Feels Like Old Times in the PAC-6

PHOTO BY ROBERT WILLETT - THE NEWS & OBSERVER

It's tough to tell if the Northern Durham Knights are finally back based on what we've seen over the past two seasons, but I think it's safe to say that at the very least they aren't afraid to knock on the door.  

After tonight, we might find out if they are ready to start knocking down some doors and calling the Bull City their playground once again.  Last year, under Coach Anthony Sullivan the Knights rebounded after struggling for the bulk of the previous decade.  Heading into the final two weeks of the regular season, the Knights were exactly where they are this evening, with four wins in conference to no defeats.  But as with last year, they had their toughest competition ahead, in the Southern Durham Spartans, followed up by a regular season finale against Hillside.  A year ago the Knights were unable to capitalize on the early conference momentum and fell to both the Spartans and Hornets, but still managed to claim a third place finish and automatic bid to the playoffs.  For the Spartans, they enter tonight's game with just one conference loss, against the Hornets, as they did a year ago, but the vibe is that this Spartan squad is perhaps further along than the one from a year ago.  Much of their team has an extra year of varsity experience and they managed their non-conference schedule, tough as it is and typically always has been under Coach Jones, with a respectable 2-2 mark including a thrilling overtime loss to visiting Dunbar from the Washington, D.C. area.

Tonight's game is just as big as a year ago for both squads.  A win keeps conference championship hopes alive, while a loss will mean that a second or third place finish is in the cards.  There are a number of top-notch games throughout the area, but if you happen to be in North Durham, then Durham County Memorial Stadium is where you need to be this evening!

Articles on the playoffs:

Playoff Update - 84 Remain   [Link to Article]
the Work Week Quarterback (WWQB) - Thoughts and Notes   [Link to Article]

Talking Playoffs and Conference Winning Percentages   [Link to Article]
When Does 4 Wins Not Equal 4 Wins?   [Link to Article]
Multiple Endowments, Oh My!   [Link to Article]


PAC-6 Match-up, Friday, 10/21/2011

S. Durham (6-3 overall, 4-1 conference) at N. Durham (4-3-1 overall, 4-0 conference)

Reality is that win or lose this evening, the most probable outcome for the conference is to see both of these squads end-up either first through third in conference and thus receive automatic bids to the playoffs. The wildcard in this equation are the Wildcats of East Chapel Hill that are taking on Hillside this evening.  If the Hornets do what they do best - run the ball with Francis and that huge offensive line - and their defense plays the type of attacking and physical defense we've become accustomed to, it is tough to imagine the Wildcats pulling the upset.  In that scenario, the Hornets, Knights and Spartans will end up as the top three finishers, no matter the outcome of tonight's game at County Stadium.

And Down the Stretch They Come!

PHOTO BY CHRIS SEWARD - THE NEWS & OBSERVER

It certainly feels like we are rounding that final corner and with just three games and in some cases two games remaining for most of the area teams, conference automatic bids are at stake and reaching the four win playoff qualification plateau is in the forefront for a number of teams.  Every Friday night during the fall is a great one to get out and watch a football game, but with the weather appearing to move even more into those 40's and 50's and with teams angling for a top three conference finish - tonight is guaranteed to be a great night for Football Friday.

In the following capsules (this post and others to follow), we'll briefly hit on the 4A conferences around the area and talk playoff implications for this evening's games.

PAC-6

Check out our post from earlier concerning Person and Jordan [Tonight is a Playoff Night in the PAC-6].

Hillside with a win will secure a top three finish as they'll move to four wins in conference (assuming everyone else holds serve...).  A Riverside loss will drop them out of playoff contention as they'll have only two games remaining on the schedule and not be able to reach the 3-3 mark in conference that could be open for a third place automatic berth.

Southern Durham, needs a win in their final two against either East or Northern, assuming other teams in conference hold serve in order to secure a top three finish (important we say hold serve, because if others don't, then four wins in conference may not be enough!).  If both Southern and Hillside win this evening, they'll be three teams in the PAC-6 with four conference wins, with Northern slated to close out the season against the other two.

the Work Week Quarterback (WWQB) - Thoughts and Notes

PHOTO BY ROBERT WILLETT - THE NEWS & OBSERVER

the Work Week QB is Here!

The PAC-6 appears to be solidifying their top three berths for the playoffs based on the results from this past Friday.  We knew going into the games that either the race for those three spots would either become incredibly undecided or else the favorites would exert their might and put some quality distance between the top half of the conference and the bottom  half.  The only game that appeared to be completely up in the air was the Northern Durham at East Chapel Hill game [Knights and Wildcats for First Place?], where the Knights showed dominance on the ground, while the Wildcats struggled to hold onto the ball, leading to Northern equaling their conference win total from a year ago and positioning themselves strongly to at worst end up as the third place finisher, unless some crazy upsets occur over the next three weeks, and with it an automatic bid to the 2011 playoffs.

Bull City Alum

The Bull City has been fortunate to see a number of their student-athletes move on to the collegiate level in a number of sports.  The opening picture is of Jordan alum T.J. Thorpe, currently in his first year at North Carolina.  T.J. has been the primary kick-off return specialist for the Tarheels so far this season and the photo by News & Observer photographer Robert Willett is from the game against Virginia earlier this year.

Playoff Odds and Ends

We've hit the blog hard with a lot of playoff talk, so be sure to check out our recent posts to get up to speed on how it may or may not affect your favorite team.  [When Does 4 Wins Not Equal 4 Wins?], [Multiple Endowments, Oh My!], [Talking Playoffs and Conference Winning Percentages], [NCHSAA Handbook Football], and from last year, our description of how the playoff process will work - [T-Minus One Month = Playoff Time] - aside from a few changes over the past year.


Thinking Bull City Pigskin and the Playoffs

Hillside continued its dominance within the Bull City and PAC-6 in general with a convincing 36-7 victory over cross-town rival Jordan.  The Hornets still have three conference games to go with their regular season finale against Northern Durham potentially shaping up to be for the conference crown.  The Hornets sit at 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference and would appear to be in a strong position to nab one of the top three slots, unless what most would consider a huge upset here or there were to occur.  Assuming a complete collapse were to occur, the Hornets would finish at 6-4 and 3-3 (0.500) in conference.  With only ten games on the schedule, they'll retain their full record from the reporting perspective and if they had to go in as an at-large would be in a solid position with six reportable wins and the 0.500 conference winning percentage.  These final three games will be about playoff positioning and Bull City Pride.

Calling All Aspiring or Established Sports Photogs

Courtesy Don Callahan

The DFBFan can use your help and in the process we'll give you a visible outlet to present your work on BCF4S!  I've never considered myself to be solid at photography.  Instead, I'm just one of the majority that finds myself looking at what the folks with the 'eye' and skills produce in the moment with their cameras and simply marvel.  Since we began the blog heading into the 2010 prep football season we've been especially grateful to a number of outlets and individuals that have been incredibly generous in allowing BCF4S to use their work as an impacting visual complement to the posts we've written.  Words can only say so much and I'm smart enough to know that a great picture can mean so much more.

Throughout last season we were fortunate to have the resources of the News & Observer prep sports photographic contingent on board, and as we did last season, we'd like to extend our thanks once again to those that provided us with that incredible opportunity.  In a few words, their work is incredible!  The photographs that many of us see on that Saturday morning after Friday Night Lights in the morning edition, accompanied with many more incredible shots on-line, are some of the best you'll find and we were fortunate to have the opportunity to provide another outlet to highlight the hard work of the staff.  For those that may not be aware of the vast on-line repository that the N&O has at their website, follow the link that follows to start looking at some of their most recent work [Link to Recent Millbrook Official Practice Photographs].  You'll notice that any of the photographs you see can be purchased - so be sure to check the N&O's site out each new week as there is a great chance you'll find that incredible shot that would be great on the wall or desk.

We've also been blessed to have the opportunity to utilize photographs from Don Callahan.  Recently, especially in our Beast of the Hill articles [Article One, Article Two], you've seen a number of incredible shots of members from the PAC-6 and the visual impact has been impressive in adding to the content we've tried to provide to our readership.  We look forward to our continued relationship with Don and hope that you will enjoy these photographs as much as we do when we are putting together our posts.

Earlier this summer we also had the opportunity to work with Dallas Jackson of Rivals.com and Marques Burnett of iHigh.com and both provided us the opportunity to use some of their photographs of both Hillside and Southern Durham at the Byrnes passing tournament.  As more teams from the local area engage in regional and national events I'm sure that both Dallas and Marques will cross paths with our local prep student-athletes and we'll look forward to working with them to bring that visual element to the local fans and supporters back here in North Carolina.

Finally, we'd like to thank some local individuals including Jeff Clark over at Jordan High School for providing us with a few photographs from their recent Holt Foundation Passing Tournament Championship.

As much as we deeply appreciate the opportunity that each of these sources provided over this past year and in some cases will continue to provide, we find ourselves moving into the 2011 prep season with the prospect that our resources overall will be much fewer than what we had this time last year.  It is at this crossroads that we call on any aspiring or perhaps established sports photographers for your support.  Whether it's a hobby or something that is financially your cornerstone, we could use your help!  If you would be interested in allowing BCF4S to use your work in association with the various stories we create throughout the year, then feel free to contact the DFBFan at durhamfbfan@gmail.com for additional information.

Again, thanks to all those that helped in the past and a special thanks to those that are continuing to help the blog into the future!  It is greatly appreciated!

Hillside Takes Six Slots in HSOT Pre-season All-OT

Courtesy Don Callahan

The Hillside Hornets may have lost a number of players off of the 2010 4A State Championship squad, but judging from HighSchoolOT.com's pre-season All-OT team [Link to HSOT article] it's safe to say that the reigning PAC-6 champs are simply reloading as opposed to rebuilding.  The Hornets snagged four first-team selections, the most of any area team.  The PAC-6 picked up two additional selections for a total of six out of thirty-two first team selections.  Six additional PAC-6 athletes made the second-team, with an additional six making honorable mention.

Highlighting the All-OT team from Hillside is the Defensive Player of the Year in defensive end and linebacker Jamal Marcus.  Marcus was a dominate force last season on one of the more formidable defenses in the state and has excelled throughout the off-season at a number of college camps and combine events.  Joining Marcus on the first-team are returning starter Casey Perry (offensive line) and dynamic running back Khris Francis (athlete) and one of the top returning corners in the area in Aaron Krah (defensive back).  Only Person and Jordan nabbed first-team selections in addition to the Hornets, in the form of returning starter and highly touted offensive lineman Casey Lawson (Person) and safety/wide receiver Phil Williamson from Jordan.

Southern Durham, a potential favorite this season to knock the Hornets off of the top spot, picked up three second-team selections.  All three returners are expected to lead the Spartans in their 2011 march, including two that played big roles offensively for Southern a year ago.  Wide receiver Darren Bullock and running back Akeem Judd (athlete selection) as well as defensive lineman Micah Martin secured selections on the second team.  Both Jordan and Person picked up two additional selections on the second team.  Jeff Clark, wide receiver from Jordan, will be one of the many offensive weapons the Falcons will put forth this season, while offensive lineman Spencer Carroll from Person will team up with first team selection Casey Lawson to help Coach Lou Geary in his second year as head coach in Roxboro.  Lee Williams, linebacker from Hillside, rounds out the second-team selections from the PAC-6.

Courtesy Don Callahan

Six players were selected for honorable mention from the conference.  Returning dual-threat quarterback Dorian Belcher from Southern Durham and Drew Davis, quarterback from East Chapel Hill were two of three quarterbacks selected for honorable mention.  Joining Davis from East Chapel Hill were two additional Wildcats, offensive lineman William Heine and wide receiver Alex Moore.  Another defensive back from Hillside, Keenan Stalls was selected as well as Riverside wide receiver Khourtne Whitted.  The only school in the conference to not receive any selections on the pre-season team was Northern Durham.

Breakdown of HSOT Pre-Season All-OT PAC-6 selections by school:

Hillside - 6 overall selections (4 - 1st; 1 - 2nd; 1 - HM)
Southern - 4 overall selections (3 - 2nd; 1 - HM)
East Chapel Hill - 3 overall selections (3 - HM)
Jordan - 2 overall selections (1 - 1st; 1 - 2nd)
Person - 2 overall selections (1 - 1st; 1 - 2nd)
Riverside - 1 overall selection (1 - HM)

Are You Ready 4 Some Football? 2011 Style

Courtesy Don Callahan

We are less than 24 hours away from the official start of the 2011 high school football season in North Carolina and local schools are gearing up for the push towards that first day of full-contact, quickly followed by scrimmages and before we all know it - the first Football Friday on August 19th.

Schools in the area have been hard at work throughout the summer in non-mandatory summer workouts and competing in a number of passing leagues [Hillside, Jordan, Southern Durham, Northern Durham, Person, East Chapel Hill, Wakefield, Leesville Road] in an effort to be ahead of the curve when midnight strikes this evening and the NCHSAA officially allows schools to begin the process of official practice.

Some schools, including Northern Durham and Riverside will take to the field literally at midnight.  The Knights have coined their start to 2011 under returning head coach Gary Merrill - MidKnight Madness.  According to their school athletic website for football, they'll get underway at Northern at 12:00 AM on Saturday (7/30/2011).  As for the Pirates, another PAC-6 school under new leadership, they'll have a cook-out on Friday evening and then hit the turf in earnest at midnight. Riverside will be looking to rebound in 2011 under new head coach David Hackney, a Jordan graduate that led the Falcons, years ago, as the starting quarterback [Pirates Suit-Up for Midnight Practice].

Southern Durham and Hillside are slated to start the season on Saturday, July 30th, with the Spartans beating the heat with an early morning practice according to their football-centric site.  Person will also begin the season on Saturday morning with an 8-11 AM practice [Person Athletic Site].  The Jordan Falcons will also try to beat the heat with a morning practice on Saturday beginning at 8 AM [Jordan Practice Announcement].

HighSchoolOT.com will be holding their pre-season get-together [Link to article on this event] with area head coaches and players from local schools later today to discuss what the site, WRAL and 99.9 The Fan and 620 The Buzz will be doing this upcoming 2011 season to support the Football Friday scene.  Representatives from each of these entities will be in attendance to give a break-down of what to look forward to this season.  Of course you can find all of the information about this event and any news that breaks at the event at HighSchoolOT.com.

Falcons Soaring in Summer Events as They Prep for 2011

Courtesy J.Clark

The offseason has gradually changed over the years from a time once consumed with building the strength of the program through consistent strength work to a multi-tiered and organized season unto itself. Augmenting a typically intense strength program are extensive conditioning sessions, agility and speed work, and focused skill-development that in many cases is periodically tested throughout the summer at passing league events.  In years past, these events were primarily of the 'friendly' variety where events were held at a local school and a number of programs would convene and work what they had installed with coaches on the field and copious amounts of time allowed between reps in order to coach-up their team.  Over the past five to ten years, more 'competitive' 7-on-7's have hit the scene and it is not unusual to see schools mix up their passing league schedule with a number of the more coachable events with one or two tournament-centric events.  Although both types of event have their positives, the latter of these two events is a great way to strengthen what has been installed during the summer, while adding a bit more 'game-like' pressure and feel in a more Friday Night Lights type environment.

Throughout this summer the Jordan Falcons have been a great example of one of our area teams that has taken part in a number of passing league events, spanning both genres.  The Falcons, coming off a 7-5 campaign in 2010 where they pushed one of the top teams from Fayetteville to the brink in the first round of the playoffs, are looking to gain momentum from the performance they put forth against 71st and transfer it to the upcoming 2011 season.  The continued maturation of the 2011 Falcons has been evident in how they've worked as a cohesive unit this summer in their passing leagues.  The Falcons have participated in a number of events at local high schools, including Carrboro High and Northern Vance, as well as travelling to Greensboro for the Holt Brothers Foundation 7-on-7 and more recently the 4th Annual UNC Beast of the Hill competition.  Reports from all of the events have been positive for the Falcons as they work to adjust in many ways to the loss of an extensive senior class that was highlighted by current Tarheel, T.J. Thorpe.

One of the more impressive showings by the Falcons came just about a month ago when they participated with a number of Triad teams in Torry and Terrence Holt's Annual 7-on-7 Tournament.  More details on the Holt Foundation and associated camp and tournament can be found in a previous article [Falcons Invade Holt Brothers 7-on-7].  The Falcons, after going 4-0-1 at the Carrboro event just prior to the Holt Tourney turned in a solid performance from all accounts in posting an undefeated record and capturing the championship.  The Falcons picked up wins against George Washington Danville High School (Virginia), Greensboro Page, Eastern Guilford, Southern Alamance and Burlington Cummings.

After the event I was able to catch up with two of the rising seniors for the Falcons, Jeff Clark and Nick Drew.  Clark will be one of the wide receivers stepping into a more prominent role offensively with the departure of Thorpe, while Drew will be looking to lock-down half of the field as one of the cornerbacks on the Falcons roster.

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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Hillside Finishes Strong at Byrnes 7-on-7

Courtesy Jackson/RIVALS.COM

The story of the first day of the Palmetto State National 7-on-7 competition hosted by South Carolina powerhouse Byrnes was the Spartans of Southern Durham.  According to reports from the event, coaches from across the nation that were at the event expressed the fact that they were definitely impressed with the play of the Spartans.  Heading into the conclusion of Friday night's preliminary action, the Spartans had dropped just one of their six matches and appeared to be headed to a solid seed and potential push for the championship once elimination play began on Saturday afternoon.

Check out information and video on both Durham squads via. iHigh.com

Cross-town rival, Hillside, still fresh off their impressive 2010 campaign, had a lot of the 'name recognition' coming into the event as the 4A state champs from NC, but for those that follow the Hornets and the scene here in Durham, most would have immediately said that equating this year's squad to last and expecting the same results might be overreaching just a bit.  The loss of all-everything dual-threat quarterback phenom Vad Lee, as well as a core group of skill players on both sides of the ball was something the Hornets would have to deal with and the competition they would face would not give them much time to 'ease into it'.  The reports heading into the afternoon sessions on Friday were that it was clear the Hornets were adjusting to new faces, but it was also clear that a solid system, directed by Coach King, was allowing the Hornets to compete and at the very least stay even with a chance to gain momentum going into Saturday.

Article from Dallas Jackson - Rivals High - Hornets filling the loss of QB Vad Lee

Courtesy Marques Burnett/iHigh

Saturday was a new day and with it the momentum clearly moved in the direction of the Hornets.  Out of the twenty schools competing, when they made it down to the final eight, the Hornets and not the Spartans were still standing.  Inclement weather had been looming heading into Saturday and as the elimination rounds moved forward, rain and lightening put a temporary stop to action.  During that time period, reports were that the Hornets decided that rather than wait out the weather, it was best to pack-up and head back to Durham.  With that decision the Hornets were required to forfeit the remainder of the games, but it's clear that the purpose of the event was in many ways met for the Hornets, forfeiture or not - quality reps against quality competition for a squad that needs every rep necessary to get ready for that first game of the 2011 season and a PAC-6 and 4A championship defense.

As for the Spartans - we knew that a number of their skill players would be returning this year and it was expected that between the two dominant programs in Durham, the Spartans would have the on-field experience, especially at the quarterback position with Dorian Belcher making the gears turn.  Every report was that in fact that was the case and Belcher and wide receiver Darren Bullock as well as a cast of Spartans were setting the tone and providing what we here in Durham like to call some 'Bull City Lockdown'.

Courtesy Marques Burnett/iHigh

Both squads made strides this past weekend and from my perspective what I appreciate the most is seeing two programs take the initiative to challenge their athletes to compete in an environment out of the norm.  One filled with high caliber competition and positioned to help support the student-athlete from a visibility and recruiting perspective as well -- because of the coverage an event like this is garnering nowadays.  Events like these are not for every program - all the time - but there is not doubt it made sense for both the Hornets and Spartans and not only did they simply participate they helped continue to promote not only the growth of both of their programs but also the growth and talent base here in Durham, North Carolina, aka 'the Bull City'.

We'd like extend a special thanks to Dallas Jackson at Rivals High (you can follow Dallas via Twitter @RivalsHigh) for information during the event as well as the use of some photographs.  Also, thanks to Marques Burnett of iHigh for the use of photographs as well as information on the Byrnes event.  If you are interested in any of the pictures from iHigh and there are many more than what I've placed in this article, contact Marques via the iHigh site, the link is provided near the beginning of the story.  Again, thanks to both Dallas and Marques!

Southern Durham Impressing Early at Byrnes 7-on-7

Courtesy Dallas Jackson/RIVALS.COM

Initial feedback and information we are getting from South Carolina is that Southern Durham is impressing the folks at the tournament.  While Hillside, appears to be working through some speed bumps with a number of new folks fitting into key roles.  We'll do our best via our twitter feed @durhamfbfan as well as here on the blog to update you as we get additional information.

[Updated 8:45 PM]  From everything we've heard, the Southern Spartans are playing as we would expect exiting the 2010 season.  Most of their skill position players returned and they have a seasoned quarterback in Dorian Belcher.  It appears that going into their final game of the Friday night prelims they were 5-1, although we are still checking to see what the final score was against North Gwinnett, GA.

As for Hillside, the questions were certainly going to be around the quarterback position with Vad Lee's departure and from what I was able to see, it appears that Collyn Anderson was taking most of the snaps, with the jayvee quarterback from last season also getting some snaps (I'll add that in watching a couple of jayvee games last year, I thought he was a definite play-maker in the making).  Hillside going into their final match of Friday evening was even at 3-3 and I would imagine will need to pick up a few more wins to reach the elimination round tomorrow afternoon.  Depending on time, I may attempt to tally up the records of other teams and see where they stand overall.

So far in preliminary play we've obtained the following scores.

Southern Durham 35 (1-0) - Myrtle Beach, SC 6  (SC 2010 State Champion)
Southern Durham 31 (2-0) - Warren Central, IN 22 (traditional Indiana powerhouse)
Southern Durham 20 (2-1) - Woodruff, SC 22
Southern Durham 40 (3-1) - Greenville, SC 19
Southern Durham 38 (4-1) - Bergen Catholic, NJ 13
Southern Durham 15 (#-#) - N. Gwinnett, GA 22 [this score may be backwards]
TBD - S. Durham vs. Kings Mtn, NC (Friday prelim)
TBD - S. Durham vs. Spartanburg, SC (Saturday prelim)
TBD - S. Durham vs. Chesterfield, SC (Saturday prelim)
TBD - S. Durham vs. Blythewood, SC (Saturday prelim)


Hillside 24 (0-1) - Spartanburg, SC 33 (SC state playoff team from 2010)
Hillside 36 (1-1) - Brunswick, GA 25
Hillside 24 (2-1) - Dover, DE 13
Hillside   8 (2-2) - Wren, SC 27
Hillside 15 (2-3) - Kings Mtn, NC 21
Hillside 34 (3-3) - Byrnes B, SC 17
TBD - Hillside vs. Greenville, SC (Friday prelim)
TBD - Hillside vs. Myrtle Beach, SC (Saturday prelim)
TBD - Hillside vs. Lexington, SC (Saturday prelim)
TBD - Hillside vs. N. Gwinnett, GA (Saturday prelim)

Dallas Jackson of Rivals.com put out an article to conclude the day that focuses on Southern Durham and bit on Hillside.  Southern Durham Impressive at Palmetto State Showdown

It's On! Hornets and Spartans Travel to Byrnes SC

For some schools across North Carolina, the 2011 football season began shortly after their 2010 season ended with extensive strength and conditioning programs ramping up to place their athletes in the best possible position to excel on the gridiron.  Aside from the necessary dead-period near the end of 2010, associated with the change in sports seasons and exams, a number of schools took advantage of North Carolina's rule book and were back out on the field for limited skill work - working ball skills, technique and an occasional 7-on-7 within squad.  For everyone else - that perhaps took it a bit easy - this past Monday in many school districts and most notably in Durham marked the '...you best get everyone out and started workin' it hard, not-mandatory-officially, but mandatory-unofficially start of 2011 ball...'  Schools across the county, Northern Durham, Riverside, Jordan, Southern and Hillside all had some form of workouts or prep for 7-on-7 in progress.  Two programs in particular that have been the class of the PAC-6 the past few seasons were in the progress of putting the final touches on a trip down south to take on some big-time programs in what has become one of the top regional 7-on-7 competitions in this area!

The 11th Annual Palmetto State Showdown hosted by Byrnes HS ramped into full gear earlier this morning with two of Durham's top programs making the trip south to compete for top prize.  Coach Antonio King's 4A State Champion Hillside Hornets and Coach Adrian Jones consistently impressive Southern Spartans are two of 20 teams taking part in this annual event.  The national 7-on-7 tournament is being held today and tomorrow and will include a preliminary round set-up throughout today and tomorrow morning, culminating with an elimination tournament tomorrow afternoon.

The list of schools in attendance is impressive, with state champions and perennial playoff participants in abundance.  Byrnes HS will field an A and B team (2010 SC State Champs) and Myrtle Beach, SC, another 2010 SC State Champ will also be attendance.  Georgia and New Jersey state runners-up, Bergen Catholic and Colquitt County will also be attendance.  Add to that a total of nine other state playoff teams from a year ago, not including Southern or Hillside and the field is loaded with high quality, well-coached competition - exactly the type of atmosphere that programs that wish to challenge both their athletes and coaches, seek out - in order to continue to up the bar!

The Hornets are slated to take on the following 10 teams in preliminary action: Spartanburg, SC (2010 SC state semi-finalists), Brunswick, GA (2010 state playoffs), Dover, DE, Wren, SC (2010 state playoffs and last year's tournament champ), Kings Mtn, NC (2010 state playoffs), Byrnes B (essentially JV and frosh), Greenville, SC (2010 state playoffs), Myrtle Beach, SC (2010 SC state champs), Lexington, SC (2010 state semi-finalists) and N. Gwinnett, GA (2010 state playoffs).

The Spartans also have a full slate including the following: Myrtle Beach, SC, Oxford, AL, Woodruff, SC (2010 state semi-finalists), Greenville, SC, Bergen Catholic, NJ (2010 state runner-up), N. Gwinnett, GA, Kings Mtn, NC, Spartanburg, SC, Chesterfield, SC (2010 state playoffs) and Blythewood, SC.

Will be interesting to see as the next two day's progress as to how our local boys are doing down south!

You can visit for more information on this event at the following link - Information on Palmetto State 7-on-7

Rivals.com breaks down the field - Rivals.com Breakdown