By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

Second in a series of high school football previews …

MOUNT ULLA —The bad taste has lingered in the mouth of West Rowan head football coach Louis Kraft for nine months, so he can’t wait for opening night to get here.

“A bad taste because we just didn’t have a very good year,” Kraft said. “Definitely not a good year by the high standards set by West Rowan.”

The bottom line for West was 5-6, ending a proud streak of non-losing seasons for the program that began back in 1999. There was a COVID-shortened 4-4 and a couple of 6-6s, but in 2023, West finally lost more games than it won.

West still went 5-2 in the South Piedmont Conference, good for third place, by handling Carson, South Rowan, Central Cabarrus, Concord and East Rowan, but the gap between the Falcons and the top of the SPC was a wide chasm. League bullies Robinson and Northwest Cabarrus annihilated West three times. Northwest’s 52-21 victory over the Falcons in the first round of the 3A playoffs ended the season. West lost to Robinson by 52 and to Northwest by 40 during the regular season.

When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, West sported nice-looking individual offensive stats and averaged four TDs a game, but the defensive numbers weren’t pretty. West yielded 60 to Davie and 48 to Mooresville and allowed 37 points per game for the season. That was a negative school record — by a lot —  an increase of almost 16 points per game from the previous season.

“Our non-conference schedule is the same, it’s still murderer’s row,” Kraft said. “A.L. Brown, Davie, Mooresville. Those are talented 4As. But we’ll take it on, and we’ll battle. I do think we’re in a much better place right now to handle it than we were at this time last year. With the work that our guys put it in throughout the off-season, we have put ourselves in a position to have a successful 2024. As far as the SPC, we can contend. The goal is to have a seat at the table when the championship is decided.”

In Mount Ulla, the glory days of the Falcons are still remembered. There have been quite a few solid seasons — Kraft coached a tough 9-3 team in 2022, for instance — but no championship banners, even at the conference level, have been raised in Mount Ulla since 2011.

Quarterback Brant Graham, still only a junior, is a returning starter and will have a chance to lead a resurgence by the young men in Columbia Blue. Graham threw for 1,550 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023 and added three rushing TDs.

“He’s got all the arm strength you could ever want, and he’s added some quick-twitch,” Kraft said. “I don’t know that he’s going to have huge rushing yards, but this year he’s going to be able to turn some of those minus-7 plays into positive years. He’ll keep more plays alive. He’ll make more big plays.”

Graham is a three-sport athlete who played summer American Legion baseball, but he didn’t miss any football workouts. They were conducted in the morning.

Graham will have a terrific target in Evan Kennedy, a multi-threat athlete who is proficient as a runner, receiver or returner. Kennedy had 57 catches for 975 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. He rushed for 463 yards and five TDs.

“I can tell you Evan’s goal for 2024 is 1,000 and 1,000,” Kraft said. “He’s a very special player, one of the best in the county and the conference. We feel good about our chances of success on every play that he touches it.”

Kennedy has totaled nearly 2,900 yards in his career as a receiver/rusher and has found the end zone 33 times.

Jaylen Neely, West’s leading rusher, also returns, although Kraft explained that Neely, a workhorse who was a sensational surprise with 1,234 rushing yards and 16 TDs, has been dealing with a back issue.

There is no such thing as a minor back issue, but the Falcons have hopes that it’s a short-term complication for one of their key guys.

The Falcons are at their most dangerous, with Neely in the backfield and Kennedy lining up as a receiver, but if Neely isn’t healthy, Kennedy will have to switch to a role as the featured running back.

“We don’t expect Neely to be 100 percent for the first few games, but hopefully he will be full go by the conference games,” Kraft said. “He was great for us last year, and we’ve just got to be smart and get him healthy.”

After standing out for the jayvees, Cooper Martin will get carries for the Falcons.

Kaden Feaster is a returning receiver with experience. He displayed explosive flashes last season and accumulated nearly 300 yards in receptions and two TDs.

Brennon Stevenson, a tall, long-striding track man — the 400 meters was his best event — could emerge as a major receiver. He starred for the jayvees.

Jacob Kirk made some key catches for the varsity last season. Ja’miah Tucker, has switched from defense to offense and is expected to be a factor.

Max Brown doesn’t have standard tight end size, but he brings a lot of brain power to the position. Sloan Stewart, a former linebacker, has moved to tight end, and will be another option.

The kicking game will be in the hands of Carter Durant.

“The ball is jumping off his foot, just sounds different than it did last year,” Kraft said. “He’ll be putting some punts up in the lights.”

West’s offensive line will feature returning starters Addison Hunt, Myles Howell and Max Kalinowski. The plan is for those three to man the interior positions. They’ll be joined by sophomore tackles Marcus Bailey and Caleb Jones. Clayton Bumgarner will be an important piece of the o-line puzzle.

“We’ve think we’ve got a solid line coming together,” Kraft said.

End Kevin Toomer, who has a pile of sacks to his credit, is expected to be a key component of an improved defensive unit.

“We like to call him our 17-year veteran,” Kraft said. “He’s been around a long time and he’s been really productive.”

Trent Gaines, an athlete who transferred from West Cabarrus, is expected to man the end on the opposite side from Toomer. Harry Hartwell, who took over some of West’s jayvee games last season, will also be in the mix as far as getting after opposing quarterbacks.

The interior defensive positions have been up for grabs. Zitayvion Rucker could be a standout. Also battling for snaps are Xavier Gray, Luke Ponczka, Dakota Athey and impressive freshmen Bryson Ellis and Kaden Weeks.

Cameron Martin, who had a pick-6 last season, returns to anchor the inside linebacker group, along with Tallon Blaclwell.

Camden Moten, who missed last season with an injury, could be an impact player at outside linebacker. Jeffrey Huffman and Kaden Sanders are also being counted on.

Kraft feels good about corners Israel Ford, whom he believes is a college prospect, and Kendrick Cornelius, who missed the bulk of last season with a turf toe injury.

Free safety Lucas Watts became a starter about halfway through last season.

“He’s one of those guys with a knack for the football,” Kraft said. “Always around it. He’ll get some interceptions.”

Freshman strong safety Avion Casey wowed coaches as soon as workouts started.

“I was still learning the names of the new guys, and he already was standing out,” Kraft said. “Everyone was like, ‘Man, who is that kid?'”

Ty Martin and Karieem Harrison also will be key men in the secondary.

“That’s an improved group, but it’s also the group with the most to prove,” Kraft said. “There were some games last year when we got bombed.”

New staff members include former Falcons Patrick Hampton (wide receivers) and Devin Turner (defensive line). Jason Stanley, a former South Rowan player who served as defensive coordinator at Carson, will coach outside linebackers and safeties.

A large staff includes Skip Kraft (assistant head coach), Joe Robinson (quarterbacks), Tim Pangburn (offensive line), Shaun Perry and Wesley Beckham (running backs), Justin Shepps (wide receivers), Tim Dixon (defensive backs), Kevin Parks (linebackers) and Durwood Bynum (special teams).

If Neely gets healthy and the Falcons have better luck with injuries than they did a year ago, this can be a very good team. Of course, that’s always the plan in Mount Ulla.