Big trip awaits Vikings

Cameron Union Pines will travel to California for game in September

Cameron Union Pines will make the longest road trip of the season when it travels to Apple Valley (Calif.) Granite Hills High for a Sept. 6 game.

Coach Elwood Baker said he initially was a little leery about the fundraising that would be necessary for the trip, but he believes it will be a great experience for his players, who will miss three days of class.

"We'll hold classes on the trip, and we have worked out the academic side of it," Baker said.

The Vikings finished 4-7 in 2006 and ended a 33-game losing streak.

"We're going to be better, and I'll be disappointed if we don't have a decent year," Baker said. "I think we should be competitive with every team. Last year, there were three or four games where I couldn't say that."

RAVENS COACH HIGH ON NEW LEAGUE: Veteran Ravenscroft coach Ned Gonet said the new Big East Independent football conference should be good for area independent programs.

The football-only league will cut down on travel and includes two N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A football schools -- Ravenscroft and North Raleigh Christian -- and three NCISAA 1-A football schools -- Harrells Christian, Wake Christian and Fayetteville Christian.

"I think the league can grow," Gonet said. "Some of the eight-man teams might more seriously consider 11-man football if they know they can go to a playoff against similarly sized schools."

The Big East champion won't be guaranteed a playoff spot. The NCISAA playoffs are seeded by a committee.

EIGHT-MAN GETS UNDER WAY: The Colonial Carolina eight-man conference will begin conference games this week.

All of the 12 eight-man football teams in the state belong to the league. Each school will play the other 11, except for Oak Ridge Military, which does not begin play until Sept. 7. Oak Ridge and Durham Cresset are adding football this season.

EARLY SLIP DIMMED COMETS: Veteran Clayton coach Gary Fowler said last year's season-opening 22-18 loss at Sanderson cost his team confidence and paved the way for an 0-11 season.

"We were up by 18 points in the second half and lost," Fowler said. "If you can learn to win, you can learn to lose -- and that's what we did."

He said he told his coaches to re-evaluate everything they were doing in practice.

"I know I spent a lot of time looking in the mirror," he said. "Maybe we had slipped a little bit in what we were doing as coaches."

FAST START FOR CAVALIERS: Southern Lee coach Bryan Lee said he was a little disappointed in last year's 5-7 season.

But the record was noteworthy because Southern Lee was a first-year school in 2006 and played varsity football without any seniors.

"From what we heard, Wakefield had the best record of a first-year program when it opened," Lee said. "[Coach] Steve Rivers won five games, and we wanted six wins." Wakefield, however, did not field a varsity football team until its second year.

Southern Lee has picked up a pair of transfers who could make a big impact: Damien Steadman, a freshman standout at Lee County in 2006, and 6-foot-5, 290-pound sophomore Blade Shoop from Southern Pines Pinecrest.

BUNN IS LOADED UP FRONT: Bunn, a 2-A school, has offensive and defensive lines that can compare with almost any in the state. And the team looked good in its Saturday scrimmages against Millbrook and Green Hope.

The Wildcats have 13 players who weigh 230 pounds or more.

Brandon Barnes, a receiver and runner, is the top-ranked player in the state. Three-year starting quarterback Levon Stanley and tailback Chris Fleurmont (990 rushing yards) were the offensive leaders in 2006.

SOUTH JOHNSTON KEEPS THROWING: Scott Hockaday set South Johnston passing records last year, but sophomore Pat Dunigan hopes to break them.

Dunigan's older brother, Josh, held most of the records before Hockaday erased them.

Dunigan has been groomed in the summer passing leagues and can throw to speedy Josh Snead and sure-handed Dee Walden, who had 67 catches for 1,164 yards in 2006.

Runner Tony Davis set the school rushing record with 1,634 yards.

PLENTY OF KICK: The Cap Seven is loaded with talented place-kickers this season.

Wakefield's Bryson Rose is ranked No. 15 in the country by Rivals.com. Sanderson's Ben Martin, who made a 60-yard field goal this summer in camp, is ranked No. 19 on Ray Guy's national list of kickers. And Broughton's Jeremy Shelley kicked 41 extra points in 2006 and nine field goals.