EAGLES, VIKINGS LOOK TO STAY IN MVAC HUNT

The second week of the Mountain Valley Athletic Conference football schedule may be too early to say it’s make-or-break time for Wilkes County teams when it comes to the MVAC championship. But both Wilkes Central and North Wilkes find themselves on opposite ends of that potential situation tonight when they square off in Hays. Kickoff from Raner Wiles Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. Wilkes Central is coming off a big 55-20 win against rival West Wilkes last Friday in Moravian Falls where it compiled 589 yards on offense. Friday also saw quarterback Camden Wyatt make his regular season debut after missing the first four games with a shoulder injury and it made a big difference. The junior threw for 266 yards and four touchdowns. “Our offense is very complex, especially at the quarterback position,” Wilkes Central Head Coach Ron Turner said. “And he knows everything we do and how to get everyone lined up correctly in addition to calling protections to our offensive line. It also allows us to play our wide receivers at their natural positions.” Wyatt’s two main targets, Jasiah Ferguson and Skylar Brooks, each had strong nights. Ferguson, a senior, had four catches for 121 yards and Brooks, a junior, had three catches for 46 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Boles also had two catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 127 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. With so many different talented skill players, North Wilkes Head Coach Monty Chipman knows the only way to slow down the Eagles’ offense is going to be controlling the tempo on their end. “About the only way to stop Wilkes Central is to control the ball and the clock,” said Chipman. “You cannot make it a shootout, you must get ahead and play ahead. They have way too much talent and speed to completely stop. “They run a similar offense to ours they have several playmakers and they do a good job spreading the ball around to all of them so it is very difficult to just stop one thing.” That means the Vikings, who are coming off their first loss of the season at home to East Wilkes, will be looking for a big game from Jarrett Grimes if they want to avoid an 0-2 start to MVAC play. The senior ran for 117 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals. It was his lowest rushing output since going for 124 yards against Elkin in week six last year. Grimes is also nine yards away from breaking 1,000 yards for the third season in a row. “Obviously, slowing down Grimes is the key to slowing down North,” said Turner. “You are not going to stop him — he’s a tremendously tough and durable runner. And they are extremely big up front and well coached.” In addition to a big night from Grimes, Chipman will be looking for a fast start and to limit penalties. The Vikings, who trailed 24-0 at halftime last week, were flagged nine times for 74 yards and allowed 409 yards on the ground to East Wilkes. “We were not ready to play against East Wilkes. In the first and second quarter the game was won by then,” Chipman said. “Also, penalties stopped several of our drives.” In addition to Grimes, the Vikings feature a very-experienced offensive line that is led by junior Jacob Combs and senior Jacob Wood and Lane Wood. The Eagles also need to watch out for Jacob Brown, Ethan Brown and Kobe Brown on both sides of the ball. “They’re very similar to us. They get in a ton of different formations and at the high school level, that’s tough to prepare for,” said Turner.

EAGLES, VIKINGS LOOK TO STAY IN MVAC HUNT

Photo Credit: Wilkes Central High School Athletics

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