Slash's NW Power Poll Week 1 Plus Conference Estimates!

Slasher Killer

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Sep 23, 2010
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This will be split up into parts.. up first will be the power poll; then my estimates of the 4 conferences I cover. Be patient I got a bit to put up lol

Power Poll will be 10 teams to start due to a lot of ? marks still left to answer.. it will expand every week until the end.
 
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Slasher Killer

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Sep 23, 2010
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1.Mount Airy

Extremely athletic and very strong from a hard summer of weightlifting this Bears team is the best they have had in a while. The Penn kid is a strong contender for the best back in the area and their defense is legit. They face their game of the season this week as they play the Pilot Cards; hungry for revenge. If they win this one they can afford to coast through their conference play. However no team can truly do that so they gotta find a way to stay up through the next 9 games.



2. East Surry

The Pilot Cards improved a lot from their first scrimmage more so than I expected. Time will tell if it’s either due to their talent or the fact Starmount played so terribly. This week will be much like the Bears’s goals; this one will be their first real test. However unlike MA their conference has some more teams that can play to their level. Time will tell if they can handle the increase to 2A or not.. There’s a lot of difference between 1A ball and 2A ball especially the next few years.



3. Forbush


The Falcons offense looked like the same beast from the spring but time will tell if it’s still at the same level or it’s due to North Forsyth’s woes. They face much better tests the next three weeks as they face three different challenges. Up first is a very big Trinity team which has some good sized kids on the line; they will give Forbush a test in terms of handling power. However their performance in week 1 left a lot to be desired so the Bush could very well win this one. However the next two weeks brings one of their biggest rivals and Thomasville who had a whopper of an opener week one. Things will get tougher for the Falcons.


4.Walkertown

Despite the loss of their best RB in the program to East Forsyth; the Wolfpack scored on their opening possession in a punt return and never looked back vs Atkins. The Wolfpack look super speedy this year and that will prove to be quite helpful in the new conference. However things will get tougher for the Pack the next few weeks however they face another cupcake this week in Lexington.




5. East Wilkes

The Ronda Cards kept up to their scrimmage form as they annihilated the Blackhawks without sweating on Friday night.. Seems like the months of motivation fired those kids up and they were motivated on many cylinders for revenge. Question is can they keep the aggression and fire up in the weeks to come? They face a very fundamentally solid Surry Central team on Friday then are the other two Wilkes rivals.



6. West Stokes

The Wildcats came out firing vs a very motivated South squad who had the numbers edge and never let up. West has a lot of speed to make up for the numbers and it gave the Sauras headaches. However the Sauras looked quite inept especially on defense gave West whatever they wanted; couldn’t ask for a perfect opener. However they will face a tougher test this week vs North Surry; who should be quite angry and ready for a redo after Friday. Things will get tougher for the Wildcats the next few weeks as they will face more level foes and hit conference play where they will be the hunted.



7. Wilkes Central

The Eagles overcame a lightning delay and an Ashe lead to pull off a surprise comeback win at home much like how they did on Thursday. It showed the Eagles won’t be an easy team to put away but time will tell if that was due to the Eagles resolve or the Huskies inability to keep a lead. This week the Eagles face a young Avery County team who had a rough loss to Cherryville; should be a nice week for the Eagles. However weeks 3 and 4 will bring more of a challenge for them.



8. Ashe County

Both the lightning and WC’s resolved proved fatal for the Huskies who let leads on both nights slip away. However their overall offensive performance both nights was solid hence the 8th spot. Really was hard to pick who was the better team out of 7&8 so I made them follow up. They should rebound with better showings the next few weeks however things will only get rougher from there and these kids need to mature in a hurry.



9.Elkin.

The Elks opened their new era much how I expected with a solid offensive performance however their defense was down much like I expected. Things will get much harder for them the next few weeks so their defense badly needs to grow and improve or else it will be much like last week with some high scoring but lots of points given up. Something has to give this week as they face a pissed off West Wilkes team in Millers Creek who wants revenge for their showing and the troubles caused by Elkin the past few years. They lost their star player to Elkin a few years back who took over as their QB and they have yet to recover from it. A win would go a long ways.. Elkin has a long year of teams wanting revenge ahead. They better be ready for it.




10. Surry Central’


The Golden Eagles had a rough first half vs a very stubborn Alleghany defense on Friday but took off exploiting their mistakes to a nice but not sexy win in Sparta. Central finally has a competitive non conference schedule for the first time in several years and should use it as a spring board to a competitive season; however they have to survive the next two weeks especially against the Granites.
 

Slasher Killer

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Sep 23, 2010
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Conference Estimates (Will vary and change week to week)




NW 1A:


1.MA
2. East Wilkes
3. Elkin
4. Starmount



5-7 (No Order)

Alleghany
North Stokes
South Stokes







Despite a very needed improvement for the conference in terms of gates and travel times; it’s still Mount Airy’s playpen for the next few years. Very good senior and 10th grade classes will give them ample chances for gold.

However the parity for spots two down presents some truly fun predictions and a race ahead this conference hasn’t had in a long time. As of now I think East Wilkes will be the best competition for the Bears minus a freak 2011 South Stokes type game for them. East looked really well oiled last Friday letting out months of frustration on an unexpecting West Wilkes team.. Question is can they keep it up running forward? They are more mature and have gotten much stronger in the weight room plus that transfer from WC is already helping them. He was the X factor they needed. If they can stay healthy the season is their oyster.

Elkin was my original pick for 2 due to their offense with Sturdvant and what looked to be Robinson at the athlete spot and he would have been neck and neck for Penn for best athlete in the conference. However he is gone to bigger pastures and Elkin has a lot on their plate to fix going forward. Sturdivant looked really good on Friday but time will tell how his double duty will fare on him when he plays more challenging teams. West Wilkes and North Surry will be more hard hitting and consistent on defense. Elkin’s #’s will make or break their season; the era of low to no players at their middle school is coming back to pester them now once the glory squad left town. They have only 18-20 kids on varsity (looks like they had 2 double duty kids,) That’s hard to keep healthy. Eventually they are going to have the fold the JV’s for depth and if that happens it will be topsy turvy. ? is can they stay healthy and their defense grow? They have a great D coordinator but they can’t give up 30 points on average on D and be a playoff team.. It just can’t be done.


Starmount again looked all out of sorts.. They can’t seem to get the demon of their backs in that way. The same ole’ story again for another year; talent is there but they can’t seem to get it going. Now they have to do so or else they will be lost in the pack. Don’t know much about these guys so I hope to see more going forward. They face a great test with a good CSD team coming to town; they ain’t no slouches they beat Bessemer City last week. The Rams better be ready. However the future isn’t so dim perhaps; their JV’s looked really good especially on defense. If they can find the consistency overall they could be neck and neck with East for 2nd.




5-7 on is more of a crapshoot these teams are truly hard to tell and it will come down to head to head for these spots.

South on paper looks like the ideal #5. They are very athletic and feature one of the best backs in the league and several good kids; however they are still quite young and need time. Their lineplay isn’t very to the level and their defense was absolutely atrocious last Friday vs West. Seeing the film made me cringe.. Arm tackles everywhere, some kids got out of the way and didn’t try and tried to push the West players forward. I was ashamed. Either they were scared or they didn’t want to try. Not a good look for the Sauras at all either way. They can be so much better than that; thankfully they play Bishop McGuiness who apparently didn’t play on Friday so that will be a doozy. Until that D and lineplay improves they will be iffy going forward.

On paper Alleghany should be last due to their #’s issues and their scrimmage vs West Stokes showed a lot of challenges but they rose up for a half vs Surry Central. The score doesn’t show it but they had it 10-7 at the break before wearing down and making youthful mistakes. However it looks like senior trojans won’t let up and will make this team something before it’s all down. They may surprise us all before it’s all done. They are certainly well coached and have the fundamentals down pat which the other don’t look to have.

North Stokes came out with the W vs a very undermaned South Davidson in a foggy mess for Fortner’s first win. However things are going to get more challenging each week going forward. The offense needs to become more dimensional to include the other players not just the QB. A lot of their plays versus Elkin at the scrimmage were QB runs. That kids runs it well granted but they are going to run him into the ground if they keep it up. There’s no need for it; the RB is one of the best around and can run. He needs to be included more and so does the other kids. D Wise they got a shutout can they keep the consistency going? Yes and no.. they face a very good North Moore team soon and Patrick County too. They can’t rest on their laurels.






JV wise it may be more wide open. MA’s freshman class from what I’ve heard during the summer is really low and a lot of 10th graders are up on Fridays. They will have to play with low depth and hope to get better by the end of the year. Elkin I’m expecting to be very good offensively their middle school team moved the ball well on Pilot middle and that didn’t used to be an easy thing. Looked a lot like their JV’s last season with that shotgun option set they used. No clue about their defense or which age group is better. North Stokes might not have enough #’s for JV’s they didn’t really last year but they did so I’m guessing so? South Stokes is on the line of being iffy they looked to have 14 or so at their scrimmage two weeks back. Alleghany as we know isn’t fielding one sadly.

Right now I’d rate Starmount as the favorite they looked really decent last week. Granted their offense I wasn’t impressed with but their D was very well coached and they love to hit. One of the funnest JV defenses I’ve seen in a while. They forced turnover after turnover and seemed to enjoy it. The offense just couldn’t produce like they should have. If they can find consistency they could roll over this conference.
 

Slasher Killer

All-Conference
Sep 23, 2010
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Foothills 2A:




1/2:

East Surry
Forbush



3-5 (No Order)


North Surry
Surry Central
Wilkes Central


6. West Wilkes
7. North Wilkes





The MVAC… cough cough, Foothills will have a lot more parity in the future especially next year but this year’s going to be the 2 team power trip between East and the Bush. We will see this week what East has as they host an angry powder keg in the Bears for what will be MA’s game of the year. They will 100% get their best. If they make it out with a W (especially more than 8 points,) then they will be the favorite for this conference because if they beat them they can beat anyone. If not it will be fun in East Bend on 10-15 when these two play. Bush beat a young and undermanned North Forsyth team on Friday for an easy win but things will get much harder for them the next few weeks especially when they play Starmount and Thomasville.

3-5 is a pure tossup and honestly will be the teams who will have a chance in the future going forward. North had a terrible opener but they also had the hardest opener in the area too; it was to be expected with a team as young as they are. Same thing happened in the spring too. They will improve every week going forward and if things go like they should it will be fun to watch them once conference play hits. WC had that come from behind win which showed their athletic talent and desire.. However time will tell if this is due to the fact they are legit or if Ashe is that bad at keeping leads they did it two nights in a row. Surry Central meanwhile had a struggle for a half vs a down Alleghany team before putting them away. They made the most of their mistakes and pulled ahead; however they have to be more consistent to do things going forward. This will probably be their best shot at a title in this conference barring a freak team coming up through the ranks.


West had a rather disappointing showing to say the least last Friday. They weren’t ready for East’s anger and buildup. It shows they still have a ways to go but honestly the potential is there. They are back to the Wing T which is the offense where West does the best in historically and these kids run it really well. Their depth is up and they have some hard playing kids.. They won’t be no cupcakes. They have to overcome a really hard non conference schedule coming up including a really stout Central Davidson team and that old school offense they run. But honestly I think they have great potential to beat North Wilkes and be an annoyance to everyone this year.

The Vikings performed much like I expected.. They put up some points but their defence was non existent. That’s been a factor in Hays the past 8 years. However this time they won’t get to exploit an easy conference for wins; those days are gone unless they go 1A again. The QB looked good on Friday as did the new RB but until the defense grows and they find some more dimensions to that offense they won’t do very much.




JV Wise I’m still not fully sure on some teams but I have a early figuring. East Surry played Starmount really well and put points up; their RB is really good but the team around him has room to grow. They couldn’t seal the deal; might be a recurring trend. Forbush won with a shutout but time will tell if it’s due to NF being stubborn or Forbush’s offense not producing as well. Their middle school team had a losing year for the first time in several years last year including their first loss in a while to Starmount. ? is will that be a recurring trend or just a one year deal. North Surry’s freshman class is coming in off a solid year in middle school but they haven't had a chance to play yet but should vs West Stokes on Thursday who is having #’s woes still. That will be a big test for them as they didn’t play West’s middle school last year. There’s enough kids for a squad this year for North which is a huge win for the Hounds already.

WC had a solid comeback vs Ashe but again like the varsity hard to tell if it was due to their superiority or Ashe’s inability to keep a lead. The games the next three weeks will show a lot. Surry Central I know very little about besides they were mediocre last season.. #’s will be what makes or breaks them. North Wilkes the same granted they played Elkin to a very close game which is a good sign as Elkin is supposed to be good.


Right now it’s too early for an estimate but after this week it will be a lot easier.
 

Slasher Killer

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Sep 23, 2010
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Mid State 2A:



1.Reidsville
2.Walkertown



3-5:


HP Andrews
North Forsyth
West Stokes


6. Morehead
7. McMichael






Ahh yes the Mid State 2A; or otherwise known as the Reidsville vs Forsyth County 2A All Star team conference.

Reidsville will more than likely be the favorite the next few years as they should be. Only team I see knocking them off is that All Star team in Walkertown who is the best team open enrollment can get in 2A ball. However they lost their star athlete to East Forsyth and a lot of what they wanted to do so McKoy actually needs to do his job and coach for a change. Things are different in this league than in the WPAC.. the Pack doen’t have the speed advantage anymore as almost every team is fast. Now they have to win by being fundamentally sound and running their systems well but under McKoy they haven’t had to. If they play Reidsville or Andrews are crap as they did Surry Central in the spring then they will lose badly and fall. They will either perform or choke there is no two ways about it.

3-5 is much more harder to figure. I know little to nothing about Andrews besides the fact they aren’t as powerful as the old days but still pretty solid. They won’t have to face any of the Randolph teams anymore and they will boost from it. North and West are much of the same coin: young, low in numbers, but fast. NF won a thriller in the spring for a program defining win so I’m sure West wants revenge but in order to get there they got to stay healthy and grow through the year.

Morehead will be one of the bigger teams in the conference however they are in transition and got to stay healthy and grow through the year. Going forward I see them being very good and well coached and in the top of things; they could be up there possibly this year if they do what they need to do. McMichael is still what they have always been.. They are a program who can’t catch a break.

JV wise it’s looking a lot like it’s forefather the WPAC was in the last year not many squads due to low #’s. I expect Reidsville and Walkertown to be the top dogs for a while. North Forsyth, West Stokes and Morehead for sure are fighting the #’s game and will be a wait and see deal there. Andrews and McMichael I have no clue about.
 

Slasher Killer

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Catawba Shores 1A:




1-4

CSD
MIC
PL Prep
WS Prep



5.

Carver


6.

Bishop


7.

CTK





I still can’t get over how awful of a name this is.. Terrible. Since when is the Catawba Valley a beach area?

This conference is going to be the hardest to figure every year due to the nature of the private schools; they live and die by who they can get to come to the schools. Some years just have better athletes than others and some are just duds. They can pick who they want in some cases and it makes it more random.

On paper Mountain island looks to be the favorite and they started off with a solid win over Anson county but they tend to underperform when the favorite so I just made it a cluster for now. If they keep performing they may get the #1 spot in a few weeks. CSD opened up with a big win over Bessemer City who always gave them headaches in their old conference so they look to be up for a challenge. They play Starmount on Friday so we will see how both truly are. Pine Lake and WS Prep both sat out week 1 so they are more unknowns for now. WS Prep has the harder schedule they get an easy game out vs LN Charter before being thrown to the Wolves vs Parkland and Walkertown. If they survive both of those games or play very hard they will be in good shape going forward.


Carver despite the loss looks much improved. They gave a spring playoff team in North Moore a run for their money. Honestly they are the best coached they have been in years now since Coach Griffin got a full staff in. They run the pistol and have a solid little run game. If they can get the defense improving they should be okay in this conference and maybe surprise some folks. They have 2 very solid chances of wins the next two weeks. They play a very rough looking Atkins team Friday then have Highland Tech. Both are very winnable games.


Bishop and CTK both look very hard to figure.. Something happened and Bishop didn’t play on Friday so they are still a ? mark while CTK lost to a private school. It looks like they will be the punching bag for another year forward.
 

KW2346

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Feb 9, 2011
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I appreciate u doing this...I just don't think surry central belongs in top 10. Trojans lost 4 fumbles on QB and fullback exchanges and threw an interception and was still driving to take the lead halfway through the 3rd qtr before another fumble did us in.
 
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Maiden Creek

All-American
Oct 4, 2019
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Catawba Shores 1A:




1-4

CSD
MIC
PL Prep
WS Prep



5.

Carver


6.

Bishop


7.

CTK





I still can’t get over how awful of a name this is.. Terrible. Since when is the Catawba Valley a beach area?

This conference is going to be the hardest to figure every year due to the nature of the private schools; they live and die by who they can get to come to the schools. Some years just have better athletes than others and some are just duds. They can pick who they want in some cases and it makes it more random.

On paper Mountain island looks to be the favorite and they started off with a solid win over Anson county but they tend to underperform when the favorite so I just made it a cluster for now. If they keep performing they may get the #1 spot in a few weeks. CSD opened up with a big win over Bessemer City who always gave them headaches in their old conference so they look to be up for a challenge. They play Starmount on Friday so we will see how both truly are. Pine Lake and WS Prep both sat out week 1 so they are more unknowns for now. WS Prep has the harder schedule they get an easy game out vs LN Charter before being thrown to the Wolves vs Parkland and Walkertown. If they survive both of those games or play very hard they will be in good shape going forward.


Carver despite the loss looks much improved. They gave a spring playoff team in North Moore a run for their money. Honestly they are the best coached they have been in years now since Coach Griffin got a full staff in. They run the pistol and have a solid little run game. If they can get the defense improving they should be okay in this conference and maybe surprise some folks. They have 2 very solid chances of wins the next two weeks. They play a very rough looking Atkins team Friday then have Highland Tech. Both are very winnable games.


Bishop and CTK both look very hard to figure.. Something happened and Bishop didn’t play on Friday so they are still a ? mark while CTK lost to a private school. It looks like they will be the punching bag for another year forward.
Catawba Shores….nudist beach on the South Fork river!😂
 
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Slasher Killer

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I appreciate u doing this...I just don't think surry central belongs in top 10. Trojans lost 4 fumbles on QB and fullback exchanges and threw an interception and was still driving to take the lead halfway through the 3rd qtr before another fumble did us in.


Believe me man it was very hard to find a 10th team there wasn't much to choose from. A lot of rough week 1's. They probably won't be there if East plays like I think they will. Hoping for a better week to make 1-20 possible next Monday.

I watched the first half on NFHS it was a fun game. I think yall have a lot of potential and I'll be pulling for yall.
 
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KW2346

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Glad to have the write ups....unfortunately unlike the smc the fans of these conferences are few and far between on here...so good to get some info from someone.
 

ncballer81

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I always look forward to this content, it is very good based on how hard it is to get information. You must know a lot of people with good information. Just know you have folks that look forward to reading it.
 
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