MHS, LNHS play with pollsters in mind

            One hopes to prove state pollsters wrong. Another hopes to prove them right.

            That’s the contrast in agendas facing the football teams from Mooresville and Lake Norman high schools tonight in final non-conference games. The 3-0 Blue Devils visit 4-0 West Rowan while Lake Norman hosts North Iredell in a matchup of winless teams. Both games begin at 7:30 p.m.

            Each has much at stake.

            In Mooresville’s case, something has to give.

            The U-turning Blue Devils, making quick history of their program’s 0-11 showing of just one season ago, heading into tonight’s game boasting a 3-0 overall mark and as a frontrunner for the area’s comeback team of the year award.

            The Devils are fresh off last weekend’s 33-21 triumph over a previously undefeated Alexander Central team that had also emerged victorious in all but two of its previous 18 games dating back over all or parts of three past seasons.

            It won’t get any easier for MHS this week.

            That is the case as, in that final non-conference affair, the Devils match up against one of the most powerful programs over the past two seasons across the state.

            Host West Rowan sits unbeaten, ranked number-one stop the state’s 3A class poll and riding high on a 34-game winning streak. Over the course of those past efforts, the Falcons have captured consecutive state 3A class titles.

            It amounts to a rematch of teams that as recently as three years ago were also members of the same league prior to Mooresville’s upgrade to the 4A class ranks.

            The Devils would like nothing finer that to prove state pollsters wrong, but the odds seemed stacked heavily against that desire. Not only is West Rowan unbeaten and ranked number one, it has also allowed just a total of seven points scored all season,.

            Mooresville, meanwhile, has rang up points like it’s been playing football on a pinball machine. The Devils have yet to score less than 24 points in a game, generating the bulk of that production off a passing attack. Senior quarterback Patrick O’Brien has thrown at least three touchdown passes in each of the wins so far this season. Favor target Kyle Haslett has cradled at least one TD pass in each contest as well.

            What headway the Devils have made on the ground has come courtesy of back Brandon Jones, who has topped the 100-yare mark in all three games while scoring three times.

            Defensively, the Devils have also been solid. A string of consecutive shutouts to start the season came to a close against Alexander Central’s Cougars, but the unit stood tough and failed to allow the guests any points during the course of Mooresville’s second-half comeback charge.

            Something has to give tonight.

            Lake Norman, meanwhile, hopes to finally give more than it takes.

            Even heading into last week’s play, the Wildcats were one of the teams still receiving at least one pollster’s vote for inclusion in the state 4A class ranking’s honorable mention crowd.

            The Cats failed to muster support of that status in suffering a 36-14 loss to West Iredell.

            That setback dropped Lake Norman to the 0-3 level for the season overall as it heads back home tonight.

            One thing’s for sure. One of tonight’s foes will earn the season’s first win. The Wildcats play host to cross-county member North Iredell that is bringing an 0-3 mark of its own into play.

            For Lake Norman, it’s been a season of contrast. It opened the season with a strong defensive stand before coughing up at least 30 or more points in each of its last two games. Scoring has also been a struggle, as the Wildcats have yet to score more than two touchdowns in a game all season.

            Quarterback Will Scott has been a bright spot with at least one TD pass in each game, but the run game has hit a road block.             Tonight, Lake Norman looks to break through.