FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Aycock's season hinges on South Central outcome

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 10, 2016 2:46 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

WINTERVILLE -- Forgive Steve Brooks if his needle stays stuck in the same groove on the record each week.

It's not intentional.

But it serves a purpose.

The fourth-year Charles B. Aycock head football coach constantly reminds his team to finish the week 1-0. Then erase the slate and begin preparation for the next opponent.

This one won't be easy.

The Golden Falcons' postseason is at stake when they travel to South Central on Thursday in the Eastern Caroliina 3-A/4-A Conference finale for both teams. A victory propels CBA into the postseason. A loss ends the careers of 23 seniors who comprised Brooks' most-talented group of players to ever where the powder blue and gold during his tenure in Pikeville.

"(The seniors) are the leaders and heartbeat of this group," Brooks said.

Aycock (6-4 overall, 2-3 ECC) played an efficient, consistent game and punted just once during its 31-point drubbing of county rival Eastern Wayne last week. Caleb Gough's first touchdown, an interception and a blocked punt allowed the Golden Falcons to build a 22-point advantage just 4 1/2 minutes into the opening quarter.

Brooks described it as a "total team effort."

An encore performance will be needed against South Central, which boasts two of the league's top offensive players -- senior quarterback Robert Rapp and sophomore Nazir Monroe-Smith.

Rapp has thrown for 909 yards, with Jeremy Lewis (457 yards) and Tre'Quan Smith (528 yards) serving as his main targets. Monroe-Smith has rushed for 942 yards and eight touchdowns.

SC averages 337.1 yards of total offense and 29.8 points per game. The defense allows 29.2 points.

The Golden Falcons' offense has played with a "pedal-down" mentality throughout its 2016 campaign on the gridiron. They average 43.6 points a game -- a single-season school record that broke the old mark of 33.38 set in 2009.

Senior quarterback Jake Flowers surpassed the 2,000-yard passing plateau against EW. Running back Caleb Gough has toted the pigskin an area-high 233 times and covered 1,559 yards. He's cashed in 18 touchdowns.

Brooks contends his team hasn't achieved its preseason mission. The 3-A champion of the ECC remains undetermined as well as the program's playoff fate.

"All of our goals are still in front of us," he said.