Players, games to watch in week 1 of area high school football
FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Devin Carter, Clayton: The N.C. State wide receiver recruit had 1,157 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. The Comets play former conference foe Garner.
Jamal Currie-Elliott, Hillside: The Oregon recruit began last year at IMG Academy in Florida, came back home to Durham in midseason and was instantly one of the best players in the area. The Hornets play at New Bern, which was picked to win the Eastern Carolina 3A/4A.
Tyair Smith, Broughton: The Capitals’ versatile playmaker just committed to Marshall and will get the season underway against Apex.
Jahmir Smith, Lee County: After rushing for more touchdowns than anyone else in the state a year ago – 41 – the Yellow Jackets’ running back and Notre Dame recruit gets his senior year off to a start against an always-tough Northwood program.
FOUR GAMES TO WATCH
Southern Nash at Green Hope: It’s not often you get to see a showdown between a future ACC wideout and cornerback, but Southern Nash’s Nadir Thompson (Virginia Tec recruit) will get his biggest test against Green Hope’s Jordyn Adams, considered by some as the nation’s top wide receiver. Adams, a UNC recruit, moved to the Triangle from South Carolina in the winter to be closer to his dad, who was previously an assistant football coach at East Carolina but left for UNC.
Plymouth at Tarboro: Tarboro is expected by many statewide experts to win the 1AA title this year. Plymouth is expected by those same writers to win the 1A title. It’s not often you start the season with two state championship favorites.
Terry Sanford at Fuquay-Varina: This is a good litmus test to see how Fuquay-Varina looks with a slew of returning players. Terry Sanford, located in Fayetteville, has been one of the Sandhills’ top programs in recent years.
Wakefield at Leesville Road: It’s going to take some time to remember this isn’t a conference game. With both teams starting the season with new coaches and without some of the hype as their new conference opponents, the winner of this game could give us a dark horse in either the Cap-7 Conference, which Leesville is part of, or Wakefield’s Northern Athletic Conference.
AREA GAMES
Check with school for times, most Triangle games are 7 p.m.
PrepsNow ranking included
THURSDAY
No. 9 D.H. Conley at Northeastern
New Hanover at No. 19 J.H. Rose
Bethel Christian at Arendell Parrott
FRIDAY
No. 22 Southern Durham at A.C. Reynolds
Western Harnett at Apex Friendship
Southern Wayne at Ashley
Apex at Broughton
Athens Drive at No. 13 Cardinal Gibbons
Southside at Ayden-Grifton
North Lenoir at No. 21 Bunn
Hoke County at Cary
Lawrence Academy at Cary Christian
Rosewood at C.B. Aycock
Carrboro at Cedar Ridge
Word of God at Central Virginia, VA
Riverside at Chapel Hill
Wake Christian at Chatham Central
No. 3 Garner at Clayton
St. David's at Community Christian
South Johnston at Corinth Holders
Rocky Mount Prep at Creswell
Washington at East Carteret
Kinston at Farmville Central
Terry Sanford at No. 17 Fuquay-Varina
No. 24 Southern Lee at Gray's Creek
No. 5 Southern Nash at Green Hope
Rocky Mount Academy at Halifax Academy
No. 23 West Johnston at Harnett Central
North East Carolina Prep at Harrells Christian
Panther Creek at No. 2 Heritage
Goldsboro at Hobbton
No. 20 Holly Springs at Hoggard
Eastern Wayne at Hunt
Beddingfield at J.F. Webb
West Montgomery at Jordan-Matthews
Louisburg at KIPP Pride
East Wake at Knightdale
Wakefield at Leesville Road
No. 14 Rocky Mount at No. 10 Middle Creek
North Edgecombe at Nash Central
No. 8 Hillside at New Bern
Southeast Halifax at North Johnston
Jordan at North Mecklenburg
Community School of Davidson at North Moore
South Creek at North Pitt
Cannon School at North Raleigh Christian
Roanoke Rapids at Northampton County
Fike at Northern Durham
No. 7 Orange at Northern Nash
Franklinton at Northern Vance
Warren County at Northwest Halifax
No. 6 Lee County at Northwood
SouthWest Edgecombe at Pasquotank County
South Granville at Person
Laney at No. 11 Pinecrest
No. 12 Cleveland at Rolesville
Ravenscroft at Sandhills Titans
Princeton at Smithfield-Selma
Greene Central at South Central
Spring Creek at South Lenoir
West Carteret at No. 16 Southeast Raleigh
Bartlett Yancey at Southern Vance
Plymouth at No. 15 Tarboro
Enloe at No. 25 Triton
East Montgomery at Union Pines
No. 18 Millbrook at No. 1 Wake Forest
Southampton Academy (Va.) at Wayne Christian
SATURDAY
East Forsyth at No. 4 Sanderson
This story was originally published August 17, 2017 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Players, games to watch in week 1 of area high school football."