Time: 7:30 p.m.
Bracket: 2AA West
Seeds: No. 8 SHS Hornets vs. No. 5 Canton Pisgah Black Bears
Records: Both are 9-4
Head coaches: Pisgah: Danny Pressley; Salisbury: Joe Pinyan (7th year, 64-26)
Salisbury offense: 33.8 ppg
Salisbury defense: 13.1 ppg
Pisgah offense: 33.5
Pisgah defense: 18.4
Salisbury vs. winning teams: 5-3n Pisgah vs. winning teams: 2-3
Salisbury on the road: 5-2
Pisgah at home: 6-1
Who beat Pisgah? 4A A.C. Reynolds, 3A power Tuscola, 3As Franklin and West Henderson
Who beat Salisbury? 4A Davie, 3A power West Rowan, 3A South Rowan, CCC champ Thomasville
Series: Pisgah leads 1-0 (beat Hornets in first round in 2008)
Next week: Winner plays No. 3 East Lincoln or No. 7 Newton-Conover. If the Hornets win, they’ll be on the road again.
Game notes: Pisgah is tough at home, but it’s hard to say how healthy the Black Bears will be for their rematch with Salisbury. Running back Travis Smalling (1,886 rushing yards, 32 TDs) has been battling a hamstring, while QB Brian Curry (1,182 passing yards) didn’t play last week because of a high ankle sprain.
The Hornets have put disappointing losses behind them and are getting better mostly because O-line coach Daniel Yow’s guys keep improving. The Hornets have rushed for nearly 800 yards against two higher-seeded teams in the playoffs.
Salisbury’s ‘D,’ led by Darien Rankin, has created seven turnovers in the playoffs.
The CCC is looking good with the Hornets, Thomasville and Lexington still alive. Pisgah’s county (Haywood) is looking good. Its big rival Tuscola is still alive in 3A. ó Mike London