Readers want more high school football talk/news

*****Added on Monday June 7, 2010*****

Players that we are looking closer at today are Airyn Willis, the athlete at Southwest Guilford, the Pauley twins, LB’s at Northwest and Josh Hawkins, RB at Glenn…

The question on Willis is how will SWG use him this year????? Last season he was at WR with Davis Inman at QB and then the Cowboys moved Willis to QB for the Ragsdale game….How will Willis do in 2010??? It really does depend on how SWG plays him, whether it be at QB, WR, or RB or on defense too….Willis is thought to be the best athlete in the area, by some HS football insiders…..

The Pauley twins at NWG are Alex and Austin and they both are outstanding linebackers and they spend time at RB and WR on offense….I have been hearing their names for many years, but haven’t had the chance to see them play for any length of time…We will try and keep them on our watch list and see what type of season they have for the NWG Vikings….It is our understanding that they have several colleges interested in their services….They could set the tone for the NWG defense this season and that could help the Vikings work their way into a contenders spot in the Piedmont Triad Athletic Coference…..

Josh Hawkins is not in Guilford County, but he will have an impact on GC football outcomes from his RB spot at Glenn….Hawkins was a big name last season and if I get a chance to talk to runningbacks, I tell them, go out and get me 1,200 yards and at least 15 TD’s and I can get you into a college somewhere if you have a desire to move on to the next level……Write it down, 15 TD’s and 1,200 yards, and those are attainable goals….

That is a brief look at our Monday update and we will try and keep this post popping as we continue to receive more information…..

*****Added Sunday June 6, 2010….*****

Scarfone will be the Northern Guilford quarterback and they are hoping to be able to use Harris like they did Keenan Allen last year….In some areas, Harris is better than Allen, but in the areas where Allen was good, he was REAL GOOD…..

The kid Sean Ples(Northeast Guilford) will be among the top 5 runningbacks in Guilford County with Smith, Rogers, Gaylord/McCorkle, Dillon and Ples plus add on the young back Logan at Northern……

Ples will be very hard to stop and we all know that NEG loves to run the ball and Ples will not go down until he has been tackled 10-12 times and this means you will have to soften him up….

I’d hit him as hard as I could early, cause he will be a load to bring down and when you mix him in with the NEG Rams’ quick backs that hit the hole in a hurry, you have the triple option causing quadruple problems….Good luck D’ Linemen and LB’s and DB’s by the time he gets to you, you better call somebody to jump on the train with you cause this one is headed down the tracks like a loaded locomotive and the motive is 6 points…..

*****Added Saturday June 5, 2010….*****

To make this an on-going blog we need to add or make changes and we need to add Rocco Scarfone to our list of players to watch….He will be the QB at Northern Guilford as he enters his senior year and part of his job will be to get the ball to athlete Maurice Harris…..Scarfone is not being looked at as a quarterback for college, but with his speed(100/200 meters) he may be able to line up at another position….Northern also has a RB up from the JV’s, TJ Logan(I can never remember this kids last name, but it is Logan and if he is as good as he showed last year on JV, then he will be money and I discovered him on Thurdays last season and just can’t remember his last name), I think it is, and this kid can score….6 TD’s in a JV game last season…

Speaking of JV football teams, Page and Northwest Guilford both went unbeaten last year and that should carry over quickly to their varsity squads….The JV runningback from NWG that we were thinking of yesterday, is Baxter and he scored right at 25 TD’s last season and he has the speed to make it happen at the next level….

More to be added as we keep on tracking the upcoming season….You like the start of our coverage?????

The school year is not yet over, but some fans are already turning their attention toward the upcoming high school football season….

It still seems a little early since practice can’t officially start until August, but we will try and keep the topic lit up a bit as the season approaches….

The big 7 on 7 at Eastern Guilford is coming up toward the end of this month and you will see the teams that look to contend for the Metro 4-A Title….

You have to feel that the Page Pirates are ready to assume the favorites role in the Metro and that Dudley is not yet ready to lay down and let Page run away with the Conference Title in 2010….

With James Summers at quarterback and Drew Rogers, along with Tuc Phan at runningback, Page will be ready to open it up this season….We are just going to have to find out who the receivers will be….

Many of the fans that I have been talking to say their teams won’t have any trouble scoring, it is the defense that will be the concern and maybe that is the case at Page too…Dudley should have enough offense to carry the load with Gaylord and McCorkle back to share the load at RB and we will have to wait and see how Demetrious Dick does when he is given the reins of the team and is in charge of running the team at QB…..Dudley also has a kid by the last name of Littlejohn that I have been tracking and I am looking forward to seeing how big an impact Littlejohn might have on this team…

Smith will have Jeff Sims at quarterback and several runningbacks returning and this might be the year that the Smith Golden Eagles give the Dudley Panthers a run for their money…..Eric Ebron will be Sims favorite target as a receiver and we will have to watch and see how much Double E will mean to the Eagles, as he will be the top name along with Summers, in our area this season(You can add Athlete-Maurice Harris, Northern Guilford, to that list.)…Ebron will have to go both ways if Smith has any chance at all, because if you don’t have your best players on the field at all times, you are not going to contend for anything…

Western Guilford should not have a problem finding time for QB Josh Thompson with the Stadnik brothers and Tyler Stutts up front along the offensive line, but the problem will be who is going to replace RB super-star Aaron Jones and who will be the favorite targets for Thompson once he puts it in the air…..With Jabri Ridenhour gone, Thompson will need to locate some new hands to get the ball to….Thompson could become the man, if WG can find a way to run and throw the ball….Short drop-off passes???? Thompson did a good job with those last season…The defense here at WG, like at almost all stops in Guilford County, will be the difference….

Page, Dudley, Smith and Western are your favorites and SEG will be playing with very young boys again and it will take a while to see if they have grown up and if they are ready to compete for title….Grimsley is still re-building and they need some new blood to move into their district to help them move this process forward, at a more rapid rate….Southern Alamance????? General George Oswald Custard said just last week, “I am a military man and give me just one more chance to say my famous last words, CHARGE!!!!!”…That is the battle cry coming out of Alamance County….

We will write more in detail next week on the Piedmont Athletic Conference, but the question is, how bad do you want to get hurt?????

Ragsdale will be the team to beat again….The Tigers can hurt you….Luke Heavner is back along with D’onavan Smith and Tyquan Roberts and that alone is a load of offense…Heavner at QB, Smith at RB and Roberts at WR and there you are….Smith will be projected as one of the state’s Top 5 runningbacks and Smith can score and score and score….Heavner can throw the ball with the best of the QB’s around and with Roberts to get it to, Luke may have lost Luke Sonricker(Charlie Joiner), but he gained a Kellen Winslow(circa San Diego Chargers) in exchange…..

The defense will be the difference for the Ragsdale Tigers with Billy Stone, Walt Sparks, Cedric Ellison, and others all gone…..

Northwest Guilford will compete with Matt Pawlowski back as one of the top QB’s in the state, but will NWG want to go the air or will they be satisfied to keep it on the ground and grind it out????? Dalton Dillon is back at runningback and there is a young RB at NWG that might be one of the fastest kids in the state and his grandfather was former Greensboro City Councilman Lonnie Revels…If the Vikings don’t use Pawlowski’s arm, then that will be a talent gone to waste…..

High Point Central returns that QB Drew Adams and WR Derek Grant and Grant will receive double and triple coverage and that is where their RB Lashaun Monk must step up….HPC loses Jimmy Moorman, Evan Aguilar and Akeem Langham on defense and that is going to open up a lot of holes on that defense….

If I am a player or coach in Guilford County right now, the two kids that concern me the most and the two that I can’t stop are James Summers, QB at Page and D’onavan Smith, RB at Ragsdale…..Maurice Harris at Northern Guilford might also fit this mode, butg I haven’t seen him play enough to make that call this early…Eric Ebron(Smith HS) is another name to watch, but as a receiver, if he doesn’t have the ball, he can’t hurt you like a RB or QB can…..

Keep and eye on Summers and Smith…Big numbers if all goes as planned….

More on this subject by next Friday, hopefully….

28 thoughts on “Readers want more high school football talk/news

  1. Let’s hear it people. Who has what from each school? What are your expectations for next season?

  2. James is looking great this offseason…From what I’ve heard he is .3 seconds faster in the 40 than what he was at this time last year…He has gotten taller, his arm is stronger, but there is one thing this kid never has lacked and its HEART. He is a leader for that football team, and he shows it in practice and on the field.

    Drew Rogers is going to dominate as well. Drew had his coming out party last year with close to 1400 yards rushing (9 ypc) and 18 touchdowns and didn’t really take the starting role until the Smith game, which was in the middle of the season. Not to mention, all of his work was with splitting time with three other backs. So, some of those guys are gone now, and guess who will probably be the MAN carrying the rock this year around. Thuc is going to provide excellent explosion on special teams, as well as be a great #2 back. However, I do believe with Coach G’s offensive mind, that he will find a way to get James, Drew, and Thuc looks somewhere on the field. The offensive line is going to be nasty. Will Foxx will anchor that line, along with JD Gaylon, DeSean Stewart, David Jennings, and Joe Black. Will, JD, and DeSean are all benching over 300 lbs, so this is an indication that they are working hard in the weight room.

    Page had a lot of seniors graduate within the receiving corp, but DJ Caldwell is returning for his senior year and he was very good at times. Hopefully, this is the year where he puts it all together. There were also some good receivers on the JV squad that would catch the ball and are coming up. Page did get a very good transfer in, Orlando, and he is the REAL DEAL. He is smooth, he has great hands, and he is a 4.5 forty guy, so he does have speed. He is a rising junior, so look for him and DJ Caldwell to be James’ go to guys this year.

    All in all, Page lost some good senior players, but players who can be replaced. So, in my opinion, Page should be even better this year. They won’t take anyone lightly, but I do know that they are gunning for Ragsdale and Dudley. They want to be the BEST, so they know that they have to beat the best and the rest.

  3. What about the Defense,

    We all know Defense wins games.
    Ragsdale will be tough again this year on D.
    Last year NWG defense was very strong they will have the Pawley Twins
    at LB and a strong secondary coming back. NG has lost a bunch of players on D
    with no Keenan Allen to make plays. HPC also lost several good players on D

  4. Scarfone has always been to small to play OB, but we all know why he is at that position.
    Where else would he play at the college level?

  5. Does anyone know what EG has with Josh Morehead leaving. I have heard that they are going to surprise some people and have some speed and power this year w/o Morehead.

  6. Its TJ Logan…..
    Scarfone is being looked at as corner/saftey I do believe, don’t know how good he is at it but with his speed he should be good at it

    And matt p from nw top quaterbacks in the state? Let’s be real.
    And don’t forget about luke heavner from ragsdale he should hav e a good season

    Best team in county next year: Northwest Guilford, they have no outstanding players B
    But have a lot of good players. If not northwest it will be page

  7. players….TJ Logan??..he was a very good JV player..unlimited talent but how many touches will he get is the question….A small line may reduce his touches this year so maybe more of a tempo offense and qb option w/ Maurice Harris spreading the ball around. Alot of questions at NG as far as I see…Harris will be the Go2guy and I think Downing may have a break out year….Scarfone is a good enough athlete to play many positions so I don’t see an issue anywhere he plays.

    NW should be good..and I agree lots of good players..

    Can’t wait for this season

  8. Sounds like NG has a lot of holes to fill. One big hole will be replacing
    Keenan Allen. ankersaway are you suggesting Harris will be the QB at NG
    and not Scarefone ? This could be a long year for the Nighthawks. Remember how
    much fun they had running up the score on teams last year when the game was
    already won. Well payback time is coming and Coaches and players will enjoy turning the tables. Except for those who have some class.

    Good Luck Nighthawks

  9. I seen NW play twice last year. The defense was top notch with “good” seniors and potentially two “great” players. Number 9 and 6. Their confrence all around will be tough on D so im looking forward to this season and the great players to emerge.

  10. Good Players …. are you a little bitter about somehing?
    Replacing a player like Keenan Allen would be difficult for any team but these young men are as hungry as last year and the coaches have a plan.
    NG has three legit qb’s (Harris, Scarfone and Downing)…a good problem for the coaches. To think Harris won’t see snaps is naive.
    As far as scoring alot….that is fun for any team….if you cant stop the opposing team then make adjustments and coach better.
    Just curious who is going to run the score up on NG?…DO YOU HAVE SOME PREDICTIONS YOU WANT TO SHARE?

  11. I am not sure who is writing and updating this article, but
    Harris being better than Keenan is Bull —-.
    Harris is ok but if people are expected him to fill KA shoes
    they will be very disappointed especially on defense.

  12. Harris wont be able to do what keenan allen did….hes just simply not fast enough…scarfone has a better chance at running the offense running wise then harris does, just because of his speed. Harris is recovering from a broken foot or ankle? and Scarfone is fast from what i saw in track meets.

    Number 9 and 6 are the pauley twins. number 9 is the better

  13. i have ragsdale, dudley, and page( no particular order) as my top 3 in guilford county… all three have talent at all positions… i think the key to see who is number 1 in the county will be the defense of these schools…. i think ragsdale and page have the qb advantage with both bringing back studs at the position… everyone is still sitting back and trying to see how D. Dick will play when he finally hits the field… ( internal health problems. summers is a complete athlete and will cause defenses all types of problems. and heavner is like p.manning sitting back their in the pocket picking defenses apart.gotta see how ragsdale replaces thier stud LB’S(thier heart and soul) and #15. page will score all the points in the world with summers phan and company. but the key to their season is will they be able to stop anyone….. everyone knows thats dudley has athletes galore at every position.. gotta lot players back on both sides of the ball.of course they always have a nasty defense that brings the wood. and thier #1 qb from last season… the have a HUGE offensive line and defensive line this year.. idk know were they got some of those boys from lol.. the question for the panthers will be can they open the playbook up enough to keep opposing defenses off balance… cant wait to see these teams go at it for the battle for #1… umm ITS IT FOOTBALL SEASON YET????????? cant wait

  14. Northern is going to find it tough to fill the shoes of Keenan Allen! I don’t think you can even compare Harris to Allen. That’s not being very fare to this kid! Allen was one of the greatest players to play HS football in this state. Even though Northern lost a lot with Keenan some kids will step up and show this is a team sport!

    NWG- Is returning a lot of very good players from last years team! NW lost 4 games by 4 points or less last season. If they play hard this season they may compete for the Piedmont 4A.

    I also can’t wait to see these two teams take on each other in week 4 of this season! Last years game had a huge crowd. NW/NORTHERN is turning into a pretty good rivalry

  15. I never said Harris was a better overall player than Allen, just that there might be some areas of his game where Harris might be better or have an edge…..There will only be one Keenan Allen…Players like him don’t come around that often….

    I like the thoughts on Scarfone, Harris and Daniel Downing all being able to run the show at Northern and if was coaching that team, all three of those young men would always be on the field when we had the ball on offense…

    We know that Scarfone and Harris can do multiple things, but Downing is very talented and he can play….I saw him come in last year during the playoffs and he can run the team from QB…He and TJ Logan were out there late and NG did not lose a beat…

    Downing can also line up at receiver and since he has those basketball tendencies too, he can go up and go get the ball and he had several TD’s from the receiver spot last year…

    The NG-NWG matchups will be very competitive and the same should be said for NG-Western Guilford and the early season game with NG-Dudley last year was a great one at Dudley and they should meet again at NG this year….

    The football well has not run dry in Guilford County, you’ll just have to be a little more selective this season…

    Those QB’s do offer some good variety with:
    Summers-Page
    Thompson-Western Guilford
    Pawlowski-NWG
    Heavner-Ragsdale
    Scarfone-Northern Guilford
    Adams-High Point Central
    ******Those six already are among the top 50 in the state without a doubt and we will have a few others that won’t be far behind…..******

    I am the one who has been updating this post and I think we have a good conversation going on here and we have to all remember, right now the offense is way ahead of the defense, and for Keenan Allen, we probably won’t see one quite like him come through here again for awhile……

    But let the comparisons begin and get your kids out there training and in the heat…..Now is the time to working if you are a player, practice will be starting in just over 6 weeks and I mean the August 1st practices, that is when the real work begins, until then, many of you are just spinning your wheels…..

  16. Andy, my son plays basketball at NWG so during football season I can be an UNBIASED spectator. Everytime HS football news comes up you talk about other players some deserving of hype and others are definitely not at that same level even though they are starters and may have had good statistical years in past. You tend to however leave out what I think are 2 of the the top players in the state. They are Alex Pauley and Austin Pauley or the “Pauley twins.” #6 and #9 for NWG that people have been talking about previously. My son has been friends with them since elementary school and tells me news from time to time about them this offseason. He said that there are big time colleges coming through there everyday, Wake, ECU, Duke, Clemson etc. to talk about both of them. Austin #6 played both ways RB and LB the entire game and averaged around 6 to 7 yards a carry each game. Alex #9 plays LB and WR where else do you see an athlete the size of a college LB and the skill set enough to play WR and make big time plays when needed. 99 out of 100 tackles had one of these two guys names on it this past season don’t believe me ask the announcer at the games. They are the heart, soul and the stars of this team. Now I know people will say “Oh who are you to get all excited over these guys?” I am just a spectator and I know GREAT players when I seem them and I also know when GREAT players get overlooked and these guys are deserving of all the hype and then some. They transfered after 2 years at NG and after the controversy there. We all thank god everyday for the Pauley twins over here in Viking Country. These season is going to be the best NW has seen in a long time get ready Viking Fans!!!

  17. Here is some thoughts about the Piedmont Triad 4A

    Ragsdale—–Lost a ton of talent on Defense! It will be hard to find playmakers like Sparks, Stone, and Anderson! Do return Heavner, D-onovan, and Roberts. Also look out for #20 Brown…..Might be one of the biggest surprise players in the Piedmont this season.

    High Point Central—–Lost a couple great players in Langham, and Moorman. They do return one of the best WR’s in the area in Grant. Adams to Grant might be a great combo this season. Also look out for Leech #10 to make some huge plays this season on Defense….

    Glenn—–Josh Hawkins was one of the best RB’s in the Piedmont last season. They do have a new Head Coach this season who’s talking about changing up the offense. Will they see the same results with a new Head coach in charge?

    E.Forsyth——-Return Erick Smith @ QB the kid is a double threat…..He can run and pass. He rushed for over 600 yards last season with 7 TD’s on the ground. Threw for over 1,000 yards as well.

    Northwest Guilford—–NW returns a lot of talent from last years team. Pawlowski was only a sophomore last season. They also return the Pauley twins. Dillon is a great RB he was only a sophomore as well. Kid who might surprise some people is J.Smith on the D-Line.

    SWG——Airyn Willis might just be the most talented athlete in the area this season. Already committed to Georgia Tech. If he shows out this season SWG might be a sleeper team in the Piedmont this season.

    Parkland—–They did lose Surratt @ DT he was a load to move. Returning Hariston @ RB. Might be one of the fastest kids in this conf when he gets in the open field. Also Parkland has a very tough schedule this season.

  18. No pressure NWG! Looks like people are giving you a bunch of hype! Better live up to it and play your butts off this fall! This team does have a chance to be great but they have to do it on the field not on a message board!

  19. Seems like it would be a waste to have Ples at Tight End on offense since NEG only throws the ball 1-3 times per game and the way it has gone in the past, why throw when you can run it like they do…

    Ples was one of the top backs on for NWG when he was there as a freshman and he was equal to the Kennedy kid and they really made for a solid one-two punch in that Viking offensive backfield…

    It was interesting when Sean Ples scored a TD for NWG in his first varsity game as a freshman for NWG and his brother, Josh, scored a touchdown in the same game for Western Guilford and went on and is having a solid career as a linebacker at UNC-Pembroke….

  20. My favorite player for NWG is BIG MATT SUGGS. He will have a say in how games are won this year. Plays offensive and defensive line and will be paying vists to opposing quarterbacks.

  21. Sugg is a beast! NWG will need him to step up his game this season if they’re going to have success…..That goes for the whole team as well!

  22. Maurice Harris is Better than Willis from southwest just go watch them play. To say Harris is good is an understatement he is an athlete he will do big things this year. I like to see players out of the triad going places.

  23. Lashuarn Monk step up what. He stepped up last year as a sophomore when Teasley could only get 60 yards on 30 carries and monk can just hop in and get 20 yrds with 2 carries just watch the film Monk is good.

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