This week, a couple of all-Johnston County games are on the docket, ALA opens conference play and Cleveland entertains New Bern in a battle of unbeaten teams. In addition, Corinth Holders takes a bye after a stirring win over South Garner in Week 3.
Sounds fun, right?
Corinth Holders at Rolesville
Records: Corinth Holders 1-2, Rolesville 0-2
Last Week: Both schools are coming off a bye.
Media Watch: NFHS($)
Massey Ratings line: Rolesville -35.5
Skinny: Rolesville has had a weird season. The Rams are 0-2, but are leading Richmond County, 14-0, in the second quarter in a game that will be resumed on Monday, September 28. Since Richmond County (somehow) is terrible this season, that could wind up being a win.
Both teams are well rested for the CAP 8A opener, and the Massey machine is overlooking the fact that Corinth Holders is coming off an upset win over South Garner two weeks ago. Perhaps it’s more focused on the fact that the Pirates have scored a grand total of 19 points in three games — a fact that puts considerable strain on the defense.
I’d provide more detailed analysis on the offense, but for some reason, the program isn’t entering its stats into MaxPreps. I’ve made that rant before, so I’ll skip it this time.
The recipe for success for the Pirates? Run the ball well, shorten the game and try to grind out a result, like it did against South Garner. The reality? It’s easy to type that, but it may prove difficult to pull off.
Prediction: Rolesville 28, Corinth Holders 7
Smithfield-Selma at South Garner
Records: Smithfield-Selma 0-4, South Garner 2-2
Last Week: Smithfield-Selma was shutout, 26-0, against Southern Wayne, while South Garner dropped a 34-33 decision to Hunt.
Media Watch: NFHS($)
Massey Ratings line: South Garner -39.5
Skinny: “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost was one of the reasons I got into poetry as a teenager. This week, it’s South Garner standing at the crossroads. The Titans have dropped back-to-back one-point games at home to Corinth Holders and Hunt after a 2-0 start, and as it begins its run through the rugged Greater Neuse River 7A, one wonders which path the Titans will take.
Will there be a hangover? A team that’s frustrated by near misses, playing poorly? Or, will they regroup and live up to the Massey prediction?
I watched most of the third quarter of Smithfield-Selma’s game last week, and I counted 27 available bodies for the Spartans as that game wore down. That’s a dangerously low number for any school, particularly one toiling away in 7A.
The math didn’t math then, and it’s not likely to change much on Friday night.
Prediction: South Garner 49, Smithfield-Selma 14
Clayton at Fuquay-Varina
Records: Clayton 4-0, Fuquay-Varina 2-2
Last Week: Clayton blanked West Johnston, 53-0, while Fuquay-Varina outran Willow Spring, 56-37.
Massey Ratings line: Clayton -34.5
Skinny: Fuquay-Varina posted 56 points and 654 yards of total offense against Willow Spring last week, and the Bengals will be looking to carry that offensive explosion forward into the Greater Neuse River 7A opener.
As a contrast, while the Bengals were rushing for 525 yards last week, the Clayton defense was allowing negative 11 against West Johnston. Something has to give, and the metrics suggest it will be the Fuquay-Varina defense. A unit that’s allowing 35 points a night is matching up with a Comet unit that is posting a smidge over 46 points a contest.
On the flip side, Clayton’s defense is allowing nine points a game. In my chat with Scott Chadwick this week, he said he expects the Bengals to try to run the ball and keep the Clayton offense off the field.
A sound strategy, but not one I’m expecting to see play out.
Prediction: Clayton 42, Fuquay-Varina 14
Harnett Central at South Johnston
Records: Harnett Central 3-0, South Johnston 1-2
Last Week: Harnett Central had a bye while South Johnston fell at home to Midway, 27-12.
Media Watch: NFHS($)
Massey Ratings line: Harnett Central -12.5
Skinny: This is the first Massey spread of the season that has been short, in my humble opinion. Harnett Central is unbeaten and coming off a bye as they visit their fellow Trojans for the Carolina Pines 6A opener, and quarterback Koby Howard is bringing the aerial circus to JoCo. He’s 35-of-48 for 829 yards, 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions in three games. Roshawn Townsend is no slouch at running back, either (522 yards, 4 TD, 10.7 YPC).
Why is this important? Midway used a balanced attack to defeat South Johnston last week, and Harnett Central has better players than the Raiders.
Can the homestanding Trojans pull an upset? Sure they can. But it’s going to take the best game we’ve seen from them to date.
Prediction: Harnett Central 35, South Johnston 21
West Johnston at Union Pines
Records: West Johnston 1-2, Union Pines 2-1
Last Week: West Johnston fell to Clayton, 53-0, while Union Pines enjoyed a bye.
Media Watch: NFHS($)
Massey Ratings line: Union Pines -34.5
Skinny: Bryan Till wins football games wherever he’s been, and the same is true now that he’s plying his trade in Cameron. The Vikings’ lone loss is a 37-35 decision against county rival Pinecrest, so they look ready to defend the conference crown they won last season.
We’ve talked plenty about running the ball and playing defense in this space this week, and that’s Union Pines football. Last year, en route to a 7-0 conference record, Union Pines didn’t allow more than 13 points to anyone — and this game was 38-6 in favor of the Vikings in McGee’s Crossroads last fall.
I don’t read too much into last week’s loss to Clayton for the Wildcats, as that’s what we call superior opposition. The trick for West is finding about 21 points, and hoping the defense has its ‘A’ game. Possible, but not probable.
Prediction: Union Pines 35, West Johnston 7
North Johnston at Eastern Wayne
Records: North Johnston 1-3, Eastern Wayne 3-0
Last Week: North Johnston fell to Princeton, 61-6, while Eastern Wayne drilled South Lenoir, 57-0.
Media Watch: NFHS($)
Massey Ratings line: Eastern Wayne -36.5
Skinny: I’m not saying the wheels have come off the North Johnston bus in 2026, but they are wobbling. That 40-0 win over Beddingfield in the opener seems like a long time ago. Since then, the Panthers have been outscored, 140-30, in consecutive losses to Holmes, Rosewood and Princeton.
Eastern Wayne has one good win (C.B. Aycock) and two meh ones over Goldsboro and South Lenoir. But we know that the Warriors are always athletic, well coached and, under coach Leander Oates, aggressive. They can throw it a little out of their spread offense, but they’d rather run it (505 yards, 10 touchdowns and a 6.7 average per carry).
North hasn’t beaten Eastern Wayne in the MaxPreps era (2004-present), and the margin has never been less than 12.
None of this is ideal for a team that seems to be struggling in all phases at the moment.
Prediction: Eastern Wayne 42, North Johnston 7
Midway at Princeton
Records: Midway 4-0, Princeton 2-2
Last Week: Midway visited South Johnston and left town with a 27-12 win, while Princeton blasted North Johnston, 61-6.
Media Watch: NFHS($)
Massey Ratings line: Midway -1.5
Skinny: I gassed up the Princeton hype train in August, crowed loudly when the Bulldogs beat Ayden-Grifton in the opener and then started reevaluating my life choices after back-to-back losses to East Duplin and Seaforth. The bandwagon got rolling again last week, but the Raiders provide quite the roadblock.
Midway is perfect through four games, though the win against Clinton is the only one that happened against a team with a winning record. Of course, the next win Princeton has against a team north of .500 will be the first this season.
In last year’s 73-50 Midway victory, quarterback Tanner Williams ran for 277 yards and four scores while throwing for 183 yards and two more touchdowns. He’s still around, as is Wesley Tew, who rushed for 129 yards and three scores last year.
Teo McPhatter is still around, too, and after rushing for 398 yards and five touchdowns in this spot last year, you know No. 7 will be the focus of the Midway defense.
The fact is, as currently constructed, all Princeton games come down to this: Can the Bulldogs get one or two stops a half while the always-potent offense cooks? It’s an interesting question this week.
I like Midway, and they’re going to be hard for Princeton to stop. But I’m not sure Midway is going to slow Princeton down much, either.
Can I just take the over?
Prediction: Princeton 48, Midway 42
East Carteret at American Leadership Academy
Records: East Carteret 0-4, ALA 1-2
Last Week: East Carteret ran aground against Swansboro, 35-0, while American Leadership Academy was blanked at Wake Prep, 36-0.
Media Watch: none
Massey Ratings line: East Carteret -19.5
Skinny: The line jumps out right away, but the fact that two of East Carteret’s losses have come at the hands of 4-0 teams (Swansboro and Croatan) carries a lot of weight with the computers.
As their record suggests, the Mariners have had trouble on both sides of the football this season, with stopping the run being the biggest area of concern. At the moment, that seems to be what the Patriots do best, with Cam Thaxton, Michael Beasley and Harvey Williams-Smith combining for a little over 820 yards and six scores this season.
This is certainly a game that’s there to be won for ALA, but we’re going to need to see a complete effort from the Patriots to come out on top here.
Prediction: East Carteret 20, American Leadership Academy 14