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Spring high school sports are coming to an end this season, which means only one thing…playoff time!
The playoffs start Friday, May 10th. It looks like East Rutherford and R-S Central baseball will be the two seeds in the SMAC this season. East earned the final 2A spot and Central gets the second 3A spot of three.
East will have to go to Smoky Mountain or Pisgah for the first round of the playoffs. Central seems set to host Asheville in the first round.
In softball, East Rutherford will host Bunker Hill or South Iredell as the one seed. Although Chase and East Rutherford battle this Friday (May 2nd). If East beats Shelby earlier in the week, they will become SMAC softball champions this year.
After a slow start to the season, Chase has wrapped up the number two SMAC 2A seed and they will likely go to North Henderson in the first round of the postseason.
R-S Central has fought back by winning five of the last seven SMAC games to grab the number two seed and seems destined to host a powerful Enka club in the first round.
Moving onto the NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers had a so-so draft.
I do like the defensive tackle picks Star Lotulelei and Kawaan Short. A run stopper and a quarterback’s worst nightmare. I feel like those were the two good picks in the 2013 draft for the Panthers.
I like the pick of Oregon running back Kenjon Barner, but I am not sold on being the best fit for the Panthers. Granted, I think Barner could do well in Carolina’s offensive scheme, but where they find a place for Barner at is the question I have. Both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have contracts until 2016. I guess punt returning isn’t a bad idea for starters.
Carolina failed to get a wide receiver in the draft, but did acquire five-year experience Domenik Hixon from the Giants, which should take some attention off Steve Smith. The Panthers also should have went after a cornerback, safety or even another offensive lineman. The fact of not going after a solid secondary player is the most confusing part of the Panthers draft.
A.J. Klien at linebacker is an interesting pick since the Panthers really aren’t in need at that spot. I don’t know if we will see Klien much this season, but I do think he can learn a ton from the core group already there and make an impact within a couple of years.
As for Edmund Kugbila, Geoff Hangartner is 32 years old and he may have to replace the veteran at some point in the near future. It somewhat makes sense, but many just hope he isn’t a bust.
If I had to say kudos to the teams that did well in the NFL draft, I have to say that the 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Dolphins, Eagles and Falcons did a pretty good job in selecting the players they needed. Dallas probably made the worse overall picks, but that is the Cowboys for you.
While we are on the NFL, Tim Tebow’s release from the Jets is no surprise. Many are confused about not giving him a shot to play. He did a great job his rookie year in Denver and even won a playoff game. The Bears, Chargers, Bucs and even Patriots seem to be his only options at this point. The surprise comes in the form of Jacksonville not wanting Tebow. I guarantee you fans will come, jerseys will sell if the you put Tebow in a Jaguar uniform. He might even contend for the starting spot if given the chance.
Could we come up with a better name for the new college football playoff other than…College Football Playoff? That’s the best a group from the NCAA can do? I am glad to know that a four-team playoff begins after the 2014 season, but how do you get excited about a national championship game with that kind of boring name?
