By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — This is one of those high school football Fridays when no one can blame you if you decide to stay home and catch up on the MLB pennant races.

Just kidding. Go to a game. The schools and the athletic departments need your financial support.

But it may be a one-sided, running-clock Friday. Just consider yourself warned ahead of time.

It’s been said that when teenagers are smashing into each other, when schoolteachers are coaching, and when the ball is nowhere close to round, anything can happen, but this is a week in which 42-6 is supposed to happen frequently.

Checking out the score projections offered by the “Massey Ratings,” the experts, South Rowan is supposed to lose 42-6 at West Rowan and East Rowan is supposed to lose 42-6 at Northwest Cabarrus.

Salisbury is supposed to win 42-0 at West Davidson.

Carson is supposed to kick the PAT and lose 42-7 at Robinson. The Massey Ratings aren’t saying Carson is bad, but they are saying the Robinson Bulldogs are really good. That tussle, by the way, is the WSAT Game of the Week.

It’s good to see WSAT branching out beyond West Rowan and Salisbury to broadcast the game of another Rowan school. But can the Cougars keep audiences glued to their radios and listening to those ads?

Well, we’ll see. It’s going to take some doing. Robinson has some grown men on defense.

While South Rowan is given a 3 percent chance of shocking not only the Falcons, but the rest of the world, Carson is given a 2 percent chance of knocking off Robinson, and East Rowan is given a 1 percent chance of recording a monumental upset at Northwest Cabarrus.

Still, it’s the Green Dragons of West Davidson who are projected to have the lowest probability of success. They are given a zero percent chance of beating Salisbury.

That’s right, zero.

You don’t see zero-chance-of-winning very often in score projections. What the Massey Ratings are saying is there is nothing that could happen, not even 10 fumbles and not even 10 holding calls, that would permit West Davidson to knock off the Hornets.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Salisbury will roll, but I have personally witnessed amazing events in Tyro, including West Davidson beating Salisbury in football. So I wouldn’t say any high school contest is a 100 percent sure thing.

If there’s to be any major excitement for Rowan fans on Friday, the best chance of it transpiring will be North Rowan’s trip to Cushwa Stadium in the Chair City of Thomasville.

Thomasville is good on defense and has a dynamic running quarterback. The Bulldogs lost 12-6 to Salisbury last week, which showed how tough they can be.

North Rowan has been a car stalled on the railroad tracks against Thomasville the last two years, but North has some special guys and could make this interesting. If North has a sharp night and Thomasville turns it over a few times, who knows?

North is a 20-point underdog and is given only a 19 percent chance of winning, but 19 percent is quite a bit better than zero percent. It will be more fun to be a North Rowan rooter than a West Davidson fan on Friday.

A.L.Brown isn’t favored at home against Lake Norman, but no one expects a lopsided game at Memorial Stadium. The Wonders are 8-point underdogs and are given a 34 percent chance of  handing the unbeaten Wildcats their first loss.

•••

South Rowan (1-3, 0-1 SPC) at West Rowan (1-3, 1-0 SPC), 7 p.m.

They have the same record, they’ve both lost to A.L. Brown and both teams allow 40 points per game.

But West did play a killer early schedule, while South did not, so West is a 36-point favorite.

Jaylin Neely, Evan Kennedy, Brant Graham and Kaden Feaster may all have big nights.

If you can recall the last time the Raiders beat the Falcons in football, you have the memory of an elephant.

It was in 2000. South beat the Falcons 31-24 in overtime that season.

South actually has beaten A.L. Brown twice — 2003 and 2009 — since it’s beaten the Falcons.

West has won 19 in a row in the series and now leads it 27-21-1. This is the 50th meeting.

•••

Carson (1-3, 0-1 SPC) at Robinson (4-0, 2-0), 7 p.m.

Back in 2012, KJ Pressley set the Carson record for receiving yards in a game against Robinson. He had 241 that night.

Carson probably would be thrilled to have 241 yards of offense tonight as a team. Carson hasn’t scored more than 10 points in its last four games against the Bulldogs.

South Piedmont Conference newcomer Robinson is allowing about 12 points per game, while scoring 44. Robinson already has wiped out Concord and Central Cabarrus.

Carson (1-3, 0-1) is coming off a loss to West Rowan.

Robinson leads the all-time series 6-2 and has won the last six meetings. Robinson beat Carson 38-3 in 2022.

•••

East Rowan (0-4, 0-1 SPC) at NW Cabarrus (4-0, 1-0 SPC), 7 p.m.

This has been a very competitive series, with Northwest holding a 21-17 all-time lead.

But right now the Trojans are extra stout and they will be a handful for the Mustangs. NWC has everything — passing offense, rushing offense and defense.

The Trojans are scoring 40 points per game, while allowing 5 per game.

East is coming off an 11-10 home loss to Concord that was encouraging, but also disappointing. East got stops for three quarters, but couldn’t generate enough points.

Northwest beat East 26-3 in 2022, although the Mustangs gave the Trojans problems for a half.

Northwest has won the last four meetings.

East’s most recent victory in the series was the “Wesley Porter Game” in 2016. Porter decided that one — 8-0 — with a pick-six.

•••

Salisbury (5-0, 1-0 CCC) at West Davidson (0-4, 0-0 CCC), 7:30 p.m.

The Hornets forfeited a 2015 win to West Davidson, but on the field, the Green Dragons haven’t beaten the Hornets since a 28-26 decision in 2007.

West Davidson averages only 9 points per game, while Salisbury allows 5 per game, so it could be a long night for West Davidson’s offense.

Salisbury quarterback Mike Geter (833 passing yards) and receiver Deuce Walker (32 catches) have broken career passing-game records at a school that has been run-heavy most of the time over the years. Walker will be playing his first game since being named to the Shrine Bowl squad as a defensive back.

Running back Jamal Rule was slowed down a little by Thomasville last week, but he still topped 100 rushing yards and is having a colossal season. He might go over 1,000 yards for the season on his first carry on Friday.

Injuries were a concern for the Hornets last week, especially on the defensive side of the ball, after a physical battle with Thomasville.

Salisbury beat the Green Dragons 55-7 in 2022.

•••

North Rowan (4-1, 1-0 CCC) at Thomasville (3-2, 0-1 CCC), 7:30 p.m.

There have been some huge games in this series. The Bulldogs lead 16-9 all-time.

Thomasville rolled 45-13 in 2022 and 59-18 the year before that.

North’s most recent victory in the series came by a 33-14 verdict in 2016.

Linebacker Khor’on Miller leads North’s defense.

North’s offense still counts on QB Jeremiah Alford and running back Jaemias Morrow, while Amir Alexander, Tsion Kelly and Ason Best give the Cavaliers a formidable receiving corps.

Making most of the noise for Thomasville is QB Keyshawn Carpenter, who hurt Salisbury last week with his legs more than his arm.

•••

Lake Norman (4-0, 0-o GMC) at A.L.Brown (2-2, 0-1 GMC), 7 p.m.

Lake Norman’s 4-0 start is impressive. The Wildcats have beaten North Meck, Statesville, Asheville and Marvin Ridge, which has a Shrine Bowl quarterback.

The Wonders have lost to Northwest Cabarrus and to Hickory Ridge in a Greater Metro Conference opener. They have some ups and downs, but they are getting better.

QB CJ Gray had two passing touchdowns and two rushing TDs last week in a 33-28 loss to Hickory Ridge.

The Wonders have been reasonably prolific offensively, but Lake Norman has been the stouter defensive squad.

The Wonders lead the all-time series 3-2, but the Wildcats have won the last two, including a 14-13 victory in 2022.

•••

Davie (3-1, 1-0) hosts powerhouse East Forsyth (4-0, 1-0) in the Central Piedmont Conference.

Mooresville (4-0, 1-0) is favored against Hickory Ridge (1-4, 1-0) on the road in a GMC contest.