VCFNF: Northern Vance at South Granville
— by Jeff Jenkins
Northern Vance and South Granville, – both sets of the Northern Carolina’s 2A Vikings – will kick off their conference schedule tonight (Friday) at Creedmoor, and these two teams could not be more different right now: Northern Vance is 0-3 after is three nonconference outings, and did not locate the goal line until last week at 28-12 home loss against a tough Beddingfield squad out of Wilson. Both of those touchdowns came from Sophomore quarterback Samien Burwell, who started his first game last week and passed for one, 64 yards to Phadol Jorden, and ran 30 yards for the other. The Northern defense, in spite of allowing an average of 23 points per game in the first quarter of the season, has shown some ability to defend the passing game with good pressure on the passer and close secondary work that has produced at least one interception per game. But they do not do well against a good solid running offense, and that will be a BIG problem tonight.
South Granville, under veteran coach Mike Hobgood, has always relied on running for its offensive production, a strategy has taken those Vikings to the state playoffs for six years straight. Last year’s offense was abit more varied: with QB Tucker Brown passing for over 1200 yards and 11 TDs and leading the team in rushing with just under 800 yards, South finished 8-5, averaged scoring just under 30 points and allowed 20 per game. So far this season, QB Brown, now a senior, hasn’t even been called on the pass the ball much. At 3-0, the South Vikings squeaked by 4A Person County 7-0, easily handled 3A South Johnston 21-7, and then ran wild over independent Ravenscroft 41-12, all by rolling up an average of 273 yards per game on the ground (over 300 in the last two game), to only 9 yards passing. Brown has continued to run the ball, with 50 yards per game, but late-blooming Sr. RB Allajah Mitchell, a 6-1 220 lb D-I college prospect, is leading the team with just under 120 yards per game so far (he only had 21 yards rushing total last season). 5-7 170 lb Sophomore FB Bryson McCall, who had a good freshman year with just under 50 yards per game, rushed for 114 yards against South Johnston this year. The South Granville defense is led by their linebackers, including Mitchell, who starts at OLB and has 7 tackles per game, fellow Sr. Sean Deuger, who, at just 159 lb, has 10 per game, and Jr. Justin Bullock, the 198-lb middle Linebacker, who also has 10 stops per game.
VCFNF: Southern Vance vs. Bunn (Sept 8)
— by Jeff Jenkins
Southern Vance begins conference play at home tonight (Friday) against Bunn, a team that has been in the running for Northern Carolina conference champions every year since at least 2004, and is on a 12-game Northern Carolina 2-A win streak stretching back to Halloween, 2014. In 2015 the Wildcats were Eastern 2A champions and lost the state 2A Championship to unbeaten Monroe, ending the year with a 13-3 record, and a 48-point per game scoring average. Last year they were nearly as good, especially on defense, allowing only 17 points per game, including the playoffs, where they were upset in the 2nd round to end former Coach David Howle’s 34-year career at Bunn.
Everyone should expect some changes and challenges for the Wildcats this year under new head coach David Weathersby, a former assistant under Howle who is known for bringing Bartlett-Yancey from a can’t-win program to respectability and the playoffs in 2 short seasons. But the Bunn faithful were probably not prepared for the 1-2 start the Wildcats have had this season. While it is not uncommon for Bunn to lose a nonconference game – coach Howle always gave his team some tough tests to start each season – two unusual things have already happened. First, Bunn won its season opener to North Lenoir by only one point 31-30, and historically, Bunn rarely loses a close game. next, the Wildcats lost to Franklinton, their cross-county former conference rival 32-22, the first loss for Bunn in that rivalry since 2011. And finally, Bunn suffered a 55-7 pasting from 3A Southern Nash last Friday night. The Wildcats have always had trouble with Southern Nash, with almost no wins over the 3A program in the past decade, but the last time the Wildcats were beaten that badly was a 66-6 playoff defeat by Reidsville. in 2009.
Southern Vance and Bunn traded 1st and 2nd place finishes in the Northern Carolina 2A every year from 2004 to 2007, but the Raiders have not won a match-up with the Wildcats since 2007. But with Bunn’s struggles in nonconference match-ups this season, history could change tonight: Going into the conference opener against Southern Vance, the mighty Bunn Wildcats are 1-2, the same as the Raiders; they have averaged scoring just under 20 points per game (against the Raiders’ 26 per game), and have allowed over 38 points per game (to 28 allowed by SV). For the first time in recent memory, then, Southern Vance has an advantage over Bunn on paper going into tonight’s game. Furthermore, the two teams faced similar quality opponents in the past 3 weeks, and the Raiders can claim more momentum than the ‘Cats, since Southern scored 36 points in 14-point loss last week while Bunn score one TD in a 48-point thrashing.
Bunn is continuing its tradition as a run-oriented offices, but the team was decimated by graduation, Coach Weathersby does not have last year’s top three runners, two of whom scored 18 TDs apiece, or last year’s starting QB. Bunn is averaging 175 yards per game rushing so far, and only 43 yards passing, as Soph QB C. Collier settles into his role. The leading runner so far is Sr. D Moses, who only ran for 217 total yards last season, and has 54 yards per game this year. Moses is followed by fellow Sr. T Davis with 36 yards and Soph J Rogers with 37 per outing. Rogers, who rushed for 100 yards in his only varsity game last year, has scored 2 of the Cat’s 5 rushing TDs.
Irma Briefing Thursday Morning
— courtesy Brian Short, Director of Emergency Operations Henderson-Vance County
Click Here for the National Weather Service Briefing
Short wrote in an email to local officials and local preparedness teams:
“Please see the attached from the National Weather Service regarding Hurricane Irma. We continue to watch this system very closely. Though we cannot say for sure, it is likely at this point that we may be implementing certain emergency protective measures over the coming days.
“We will continue to keep everyone informed and will continue to pass along information as it is received.”
Creative Ideas for Fall Color
— by Paul McKenzie, Vance/Warren Ag. Ext. Agent
On Saturday, September 9th, the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will hold a free seminar entitled “Creative Ideas for Fall Color” at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market. Learn about the many plants in addition to mums and pansies that can enhance the fall landscape. The program will start at 10 am and last about 45 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to shop! The Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr. in Henderson. To sign up or to get more information, call 252-438-8188 or e-mail paul_mckenzie@ncsu.edu.