Prep football preview: Time for midseason awards
Well, we’ve reached the halfway point of the season – or, at least, as close as you can get to “halfway” when it’s an 11-week season.
After six weeks, a number of trends are clear.
We know that teams like Hough, Weddington and Chambers have realistic chances of winning state championships. You can add several schools in the smaller size classifications – Corvian Community, Shelby and Crest – to that category.
There have been breakout stars and some disappointments.
So here are some Queen City Sports Report Halfway Through the Season awards for you:
Best Offense
Lincolnton has to take this award. The Wolves (5-1) are a threat to score on any play, and they’ve averaged 50.2 points a game. Quarterback Rashad Lynch has thrown for 1,477 yards, and he is among several players to score multiple touchdowns on plays of 50 yards or more.
Best Defense
We’ll go outside Mecklenburg County again for this honor, giving it to Jay M. Robinson. The Bulldogs have allowed a total of nine points in five games. Middle linebacker Isaiah Woodburn leads the defense with 39 tackles, seven of them for losses.
But here’s a shout-out to two other really good defenses – Hough and Lake Norman. Facing a very difficult schedule, Hough has allowed an average of 5.5 points a game. Lake Norman is surrendering only 7.6 points a contest.
Best Coaching Performance
Here’s a name you probably know – Captain Munnerlyn. Yes, the former Carolina Panthers’ defensive back is a head coach now, and he has Chambers off to a 6-0 start. The Cougars could provide Hough with a challenge in the 8A playoffs.
But Tyson Fernandez of Ballantyne Ridge also deserves mention. He has the Wolves at 3-3 and headed toward the school’s first football playoff berth.
Best Coaching Performance With Little Warning
Darrel Wilson was promoted from defensive coordinator to interim head coach at Palisades just a few days before the opening game. That came after the suspension (and eventual resignation) of Jonathan Simmons. A lot of teams would struggle after a last-minute change, but Palisades is 4-1. Its only loss came by a few points to unbeaten Chambers.
Biggest Surprise
Marvin Ridge had a new head coach (David Johnson) and not a lot of preseason publicity. But the Mavericks have surged to a 5-0 start and are averaging nearly 50 points a game.
We’ll also put Charlotte Catholic in this category, but in the not-so-pleasant category. The Cougars have struggled this season, with a stunning loss to Charlotte Country Day and a 3-3 start. The offense is averaging only 17 points a game.
Smallest Surprise
No question here – it’s Hough. The Huskies were expected to be a powerhouse this season, and they’ve delivered. The defense, loaded with major college recruits, has been absolutely dominating. The offense, while not in the same league as the offense, has been more than enough to make Hough a strong favorite to repeat as Class 8A champion.
Runner-up in this category is Providence Day. The Chargers; only loss has been to Hough, and coach Chad Grier has done a great coaching job, keeping his team rolling despite the loss of quarterback Cole Cater to injury.
High School Heisman
Georgia commit Jaxon Dollar has made East Lincoln must-see entertainment for football fans this season. Dollar has 824 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, and he has a pair of interceptions on defense.
If we had an awards ceremony in this category, three other players who would be invited to attend are running back Cooper Wise (Piedmont), with 1,153 rushing yards; quarterback David Echevarria (Ambassador Christian), who has thrown for 1,772 yards; and receiver Braylon Clark (Providence Day), with 29 receptions for 548 yards and five touchdowns.
Li’l Giant Award
This goes to Class 2A Corvian Community. The Cardinals are 4-1, with victories over two much bigger opponents. Their only loss was to undefeated Chambers, an 8A school.
Biggest Annoyance
The weather. This Friday night is pretty good (a bit warmer than you’d expect for Oct. 2), but the first five weekends brought torrid heat, high humidity, and plenty of thunderstorms. There were dozens of games rescheduled due to storms, and the area’s football players, coaches and officials are due some quiet conditions for the rest of the season.
Here is a preview of the Charlotte area’s top games Friday night:
Ardrey Kell (3-2, 0-0 Southwestern 7A/8A) at Palisades (4-1, 0-0), 7 p.m. – On paper, this figures to be Palisades’ toughest conference test. A victory here could set up the Pumas for a 5-0 run through the conference and a 9-1 regular-season record.
Olympic (3-2, 2-0 Greater Metro 6A/7A) at A.L. Brown (5-0, 2-0), 7 p.m. – A,L. Brown has been one of the area’s success stories this season, but Olympic has proved to be a football power in this conference. The winner gets the inside track at the conference title.
Marvin Ridge (5-0, 1-0 Southern Carolina 6A/7A) at Weddington (6-0, 2-0), 7 p.m. – This is a neighborhood rivalry that usually produces close games. Marvin Ridge is off to a torrid start, and its explosive offense will be a test for Weddington’s powerful defense.
Crest (4-1, 1-0 Big South 5A/6A) at South Point (6-0, 2-0), 7 p.m. – Crest’s only loss was to Weddington. The Chargers will pit their explosive passing attack up against South Point’s grind-it-out ground game.
Forest Hills (5-0, 0-0 Rocky River 4A/5A) at Mount Pleasant (4-1, 0-0), 7 p.m. – The Rocky River 4A/5A is flying below the radar, but its teams are playing some good football this fall. Like the Crest-South Point game, this contest matches a strong passing attack (Forest Hills) against a strong ground game (Mount Pleasant)..
East Lincoln (6-0, 4-0 Western Foothills 4A/5A) at West Iredell (5-0, 3-0), 7 p.m. – Just how good is West Iredell? The school’s football program has struggled for several years but is off to a great start. Slowing Jaxon Dollar and the East Lincoln offense is a big ask, though..
The schedule
Friday
Greater Charlotte 7A/8A
Myers Park (3-2, 0-0) at Garinger (2-3, 0-0)
South Mecklenburg (2-4, 1-0) at West Mecklenburg (0-6,0-1)
Meck Power Six 7A/8A
North Mecklenburg (2-3, 0-0) at Mallard Creek (4-2, 1-0)
West Charlotte (3-3, 0-1) at Independence (1-4, 0-0)
Southwestern 7A/8A
Ardrey Kell (3-2, 0-0) at Palisades (4-1, 0-0)
East Mecklenburg (3-3, 0-1) at Providence (2-4, 1-0)
Greater Metro 6A/7A
Berry Academy (2-3, 0-2) at Hickory Ridge (4-1, 2-0)
Cox Mill (1-4, 0-2) at Central Cabarrus (1-4, 0-2)
Olympic (3-2, 2-0) at A.L. Brown (5-0, 2-0)
West Cabarrus (1-4, 1-1) at Harding (2-3, 1-1)
North Piedmont 6A/7A
North Iredell (0-5, 0-0) at Davie County (3-2, 0-0)
South Iredell (1-4, 0-0) at Mooresville (1-4, 0-0)
Statesville (2-3, 0-0) at Lake Norman (5-0, 0-0)
Southern Carolina 6A/7A
Marvin Ridge (5-0, 1-0) at Weddington (6-0, 2-0)
Piedmont (3-3, 1-1) at Porter Ridge (2-4, 1-1)
Sun Valley (2-3, 0-1) at Cuthbertson (1-5, 0-2)
Big South 5A/6A
Crest (4-1, 1-0) at South Point (6-0, 2-0)
Hunter Huss (3-3, 1-1) at Forestview (0-6, 0-2)
Kings Mountain (4-1, 1-0) at North Gaston (0-6, 0-2)
Rocky River 4A/5A
Anson County (4-1, 0-0) at West Stanly (2-3, 0-0)
Forest Hills (5-0, 0-0) at Mount Pleasant (4-1, 0-0)
Monroe (3-2, 0-0) at Parkwood (3-2, 0-0)
South Piedmont 4A/5A
Concord (1-4, 0-2) at Jay M. Robinson (5-0, 2-0)
East Rowan (2-3, 0-2) at Salisbury (0-5, 0-2)
Northwest Cabarrus (4-1, 2-0) at Jesse Carson (3-2, 1-1)
West Rowan (4-1, 2-0) at South Rowan (4-1, 1-1)
Western Foothills 4A/5A
East Lincoln (6-0, 4-0) at West Iredell (5-0, 3-0), 7:30 pm
Fred T. Foard (1-4, 0-3) at Bandys (3-2, 2-1), 7:30 pm
Hickory (5-1, 4-0) at Maiden (3-3, 2-2), 7:30 pm
Newton-Conover (1-4, 0-3) at North Lincoln (1-5, 0-4), 7:30 pm
Catawba Shores 2A/3A/4A
Christ the King (4-1, 1-1) at Bradford Prep (1-4, 0-2)
Lake Norman Charter (3-2, 1-1) vs. Community School of Davidson (3-2, 2-0), at Spartan Park in Huntersville
Langtree Charter (3-2, 1-1) at Lincoln Charter (0-5, 0-2)
Pine Lake Prep (3-2, 1-1) at Corvian Community (4-1, 2-0)
Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A
Cherryville (3-2, 1-2) at West Lincoln (2-3, 1-2), 7:30 pm
Highland Tech (0-6, 0-4) at East Gaston (3-2, 1-2), 7:30 pm
Lincolnton (5-1, 3-1) at Bessemer City (0-6, 0-4), 7:30 pm
Stuart Cramer (4-1, 2-1) at Burns (4-2, 4-0), 7:30 pm
Yadkin Valley 1A/2A/3A
Bonnie Cone Academy (0-5, 0-2) at Union Academy (3-2, 1-1)
North Stanly (5-0, 2-0) at Albemarle (2-3, 1-1)
South Stanly (1-4, 1-1) at North Rowan (4-1, 2-0)
Thomas Jefferson Academy at Mountain Island Charter
Big 5 (NCISAA)
Hickory Grove Christian (5-0, 0-0) at Covenant Day (1-4, 0-0)
SouthLake Christian (3-2, 0-0) at High Point Christian (4-1, 0-0)
Mecklenburg nonconference
Ambassador Christian (5-1) vs. Ledford (3-3), at Johnson C. Smith Univ.
Cannon School (4-1) at Charlotte Country Day (2-3)
Saturday
Nonconference
South Wake Lions (0-6) at Cabarrus Stallions (0-2), at Central Cabarrus High, 6 pm
OFF: Ashbrook, Ballantyne Ridge, Bunker Hill, Butler, Chambers, Charlotte Catholic, Charlotte Christian, Charlotte Latin, Fred T. Foard, Hopewell, Hough, Metrolina Christian, Providence Day, Rocky River, Shelby
