Stevens: Greater Neuse will go to Garner... again

Doesn't it always seem like Garner wins the conference championship? Seriously. Off of the top of my head I can't recall Garner being anywhere below first place since my freshman year in high school!

So, who do you think I'm picking to win the Greater Neuse Conference in the fall? Absolutely. Garner.

The Trojans will be good, but they will be young, and they will have some competition for the top spot this season, probably from some neighbors not too far away.

The Southeast Raleigh Bulldogs suffered a late season loss to West Johnston in 2007 knocking them out of the No. 2 slot, but the Bulldogs will look to return to the top in 2008, and some Johnston County schools will be in the mix too.

Garner at the top again

This is one young Garner team, and they will probably be the youngest team of the four 4-A conferences to win the conference championship in 2008.

The Trojans will get an early test this season to find out just how good they can be when the Millbrook Wildcats come to Garner to take on the Trojans. It will be WRAL's first Game of the Week of the season, so what can we expect to see?

The Trojans will be an offensive power house in the fall with quarterback B.G. Howell hooking up with wide receiver Josh Brooks. Last season, Brooks had more than 800 yards receiving, recording 11 touchdowns. His performance was enough to gain him All-Conference honors in the Greater Neuse River Conference. And did we mention Brooks will only be a junior?

Lightning fast wide receiver Ian Hunter will also be back. Hunter didn't put up the impressive stats that Brooks had last season, but with the agility and cutting ability that he has, Hunter should see more action this season.

The Trojans will also have a good running game to compliment the passing attack. Running back Jeremy Conyers is fast, but is he getting faster? Conyers posted a 4.4 forty time at the Shrine Bowl Combine this spring, and combine that with his strength and ability to shake tackles, Conyers is looking at what should be a pretty good season.

Running back Jeremiah Davis will return, and he will look to improve on his 450 rushing yard season last year. With the departure of Darrice Payton, Davis should get more opportunities to carry the ball.

So, what about their defense? Well, they are fast too, but they are also inexperienced.

The defense will be led by senior linebacker Connor McLaurin who recorded 70 tackles last season and defensive lineman Chaz Damon who recorded more than 80 tackles last season. McLaurin was named to the Greater Neuse River All-Conference Team.

The only issue on the defensive end: Just three starters return.

Southeast looks to steal title

Southeast Raleigh will have a chance to take top honors in the  Greater Neuse River Conference this season, and they'll try to do it with defense.

The defensive line will be one of the best in the area, returning three of four starters, but their secondary will have to have some work. Two key linebackers will be juniors Kendall Moore and Chisom Anen.

Six starters return on the defensive side of the ball, and for the secondary, it will be important to get depth and game experience quickly.

Offensively, Southeast Raleigh should be set. The Bulldogs return starting quarterback Gabe Henderson, a quick quarterback capable of throwing bombs to his targets. Last season, Henderson threw for more than 1,000 yards, and I expect him to do much of the same in 2008.

Something to watch for offensively: The offensive line will have to replace three starters, and that means Henderson may have added pressure. The 6-foot-1 quarterback is quick in the pocket, but if the line can't protect him inside the pocket, he may have a hard time, especially with the larger, more experienced lines.

Johnston County teams showing improvement

Last season, West Johnston knocked off Southeast Raleigh late in the season, cementing their second place finish in the Greater Neuse River. For the first time in school history, West Johnston went to the N.C. High School Athletic Association State Playoffs, but they suffered a big loss to Millbrook in the first round.

This year West Johnston has a chance to sustain some of the success, but you have to wonder just how much the sudden resignation of head coach Kwame Dixon will hurt them.

West Johnston's counterparts in Johnston County also look poised to improve.

Smithfield-Selma is young on both the offensive and defensive lines, but everywhere else they are more experienced, deeper, and they should be able to compete in what will be a tougher Greater Neuse Conference than recent seasons.

SSS will be known this season for future Tar Heel players D.J. Bunn and Justin Dixon, and if they can get some blocking on the offensive side of the ball, watch out. Dixon ran for over 1,600 yards last season, scoring 19 touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded almost 170 tackles.

Clayton had a very tough defense last season, but the Comets struggled to put points on the board. Scoring shouldn't be a problem for Clayton this year, though.

The Comets should be much better along the offensive line and skill positions, returning running back Juwan Williams, tight end Patrick Reynolds, and wide receivers Cyrus Bullock and Marshall Tilley.

Don't forget about junior quarterback Chris Ferguson either. Ferguson is young, and doesn't have the experience that some other area quarterbacks have, but he should be a capable quarterback with good offensive skill players surrounding him.

Food for thought

Garner only returns three offensive starters and three defensive starters, so with their youth, this could be the season for someone else to knock them off.

Nick's Projections

Garner
Southeast Raleigh
West Johnston
Clayton
Smithfield-Selma
East Wake
Knightdale
Holly Springs

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