Well I've been around to a few 7 on 7 competitions and with some I was impressed and with a few others I was..... Well, let's just say hit with reality. I've been on this site looking at different threads and posts and I feel some of you fans aren't being truthful about your schools outlook for this year. Some of you are hyping up your teams to be way better than they really will be. Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinions but let's be honest and stop saying these teams will be great just b/c we are fans of those respective schools. If they are gonna do well and we know it for sure then there's a point to be made. What you did last year doesn't mean a thing this year. Your conference and state titles can't win you a game this year. But on another note, what teams in the triad do you feel will have a chance at doing well and who are your sleepers??

I couldn't of said it any better than you. There is a lot of fans on here over hyping their teams over the past few years including myself. Reality strikes in when the team that you hyped up doesn't live up the hype that you presented to the football community. It's painful to admit you were wrong & that the season & the record speaks for its self.

However, to be completely real with people on here, I see Page contending for its name to be well respected around the Triad. I also see Dudley slowly making its way back into the force to well recognized by its opponents & distant rival teams. HPC, well, I still have to evaluate my team a little longer because there is still reality looking me square in the face with what could be. Hopefully I'll have the all of the answers or at least most of the answers after scrimmage in August. I'm just unsure right now of what to say about the team success when the season haven't even started yet.

I'll get a look at Northwest for you, Hbc Bison. I will be going to a jamboree that they're going to be in.

Well I totally agree with you NC_Football20. I've noticed the same thing on here. Some teams are getting more respect than others and teams that will make some noise this year are getting overlooked. I've even seen threads where some say certain teams who were very successful last season but lost tons of talent, will be better than last season. I guess around here we are about to see a Charlotte Independence program that reeled off numerous championships back to back to back and so on if you get my point. But it is what it is. We will see in August....

Also I would like to add to this by saying that there are teams that I'm paying close attention to this year. One in particular, I've had a chance to follow throughout the years and has produced tons of talent. But honestly, I'm beginning to question the ability of their head coach. I've seen the potential in these kids that could have produced better winning percentages during the regular season and deep playoff runs only to "Throw" it all away. This year is no different and I'm very anxious to see if the coach will become as talented as the players. If so, they will win finish atop their conference and possibly make a very deep run in the playoffs. I went to see this team in a 7 on 7 a few weeks ago and they looked like a team that will be a Top 10 4A team but will their coach prevent that from happening. Don't get me wrong guys, I'm not bashing anyone but when you see a team that has the potential of these guys, you begin to wonder after a while whether it's more than the players. Gosh, you could probably send a Pop Warner coach over there and he would steer this program in the right direction. But it remains to be seen and wish them nothing but luck!!!

Well, you have point there but you sound mysterious to me, if ya ask me.

There's nothing mysterious about me. The only thing mysterious is how these teams will fare this year. I'm just offering my opinion on certain teams I've viewed at this point. I'm anxious to see how these teams will do, especially those who are picked to be the areas best.

What team or teams are we talking about?

I'm hoping not to upset the Bison fans on here but I've followed them just as well as others and all I see is them being outcoached, not outplayed.... Granted, the kids will make mistakes but if you're not balanced on offense, it makes it difficult to beat teams regardless of the talent they have. No question they have the talent but the question heading into the season is have the coach made the necessary adjustments in playcalling to maximize the talents of these players? I stopped attending HPC games over the last year or so b/c I was disappointed in how the guys were being utilized on the offensive side of the ball. I attended around 2-3 games last year and seen the same thing going on. 95% Pass, 5% Run. Now how successful can a team be that way? If the coaching staff have improved among themselves, the team will be a Top 10 4A team this season based on the talent I've seen in 7 on 7.

I really would like to hear what you guys think of Page, NW Guilford, East Forsyth, Northern Guilford, Ragsdale, and Dudley? Those are the teams I've seen in 7 on 7 so far.

Well, Page is the talk of the town & according to some, it seems like Jordan Putnam may be better than James Summers the way he's been hyped up. Don't get me wrong, the kid is nice & has decent mobility to keep opposing defenses honest. Honestly, Page football team this year have every right to be confident & hyped up, no team has beaten it since 2010. Thus, until then, it should continue to roll this year & be a strong contender for another conference title.

Dudley is getting bigger & stronger every year, but not sure if its closer to 2009 squad or not. Northwest is getting hyped up to be better than past year team. They say Northwest is better than the prior teams every year lol.

East Forsyth is being hyped up to THE conference contenders this year. I don't know much about Northern Guilford this year. Ragsdale will win 9-10 games this year as usual & may even win the conference.

I don't know man but I'm going to stay humble in hopes that HPC will show promise, win games (including the big difficult ones), & make a deep run in the playoffs.

Northern has Tj Logan back of course. It's also possible that Northern maybe the best team in the triad.

Northern will have one of if not the best RB's in the area...agree. But what makes you think they're the best team in the area? Still have a lot of question marks in the O-line, LB's, and QB positions.

I didn't say they were. I said it was possible. Anyway we will probably see if they are, they play Page, Northwest and Dudley

Well, based off what I know and have seen so far Northern Guilford looked real good. TJ Logan is a beast and is the best back in the state. They are going to be one of the best teams in the area. Dudley looked very athletic and quick in their 7 on 7. NW Guilford needs some work in their secondary. The have a good back in Reid Baxter and it stops there. East Forsyth....... Well for them to be getting hype along with NW Guilford, they weren't that impressive in their 7 on 7's in my opinion. East Forsyth receivers made need some sticky gloves this year. Ragsdale is looking good and could finish in the top 2 of their conference. All this hype that NW and EF are getting is a joke. The conference title may come down to the last night of the regular season in Jamestown against that other team (will not mention). And lets finish with Page. Page has established itself as a top team in the area. They sealed it last year by winning the state title but lets be realistic. They are gonna be good but they won't be as good as last year. They are gonna face some tougher challenges this year. I keep seeing this 11-0 or 10-1 at worst prediction on here and NCPreps but based on what I've seen they could possibly be 9-2 or 8-3 at worst and that's still a good record. I see 2 or 3 non-conference games that they can be beat in. I'm not saying they will lose but they have just as good of a chance at losing those games as winning those games. Based off what I seen in their 7 on 7 competition against SW Guilford, I was surprised at how SW moved the ball on them. Don't get me wrong, SW has some talent but when a team like Page gets hyped up this whole off season, you don't expect SW to really bring to Page like they did. And of course, some Page fans will say "this is just 7 on 7" but it is what it is. Page has some question marks and inexperience. So stop all your lies. Let the kids play. I'm pretty sure by the time the regular season rolls around, Coach Gillespie will have them ready. Oh and one more thing, Jordan Putnam will be good this year but he's no James Summers. How can you possibly say he's one of the top Qb's in the area and he hasn't played a varsity snap yet? He will improve as the weeks progress but for Pirate fans to say that he and the Page Pirate team will be just as good as last year's team or better is as worst as the Charlotte Bobcats saying they will beat the Heat in a 7 games series. Anyhow, good luck to everyone and I will keep you guys updated as I check out these teams some more in the coming weeks.

You are saying which teams will be good based off of what you have seen @ a 7 on 7? If you remember last year Grimsley and SW Guilford were getting a lot of hype because they "showed out" in a 7 on 7. So I don't think you can say a team will be good based off 7 on 7 football.

East Forsyth's O-line, backfield, and Defense are going to be stacked. If EF throws the ball 10 times a game I would be surprised. Now does that mean EF is going 11-0? I don't think so....They play a very tough schedule with Non-Conference games against West Forsyth, and Mt Tabor.
As for NW....They're a wing-t offense and I don't know how much you can take from what you saw at a 7on7. When the regular season gets here I bet you will see them run the ball 30-40 times a game. As for Page....I'll let the Page fans sound off on them.

True....They do play one of if not the toughest Non-Conference schedule in the state. Even if Northern goes 0-3 in non conference they should still win their conference.

As far as Page goes, I don't think I've seen one post where someone has stated they were going to be better than last year, including myself who has made most of the post on here. I've also stated that Jordan is no James Summers, so I think people are just throwing out some hot air. These two kids are two different style QB's. Everyone knows James, but the passing game may opened up a bit more with Jordan in there; however, I've also seen Jordan run and he ain't bad. Is he James Summers running the ball? No, and I haven't seen one post to say that he was.

You are correct when you say 7 on 7 is what it is; however, you'll never see Coach Weeks just sit back and let a team have 4 or 5 seconds to throw the ball without bringing pressure either. Unless a team has a stud offensive line this season, you won't see Grant Brewer and Lorenzo Featherstone give an offense that kind of time. Also, I don't know if SWG was missing any starters or not, but I do know that Page was missing two defensive starters one being Carter Stanley at safety who was on a recruiting trip to several Ivy League schools. There was a kid playing safety who had never played before, and it showed at times. I'm definitely not making excuses for Page, but good luck to any team who thinks they'll have 4 or 5 seconds to sit back and throw. SWG does look athletic and they should be decent. I heard they had a freshman receiver who looks like he'll be a good player the next four years.

Predictions are just that, predictions. No one is for certain what actually will pan out, but I do know for certain that Page has a good team. Will they win another state championship? Well, I'm not into predicting those scenarios, but I do believe they'll be good and will compete in the playoffs. They have lots of athletes and 8 returning players who are really good players. Experience will be the biggest factor. Last year if Page got down, they would lift their level of play and showed a lot of heart. I'm not for sure how these new starters will respond yet as a team.

I look for a really close Metro conference this year. Last year Page kind of pulled away from the pack, and left Dudley and Southeast to battle for the 2nd and 3rd place positions. This year, I think these same three teams will be battling for 1st with Grimsley, Southern Alamance, and Smith possibly improving from last year to make it tough each week. Keep an eye out for #5 at Southern Alamance. He will be a junior this year, but he may be the second best RB behind Logan in this area. Petty from Southeast will be good again, but that kid from SA will be a big time player.

As far as teams that Page played last year I will start with NG. Logan and company will be very good again. They will be missing some studs as mentioned already, so I'm not for sure who they'll plug in as replacements. I'm sure they'll be pretty good and will get coached up well. Ragsdale will have some good players, but I'm interested to see how the QB position pans out. I actually look for them to do some wildcat with #14 this year. #14 will be their go to guy on offense and they'll have a good RB returning as well. HPC should have the biggest upside IMO. They have the most overall talent returning, so they should be better than last year.

I look for another good season of football, and it will be started before we know it.

Wow.... You know what? I gained a lot of respect for you in reading this b/c you were direct and honest about what you think and feel. Honestly, you really can't determine how good a team can be through 7 on 7 but you get some type of idea of how their skill players may be. If they have a good d-line/ o-line, then there will be a difference once the game lights come on. If not, then some teams may be in trouble. Even with saying that, teams have time to improve by then. I have nothing against Page but when you get on here, NCPreps, and other sites and see guys such as Joe Barlie, Chris Hughes, etc saying how Page is the #1 team in the area, it makes you wonder if they are being biased. They've also stated that they will make the same type of run they did last year and makes Jordan Putnam look as if James Summers hard work is forgotten quickly. But hey everyone is entitled to their own opinion. All I'm saying is there are gonna be a few shockers this year. Some teams that are predicted to win the conference title will get knocked off. I apologize if you got the idea that I was bashing or ripping Page.. I'm certainly not. They are the defending 4A State Champs and they have a great program over there. All I'm saying to all team fans on here is to be realistic just as you just were. You believe in Page but you are also being realistic too...

No I'm not saying that 7 on 7's are a great sign of how good teams will be b/c there is no offensive/ defensive lines out there. I'm just looking at it from the skills position and of course, those guys have time to improve by the time the 1st game gets here. East Forsyth was stacked last year- WITH PLAYERS... There were plenty of games last season they easily could have lost. So are we talking about being stacked with talent or being stacked with players/ depth?? NW Guilford has a good back in Reid Baxter and I know myself that they run the football 30-40 times a game but there will come a point where they will have to be balanced. They will face a few defenses this year that will shut their Wing-T down for a fact but that's my opinion. Remember this day b/c I'll be telling you "I told you so".... But until then, good luck to everyone.....

NC_Football20,

I didn't think you were being disrespectful at all. I realize people have different opinions, and I realize there are people that will hate Page. That is part of the game and what makes it fun.

I was more answering to some who are posting that Page Fans are talking that we are going to be better than last year and that Jordan was going to be better than James. I just haven't seen those posts. A different team and different players will be on the field this year. I have seen posts, including my own, that read that Page has the potential to be just as good. I still do believe that. My only worry is the experience factor. Page has the athletes, Page has the coaching, but do they have the heart like last year? That remains to be seen.

Good discussion though.

They should win their conference, but that conference isn't a slouch.

Who else in that conference can contend with Northern? Eastern Alamance is pretty good but do they have the weapons to beat the Nighthawks?

If I remember right usually Northern is tested in that conference. Last year no-one did. But every other year Western and Eastern have given them a test. I expect Northern to win it, but just I don't know if it will be a cake walk.

Did anyone go to the NW Guilford Page 7 on 7 last night? I heard NW looked pretty good

I attended the NW Guilford-Page 7 on 7 last night and I must say that NW looked good out there. They moved the ball well on offense and they had numerous interceptions on defense. But it's still early and like I was told, any team can look good without the offense/ defense line hahahaha!!! Although, NW looked good last night, please don't start threads about how they will win the Piedmont 4-A conference or how they will make a run to the State Title game. I still see some things that they must do a whole lot better too. But overall, they will be no slouch. As far as Page (let me choose my words carefully), Joe Barlie did you attend the 7 on 7 last night b/c I am anxious to see how much you will put Page on this pedestal as the best team in Guilford County. Just in case you didn't, I sure hope that there defensive line is dominant b/c if not, there linebacking/ secondary crew will be torched. This is the 2nd 7 on 7 where NW and SW Guilford have both torched Page's defense.

Well since we are on the subject of talking about teams.. I will throw a few names at you to keep an eye on this season from HPC. Starting with QB Justin Johnson who is a great athlete with a strong arm and probably the fastest QB in Guilford and Forsyth County. This will be a big season for him. Germaine Pratt who is a beast at Strong Safety and will be harassing offenses all game long. (The best safety in the area). Kevin Greene and Tyler Wilson, who are great cover corners. Rubin Crosby (Middle Linebacker) who is if not the best linebacker in the county, one of the top 3 in the county. The defensive line of Stephon Ledbetter, Jarariel Simmons, Dante Ingram, Greg Aiken, and Marquis Perry. Any one of these guys can get after the QB. Wide Recievers Jawan Foggie and Jamel McKiver will make big plays this year but even as I mention the receivers there is a newcomer who has been making some noise. All I have to say is defenses get ready to matchup with this explosive weapon, who is HPC's version of Wes Welker (Patriots). I could go on and on with a few more guys who'll make an impact but I'm not going to crown us State Champs or best n the area like some on here are doing!!!

It seems the only fans who start those threads year in and year out represent HP Central.

Since you were there last night and you're the expert what must NW and Page do better to be a good team this year?

Oh My!!! Did I hit a nerve?? I guess the truth hurts doesn't it??And by the way I represent TEAM KEEPING IT REAL, unlike most fans on here who make their teams look like they are unbeatable. The things that Page needs to get better at is basically not living off last year's success and gaining some experience.It's not that they were terrible but they are young and it showed. So they will be heavily criticized when guys come on here crowning them the best in the area and then they get picked apart in back to back 7 on 7's. Not only that but struggle in their passing game. But they have til August to correct that and I know Gillespie will have them ready. As far as NW Guilford, like I said before they looked good out there and I'm taking nothing away from them but against more athletic/ talented/ experienced and well coached teams when the game lights come on, I don't believe their defense will stop anyone. In my opinion, their offense will put up around 24 a game or better but their defense will give up around the same thing. They start strong and they'll do good in conference but it wont be easy!!!

Seems like HP Central gets the blame for everything huh?? Can't get a break. I guess Bison fans in the past built that reputation huh? Well, this is a new year and I have yet to see a post where we Bison fans are bashing any teams. Just b/c someone gives their views and opinions of what they saw does not mean they are a HPC representative. Heck, I'm anxious to know who this NC_Football20 guy is. He's very unpredictable with his comments. Not sure what way he is leaning but as for me and being a representative of HPC, you are not going to throw negativity our way or make assumptions. This is a new year. Everyone has their own opinions but at the same time, we will not be anyone's punching bag b/c they are too scared to call out other teams on here that may be criticizing their school. So lets keep it clean, no punches or jabs through assuming who someone may represent. Its fun to have to battle through discussions concerning teams we are fans of but that only applies when you actually know who you're talking about. I know I'm gonna have fun with you this year!!!

No state championship has been on the 7 on 7 field or this website. Good luck to all the teams!

Agree........

1st off nah didn't hit a nerve just keepin it real .....2nd you say you represent team keepin it real yet you clearly have a chip on your shoulder when it comes to EF, NW, and Page....Teams HPC play. 3rd East Forsyth was stacked last year and they were all Jr's. Guess what most of that team is back again this season. So what makes you think they won't be stacked with talent just like like season? Just to break it down for you after talking with a East parent they have 3 O-linemen, QB, TE, 2 RB's that had a ton of playing time, FB, 2 WR's, 3 DL, 3 LB's, 2 DB's that started last year coming back. Also they should have about 30 seniors on that team this year.....So I guess what I'm trying to say is why should a team that won their conference and have all that coming back not have some hype? The Piedmont Triad 4A will IMO be one of if not the toughest conference to predict this season. EF, NW, Ragsdale, and HPC are going to have teams capable of winning the conference. Also SW, Glenn, Parkland are good enough teams to make some noise as well.

@Livstrng....you left out one thing in your analysis of EF...they also have one helluva talented up and coming young coach in Todd Willert.

Once again, I'm apart of "Team-Keeping-It-Real and once again you are assuming that I'm a HPC fan lol... By the way, I don't have a chip on my shoulder towards any of those teams. I'm just stating what I've seen in 7 on 7 and how fans are getting on here being dishonest about how their teams look so far. I'm not even saying that any of these teams aren't gonna do well. I'm just saying that's it's too early to be crowning teams. There's a lot of things that I feel HPC should do better too since you think I'm a HPC fan. I attended their 7 on 7 and they looked very impressive but you won't be able to tell it when the game lights come on, if their coach doesn't gameplan correctly or make adjustments throughout the game. How can you have a team full of speed, athletic ability, strength, and playmakers but have a coach with a POP Warner mentality?? If you just drop back every single play and throw it, how can you beat teams week in and week out? And going for it on 4th and 15 or more every time is basically saying you really don't care if you win or lose. I guarantee you if Gillespie or any other "good" coach was over there you would see a difference and more wins. Honestly, a pop warner coach could out coach HPC's coach. Yeah, we know HPC gets hyped up by their fans but end up 3rd or 4th in the conference every year and it'll stay that way unless their coach analyzes what he's doing wrong. So for HPC, NW, EF, and Page, they all having glaring issues that need to be addressed....

You have named every team in the area at having glaring issues....One of those teams with issues is going to win a conference title . What team do you think is the team to beat in the Piedmont/Metro and why? If I had to pick a preseason starting order this is how I see it. This could change once the lights come on. lol

1.East Forsyth
2.NW Guilford
3.HPC/Ragsdale
5.SW Guilford
6.Glenn
7.Parkland

Metro
1.Page
2.Dudley
3.SE
4.Gimsley
5.Smith
6.S.Alamance
7.Western

The good thing about good coaches is that they see the glaring items that need addressing, and they adjust accordingly...I know for sure that the Page coaches will adjust the best way they can with whom they have to adjust with, and it may come to the end of the season where Page just didn't have the play makers and games go our way this year...But I will say this, and only because I know, the Page coaches and players won't go into the season without the goal of winning a state championship...

All these schools that you have mentioned have coaches who I think have a pretty good idea of the items they need to address at this particular point in the season...Throughout the course of the season, there will be many more changes come each and every Saturday/Sunday meeting after Friday night games have been evaluated...Participating in these 7 on 7's allow the Page coaches the chance to evaluate the skill players early on..NWG and SWG has given Page some things to work on and to adjust before the season even starts...In these 7 on 7's a lot of non-starters are also able to get a lot of exposure in the passing game and be evaluated, so that is a good thing to see and to know what kind of depth you have...

Overall, I don't hold a lot of stock into these 7 on 7's, and I can't wait until the pads come on, but these passing scrimmages have its usefulness and allows these players to get some fundamental work in while facing a little bit of competition.

I agree & couldn't of said it any better.

Wow bro, you went in but sad to say I some what agree with you. I'm ready for change this year, & that change is to win more than 8 games in the regular season & win the conference. HPC has been on the decline for years now even when it made it to the third round in 2010. We haven't made noise in the regular season since 2004. Some things will have to change or HPC will be looking like the old Smith teams of the past, no disrespect to that team because it had a lot of talent just like HPC but didn't... Well let me stop there.

Sad to say but it seems like it will play out that way. HPC haven't won a conference or made second place in almost 10 years. For that reason, I have to agree with this projected standings before the conference season. The Metro also seems fairly honest based on what Page & Dudley is bringing back this season. Good luck to all the teams in the Triad this year.

My team rankings for the Piedmont Triad 4-A Conference and Metro is:
1.HPC
2.East Forsyth
3.Ragsdale
4.NW Guilford
5.Glenn
6. SW Guilford
7.Parkland

Metro
1.Page
2.Dudley
3.SE Guilford
4.Grimsley
5.Smith
6.S.Alamance
7.Western

Well...just seeing if I remembered my password. I did so that's a good sign. Hope Ragsdale can find a way to win a few games. Sounds like everybody else in the conference returns a boatload of experienced starters. Ragsdale lost a lot of beef on the D-line and will have another first time starter at QB. Hope they can find a kicker too. Kicking game has been a strength for years but have no clue who does it this year.

Are you going to the scrimmage at Northern?

when is that? That's the one where the SC high schools are coming right? I might try to get there if work doesn't get in the way.

Yep, Here's the schedule.

Novant North Carolina/South Carolina Football Classic
August 8
Matchups:
6:30 Ragsdale vs Clover
7:45 Reidsville vs Marlboro County
9:00 Northern vs Chesterfield

Will play 3 quarters: Game Type
Cost: $6

Ragsdale will be just fine... They have a great coaching staff and they will win many games this year...

You remember correctly. 2 years ago when they won state, they didn't win the conference.
That was then though. Logan is really good. The question is who replaces Downing at qb? He made a lot of plays and surprised teams that focused on Logan. I think they lost a couple good linemen and a few others too but was told the team was predominantly juniors last year but that is second or third hand info.

Kind of dead around here the last few days. I posted this in a reply in another thread but thought I would re-post it here.

Not sure how good Ragsdale is looking but I'm hearing good things. They return two running backs that are both tough and fast. The next Herndon steps in to QB and he has lots of speed to throw to. They lost some beef and experience on the line but Norwood always finds a way to get his O Line working.

On defense they lost a great linebacker in Grimes and two huge tackles in Ogunjobi and Tanksley and McCoy is gone too. They have a lot of talent still there in ends Nwokolo and Sams and I am hearing really good things about Winston Craig. All of those guys saw lots of playing time last year.

Sparks and Swinton are two experienced linebackers and Ragsdale always has speed at DB.

Big question mark is the kicking game. They may have somebody there but I don't know who. Kicking game has been a great asset for Ragsdale the last 5-6 years.

All in all the Tigers will do what they always do - plug the holes for the talent that leaves and play hard, smart and consistent. Absolutely no reason why they can't win a sixth conference championship in a row. They've only lost two conference games the last five years. That's stout.

Western and Eastern, may be able to test them. I know Western has a couple of guys that are being recruited, and they have their qb back.