OUR PRESEASON SUPER 7 TEAM-BY-TEAM PREVIEWS BIG ...

Mike Shaw/CWNG photo
Coach Tony Pyland believes his team has
something this season that it’s been lacking over
the past two years: experience.
“Last season, we weren’t sure how good we
could be,” said Pyland. “This season, we are more
experienced and are focusing on consistency.”
Over the past three seasons, the Cougars
only won one game. The lone win came last
year against Gastonia Highland Tech, 35-6.
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Although last season didn’t go according to
plan, Pyland looks at it in a positive light.
“As a program, we grew and matured,” said
Pyland.
OFFENSE
The Cougars are known as a running team,
and this year won’t be any different. Pyland
was outscored 583-45, but Roark’s confident the
team is headed in the right direction.
OFFENSE
Senior Austin Hill returns as the starting
quarterback and will be joined in the backfield
by tailback Josh Lee. Receivers Brian Lattimore
and Emmitt Afam will also have their numbers
called frequently.
Cody Clark will anchor the offensive line.
“Last year, we were a one-back offense,” Roark
said. “We’ll keep a lot of those components, but
because we’ve got some good receivers, we’re
going to spread it out a little more and try to get
the ball to the athletes.”
DEFENSE
The team’s multiple-look defensive front
Football Night in Union
Central aCademy cougars
Central Academy’s team leaders include (front, from left) Billy Wilson, Jeremy Ferguson, Chris Hailey;
and (back row) Trae Funderburk, Will Robinson and Allen Carpenter.
There’s nowhere to go but up for the Cavaliers,
who entered the conference last season as a
first-year school and were dominated by many
of their opponents. This year’s team will benefit
from the experiences of last year, head coach
Mike Roark said.
The Cavs expect to make great strides with
hard work and an offseason in which they
became bigger, faster and stronger. It might take
baby steps to erase last season, when the team
FAST FACTS
head coach: Mike Roark, second
season (1-10)
Returning starters: Offense, 10;
defense, 10
conference: 2A/1A Rocky River
Conference
2009 record: 1-10, 1-7
2010 schedule
Aug. 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weddington
Aug. 27 . . . . . . . . .at Concord Robinson
Sept. 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at Marvin Ridge
Sept. 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at North Stanly
Sept. 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at West Stanly
Sept. 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Monroe
Oct. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at Piedmont
Oct. 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Berry
Oct. 15 . . . . . . . . . . . .at Central Academy
Oct. 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Union Academy
Oct. 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Forest Hills
said his offense will run the football at least
75 percent of the time.
Even though Central Academy focuses on
the run, Pyland said his two biggest threats on
offense are quarterback Jeremy Ferguson and
wide receiver John Quintero, who are both
seniors. Pyland believes the tandem’s play will
determine the potency of his offense. In addition
to Ferguson and Quintero, Pyland called the play
of senior halfback Billy Wilson exceptional.
DEFENSE
The Cougars run a 4-4 defensive scheme
that emphasizes playing hard through the
gaps. Junior Mitchell Blackburn returns after
finishing first on the team in tackles the past
two seasons. With Blackburn moving from
linebacker to the defensive line, the Cougars
will have a huge presence up front.
Junior outside linebackers Josh Sawyer and
Chris Hailey offer the defensive unit something
more than tackles.
“Their aggressiveness and athleticism give us
some freedom defensively,” Pyland said.
Inside linebackers Chris Frazier, a junior, and
Robert Wimbish, a senior, are new to the team,
and Pyland believes their play will keep the
defense solid up the middle.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior Kyle Kling will handle both field goal
and kickoff duties throughout the season.
Senior Chase Bernard will be the team’s long
snapper. All return duties will go to Hailey and
junior Calvin Livingston.
– Mike Shaw
FAST FACTS
head coach: Tony Pyland, fourth
season (1-32)
Returning starters: 17
conference: Rocky River 1A/2A
2009 Record: 1-10, 0-8
2010 schedule
Aug. 20 . . . . . . . . . .at East Montgomery
Aug. 27 . . . . . . .Gastonia Highland Tech
Sept. 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at Monroe
Sept. 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Charlotte Berry
Sept. 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at Parkwood
Oct. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at North Stanly
Oct. 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at Piedmont
Oct. 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cuthbertson
Oct. 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .at Forest Hills
Oct. 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .West Stanly
Nov. 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Union Academy
CUtHBertSOn
caVaLIErs
Cuthbertson quarterback Austin Hill and lineman Cody Clark
Denny Seitz/CWNG photo
should be much improved from last season,
even though the team is still dominated by
sophomores. Three 10th-graders – Alex
Norton, Carson Elmore and Connor
Sorensen – will anchor the defense. Another
sophomore, Jeff Swan, will be the top defensive
lineman.
In the secondary, safety Afam and senior
cornerback Jalen Still are expected to be
cornerstones.
“We have some guys who are a year away
from being really good varsity players,” Roark
said. “We don’t have any option but to play
them this year, so they’ll work hard, learn and
improve.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
Roark said senior Adam Lutz is the best
kicker/punter in the conference. It was Lutz’s
punt – downed at the 1-yard line midway
through the fourth quarter of last year’s 17-16
win over Central Academy – that was the
game’s pivotal play, Roark said.
“He’s going to hit some field goals for us
this year,” Roark said. “He’s got the range. If we
block for him, he’ll be a weapon for us.”
– Denny Seitz
UNION COUNTY WEEKLY • FALL 2010 5