With preseason practice wrapping up, the 2014 high school football season on the horizon and this year’s football supplement — the Gridiron Guide — ready to hit the press on Friday, it’s time for the first of three conference predictions, starting with the Coastal Plains Conference.

Despite downgrading in size on the offensive and defensive lines, Northside has restocked with physical athletes and will rely on their toughness to compensate for the loss of Dale Russ.

Southside enters the season with a consistent running game, a core of strong linemen and elevated expectations. The attitude has changed in Chocowinity, as head coach Jeff Carrow and defensive coordinator Andrea Quinerly are looking to flip the switch in 2014.

Both teams open on the road on Friday: Northside at Creswell, Southside at North Duplin.

 

COASTAL PLAINS CONFERENCE

1) Lejeune Devil Pups 9-2 (5-0)

Being on a military base, you never quite know what you’re going to get from Lejeune in terms of size and production. However, this season head coach Darryl Schwartz says his team will return its entire defensive line, which was one of the Devil Pups’ many keys to victory last season. While strong up front, Lejeune has lost a few defensive and offensive playmakers to graduation, but will return junior quarterback, wingback and defensive back D.J. Myers, linebacker Drake Bodine and senior Jarvis Darrigan, who will fill the shoes of Jamaz Richardson at defensive end.

2) Pamlico County Hurricanes 6-5 (4-1)

Under first-year head coach Kevin Yost, the Hurricanes notched their first winning season in years. Entering year No. 2, Yost is keeping expectations at an all-time high, as his team returns enough starters to stay competitive. While primarily a running team that likes to spread the field, just one of the team’s three dynamic backs is returning, but senior Cameron Moore, who is expected to get more carries this season, is back at receiver.

3) Southside Seahawks 7-4 (3-2)

The Seahawks have made some serious noise this preseason on the practice field and in their two scrimmages. Head coach Jeff Carrow’s team brings a new swagger into 2014, one that has the offense and defense firing on all cylinders. Last season’s collection of inexperienced underclassmen now have one year of experience under their belts and have all but familiarized themselves with the system. Senior quarterback Johnny Sullivan is beginning to adapt to his role as a game manager and leader, while Lawrence Brown, Matt Baxter and last season’s leading rusher Dylan Lewis have stepped up in the scrimmages.

4) Northside Panthers 5-6 (2-3)

The Panthers enter this season with a complex offensive game plan that is molded around its playmakers. Gone are Dale Russ, Malik Slade and Antonio “Bootman” Woods. Quarterback Noel Howson, tailback Rockne Butler and guard Colby Woolard have separated themselves from the pack in terms of the Panthers’ top talent. In both preseason scrimmages, the offense looked shaky early, but made up ground later in the evenings. Head coach Keith Boyd needs his athletes to compensate for the loss of size with sheer toughness in order to improve upon last season’s .500 finish.

5) East Carteret Mariners 3-8 (1-4)

Former Hurricanes head coach Greg Peele is taking the reigns to the Mariners program this season, following the team’s seventh-consecutive losing season. Peele brings sheer football knowledge to his new job, but it’s going to take some time before East Carteret can be shaped into the respected program it was a decade ago. However, the Mariners return a collection of top playmakers on offense in Ty Simmons, Jacque Brown and quarterback Brennan Lewis, who threw for 20 TDs last season. Defensively is where this team will struggle.

6) Jones Senior Trojans 1-10 (0-5)

This should be another rebuilding year for the Trojans, as the team will return just four starters. It’s a brutal schedule for a team that finished without a win last season. The Trojans will face Kinston, Jacksonville, Havelock and Wallace-Rose Hill in the first four games alone.