With three wins to their credit and four games to go, the Huskies entered this week’s rare Thursday night game at West Charlotte with a lot on the line.

At 2-1 in league play, the Huskies (3-4 overall) join West Charlotte, Hopewell and Mooresville in a four-way tie for second place in the I-Meck. They all trail the team no one will catch, unbeaten Mallard Creek. But as Hough travels to play the Lions and Mooresville visits Hopewell Thursday, there will be some separation created in the middle of the standings.

Don’t be surprised if the Huskies give the Lions all they can handle or even win. This year’s West Charlotte, while certainly dangerous at times, is not as much of a handful as usual. And Hough is the kind of team that is a pain to put away. As North Meck coach Mike Bradley recently said, “there’s no quit in them.”

With an infusion of momentum that only a rivalry win can bring, Hough will be fired up for Friday 

After West Charlotte, Hough hosts Mooresville and Lake Norman before closing the regular season at Mallard Creek. football on Thursday.

Aside from conference standings positioning, Hough needs at least one more win for another
reason: playoff qualification.

The N.C. High School Athletic Association requires four wins for its playoff teams in football,
though there are exceptions if there are still spots to fill on the brackets after all four-win teams have been chosen. In some of the state’s smaller classifications, four wins will get a team in. Many times, fewer wins will. But in the 4A class, where teams are split into the 4A (smaller) and 4AA (larger) sub-classifications for the postseason, it’s tough to get in with four wins. Last year, the 32-team 4AA bracket included one four-win team, SouthView. The 4A postseason included four-win teams Hoggard and T.C. Roberson and one three-win team, Glenn.

Would four wins guarantee Hough its first playoff berth in football? No. But there’s no question: it would give them a chance.

Losses mounting up for Vikings

As notable as last Friday’s win was for Hough, it brought more disappointment for North Meck, a team that has dropped to 1-6 and lost four straight, including an overtime loss at West Charlotte. The last two losses, especially, have been tough to take.

As notable as last Friday’s win was for Hough, it brought more disappointment for North Meck, a team that has dropped to 1-6 and lost four straight, including an overtime loss at West Charlotte. The last two losses, especially, have been tough to take. North has some firepower. Terrence Clyburn, who has scored 11 touchdowns, is as dangerous a weapon as there is in the Charlotte area. He’s drawing recruiting interest from Ball State and Wingate currently. But the Vikings have been unsuccessful in generating a consistent offense and have struggled to make stops.

The collective drop in performance prompted a change this week, with Bradley inserting Bryll
Moss at quarterback for Kelly Hall. Moss entered the fourth quarter against Hough and threw for 95
yards.

Titans ‘springboarded’

David Johnson said it multiple times before the Hopewell-Hough game Sept. 23, and Hopewell’s football coach has said it multiple times since: Whoever won would use the win as a springboard to do more.

Two weeks ago, both Hopewell and Hough needed a meaningful victory, and while Hough
controlled the momentum for much of the game, a seismic shift in Hopewell’s favor allowed the Titans to win 24-23 on a Ryan Santee field goal as the clock hit zero.

It’s just football, and it’s just a guy kicking an oblong ball over one horizontal yellow bar and
between two vertical ones as 11 guys try to stop him. But there’s more riding on such a moment.

Hopewell was silent on the sidelines during the third quarter of that game, and silence in football is rarely a good sign. Hopewell was at a crucial crossroads. However, as the Titans marched for the final score, new life sprung forth.

And that was the springboard Johnson was talking about.
Hopewell rode the momentum past Hough and then last week, laid it on Lake Norman 50-26
behind a monstrous game from Denzel Heath.

A team that was struggling at 1-3, lacking positive momentum and facing almost certain defeat two weeks ago is once again in the mix.

See sometimes, football coaches aren’t just blowing smoke. They really know what they’re talking about.