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A digital magazine devoted to high school football in Northwestern North Carolina

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Page 1: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

A WEEKLY DIGITAL MAGAZINE FROM YADKIN VALLEY SPORTS & FOOTHILLS FOOTBALL

QuarterbackMonday Morning

Monday, Sept. 12, 2011

WEST WILKES 14, FORBUSH 13

’HAWKS HANG ONWest Wilkes makes homecoming night a thrill,edges Falcons for first MVAC victory

Starmount, Wilkes Central pitch shutouts Ashe County wins conference opener at Elkin Northwest teams gear up for league play

Page 2: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

2 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM

Monday Morning

A WEEKLY DIGITAL MAGAZINE FROM YADKIN VALLEY SPORTS & FOOTHILLS FOOTBALL

Volume 2 * Issue 4 * Sept. 12, 2011 * [email protected] * (336) 835-4121

Eric LuskEditor & PublishEr

Pam LuskbusinEss ManagEr

Starr PoplinadvErtising, salEs

On The CoverWest Wilkes’ Tyloer Woods fights for yard-age vs. Forbush (Photo: William Sparklin)

ContributorsRick Papsun, TC Gammons,

Tim Weatherman, Jimmy Kuhn, William Sparklin, Rudy Coggins, Kelly Snow

Monday Morning Quarterback is a digital publication of:

Lusk Media126 Valleybrook Drive

Elkin, NC 28621All rights reserved.

WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 3

In The Rearview MirrorFriday, Sept. 9 Games

Ashe County 28, Elkin 6Starmount 38, East Wilkes 0West Wilkes 14, Forbush 13Wilkes Central 48, North Wilkes 0South Stokes 34, Alleghany 12West Stokes 28, McMichael 0Mount Airy 27, Central Davidson 0Newton-Conover 30, East Surry 9South Davidson 19, Bishop Mc-Guinness 16Rosewood 46, North Stokes 43Surry Central openNorth Surry open

On The HorizonFriday, Sept. 16 GamesMOUNTAIN VALLEY 1A/2A

Starmount at Ashe CountyAlleghany at Wilkes CentralWest Wilkes at East WilkesNorth Wilkes at ForbushElkin open

NORTHWEST 1A/2AWest Stokes at Mount AirySurry Central at East SurryBishop McGuinness at North SurrySouth Stokes at North Stokes

It’s go timeNorthwest 1A/2A Conference season kicks off with several great match-upsBy Eric LuskEditor

It was quiet in most home stadi-ums at Northwest 1A/2A Conference schools this past Friday night.

North Surry and Surry Central had open dates. West Stokes, Mount Airy, South Stokes and North Stokes all played away from home, with the Vikings taking a three-hour trek to Goldsboro to face Rosewood.

But things should be a lot live-lier this Friday night. The Northwest 1A/2A kicks off its league schedule, and opening week promises some barn-burners

Mount Airy will entertain West Stokes in what could have conference title implications right off the bat. The Granite Bears have been the champs of the Northwest the past four years, but a majority of coaches around the league picked the Wildcats to end that reign this year.

Pilot Mountain will see familiar rivals East Surry and Surry Central tangle. The Golden Eagles ended a 12-

year football drought against the Car-dinals last season and have won their previous two games heading into their open date. Don’t overlook East Sur-ry and its 0-3 record. A lot of league teams would be 0-3 against the teams they’ve faced.

South Stokes at North Stokes may have been an afterthought game in recent years past, but both teams are off to great starts (South is 2-1, North is 3-1), and this county rivalry show-down could be a doozy -- with 1A playoff implications.

Bishop McGuinness will visit North Surry in the final Northwest match-up. Bishop is retooling this year but has been solid in conference the past cou-ple of years. The Greyhounds are off to a 3-0 start, using a hurry up offense to wear down opposing teams.

Hold on to your hats, folks, the next seven weeks should be quite a show across Surry County, Stokes County and one corner of Kernersville.

Foothills Football 2011Copies Still Available AtThese Fine Locations!

•Wilco Hess stores in East Bend, Elkin, Jonesville, Kernersville, King, Mount Airy, Pilot Mountain, Dobson, North Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro and West Jefferson

•Diana’s Bookstore & Elk Pharmacy in Elkin•D-Rex Pharmacy in Jonesville•Cook’s Sporting Goods in North Wilkesboro•King Town Barber Shop in King•Booster Clubs at Elkin, South Stokes, Wilkes Central &West Stokes high schools

Page 3: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

By Eric LuskEditor

1Turnovers kill. Just ask Elkin, which piled up more than 300 yards of of-

fense and advanced into Ashe County’s red zone seven different times Friday night. But three fumbles and two in-terceptions thwarted the Elks’ scoring chances in a 28-6 loss. Had Elkin been able to hang on to the ball, maybe we’re writing about its first victory in today’s issue.

2Sometimes football can be cruel. North Stokes thought it had scored

the go-ahead touchdown late in what had been a wild contest at Rosewood. But a flag nullified the long gainer, and the Vikes suffered a 46-43 defeat. For-bush knows about the cruelty this week, too, with a field goal in the closing seconds sailing just wide. West Wilkes edged the Falcons 14-13.

3Wilkes Central and Starmount look like the teams to beat in the

Mountain Valley 1A/2A, as expected. The Eagles and Rams both improved to 4-0 on Friday night with shutout wins. After giving up 47 points against West Iredell in week two, Wilkes Central’s defense has put up zeroes. Starmount has surrendered just 5 points in the last eight quarters.

4It’s going to be a dogfight in the MVAC for positions 3-9. While the

Eagles and Rams have moved to the front of the class in the league, no one else has really stepped up and seized the day behind them. It will be intriguing to see how the rest of the spots shake out, especially on the 1A side where a lot of teams look evenly matched. West Wilkes looks like the front-runner in the

1As but don’t overlook Elkin (if turn-over issues can be solved) or East Wil-kes (which has been stout defensively).

5Bishop McGuinness may have found itself some dependable run-

ning backs. That position was a big question mark after the graduation of

4 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 5

Week Four In Review

First & 10Ten things to take away from week four of the football season

speedsters Jared Pluciniczak, Marty DeFrancesco and Nick Sgroi following the 2010 season. But Patrick O’Shea enjoyed his second 100-yard rushing game in as many tries, recording a pair of touchdowns for the Villains in Fri-day’s game against South Davidson. Greg Solomon added another 60 yards for Bishop.

6North Surry and Surry Central may not have wanted to have this

past Friday night off. The Greyhounds and Golden Eagles both had a lot of mo-mentum heading into their bye weeks. Both look like formidable foes in the Northwest 1A/2A Conference race if they can keep playing at that level. North Surry opens against Bishop Mc-Guinness. Surry Central makes the short trek to Pilot Mountain to face East Surry on Friday.

7 Don’t overlook East Surry. The Cardinals may be the only team in the

Northwest without a win. But the Cards also played one of the toughest non-con-ference schedules for a school its size. It will be interesting to see how the team fares once it starts playing opponents more its caliber -- and ones that coach David Diamont are a lot more familiar with.

8The schedule, at least, is kinder to Elkin this season. The past two

years, between the Ashe County and Starmount games, the Buckin’ Elks had to face a grueling opponent in Charlotte Latin. Mercifully, the Friday night be-tween those contests this season is filled with an open date. Elkin is 0-4 and, with such a youthful bunch, coaches likely are eager to spend more time practicing than game-planning for an opponent.

9It’s safe to say that the spread of-fense is a hit at North Stokes. The

Vikings had been mostly a Wing-T team in the Frank Sessoms era, but new coach Jason Lippard brought in the spread when he took over this spring. North Stokes is off to one of its best starts in

school history, beating a 3A school for the first time a couple of Fridays ago and scoring 43 points on Friday at Rose-wood. Had a few things gone differently Friday, North Stokes could be taking a 4-0 record into its annual showdown with South Stokes this week.

10It’s going to be hard for Mon-day Morning Quarterback’s

publisher to decide which game to at-tend this Friday. West Stokes at Mount Airy? Surry Central at East Surry? South Stokes at North Stokes? West Wilkes at East Wilkes? Starmount at Ashe Coun-ty? One of the other games? Has the sports reporter cloning machine been invented yet? Fortunately, thanks to the internet, great local radio and a number of dedicated sports journalists across the area — plus this unique publication — fans will have a lot of ways to keep up with their teams in what promises to be a big week of football.

Week Four In Review

Photo by William SparklinForbush High’s Brittan Baity dodges West Wilkes tacklers on Friday night. The nailbiter between the Falcons and Blackhawks could be repeated in several conference match-ups this season.

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Photo by Eric LuskOverlook East Surry and coach David Diamont at your own peril. The Cardi-nals may be 0-3 but should be a fac-tor in the Northwest 1A/2A

Page 4: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

6 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM

Week Four In Focus

Elkin not used to thisBut there is light at the end of the tunnel for Elks, now 0-4By Eric LuskEditor

Kenny Chesney’s ode to football, The Boys of Fall, played from the Gris-som Stadium loudspeakers as fans filed out following Elkin’s 28-6 loss to Ashe County on Friday night.

The popular song may have taken many Buckin’ Elks fans on a sentimen-tal journey to Elkin’s not-so-distant-but-glorious-past, which featured four state championships in a five-year span and a couple more state semifinals appearances in the first decade of the 2000s.

The home stadium was packed. The season typically extended past Thanks-giving. Memorable games and perfor-mances were plentiful, and this small town at the corner of three counties — though diverse — had something to rally around all year long.

Those times likely seem far off now. Friday’s loss dropped the Elks to 0-4 heading into their bye week — on pace for their worst record since the 2000 team finished 2-9. But, if you look closely, there is some light at the end of the tun-nel. Here are some promising aspects:

• Elkin moved the ball well against Ashe County, a 2A foe, on Friday night. The Buckin’ Elks outgained the Huskies and finished with 309 total yards. They used an effective option game, with sev-eral nice pass plays for big gains.

• The offensive and defensive lines, though lacking the sheer size and power of recent years, has been able to generate some push. Ashe coach Bill Strong said the Buckin’ Elks’ defensive front stymied his OL in the first half Friday night. “Our offensive line didn’t struggle we got our butt whipped badly in the first half,” he said.

Elkin coach Scott Wood is a former lineman himself so you would expect him to have an edge in being able to de-velop solid trench workers.

• Josh Strickland is emerging as a

promising quarterback. Just a freshman, Strickland has been the starter since game one. He’s learning to read the option and he can generate yardage when he tucks it and runs (43 yards on Friday).

“Sometimes I forget he’s a freshman,” Wood said. “He does a whole lot out there for a freshman. When we throw the ball, we’ve got to do a better job of giving him some time and just be more consistent of-fensively.”

• Seth Creed and Nick Phillips have become dependable ball-carriers. Creed isn’t the biggest of backs, but he’s like Rudy in terms of heart and hustle, Wood said. “Seth is small but he plays hard, as hard as anyone we’ve got,” the coach said. “He doesn’t have a big body but he’s got a big heart. He hides. He plays

hide and seek behind the line.”• Help looks to be on the way from the

freshman class. While Strickland is play-ing up on varsity out of necessity, Elkin coaches have left a number of talented freshmen on JV for now. So far, the group has had success (following up on a stel-lar eighth-grade year that saw Elkin reach the Sertoma Super Bowl). Elkin’s JV beat Ashe County 34-28 Thursday and also has a conference win over East Wilkes.

While none of these items promise another run of four more state champi-onships, there is reason to believe Elkin football won’t be down for long. The Elks may yet make a run this season, and Kenny Chesney’s Boys of Fall may get to play from the Grissom Stadium loud-speakers at a state playoff game or two.

Photo by Eric LuskAfter faking a handoff to Seth Creed, Elkin QB Josh Strickland takes off.

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Page 5: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

Area teams catch eye of statewide pollsters

The Associated Press released its first N.C. high school football state rankings last week, and a handful of Foothills teams caught the eye of vot-ers.

Mount Airy was ranked No. 8 in the debut state poll for Class 1A. Reigning 1A champion Wallace-Rose Hill topped the list, followed by Swain County, Mitchell County, Albemarle (reigning 1AA state champ), Plymouth, Manteo, Southwest Onslow and then the Gran-ite Bears. North Stokes was among the schools receiving votes.

The top 10 for Class 2A did not in-clude an area school but Wilkes Central was first on the list of schools receiving votes, making the Eagles essentially the 11th ranked 2A school for the week. West Stokes and Starmount also were among the top schools in the “others receiving votes” category.

Winston-Salem Carver topped the initial AP poll for 2A schools, followed by East Duplin, Lincolnton, South Ire-dell, Tarboro, High Point Andrews, Polk County, Lexington, Salisbury (de-fending 2AA champion) and Burling-ton Cummings.

NCPreps.com also released its weekly statewide rankings. Mount Airy comes in at No. 8 for Class 1A, with Swain County on top. Wilkes Central is No. 13 in the Class 2A rankings com-piled by NCPreps.com.

West Stokes’ foe brings the hits, twice

West Stokes football players saw plenty of Dylan Rhodes in last week’s junior varsity and varsity football games against McMichael. Rhodes played for McMichael in both con-tests, racking up 17 tackles in the JV tilt Thursday night and 16 in the varsity contest the following evening.

West Stokes was able to win both contests, despite growing weary of be-ing beat on by Rhodes.

JV update: Rams, Elks, Vikes win on the road

Starmount, Elkin, North Wilkes and Forbush were among the junior varsity football winners on Thursday night, with the Rams, Elks and Vikings get-ting it done on the road.

Starmount topped East Wilkes 52-0 in Ronda. Elkin’s JV’s slipped past Ashe County 34-28 in West Jefferson. North Wilkes beat Wilkes Central 20-6 in Moravian Falls. Forbush was an 8-0 winner at home against West Wilkes.

In Northwest 1A/2A JV football ac-tion, West Stokes earned a 30-27 win against McMichael at home.

Please report JV scores to Yadkin Valley Sports by emailing Eric Lusk ([email protected]) or by posting results on our Facebook page.

Get your Elkin T-shirts at Plums in downtown

For several years, Plums in down-town Elkin has been a popular place to buy Buckin’ Elks football T-shirts.

Plums again has Elkin gridiron gear

for the 2011 season. Plums is located at 111 W. Main St. Phone: (336) 526-8999.

Mount Airy overcomes unique offense

The Granite Bears got a taste of the double-wing offense Friday night at Central Davidson, and it took coach Kelly Holder’s team a little time to fig-ure it out.

Mount Airy fell behind 12-0 before rallying to a 27-20 victory. Central Davidson finished with more than 300 yards rushing, which is an eye-catching stat considering that defense has been one of the Bears’ strengths this season.

Saig Skeen was a tough back for the Bears to bring down all night. He fin-ished with 178 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. His second TD cov-ered 40 yards on a third and long, and tied the game 20-20.

“(Skeen) was really good. He was a load and I think we may have under-estimated him a little bit,” Holder said. “He was a tough runner. They put so many people at the point of attack that

it’s really tough. You almost have to put nine or 10 in the box to stop them. We didn’t stop them, but I thought we played pretty well.”

West Stokes saw Central David-son on Sept. 2 and posted the exact same final score, 27-20 in victory. The Bears and Wildcats meet on the field this Friday night.

Spreading the RB wealth around

One good thing about taking a big early lead -- a lot of players get to see game action.

Wilkes Central and Starmount certainly spread the rushing load around to a number of players in their shutout wins against North Wilkes and East Wilkes, respec-tively.

Wilkes Central had 11 differ-ent backs earn at least one carry, and the collective picked up 318 rushing yards. Starmount, mean-while, gave the ball to 10 differ-ent running backs, and that group amassed 402 yards.

You can’t ever accuse the Ea-

Week Four News, Notes & Observations Week Four News, Notes & Observations

8 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 9

Elite EightPower RankingsHow They Fared * Who’s Next?

1. Starmount (4-0)Last Friday: Beat East Wilkes 28-0This Friday: Visiting Ashe County

2. West Stokes (4-0)Last Friday: Beat McMichael 28-20This Friday: Visiting Mount Airy

3. Wilkes Central (4-0)Last Friday: Beat North Wilkes 48-0This Friday: Hosting Alleghany

4. Mount Airy (3-1)Last Friday: Beat C. Davidson 27-20This Friday: Hosting West Stokes

5. North Surry (3-0)Last Friday: OpenThis Friday: Hosting Bishop McGuinness

6. North Stokes (3-1)Last Friday: Lost to Rosewood 46-43This Friday: Hosting South Stokes

7. Surry Central (2-1)Last Friday: OpenThis Friday: Visiting East Surry

8. Bishop McGuinness (1-1)Last Friday: Lost to S. Davidson 19-16This Friday: Visiting North Surry

‘ ’THEY SAID IT“We moved it down the

field. But we found a way not to put it in. It’s hard when you go all the way

down there and that’s what happens.”

Elkin coach Scott WoodTalking about missed chances vs. Ashe

Photo by Eric LuskDustin Triplett, who rushed for 100 yards, was one of 11 backs who car-ried the ball for Wilkes Central.

Photo by Eric LuskThe AP and NCPreps.com both rank Mount Airy in their top 10 for Class 1A.

Page 6: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

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Week Four In Focus

By Kelly SnowContributing Writer

The Mount Airy High School football team didn’t exactly get an easy approach toward opening defense of its 1A/2A Northwest Conference championship.

Instead, the Granite Bears were outgained, outplayed at times, and forced to rally from an early hole to fend off winless Central Davidson 27-20 Friday in Lexington.

Mount Airy (3-1) gave up nearly 300 yards rushing to the Spartans’ (0-4) double wing, ground-oriented offense, but forced three turnovers including a fumble in the late stages of the fourth that helped put the game away.

“Defensively, I was really proud of the way we played in the second half,” Mount Airy coach Kelly Holder said. “We came up with a couple of big stops down here, especially in their territory.”

The surprising Spartans, playing for the first time since the abrupt resignation of head coach Scott Hoover because of health concerns, raced out to a 12-0 first half lead after a pair of long drives, including one set up by a fumbled kickoff.

And then it was Austin Taylor’s turn.The Granite Bears’ do-everything

quarterback answered Central’s second score with an 11-yard run after being flushed from the pocket. His

run wrapped up a five-play march, highlighted by a 40-yard burst up the middle by fullback Ty Simmons.

Taylor finished his night with 79 yards rushing on seven carries, including the eventual game-winner —a 36-yard quarterback draw that gave the Granite Bears a 27-20 lead with 4:22 remaining

in the game. Taylor also connected on a touchdown pass with Garrett Vanhoy in the third.

“(Taylor’s) tough,” Holder said. “He just keeps getting better.”

Saig Skeen led the Spartans’ double-wing attack with 178 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. Skeen’s second scoring run, from 40-yard away on 3rd-and-13 midway through the fourth, and the subsequent two-point conversion knotted the game 20-20.

“(Skeen) was really good. He was a load and I think we may have underestimated him a little bit,” Holder said. “He was a tough runner. They put so many people at the point of attack that it’s really tough. You almost have to put nine or 10 in the box to stop them. We didn’t stop them, but I thought we played pretty well.”

It was over when…the ball was knocked out of the arms of Central Davidson running back Josh Wright while he was

fighting for extra yards as his team was driving for a possible game-tying score. A host of defenders swarmed to the ball, giving the Granite Bears the ball back at its 30-yard line with 3:36 to play. Three first downs later, the teams were shaking hands.

MOUNT AIRY 27, CENTRAL DAVIDSON 20

Bears overcome Double-Wing

Photo by Eric LuskAustin Taylor played a big role in Mount Airy’s latest win, a 27-20 decision at Central Davidson on Friday night.

10 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM

Page 7: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 13

Week Four Game Coverage

By Rudy CogginsGoldsboro News-Argus Sports Editor

GOLDSBORO — The perfect play had one costly flaw.

Trailing by a field goal in the final three minutes of regulation, North Stokes dug into its bag of tricks. Garrett Wood took the snap, flipped the ball to Matthew Hopkins, who in turn connected with Dustin Smith on a wide-open touchdown pass.

But a yellow hanky dirtied up the field.The Vikings drew a holding penalty on

the play and couldn’t recover in a wild 46-43, non-conference loss to Rosewood at Branch Pope Field on Friday evening. North Stokes endured its first defeat in four outings this season and was denied the chance to equal its win total from 2010.

“An untimely penalty,” said Vikings head coach Jason Lippard. “We got what we wanted, got the ball back with plenty of time and knew we could move it (downfield). We got the situation dialed up and hit it.

“It was our ace in the hole if we needed it.”

The Vikings were trumped instead.The teams combined to convert 14 of 24

possessions into either afield goal or touchdown in the three-

hour affair. North Stokes amassed 338 yards of total offense, while Rosewood (3-1 overall) churned out 481 yards.

Each team ran 58 offensive plays.Quarterback Garrett Wood spread 15

completions among five receivers. TJ Sonafrank, Weston Lawerence and Dustin Smith each hauled in a touchdown pass. Wood had two rushing touchdowns, giving him six for the season.

“We had a great night from Garrett, did everything we asked him to and managed the game beautifully,” said Lippard. “The fans got what they paid for. Hats off to those guys. Rosewood’s got a heckuva football team. They’re young, but they are really athletic as opposed to what we are used to seeing.”

North Stokes seized a 17-6 lead after

one quarter and ended the Rosewood defense’s string of eight consecutive scoreless periods. The Eagles led 28-23 at halftime and increased their advantage 34-23 on Jamari McGown’s 22-yard scamper with 7:48 left in the third.

McGown led all rushers with 137 yards and three scores on 16 carries.

The Vikings stayed within striking distance and pulled ahead for the second time in the second half on Wood’s 4-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter. The Eagles answered with a game-winning, 65-yard drive that ended on Shane Whitley’s 8-yard run.

Rosewood converted two fourth-down

plays on the possession.“We let them off the hook,” said

Lippard.After Whitley’s touchdown, North

Stokes recovered the onsides kick at midfield with 2:52 left in regulation. An intentional grounding penalty and loss of down set up the trick play that drew the holding flag.

“It just hurts when you get what you want and hit, and the officials determine the outcome,” said Lippard. “It’s just a tough call at that point in the game. I asked my kids to come and play to the final whistle, and that’s exactly what they did.”

ROSEWOOD 46, NORTH STOKES 43

Vikes almost pull off miracle win

Photo courtesy Goldsboro News-ArgusNorth Stokes quarterback Garrett Wood is wrapped up by Rosewood.

Page 8: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

14 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM

By Eric LuskEditor

Elkin often proved its own worst enemy in a 28-6 conference loss to Ashe County on Friday night.

The Buckin’ Elks outgained the Huskies 309 to 215. Seven of Elkin’s 10 possessions moved inside the Ashe County 20-yard-line, and another made it to the Huskies’ 25. But only one series resulted in points — a short-yardage TD after a blocked punt.

Elkin fumbled the ball away three times, threw two interceptions and missed a field goal. Another drive stalled on downs at the Ashe 12. It was just one of those nights that make coaches wonder if they aren’t a little snake-bit. “We moved it down the field,” Elkin coach Scott Wood said. “But we found a way not to put it in. It’s hard when you go all the way down there and that’s what happens.”

The result left the Elks 0-4 overall and 0-2 in the Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference standings heading into a bye week. Ashe County improved to 2-2, 1-0 in the MVAC. Both teams have Starmount as their next opponent — Ashe next Friday and Elkin on Sept. 23.

Ashe County won Friday without two of its top running backs, who were sidelined because of injury. Sophomore Jonathan Cox stepped in and scored touchdowns on runs of 23 and 8 yards in the second half, helping the Huskies pull away from a 7-0 halftime lead.

Sam Gammons threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Eli Gambill and ran for a 35-yard score. Andrew Lopp booted all four PATs for Ashe.

Ashe County coach Bill Strong said Elkin’s defensive front “whipped our butts” in the opening half. But the Huskies’ offensive line proved much more stout after the break.

“The adjustment was an attitude adjustment,” Strong said when asked what his team changed at halftime. “We had to block somebody … We said (to the offensive linemen) we’re going to turn it over to you. They took responsibility in the second half.”

Ashe linebacker Josh Wineberg proved a menace to the Elks all night. He batted down a couple of passes and recorded multiple

tackles for loss, including a pair of QB sacks. West Jefferson radio station WKSK 580 AM named Wineberg its player of the game, a decision Strong readily agreed with.

“He is all over the field,” the coach said. “He is having fun and he enjoys it out there. He is pretty tough to block.”

Wineberg’s presence made play-calling tough for the Elks, who are piloted this year by a freshman quarterback, Josh Strickland.

“He was a thorn in our side all night,” Wood said of Wineberg. “I would say our quarterback will see him in his sleep tonight. We started out throwing the ball pretty well, but it looked like they would move him to side they thought we were going to throw it to.”

Strickland proved a thorn to Ashe’s defense at times, too. He completed passes of 34, 42, 34 and 16 yards. He also carried 16 times for 43 yards, including a 21-yard

scamper and runs of 12 and 14 yards. Sacks hurt his overall rushing tally.

“Sometimes I forget he’s a freshman,” Wood said. “He does a whole lot out there for a freshman. When we throw the ball, we’ve got to do a better job of giving him some time and just be more consistent offensively — and putting it in the end zone.”

Things looked promising early for the Elks. On the first drive, Elkin marched from its 25 to the Ashe 25. But that series ended on downs.

Ashe County scored in just four plays thanks to Gammons’ nifty running and a 30-yard rush by Jeremy Caffey.

The Elks thought they had a big gain on their first play after kickoff when Strickland hit Ted Shore in stride for a 42-yard completion down the right sideline. But Shore was stripped of the ball, and the Huskies took over at their 12.

That played seemed to foreshadow how the rest of the night would go for the home team. The next Elkin drive ended with an interception at the Ashe 18. The next after that resulted in a missed 31-yard field goal.

The final Elkin series of the half was snuffed out near the goal line by a Michael Elliott interception. Strickland threw a slant to Sam Lane, but ball deflected off of him and into Elliott’s waiting arms.

Trailing 7-0 early in the third period, Elkin again put together a solid series. But a 12-play march ended on downs at the Ashe 12. Seth Creed came up just short of a first down on a fourth-down run.

Finally, the Elks broke through. Trailing 14-0, they blocked a punt and took over at the Ashe 3. Two players later, Creed plowed in for the score. The PAT failed but the Elks were back in business only down a touchdown and two-point conversion.

But Ashe responded by returning the ensuing kickoff to the Elkin 23. Four plays later, Gammons hooked up with Eli Gambill for a 14-yard touchdown completion.

Elkin mounted a nine-play drive next, moving from its 22 to the Ashe 3. But Strickland got hit in the nose on a quarterback keeper and had to come out for one play. On the next snap — first and goal from the Ashe 4 — the Elks fumbled and the Huskies took over, effectively ending any chances for a comeback victory.

Week Four Game Coverage

ASHE COUNTY 28, ELKIN 6

Turnovers doom Buckin’ Elks

Photo by Eric LuskJosh Wineberg made a monster game defensively for Ashe County.

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Page 9: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

By William SparklinContributing Writer

MILLERS CREEK — Homecoming night for West Wilkes will be extra sweet after the Blackhawks narrowly held off Forbush 14-13 on Friday.

The outcome of the game was uncertain until the very end, when Forbush was unable to convert a 28-yard field goal attempt with 25 seconds remaining.

West Wilkes coach Scott Hallock said this was a crucial game for his team, now putting them at 2-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

“Our kids kept battling. I’m really proud of them. After losing two games in a row I was wondering how they were going to respond,” Hallock said. “We needed to make some defensive plays and we did that when we had to. I’m happy to get this result playing a 2A school. We’ll build on this.”

Rather than dwell on missed opportunities, Forbush Coach Chris Johnson looked toward the positive things that his players did on the field during the contest.

“I told our kids that we grew up tonight. This was a learning opportunity for us,” Johnson said. “They gave their all tonight, and I’m proud of them for that.”

The game in the first half was mostly a defensive struggle. Each time one team started to move the ball, an unfortunate penalty, turnover or defensive stop essentially killed the drive.

Bennett Winslow looked to be getting the Falcons headed in the right direction on their first series, but was cut short. The drive ended when Winslow threw an errant pass that landed in the hands of Josh Phipps, a member of the West Wilkes secondary.

West managed to get a first and goal later in the quarter but a combined sack and penalty moved the Blackhawks back to about the 25 yard line. Forced to pass, Seth Absher threw an interception of his own to the Falcons’ Brittan Baity with 5:54 remaining in the first.

Neither team had much luck moving the ball in the second quarter of play either. Forbush’s defense managed to sack West quaterback Absher three times. West countered that defensive effort by

preventing the Falcons from getting a single first down in the entire quarter.

The closest either team got to scoring in the first half was after a punt return by Forbush. Baity managed to carry the ball down to the West Wilkes 15, giving the Falcons a drive starting in the red zone. Despite having prime field position, West buckled down and Forbush was unable to convert. A 30 yard field goal attempt on 4th down hit off the left post.

After the defensive showing in the first half, each team’s offense began to move the chains.

Coming out of the locker room, Forbush went to work. After holding West to a three and out, the Falcons took over on their 40 yard line and marched right up the field.

A big 42-yard rush by Zach Chambers put Forbush in striking distance, and Brittan Baity capped off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run.

Rather than kicking for one after the touchdown, Forbush elected to try for a two point conversion. West quickly sniffed out the play, holding the score at 6-0.

In retrospect, Johnson said that the decision to go for two was overreaching a bit. Still, at the time he thought it was well worth the risk.

“When we decided to go for two, that was a boneheaded call on my part,” Johnson said. “We’re always looking to score; it looked like we had West on their heels. It’s (the two point play) something they hadn’t seen on film. In hindsight, it backfired.”

Week Four Game Coverage

WEST WILKES 14, FORBUSH 13

Second-half TDs lift ’Hawks to win

WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 17

Photo by William SparklinTyler Woods, fighting off Forbush tacklers here, had a 58-yard TD run Friday.

Page 10: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

By Rick PapsunContributing Writer

A nearly full late-summer moon looming over Boonville apparently served as an omen for East Wilkes Friday evening, as host Starmount put up some scary numbers on the visitors from Ronda in a Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference meeting between the neighboring schools.

Aided by its backfield-by-committee approach and a stifling defensive effort, the Rams put together a workman-like effort in rolling to its fourth consecutive win with a 28-0 blanking of the short-handed Cardinals.

Despite scoring fewer points than it probably expected given the offensive numbers it put up, Starmount used 10 different backs to help amass 402 yards rushing. Meanwhile, the Rams defense stymied East Wilkes all night, limiting the Cardinals to just two first downs and only 41 yards of total offense.

After a performance like that, Rams boss Scott Johnson indicated he would have liked to see more points on the board. He credited a gutsy effort by the East Wilkes defense as playing a big role in holding his team to just 28 points.

“They’re playing really hard and they had some interesting schemes (defensively) that took awhile for us for figure out,” he said.

“We just couldn’t get out of our own way,” he added. “But we overcame it and got the win.”

East Wilkes coach Monty Chipman was happy with his team’s defensive effort despite the 28-point loss, especially considering the Cards’ 53-7 setback to the Rams just a year ago.

“I really didn’t think they’d run over us,” he said. “We were hoping to slow it down and keep it close by halftime and I felt our D played pretty good (in holding Starmount to just 14 points at the break).”

“We opened it up a bit there in the second half and showed them some things we were holding back on,” he added. “We hoped to throw it underneath their outs (because the Rams were playing so well against the run in the first half).”

Chaston Martin, who scored the game’s first touchdown on a 23-yard run up the middle in the first quarter, once again paced the Starmount

rushing attack with a 112-yard night. The diminutive junior, who rushed for 155 yards last week, also scored late in the third quarter on a nifty 34-yard burst up the middle, breaking two tackles along the way.

“Chaston is playing really well lately. He’s been working his tail off in practice every day,” Johnson said.

Teammate Fondae McDaniel, who garnered most of his 54 yards in the second half, scored the Rams’ other two touchdowns on runs of two and 20 yards, respectively.

For yet another Friday night, Starmount was hit with a plethora of penalties (8 for 80 yards), leaving Johnson scratching his head to alleviate the problem.

“You know we keep getting those (penalties) and the worst times, too,” he said. “But part of it is that a lot of those are coming from the extra effort type of plays.”

Penalties aside, the Rams were dominant and the numbers show it — 20 first downs to two for the Cards; and 412 yards of offense to

East Wilkes’ 41.The game was marred by a scary

moment late in the fourth when East Wilkes back Dalton Key took a hard hit at the end of a run. Key eventually left the stadium on a stretcher and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Chipman stated after the game it was precautionary and that it was feared Key was suffering from a concussion.

Starmount, now 4-0, takes a ride this coming Friday up the mountain for a conference match-up with Ashe County, while East Wilkes tries to right its ship when it plays host to county foe West Wilkes.

Week Four Game Coverage

STARMOUNT 28, EAST WILKES 0

Ground game leads Rams again

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Athletes repaired here.Photo by Eric LuskChaston Martin, shown here in a preseason scrimmage, led Starmount in rushing yardage on Friday.

Page 11: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

20 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 21

Northwest

QUARTERBACK RUSHESWILDCATS TO 4TH WIN

Austin Fleming gallops for 186 yards and 2 TDsas West Stokes improves to 4-0

1A/2A

Conference Reports Northwest 1A/2A

Austin Fleming (West Stokes): Senior quarterback did heavy damage with his legs Friday night, picking up 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 28-20 win at McMichael. Fleming scored from four yards out in the opening quarter and his 10-yard scoring run late in the fourth quarter sealed the victory. He also threw a 67-yard TD pass to Dalton Boles on the first play of the second half.

Dalton Boles (West Stokes): Did much of the work himself on his 67-yard TD reception from Austin Fleming. He went about 50 yards to the end zone after making the catch.

Demarion Jones (West Stokes): Picked off his third pass of the season, and the turnover led directly to West Stokes points in the first quarter.

Austin Taylor (Mount Airy): Junior quarterback helped the Granite Bears rally past Central Davidson for the team’s third straight victory. Taylor rushed for 79 yards total, with his biggest chunk of yardage coming on a 36-yard quarterback draw with 4:22 left in the game. That play scored what would be the winning touchdown. “(Taylor’s) tough,” Mount Airy coach Kelly Holder said. “He just keeps getting better.”

Kashous Martin (Mount Airy): Found the end zone once and rushed for 66 yards total in Mount Airy’s road victory.

Ty Simmons (Mount Airy): Led the Bears in rushing Friday night with 85 yards on 13 carries, an average of 6.5

yards per tote.Jeremy Gilley (East Surry): Had an

early 75-yard touchdown run to give the Cardinals an early lead against 2A power Newton-Conover.

Garrett Wood (North Stokes): Had a monster night for the Vikings, completing 15 of 29 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. His TD strikes covered 19, 30 and 49 yards. Wood also rushed for two touchdowns.

Seth Boyette (North Stokes): Returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown early in what proved to be a high-scoring shootout.

TJ Sonafrank, Weston Lawerence and Dustin Smith (North Stokes): Recipients of Garrett Wood touchdown passes at Rosewood.

Patrick O’Shea (Bishop McGuinness): Had another solid stat line for the Villains: 25 carries, 103 yards, 2 receptions, 26 yards and two touchdowns.

South Stokes: The Sauras scored 27 points in the first half and cruised past Alleghany on Friday night. The Sauras (2-1) have already doubled their win total from a year ago.

Northwest 1A/2A StandingsTEAM CONF. TOTAL THIS FRIDAY

West Stokes 0-0 4-0 @ Mount AiryNorth Surry 0-0 3-0 Bishop McGuinnessMount Airy 0-0 3-1 West StokesNorth Stokes 0-0 3-1 South StokesSouth Stokes 0-0 2-1 @ North StokesSurry Central 0-0 2-1 @ East SurryBish-op McGuinness 0-0 1-1 @ North SurryEast Surry 0-0 0-3 Surry Central

Top Players & Performances

Photo by Eric LuskBishop McGuinness coach Charlie Jones.

Photo by Eric LuskNorth Stokes’ Dustin Smith caught one of Garrett Wood’s three touch-down passes on Friday at Rosewood.

Photo byJimmy Kuhnwww.JimmyKuhn.com

Page 12: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

22 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 23

Conference Reports Northwest 1A/2A

Bishop McGuinness

1-1 Overall * 0-0 in NorthwestAug. 20 at High Point Christian W (40-12)Aug. 26 OpenSept. 6 at Highland Tech ppdSept. 9 South Davidson L (16-19)Sept. 16 at North Surry*Sept. 23 South Stokes*Sept. 30 at East Surry*Oct. 7 Surry Central*Oct. 14 at Mount Airy*Oct. 21 at West Stokes*Oct. 28 North Stokes** denotes Northwest 1A/2A Conference game

East SurryCardinals

0-3 Overall * 0-0 in NorthwestAug. 19 at West Iredell L (0-33)Aug. 26 at Starmount L (17-30)Sept. 5 West Montgomery cancelledSept. 9 Newton-Conover L (9-30)Sept. 16 Surry Central*Sept. 23 at West Stokes*Sept. 30 Bishop McGuinness*Oct. 7 South Stokes*Oct. 14 at North Stokes*Oct. 21 at North Surry*Oct. 28 Mount Airy** denotes Northwest 1A/2A Conference game

Mount AiryGranite Bears

3-1 Overall * 0-0 in NorthwestAug. 19 Starmount L (19-20)Aug. 26 Thomasville W (23-7)Sept. 2 at Carroll County (Va.) W (21-6)Sept. 9 at Central Davidson W (27-20)Sept. 16 West Stokes*Sept. 23 at Surry Central*Sept. 30 North Stokes*Oct. 7 at North Surry*Oct. 14 Bishop McGuinness*Oct. 21 at South Stokes*Oct. 28 at East Surry** denotes Northwest 1A/2A Conference game

North StokesVikings

3-1 Overall * 0-0 in NorthwestAug. 19 Alleghany W (44-22)Aug. 26 Patrick County (Va.) W (24-0)Sept. 2 at North Iredell W (32-0)Sept. 9 at Rosewood L (43-46)Sept. 16 South Stokes*Sept. 23 North Surry*Sept. 30 at Mount Airy*Oct. 7 at West Stokes*Oct. 14 East Surry*Oct. 21 Surry Central*Oct. 28 at Bishop McGuinness** denotes Northwest 1A/2A Conference game

North SurryGreyhounds

3-0 Overall * 0-0 in NorthwestAug. 19 at Forbush W (33-9)Aug. 26 at Elkin W (61-10)Sept. 2 Ashe County W (33-24)Sept. 9 OpenSept. 16 Bishop McGuinness*Sept. 23 at North Stokes*Sept. 30 at South Stokes*Oct. 7 Mount Airy*Oct. 14 at Surry Central*Oct. 21 East Surry*Oct. 28 West Stokes** denotes Northwest 1A/2A Conference game

South StokesSauras

2-1 Overall * 0-0 in NorthwestAug. 19 West Wilkes L (12-14)Aug. 26 North Wilkes W (42-13)Sept. 2 OpenSept. 9 at Alleghany W (34-12)Sept. 16 at North Stokes*Sept. 23 at Bishop McGuinness*Sept. 30 North Surry*Oct. 7 at East Surry*Oct. 14 West Stokes*Oct. 21 Mount Airy*Oct. 28 at Surry Central** denotes Northwest 1A/2A Conference game

Surry CentralGolden Eagles

2-1 Overall * 0-0 in NorthwestAug. 19 at Wilkes Central L (7-48)Aug. 26 East Wilkes W (51-0)Sept. 2 South Davidson W (33-6)Sept. 9 OpenSept. 16 at East Surry*Sept. 23 Mount Airy*Sept. 30 at West Stokes*Oct. 7 at Bishop McGuinness*Oct. 14 North Surry*Oct. 21 at North Stokes*Oct. 28 South Stokes** denotes Northwest 1A/2A Conference game

West StokesWildcats

4-0 Overall * 0-0 in NorthwestAug. 19 at Albemarle W (9-7)Aug. 26 Forbush W (38-0)Sept. 2 Central Davidson W (27-7)Sept. 9 at McMichael W (28-20)Sept. 16 at Mount Airy*Sept. 23 East Surry*Sept. 30 Surry Central*Oct. 7 North Stokes*Oct. 14 at South Stokes*Oct. 21 Bishop McGuinness*Oct. 28 at North Surry** denotes Northwest 1A/2A Conference game

Full Schedules & Results

Page 13: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

24 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 25

Conference Reports Mountain Valley 1A/2A

Jonathan Cox (Ashe County): Sophomore running back delivered a solid night in place of a couple of injured teammates, rushing for touchdowns on runs of 23 and 8 yards in the second half. Cox finished with

Ashe County offensive line: The Huskies got pushed around a bit in the opening half but proved much more stout after the break. Ashe’s offense scored three touchdowns in the second half to pull away for a 28-6 triumph.

Josh Wineberg (Ashe County): WKSK radio, which follows Ashe County, named the senior linebacker its player of the game. Coach Bill Strong was in total agreement after Wineberg harassed the Elks all night. He batted down two passes, recorded two quarterback sacks and had other tackles for negative yardage. “He was a thorn in our side all night,” Elkin coach Scott Wood said.

Sam Gammons (Ashe County): Scored a touchdown on a 35-yard run and threw a 14-yard TD strike to Eli Gambill.

Brittan Baity (Forbush): The UNIFI Bowl game MVP from Forbush gave another solid performance. Baity rushed for 83 yards and had two rushing TDs.

Bennett Winslow (Forbush): Sophomore quarterback threw for 156 yards to keep the Falcons in contention until the end. Winslow threw a 47-yard pass to speedster Casey Evans in the

closing minute that set up one last try at the winning field goal.

Tyler Woods (West Wilkes): The Blackhawks’ power back finished with 110 yards and a rushing score in the winning effort. His TD run covered 58 yards and answered a Forbush score.

Seth Absher (West Wilkes): West was a rushing and passing threat Friday, with Absher competing 140 yards in aerials, including a 65-yard TD strike to Garrett Hamby.

Bryson Mosteller (West Wilkes): Extra points can be overlooked in high school football, but Mosteller’s two PATs proved critical in the Blackhawks’ 14-13 victory. It’s nice to have a reliable kicker.

Chaston Martin (Starmount): Paced the Rams’ rushing attack with 112 yards on 14 carries — an average of 8 yards per attempt. He scored in the first quarter on a 13-yard run and tallied a 34-yard TD in the third period.

Fondae McDaniel (Starmount): Didn’t have many carries but didn’t need to, finding the end zone twice on rushes of 2 and 20 yards.

Starmount Defense: The Rams held East Wilkes to just two first downs and 41 yards of total offense in a shutout victory.

Josh Strickland (Elkin): The freshman quarterback has been thrown to the wolves, starting in all four of the Elks’ varsity

games. He is getting better and better, and put in an impressive performance against Ashe County. He threw for 163 yards and rushed for 43 yards.

Seth Creed (Elkin): Gave a spark to the Elks’ rushing attack with 76 yards on 14 attempts. Several times, he churned for an extra yard or three after first contact.

Allen Roten (Wilkes Central): Selected as the Eagles’ Player of the Week for his work in Friday’s 48-0 win against North Wilkes. Roten made two tackles, pounced on a fumble and had what coaches decribed as a “spinning interception” that he returned for a long touchdown.

Dustin Triplett (Wilkes Central): Had a cool 100 yards to lead the Eagles’ rushing attack, amounting to about one-third of the team’s ground-game production. Triplett found the end zone three times in the Eagles’ romp.

Wilkes Central Defense: The Eagles kept North Wilkes off the scoreboard, earned six quarterback sacks, recovered a fumble and picked off a pass (Allen Roten) which went for a touchdown. How many more quarters can Wilkes Central’s stoppers go before giving up any points?

Jordan Carlton (Wilkes Central): Had a rushing touchdown (33 yards) and a receiving touchdown (35 yards) for the Eagles, his second two TD performance in a row.

MVAC 1A/2A StandingsTEAM CONF. TOTAL THIS FRIDAY

Starmount 2-0 4-0 @ Ashe CountyWilkes Central 2-0 4-0 AlleghanyAshe County 1-0 2-2 StarmountAlleghany 1-0 1-3 @ Wilkes CentralWest Wilkes 1-1 2-2 @ East WilkesEast Wilkes 1-1 1-3 West WilkesNorth Wilkes 0-2 1-3 @ ForbushElkin 0-2 0-4 OpenForbush 0-2 0-4 North Wilkes

Top Players & Performances

Photo by Eric LuskWilkes Central will play at home again Friday.

Page 14: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

26 MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK WWW.YADKINVALLEYSPORTS.COM

Conference Reports Mountain Valley 1A/2A

AlleghanyTrojans

1-3 Overall * 1-0 in MVACAug. 19 at North Stokes L (22-44)Aug. 26 Grayson County L (12-55)Sept. 2 North Wilkes* W (28-16)Sept. 9 South Stokes L (12-34)Sept. 16 at Wilkes Central*Sept. 23 Forbush*Sept. 30 at East Wilkes*Oct. 7 Ashe County*Oct. 14 at Elkin*Oct. 21 Starmount*Oct. 28 at West Wilkes** denotes Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference game

Ashe CountyHuskies

2-2 Overall * 1-0 in MVACAug. 19 West Caldwell W (41-6)Aug. 26 Watauga L (14-32)Sept. 2 at North Surry (E) L (24-33)Sept. 9 at Elkin* W (28-6)Sept. 16 Starmount*Sept. 23 at West Wilkes*Sept. 30 North WilkesOct. 7 at Alleghany*Oct. 14 Wilkes Central*Oct. 21 at Forbush*Oct. 28 East Wilkes** denotes Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference game

East WilkesCardinals

1-3 Overall * 1-1 in MVACAug. 19 West Davidson L (14-26)Aug. 26 at Surry Central L (0-51)Sept. 2 Elkin* W (27-7)Sept. 9 at Starmount* L (0-28)Sept. 16 West Wilkes*Sept. 23 at North Wilkes*Sept. 30 Alleghany*Oct. 7 at Wilkes Central*Oct. 14 Forbush*Oct. 21 OpenOct. 28 at Ashe County** denotes Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference game

ElkinBuckin’ Elks

0-4 Overall * 0-2 in MVACAug. 19 East Montgomery L (13-25)Aug. 26 North Surry L (10-61)Sept. 2 at East Wilkes* L (7-27)Sept. 9 Ashe County* L (6-28)Sept. 16 OpenSept. 23 at Starmount*Sept. 30 West Wilkes*Oct. 7 at North Wilkes*Oct. 14 Alleghany*Oct. 21 at Wilkes Central*Oct. 28 Forbush** denotes Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference game

ForbushFalcons

0-4 Overall * 0-2 in MVACAug. 19 North Surry L (9-33)Aug. 26 at West Stokes L (0-38)Sept. 2 Starmount* L (5-44)Sept. 9 at West Wilkes* L (13-14)Sept. 16 North Wilkes*Sept. 23 at Alleghany*Sept. 30 Wilkes Central*Oct. 7 OpenOct. 14 at East Wilkes*Oct. 21 Ashe County*Oct. 28 at Elkin** denotes Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference game

North WilkesVikings

1-3 Overall * 0-2 in MVACAug. 19 Thomas Jefferson W (55-35)Aug. 26 at South Stokes L (13-42)Sept. 2 at Alleghany* L (16-28)Sept. 9 Wilkes Central* L (0-48)Sept. 16 at Forbush*Sept. 23 East Wilkes*Sept. 30 at Ashe County*Oct. 7 Elkin*Oct. 14 Starmount*Oct. 21 at West Wilkes*Oct. 28 at McDowell* denotes Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference game

StarmountRams

4-0 Overall * 2-0 in MVACAug. 19 at Mount Airy W (20-19)Aug. 26 East Surry W (30-17)Sept. 2 at Forbush* W (44-5)Sept. 9 East Wilkes* W (28-0)Sept. 16 at Ashe County*Sept. 23 Elkin*Sept. 30 OpenOct. 7 West Wilkes*Oct. 14 at North Wilkes*Oct. 21 at Alleghany*Oct. 28 Wilkes Central** denotes Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference game

West WilkesBlackhawks

2-2 Overall * 1-1 in MVACAug. 19 at South Stokes W (14-12)Aug. 26 Avery County L (34-35)Sept. 2 at Wilkes Central* L (0-34)Sept. 9 Forbush* W (14-13)Sept. 16 at East Wilkes*Sept. 23 Ashe County*Sept. 30 at Elkin*Oct. 7 at Starmount*Oct. 14 OpenOct. 21 North Wilkes*Oct. 28 Alleghany** denotes Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference game

Wilkes CentralEagles

4-0 Overall * 2-0 in MVACAug. 19 Surry Central W (48-7)Aug. 26 at West Iredell W (55-47)Sept. 2 West Wilkes* W (34-0)Sept. 9 at North Wilkes* W (48-0)Sept. 16 Alleghany*Sept. 23 OpenSept. 30 at Forbush*Oct. 7 East Wilkes*Oct. 14 at Ashe County*Oct. 21 Elkin*Oct. 28 at Starmount** denotes Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference game

Full Schedules & Results

Page 15: Monday Morning Quarterback - Sept. 12, 2011

Elkin’s Sam Lane shows his determinationafter making a catch Friday. He made a biggain on thisplay.

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Photo by Eric Lusk