PAC-6 Order: Summer Style

Courtesy Marques Burnett/iHigh.com

There is no doubt that football fever is taking hold here in the Carolina's and I don't know about y'all, but I'm ready for things to get rolling!  So many story lines are present as we head into the 2011 campaign after the huge success of the 2010 Hornets and a strong conference and playoff push by the Spartans.  The biggest question being asked here in Durham is who will take the PAC-6 crown this season and which team may be the unexpected bunch to put in a strong push to be the 'Northern Durham' of 2011.

I'm not going to go into great detail in this posting, but I thought I'd put out a list of how I think this upcoming season may go from a conference perspective.  This list is based on taking a number of factors and pretty much throwing them into a big pot and giving you my gut feeling as we head into the summer.  Some things I felt pertinent to consider as I thought about this list included:  what I learned from last season, how teams were playing as the season progressed, who will be returning and what I know about the teams in a general sense, and what I know about the coaching staffs.

With that, I'll give you the list - but before I do that, feel free to post your comments after the story as I look forward to hearing what folks think about this upcoming 2011 season in the Bull City!

PAC-6 Conference Order:  Summer Style

1. Hillside Hornets - This is close between the Hornets and Spartans, but at the moment, I'll have to go with the team that downright dominated Durham a year ago - and yes, in many ways, that Hornet/Spartan affair wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated a year ago!  Check out a recent article on the 2011 Hornets

2. Southern Durham Spartans - This is the team that should make the move this year and if the Hornets play sloppy ball as they did a year ago against the Spartans - look for Southern to take the game and take it handily.  Check out a recent article on the 2011 Spartans

3. Person Rockets - What - Person?  Ya, you betcha!  The Rockets were a team on the move as the season progressed and I'll be honest I think Coach Geary has a solid chance to move that program to the next level.

4. Northern Durham Knights - I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled by the whole coaching change thing on Milton Road, but you can't deny the fact that they brought in one incredible 'replacement'!  Coach Merrill knows how to win football games and there is no doubt that when it comes to the in-game chess match he'll compete and compete at a high level.  There are a lot of questions in how the players will respond to the brand of football Coach Merrill has been successful with in the past - if you aren't familiar, it's a lot different then the finesse and spread you out ball you saw the last few years.  With those questions in hand, I see the Knights dropping a spot from a season ago, but to be honest, there isn't a thing wrong with that when you look at the high level of football being fielded in Durham of late.

5. Jordan Falcons - Honestly, with the loss of one of the best football players to ever step foot in Durham, in T.J. Thorpe (UNC), I find it difficult to see the Falcons do much better than a year ago.  They picked up three conference wins a year ago and with Person moving up and with Coach Merrill having Coach Briggs number (he hasn't lost to Coach Briggs) as well as a number of other items - I see the Falcons finding themselves middle of the pack yet again.

6. East Chapel Hill Wildcats - I see a lot of similarities between this Wildcat team and the Rockets.  They have a coach that understands offensive football and have a system that can put up points.  They also have a quarterback that has a year under his belt in a system that relies heavily on that individual making solid decisions.  Add to that the fact that through my 'aka grapevine' I've heard about some more athletes from other sports believing that playing in this type of system can be fun and thus - coming out.  Put those elements together and I think you have a team that can get a win in conference and quite possibly might be able to get one or two more.

7.  Riverside Pirates - There is no doubt that Coach Hackney will bring a solid level of excitement to the Pirate Nation, but the reality is that after years of being beaten down I find it tough to believe that they'll make a huge rebound in year one.  I personally think that as time progresses, there will be more wins on the gridiron for the Pirates and much of that will be as a result of battles won in the off-season.

There you have it - if you like what you see or not - make sure to comment and give it a +1 - As always, thanks for stopping by BCF4S - Greatly Appreciated!!

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