Football Western Foothills 4A/5A - Week 10

[Flyrod]

Week 10..... Wow, going by fast.

Schedule
Bandys vs West Iredell (this has the chance to be a very good and competitive matchup. Bandys may be too much at the end but West has athletes to match up well)

Bunker Hill vs North Lincoln (Someone has to win.)

East Lincoln at Maiden (Battle for 2nd place? Are both teams healthy? Can East offense get back on track, can Maiden make enough stops on defense?? Wingate seems to be running well the last few weeks, can Maiden hang enough points on East? Should be a really good crowd and environment)

Foard vs Newton Conover (As of right now, Foard would be hosting a home playoff game, Wow. Not sure if that will hold up over the next 2 weeks. Newton will most likely be too much for Foard.)

Hickory bye (good timing for a bye before finishing up with Bandys. They should have another bye in the first round.)

Lincolnton Bye (still shocked at what happened last week. Maybe a good time for a bye to regroup)

Standings
Hickory (8-1), (7-0)
East Lincoln (8-1), (6-1)
Maiden (6-2), (5-1)
Newton Conover (6-2), (4-2)
Bandys (4-4), (3-3)
West Iredell (4-4), (2-4)
Foard (3-5), (1-5)
Bunker Hill (1-7), (0-6)
North Lincoln (1-7), (0-6)

Lincolnton (7-2), (6-1)

 

[beamer24]

Bandys
North Lincoln
East Lincoln
Newton

 

[LTown Wolves 02]

Much needed off week for us. We were missing players at Cramer and then got a few more hurt. Not and excuse for getting whipped like we did. Just need the recovery time. I’ll be at EL/Maiden. I expect a tight game. But I know EL will be focused and angry.

 

[amaidendevil]

 

[amaidendevil]

 

[TrojanCountry]

Bandys
North Lincoln
East Lincoln
Newton

 

[oldburkeman]

Going by super fast, too fast really.

Bandys- one score thriller. I started to believe in this improved West Iredell but harder competition has humbled them. They still play good though and cant be taken lightly. This is another I could lose in the pickem's If anyone wants to put the rundown on how the Newton WI game went which was a one point ordeal do let us know.

North Lincoln- man, what in the world has gone wrong for these guys other than them prove and show us how a mass exodus of kids and a coach has brought them down from 4th rounders to bottom feeders the next year. Agee and the offense that salvaged a tiny bit of last years flash will and should come through by 2 scores from another mass exodus struggling team.

East Lincoln- wow, another one I might end up wrong about but I feel these guys got it by a tight one. A game I'm pretty sure will not disappoint the fans and gamers that show up to want to see a good game and not be stuck or dedicated to one school on a friday night. Could be as big of a thriller as this past friday. I may be for East Burke but I dont have a kid in the game, dog in the fight and they really dont have much to play for so yeah, best game in area for me.

Newton- just common sense, really nothing to add. 3 scores maybe. Look for Newton to rise in this conference. Can't see em' overcoming Hickory next year or so but could compete for 2nd or 3rd in the coming years. We'll see.

 

[CHEERDUCK]

Schedule update:

Hickory JV vs. Hibriten JV at Hibriten
Thursday Oct. 23 at 7:00 PM

 

[amaidendevil]

Schedule update:

Hickory JV vs. Hibriten JV at Hibriten
Thursday Oct. 23 at 7:00 PM

Foard need to step aside and y'all play Newton JV to big a game to not in conference to not play

 

[Lincolnton]

Here are mine:

North Lincoln at Bunker Hill: I can see either team winning this one. North got off to a decent start but then slipped. I like the Knights all right and the Bears, too. My neighbor, a couple of houses down the street from me, was a cheerleader at Bunker Hill. What a fine person she is. Going to stay home on this one and pick North Lincoln by 7.

Newton-Conover at Foard: This might, might be ok, too, but I'm guessing the Devils have too much speed. N-C by 10.

West Iredell at Bandys: Both coming off a loss and will be eager to get back into the win column. Didn't see where Flyrod has declared a game of the week. This could be it. Trojans by 7.

East Lincoln at Maiden: Perhaps, this is Flyrod's game of the week, and would fit the billing, too. Everything points to an East Lincoln victory, but one thing the Blue Devils have in their corner, and that is they've seen this caliber of a team in Hickory, and realize the effort it will take to beat them.
Friday before last, when we played Shelby, everybody picked us to lose, except one of the Maiden guys who picked us (The Wolves). This week, I do the same for his team. Maiden by 6.

*Picks are in bold

*Postscript: Special thanks to Flyrod and Maiden Creek, for making the weekly thread, for keeping count and including an out of conference team, namely Lincolnton. Thanks Guys.

*Side Note: Some of you know that I'm old, and when you get there, you might think it odd how easily just a word or statement can be a memory trigger. In another thread, a posters told one of the Maiden guys that they were, going to get "mule kicked", and it was just friendly banter about an upcoming game, nothing else, but him mentioning mule, reminded me of a fun time in childhood. In the 8th grade, a long time ago, one of the students who lived out a ways, rode a mule to school and tethered it to the bicycle rack. The administration called the fire department. The teachers had to pull the shades to keep excited students from looking out the window.

*Side Note: This past Friday, I watched our team get beaten, badly. For me, every loss is painful, and in the last several years we've had a litany of them, up until the past three years, when our players and staff were able to get things back under control at least to some extent.
In spite of losses, I always appreciated what the players and coaches do, win or lose, but I wanted to say if any of our staff or team notices this. Thank you, again, from a grateful fan.

*Side Note: Friends, if I could mention one last thing, here. This past Friday, when it was obvious Lincolnton was not going to make a comeback, I saw some of out fans get up and leave. For a moment, I thought, well, I'm not leaving, and I didn't. It kind of bothered me that some left. On second thought, though, it's painful to watch your team lose, and if they left, and I know it goes on in other places, too, that is their call. So, I suppose this is my way of atoning for being judgmental.

*Side Note: The reason I feel so remorseful, I suppose is because I later heard that the Infernal Revenue Service was in the stadium, and were doing random audits, not saying that had something to do with any early exiting, and Again, I wasn't one of them, but I wanted to ask that if you see any pictures out there, don't jump to conclusions.

 

[amaidendevil]

Here are mine:

North Lincoln at Bunker Hill: I can see either team winning this one. North got off to a decent start but then slipped. I like the Knights all right and the Bears, too. My neighbor, a couple of houses down the street from me, was a cheerleader at Bunker Hill. What a fine person she is. Going to stay home on this one and pick North Lincoln by 7.

Newton-Conover at Foard: This might, might be ok, too, but I'm guessing the Devils have too much speed. N-C by 10.

West Iredell at Bandys: Both coming off a loss and will be eager to get back into the win column. Didn't see where Flyrod has declared a game of the week. This could be it. Trojans by 7.

East Lincoln at Maiden: Perhaps, this is Flyrod's game of the week, and would fit the billing, too. Everything points to an East Lincoln victory, but one thing the Blue Devils have in their corner, and that is they've seen this caliber of a team in Hickory, and realize the effort it will take to beat them.
Friday before last, when we played Shelby, everybody picked us to lose, except one of the Maiden guys who picked us (The Wolves). This week, I do the same for his team. Maiden by 6.

*Picks are in bold

*Postscript: Special thanks to Flyrod and Maiden Creek, for making the weekly thread, for keeping count and including an out of conference team, namely Lincolnton. Thanks Guys.

*Side Note: Some of you know that I'm old, and when you get there, you might think it odd how easily just a word or statement can be a memory trigger. In another thread, a posters told one of the Maiden guys that they were, going to get "mule kicked", and it was just friendly banter about an upcoming game, nothing else, but him mentioning mule, reminded me of a fun time in childhood. In the 8th grade, a long time ago, one of the students who lived out a ways, rode a mule to school and tethered it to the bicycle rack. The administration called the fire department. The teachers had to pull the shades to keep excited students from looking out the window.

*Side Note: This past Friday, I watched our team get beaten, badly. For me, every loss is painful, and in the last several years we've had a litany of them, up until the past three years, when our players and staff were able to get things back under control at least to some extent.
In spite of losses, I always appreciated what the players and coaches do, win or lose, but I wanted to say if any of our staff or team notices this. Thank you, again, from a grateful fan.

*Side Note: Friends, if I could mention one last thing, here. This past Friday, when it was obvious Lincolnton was not going to make a comeback, I saw some of out fans get up and leave. For a moment, I thought, well, I'm not leaving, and I didn't. It kind of bothered me that some left. On second thought, though, it's painful to watch your team lose, and if they left, and I know it goes on in other places, too, that is their call. So, I suppose this is my way of atoning for being judgmental.

*Side Note: The reason I feel so remorseful, I suppose is because I later heard that the Infernal Revenue Service was in the stadium, and were doing random audits, not saying that had something to do with any early exiting, and Again, I wasn't one of them, but I wanted to ask that if you see any pictures out there, don't jump to conclusions.

View attachment 962936

The whole mule species is an interesting concept . For it to happen in nature has to be a process for a short donkey and then the result of this match almost always leads to a sterile offspring that can't pass its genes on to perfect the species.

 

[Vik-Val 86]

Some good games going on this next week. I’m attempted to come into Catawba Co and catch either Bandys vs WI or Maiden vs East Lincoln. I’m undecided yet.

 

[Lincolnton]

The whole mule species is an interesting concept . For it to happen in nature has to be a process for a short donkey and then the result of this match almost always leads to a sterile offspring that can't pass its genes on to perfect the species.

You’re right, I agree with you…And, too, a mule is a noble creature.

 

[amaidendevil]

 

[beamer24]

It will interesting how East Lincoln responds. Maiden can probably throw to #7 as #0 from Hickory had like 4 TD catches. Dont know that Maiden has anyone to match up with #4 on EL. Hickory put an App commit on him.

 

[Flyrod]

Yes, you are right about the app commit. believe #4 had right under 100 yards on Friday.

@amaidendevil you got an App commit to limit #4?

 

[GrizzlyDevil]

Yes, you are right about the app commit. believe #4 had right under 100 yards on Friday.

@amaidendevil you got an App commit to limit #4?

We got the kid who held the App commit to 12 yds receiving. I know that's not the same and I don't know what the defense game plan is, but it is something.

 

[HeelRaiderMBD]

Interesting note. Tom Brown's all-time record at Maiden (only) was 330-98-6. Counting the 6 ties as 1/2 win and 1/2 loss, his WL% at Maiden was .767. Through this past Friday's game vs. Bandys, HC Will Byrne's record is 89-27. That exactly matches Tom's WL% of .767 to this point in Byrne's ninth season at Maiden. Not only that but, IMO, Byrne has accomplished this against better week in and week out competition than what Tom had to face back in the day. That being said, having to face Lincolnton, AC Reynolds, Hickory, East Lincoln, Bandys and an obviously improving Newton-Conover as over half of a 10-game schedule probably isn't going to do Byrne's WL% any favors over the next three year's of this realignment. Brutal schedules like that might help the RPI, but they sure don't do anything for the W-L record.

 

[amaidendevil]

Interesting note. Tom Brown's all-time record at Maiden (only) was 330-98-6. Counting the 6 ties as 1/2 win and 1/2 loss, his WL% at Maiden was .767. Through this past Friday's game vs. Bandys, HC Will Byrne's record is 89-27. That exactly matches Tom's WL% of .767 to this point in Byrne's ninth season at Maiden. Not only that but, IMO, Byrne has accomplished this against better week in and week out competition than what Tom had to face back in the day. That being said, having to face Lincolnton, AC Reynolds, Hickory, East Lincoln, Bandys and an obviously improving Newton-Conover as over half of a 10-game schedule probably isn't going to do Byrne's WL% any favors over the next three year's of this realignment. Brutal schedules like that might help the RPI, but they sure don't do anything for the W-L record.

You never know what our team is gonna look like over those years

 

[Lincolnton]

You never know what our team is gonna look like over those years

That’s what’s so great about his record… HeelRaider makes a good point, but to have a 75% plus record after what must have been between 3 and 4 decades is fantastic. Always heard one of his strong points was the ability to take an average guy and turn him into a good player.

 

[Lincolnton]

 

[GrizzlyDevil]

JV Standings:

TEAM	CONF W	CONF L	CONF %	OVR W	OVR L	OVR %	PF	PA	APF	APA	AVG DIFF
Newton-Conover	5	0	100.0%	7	1	87.5%	234	97	29.3	12.1	17.1
Hickory	5	1	83.3%	7	1	87.5%	232	105	29.0	13.1	15.9
Maiden	4	1	80.0%	5	3	62.5%	144	152	18.0	19.0	-1.0
Bandys	4	2	66.7%	5	2	71.4%	224	143	32.0	20.4	11.6
East Lincoln	3	4	42.9%	3	6	33.3%	78	166	8.7	18.4	-9.8
Bunker Hill	2	3	40.0%	2	6	25.0%	96	165	12.0	20.6	-8.6
Fred T Foard	2	4	33.3%	4	4	50.0%	185	155	23.1	19.4	3.8
West Iredell	0	5	0.0%	2	5	28.6%	113	164	16.1	23.4	-7.3
North Lincoln	0	5	0.0%	1	6	14.3%	89	135	12.7	19.3	-6.6

 

[GrizzlyDevil]

Varsity Standings:

TEAM	CONF W	CONF L	CONF %	OVR W	OVR L	OVR %	PF	PA	APF	APA	AVG DIFF
Hickory	7	0	100.0%	8	1	88.9%	391	118	43.4	13.1	30.3
East Lincoln	6	1	85.7%	8	1	88.9%	437	166	48.6	18.4	30.1
Maiden	5	1	83.3%	6	2	75.0%	288	161	36.0	20.1	15.9
Newton-Conover	4	2	66.7%	6	2	75.0%	290	241	36.3	30.1	6.1
Bandys	3	3	50.0%	4	4	50.0%	278	221	34.8	27.6	7.1
West Iredell	2	4	33.3%	4	4	50.0%	183	151	22.9	18.9	4.0
Fred T Foard	1	5	16.7%	3	5	37.5%	70	221	8.8	27.6	-18.9
North Lincoln	0	6	0.0%	1	7	12.5%	163	322	20.4	40.3	-19.9
Bunker Hill	0	6	0.0%	1	7	12.5%	107	311	13.4	38.9	-25.5

 

[Sportsnut17]

Wasn’t Bunker Hill good like 2 years ago? What happened?

 

[Lincolnton]

Wasn’t Bunker Hill good like 2 years ago? What happened?

They were good for the past five years and rarely lost.

 

[beamer24]

Wasn’t Bunker Hill good like 2 years ago? What happened?

Talent cycled out.

 

[BlueDevil1996!]

Bandys vs West Iredell : Both team have shown that cant win the games that matter. West lost to Maiden/N-C and Bandys lost to N-C/Maiden as well. Bandys lost the games closes as well and someone told me - BANDYS cant win the close ones. If Swett is still hurt , I would favor WIHS here by 10, If Swett Play - Give me Bandys by 14

Bunker Hill vs North Lincoln

East Lincoln at Maiden: If your East Lincoln your PISSED OFF with the loss to hickory and want to come out and prove yourself once again. I think Maiden has gotten better week by week but Maiden can be had so Ill take EL here by 10

Foard vs Newton Conover: N-C needs to handle business, they let Bunker Hill hang around to long. Give me N-C by 21 +

 

[Vik-Val 86]

Looks like if both East Lincoln and Newton Conover win then the big showdown comes in last week when Maiden n Newton Conover battle out for 3rd spot. Going get interesting.

 

[HeelRaiderMBD]

That’s what’s so great about his record… HeelRaider makes a good point, but to have a 75% plus record after what must have been between 3 and 4 decades is fantastic. Always heard one of his strong points was the ability to take an average guy and turn him into a good player.

Good point. Certainly not trying to take away from the amazing things that Tom Brown accomplished at Maiden. He's certainly one of the best high school coaches of all time. Extremely few would have a .767 W-L % over 33 seasons. Just pointing out what Byrne has accomplished over almost nine seasons. In today's world, the way both coaches and players move around at the drop of a hat, even nine years is a relatively long-term stay.

 

[Lincolnton]

Good point. Certainly not trying to take away from the amazing things that Tom Brown accomplished at Maiden. He's certainly one of the best high school coaches of all time. Extremely few would have a .767 W-L % over 33 seasons. Just pointing out what Byrne has accomplished over almost nine seasons. In today's world, the way both coaches and players move around at the drop of a hat, even nine years is a relatively long-term

You made a good point.It’s something to think about. Good post.

 

[Reno Hoghtower]

A high win percentage over 9 or 10 seasons is impressive, no doubt. But 330 wins? That's not just talent-it's sustained greatness. I know not just any coach can ride a hot streak for awhile, but doing it rebuilding, adapting, and winning through it all too me is impressive. I think Will has done a great job at Maiden but let's see what he has done after about 25 or 30 years or if he has 330 wins. Legends are made over decades i.e Tom Landry, Bill Billicheck, and like Nick Saban. I have always said this, Tom delivered year after year and did it with less talent.

 

[amaidendevil]

I played under Tom.brown. I will say will is a better x's and o's coach. But where Tom Brown was special was he could tear a kid down to nothing and rebuild them into what he needed on the field. He could make you believe you could run through a brick wall and then you would do it. That was his special power. You never went into a game thinking you were going to lose.

 

[Reno Hoghtower]

I played underground. I will say will is a better x's and o's coach. But where Tom Brown was special was he could tear a kid down to nothing and rebuild them into what he needed on the field. He could make you believe you could run through a brick wall and then you would do it. That was his special power. You never went into a game thinking you were going to lose.

That's the truth right there. Tom Brown and Maiden won games they shouldn't of won and at times lost games they should have won. Maiden should have a State Title in 1998, 2001, 2002, and 2004 at least!! Hell they should have won it in 1992. So at least 5 but I am sure someone could list other teams that probably could have won it at that time they were there or whatever. Tom was a great coach not just Xs and Os, but he taught us all alot about life and started the whole Tradition never Graduates and Man Forms his own destiny to always telling players before they got off the bus after a game; "Don't do anything that's going to keep you off the bus when we go to a State Championship"!! Or at least something like that. It fell apart in the last year and the teams weren't as good for awhile but he was something

 

[Reno Hoghtower]

The 1998 team was 2 or 3 minutes away that year!! Your beating Starmount 14-3, and then a couple of plays that could have put the Rams away went in their favor!! When they tied the game at 14 and it went to OT I knew Starmount was gonna win and can still see the Field Goal going thru at the old stadium on the concession stand side and them winning 17-14. The 01 team had Albemarle 14-0 and a bad call by the officials gave them the score they should not of had, and then the game turned into a shootout with them winning but if we score to go up 21-0 there's no way we lose to Albemarle. The 04 team should have beat Thomasville but it slipped away in the 2nd Half. After that QB went 77 yards between Travis Osborne and Andrew Goodson for the score I knew it was over. So many close calls and tons of heartbreakers along the way, but those teams should have State Titles no doubt

 

[Reno Hoghtower]

The 1992 team should have won 1 too!! West Brunswick in Chapel Hill cold that day!! The infamous punt that went backwards in that game and gave them the title. Credit to West though they shut Antonie Ikard down for the most part.

 

[beamer24]

I watched that game in 01. TA Mclendon did nothing in 1st half. 2nd half couldnt be stopped.
Used to worked with A. Ikard he told me there was no reason they shouldn't have won one.

 

[Reno Hoghtower]

1992 Lost 14-6 or 8 to West Brunswick
1993 Returned to 2A West Regional Final Lost 42-18 to Lincolnton for 2nd time that year.
1994 Lost in opening round to Bessemer City 38-20 Phiilip Crosby went to Tennessee and played in NFL with Buffalo.
1995 Finished 5-6 Did not make playoffs
1996 Lost to Starmount in 2nd Round 17-7
1997 Lost 21-20 in OT to Burlington Cummings
1998 Lost in 1A West Regional Final to Starmount 17-14 in OT
1999 Lost 43-32 to Graham in 2nd Round
2000 Lost 35-21 to Swain County (Will Byrnes Senior season).
2001 Lost 49-28 to Albemarle in 3rd Round
2002 Lost 25-22 to Albemarle in 1AA West Regional Final
2003 Lost to Hendersonville 34-12 in 2nd Round
2004 Lost 23-6 to Thomasville in 1A West Regional Finals
2005 Lost 21-18 to Brevard in 2AA 2nd Round
2006 Lost to Newton-Conover 17-6 in 2nd Round
2007 Lost again to Newton-Conover in 2nd Round
2008 Lost to Starmount in opening round of 2A State Playoffs
2009 Lost 52-6 to Lincolnton in opening round of 2A State Playoffs
2010 Lost to Polk County in opening round of 2A State Playoffs
2011 Lost 34-21 to Lincolnton in 3rd Round of 2AA State Playoffs
2012 Lost 27-24 to Thomasville in opening round of 2A State Playoffs
2013 Lost to East Lincoln 42-14 in 2nd Round of 2A State Playoffs
2014 Lost to Ashe County (Frozen Gatorade Game) 34-26
2015 Lost At Monroe in 2nd Round of 2AA State Playoffs
2016 Lost to Mt. Pleasant in 1st round ( Will Bryne first season as Head Coach)
2017 Lost 16-0 to Fred T Foard in Opening round of 2AA State Playoffs
2018 Lost in opening round of 2A State Playoffs to East Rutherford 17-10
2019 Lost to Shelby 49-7 in 2nd Round of 2AA State Playoffs
2021 Covid Season Lost in opening round to Salisbury.
2021 Fall Lost 36-35 to East Surry in 4th Round of 2A State Playoffs
2022 Lost 34-7 to Reidsville in 4th Round of 2A State Playoffs
2023 Lost again to Salisbury this time in 2nd Round of 2A State Playoffs
2024 Lost 28-0 to Shelby in 2nd Round of 2A State Playoffs.

 

[Reno Hoghtower]

I watched that game in 01. TA Mclendon did nothing in 1st half. 2nd half couldnt be stopped.
Used to worked with A. Ikard he told me there was no reason they shouldn't have won one.

Agreed!! The 2nd Half painted a completely different picture then the 1st half. That call by the officials after Maiden recovered the Fumble from McClendon should have been Maiden ball at the Albemarle 20, instead they gave it back to them they scored and then the game went to a shoot out!! Lamont Reid was unreal that night 262 rushing yards on like 20 plus carries they couldn't stop him!! But that 1 play before the half changed the whole game!!

 

[Dplubo1]

 

[CHEERDUCK]

We got the kid who held the App commit to 12 yds receiving. I know that's not the same and I don't know what the defense game plan is, but it is something.

I think #1 had 2 passes thrown his way vs Maiden.