C.B. Aycock football primed for big year from big senior class

When Steve Brooks took over the C.B. Aycock football program in 2013, he had an eye on this year. This season, his then-freshmen are now a large and talented class of seniors.

The Golden Falcons (5-7) are expecting big things this year, and it’s not just because of headliner Damien Darden, a tight end committed to N.C. State. Nine starters are back on offense, including Darden.

“This is a senior class of about 22 kids that, when I first took the job, they were freshmen. They all bought in, and they wanted to make a name for themselves and for Aycock football,” Brooks said. “We kind of put all our eggs in the basket with this group.”

Who are some players to watch?

The offense is set up well with 2,000-yard thrower Jake Flowers at quarterback, 1,000-yard runner Caleb Gough at running back and two of the best receivers in the conference in Chandler Matthews and Darden.

There’s no spot on either side of the ball that’s inexperienced.

“We’ve got the pieces in place to have a big-time year,” Brooks said.

What’s key for this year?

Starting off on the right foot and staying healthy.

What’s the biggest conference game?

Knocking off a 4A team would be big, but from a playoff berth perspective, it’s the finale against Eastern Wayne. It will likely decide which 3A team in the Eastern Carolina 4A/3A gets an automatic 1-seed. The Warriors have won that final game three straight seasons.

In the past, the 3A 2-seed from the league also got an automatic bid, but no more: that team would have to make it in as a wild-card based on overall record.

This story was originally published July 27, 2016 at 8:55 PM with the headline "C.B. Aycock football primed for big year from big senior class."