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COLUMN: Examining landscape of county football
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Published: October 30, 2009
As we hit the homestretch of the 2009 high school football regular season, I'd like to take this opportunity to make some observations.
And in doing so, where better to start off than in Motown.
I realize Mooresville only returned five starters from last season's 9-4 team, made the leap to 4A this year and introduced a new head coach, but how strange it to say this late in the season that the Blue Devils are still looking for their first win?
This just doesn't happen in Mooresville, where high school football has been put on a pedestal over the last 20 years thanks to its many successful campaigns, which were orchestrated by top-notch athletes and quality coaching staffs.
Yet here we are, Week 11, and the Blue Devils are 0-9.
They sort of did this to themselves. Their opponents that don't hail from the tough I-Meck 4A Conference have a combined record of 43-3.
I bet now they wished they had scheduled Iredell teams in those once vacant nonconference slots.
Mooresville has two more shots to get in the win column. The Blue Devils are at North Meck tonight and host rival Lake Norman next Friday in the regular-season finale.
Looking like an O-for year.
Weird.
HARD TIMES
Coming off their impressive win over perennial powerhouse West Charlotte last week, Lake Norman is the only team in the county guaranteed of finishing the regular season above .500.
The Wildcats, who have an open date this week, can reach 8-3 with a road win next Friday over Mooresville.
South Iredell and West Iredell can finish better than break-even, but it won't be easy. The Warriors (4-5) are at Carson (5-5) tonight and conclude the regular season Nov. 6 at home against rival Statesville.
The Vikings have an even tougher task with games at home versus Newton-Conover (8-1) and at East Burke (7-2) tonight and next week, respectively.
Bringing up the rear in the county are Statesville (3-6), North Iredell (1-8) and Mooresville.
Much like the economy, Iredell football has seen better days.
WARPED THINKING
Several years ago, the N.C. High School Athletic Association got the bright idea to expand the football playoffs.
What that essentially translated to was the NCHSAA rewarding mediocrity - or worse, really - and that's sad.
Truth be told, it established a poor mindset.
When you hear players saying "if we can just win this or that game, we can get to four wins and qualify for the playoffs," that's bad. And believe me, this sort of discussion goes on.
Playoffs should be designed for the best of the best, not two-thirds of the schools in each classification.
There are well over 300 public schools with football programs in this state, and 256 of them, regardless of their record, will qualify for the postseason.
It may be beating a dead horse, but it doesn't get much more watered-down than that.
COUNTY'S BEST ... ?
It never seems like it's too soon in college football to begin talking about the Heisman hopefuls, so let's talk about Iredell's top high school football honor, R&L county player of the year.
To me, there are a few strong candidates in the running, but the two that stand out most, in my mind, are West Iredell senior P.J. Clyburn, and South Iredell junior Cody Patterson.
Clyburn, who was named an all-state special teams player as a junior, is the kick/punt returner most teams wish they had, and he has a Ronnie Lott-type nose for the ball on defense. No wonder all those Division I schools are lining up for his services.
Patterson is a stud middle linebacker who tends to factor into every play while he's on the field. He is one of the top tacklers in the state, having totaled 127 in nine games. Patterson is a big reason why the Vikings have shut out three opponents this season.
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