Carolina 1-A outlook

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 4, 2010 1:47 PM

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Four football teams in the Carolina 1-A Conference have spent the majority of the season knocking each other around, which has left Goldsboro and Ayden-Grifton to decide the regular-season championship.

There's still plenty at stake for the other four teams.

Rosewood, Princeton, North Duplin and Spring Creek each have playoff aspirations, too. And they play each other as the regular season concludes Friday.

"We have four teams tied for third place right now," said Rosewood head coach Robert Britt, whose team travels to Princeton. "Depending on who wins and who loses, I think you can finish anywhere from third to last. We've talked to the boys about how important this game is, the biggest rivalry game we play all year with playoff implications."

The Eagles (3-7 overall, 1-3 CC) missed four defensive starters in last week's home loss to North Duplin. Logan Waters (ankle) and Greg Cavanaugh (concussion) watched from the sidelines, while Taylor McGill played just offense. Another player was absent due to family obligations.

Waters worked out in shorts and a T-shirt throughout the early part of the week, and did some light running. His status is unclear against the Bulldogs. Cavanaugh has been cleared by the doctor and McGill will take the snaps from center.

Princeton (2-8, 1-3) has won the last two meetings in the seriess, which Rosewood leads 29-9 overall. The Dogs haven't won three straight over the Eagles since 1977-79.

Bulldogs head coach Russell Williamson isn't sure who will direct his team's offense Friday. Sophomore signal caller Brad Williamson has a partially-torn medial colateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee. No surgery is required, but the injury will take at least a month to heal.

Williamson has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards this season.

"I don't know if it's worth the chance," said coach Williamson. "It's a pretty big (game) for us. I feel like if we can win this one, there is no doubt we can move on to the playoffs. If we do our job Friday night, there will be no sitting around Saturday waiting to find out (if we got in)."

Spring Creek head coach Aaron Sanders has reminded his team all week that the conference isn't settled ... from top to bottom. The Gators, in their 10th season of varsity competition, have missed the postseason each of the past three years.

Sanders said his team has shown resiliency in practice this week.

"They always come back every Monday with a positive attitude and ready to go," said Sanders. "It's important to be resilient and something that we talk about, putting the previous game behind them, but also learning from the mistakes. If you go out and try to improve, it helps you further down the road -- not only in football."

North Duplin owns an 8-1 edge in the series.