I have incredible respect for the Hibriten program and most especially their coaching staff. I know many of the leaders at that school and athletic program and they have outstanding people - that is why they have the sustained run that started under Cannon and continues today under Coach Lewis. Coach Reeves is outstanding - one of the best coaches in western NC. Coach Mackey will be a head coach somewhere soon. Then you have people like the elder Coach Mackey and Coach Poarch who both have head coaching experience and bring so much to the table. You cant overlook those kinds of contributions.
Hibriten will run away with their conference - that is a given - but that will yield them a #1 seed and pretty much a bye into the second round of the playoffs. Come November, their conference schedule will certainly make it more difficult for the Panthers in the playoffs. Its really tough to get things dialed in during a challenging non-conference schedule and then have eight weeks of no-competition (six conf games, bye week and a patsy in the first round of the playoffs) and then turn it on for an 8/9 seed. Still - if a staff can manage this challenge - their's can.
The thing that has always made Hibriten so tough to defend is the balance in their running game. They clearly have an outstanding outside runner in Witherspoon but Hibriten has to establish an inside running threat to be effective. Good teams can scheme to slow down the outside runs OR they can scheme to shut down the FB - It takes a great team (aka South Point) to shut down both. Having said that, i think three things will define Hibriten's success this year. 1) Who emerges at the FB position to replace Scott. He has been huge for them for the past three years and I don't have a clue who would be his replacement. Maybe one of the Panther followers could say. 2) Offensive line play will be critical. Replacing Lewis at Guard will be impossible with just one person. He meant so much to the success of Hibriten's team last year in many ways. 3) Health - Hibriten lost a huge, incredibly talented Sr class. They had incredible depth last year, and this year they still have a number of great football players returning but far fewer experienced studs. With that, the ones they do have will have to play both ways and their backups will not be nearly as good as they were last year.
I am looking forward to the Black and Blue game this year. It will be an outstanding early season test for both teams! West has a lot coming back and Coach Holman and his staff appear to be poised to follow up recent success nicely.
