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There is one thing the 1A Southern Piedmont Conference just figured out this past weekend on the football field, Thomas Jefferson is in the driver's seat to win the league after beating Bessemer City 26-14.
Bill Lay and Nomi McMullens ball controlled and the Gryphons kept mistakes to a minimum. The biggest win might have been from the defense. BC had scored about 29 a game and were held to half of that.
However, now the biggest game of the season happens this coming week as the Gryphons host Mountain Island Charter (7-2, 4-1) on Friday. MIC might be more athletic and maybe even better offensively than TJCA. Marcus Graham has thrown and run for nearly 2,000 yards combined this season, while Elijah Burris has run for 1300 yards this season to compliment. MIC's only conference loss was a one-point loss to Bessemer City and both of their losses have come on the road. With the win they just had, TJCA should be seeing that they have the potential to make this year way more special. This could be a nail-biter!
Pick: Thomas Jefferson
East Rutherford
The Cavs easily dispatched of Chase this past weekend as East Rutherford defended the County Championship with a convincing 41-6 win last week.
East scored on three early turnovers and Demetrius Mauney had two touchdowns.
While East Rutherford has attained that they are atleast the third best team in the SWC 2A,, they must go to Shelby this coming Friday to play the team tied atop the standings.
While Shelby is the more athletic and high powered on both sides of the ball, I am curious to see if East can make a statement and hang around in this one. I wouldn't be surprised if it is closer than expected.
Pick: Shelby
R-S Central had some nice plays from Demarcus Johnson, Clinton Deyton and John Torvinen on defense, but they really could stop the Red Raiders from scoring in a 62-0 loss this past weekend.
The good news is that the Hillltoppers get a team that has been struggling much the same in East Gaston (2-7, 1-2). Central will be at home on Friday and I am going on a hunch.
Pick: R-S Central
Chase
Chase (1-8, 0-3) should be able to move the ball a little better this week, but South Point's option style military synced offense is hitting every gear right now without issue.
Xavier Williams threw for over 170 yards and may have to put it in the air 30 more times this Friday. Chase host South Point (9-0, 3-0).
Pick: South Point
NASCAR: Martinsville bound.
Well, eight drivers are left to win the 2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Championship as Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were eliminated.
Jimmie Johnson barely skated into the round of eight, but comes to a track he won at last year. Larson, who I thought was a huge threat crashed two weeks in a row and that is why he is not going to win the Cup in 2017. He will get his one day I believe.
Before we get to this weekend, Matt Kenseth got screwed. There is no other way to say it. Just because he had one too many crew members over the wall to work on his car that sustained some damage in a wreck, they parked him for the rest of Sunday's race. Put him one or two laps down if you want to penalize him. That just wasn't right or fair at all.
Anyhow, I am all jacked up, the Cup Series heads to Martinsville this weekend. Who doesn't like 500 laps of short track racing?
Of the eight drivers left, I have to think Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski are the favorites. With the way Martin Truex Jr is running, it wouldn't surprise me if he finally gets his first ever Martinsville win, but I am going with Keselowski for the 2017 sweep.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be in his final attempt at a track that means a whole lot to him and is running better too. Three straight top 10's and his past history at Martinsville makes him worthy as a legitimate contender this weekend.
