Season Finale Tonight-An In-Depth Analysis

November 6, 2009

By Denis Vass of Graham High School

  Tonight marks the last game of the 2009 season for both Graham an Bartlett Yancey.  With both teams winless in the Mid-State 2-A Conference one team will finish the season in the cellar, while the winner will claim 5th place in the conference.

  Both the Red Devils (2-8) and the Buccaneers (2-7) have dropped their last 7 games.  Graham has suffered some painfull losses, especially the two 8-0 games to Eastern Randolph and Jordan Matthews.  Cummings was able to pull off a 17-7 win when Graham had 1st down and goal at the 5 but could not punch it in late in the game.  

   Bartlett Yancey's closest game in their past 7 games was with Providence Grove.  That game ended 27-6.  The Buccaneers have also struggled offensively in their 7 losses, scoring 30 points for a paltry 4.3 scoring average.  Their defense has given up an average of 38.7 points a game.  

  In last week's action, Providence Grove took advantage of some costly Red Devil mistakes, returning 4 interceptions and a punt back for touchdowns as the Partiots rolled to a 55-14 rout of the Red Devils.  It is the opinion of this writer that the last 2 were unnecessary scores, with the punt return and interception return with 6.4 seconds bad judgement on the Patriot's part.  A knee on either would have been necessary to run out the clock.  Bartlett Yancey dropped their game 34-6 to Cummings Cavaliers.   

  Overall, Graham is averaging 12.8 points a game, 22.9 points given up.  The Buccaneers are averaging 12.2 points a game, 31.7 points given up.  In conference play, Graham is averaging 8.6 points a game, giving up 19.8.  Bartlett Yancey is averaging 4.8 ponts a game, giving up 32.8

  Graham has a promising future to look forward to.  The JV's finished on a high note last night, pounding Bartlett Yancey to finish the season 7-3 and 5-1 in the Mid-State 2-A Conference.  The JV's wrapped up 2nd place in the conference with the win.  See related story for the game recap. 

  With tonight's game at Graham, and being Senior Night, my prediction of tonight's outcome would be:
  Graham 42  Bartlett Yancey 6

  Congratulations to the Seniors playing in their final game toinght:
*Bradley Strickland
*Don Milan
*Dominique Pass (Injured)
*Keith Thompson
*Marquise Richmond
*Blake Throneburg (Injured)
*Mijamin King
*Justin Cummings
*Dylan Phillips
*Travis Stump
*Leo Flores
*Kerry Jones
*Dominique Hughes
*Greg Summers
*Blake Enoch