Time: 7:30 p.m.
Records: Statesville 3-6, 1-3 NPC; South Rowan 7-2, 3-1 NPC
Series: The Greyhounds have roughed up South 12-2
Last meeting: Statesville won 24-21 in 2008
Streak: Hounds have won the last five meetings
History: From 1961-67, Statesville held South to 20 points total and won all seven meetings. Inspired by its first-ever win over A.L. Brown in 1968, South claimed its first victory over Statesville the following week. South also prevailed in 1969, but that was the last time it managed to beat the Hounds.
Last week: Statesville got its first NPC win by nipping North Iredell 14-12; South beat Carson 46-21
Next week: Statesville is at West Iredell; South finishes the regular season at East Rowan
Raiders at home: 5-0
Game notes: Even with medical and injury concerns involving stars Cadarreus Mason and D’Andre Harris, it will be a shock if the Raiders don’t end 40 years of frustration against the young Greyhounds tonight. A South win would set up a second-place battle with East Rowan next week, and second place in a league that includes West Rowan is as high as a team can go.
If healthy, South looks like a team that can do fine in the playoffs. The Raiders have scored 21 or more points in all seven wins. Even with its goose egg against West, South is averaging 33.7 points a game The school record set in 2002 is 33.2.
Defensively, South is allowing 15.3 points a game, its strongest showing since 1988. DB Donte Henderson and outside linebacker John Davis are part of that unit.
South has explosive special teams. B.J. Grant, Mark McDaniel and Quan Glaspy have produced TDs this year on kick returns. ó Mike London