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From the Sports Desk - 08/25/05
If things go as expected this year, the Western Athletic Conference football championship will be decided Oct. 21 in Canton.
That’s when Brevard will travel to Pisgah to meet the Bears. Most experts agree those are the top teams in the new 2-A conference.
If anyone else is to make a run in the WAC, it figures to be East Henderson. The Eagles will have their two toughest games the final two weeks of the season as they go to Pisgah on Oct. 28 and end the regular season at home Nov. 4 against Brevard.
A strong running attack, led by Jonathan Elliott and Quentin Robinson, is expected to propel Coach Dan Essenberg’s squad. Adam Conley should be the primary receiver for quarterback Kurt Frisbee.
Pisgah will counter with Zack Jaynes, one of the top quarterbacks in Western North Carolina, although he’s only a junior. Tackle Bo Ellerbe heads up the defense for Coach David Pressley’s team.
While Brevard and Pisgah usually have two of the top teams in the area, the same can’t be said for East Henderson. The Eagles have a window of opportunity in Coach Brett Chappell’s first season thanks to the presence of all-star tailback Michael Angram.
The other three teams in the league combined to win a total of six games last year and will all be hoping for improvement.
Smoky Mountain joins East in dropping from the 3-A Mountain Athletic Conference to the 2-A WAC. The presence of Brevard and Pisgah makes it clear that moving down in classification won’t mean an easy road.
The Mustangs failed to score in an opening loss to Hendersonville. Coach Tim Hawkins’ team has experience at quarterback with Tyson Crawford and Matt Hawkins and at tailback with Cory Siler so the potential to put points on the board is there.
West Henderson will be relying on a pair of running backs as the Falcons try to move up in the standings. Tailback Quinten Owens and fullback David Arrowood are expected to share much of the offensive load for Coach Jeff Bailey’s squad.
North Henderson has quarterback Randy Cox, wide receiver Daniel Henninger and running back Justin Lamb to look to as Coach Luke Manuel’s team tries to move up in the conference standings.
The current alignment will be in place four years, and that gives Smoky Mountain an opportunity to show improvement each season and provides incentive for the players in the program.
It would be a major upset if the Mustangs can knock off one of the top three teams in the WAC this year. However, wins over West Henderson and North Henderson would mean fourth place and show the program is heading in the right direction.
Beat those two again next year and add East Henderson as a victim with Angram graduated, and SM would move up to third in the league.
To continue the progression in 2007, the Mustangs would have to sweep the Henderson County opponents and also knock off one of the perennial WAC powers (Pisgah or Brevard) to place second.
To complete the journey in 2008, the Mustangs could set their sights on winning the school’s first league title since 1992.
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