LUMBERTON — Today feels like the start of the high school football season all over again after two weeks off, but the learning curve that comes with a first game won’t be pronounced this week.

Conference play is in full swing with this week as Lumberton and Purnell Swett take on the treacherous Sandhills Athletic Conference. The real questions that many want to see answered is how their teams will respond from the break, and will there be new momentum created, or momentum destroyed.

Either way, I think that St. Pauls coach Mike Setzer said it best this week as his team prepares for a conference championship caliber game against South Columbus that almost every coach can agree with, “Getting back here is the best thing to get some normalcy.”

Technically this is Week 5, so through four weeks I have posted a 12-7 record.

South Columbus at St. Pauls

No better test for both of these teams that have aspirations of winning the Three Rivers Conference than this matchup after a wacky two-week period where football has been the last thing on many players minds. This contest carries major implications in the conference title race, and should be another close contest like the meeting between Red Springs and South Columbus before the storm.

From that game, the Bulldogs should pick up lessons needed to help them complete the job that the Red Devils couldn’t.

St. Pauls 35, South Columbus 28

Lumberton at Jack Britt

Both of these teams started 0-3 and rebounded with road wins before the hiatus. The Buccaneers, who faced some of Cumberland County’s best to start the year, are looking to follow suit with last season when they found their stride in conference play to rebound from a slow start.

That rebound continues this week as its stout defense that quieted Southern Lee earlier this month gives that same dose of medicine to the Pirates.

Jack Britt 42, Lumberton 38

East Columbus at Red Springs

The aforementioned South Columbus loss has had nearly three weeks to fester the Red Devils with a load of “what ifs,” and now they have a chance to move on and start their ascension up the conference standings. That starts at home against the Gators, in what will be a good learning game for the younger players that struggled in crunch time for Red Springs against the Stallions.

Red Springs 48, East Columbus 6

Fairmont at Whiteville

Taking a loss to East Bladen to open conference play has to have taken its toll on the Wolfpack that had sights set on a conference title. Once again the Golden Tornadoes will be tested by a run-heavy team, as a handful of juniors lead the offense for Whiteville.

Fairmont’s offense will be put to the test against an offense that is averaging 15 points a game to its opponents.

Whiteville 39, Fairmont 16

Purnell Swett at Scotland

In past years, this meeting seemed has been a lopsided win for the Scots, but this time around things look up for the Rams. An injury-plagued Scotland roster, matched up against a Purnell Swett team that is coming into the game on a positive note, even though that two-game streak happened nearly three weeks ago.

If the Rams can get stops on defense, it will have a chance to pull off the upset, but even a depleted Scotland roster should be able to squeak this win out.

Scotland 35, Purnell Swett 30

South Robeson at West Bladen

South Robeson will be tied for the Three Rivers Conference lead after two weeks of conference play. After an 0-2 start, the Mustangs are opening conference play with two struggling teams in the league, and should be poised to take advantage of the start.

To do so, the Mustangs will need to work on their ability to finish off opponents, which nearly came back to bite them against West Columbus.

South Robeson 27, West Bladen 24

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By Jonathan Bym

Sports editor

Jonathan Bym can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Jonathan_Bym.