By By PETER WILLIAMS, Staff Writer
Northside to feature size and leadership
Keith Boyd has been coaching for 11 years, but his first year as a head coach was a learning experience.
Along with returning assistant coach Jay Mason, Boyd will have Addison Bass, Harry Author, David Spain and Brian Stevens helping out on the sidelines.
The Panthers should have at least two other things going for them this year.
Twelve starters are coming back. Among those is Colby Mason, an outside linebacker and wingback. There is also Michael Woolard, a 6-2, 255 pounder and Justin Montana, who is 6-3 and 265 pounds.
The defensive line will feature Bradford Linton, at 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, who can bench press 305 pounds. There is also senior Charles Spate, at 6-foot-3, 275 pound tackle and Stephen Covey at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds.
The Panthers also will also have a flock of younger players off a JV team last year that won the conference title with a 4-1 record, 5-4 overall.
The quarterback slot will likely be shared by Calvin Cox, a 6-foot-3, 185 pound sophomore and senior William
Both had experience last year.
The Panthers started practice Monday night and will open the season against 2-A First Flight High School on the road.
Washington High School returns to the Panther schedule for the first time since 2000. The Panthers will be hosting the Pam Pack on Aug. 31, their first home game.
Boyd is hopeful for the 2007 season.
Northside will host a scrimmage on Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. until noon. Visiting will be South Central High School and North Pitt.
Mattamuskeet must fill void of lost seniors
By PETER WILLIAMS, Staff Writer
Talk about a rebuilding year.
Mattamuskeet High School not only lost 12 seniors to graduation, their coaching staff will have to be rebuilt from scratch for the 2007 football season.
Credle expected about 23 varsity players to show up for Monday’s first practice. The team had 40 players last year including a jayvee squad. The entire school only has 170 students.The coaching crisis started in the spring when head coach Chris Weikart accepted a fellowship to go back to school to become a principal. Adam Brown, an assistant under Weikart was tapped to succeed him. However in early July he announced he would be leaving to take a job coaching at West Harnett Middle School where his wife got a job.
The Lakers also lost a third coach who resigned to take the head basketball coaching job at Perquimans High School.
Holding down the fort for the time being is Credle.
The Lakers finished the 2006 season with a 5-6 record and tied for second place in the conference. The season included a 44-0 shutout against Cape Hatteras and a 40-0 win over Creswell. The Lakers however lost their last two regular season games against Jamesville and Columbia and dropped a 52-28 contest against Roanoke in playoff action.
This year Mattamuskeet will open against Perquimans at home in an endowment game. The regular season starts with a game against Princeton.
In football, the Lakers will play conference games against Creswell, Columbia, Jamesville and Cape Hatteras. Bear Grass is also in the Atlantic 5 conference but doesn’t field a football team.
For now the Lakers will practice Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.