Twin Counties Football in 2009: SW EDGECOMBE

About a week ago, I called SouthWest Edgecombe head coach Raymond Cobb and he revealed to me his 2009 football schedule and a look at his new Eastern Plains 2-A slate.

It has some interesting matchups on it.

First, Cobb, who hasn't played that many endowment games since moving over to SouthWest, has one next season. He'll make his first-ever trip to Elizabeth City Northeastern. Although, he has been just across the river from Elizabeth City at Camden County - where he won a fateful 8-6 playoff game there in 1998 that helped send his North Edgecombe team to Chapel Hill and a shot at the 1-A state title against Starmount. NE lost to a Rams team - one year removed from B.W. Holt's exit.

But Holt and Cobb finally did get to meet and their teams are now great rivals - albeit, Rocky Mount holds a 4-1 edge in their recent meetings. SouthWest comes calling on the Gryphons on Sept. 18.

The EPC will be one tough league - with the likes of 2008 eastern champ Tarboro, a Kinston and Beddingfield squad that dropped from the 3-A ranks, and an up-and-coming North Pitt team.

Another interesting note about SWE's schedule is that Cougars end the season with an open date. Whether that's good or bad is debatable. If you're playoff bound and you have kids with some nagging injuries, the break can be good. But it could be a momentum buster, depending on how the season is going. I hope it works out for the Cougars.

2009 SW EDGECOMBE SCHEDULE

• Aug. 21 -- at Northeastern (E)

• Aug. 28 -- CURRITUCK

• Sept. 4 -- NORTH EDGECOMBE

• Sept. 11 -- at Wilson Hunt

• Sept. 18 -- at Rocky Mount

• Sept. 25 -- KINSTON*

• Oct. 2 -- at Farmville Central*

• Oct. 9 -- BEDDINGFIELD*

• Oct. 16 -- at North Pitt*

• Oct. 23 -- TARBORO*

• Oct. 30 -- @ Greene Central*

• Nov. 6 -- OPEN

Twin Counties Football in 2009: SOUTHERN NASH

As I receive area 2009 high school football schedules, I will share them with you right here.

First up is Southern Nash's football slate, which has an interesting twist.

I guess they are taking a page out of Wilson Fike's scheduling book. For the past few years, Hunt and Fike have played twice - home and home. Because they are natural rivals, the gates for both games have been tremendous.

This coming fall, Southern Nash will be doing the same thing with Nash Central - playing once as a non-conference meeting and once as a league game.

A problem with Firebirds' slate is that they play six of their last eight games on the road!

(home games are listed in CAPS):

2009 SOUTHERN NASH SCHEDULE

• Aug. 21 -- FRANKLINTON
• Aug. 28 -- BUNN
• Sept. 4 -- WILSON BEDDINGFIELD
• Sept. 11 -- at Roanoke Rapids
• Sept. 18 -- at South Granville
• Oct. 2 -- at Nash Central
• Oct. 9 -- at Wilson Fike*
• Oct. 16 -- NORTHERN NASH*
• Oct. 23 -- at Wilson Hunt*
• Oct. 30 -- at Rocky Mount*
• Nov. 6 -- NASH CENTRAL*