August Is Here and Away We Go

August has now arrived and we know that means football, specifically high school football.

Football has been going for the players and coaches all year with spring games, 7 on 7’s, camps, weight lifting and other events. It’s time for coaches to see if all that grass mowing during the summer was worth it.

I am going to touch base on the local teams, new conferences, conference predictions, and an Eastern playoff predictions for the classes the local schools are involved in.

With this year’s realignment, there are eight classifications. Due to travel and the locations of the schools, a lot of conferences are a class mix-up. You can be a top tier seed and not win your conference. You can go undefeated and win your conference and get ranked lower than someone with a loss due to not being in a strong conference, like a 5A school playing a lot of 3A schools in their conference. The high school sports statistics website MaxPreps is going to be interesting this year with the ratings.

Here are my predictions:

         Southeastern 5A/4A/3A

1. Whiteville 3A
2. South Columbus 3A
3. South Brunswick 5A
4. West Bladen 3A
5. Red Springs 4A
6. Fairmont 4A

Whiteville was the Eastern Runner-up in 2A last year. The Wolfpack always graduates a lot of key players but Coach Price always gets them back in a deep playoff run the next year. I don’t think this year will be any different.

South Columbus could shock Whiteville for the title. They have 19 returning seniors from last year’s 8-3 team who only losses was to a strong Loris, S.C. squad, Whiteville, and in OT to Kinston in the playoffs.

Teams 3 through 5 are a toss-up. South Brunswick is very athletic and will benefit from playing smaller schools. Coach Worley’s West Bladen team has eight starters back on offense and eight returning on defense, which I think will surprise a few teams.

Red Springs has the athletes and a 1,000 yard passer in Chase Boone and receiver T.J. Ellerbe to put up some numbers.

Fairmont has a new coach and is in rebuilding mode.

Carolina 2A/1A

1. Lakewood 2A
2. North Duplin 2A
3. East Bladen 2A
4. Hobbton 2A
5. West Columbus 2A
6. Union 2A
7. East Columbus 1A

 This conference is going to be tough. Lakewood and North Duplin will not only battle for the conference title but probably to see who will try to dethrone Tarboro in the East.

East Bladen is young but by playoff time, the Eagles will be there and dangerous.

Hobbton hired offensive guru Adam Scronce from Wallace-Rose Hill to jump start their attack.

West Columbus will be better but a tough conference is not going to help. Coach Mark Oates’ Union Spartans team has improved each year since his arrival two years ago and 1,000 yard sophomore RB Tobias Cromartie is going to help that trend.

East Columbus has a problem this year with turnout numbers and has only 16 listed on the roster. Coach Pedro will have to rely on a young squad with only three returning seniors.

Eastern 3A

1. Northeastern
2. Whiteville
3. James Kenan
4. Wallace-RH
5. Kinston

Northeastern is the 2A defending champion. They moved up to 3A with all the teams on this list. Coach Antonio Moore is one of the best football coaches in the state and I see them in the 3A title game.

Slots 2 through 5 are a scramble. You can take either one and put them in another slot in the rankings.

Whiteville’s Senior QB Layton McClain is ready to lead the Pack back to the eastern championship game.

James Kenan lost a lot to graduation but have a strong young group led by Junior Keyshaun Murray. Wallace-RH sports an 1,100 yard, 14 touchdown running back in Jermaine Hall.

Kinston has running back Jamarae Lamb, who toted the rock for 1,300 yards last year. It’s worth noting that Kinston beat Northeastern in a 7 on 7 scrimmage this summer. Two dark horses are in the Eastern 3A hunt: Martin County, a pass happy team that went 8-5 last year and Eastern Randolph.

Eastern 2A Prediction 

1. Tarboro
2. Lakewood
3. North Duplin
4. Edenton Holmes
5. Warren County

Tarboro is a powerhouse. Coach Jeff Craddock knows his X’s and O’s. They are the defending champion and have had a top program for years. Like the late Stan Lee would say, ”Nuff said!’

Lakewood and North Duplin will fight for the conference title and who will try to dethrone Tarboro. Edenton and Warren County will make deep playoff runs.

My sleeper for the 2A: East Bladen. The Eagles historically warm up in the second half of the season and I don’t see why this year is different. Don’t be surprised if they aren’t in the third round and still standing.