Blogging with Bryan C. Hanks

The prep poll has been held a day because of Monday’s games; here’s how I voted:

4A

1. Charlotte Independence

2. Greenville Rose

3. Richmond County

4. Asheville Reynolds

5. Wilmington Hoggard

6. Greensboro Grimsley

7. Matthews Butler

9. Davie County

10. Shelby Crest

3A

1. Western Alamance

2. Asheboro

3. Southwest Edgecombe

4. Hertford County

5. Harnett Central

6. Greensboro Dudley

7. Franklin

8. Kannapolis Brown

9. Winston-Salem Carver

10. Eastern Randolph

2A

1. Shelby

2. Burlington Cummings

3. Reidsville

4. Newton-Conover

5. Canton Pisgah

6. Southern Vance

7. Bunn

8. Maiden

9. Farmville Central

10. Greene Central

1A

1. Thomasville

2. Elkin

3. Wallace-Rose Hill

4. Warsaw James Kenan

5. East Bladen

6. Manteo

7. East Carteret

8. Cherokee

9. Camden

10. Plymouth

The NCHSAA just released its average daily memberships (ADMs) of member high schools, which lets us know whether our teams will be playing in big (AA) or small (A) divisions within their classification in the football playoffs.

In 2A, North Lenoir (1,056) is the 12th-largest team in the classification, meaning that IF the Hawks make the playoffs, they’re a lock for the 2AA division.

Greene Central (883) is the 51st biggest 2A team, with South Lenoir at 54th-largest (874). My gut is that both are borderline, but that they’ll both be in the small-school 2A bracket.

The complete 2A ADM is listed here.

In 3A, Kinston’s ADM is surprisingly SMALLER than North Lenoir’s at 1,051. The Vikings are No. 85 out of 93 3A schools, so if they make it to the playoffs, they’re definitely in the small-school 3A bracket.

The complete 3A ADM is listed here.

In 1A, Ayden-Grifton’s 659 ADM places the Chargers as the 20th-largest school, while Jones Senior’s 389 is 57th out of 73 football-eligible schools, meaning they’re a lock for the small-school 1A bracket.

The complete 1A ADM is listed here.

My reactions (and, yes, I have many): It’s time for my annual complaining about eight state champions and how it’s diluted HS football…but no one seems to care, so I’m not going to do it this year. So let’s look at some other issues here…

• North Lenoir (1,056) now has more students than Kinston (1,051)? Wow. Makes you wonder how the next realignment for the cycle of years 2009-2013 will bring us. Will NL and KHS both be 3A or 2A? Will they be split again? Who knows — but a lot can happen between now and 2008, when the NCHSAA starts the realignment process again.
• Goldsboro’s ADM continues to plunge, now to 674. That’s the second-smallest number in 2A, only ahead of Red Springs’ 671. Do you remember when Goldsboro was once one of the 4A powerhouses in the state — and Kinston was, too? Wow again. GHS is now behind 16 1A schools, meaning it’s almost a virtual lock the Cougars will be 1A in the next realignment.
• Are you guys as surprised as I am that South Lenoir has only nine fewer students than Greene Central? For some reason, I keep thinking of GC as bigger, but I am shocked every time the ADMs are released.
• Jones Senior’s 389 makes what they do in Trenton even more impressive, since the Trojans are the smallest school in their conference. The Trojans compete in the same six-team Coastal Plains 1A conference with Topsail (893, No. 1 in 1A), East Carteret (660, No. 18), Dixon (659, No. 19) and Pamlico (635, No. 22). Only Lejeune (398, No. 56) is even remotely close to the small ADM Jones Senior has. It goes without saying that Topsail will likely be 2A next realignment, since the Pirates have more ADM than 39 2A schools. Also consider that the Trojans are more competitive (and soundly beat) a Topsail team that had 504 (more than twice as many) more kids to draw from.
• Kinston is sort of (note, SORT OF) in the same boat Jones Senior is in. The Vikings (1,051) are in the same six-team Eastern Carolina 3A conference with Eastern Wayne (1,281, No. 40), C.B. Aycock (1,253, No. 46), Wilson Hunt (1,250, No. 47) and Southern Wayne (1,141, No. 75). Only Wilson Beddingfield (1,003, No. 90) is smaller than KHS in the EC3A.
• North Lenoir (1,056, No. 12) is the largest school in the Eastern Plains 2A, by far. The rest of the EP2A is North Pitt (969, No. 35), GC (883, No. 51), Tarboro (815, No. 64, tie), Farmville Central (815, No. 65, tie) and Goldsboro (674, No. 87).
• South Lenoir (874, No. 54) is almost in the middle of the eight-team East Central 2A, which includes Swansboro (996, No. 25), Richlands (940, No. 38), East Duplin (909, No. 46), Clinton (837, No. 60), Croatan (822, No. 62), Jacksonville Northside (794, No. 73) and Southwest Onslow (771, No. 78).

Farmville Central 34, Greene Central 26

Parrott 44, Rocky Mount Academy 22

Beddingfield 38, Kinston 20

Special thanks to the man, the legend: TOM HAM for helping us out with the Beddingfield-Kinston game. For you youngsters who don’t know, Mr. Ham started his legendary career at The Free Press back in the 60s. He is now the SE at Wilson and a damned good one. Thanks again, sir.

Ayden-Grifton 36, Princeton 0

East Duplin 34, South Lenoir 6

Tonight’s schedule

South Lenoir at East Duplin, 7:30 p.m.

Princeton at Ayden-Grifton, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday night

Dixon at Jones Senior, 6 p.m.

Goldsboro at North Lenoir, 7:30 p.m.

Monday night

Rocky Mount Academy at Parrott Academy, 6:30 p.m.

Kinston at Wilson Beddingfield, 7 p.m.

Farmville Central at Greene Central, 7:30 p.m.

1971 — Farmville Central 14, Greene Central 6

1972 — Greene Central 22, Farmville Central 0

1973 — Farmville Central 14, Greene Central 13

1974 — Farmville Central 31, Greene Central 27

1975 — Farmville Central 27, Greene Central 25

1976 — Farmville Central 34, Greene Central 0

1977 — Farmville Central 38, Greene Central 16

1978 — Farmville Central 47, Greene Central 6

1979 — Farmville Central 40, Greene Central 7

1980 — Farmville Central 20, Greene Central 15

1981 — Farmville Central 9, Greene Central 0

1982 — Farmville Central 21, Greene Central 12

1983 — Farmville Central 10, Greene Central 3

1984 — Greene Central 11, Farmville Central 8, OT

1985 — Farmville Central 42, Greene Central 22

1986 — Greene Central 17, Farmville Central 14

1987 — Farmville Central 28, Greene Central 27

1988 — Greene Central 34, Farmville Central 12

1989 — Farmville Central 26, Greene Central 0

1990 — Farmville Central 20, Greene Central 14

1991 — Farmville Central 31, Greene Central 6

1992 — Farmville Central 32, Greene Central 0

1993 — Farmville Central 14, Greene Central 13

1994 — Farmville Central 56, Greene Central 6

1995 — Greene Central 23, Farmville Central 0

1996 — Greene Central 21, Farmville Central 14

1997 — Greene Central 21, Farmville Central 6

1998 — Farmville Central 28, Greene Central 0

1999 — Farmville Central 42, Greene Central 6

2000 — Farmville Central 7, Greene Central 0

2001 — Farmville Central 29, Greene Central 28, 2OT

2002 — Greene Central 32, Farmville Central 13

2003 — Farmville Central 20, Greene Central 7

2004 — Greene Central 24, Farmville Central 8

2005 — Greene Central 15, Farmville Central 6

Farmville Central leads overall series 25-10; GC has won last two in a row