• Head coach: Stanley Williams, 1st season.
• Offense: Pistol wing.
• Defense: 4-3.
• Williams: “We’ll do well if our O-line and D-line show up every game and we win the turnover battle.”
SCHEDULE
Aug. 20 | at South Columbus
Aug. 27 | West Columbus
Sept. 3 | South Brunswick
Sept. 10 | East Columbus
Sept. 17 | at East Bladen*
Sept. 24 | Fairmont*
Oct. 1 | at Red Springs*
Oct. 8 | St. Pauls*
Oct. 15 | at Midway*
Oct. 22 | Clinton*
* Southeastern Athletic Conference games
WHO TO WATCH
• Offense: Gary Parker, Tydrick Stewart, Damarius Robinson, Devon Strange, Javarrie Adams, Xavier Lopez.
• Defense: Tyler Ward, Tydrick Stewart, Deonte Lacey, Jordan Hester, Damarius Robinson, Aaron Wren, Javonta Matthews.
• Special teams: Tydrick Stewart.
3 FOR 2021
• Top returners are Tyler Ward, Gary Parker, Devon Strange, Xavier Lopez, Damarius Robinson, Deonte Lacey, Aaron Wren, Javonta Matthews. Lacey, a junior, will be troublesome to opposing linemen. His athleticism and more sculpted form was on full display during basketball season. Robinson, a senior, is another opposing coaches will have to account for regularly.
• First win snaps a losing streak that has climbed to nine games. In 2019, the Knights had lost 11 straight before winning two of three against East Columbus and West Columbus three weeks apart. The current skid started the next week at St. Pauls.
• Head coach Stanley Williams is in his first year as head coach, and was defensive coordinator last year in his first year at the school. Asked for predictions in the conference, he placed Clinton, St. Pauls, Red Springs and Midway at the top. The Bulldogs were in the 2-AA state championship game, and the Dark Horses lost in the 2-A Eastern final.
3 FROM 2020
• West Bladen’s season got off to a rocky start in February with a quarantine because of COVID-19. Still, an excellent shot at winning two of the first three came up empty when Fairmont nipped the Knights 34-30 at Tar Heel Middle in the season opener, and West Columbus stormed back to win 49-36. In the latter, the Knights had led 30-12 at intermission and gave up three touchdowns, all with two-point conversions, in the final 3:29 of the third quarter and first snap of the fourth quarter.
• Defense will be the element to put West Bladen into position for wins more often. The Knights yielded 50 points per game, never lower than the 34 Fairmont put up on opening night, a trend similar to recent previous seasons.
• Eleven seniors are on the opening roster this season. Continuity in the program has been tough. By season’s end, respectively, West Bladen had six seniors in 2018 and 12 in 2019.