I get e-mails regularly from PAC-6 fans telling me that their conference doesn't get the respect it deserves. Sometimes I agree, and if the conference doesn't get respect this year, there is something seriously wrong.

The PAC-6 will be loaded at the top, and some of the middle-tier teams will also be capable of making some noise.

Southern Durham will be the favorite, returning almost everything from their 2007 Regional Final showing in the N.C. High School Athletic Association's 4-A Playoffs.

Don't count out Jordan, though. The Falcons should have a lot of talent, and they've got a chance to finish among the top teams in the PAC-6, and should earn a good seed in the playoffs.

Chapel Hill and Hillside will be good as well, and Northern Durham, Person and Riverside will have new coaches to lead them.

Meet the Spartans

Southern Durham is my pick to win the conference championship in 2008, and depending on where they are placed in the state tournament, they are certainly a state championship caliber team.

In 2007, the Spartans, led by head coach Adrian Jones, went all the way to the 4-A Eastern Regional Final before losing to eventual state championship Hoggard. In 2008, Southern returns eight players on offense, eight players on defense, including all of their skill positions.

The biggest loss for Southern may lie within their kicking game, but that leaves them in a better position than many teams across the state.

The Spartans will bring back quarterback Allan Lea, who by the way will only be a junior in the fall, and after passing for almost 1,700 yards last season, Lea will have plenty of targets to throw to, including senior wide receivers Nick Jones and Reese Wiggins. And who can forget ACC target Tony Creecy? Creecy, a wide receiver, has played varsity football at Southern since he was a freshman, and he will only be a junior in 2008. Last season, Creecy was named to the PAC-6 All-Conference team after catching 46 passes for over 600 yards.

Southern will have the running game to compliment their air attack as well. Senior running back Lamont Pettiford ran for about 500 yards in 2007, and he will have the chance to post even more in the fall.

The Falcons look to soar (and speed) over competition

Jordan will be very similar to Southern Durham in that they return most of their talent from last season. The Falcons lost three starters on offense and four on defense.

Two of the top returners: Jerrell "J.R." Rhodes and Torrence Hunt.

Rhodes is the all-time leading rusher at Jordan, ran for almost 1,200 yards in 2007, averaging out to almost 100 rushing yards per game. Add on the 250 receiving yards for Rhodes, and Jordan is glad to have him back. Rhodes was also responsible for a total of 19 touchdowns last season, and colleges are taking notice.

Another player getting attention at Jordan is Hunt, otherwise known as "The Combine Phenom." Hunt consistently runs 4.3 forty yard dashes, and the Falcon defense is better whenever he is on the field. The lightning fast defensive back recorded 71 tackles in 2007, along with 5 interceptions and 14 pass deflections.

Last season, the offensive line was the soft spot for the Falcons. The line hampered their abilities offensively at times, and as a result, Jordan lost some close, key games. The line should be better in 2008, and that will be the key.

If what you see is what you get with Jordan, the Falcons can compete for the conference title, and they have a shot to go deep in the playoffs.

Some new faces, and some questions

So, does Person have the right person? Rocket fans sure hope so! Stability is what the Person program needs, and if they can maintain some stability, watch out.

I'm not buying into Person just yet because I am a believer that coaches need at least one transition year, but they may surprise me.

The Rockets will be young, with a new coach, and they will have a lot to build on in coming seasons. But Person fans aren't about to give up on the 2008 season just yet, after all, the 2007 JV team was undefeated!

Person returns some key players as well, including quarterback Tony Winstead and running back Ed Alston.

Northern Durham also have a new face on the sidelines. Former Millbrook assistant coach Anthony Sullivan took over the top spot at Northern after the school and Paul Rodio parted ways.

Sullivan knows how to win, which is obvious coming from the program that gave New Bern it's toughest fight in the playoffs last season, but he is taking over a program that only won three games last season.

Chapel Hill is expected to be good this fall, but what happens to Jared McAdoo? If you missed it, McAdoo was arrested on drug charges at a Project Graduation event after he allegedly had prescription pain killers on him. What happens with McAdoo is a big part of how the Tigers will fair.

The NCHSAA rules about student-athletes and crime is specific to the type of crime, so we won't speculate on anything.

Food for thought

During the last two seasons, the PAC-6 has sent one team to the 4-AA State Championship game (Riverside vs. Independence, 2006), and another to the 4-A Eastern Regional Final (Southern Durham vs. Hoggard, 2007).

Nick's Projections

Southern Durham
Jordan
Chapel Hill
Hillside
Northern Durham
Person
Riverside
East Chapel Hill

Next Preview: July 25

Greater Neuse River Conference

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: On Friday Aug. 1 -- the first day of football practice -- Nick Stevens will post his first Triangle Top Ten. Find out where your team ranks among the Triangle's elite.... Or, at least where Nick thinks they'll be.