Thursday’s High School Football Gameday: previews, picks, schedule
With rain in the forecast for Friday in the Charlotte-area, more than a dozen area games are moving up to Thursday. Here are previews for Thursday’s key games and a full weekend schedule
Thursday’s top games
Fort Mill (2-6, 1-2 S.C. Region 3 5A) at Clover (5-3, 3-0), 7:30 p.m. – Clover is facing a battle with Rock Hill next Friday for the region championship, but only if the Blue Eagles get past Fort Mill. Clover QB Jaylon Hoover is completion 60 percent of his passes this season. This longtime series goes in streaks. Clover has won five in a row. Fort Mill won six straight before that.
Hunter Huss (4-4, 3-2 Big South 3A) at Crest (8-0, 5-0), 7:30 p.m. – Crest, like Kings Mountain, is headed for the big conference showdown next Friday. Hunter Huss is a dangerous foe, though, as the Huskies own a victory this season over a tough South Point team. Huss DB Gene Neely (three interceptions) and teammates will hope to slow down Crest QB Ny’tavious Huskey, who is putting up video-game numbers this season (2,483 passing yards and 31 touchdowns).
Kings Mountain (8-0, 5-0 Big South 3A) at Ashbrook (3-5, 3-2), 7:30 p.m. – Kings Mountain has a big game next Friday against rival Crest, to decide the conference championship, and the Mountaineers can’t afford a slip-up at Ashbrook. The host Green Wave can move the ball behind RB Jamir Fox, but Kings Mountain has allowed only one conference opponent to score more than seven points this season.
No. 12 Northwest Cabarrus (8-0, 5-0 South Piedmont 3A) at Jay M. Robinson (8-0, 6-0), 7 p.m. – It’s the Deer Park Cabarrus Game of the Week and really the game of the year in Cabarrus County. The visiting Trojans have a stifling defense, but their offense also is high-powered. WR Henry Forrest had five catches for 102 yards last week. Robinson can match that. QB Isaac Lee completed 11-of-12 passes for 178 yards and four touchdowns last week – in 2½ quarters. The winner picks up a boat load of points in the state’s RPI rankings and probably lands a high seed in the 3A playoffs.
Shelby (5-3, 4-0 Southern Piedmont 1A-2A) at East Gaston (7-1, 3-1), 7:30 p.m. – This is the Deer Park Water Gaston Game of the Week. The Golden Lions feature one of the area’s top young quarterbacks, in sophomore Lan Farmer (1.772 passing yards, 31 touchdowns). East Gaston saw its unbeaten season ended last week in a 58-42 shootout loss to Burns, and another high-scoring game looks likely this week. The Warriors’ explosive running game is averaging 312 yards a contest.
West Lincoln (7-1, 4-1 Catawba Valley 2A) at East Burke (2-6, 0-5), 7:30 p.m. – Don’t let East Burke’s record fool you, as the Cavaliers have been competitive in most of their games this season. West Lincoln junior RB Jaylin Winnex has passed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season and leads an offense that averages nearly 350 rushing yards a contest. Winnex ran for 230-plus yards last Friday.
The picks
This week’s schedule
(kickoffs at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted)
THURSDAY
Big South 3A
Hunter Huss (4-4, 3-2) at Crest (8-0, 5-0), 7:30
Kings Mountain (8-0, 5-0) at Ashbrook (3-5, 3-2), 7:30
South Point (4-4, 2-3) at Forestview (1-7, 0-5), 7:30
Stuart Cramer (0-8, 0-5) at North Gaston (2-6, 2-3), 7:30
South Piedmont 3A
Northwest Cabarrus (8-0, 5-0) at Jay M. Robinson (8-0, 6-0)
Western Foothills 3A
Fred T. Foard (0-8, 0-5) at Hickory (8-0, 5-0), 7:30
Statesville (6-2, 5-0) at St. Stephens (0-8, 0-5), 7:30
Catawba Valley 2A
Bandys (5-3, 2-3) at West Caldwell (0-8, 0-5), 7:30
Bunker Hill (8-0, 5-0) at Newton-Conover (3-5, 2-3), 7:30
West Lincoln (7-1, 4-1) at East Burke (2-6, 0-5), 7:30
Southern Piedmont 1A-2A
Burns (6-2, 4-0) at Cherryville (2-6, 2-2), 7:30
Highland Tech (0-8, 0-4) at Thomas Jefferson Academy (1-8, 0-5), 7:30
Shelby (5-3, 4-0) at East Gaston (7-1, 3-1), 7:30
S.C. Region 3 5A
Fort Mill (3-5, 1-2) at Clover (5-3, 3-0), 7:30
S.C. Region 3 1A
Whitmire (4-3, 1-1) at Lewisville (7-1, 2-0), 7:30
FRIDAY
Queen City 3A-4A
Harding (1-7, 0-5) at Hough (7-1, 5-0)
Mallard Creek (4-4, 3-2) at West Mecklenburg (3-5, 1-4)
North Mecklenburg (3-5, 2-3) at Hopewell (3-5, 1-4)
West Charlotte (7-1, 4-1) at Chambers (6-2, 4-1)
South Meck 4A
Myers Park (5-3, 3-0) at Berry Academy (2-5, 0-3)
Olympic (2-6, 0-3) at Ardrey Kell (5-3, 2-1)
Southwestern 4A
East Mecklenburg (1-7, 1-3) at Charlotte Catholic (6-3, 3-2)
Providence (3-5, 1-3) at Garinger (0-8, 0-4)
Rocky River (2-6, 1-3) at Independence (6-2, 4-0)
Big South (NCISAA)
Charlotte Latin (2-6, 0-1) at Charlotte Christian (5-3, 0-1)
Greater Metro 4 4A
A.L. Brown (4-4, 2-3) at Mooresville (8-0, 4-0)
Cox Mill (3-5, 2-2) at Hickory Ridge (2-6, 2-2)
Lake Norman (8-0, 4-0) at South Iredell (2-6, 0-4)
Southern Carolina 4A
Cuthbertson (6-3, 1-2) at Weddington (7-1, 2-0)
Marvin Ridge (4-4, 0-2) at Sun Valley (7-1, 1-1)
South Piedmont 3A
Jesse Carson (3-5, 2-3) at Central Cabarrus (2-6, 1-4)
South Rowan (2-6, 1-4) at East Rowan (0-8, 0-5)
West Rowan (3-5, 3-2) at Concord (5-3, 3-3)
Western Foothills 3A
North Iredell (3-5, 2-3) at East Lincoln (6-2, 3-2), 7:30
West Iredell (5-3, 2-3) at North Lincoln (5-3, 2-3), 7:30
Rocky River 2A-3A
Anson County (4-4, 2-1) at West Stanly (5-3, 2-1)
Monroe (7-1, 3-0) at Piedmont (1-7, 0-3)
Parkwood (1-7, 0-3) at Forest Hills (7-1, 2-1)
Catawba Valley 2A
Maiden (5-3, 3-2) at Lincolnton (4-4, 4-1), 7:30
Western Athletic (NCISAA)
Cannon School (5-3, 1-1) at Christ School (1-6, 0-1)
Piedmont Athletic (NCISAA)
High Point Christian (7-1, 2-1) at Hickory Grove Christian (8-0, 3-0)
SouthLake Christian (0-7, 0-3) at Asheville School (4-5, 3-0)
Catawba Shores 1A-2A
Christ the King (4-4, 2-3) at Community School of Davidson (7-1, 5-0)
Mountain Island Charter (5-3, 2-3) at Carver (1-7, 1-4)
Pine Lake Prep (7-1, 5-0) at Corvian Community (4-4, 2-3)
Winston-Salem Prep (1-7, 0-5) at Bishop McGuinness (4-4, 3-2)
Yadkin Valley 1A-2A
North Stanly (6-2, 2-0) at Mount Pleasant (5-3, 2-1)
Union Academy (1-7, 0-2) at Albemarle (3-5, 1-1), 7:30
Nonconference
Charlotte Country Day (3-5) at Metrolina Christian (6-3)
Rabun Gap School (GA) at Providence Day (8-0)
South Mecklenburg (3-5) at Porter Ridge (6-2)
South Stanly (4-4) at Lake Norman Charter (5-3)
S.C. Region 3 5A
Rock Hill (5-3, 3-0) at Blythewood (3-5, 1-2), 7:30
Spring Valley (0-7, 0-3) at Nation Ford (3-5, 1-2), 7:30
S.C. Region 3 4A
Indian Land (4-4, 0-3) at Catawba Ridge (1-7, 0-3), 7:30
Lancaster (1-7, 1-2) at York (6-2, 2-1), 7:30
South Pointe (6-2, 3-0) at Northwestern (7-1, 3-0), 7:30
S.C. Region 4 3A
Chester (8-1, 3-0) at Clinton (6-2, 2-0), 7:30
Emerald (0-8, 0-2) at Union County (1-7, 0-2), 7:30
S.C. Region 5 2A
Andrew Jackson (5-3, 3-0) at North Central (3-5, 2-1), 7:30
Cheraw (3-5, 2-1) at Buford (2-6, 0-3), 7:30
Chesterfield (2-6, 1-2) at Central Pageland (2-6, 1-2), 7:30
S.C. Region 3 1A
Great Falls (2-7, 0-3) at McBee (5-3, 2-0), 7:30
SATURDAY
Independent Association playoffs
Anderson (SC) Cavaliers (4-4) at Cabarrus Stallions (4-5), 6
Open week: Bessemer City, Butler, Covenant Day, Palisades, West Cabarrus
