches in three games and 77 for his career.

Concord started the season with wins against Piedmont and Mount Pleasant, but was crushed 40-0 by SPC newcomer Robinson two weeks ago.

Concord is favored by four touchdowns by the Massey Ratings, but the Mustangs should make it closer than that.

East wrestler Leah Edwards will receive her individual state champion ring at halftime.

•••

A.L. Brown (2-1) at Hickory Ridge (0-4), 7 p.m.

Hickory Ridge is favored by 17 points by the Massey Ratings in this Greater Metro Conference despite its winless record.

The Ragin’ Bulls allowed 75 points to Independence and 63 to Chambers, both those are powerhouse teams.

While the Wonders lead the all-time series 6-3, Hickory Ridge has won three of the last four meetings,including a 45-24 decision in 2022.

CJ Gray has thrown five TD passes for the Wonders, while Mekhi Herron is rushing for 110 yards per game.

The Wonders will have to minimize turnovers, but they should have a chance at a road upset.

•••

Mooresville is favored to beat Cox Mill at home, while Davie is about a three-TD favorite to win its Central Piedmont Conference opener at R.J. Reynolds.