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Mooresville, Lake Norman play tonight for local bragging rights
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Published: November 6, 2009
With seasonal standards already settled, it's backyard bragging rights that will be at center stage of the battleground when the varsity football teams from visiting Lake Norman and Mooresville high schools tangle tonight.
With game time on the now artificially-turfed field in the Mooresville High School Stadium set for 7:30 p.m., the annual neighborhood battle between the two first-year localized members of the same 4A-class level I-Meck Conference will take place to draw the regular season phase of play to a close for them both.
Each heads into the affair looking to make a success of that finale for drastically different reasons.
In the case of the incoming Wildcats, they follow up a welcome late-season open date eyeballing the possibility of closing out the regulation phase on a continued high note in preparation for what appears to be another state postseason appearance for the program.
As for the at-home Blue Devils, they are taking aim at attempting to salvage a season gone sour, seeking their first win to close out what is assured of being a campaign that, for the first time in years, will conclude with the playing of the final regular season affair.
It marks the first time since the two teams, both competing for their respective first years ever as 4A class entries, began playing one another that each draws the regulation portion of their respective schedules to a close in a game against each other.
Lake Norman hauls into the other side town, traveling east back across the I-77 connecting bridge that helps distance the two campuses sitting right at five miles apart, owner of a 7-4 overall standard that on its own merit allows this year's edition to tie the previous one for accounting for the most number of favorable notches carved in a win column in a single season.
One more such placing of a tally mark in that ledger will anoint the current crop, based on the number of wins in a season alone, as the most successful in program history.
Also at stake for the Wildcats is the opportunity to post a break-even worksheet in all games held against fellow rookie-year season I-MEC foes. LNHS holds a 2-3 such standard in those games to date with just the finale left to play.
Based on the team's overall record alone, it appears already well in the mix for a state playoff berth, with teams needing a minimum of four wins just to make that cut. However, a win in the finale that would increase that number of wins could also be rewarded with the chance to engage in a first-ever home state playoff game.
Lake Norman could muster a high enough finish within the league ranks and bank on its overall record to land a high enough seed for the playoffs to kick off that segment of the season on tap to get underway in a week on its home field.
The Wildcats also make their short trip to Mooresville seeking just their second ever win in the series with the Blue Devils.
This year's Devils den of players will be trying their darndest to make sure that doesn't happen.
Mooresville harbors an overall 0-10 record that also includes a 0-5 slate in all conference-counting contests. Dating back to late last year, the Devils' current losing skid has reached 11 games overall.
MHS will also be attempting to avoid what would be just its second loss to Lake Norman in the all-time series dating back throughout the eighth-year existence of the latter's program.
The Devils will be looking to make a success of annual Senior Nigh affairs as well, the games assured of being the team's last to snap a stretch of consecutive postseason appearances that dates back to the 1995 campaign.
Prior to the game, all current senior class members of the football team as well as select other fall sports programs will be recognized along with their parents.
Also as part of the night's affairs, all attending Mooresville Midget Football League players, coaches and cheerleaders will be singled out as well. As many as would care to are being invited to join the varsity football team on the field during pre-game ceremonies to participate in the special night's events.
As another part of the game's scheduled proceedings, halftime ceremonies will also include the official presentation of the all-sports Citizens South Bank Cup to Lake Norman for its winning of that yearlong varsity-level athletic competition that takes place throughout a school year between the two. Lake Norman successfully defended its Cup prize from the previous year to also keep the traveling trophy in house to show for its success during the 2008-09 sports year as well.
Officials from sponsor Citizens South Bank are expected to be on hand to make the formal Cup presentation.
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