FROM THE
BEAR’S DEN
This week: Chatham Central (0-1, 0-6) travels to North Stanly (0-0, 1-4; 1A Yadkin Valley Conference). Kickoff: 7:30 pm at North Stanly High School, Comets Stadium.
Head Coach: Scott Crisco
Leading returnees for North Stanly: QB Luke Shaver, RB Karee Dykes, WR Christain Barber, LB Gabe Hogan, LB Dylan Eudy, DB Cooper Hogan.
Last week: Albemarle 55 Chatham Central 9, Forest Hills 42 North Stanly 28
Last meeting: 2018 North Stanly 66 Chatham Central 0
Notable: North Stanly was one of the top 1A teams in the state last year but suffered huge losses due to graduation including N.C. State signee C.J. Clark.
Game keys: First and foremost for Chatham Central is getting healthy and some of its more experienced players back. In facing North Stanly, the Bears will see a Comets team that is not as fast as Albemarle, but they are bigger and stronger. So Chatham Central must man up and force some third-and-long situations especially when you factor in North Stanly is more of a running team. Offensively, Chatham Central must sustain possessions and give Moore some time to throw it. The Bears hope to get running backs Riley Lagenor and sophomore Malachi Moore back, the later of which hasn’t played yet this season due to injury.
From the coaches: CC’s coach Sherman Howze says his team will have to: “We will have to be physical and make some good things happen early. Hopefully we will have a lot of players back this week which should give us a big boost.”
ON CHARGER BOULEVARD
This week: Northwood (1-0, 2-3) travels to Chapel Hill (0-1, 1-4; 3A Big Eight Conference) Kickoff: 7 pm at Chapel Hill High School, Tigers Stadium.
Head Coach: Issac Marsh
Leading returnees for Chapel Hill: QB Taylor Clark, RB Caleb Clegg, LB Michael Ashaiepour, DL Yungkee Ellison, DL Declan Savage, LB Jeremy Breeze.
Last week: Northwood 24 Cedar Ridge 8, Vance County 36 Chapel Hill 33
Last meeting: 2017 Northwood 41 Chapel Hill 14
Notable: Chapel Hill head coach Issac Marsh is a Siler City native and former player at Jordan-Matthews, and now resides in Pittsboro. The Tigers failed to field a team a year ago so the rebuilding effort has been underway by Marsh.
Game keys: Northwood has to keep on with the momentum of improving up front. Getting the ball in space to Deuce Powell, Aaron Ross, Justin Brower and the likes is always a key, while keeping down the big plays from Chapel Hill will be vital for the Chargers. The Tigers have some speed that can be dangerous if they get out into the open field.
IN THE JET HANGAR
This week: Jordan-Matthews (0-1, 1-5) is traveling to Ramseur on Friday night to battle Eastern Randolph (1-0, 5-1; 2A PAC 7 Conference) Kickoff: 7:30 pm at Eastern Randolph High School, Burton Cates Stadium.
Head Coach: Burton Cates
Leading returnees: QB Cade Snotherly, WR Kaemen Marley, RB Tavis McAdoo, DB J.B. Farrish, TE Hunter Henson, DE Damion Milliner.
Last week: HP Andrews 59 Jordan-Matthews 8, Eastern Randolph 47 Providence Grove 0
Last meeting: 2018 Eastern Randolph 77 Jordan-Matthews 7
Notable: Eastern Randolph continues to improve under the return of Burton Cates who is back at the helm of the Wildcats for a second year in his second stint at the school. Marley is being recruited nationwide and the junior WR is considered one of the top players in the state of NC in the 2021 class.
Game keys: First and foremost, Jordan-Matthews must find a way to slow down Marley who has scored 11 touchdowns in the last three games. The Jets need to grind out some first downs while holding down the big play capability of ER. Forcing some turnovers will also be a key for the Jets.
From the coach: J-M’s Sam Spencer says his team will have to: “We have to continue focusing on us and getting better as a program. Eastern Randolph has a great team and our guys need to go in there and compete hard. We have nothing to lose so it’s more about us and what we are going to do to get better, and about us making plays and battling from start to finish.”