Lake Norman High’s football team sees absolutely no reason to turn back now.
Back-to-back seasons that produced a school record number of wins definitely have the Wildcats on the right track.
Lake Norman, idle on the first official play date of the season last Friday, opens its season tonight at 7:30 at home against nearby rival South Iredell.
For first-year head coach Rob McNeely, promoted from defensive coordinator under former head coach Scott Sherrill, the extra preparation time provided by last week’s bye was welcomed.
“It’s somewhat of a luxury,” he said. “We don’t have to throw as much at the kids at one time, because we’re going to have a lot of kids that will have to play both ways. We’re not trying to put in too many things too fast.”
But now’s time to put all those things together.
A quick glance at the schedule finds much to like. Four of the Wildcats’ first five games will be at home, and only four of their 11 games are on the road.
On the downside, the roster – which lost nearly 30 players total to graduation -- returns only three offensive starters off a team that scored 20 or more points in all but two of its eight wins. The latter standard raised the single-season win total one bar higher than that of the previous season’s seven-win total.
Defensively, while more than half of the starters from a year ago return, holes need to be plugged in particular along a front wall that limited foes to less than 200 yards on an average per game, recorded one shutout and six times held opponents to 10 points or less. Four times, Lake Norman allowed just a single touchdown.
Odds will be stacked against Lake Norman an another area as well, as opening foe South Iredell already has a win under its helmet. The Vikings posted an impressive shutout over North Iredell last Friday.
If there is something missing from Lake Norman’s improving resume, it’s a state playoff win. Though reaching postseason play for several seasons running, the Wildcats have yet to advance to the second round.
They came close a season ago, rebounding from an early deficit to score 12 unanswered points before suffering a 14-12 loss to host West Forsyth that was also the program’s first-ever appearance in 4A class postseason play.
This marks the team’s second season as a 4A class entry, coming after it placed in the upper division during the initial session as an I-Meck Conference member. Following four straight non-league games, all against county foes, Lake Norman christens I-Meck play also at home against North Meck in late September.
The Wildcats also gear up for the start of the season as the reigning Iredell County football king, having defeated all other county foes head-to-head for the first time in a single season a year ago.
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