J. Mike Blake and Tim Stevens have differing view of who will win Friday’s Tri-Nine 4-A Conference high school football showdown between Cary and Fuquay-Varina.
Cary has special teams edge: Coming into the season, I thought Cary would finish higher than Fuquay-Varina in the Tri-Nine Conference for football. Both are undefeated, so why change now?
Cary can match Fuquay's bruising ground game with one of the area's top defenses, led by linebacker Phillip Ochieng. The Imps are allowing just 10.7 points per game.
Also, Cary's offense is as balanced as its been in years, with junior quarterback Connor Chase averaging 117 yards through the air and junior DeAndre Henry rushing for 116 per game on the ground.
And if the game comes down to special teams or turnovers, as big games tend to, Cary will be in great shape. The Imps have scored five touchdowns off their defense and special teams -- four of them from Donte Johnson.
-- J. Mike Blake
Fuquay ground game is key: Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp.
That will be the sound of the Fuquay-Varina ground game as it consistently cuts through a formidable Cary defense for little chunks of yardage. Three yards, four yards, three yards. First down. Chomp. Chomp.
And amid the consistent gains there will be an occasional big play as the Bengals control the ball with running backs Ricky Fergerson and Cory Hunter. And just because Fuquay hasn’t pass much this year doesn’t mean that it can’t.
Cary has a very opportunistic defense and is extraordinary on special teams. The Imps have scored on two punt returns, two fumble returns and a kickoff return.
I don’t think Cary can score enough to win if Fuquay doesn’t make mistakes.
_ Tim Stevens
