5 burning questions heading into Fayetteville high school football's 2023 season
With the 2023 season of NCHSAA football set to kick off this week, there will be plenty to watch for in Cumberland County.
An East Regional finalist, two-time running conference champions, numerous college prospects, high-profile transfers and all the usual talented programs in the mix promise to bring Fayetteville more drama — and more winning — this coming season.
Here's a look at five burning questions facing Cumberland County football programs with Week 1 matchups set for Friday.
Can Terry Sanford build on playoff momentum?
The Bulldogs' season ended one game shy of a regional final in 2022 when they fell to an explosive Seventy-First squad, 38-13. But Terry Sanford's mere appearance in the fourth round of state 3A playoffs as a No. 7 seed was a surprise to some — especially considering how it got there.
The Bulldogs scored 50-plus points in their first two playoff wins and entered Round 4 averaging 41.9 per game. They knocked out Central 3A Conference champion No. 2-seeded Eastern Alamance on the road in Round 3. And in a second-round matchup against longtime powerhouse Scotland, they gave us the "Hail Terry" — a game-winning, midfield heave from junior backup QB Jaylen Wright tipped into the arms of Patrick Shook as time expired for the winning points.
Wright returns after an 11-3 season, but 23 seniors are gone. Still, injuries last season forced several younger players into game action so they'll enter 2023 with experience. And running back tandem Johnathan Higgins-Simmons and Kenyon Slaughter-Keen signal a speedy and powerful ground game.
We'll see if the Bulldogs can pick up where they left off in Week 2 as a rematch with Scotland looms.
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Which transfers will make the biggest impact?
Typically, talented players transferring into new programs are highlighted for their potential impact. In the case of Cumberland County football this season, a pair of high-profile playmakers have transferred out.
Seventy-First running back Anthony Quinn Jr., the 2021 Best of 910Preps Offensive Player of the Year who helped the Falcons win back-to-back conference titles, will spend his senior season at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Georgia.
And the other Cumberland County conference champion, Pine Forest, has lost quarterback Xayden Watson. He transferred across town to Trinity Christian after accounting for 1,925 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior last season with the Trojans.
Those moves don't mean the Falcons and Trojans will struggle. Both are historically strong programs with solid junior varsity systems sending fresh talent up every season. But you will see new faces in big skill positions and potential new looks on offense.
Will Seventy-First win a state championship?
The Falcons have become a top-tier team in the state, and that won't change this season.
With quarterback Deandre Nance returning, along with four defenders who notched over 100 tackles last season — Hector Bautista, Donavan Frederick, Zayvion Hill and Melik Thomas — the Falcons are set up nicely for another state playoff run and a shot at a third straight conference title in the United 8.
Nance enters his junior year with two seasons of starts behind him. He will have more options at receiver this year as he looks to build on 800+ yards passing and 795 yards rushing from his sophomore season.
After sending three offensive linemen to play in college, coach Duran McLaurin will lean on junior center Quamel Hoffler as the O-line linchpin.
It all adds up to high expectations for a team that finished one game shy of the state championship last season, with that postseason experience added to a slew of talent. If they can stay healthy, look for the Falcons to take another step toward the trophy this time around, and bring home a third state championship title and their first since 2008.
Is Pine Forest going to get the spotless conference three-peat?
The Trojans haven't lost a league game since March of 2020 when COVID-19 pushed football season into spring. They've gone 14-0 the past two seasons, fighting off Westover in OT and squeezing past Terry Sanford by three points last season to hand the Bulldogs their only conference loss.
This year, Terry Sanford will be looking for payback as Overhills and Triton, which reached the fourth round of state playoffs last season, are also set to challenge Pine Forest.
The Trojans are likely to run more this season behind a veteran offensive line featuring Donovan Johnson, who's already received a scholarship offer from East Carolina as a sophomore. Senior Nyzir Bostick, who holds scholarship offers as a cornerback, appears headed for the starting spot under center.
Pine Forest gets the Bulldogs at home this season in Week 7 before traveling to Triton in Week 9 and hosting Overhills for the regular-season finale. That stretch will likely determine the All American Conference champion.
Have Cape Fear, South View closed the gap?
The Colts' solid scrimmage performances against Richmond Senior and Durham Riverside have been the talk of the preseason.
A bruising defense returns 10 of 11 starters this season and Cape Fear will have a new quarterback to face the toughest schedule among Cumberland County teams. Brice McKenzie took the most snaps at the jamboree and he'll have a pair of top targets in Wake Forest commit Jeremiah Melvin and two-way beast Rico McDonald.
Whether the Colts improve on their third-place league finish over the past two seasons could hinge on how they match up with South View in the Oct. 20 penultimate regular-season game.
The Tigers claimed their most recent league title in 2020 as part of a Patriot 3A/4A Conference repeat. They'll look to stretch the field in 2023 with eight starters coming back to the offense, including dynamic quarterback Tariq Clarida, who threw for 1,500 yards and 20 TDs in just six games under center last season as a sophomore. And running back Christian Rutledge is one of the top talents in the region.
Ten starters also return to the defense, which is motivated by missing state playoffs for the first time since 2015.
The United 8 battle looks to be vicious in the top half, with Cape Fear and South View set to challenge Seventy-First for the crown.
Friday's games
Pine Forest at Cape Fear
Red Springs at Douglas Byrd
E.E. Smith at Gray's Creek
Hoke County at Jack Britt
Seventy-First at Richmond Senior
Overhills at South View
Topsail at Terry Sanford
St. Pauls at Westover
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 5 burning questions for Fayetteville high school football 2023 season
