Football

Southeastern 4-A among best conferences in NC

Between Scotland, Richmond and Pinecrest, the Southeastern 4-A Conference is extremely talented.

Posted 2014-07-31T17:41:22+00:00 - Updated 2014-08-01T18:00:00+00:00

Last year, the powerful Scotland County football team suffered its only loss of the season in the 4-A state championship game.

Coming off the loss to Dudley, the Fighting Scots hope to make it back to the season’s final game despite losing seven starters on each side of the ball.

They do return quarterback Jaylend Ratliffe, who threw for 1,756 yards and ran for 2,053 yards during his junior year. He has been named the conference’s player of the year each of the last two seasons.

Tuesday, Ratliffe was hospitalized after suffering a head injury in an ATV accident. The extent of his injury remains to be seen.

Richmond Senior is always near the top of the conference, but lost experience on the offensive and defensive lines. All-conference running back Miles Grant returns. He accounted for more than 1,200 total yards and 14 touchdowns. Richmond and Scotland will likely battle for the top of the conference, with the season’s climax coming when the two face each other in the regular-season finale in November.

Pinecrest will be near the top as well. Last season it was the Patriots who finished second to Scotland in the overall standings before losing in the second round of the state playoffs to Wake Forest.

Hoke County, Purnell Swett and Lumberton combined for just six wins last season, and all three will fight again this year in hopes of climbing the ladder.