By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
[The following is taken from this week’s Alamance County High School Football Preview Special Section in the print edition of The Alamance News, including excerpts on each team. For results of Friday night games, check back here after about 11:00 p.m.]
Here’s a look at Friday night’s season-opening games for Alamance County football teams:
Graham at Southern Alamance, 7:00 p.m.
Southern Alamance has won the last six meetings in the series, including last year’s season-opening 51-6 road romp.
The Patriots, though, have lost their first home game vs. an Alamance County team in each of the last four seasons.
Three of Graham’s four victories last season came in road games.
[Story continues below excerpts on preview of Graham’s and Southern’s seasons season.]
Excerpts on Graham and Southern, plus team schedules from our Alamance County High School Football Preview, print edition of August 17, 2023:
Graham – https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Graham.pdf
Southern Alamance Part 1 – https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Southern-Alamance-P.-1.pdf
Southern Alamance Part 2 – https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Southern-Alamance-P.-2.pdf
Southeast Alamance at Orange, 7:00 p.m.
This is the first game in Southeast’s program history.
Orange has had back-to-back two-win seasons, though the Panthers had five consecutive seasons (2012-16) with double-digit win totals under former Graham coach Pat Moser.
Orange will face four other Alamance County teams in Central 3-A Conference play later in the season.
The new school’s athletics director B.J. Condron was previously on the athletics department staff at Orange.
[Story continues below excerpts on preview of Southeast’s season.]
Excerpts on Southeast Alamance, plus team schedule from our Alamance County High School Football Preview, print edition of August 17, 2023:
Southeast Part 1 – https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Southeast-Alamance-P.-1.pdf
Southeast Part 2 – https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Southeast-Alamance-P.-2.pdf
[Story/schedules continue below.]
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Western Alamance at Reidsville, 7:00 p.m.
Reidsville won the past two seasons, including 44-7 last year on the road, against the Warriors. Before those two matchups, there was an eight-year gap in the series.
This will mark the seventh straight time they meet in August since Western Alamance won a December 2004 game in the state playoffs.
[Story continues below excerpts on preview of Western’s season.]
Excerpts on Western Alamance, plus team schedule and 2022 record from our Alamance County High School Football Preview, print edition of August 17, 2023:
Western Alamance Part 1 – https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Western-Alamance-P.-1.pdf
Western Alamance Part 2 – https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Western-Alamance-P.-2.pdf
Western Alamance Part 3 – https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Western-Alamance-P.-3.pdf
Former Cummings quarterback and defensive back Johnniyus Sharpe, now a receiver on offense, and ex-Williams receiver Cam’ron Jones have transferred to Reidsville, which has won 12 or more games in eight of the last nine full seasons (discounting the abbreviated spring 2021 season after the 2020 fall season was nixed).
This marks the debut for Rams coach Erik Teague, who took over from his father Jimmy Teague. The younger Teague was a Reidsville assistant for 11 seasons.
Western Alamance left Alamance County just twice for games last season and won both times.
Williams at Northwest Guilford, 7:00 p.m.
Williams hasn’t won a season opener since 2019. The Bulldogs were 3-3 overall in road games last year.
Northwest Guilford is the only Class 4-A team on the Williams schedule. The Vikings were 10-3 a year ago, with two of the losses to Greensboro Grimsley and Weddington – teams that met in the Class 4-A West Region third round – and the other setback to an East Forsyth team that was unbeaten in the regular season.
[Story continues below excerpts on preview of Williams’ season.]
Excerpts on Williams, plus team schedule and 2022 record from our Alamance County High School Football Preview, print edition of August 17, 2023:
Williams Part 1: https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Williams-P.-1.pdf
Williams Part 2: https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Williams-P.-2.pdf
Williams Part 3: https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Williams-P.-3.pdf
Junior Dan Mahan will make his first start at quarterback for the Bulldogs after becoming a playmaker at receiver last year.
Senior quarterback Tanner Ballou leads Northwest Guilford, which has first-year coach Chris Rusiewicz (former Guilford College head coach and most recently defensive coordinator at Greensboro College).
Eastern Alamance at Eastern Randolph, 7:30 p.m.
These teams meet in a season opener for the third consecutive season.
The teams split the last two matchups, and in both years they each went on to splendid seasons. Eastern Alamance won 42-27 a year ago at home.
[Story continues below excerpts on preview of Eastern’s season.]
Excerpts on Eastern Alamance, plus team schedule and 2022 record from our Alamance County High School Football Preview, print edition of August 17, 2023:
Eastern Part 1: https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Cummings-P.-2.pdf
Eastern Part 2: https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Eastern-Alamance-P.-2.pdf
Eastern Randolph, which is a combined 21-3 the past two years, is coached by Graham resident Burton Cates. During the same span, Eastern Alamance is 21-4.
Combined with Eagles coach John Kirby, the two head coaches in this matchup have combined to compile more than 630 career victories.
Eden Morehead at Cummings, 7:30 p.m.
This will be the first Cummings game since highly touted recruit Jonathan Paylor, who has been an impact player for the past three seasons, made his college commitment to North Carolina State.
The Cavaliers went 0-2 in non-conference home games last year, though they won twice on their home field in the Class 2-A state playoffs.
Eden Morehead has first-year coach Bobby Martin Sr., who previously coached at Martinsville (Virginia). The Panthers haven’t had a winning season since 2015, though they broke even at 6-6 in 2018.
This will be the first of two trips to Burlington for Eden Morehead, which visits Williams next month.
Excerpts on Cummings, plus team schedule and 2022 record from our Alamance County High School Football Preview, print edition of August 17, 2023:
Cummings Part 1: https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Cummings-P.-1.pdf
Cummings Part 2: https://alamancenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Cummings-P.-2.pdf
