Fairmont • Lumberton • Purnell Swett • Red Springs • St...
Transcript of Fairmont • Lumberton • Purnell Swett • Red Springs • St...
Fairmont • Lumberton • Purnell Swett • Red Springs • St. Pauls • South Robeson
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Brad Crawford
Staff writer
faIrMoNT —Tyreke Addison
did a little bit of everything on the
football field last season as a junior at
Fairmont High School.
In Keith Wood’s first season on the
sideline, the all-purpose athlete be-
came the security blanket on offense
for the Golden Tornadoes and, by de-
sign, touched the football numerous
times each drive.
If all goes as planned this fall, Ad-
dison will be the primary threat and
one of many weapons on the Three
Rivers Conference’s fastest unit.
His workload shouldn’t be as bur-
densome.
“I played everywhere,” Addison
said. “Receiver, running back, quar-
terback, slot, you name it, I was
there. You could see me at almost
every position.”
Addison scored 12 touchdowns in
a variety of ways, registering over
900 yards from scrimmage and help-
ing his team to a perfect 5-0 mark in
conference play. Wood’s scheme, ad-
mittedly a work in progress through-
out last season, caught fire in the
second half as Fairmont averaged 35
points per game over its last seven
contests.
After stumbling out of the gate
with five losses in their first six
games, the Golden Tornadoes man-
aged to total seven victories and ad-
vance to the second round of the
state playoffs.
Tailback Alex Gilchrist says the
trial and error segment of Fairmont’s
playbook is over and the athlete-
heavy starting 11 is focused on mas-
tering the spread. Gilchrist will be
the featured back to alleviate strain
on Addison.
Gilchrist scored six touchdowns a
season ago.
“Last year was a lot of seeing what
worked and seeing what didn’t,”
Gilchrist said, a two-way player who
also starts in the secondary. “This
year, we’re hungry and ready to go.
We’ve learned a lot.”
This summer, the Golden Torna-
does have tested the ironed out ap-
proach against some of the state’s
top teams, including Jack Britt, and
participated in multiple 7-on-7 tour-
naments, notably Pinecrest’s Air
Raid Classic in Southern Pines.
Wood says quarterback Demetrius
Washington has improved his accu-
racy and ability to read coverages,
two nuances of the game that frus-
trated him as a junior. Last season,
Washington completed 36 percent of
his passes for eight touchdowns and
10 interceptions. A handful of new
receivers, including underclassmen
Ethan Baldwin and Andrew Hill, will
do their best to try and match the
production left by all-conference
wideouts Juwan Addison and
Desmond Parker.
“I’m more comfortable out there
now … with a better feel for what’s
going on,” Washington said. “It’s
about communication on offense. I
feel like we have better communica-
tion this year.”
Fairmont’s coaching staff called
plays last season using hand signals
and colored wristbands. The re-in-
vented no-huddle of 2011 includes
poster boards with graphics.
“It’s kind of like what Oregon does
with the signs,” Addison said. “We
have cards that we hold up with pic-
tures on them.”
Charlton Townsend, a 6-foot-2,
210-pound junior, makes the move
from defensive end to linebacker and
says Fairmont’s calling card will be
its defense. All-county player Luke
Hunt returns after collecting 74 tack-
les with four sacks and two forced
fumbles last season.
“We have almost the same exact
group coming back,” Townsend said.
“Defense will be our strength. We’re
ready to go play.”
Several Division I schools and
local universities have sent interest
letters to Wood’s foursome including
N.C. State, South Carolina, Catawba
and The University of North Car-
olina at Pembroke.
N.C. State and UNCP is courting
Gilchrist. South Carolina is looking
at Washington and Addison.
The Golden Tornadoes and their
talented foursome
open the
season
Friday
against
Union.
CoACh: KeiTh WooD (2nd year)
Last season: 7-6, 5-0; Three Rivers Conference cham-pion, lost in second round of playoffs
Key returners: Tyreke Addison (sr. RB), Alex Gilchrist (sr. SS), Luke hunt (jr. De)
Strengths: Team speed, athleticism
Weaknesses:Wide receivers
outlook:With most of its offense returning fromlast season’s championship team, theGolden Tornadoes are the clear-cut fa-vorite in the Three Rivers Conference.
Coach Wood says: “We’re going to be fast. We’ve got a lot ofguys colleges are looking at andDemetrius (Washington) has really im-proved as our quarterback.”
return to an experienced starting lineup in Fairmont.
Charlton Townsend, Alex Gilchrist, Tyreke Addison & Demetrius Washington
POLLS.......................... Page 3
LUMBERTON.......................... Page 4
PURNELL SWETT.......................... Page 5
RED SPRINGS.......................... Page 6
ST. PAULS.......................... Page 7
SOUTH ROBESON.......................... Page 8
4A SOUTHEASTERNCONFERENCE.......................... Page 9
SOUTHEASTERNSCHEDULES.......................... Page 10
THREE RIVERSSCHEDULES.......................... Page 11
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KaleB roedel
Sports editor
faIrMoNT —Lumberton High
School senior defensive end Darius
Lesane is strong.
Bench-pressing 330-pounds
strong. And for the first time in three
years, the reigning Robeson County
Defensive Player of the Year is play-
ing at 100 percent.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder had
knee surgery in the offseason.
Opposing offenses, take heed.
“I’ve just been working on my
pass rushing. I’ve been hitting the
weights hard. I’ve been working on
everything,” Lesane said. “(The sur-
gery) slowed me down (at first), but
I’ve been working hard all summer.
I’m probably faster than I was last
year.”
A season ago, Lesane collected an
area-high 11 sacks with 82 tackles, in-
cluding a 14-tackle, 3-sack perform-
ance against Overhills.
The thought of a healthy Lesane
wreaking havoc on opposing quar-
terbacks, tailbacks and those in-be-
tween, puts a smile on the face of
Lumberton coach Mike Brill.
“If he plays like he’s supposed to
there are not many people that can
stop him,” Brill said. “He’s just so
dog-gone strong … and he can run,
that’s his biggest attribute. He’s D1
all the way. He’s one of a kind.”
Lesane and his defensive counter-
parts will undoubtedly be the strong-
point for the 2011 Pirates, who return
seven starters on defense.
Offensively, Lumberton isn’t as
steady.
The Pirates are molding its
schemes around two starting quar-
terback candidates, Zach Wilcox and
Montrae Strother.
“Defense is definitely the strength
because we graduated so much on
the offensive side of the ball,” Brill
said, referring to notables such as
Larry Parker (627 rushing yards with
nine touchdowns last year) and
Kendrick McGill (296 yards, four
touchdowns). Moreover, last year’s
quarterback Marquez North — pro-
viding a bulk of last year’s offense
with 12 rushing touchdowns and 10
passing — transferred to Mallard
Creek during the offseason.
“We definitely don’t have what we
had last year (on offense),” Brill said.
“But at the same time, what we’re
asking them (the quarterbacks) to do
is just manage the offense and don’t
hurt us.”
Helping steer the offense will be
senior center Brad Currie.
“I kind of got to control the offen-
sive line, get everybody in the hud-
dle and know what’s going on with
everybody,” Currie said. “All our of-
fensive line is pretty experienced, so
that should be another strength for
us.”
Not to mention, the return of
wideout and cornerback Dorian
Davis, a rising senior who led all
Lumberton receivers last season with
17 catches, 332 yards and six touch-
downs. On the other side of the ball,
he had 33 tackles and two intercep-
tions.
“We got the defense down, we can
get the job done,” Davis said. “We’re
focused on the offense. We just try to
keep everybody together and make
sure they do their job. If one person
makes a mistake, it could cost us.”
Lumberton’s season kicks off Fri-
day at home against Cape Fear.
CoACh: MiKe BRiLL (5th year)
Last season: 8-4, 3-2; lost in first round of playoffs
Key returners: Darius Lesane (sr. De), Brad Currie (sr. C), Dorian Davis (sr. CB), Connor haskins (sr. K).
Strengths: Defense. The Pirates return seven starters from last season, including college prospects Lesane and Davis.
Weaknesses: Quarterback. Without last year’s starter Marquez North, who was all-league and county, a big void is left under center.
outlook: Limiting opponents’ scoring shouldn’t be a problem for Lumberton. Putting points on the board, however, will be a glaring question mark. if the Pirates find comfort on offense they could nip at the heels of the three SeC favorites (Richmond, Scotland and Purnell Swett).
Coach Brill says: “We can’t overlook anybody with our schedule. our conference is just unbelievable from top to bottom this year.”
Lumberton's Darius Lesane, Robeson County's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, returns to a stout defensive front four for the Pirates.
PIRATES
Lumberton Piratespg 4
score 20 something touchdowns.”
Armstrong says he’s matured at
the line of scrimmage and has grown
more intelligent in passing situa-
tions, especially the shotgun forma-
tion.
“We’re trying to get out of the
pocket quicker now, a faster spread,”
Armstrong said. “The offensive line
is important for that. With them, we
feel pretty confident in our offense.”
The Rams host Pine Forest in Fri-
day’s season opener. Swett has won
four straight over its former Two
Rivers Conference rival.
Brad Crawford
Staff writer
PeMBroKe —Two years ago,
Travon Clark slipped on his pads in
his first varsity practice unsure how
his teammates would accept a 5-foot-
6, 160-pound runt in a backfield be-
longing to Ethan and Jock Clark.
Almost 250 carries later, Purnell
Swett’s bundle of steel has become
the face of the offense as a bulldozer
in short yardage situations that head
coach Mark Heil calls on behind a
veteran offensive line.
“Travon gives us power back there
and he has really good instincts for a
running back,” Swett captain and
senior quarterback Chase Armstrong
said. “He’s one of the main reasons
we think we can win a conference
title.”
Through an intense workout pro-
gram in the offseason, Clark has
bulked up to 180 pounds – mostly
muscle – after missing nearly two
full games a year ago with an ankle
and shoulder injury. In 11 games,
Clark rushed for 808 yards, scored 17
touchdowns and was Robeson
County’s Offensive Player of the
Year.
“Travon’s such a good kid, a really
tough football player,” Heil said. “He
plays with a lot of heart.”
At full strength heading into the
opener for the first time in his career,
Clark has high expectations for his
final campaign, one he hopes ends
with a state championship.
“I’m looking forward to going out
there and playing to the best of my
abilities,” Clark said. “I feel pretty
good and I’m waiting on somebody
to underestimate me. I can’t wait to
lower my pads on them.”
Armstrong has started the last 14
games under center and, along with
Clark, gives the Rams the top return-
ing 1-2 punch in Robeson County.
Add 27 other seniors with playoff ex-
perience to the mix and fellow
coaches – and media – expect the
Rams to finish in the top half of the
4A Southeastern Conference.
The Rams were picked to finish
behind Scotland and Richmond in
the coaches poll and fourth by the
media.
“Coach thinks this could be one of
the best teams he’s ever had,” Arm-
strong said. “Our expectations are re-
ally high because we know what
we’re capable of, but I wouldn’t call
it pressure. We aren’t worried about
how good we should be.”
The Rams’ offensive success will
hinge on the performance of the of-
fensive line, a physical group an-
chored by four returnees. Swett’s
starting front five includes left tackle
Codi Locklear, left guard Austin C.
Locklear, center Joseph Locklear,
right guard Austin D. Locklear and
right tackle Dannellye Clark. Codi
Locklear, a junior, is the only new-
comer and started every game last
season for Swett’s junior varsity
squad.
“We’re very confident in this
group and as of right now, it’s one of
the better units I’ve ever had,” Heil
said.
His running back agrees.
“My mindset is positive with those
guys because of how well we’ve
practiced this summer,” Clark said.
“It’s been so hot, but everybody’s
been going hard. There’s a little pres-
sure (on me) trying to equal last year,
but it’s really up to our offensive
line.
“It’s up to them to block. My goal
is to run for at least 1,000 yards and
CoACh: MARK heiL (5th year)
Last season: 8-5, 2-3; lost in second round of playoffs
Key returners: Chase Armstrong (sr. QB), Travon Clark (sr. RB), Telvin Clark (sr. FS)
Strengths: experience, offensive line | Weaknesses: Wide receivers, linebackers
outlook: The Rams return 27 seniors to a team that was a few touchdowns away from challenging Richmond in
the Southeastern Conference. This could be Mark heil’s best team yet in Pembroke.
Coach heil says: “We’re expecting most of our productivity out of guys like Chase (Armstrong), Travon (Clark)
and Juwan (Jones). Those guys have been with us awhile. The SeC is a tough conference to win, but we hope to be pretty good.”
RAMS Purnell Swett tailback Travon Clark is one of 27 seniors returning to a squadthat advanced to the second round of the state playoffs last season.
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KaleB roedel
Sports editor
faIrMoNT —First-year Red
Springs High School football coach
George Coltharp has coached his
share of Division I talent — includ-
ing current NFL players Jason
Hunter (Appalachian State), Aaron
Curry (Wake Forest) and Tank Tyler
(North Carolina State).
Drayvon Fairley, Red Springs’ 6-
foot-4, 200-pound senior defensive
end, may be one of the next DI
prospects under Coltharp’s watch.
He currently has interest from half a
dozen DI schools, including North
Carolina, N.C. State, Appalachian
State, Clemson, Virginia Tech and
Tennessee.
“He’s as good as any three of
those pros were in high school — he
has those intangibles,” Coltharp said.
“He has everything that you’re look-
ing for — the speed, the power, the
long arms … He’s got everything.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he
ends up being a major college re-
cruit.”
And this is all based on what
Coltharp has seen in limited full-con-
tact practices — low numbers kept
Red Springs out of full pads until last
week — and scrimmages. He can
only imagine what Fairley is capable
of once the lights are turned on.
Fairley is primed to impress.
“Being my senior year, I want to
do way better than we did the years
before. I just wanna win,” Fairley
said. He had 78 tackles and a team-
high six sacks as a junior. “We’re fo-
cused this season. Period. We’ve got
a good season ahead of us. I just
want to help my team out. I want to
be the best man I can.”
Fairley and his teammates are
going to have to do just that for a
program looking to shake off recent
hardships.
The Red Devils have struggled to
1-10 and 3-8 records the past two
seasons, ending with coaches find-
ing the exit. Coltharp is the pro-
gram’s third coach in three years.
Hoping to turn things around on
offense will be senior running back
Xavier McEachern, who rushed for
750 yards and nine touchdowns
last year en route to all-county hon-
ors. He’ll fill the holes created by
an experienced offensive line an-
chored by Robert Overton, who
stands 6-foot-1, 220 pounds.
And the ball will be put in the
hands of sophomore quarterback
Blake Greene, who Coltharp said is
going to be “the man, the myth, the
legend” by the time he’s a senior.
Greene started seven games as a
freshman last year.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t think
we’re going to have a much better
year than last year,” Coltharp said.
“Obviously it’s a long season and
you don’t know what’s going to hap-
pen. But we want to be a team that’s
competitive in that third season (the
playoffs).”
Red Springs’ Drayvon Fairley will anchor the Red Devils defense this season.
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RED
DEVILS
CoACh: GeoRGe CoLThARP (1st year)
Last season: 3-8, 3-2; lost in first round of playoffs
Key returners: Drayvon Fairley (sr. De), Xavier Mceachern (sr. RB), Robert overton(sr. oL), Blake Greene (so. QB)
Strengths: offensive line, team speed | Weaknesses: experience, consistency
outlook: Adjusting to a new coach (again) and playing with low numbers, the RedDevils will likely feel the sting of growing pains. Being competitive in the top-heavyThree Rivers Conference should be Red Springs’ priority.
Coach Coltharp says: “our goal is to come out and be 1-0. We’re going all in and trying to win the championship every week, that’s how we are.”
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KaleB roedel
Sports editor
ST. PaUlS —Antonio Henderson
gave defenses fits last year as St. Pauls
High School’s top wideout, grabbing 16
balls for 375 yards and seven touch-
downs.
This season, however, Henderson
won’t be receiving passes for the Bull-
dogs — he’ll be delivering them.
Opposing defenses may scratch their
heads when they see Robeson County’s
deep threat receiver under center, but ac-
cording to St. Pauls coach Trey Sasser,
Henderson fits the bill as St. Pauls’ play-
caller this fall. He replaces Kalem Hunt
who went 66-for-181 last season with
1,140 yards and 17 touchdowns.
“We just thought in the offseason he
was our best playmaker,” Sasser said of
Henderson. “We’re looking to get more
run production out of the Pistol offense.
He throws the ball well and he moves
well. He’s our No. 1 guy.”
The decision to pull his top wideout
from the receiving corps, however,
wasn’t an easy one for Sasser. A year ago,
with Henderson making big plays on the
outside — he averaged 23.5 yards a catch
— the Bulldogs finished runner up in the
Three Rivers Conference to Fairmont.
“When I was getting ready to make the
decision,” said Sasser, “My dad (Glenn)
who is a long-time coach, he said, ‘Son, if
you don’t have a quarterback, I might as
well be playing wideout for you’.”
Good point, pops.
And lucky for Sasser, Henderson had
no qualms about making the move to
quarterback.
“It was pretty easy to make that call,”
Henderson said. “My coaches helped me
get ready and I’m doing pretty good.”
Aiding the transition, Henderson will
have the luxury of feeding the ball to fea-
tured tailback Shawn Williams, who chalked up
140 carries for 534 yards and three touchdowns
a year ago.
“With Antonio and Shawn in the backfield,
the run has to be respected, which is what
we’re looking for,” Sasser said.
Henderson said that developing proper foot-
work — for drop-backs, sprint-outs and roll-
outs — has been the biggest detail to hammer
down.
“I trust my line,” he said. “The wide re-
ceivers are looking good running things and
everything. We’re looking real good.”
Now, if only Henderson can find a way to
throw passes to himself.
“I’ve thought about that a couple of times,”
he said.
The Bulldogs’ quarterback experiment will
get its initial test Friday when they travel to
Hope Mills to face Gray’s Creek.
St. Pauls coach Trey Sasser talks with his receiver-turned-quarterback Antonio henderson at an afternoon practice.
St. Pauls Bulldogs pg 7
CoACh: TReY SASSeR (4th year)
Last season: 5-7, 4-1; lost in the first round of playoffs
Key returners: Antonio henderson (sr. QB), Ladarius McQueen (sr. LB),Shawn Williams (jr. RB), Jhamel Leonard (jr. DB).
Strengths: Skill positions on offense.
Weaknesses:Young, inexperienced offensive line.
outlook:Led by all-county-receiver-turned-quarterback hender-son, the Bulldogs have their sights set on topping ThreeRivers champ Fairmont, which handed St. Pauls its onlyleague loss last season. Needless to say, Fairmont is cir-cled extra thick on St. Pauls’ calendar.
Coach Sasser says: “i think we’re a little bit better than last year … i thinkFairmont is too. i think we have enough to challenge forit (the conference title). That’s certainly one of our goalsevery year.”
BULLDOGS
able, good kids.”
More comfortable as a slot re-
ceiver, McIntyre said he gladly gave
up his job as South Robeson’s signal
caller. Warwick isn’t planning on
using McIntyre in any gimmick for-
mations despite his speed and ath-
leticism. The Wild Mustang
direct-snap offense is a thing of the
past.
“We’re not trying to fool anyone
with smoke and mirrors,” Warwick
said. “There’s teams that have won
with the Veer, the Wing-T, the Spread
… all of it. All that matters is how
you run your offense. We need to
save Tezhawn for other plays.”
Warwick’s positive outlook on this
season despite 10 losses in his first
year should benefit the Mustangs,
who face a challenging schedule. In-
cluding the Robeson County Jam-
boree, South Robeson participated in
five scrimmages and are game-ready
according to Warwick.
All that’s left is building confi-
dence.
“These kids need someone who’s
behind them, knows they care,” War-
wick said. “We have a very disci-
plined group and that’s a positive. If
these guys believe in themselves, we
could have a pretty good football
team.
“If we finish with five or six wins,
that’ll give us a jolt of energy head-
ing into the future.”
Brad Crawford
Staff writer
PeMBroKe —Cautiously opti-
mistic.
Those are Garron Warwick’s
words, South Robeson’s head coach
who fielded a team last season that
included 17 total varsity players at
one point.
Add two transfers from Purnell
Swett High in the offseason and a
strengthened core at the line of
scrimmage and Warwick is confident
the Mustangs will surpass last sea-
son’s win total — one.
“We haven’t had a winning season
since Barry Leonard’s group in
2002,” Warwick said. “We hope this
year can be the start of the turn-
around here.”
Tezhawn McIntyre, South Robe-
son’s touchdown leader in 2010, is
moving to wide receiver this fall to
make room for junior quarterback
Jeremiah Swett. Swett started for the
Rams’ junior varsity squad last sea-
son and decided to join Warwick’s
program rather than back up Chase
Armstrong under center at Purnell
Swett.
Warwick handed play-calling du-
ties over to assistant coach Taurius
Baker who became the school’s of-
fensive coordinator this summer.
Swett, with quick feet and an accu-
rate arm, gives the Mustangs an op-
portunity to run the spread Warwick
learned while working as an assis-
tant at Raleigh Athens Drive.
“I’m still making the transition at
QB,” Swett said, who has only
played organized football for two
years. “It’s been fun and my team-
mates have helped me with the posi-
tion. I’m ready to try and help my
team win.”
Joining Swett in Rowland is his
brother Jordan, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound
freshman defensive end. A third
brother, Joseph, is Purnell Swett
High’s starting middle linebacker.
All three players are grandsons of
former Lumbee tribe chairman, Pur-
nell Swett.
“We’ve certainly got some addi-
tions that we feel can help us win,”
Warwick said. “Both of those guys
are baseball players too and I know
we have a great baseball program.
Jeremiah didn’t think he’d get any
playing time at Swett. Both are plan-
ning on playing for Bryan (McDon-
ald) in the spring.
“The best thing about these two is
their character. They’re very coach-
South Robeson Mustangspg 8
Jeremiah Swett and Tezhawn Mcintyre lead a revamped South Robeson offense that head coach Garron Warwick's expects to be explosive.
CoACh:GARRoN WARWiCK (2nd year)
Last season: 1-10, 0-5; did not make the playoffs
Key returners: Tezhawn Mcintyre (Sr., WR), Charles Gris-sett (Sr., LB), Frank Campbell (Sr., LB)
Strengths: Team speed, linebackers
Weaknesses:inexperience, size
outlook:South Robeson is still a year or two awayfrom being a contender in the ThreeRivers Conference, and Coach Warwick’smindset should be learn now and winlater.
Coach Warwick says: “We’re still trying to master the spreadoffense and we have a lot of new guys.our numbers have been good, so we’recautiously optimistic.”
MUSTANGS
I’m speaking from experience.”
Richmond, the state’s preseason
No. 5 team, has won back-to-back
SEC championships and holds an 18-
game winning streak over the Scots.
The Raiders lost 37 seniors from
last season’s squad that won 12
games and were picked to finish sec-
ond in the league. Paul Hoggard says
he has to replace nearly every starter
at the skill positions.
“We have a lot of question marks,”
Hoggard said. “It’s just going to be a
matter of how long it takes the kids
with experience to get where they
need to be.”
Swett has been on the cusp of suc-
cess the last few years but hasn’t
found a way to beat the Raiders, the
team everyone is chasing. The Rams,
who went 8-5 last season and won a
playoff game, are hoping 27 return-
ing veterans can contend for an SEC
title.
Lumberton and Pinecrest are ex-
pected to take a hit after heavy grad-
uation losses depleted both teams.
The Pirates also had their projected
starting quarterback, Marquez
North, leave the school in January
after a move to Charlotte.
“Offensively, we’re going to strug-
gle,” Lumberton coach Mike Brill
said. “I don’t have but three guys
back (on offense) and we have three
brand new quarterbacks and nine
brand new running backs.”
4A Southeastern Conference pg 9
Contributed PhotoUntil a team knocks Richmond from its perch, the Raiders are still the team to beat in the 4A Southeastern Conference.
RAIDERS
Brad Crawford
Staff writer
PeMBroKe —Two football
teams are ranked in the state’s top
five.
Two others are prepared with tal-
ent, waiting to break out from the
middle of the pack.
The final squads, projected bot-
tom-dwellers, hold enough fire-
power and veteran coaching
experience to win any Friday night.
This is what makes the 4A South-
eastern Conference so difficult, la-
beled by its coaches as one of the
toughest six-team leagues in North
Carolina.
“In every conference, there’s a
couple teams that everybody usually
beats up on … not in this one,” Pur-
nell Swett coach Mark Heil said at
this season’s SEC Media Day in Rae-
ford. “It’s so tough. Top to bottom,
this is one of the best conferences in
the state. Hoke’s good. Pinecrest is
good.
“Of course Richmond is a power.
Scotland is loaded. Lumberton’s
good. Anybody can win in this con-
ference.”
Scotland, the preseason favorite
and fifth-ranked team in the state, re-
turns 10 all-conference starters from
last season, including the backfield
trio of quarterback Kwashaun Quick
and tailbacks Tony McRae and Cai-
son Murphy.
“I don’t think that there’s a
tougher football conference in North
Carolina,” Scotland coach Chip
Williams said. “I know there is a lot
of argument over that, but I’ve been
in a bunch of them (conferences) and
In P
rint... O
n L
ine... In
To
uch
pg 10
Aug. 19 West Bladen
Sept. 2 Granville Central
Sept. 9 @ North Moore
Sept. 16 @ Sun Valley
Sept. 23 Goldsboro
Sept. 30 @ St. Pauls
Oct. 7 East Columbus
Oct. 14 @ Fairmont
Oct. 28 West Columbus
RED SPRINGS Fairmont SOUTH ROBESON
Aug. 19 @ Gray’s Creek
Aug. 26 Fayetteville Christian
Sept. 2 Southern Lee
Sept. 9 @ West Bladen
Sept. 16 Harrels Christian
Sept. 23 @ East Carteret
Sept. 30 Red Springs
Oct. 7 @ South Robeson
Oct. 14 East Columbus
Oct. 21 West Columbus
Oct. 28 @ Fairmont
Aug. 19 @ Green Sea Floyd, S.C.
Aug. 26 Whiteville
Sept. 2 Hobbton
Sept. 16 Fayetteville Christian
Sept. 23 @ South Columbus
Sept. 30 @ East Columbus
Oct. 7 Fairmont
Oct. 14 South Robeson
Oct. 21 @ St. Pauls
Oct. 28 @ Red Springs
ST. PAULS EAST COLUMBUSAug. 19 South Columbus
Aug. 26 @ East Bladen
Sept. 2 @ North Brunswick
Sept. 9 @ Whiteville
Sept. 16 Southwest Onslow
Sept. 30 West columbus
Oct. 7 @ Red Springs
Oct. 14 @ St. Pauls
Oct. 21 Fairmont
Oct. 28 South Robeson
WEST COLUMBUS
Aug. 19 @ Union
Aug. 26 Hobbton
Sept. 2 @ West Bladen
Sept. 9 @ Lake View
Sept. 16 @ Ashley
Sept. 23 Jones
Sept. 30 South Robeson
Oct. 7 @ West Columbus
Oct. 14 Red Springs
Oct. 21 @ East Columbus
Oct. 28 St. Pauls
Aug. 19 @ Western Harnett
Aug. 26 West Bladen
Sept. 2 Trinity Christian
Sept. 9 @ Southern Lee
Sept. 16 Purnell Swett
Sept. 30 @ Fairmont
Oct. 7 St. Pauls
Oct. 14 @ West Columbus
Oct. 21 Red Springs
Oct. 28 @ East Columbus
Aug. 19 Cape Fear
Aug. 26 Jack Britt
Sept. 2 South View
Sept. 9 @ Seventy-First
Sept. 16 @ Athens Drive
Sept. 30 Pinecrest
Oct. 7 @ Hoke
Oct. 14 @ Richmond
Oct. 21 Scotland
Oct. 28 @ Purnell Swett
Aug. 19 Pine Forest
Aug. 26 @ Western Harnett
Sept. 2 @ Hoggard
Sept. 9 New Hanover
Sept. 16 @ South Robeson
Sept. 30 Scotland
Oct. 7 @ Richmond
Oct. 14 @ Pinecrest
Oct. 21 Hoke
Oct. 28 Lumberton
LUMBERTON Purnell SwettAug. 19 @ Ashley
Aug. 26 South View
Sept. 2 Seventy-First
Sept. 9 @ Sanderson
Sept. 16 Cape Fear
Sept. 23 @ Westover
Sept. 30 Richmond
Oct. 7 Lumberton
Oct. 14 @ Scotland
Oct. 21 @ Purnell Swett
Oct. 28 Pinecrest
HOKE
Aug. 19 @ Seventy-First
Aug. 26 @ New Hanover
Sept. 2 @ Marlboro, S.C.
Sept. 9 Jack Britt
Sept. 16 Anson County
Sept. 30 @ Purnell Swett
Oct. 7 Pinecrest
Oct. 14 Hoke
Oct. 21 @ Lumberton
Oct. 28 Richmond
Aug. 19 Sun Valley
Aug. 26 Lee County
Sept. 2 @ Anson County
Sept. 9 @ South View
Sept. 16 West Forsyth
Sept. 30 @ Hoke
Oct. 7 Purnell Swett
Oct. 14 Lumberton
Oct. 21 @ Pinecrest
Oct. 28 @ Scotland
SCOTLAND RichmondAug. 19 Jack Britt
Aug. 26 @ Overhills
Sept. 2 Cox Mill
Sept. 9 Barron Collier, Fla.
Sept. 16 Western Harnett
Sept. 23 @ New Hanover
Sept. 30 @ Lumberton
Oct. 7 @ Scotland
Oct. 14 Purnell Swett
Oct. 21 Richmond
Oct. 28 @ Hoke
PINECREST
pg 11
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