Big Eight expected to be fiercely competitive again

There’s a strong argument that the Big Eight is the best 3-A conference in the state of North Carolina, and defending 3-AA champion Southern Durham is a big reason why.

Kendall Hinton, a rising senior quarterback who committed to Wake Forest this summer, threw for 4,159 yards and 40 touchdowns while picking up 1,242 yards on the ground with 13 more scores. Hinton was the conference’s player of the year, but he’ll have to deal with the loss of receiver Maurice Trowell, who now plays at N.C. State.

The Spartans also have a new coach in Darius Robinson, the school’s athletic director. Robinson replaces Adrian Jones, who took a coaching position at North Carolina Central shortly after his championship with at Southern. Important returning players for Southern include William Cameron, an all-conference running back who will play at West Virginia after his senior season.

Cameron recorded 819 rushing yards and ten touchdowns in 2013. Derrick Mason, who caught 70 passes for 1,201 yards, also returns from a year ago. Southern will be tested early in the year with non-conference games against Hillside and Scotland County.

Pat Moser and the Orange Panthers made a playoff run in 2013 and finished the year with 12 wins on their way to a second-place finish in the Big Eight. Important skill player Patrick Pettiford is gone this year, but quarterback Garrett Cloer and running back Tay Jones are both back, and both have two years of starting experience already.

Zach Wagoner is a returning all-conference lineman an rising-senior Jake Frederick has started on the defensive line since his freshman year. Byron Stephenson, A.J. Bradsher, Michael Bolden and Bryse Wilson all bring experience to the Panther defense.

Cardinal Gibbons must replace star quarterback Shawn Stankavage, receiver Dante DiMaggio and many other starters from an explosive team that finished third in the conference last season. Defense should be the key for the Crusaders now as they return nine of their eleven starters.

Earl Gill is a senior all-conference receiver, but his quarterback is still up in the air. Coach Steven Wright says the starting job is still up for grabs between two players.

Northwood won eight games last season and almost the entire Charger defense remains intact, with ten returning starters. The Charger offense has nine returning starters, and six of them were all-conference selections in 2013.

Quarterback Ti Pinnix leads the team. He had 3,056 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, while running back Kadarus Rone and receiver Jalen Smith also return after big junior seasons.

Chapel Hill has many starters back from a four-win effort in 2013 but will need to replace a quarterback and few linebackers. Webb, Cedar Ridge and Northern Vance made up the bottom of the conference last year.