Playoff blitz
Here are my previews for the three games involving Cleveland County teams:
North Lincoln at Shelby
Thomas Wolfe is famous for saying that you can’t go home again.
North Lincoln’s Joe Rempson is flying in the face of that notion this week, as the Shelby native will stand on the visiting sideline as his Knights take on the Golden Lions in the first round of the 2A State Playoffs.
Rempson, a former tight end, defensive end and long snapper for Coach Jim Taylor and a 1993 Shelby graduate, is a first-year assistant coach for head coach Matt Beam. His parents, Tom and Cathy Rempson, and several other family members live in Shelby, and Shelby assistant coaches Lance Ware and Andy Roberts were groomsmen in his wedding.
"When we got the pairings, Coach Beam called me and said ‘you’re not going to believe it, but we’re playing Shelby,’" Rempson said. "It’s the most exciting week I’ve had in my short time coaching. To go back there and stand on the other sideline is going to be a little strange."
For Shelby head coach Chris Norman, facing off with Shelby graduates is nothing new.
"We’ve been in that situation before," he said. "We’ve gone up against some of our guys before. The staff knows him, but the kids don’t know who he is."
The Knights (6-5) finished in a three-way tie for third in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference, and are powered by quarterback Trent Hopkins. The junior has passed for 1,431 yards and 14 touchdowns this season while rushing for 664 yards and 16 more scores.
That’s more than enough firepower to get Norman’s attention.
"It’s their first year in 2A, and it looks like they play real hard," he said. "I’m sure they feel like this game is a tremendous opportunity for their program."
Rempson agreed, saying "It’s exciting for us to bring our team down there. It’d be a big win for us, so we’ll just put it out on the field and see what happens."
The Golden Lions (8-3) have plenty of weaponry as well. Halfback Tavorris Jolly (817 yards, 10 touchdowns) and fullback Arsenio Parks (795 yards, 12 touchdowns) lead a potent ground game while quarterback Darryl Montgomery, the school’s all-time leading passer, keeps foes honest through the air.
Both teams are coming off disappointing losses. Shelby dropped a 23-21 decision to East Rutherford while North Lincoln fell to Lincolnton, 42-10.
The 2AA bracket features a potential rematch with East Rutherford in the third round. But Shelby isn’t looking any farther ahead than this week.
"There are a lot of obstacles in front of us," Norman said. "You have to take it one game at a time. It’s a one-game season now. One slip up, and you’re gone."
Burns at Hickory
For the last four years as members of the Southwestern Foothills 3A Conference, Hickory and Burns tangled every season for positioning in the now-defunct league.
The two teams went their separate ways this season — Burns into the Southwestern 2A/3A and the Red Tornadoes into the Catawba Valley 2A/3A — but their paths cross again Friday night in Hickory in the State 3AA opening round.
The Bulldogs (6-5) settled for third in the SWC this season while Hickory (9-2) finished in a three-way tie with Newton-Conover and Maiden for the CVAC crown. That tie resulted in a drawing for playoff seeds, and Hickory pulled the low number, setting up the game with Burns.
"They’re a good football team," Burns head coach Ron Greene said. "They finished in a tie in that conference, and they were unfortunate when they pulled that third seed. They’re a good team without really doing anything different than they’ve done the past few years.
"It’s a lot of Carlos Shade and a strong fullback running the ball. They play good strong defense. They’re going to try to keep the game close and keep our offense off the field."
Shade, who’s rushed for 1,178 yards and 16 scores this season, drives the Hickory attack. Senior quarterback Patrick Shelton brings balance, passing for 1,128 yards and 11 scores this season.
The Bulldog offense starts and stops with quarterback Lance Camp. The junior has passed for 2,017 yards and 13 scores this year while rushing for 1,139 yards and 19 more touchdowns.
Senior running back Brandon Jackson has rushed for 751 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, and receivers Ulysses Tuft, Teron Famble, Shamar Howell and Keron Phelps have combined for 74 catches, 1,591 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The two teams have met six times in their history with Burns holding a 4-2 edge. Hickory has won the last two meetings, however, on its home field — including a 31-24 triple-overtime thriller in 2003.
"We have to play a good football game," Greene said. "We can’t have a bunch of mistakes and a bunch of turnovers if we want to be successful."
Injuries have plagued the Bulldogs this season, but Greene expects to have everyone available Friday.
"I see most everyone being playable," he said. "We just don’t need them to get hit in the same place again. It’s do or die. We’ve got to go.
"I think our playoff chances are very good. Once you get into the playoffs, you can make it happen. That’s what we’ve got to go out and do."
The Burns-Hickory victory advances to play the survivor of the West Rowan-Mooresville matchup.
Page at Crest
In the late 1990s, the month of November meant one thing for the Crest High football team — a trip to Greensboro and a date with the Page Pirates.
From 1996-1998, Crest ended Page’s season with playoff victories. In an unexpected twist to the State 4A olayoffs, the pair meet again this week.
Only this time, it’s the Pirates who’ll make the two-hour plus trip to Sid Bryson Stadium.
"I never laugh when we’re playing Greensboro Page," Crest head coach Roy Kirby said. "It was odd, though, since we’ve never played them here. Let’s just say it piqued my interest."
The Pirates (4-6) finished in a three-way tie for third in the 4A Metro Conference and look much like those teams Crest met in the 90’s — physical and dedicated to running the football.
"They run a lot out of the I-formation," Kirby said. "They’ve got a tailback (Remene Alston) that was ranked as the preseason No. 10 back in the country. He’s got over 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns in 10 games and he’s committed to Kentucky.
"Needless to say, we’ve got him rated as the ‘A’ player. He’s about a half-step behind (former
Crest standout) Travis Padgett speed-wise, so it didn’t take us long to figure out who to stop."
The Chargers (6-5) are better equipped to slow down Alston than most teams, thanks to its defense.
"Well, if Brandon Peterson can make 14 solo tackles every week like he did last week, that’ll help," Kirby said of his senior nose tackle. "Anytime you have a guy that can play two gaps, that helps everybody."
Injuries have been a constant worry for Kirby’s squad this season, but even with Brandon Spikes being "a little sore," he expects to have everyone available for this week’s contest.
That includes sophomore Tosh Toms, who rushed for 97 yards and a score in last week’s 21-20 win over South Point. The diminutive Toms has rushed for 735 yards and eight scores in just seven games as the Chargers’ starting running back.
Junior quarterback Jordan Robinson has thrown for 1,475 yards and 10 touchdowns this season for a Crest squad that’s flying under the radar this year after two straight 3AA championships.
"I sort of like it. At least the target on my back is just in Cleveland County and not all over the state," Kirby joked. "We haven’t played the underdog role in a few years. I told the team ‘let’s stay healthy, be underdogs and see what we can do.’
"We have our own expectations around here. We’re just going to line up and see what happens."
North Lincoln at Shelby
Thomas Wolfe is famous for saying that you can’t go home again.
North Lincoln’s Joe Rempson is flying in the face of that notion this week, as the Shelby native will stand on the visiting sideline as his Knights take on the Golden Lions in the first round of the 2A State Playoffs.
Rempson, a former tight end, defensive end and long snapper for Coach Jim Taylor and a 1993 Shelby graduate, is a first-year assistant coach for head coach Matt Beam. His parents, Tom and Cathy Rempson, and several other family members live in Shelby, and Shelby assistant coaches Lance Ware and Andy Roberts were groomsmen in his wedding.
"When we got the pairings, Coach Beam called me and said ‘you’re not going to believe it, but we’re playing Shelby,’" Rempson said. "It’s the most exciting week I’ve had in my short time coaching. To go back there and stand on the other sideline is going to be a little strange."
For Shelby head coach Chris Norman, facing off with Shelby graduates is nothing new.
"We’ve been in that situation before," he said. "We’ve gone up against some of our guys before. The staff knows him, but the kids don’t know who he is."
The Knights (6-5) finished in a three-way tie for third in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference, and are powered by quarterback Trent Hopkins. The junior has passed for 1,431 yards and 14 touchdowns this season while rushing for 664 yards and 16 more scores.
That’s more than enough firepower to get Norman’s attention.
"It’s their first year in 2A, and it looks like they play real hard," he said. "I’m sure they feel like this game is a tremendous opportunity for their program."
Rempson agreed, saying "It’s exciting for us to bring our team down there. It’d be a big win for us, so we’ll just put it out on the field and see what happens."
The Golden Lions (8-3) have plenty of weaponry as well. Halfback Tavorris Jolly (817 yards, 10 touchdowns) and fullback Arsenio Parks (795 yards, 12 touchdowns) lead a potent ground game while quarterback Darryl Montgomery, the school’s all-time leading passer, keeps foes honest through the air.
Both teams are coming off disappointing losses. Shelby dropped a 23-21 decision to East Rutherford while North Lincoln fell to Lincolnton, 42-10.
The 2AA bracket features a potential rematch with East Rutherford in the third round. But Shelby isn’t looking any farther ahead than this week.
"There are a lot of obstacles in front of us," Norman said. "You have to take it one game at a time. It’s a one-game season now. One slip up, and you’re gone."
Burns at Hickory
For the last four years as members of the Southwestern Foothills 3A Conference, Hickory and Burns tangled every season for positioning in the now-defunct league.
The two teams went their separate ways this season — Burns into the Southwestern 2A/3A and the Red Tornadoes into the Catawba Valley 2A/3A — but their paths cross again Friday night in Hickory in the State 3AA opening round.
The Bulldogs (6-5) settled for third in the SWC this season while Hickory (9-2) finished in a three-way tie with Newton-Conover and Maiden for the CVAC crown. That tie resulted in a drawing for playoff seeds, and Hickory pulled the low number, setting up the game with Burns.
"They’re a good football team," Burns head coach Ron Greene said. "They finished in a tie in that conference, and they were unfortunate when they pulled that third seed. They’re a good team without really doing anything different than they’ve done the past few years.
"It’s a lot of Carlos Shade and a strong fullback running the ball. They play good strong defense. They’re going to try to keep the game close and keep our offense off the field."
Shade, who’s rushed for 1,178 yards and 16 scores this season, drives the Hickory attack. Senior quarterback Patrick Shelton brings balance, passing for 1,128 yards and 11 scores this season.
The Bulldog offense starts and stops with quarterback Lance Camp. The junior has passed for 2,017 yards and 13 scores this year while rushing for 1,139 yards and 19 more touchdowns.
Senior running back Brandon Jackson has rushed for 751 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, and receivers Ulysses Tuft, Teron Famble, Shamar Howell and Keron Phelps have combined for 74 catches, 1,591 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The two teams have met six times in their history with Burns holding a 4-2 edge. Hickory has won the last two meetings, however, on its home field — including a 31-24 triple-overtime thriller in 2003.
"We have to play a good football game," Greene said. "We can’t have a bunch of mistakes and a bunch of turnovers if we want to be successful."
Injuries have plagued the Bulldogs this season, but Greene expects to have everyone available Friday.
"I see most everyone being playable," he said. "We just don’t need them to get hit in the same place again. It’s do or die. We’ve got to go.
"I think our playoff chances are very good. Once you get into the playoffs, you can make it happen. That’s what we’ve got to go out and do."
The Burns-Hickory victory advances to play the survivor of the West Rowan-Mooresville matchup.
Page at Crest
In the late 1990s, the month of November meant one thing for the Crest High football team — a trip to Greensboro and a date with the Page Pirates.
From 1996-1998, Crest ended Page’s season with playoff victories. In an unexpected twist to the State 4A olayoffs, the pair meet again this week.
Only this time, it’s the Pirates who’ll make the two-hour plus trip to Sid Bryson Stadium.
"I never laugh when we’re playing Greensboro Page," Crest head coach Roy Kirby said. "It was odd, though, since we’ve never played them here. Let’s just say it piqued my interest."
The Pirates (4-6) finished in a three-way tie for third in the 4A Metro Conference and look much like those teams Crest met in the 90’s — physical and dedicated to running the football.
"They run a lot out of the I-formation," Kirby said. "They’ve got a tailback (Remene Alston) that was ranked as the preseason No. 10 back in the country. He’s got over 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns in 10 games and he’s committed to Kentucky.
"Needless to say, we’ve got him rated as the ‘A’ player. He’s about a half-step behind (former
Crest standout) Travis Padgett speed-wise, so it didn’t take us long to figure out who to stop."
The Chargers (6-5) are better equipped to slow down Alston than most teams, thanks to its defense.
"Well, if Brandon Peterson can make 14 solo tackles every week like he did last week, that’ll help," Kirby said of his senior nose tackle. "Anytime you have a guy that can play two gaps, that helps everybody."
Injuries have been a constant worry for Kirby’s squad this season, but even with Brandon Spikes being "a little sore," he expects to have everyone available for this week’s contest.
That includes sophomore Tosh Toms, who rushed for 97 yards and a score in last week’s 21-20 win over South Point. The diminutive Toms has rushed for 735 yards and eight scores in just seven games as the Chargers’ starting running back.
Junior quarterback Jordan Robinson has thrown for 1,475 yards and 10 touchdowns this season for a Crest squad that’s flying under the radar this year after two straight 3AA championships.
"I sort of like it. At least the target on my back is just in Cleveland County and not all over the state," Kirby joked. "We haven’t played the underdog role in a few years. I told the team ‘let’s stay healthy, be underdogs and see what we can do.’
"We have our own expectations around here. We’re just going to line up and see what happens."
posted by Randy Capps at 10:28 PM
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