High school football playoffs blend first-timers, old-timers, and even whole conferences
Ned Gonet completed his 41st regular season as Ravenscroft football coach last Friday. Since 1981, Gonet (also the school’s athletics director for that same duration) has seen seven U.S. Presidents, six N.C. Governors, and six Ravenscroft Heads of School — Grover Smith, Jim Hendrix, Paul Long, Jim Ledyard, Ned Fox, and incumbent Doreen Kelly.
Gonet is tied with previous Charlotte Catholic coach Jim Oddo (who died earlier this year after several retired seasons) for the state’s longest head coaching tenure at one high school.
Ravenscroft will travel to Cabarrus for Friday’s N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) Division II 11-man playoffs opening round. Cabarrus won the schools’ September 3 regular season meeting, 24-14.
Three months and counting
Less than 100 days ago, amid an ongoing pandemic, Middle Creek coach Andrae Jacobs accepted the Mustangs’ head coaching position — his very first. Three months later, Jacobs is the coach of a (Southwest Wake 4A) conference championship team.
Middle Creek defeated Cary 30-2 last Friday. The Mustangs will host Knightdale in Friday’s NCHSAA 4A playoffs’ first round.
Northern Athletic 4A power
All six Northern Athletic 4A Conference schools won at least four regular season games and qualified for the state playoffs. Wakefield went winless in five conference games. Those setbacks, though, included Friday’s seven-point (49-42) loss to Knightdale, and a 27-24 overtime loss to league tri-champion Millbrook.
Wakefield, Knightdale, and Rolesville will travel to first-round games Friday. Millbrook, Heritage, and Wake Forest will host playoffs openers.
The Wake Forest-Hoke County game will be played at Knightdale. (Wake Forest’s Trentini Stadium has been closed for renovations throughout this season.)
Grimes a marvel
How good was Millbrook’s Wesley Grimes (a Wake Forest commit) this regular season?
Grimes’ 17.9 yards per reception and 18 receiving touchdowns in his high school league outpaced 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith (Alabama) through 10 college games.
Last fall, Smith averaged 16 yards per reception and caught 15 touchdowns through the Crimson Tide’s first 10 games. Grimes’ 1270 receiving yards are 57 fewer than Smith’s total over that same span.
Grimes and Smith both helped their teams to conference championships.
This story was originally published November 1, 2021 at 7:00 AM.