LUMBERTON —With all the hustle and bustle of schedule changes to each of the six teams due to inclement weather, it’s been hard to track who’s playing who, let alone which team is better. Fear not, the weekly routines are gradually getting back to normal which means the rankings will be coming on the regular, just in time for the home stretch.
1. St. Pauls
With two games left, St. Pauls is in the driver seat to claim the top spot in the rankings and most likely earning a playoff berth. The Bulldogs are 4-3 in the Three Rivers conference and are winners of three of their last five.
They held a halftime lead at East Bladen, before eventually collapsing in the last two quarters and losing Robeson County’s leading rusher Marqueise Coleman to a high ankle sprain. Coleman earned NCPreps/VTO Sports Player of the Week after 203 yards and five touchdowns against West Columbus, and crossed the 1,000-yards threshold in the loss to the Eagles, but since, he’s missed a game and has been a shell of himself in the last two he’s competed in. He finished with 97 yards in a win at Fairmont and just 63 yards on 16 carries in the loss to Whiteville on Monday.
Interim coach Mike Setzer has a way of galvanizing his group for big games, however, especially on the road where they are 5-1 this year. With or without a healthy Coleman, Friday’s big rivalry showdown at Red Springs will be the hottest ticket in the area and will go a long way in determining the final rankings.
2. Fairmont
Over the last five games, there simply hasn’t been a better player in Robeson County than Fairmont senior Jordan Waters. The Duke commit has single-handedly dragged his team from the bottom of the rankings and into playoff contention, accounting for 16 of the team’s 19 touchdowns during that stretch. The team is 2-3 during that time, including a season-salvaging win over rival Red Springs.
Now, the Golden Tornadoes will need to get some help from those same Red Devils against St. Pauls, then win out, and seriously consider purchasing a genie bottle and rabbit’s foot in hopes of making the postseason. But the good news for Kevin Inman’s group is that they saved their best football for the end of the season that features a softer schedule.
3. Red Springs
Lawrence Ches is mystified by his team’s performance as of late, and so are we. The Red Devils consistently claimed one of the top two spots in the rankings throughout the year, but a recent slump that features three losses in their last four, is cause for panic in Red Springs.
The good news is, all three losses were of the one-score variety and the defense is capable of stepping up to any occasion. They’ve given up over 30 points just one time this season and that was to undefeated South Columbus. So, a couple of late-game tweaks in the focus department could turn things around.
Friday’s battle with St. Pauls, then next week’s winnable matchup at West Bladen will be enough to take the top spot back if they can handle business.
4. Purnell Swett
The Chandler Brayboy show in Pembroke has been fun to watch all season. Purnell Swett’s problem is that there haven’t been many other supporting cast members that have helped with the production. The Elon commit has racked up most of the group’s touchdowns in a recent stretch that includes two kickoff returns. With a dominate run in the last two games, Brayboy could challenge for the county’s Heisman award.
The Rams are fresh off their first win in the Sandhills Athletic Conference and are hungry for another when they take on rival Lumberton Friday.
5. South Robeson
The Mustangs have lost six straight games by an incredibly wide margin. It looks like Clay Jernigan’s group has packed it in for the year after winning just one game.
If they can muster up some pride for the last two games against Fairmont and St. Pauls, there is still a scenario in which they can clinch a playoff berth. They’d need a lot of help, but first, South Robeson must help themselves.
6. Lumberton
The Pirates are a mess. Star player Braylan Grice went from Heisman hopeful, to suspended, to kicked off the team, to reinstated, to benched. Coach Kelly Williamson doesn’t have the morale of the group up. Meanwhile, the team has just one win this year and who knows if they’ll win another.
If Grice can regain his good standing with the coaching staff and display the physical abilities that’s made him one of the best players in the county the last three years, Lumberton has a chance to climb from the dumpster of the rankings before season’s end.
