Last week of the Regular Season, the playoff seedings and pairing will be coming out on Saturday so, here we go….We may end up jumping all over the place and all over the board tonight, lest we go overboard, let’s get this Danny Pigge Pigskin Preview rolling…
Grimsley(9-0/6-0) at Northern Guilford(9-0/6-0)
This is the one everybody has been waiting and pointing to….Both teams unbeaten overall and in the conference, and both teams have similar characteristics….This will be our Murphy Wainer Orthopedic Specialists Game of the Week, on GreensboroSports Radio…The Sprinkle Oil Pregame Show gets going at 6:50pm, with the SayYes Guilford kickoff coming along at 7:30pm…
And now on to the game….Both of the QB’s can run it and they can pass it…Very similar here…Grimsley QB Alonza Barnett on the season with 2,121 passing yards on 127-200 passing, with 28 TD’s/2 INT’s…Running he goes 64 carries for 442 yards and 8 more TD’s…2,563 total yards and 36 TD’s…Northern Guilford QB Jack Mercer passing now at 104-168 for 1,642 yards, with 30 TD’s/6 INT’s for the season….Mercer with 62 carries for 137 yards and 3 TD’s…Mercer with 1,779 total yards and 33 TD’s…With Barnett being a senior and Mercer a junior, you have to give the edge to Barnett…
At running back, Grimsley is led by senior Jeiel Melton with 147 carries for the season, going for 1,028 yards, and 12 TD’s on the ground…For Northern Guilford you have Jordan McInnis with 981 yards rushing on 118 carries and good for 11 TD’s…Melton with 16 receptions, good for 269 yards…Melton with 1,297 total yards/12 TD’s…McInnis with 15 receptions for 227 yards and 2 TD’s…McInnis with 1,208 total yards and 13 TD’s… Both running backs are seniors, but a slight edge to Melton here…
In the receiving department, Northern has Manny Elliot with 35 receptions for 637 yards and 11 TD’s….Grimsley’s top man is Terrell Anderson now at 691 yards receiving, on 39 receptions, good for 8 TD’s on the year…Grimsley also has Tyson Resper with 475 yards for the season on 31 receptions, with 10 TD’s…Alex Taylor with 369 yards on the year for Grimsley, with 23 receptions, good for 4 TD’s…For Northern add in Terrell Timmons with 28 receptions for 463 yards and 11 TD’s…NG with Zion Crawford with 17 receptions for 294 yards and 4 TD’S…The wide receiving corp is fairly even when you look at the two teams…At tight end, NG has Vance Bolyard going for 19 receptions for 258 yards and 4 TD’s…Grimsley with Nolan Albright having 13 receptions for 254 yards and 5 TD’s…The numbers for the two tight ends are almost dead even…Both Albright and Bolyard are juniors…
On the defense, Grimsley is bigger up front, with Shaw, Jarrett, and Thompson…Northern is very quick with Lachesky, Underwood and Gooch..Northern with a very steady linebacking corp of Flippen, Achina, Garfola, and Peters…Grimsley with Stimpson, Watkins, Deablo, and Northern looking to Atkins and Bluitt to lead their DB’s, while Grimsley leans heavy on Tyler Clyburn in the defensive backfield…Grimsley gets the edge on defense, since they are big, strong and quick too, and the Grimsley defense has that big-game experience from last year’s state playoff run…
The key to the game may come down to the offensive lines…These are the names that go pretty much unnoticed, but they might end up being the factor that sways this contest…How well do the offensive lines stand up to the pressure from the opposing defensive lines??? This might be where this game is decided…Grimsley coming at the NG O-line with something like a bull-rush, and NG coming at the Grimsley O-line, with something like a speed-rush….Keep an eye on this part of the game, and this might be where you see the difference-makers…If I had to give an overall edge in this game going in, I would have to give the edge to Grimsley…Both sides with loads of talent, and plenty of speed to get where they need to be…The kickers, Prago for Grimsley, and McNeill for Northern, come in pretty equal….Has the makings of a playoff game, and let’s hope the damp field doesn’t affect the level of play..
Dudley(8-1/6-0) at Eastern Guilford(7-1/6-0)
This one is for the Mid-State 3-A Conference Championship, and for the #1 seed in the playoffs, coming out of the conference…Dudley will be the favored team, since Dudley has been here before…Dudley had a heck of a 3-AA West Regional final game last Spring vs. Mount Tabor…Those big games get you ready for games like this one…Dudley QB Jahmier Slade on the year going 59-99 passing for 1,281 yards, with 16 TD’s/3 INT’s….Eastern Guilford QB Tyreik Boyd for the season going 73-119, for 1,045 yards, with 17 TD’s/3 INT’s…Slade with 347 yards rushing on 44 carries for 3 TD’s…Slade with 1,628 total yards and 19 TD’s…Boyd with 28 carries for 58 yards and 1 TD on the ground…Boyd with 1,103 total yards and 18 TD’s….QB’s are mighty close in overall numbers, but the edge goes to Slade with his running the ball, and Slade is a senior, Boyd a junior…Look to the senior to lead..
The top rusher among the bunch is Eastern Guilford’s Jaiden Evans with 118 carries for 1,019 yards and 9 TD’s…Dudley counters with Michael Shaw rushing for 703 yards on 72 carries, and 11 TD’s…Dudley has a one-two punch with RJ/Rory Baker adding 606 rushing yards and 6 TD’s, plus he has 422 receiving yards and 6 more TD’s…Baker with 1,028 total yards and 12 TD’s…Baker might be the difference-maker….Give the edge to Dudley in the run game…Evans will be a real big and important back for the EG Wildcats, while Baker, will look to get around the edge for the Panthers…Many of the Dudley Panthers have only been playing 2-3 quarters of football in recent weeks, with Dudley burying the opposition…
In the receiving department, you have Mehki Wall as the top pass catcher for Dudley, and Khyair Lundy, the top man for Eastern Guilford…Wall for the year, at 582 yards on 22 receptions, for 6 TD’s…Wall also serves as the Dudley punt return man, and he has 579 yards on punt returns this season…Wall with 1,251 total yards, on his receptions and punt returns..Wall with at least three additional TD’s by way of his punt returns..Lundy from EG with with 38 receptions for 589 yards and 10 TD’s…Receiving, they are pretty even, but when you add in Wall’s punt returns, Dudley gets an edge here…But not to be outdone, Lundy with 268 yards on kickoff returns, and 858 total yards…Edge still going to the Panthers..
On defense Dudley has Pittman and Wright up front on the D-line and they set the tone, for the Dudley defense…Eastern Guilford has some big hosses on their offensive line and those guys ought to be able to hang in there with the Dudley D, but Dudley has Steven Davis II, plus Seagraves and Berry coming up from the defensive backfield, and Dudley can hit you hard and quick…Eastern is led on defense by Braxton Veiga and Solomon Howell…Very quick young hitters from EG…
Overall edge to the Dudley Panthers…
Page(4-5/4-2) at Southeast Guilford(6-3/4-2)
Page would like to make this the Trevon Hester show, and why not??? How well SEG can tackle Hester, and to what degree the Falcons can slow Hester down, will be the difference in this game…Hester is a “Big Load” and on the season hew has 1,016 rushing yards, on 155 carries, with 18 TD’s…Those 18 TD’s are a difference-maker…Others from Page can help get you there, but it is Hester that will knock the door down and make sure you can come on into the end zone…SEG has a stout defense and has been led all season long by McCalop, Alcorn, and Dollard, and they will have to take a big step up, in their efforts to stop Trevon Hester…These two teams are playing for their playoff lives, and the winner of this game should get in…Edge to Page, due to Hester…He ran for 174 yards and scored on two TD’s last week vs. the Grimsley Whirlies….
**********(Note on Trevon Hester..He played for Southeast Guilford coach Earl Bates, at Northeast Guilford HS, back in 2019…Coach Bates helped get Hester started, and no he has to figure out a way to stop him…Makes for an interesting story line.)**********
Northwest Guilford(4-5/2-4) at Southwest Guilford(4-5/1-4)
If you are NWG you let QB Tanner Ballou, going 126-226 passing for 1,749 yards, with 19 TD’s/14 INT’s get you from the twenty to the twenty, with passes to Trent Cloud with 53 receptions, good for 653 yards and 9 TD’s for the year, plus Bristol Carter with 21 receptions for 559 yards, and 6 TD’s, on the season, and Jake Sowards with 12 receptions for 240 yards and 1 TD, you let those guys get you there and then you hand the ball off to Xavier Simmons and let him run it into the end zone for the touchdown….Ballou has put up some impressive numbers, and with Cloud, Carter and Sowards to throw to, let him chuck it on down the field…Then let the senior Simmons take you on home…SWG will counter with their QB, and he is a good one, Joey McGinnis, and their RB Cam McCain, and Isaiah Hairston, at wide receiver…If NWG can open things up a little and if the Vikings can protect the football, we give them the edge in this game..
Ragsdale(1-8/0-6) at Western Guilford(1-7/0-6)
These two are playing to get out of the Metro 4-A cellar, and we don’t know who to give the edge to, but we will give it to Western Guilford, since they are playing at home inside their Doug Henderson Stadium….
Northeast Guilford(1-8/1-5) at Smith(3-6/2-4)
Edge to Smith in this one, as the Eagles threw for over 200 yards passing vs. Eastern Guilford last week…Here are how the top Smith players stacked up vs. EG…QB Dequaceion Ceasar was 9-15 passing for 230 yards and threw 2 TD passes vs. Eastern Guilford…
WR Darius Cross with 6 receptions for 140 yards vs. EG…Cross on the year with 23 receptions for 555 yards….
CJ Neely with 4 receptions for 100 yards vs. Eastern…Ty’wan Suggs with 11 Total Tackles vs. Eastern Guilford…7 Solo Tackles and 1 QB Hurry…Smith gave EG a slight run for their money, and with NEG coming in on what should be Senior Night, hats off to the Smith Golden Eagles…
Southern Guilford(3-6/2-4) at High Point Central(4-5/3-3)
Zion McCoy has been having a big year for HP Central, and he should be ready to do it again tonight…Central with the edge over SG, and Central with that chance to finish at (5-5) and that would make them on of the most improved teams in our area…It looks like Southern Guilford has run out of gas/fuel…
High Point Andrews(1-7/0-5) at Walkertown(5-4/3-2)
HP Andrews going up against their old coach in Rodney McCoy, now at Walkertown, and the Walkertown Wolfpack might be ready to run right past the HPA Red Raiders…The edge to Walkertown in this game…
High Point Christian Academy(3-5/0-2) at Rabun Gap(6-2/4-1) 7pm…at Rabun Gap, GA
By looking at the overall records, the edge to Rabun Gap in this game…..HPCA should still make the NCISAA DII playoffs….
Picks for this week….
Our picks are within the article up above this week….We list in each breakdown, who has the edge this week…
Top Ten for this Week:
1)Grimsley(9-0)
2)Northern Guilford(9-0)
3)Dudley(8-1)
4)Eastern Guilford(7-1)
5)Page(4-5)
6)Southeast Guilford(6-3)
7)Northwest Guilford(4-5)
8)Southwest Guilford(4-5)
9)High Point Central(4-5)
10)Smith(3-6)
Dave Polaski and Drew Brackett with East Forsyth at West Forsyth tonight on 600 AM WSJS…Looking for Joe Sirera, from the News and Record and HSXtra.com, to be at Grimsley-Northern Guilford game…
Grimsley is going to lose, no doubt about it. Northern dusts them in virtually all aspects: When it comes to coaching, NG has the more experienced coaches with educational qualifications.. It may seem to favor Grimsley, but the fundamentals and chemistry are with Northern. Northern will shred them up, probably within the first half.
Correction: Grimsley*, and the score predicted is: 35-14 Northern.
ouch a bit harsh there buddy. I think Grimsley wins
Thanks for the Bulletin board material(not needed), for Grimsley!! After Northern get’s the L tonight, you can “FORGET ABOUT” the next few years…and I mean Forget about it!! Call out coaching all you want, but no need to name players, these are still kids!!!
Finally some competition this week. Should be a good warmup for the playoffs. Go Whirlies!!
I have Grimsley winning and that’s only because the trenches with a damp field tonight.
Alonza Barnett has not lost a
Varsity game at Grimsley.
Robert Dawson : Where are you?
Robert Dawson proves himself to be a clown… as expected
Forget about it….
I suppose I was initially wrong, I should’ve mentioned that Northern would win were there to be no bias or cheating; which there was. You can check out my Twitter @robdawsongso for the evidence: moving the chain and sticks, money being passed on the field, and the clock being altered to fit Grimsley’s agenda. Nobody is the “clown” except those who actually thought GHS was legitimate.
Re: Mr. Dawson’s Twitter thread. I, too, was there- broadcasting the game for WCOG. First, there was a uniformed game official running the clock. Second, if the transgressions you are alleging occurred, why did nobody but you mention them? Not one mention whatsoever about anything from Northern Guilford. I would imagine when I talked to the coaches after the game they would have mentioned it- but they didn’t. Third- your posting is irresponsible. This is not pro rasslin’ or politics. It was a HS football game where both teams already knew they had automatic bids. Might I suggest a good book or another hobby instead of kids’ games?
I wish they would have been passing some of that money around in the Parking Lot where I was working directing traffic last night…Man those cars were backed up for miles getting out of there last night, and it was all that I could do to keep it flowing…Wish Eb Dawson would send some of that money our way too.
Sure wish some of that excess money would have made its way up to the Press Box last night. Sounds like it was being passed around the complex somewhere, but none of it found its way, up our way…..Lots of passes being thrown on the field by Barnett and Mercer, but for the life of me, I did not see any money or even any debit or charge cards, being exchanged between any receivers on the football field last night….I may have been distracted by the wind, but I still can’t remember seeing any money flying around out there on the football field, at Johnny Roscoe Stadium….As one of our old coaches used to say, back in the day, “Show Me the Money”….And Coach Cruise had a good sense of the green….Or was that Coach Green had a good sense of the cruise? I am not really sure….May have taken a few too many hits to the old noggin….
Re: JP Mundy.
I don’t know what you’re pushing for, but all of your attempts to defend the clearly bias outcome of that game makes me think you were in on it, although I could be wrong. Firstly, a uniformed official doesn’t mean the clock cannot be altered, nor does it mean they cannot be the father of a Grimsley player or student (which is what I was told by several Grimsley parents). Rather, it actually strengthens my position, as I have photo evidence of GHS’ principal paying that said “official.” Secondly, you posed a question that is somewhat of a bandwagon fallacy; you assume that just because Northern hadn’t confronted GHS about their cheating, it must not be happening, that is ridiculous. A logical explanation as to why is that (1) they were focused more on the game and its outcome than anything happening outside of it (which would eventually have an impact on the game), and (2) they didn’t record or document clear-cut evidence as I and others did. Thirdly, that is in essence an Ad-hominem argument, it is fallacious and in bad faith, you can try to poke fun and call me names, but that won’t change objective fact and truth: that GHS didn’t beat Northern fairly. I will pray for you.