James Kenan picked second in Super Six poll

By Gabe Whisnant
Published in Sports on August 12, 2004 1:57 PM

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Lakewood football coach James Lewis probably summed up the prospects of the 2004 Class 1-A Super Six Conference season best by stating, "Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide."

While traditional powerhouse and defending undefeated conference champion Wallace-Rose Hill was predicted unanimously to win the conference title in an informal preseason poll conducted by the News-Argus staff, each coach agrees that there will be no "gimmes" in the league again this year.

"Top-to-bottom, its easily one of the tougest 1-A conferences in the east," Hobbton coach Steve Mallard said. "Week in and week out, every game is physical and tough. Wallace-Rose Hill still seems to be a step above everybody else."

The Bulldogs, the 2003 Class 1-AA (large school) eastern regional runner-up, picked up five first-place votes and earned 25 total points.

After advancing to the second round of the playoffs last year and finishing 5-7, James Kenan helped erase the memories of a combined record of 3-19 in the two seasons before.

Super Six coaches predicted the improvement to continue for the Tigers, who got one first-place vote and four-second place votes to garner 21 total points.

"There is not an easy "W" in this league," second-year James Kenan coach Kevin Motsinger said. "You never know."

James Kenan opens its conference schedule at Lakewood on Oct. 8.

Hobbton, who finished 4-1 last year in Super Six play, was picked third and got two second-place votes.

Union, an 0-5 team in 2003, seems to be the team that most think will make the greatest strides as the Spartans were picked to finish fourth and got 13 total points.

"Union was as good as a lot of teams that were one and two in a lot of conferences last year, but they ended up finishing last in our league," Motsinger said.

Lakewood (10 points) and Midway (five points) were picked to finish fifth and sixth, respectively.

The Leopards went 1-4, while the Raiders were 2-3 last season.