NW3A/4A

patsfball

Senior
Mar 12, 2014
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After week 4, what are thoughts?



1.Alexander Central
2.Freedom
2. Watauga
4.Hickory
5.St Stephens
6.South Caldwell
7.Mcdowell
8. West Caldwell
 

patsfball

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Mar 12, 2014
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Freedom has a ways to go before they'll get any respect. Beating the life out of Draughn and East Burke proves little. The Watauga and AC game will tell us a lot. We need the big game from Birchfield and receivers against equal opponents.
 
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averagejo_NC

Redshirt
Oct 2, 2010
24
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1. Watauga
2. Alexander
3. Freedom
4. South Caldwell
5. Hickory
6. Saint Stephens
7. McDowell
8. West Caldwell

Watauga is the most consistent team in this conference.
Alexander has trouble putting 4 quarters together.
Freedom is undersized but their offense could end up leading the league.
South is a little under rated. Much improved, and has only played undefeated teams.
Saint could drop even lower. Not the team from a season ago.
Hickory will implode from within just like they always do.
McDowell is McDowell. They are who we thought they were.
West may be worse than the 2016 version of the Spartans.
 
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beamer24

All-American
Jul 16, 2009
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West may not score another point this season. I think the top 5 can all make for some entertaining ball games.
 

patsfball

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Watauga is very hard to prepare for. They bring so many unique options to the field. Ryan Habich does a supreme job up there!
 
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BL1

Senior
Nov 15, 2017
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South Caldwell is a better team this year than last, however they only have a couple really good offensive threats. I was very surprised at how low of numbers they have on their team.. They absolutely wore out against hibriten.
 

patsfball

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I say it every year, but Mcdowell is the biggest mystery in western NC. The only high school in the entire county, plenty of students and on and on and on...….. yet cannot find a way to compete in football.

Did see where that county just had a bigfoot festival with over 15,000 in attendance! Guess there's more important things than football right now.
 
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Moparforever

All-Conference
Aug 10, 2017
2,071
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Happy for South Caldwell. 1st win of the season.
I wanderd why they are not better than they are ? Big size kids couple fast kids ? My god half our team was out hurt or got hurt tonight. Both teams had kids dropping like flies tonight
 

Kylar24

All-Conference
Jul 25, 2003
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McDowell seems to have more coaching/culture issues in regard to football. Demographics extremely similar to Davie/Scotland/Richmond county yet they struggle annually unreal
 

patsfball

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Years ago I trained/instructed a number of athletes from McDowell County. Truly some smart, talented kids in that area. The right coaching staff/AD could turn that program!
 
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CHEERDUCK

All-Conference
Jun 5, 2001
5,886
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Man, I wanted to see this one. Happy for Hickory, good things happening there!

Bandy's HC Tom Eanes really impressed while at Patton. Taught those kids a lot about the game of football.

Coach Eanes will have a great program going at Bandys. They have the right combination of athletes for his offense and the community will give him the backing he needs to be successful. The Trojans ran out of gas in the 3rd quarter during the game the other night. Coach Stone committed to getting the Red Tornadoes in better game shape after the Statesville game and they have really worked hard on that and you could tell. HHS has also added a couple of more players in the last few weeks and one in particular will be an exciting addition once he learns more plays and gets some more football conditioning. I've told many people that that player was the best running back I had ever witnessed, at the middle school level, in my 50+ years of watching football. He didn't let me down the other night after not playing for 2 years.
 
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Burkeforreal

All-Conference
Aug 21, 2006
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First time I’ve posted in my home conference. This Friday oughta be a huge outlook as to how the conference will or can finish. An unpredictable offense and a hard running offense. Should be a post all by itself and should be. Think I’ll be there. See ya on the Mtn.
 

patsfball

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I think Freedom has the offense to play with AC and Watauga. Just not sure if defense can stop either one from scoring. Will be interesting to see. Freedom hasn't beat a good football team in a couple of years so hopefully that changes, starting with Watauga and AC
 

Burkeforreal

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Aug 21, 2006
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I think Freedom has the offense to play with AC and Watauga. Just not sure if defense can stop either one from scoring. Will be interesting to see. Freedom hasn't beat a good football team in a couple of years so hopefully that changes, starting with Watauga and AC

That’d be the ultimate change. Crazy thing is I wouldn’t know who to pull for between the 3 competing against each other cause I like all 3. Mom and Aunt woulda went to Watauga if it was built 15 years sooner...lots of cousins went to Watauga, stepdad went to Taylorsville which later became AC, and wife went to Freedom. Well, go Watauga ha ha.
 

us_doss11

Freshman
Nov 28, 2006
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I haven't gotten to see Watauga play, as most of you guys that talk about the NW3A/4A know I moved, but as long as Habich is at the helm, versatility will be hard to stop.

Alexander Central is going to such a tough game. The Cougars are rolling and are solid from coaching staff and players. If you wanna see a high scoring shoot out, Boone is gonna be the place to go. I don't think you'll see a better conference game all season.
 

patsfball

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Doss, long time no hear! Good to hear from you. Pioneers are looking good again. Habich has something special going up there.
 

Burkeforreal

All-Conference
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Doss, long time no hear! Good to hear from you. Pioneers are looking good again. Habich has something special going up there.

You dang right he does. Glad to see the Pioneers doing well. They stayed in the basement of the NW 4a for YEARS and you old heads that’s been around a while like me you know what I’m talkin bout. Hibriten was the same way a while too.

What is funny is if this coach or a coach like him was working with some Watauga teams of the 90s they woulda been mopping the floors with everybody except Crest and maybe a couple Freedom teams. Those boys had athletes back then and obviously didn’t know how to work with em. When you got the fastest back,some fast Wideouts in conf on team and big linemen, a huge fast fullback in 93’ and lose like they did it had to be coaching.
 

Burkeforreal

All-Conference
Aug 21, 2006
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I haven't gotten to see Watauga play, as most of you guys that talk about the NW3A/4A know I moved, but as long as Habich is at the helm, versatility will be hard to stop.

Alexander Central is going to such a tough game. The Cougars are rolling and are solid from coaching staff and players. If you wanna see a high scoring shoot out, Boone is gonna be the place to go. I don't think you'll see a better conference game all season.

I’ll be there. I hope to work it out to be anyway. Good to see you on Doss, missed ya.
If this ain’t a WBTV FFN game of the week I don’t know what is. Get there early!!
 

us_doss11

Freshman
Nov 28, 2006
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I’ll be there. I hope to work it out to be anyway. Good to see you on Doss, missed ya.
If this ain’t a WBTV FFN game of the week I don’t know what is. Get there early!!

Nice to be talking with you fellas as well. I keep up and you all's threads, just not a lot of free time to post. I've seen some real barn burners in TN though. These kids play ball for sure. If you guys have a chance to look them up, check out some highlights on Greenville High. They have like 6 kids already committed to D1 schools.

I won't still the thunder from Watauga/AC though. This game should decide the top 2 teams of the conference, even if one of these teams doesn't finish that high.
 
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Hibriten97

Sophomore
Oct 17, 2008
477
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I'm pulling for you Cabbage Heads this week......but I disagree about a shoot out....I think it will be low scoring AC's offense is good b/c the defenses they have been playing are so bad....Now its time for the AC Defense to play against a good offense....same goes for Watauga.
 

Burkeforreal

All-Conference
Aug 21, 2006
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I'm pulling for you Cabbage Heads this week......but I disagree about a shoot out....I think it will be low scoring AC's offense is good b/c the defenses they have been playing are so bad....Now its time for the AC Defense to play against a good offense....same goes for Watauga.

Could be anybody’s game. Both are strong, both are fast and both well coached. Of course Watauga has tricks and knows how to throw off defenses so Carter’s D is definitely gonna be on edge. And if I understand correctly from folks that have watched them play is they outmuscle ya with Big linemen and running attacks some of which are simple and some are counter runs. Same thing he was running at South Caldwell using some big linemen and some pretty good RBs especially Zac Pollard. I think both him and Witherspoon of Hibriten would be a post all by itself as to who was the better RB overall in Caldwell co. Both are very close and similar.
 

patsfball

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Two talented backs for sure. Zac was plagued by the injury bug or would have been a great back in college as well. Knee injury was costly. Fine young man!

Gee is blessed with natural talent. Is division 1 material no doubt. Could stand to be a little bigger, without loosing speed and he would be a ACC type recruit all day long.
 

Hibriten97

Sophomore
Oct 17, 2008
477
174
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Could be anybody’s game. Both are strong, both are fast and both well coached. Of course Watauga has tricks and knows how to throw off defenses so Carter’s D is definitely gonna be on edge. And if I understand correctly from folks that have watched them play is they outmuscle ya with Big linemen and running attacks some of which are simple and some are counter runs. Same thing he was running at South Caldwell using some big linemen and some pretty good RBs especially Zac Pollard. I think both him and Witherspoon of Hibriten would be a post all by itself as to who was the better RB overall in Caldwell co. Both are very close and similar.

Gee is about to break the county rushing record that is held by Stevie Ferguson (HHS class of 96).....pollard was good, Gee would blow him out of the water....gee has been good since he was a freshman.
 
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Burkeforreal

All-Conference
Aug 21, 2006
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Gee is about to break the county rushing record that is held by Stevie Ferguson (HHS class of 96).....pollard was good, Gee would blow him out of the water....gee has been good since he was a freshman.

I’d imagine he woulda had it long before now but since Lewis has class and calls the dogs off every game that would limit him on those yards and touchdowns. I’m sure the BH game woulda been 70+ to nothing if he wanted. This conference is not a challenge to Witherspoon and you can pretty much agree to that. Just the hand your dealt. Is what it is. If this was Pollards level of competition he would have those county yards too or at least close to it.

Pollard got yards too but it was against harder teams. Not saying at all that witherspoon is not as talented as Pollard was I’m just laying out the setting and the environment the two are/we’re under. Witherspoon prob has bigger stronger beefier OLinemen to run behind than Pollard did too. Looking back they were pretty big but so is this years Hibritens.

How would these 3 look in a combine and a open 100m dash would be interesting. I included Ferguson in that too. It’s reallt hard to say who would have an edge. I’ve watched both. Don’t remember Ferguson never seen him.
 

patsfball

Senior
Mar 12, 2014
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Stevie was talented and had a strong fullback to run behind, Ray Pope if I remember correctly. Didn't follow him in college but Ferguson did sign and play for Elon.... same college Gee has verbally committed

Zac Pollard was also one the best running backs to come out of Caldwell County. Missed most of his senior season due to knee injury. He is the only running back that I ever witnessed that KG (Kris Gardin) or David Burgess couldn't run down. Had the best football speed around.

Gee, well his numbers speak volumes. Great allusive running back with nice speed. Is a threat to score anytime he is on the field.... offense, defense, or special teams!
 
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patsfball

Senior
Mar 12, 2014
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I'm thinking Pope went on to play at Catawba. Maybe one of the Hibriten posters remembers this??
 

beamer24

All-American
Jul 16, 2009
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Pollard was incredibly fast running north and south.
Gee is more allusive and better after contact.
Dont remember much about Ferguson except he had a ton of heart. He probably played on the team that snapped the 27 game losing streak.