A tropical system expected to bring inclement weather to the Burke County area has resulted in a change of schedule for the two local high school varsity football teams playing this week.
Anticipated rain and thunderstorms have shifted Draughn鈥檚 Western Highlands 1A/2A Conference matchup with Avery County back to Saturday with a time and location to be determined later depending on field conditions. East Burke鈥檚 Catawba Valley 2A Conference home game against Bandys has been postponed to Saturday with a 2 p.m. kickoff in Icard.
The National Weather Service鈥檚 forecast for the Burke County area called for thunderstorms and rain showers late Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by showers and thunderstorms during the day on Thursday, heavy rain on Thursday night, and heavy rain most of the day on Friday.
In JV action, Patton hosted McDowell at 6 p.m. late Wednesday in 麻豆传媒 and East Burke visited Bandys at 7 p.m. late Wednesday in Catawba.
Avery County (1-4, 1-0 WHC) at Draughn (3-2, 1-0 WHC)
The Wildcats have owned this series through six all-time meetings, three nonconference and three in WHC play, posting a 5-1 record versus the Vikings.
Conference wins the last three seasons, in particular, have been lopsided as Draughn won 49-7 in Newland last fall, 57-7 in Valdese in 2022 and 42-22 on the road in the fall of 2021. DHS nonconference wins in 2017 (42-20 at home) and 2019 (48-22 in Valdese) bookended the Wildcats鈥� only loss to Avery County in 2018, 32-28 in Newland.
The Vikings didn鈥檛 pick up their first win of the season until last week鈥檚 WHC-opener, a 50-0 home win over Rosman. Avery County opened the season with nonconference losses at Cherryville 20-18, versus Watauga 56-7, versus Bessemer City 42-17 and at McDowell 49-21.
Senior quarterback Kaleb Liner leads this year鈥檚 Vikings, completing 33 of 80 passes for 510 yards and seven touchdowns with six interceptions. His top receiving targets are Oak Markland (12-315-7), Landon Liner (6-178-2) and Carlos Garcia (11-105-0). Avery County鈥檚 leading rushers are Garcia (28-235-2), Kaleb Liner (59-200-3), Logan Brown (21-142-1) and Grayson Hoilman (23-93-1).
Draughn has won two straight games since installing Sterling Radabaugh as the fulltime quarterback and returning Kayden Lytle to his natural position of wide receiver, 34-28 in overtime in nonconference play at Chase and 28-3 in WHC action at Owen.
Cayden Roscoe, Jacob Mull and Connor Houston are other top targets in the passing game while Marshall Brinkley and Alex Wright lead the Wildcats on the ground.
Prediction: Draughn.
Bandys (4-0, 1-0 CVAC) at East Burke (1-3, 0-1 CVAC)
Through seven all-time meetings since 2009, the Cavaliers have only beaten the Trojans once, and that came during their first season in the current CVAC alignment together, 36-32 in Catawba in the fall of 2021.
Since then, EBHS has lost to Bandys 35-14 at home in 2022 and 48-30 on the road last fall. EB also lost all four meetings during a previous stint in the CVAC that started 15 years ago, falling 28-12 in Icard in 2009, 39-19 in Catawba in 2010, 45-6 at home in 2011 and 33-0 on the road in 2012.
This year, Bandys has staked its claim as a conference championship favorite, going undefeated through four games with nonconference wins at St. Stephens 29-14, versus Foard 38-12 and at South Caldwell 35-6 before winning last week鈥檚 CVAC-opener at West Lincoln, 17-15.
The Trojans are balanced offensively with junior quarterback Brady Swett completing 47 of 74 passes for 785 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception, working with a receiving corps led by Kayden Henrickson (18-296-4), Evan Turner (7-165-2) and Landon Vaughan (7-105-1). Tanner Stewart (67-441-3) and Swett (27-138-4) lead the way on the ground.
East Burke鈥檚 only win so far was an emotional nonconference victory over Draughn, 12-7 at home in Week 3. After a bye, EBHS lost last week鈥檚 CVAC-opener at Maiden, 43-6.
Sophomore QB Carter Bennett (29 of 65, 243 yards, TD, four INTs) and receivers Barger Shook (8-81-0) and Cannon Morrison (6-60-1) lead the passing game while the top rushers are Zayne Newman (63-161-1) and Darren Hammons (20-137-1).
Prediction: Bandys.
Freedom bye week
After a convincing nonconference home win over Chase, 63-13, last week in Morganton, the Patriots (3-2) enjoy a bye for Week 6. FHS returns to action with its Northwestern 3A/4A Conference-opener at Hibriten (1-3) on Oct. 4 in Lenoir.