The first games of the new 2022 high school football season are just six days away now, and it got me to thinking, who should we rank at the top of the heap, going into the new campaign???
We have posted our Top Five Guilford County Teams with Dudley, Grimsley, Northern Guilford, Page, and Northwest Guilford holding down those top spots….We have been talking about the top players we expect to see on the high school football fields, in Guilford County, in 2022….
Now for the Preseason Top Picks, you know the top two players, going into the new season…
This is like the Guilford County Derby….But, I have always called ‘The Derby’, “The Darby”…In reality, it is like a horse race…You begin at the starting line, and you head on toward “The Finish”…
When “The Darby” is over and done with, who knows who will rise to the top, but going into the football season, and lining them all up at ‘The Starting Line”, I will take R.J. Baker, from Dudley High School, and Braxton Veiga, from Eastern Guilford High School, as the Top Two Players on the way in…
R.J. Baker on Offense, and Braxton Veiga on Defense…That is how I would call it…Lots of talk on defense for Logan Wright from Dudley, and for Jamaal Jarrett, from Grimsley HS, but for me, I will stick with Veiga for now(Wright and Jarrett, surely no slouches)…Baker on offense does not have many close players in there behind him, he sort of stands alone, as the Big Cheese….Lots of QB’s in the neighborhood on offense with Jack Mercer, Tanner Ballou and a few others coming to mind, but you have to look at Baker, a true touchdown-maker, and know he is a keeper/taker…
Those are are the two names we are putting out there as our Guilford County Connections, from GreensboroSports.com…R.J. Baker from Dudley High School, and Braxton Veiga, from Eastern Guilford High School…A special teams salute, and as our top kicker going into the 2022 season, we stick with a kid we have been tooting the horn about for a few years now, and that would be Aidan Bonde, from Southeast Guilford High School…..
When look at these players, and again we approach it like a true race, a real competition, to see who is the best, and we don’t study the so-called fastest ones ever on human foot, like Carl Lewis, Renaldo Nehemiah, Emon Coughlin, Dave Wottle, Jim Ryan, Lasse Viren, Alberta Salazar, or Frank Shorter…We go back and look at the film from 1973, and we go from foot, to hoof….
Yes, to find the best, you have to go back to 1973, and study the best-of-all-time, Secretariat…Who is out in front early is important, but who is there at the finish, will be your taker….Going out there for a mile and a-half, then hitting those last five furlongs…It was, and still is Secretariat…A horse??? Yes, and the film don’t lie…This again is my take for, “The Best There Was, The Best There Is, and The Best There Ever Will Be”…..
Secretariat even kicks Bret “The Hitman” Hart to the curb…Here is the backstory on Secretariat:
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the American Triple Crown, setting and still holding the fastest time record in all three races. He is regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and his record-breaking victory in the Belmont Stakes, which he won by 31 lengths, is widely regarded as one of the greatest races in history. During his racing career, he won five Eclipse Awards, including Horse of the Year honors at ages two and three. He was nominated to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1974. In the List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century, Secretariat is second only to Man o’ War…
(I will still always take Secretariat, again the film don’t lie…I suggest everyone watch that film, from those races in 1973.)
So we are taking Secretariat, and grouping from Guilford County, R.J. Baker(Athlete/RB) and Braxton Veiga(LB) right in there in the Winner’s Circle, beside Secretariat….
We are GreensboroSports.com, “The Guilford County Sports Connection”, and going with R.J. Baker, from Dudley High School, and Braxton Veiga, from Eastern Guilford HS, as our 2022 High School Football Preseason Players of the Year…Baker, just an unreal overall ATHLETE, and Veiga, a defensive player who has only one gear, and that is DRIVE….
Depends on strength of teams and depth do not do this and have people getting mad because look at each All – Conference from last year numbers don’t mean anything let’s focus on play. Baker has no competition really we will see. We have so many top players it’s ridiculous in triad. These are young men who adults create controversy Steven A. Play ball. Hope for Baker to get 2,000 rushing this year. Next are you guy’s focusing on offers stop it please. How many offers are committed right now. Wish the 336 stick together like the 704 .Good luck to all Triad Players. Dudley, Grimsley,Page, Smith and all the County Schools.
Should make for some good conversation, or at least we hope so…Baker was our Player of the Year on offense last season/2021, and it will be interesting to see if he can repeat..
Veiga has put the work in the offseason, and we will find out if anybody else can top what he will do for the Eastern Guilford Wildcats this season…
Trying to keep the conversation and information rolling, right up until the season starts on Thursday night…
JV football will be the curtain-raiser for the year, and it will kickoff on Thursday night…
We will be on it all…Middle School football, I have been hearing from the coaches already, JV Football, and looking for the Game of the Week, Varsity football, we will be out there broadcasting Dudley at Page on Friday night, then when the colleges and pros get going we will be on that too, with an emphasis on how our local guys are doing…
Over the years, it has just become what we do, and most of the others don’t do it like we do, but we never knock the great work turned in by Joe Sirera, at the News and Record…
Joe knows where the bodies are buried…He has been around long enough to know the territory, and know it well…
I get what Here We Go is saying. Let’s just keep it clean fellas ?. Some of these dad’s are too serious. Those are great picks Andy but I’m not sure Dudley has the same offensive line for Baker. I’m gonna get more into Eastern Guilford. As for top guy’s I think Dudley and Grimsley can have a lot of nominees far as Guilford County goes.
Dudley has the line and can arguably be better than last year @NFHS savior..
I don’t think Baker can repeat, not because he isn’t great but they have so many weapons and will share the wealth a ton this year..especially when they get all of their rbs back.
Hs Fball let me know your top players from the area schools. Thanks. Other people chime in also.
I may spell these wrong and not in order. From what i have seen these players have stood out. I wish i could add more linemen and defensive players.
Taylor Grimsley
Blackwell Page
Cloud NWG
Tate NEG
Terrell Grimsley
Bolyard NG
Baker dudley
Carter nwg
Veiga EG
Wilson SWG very underrated imho
Forgot the name of the SEG Db who also plays WR
Jarrett Grimsley-Guys in the trenches need some attention too now.
Have to laugh at someone saying the 704 sticks together. Charlotte is where one high school reported another for ineligible players, then got caught itself and rolled over on a third high school that also had to forfeit games. They may not be done down there, and we haven’t even started the season yet.
Anybody who thinks the 704 sticks together just needs to look at the comments on some of those message boards down there and all of the crap those people stir up. Some really toxic parents, coaches and “trainers” down there.
We’re doing just fine here. We have a tremendous group of kids not just in Greensboro but across the Triad, and most of them respect each other and want to see each other succeed. That’s as it should be and it’s great to see.
That 704 bunch is a tough/rugged bunch…They might just kill one another over a game that didn’t go their way…
@NFHS savior
I’ve seen a lot from these guys..
Some of these players will burst onto the scene by the end of the year and some already have. In no order
Wr of course you have Terrell, Newkirk, Taylor, Cloud and a few others
Tate, Baker and Bartley are the most dynamic playmakers and all three can score in a blink of an eye.
Bartley can arguably be the best wr but will end up the best two way player. I’ve been saying it for awhile and after seeing the chambers scrimmage so far it’s spot on.
You got the linebacker from eastern-monster, best LB hands down.
Shawn Seagraves-best corner
Cam Williams is in my top 2 with Bartley as best DB/WR.
Best up and coming rbs
Jayden Brown (best kept secret) at least to this site but not to other players around. I seen him this summer and he was the only one to get moved up from 15u to the 18u 7on7 (travel league) to play with the other top rising seniors in the area. Heard he is hurt to start the season but will come back and get significant playing time. Not only a good Rb but possibly the best route runner I’ve seen this summer. I will end up spot on about this too.
You have the LJ kid who’s also going to be good on defense, summers is going to be tough, I really like those two. I also like the running back northern but forgot his name sorry but I’m not sure how he’s looking right now.
Bryce Davis is an animal. He’s a young DE for Grimsley. Best defensive linemen in that group so far that I’ve seen. Will end up playing on Saturday’s for sure.
Neeley and Blackwell will be the face/engines of their respective teams and are even better basketball players.
Best Quarterbacks in no order
After seeing the scrimmages
NW QB, NG QB, Dudley QB and Bryson (SEG QB). I may be leaving some out but I will add more as the season progresses…
RJ Baker statistics have to be put in context. In conference and a few playoff games, he only played the first half. In two games he only played a quarter. Yes Dudley had many offensive weapons last year as well as this year. He still had almost 2500 total yards. It was not a fluke. He hasn’t even played his best football yet. I may be biased, I am his biggest fan and his dad.
336 all day same thing going on in Greensboro school systems. Schools get flagged all the time know your facts reports filed everyday on one another .Greensboro parents are ruthless have you seen the dad’s gone wild. I don’t think parents should focus on all the stats when Colleges I repeat Colleges come see a recruit it’s not for the numbers they put up its about how well they fit in there system. That’s a major reason these kids hate on each other because they don’t understand the true recruitment process. I Rushed or Threw etc. more than this kid how they get an offer and I didn’t. SMH. Read whole comments I’m for the 336. Stay off the pop Warner chat.
Good luck to all the teams and players. Friday night lights is the best and most fun football of your life so enjoy it. Hope everyone stays healthy. Do not forget to handle your business in the classroom first young warriors.
After that, as Primetime Deion says….. if you ball you will get the call.