Another important Friday night in prep football

By Steve Roush
Published in Sports on October 20, 2006 2:09 PM

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Conference titles can't be won tonight, but they sure can be lost.

North Duplin quarterback Doug Lloyd knows this. The junior fully understands what's at stake when his Rebels (5-1, 1-1 Carolina Conference) host first-place Ayden-Grifton (6-2, 2-0) this evening.

A win will put North Duplin right back in the conference hunt. A loss, however, pretty much knocks the Rebels out of contention.

"It's going to be a big game and we're going to have to be prepared," said Lloyd, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another last week in a 35-7 win at Princeton. "Ayden-Grifton has a lot speed and really gets after it. We have to work hard this week and come out and play a great game."

Eastern Wayne (5-3, 1-1 Eastern Carolina Conference) is also trying to keep its title hopes alive as the Warriors host Wilson Beddingfield (2-6, 1-1) this evening.

The Bruins were just 1-5 in non-confernce play, but have turned it up a notch during the past two weeks. They're coming off a 59-22 rout of Southern Wayne (4-4, 0-2), and looked like they were going to beat Charles B. Aycock (7-1, 2-0) the week before until the Falcons scored 20 consecutive fourth-quarter points to win 27-24.

"It doesn't get any easier," Eastern Wayne coach Jeff Price said. "Teams get a little better each week, and you like to think your own team gets better each week. It's the time of year when the intensity goes up."

While the Rebels and Warriors are fighting to stay in the mix, the Golden Falcons, the Greene Central Rams (7-1, 2-0 Eastern Plains Conference) and the James Kenan Tigers (8-0, 2-0 Super Six) are trying to stay at the top of their respective conferences. Aycock can take sole possession of the ECC lead with a win over visiting Hunt (4-4, 2-0) this evening, and the Rams can do the same in the EPC with a victory over Tarboro (5-2, 2-0) today and Farmville Central (5-3, 2-0) next week.

At 8-0 and a potential epic showdown at archrival Wallace-Rose Hill (8-0, 2-0) looming two Fridays from now, the Tigers entertain Hobbton (6-2, 1-1) tonight.

The picks:

Wilson Hunt at C.B. Aycock -- Whoever wins this one will be in the driver's seat in the ECC. Aycock QB Thomas Pilkington threw for four TDs for the second time this year last Friday and RB Dontay Taylor has 1,190 rushing yards. The Falcons will need both to have big games against a stingy Hunt defense.

GOLDEN FALCONS

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Eastern Wayne at Wilson Beddingfield -- The Warriors head back to Wilson, but won't be held to 52 yards of total offense this time.

WARRIORS

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Kinston at Southern Wayne -- Saints RB Anthony Council missed last week's game with a sore hip, but still leads the area with 1,197 yards.

SAINTS

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Farmville Central at Goldsboro -- The Cougars played their best game of the season in a heartbreaking loss against the state-ranked Rams.

JAGUARS

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Rosewood at Spring Creek -- This could be an interesting dual between Rosewood RB Devon Bennett and Gators ultraback Josh Wright. But Bennett missed last week's contest at North Johnston and is iffy this week.

EAGLES

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Ayden-Grifton at North Duplin -- If injured RB Michael Schilling is near 100 percent, the Rebels mix the run and pass effectively and eat up the clock with time-consuming drives like they did last Friday, North Duplin will celebrate a homecoming victory. If not, it could be a long night in Calypso.

CHARGERS

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North Johnston at Princeton -- Things don't get any easier for the Bulldogs as defending Carolina Conference champ North Johnston comes to town.

PANTHERS

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Hobbton at James Kenan -- Will the Tigers be looking past a solid Wildcats team? Don't bet on it.

TIGERS

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Greene Central at Tarboro -- After a close call against Goldsboro, Rams know what's at stake these next two weeks.

RAMS

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North Lenoir at North Pitt -- The Hawks try to snap a four-game losing skid in a battle of 1-7 teams.

HAWKS

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Last week -- 8-1 (.889)

Overall -- 48-19 (.716)