High school football predictions: How Jacksonville area teams will fare in 2023
Entering the start of the high school football regular season Friday, teams such as East Duplin and Jacksonville have been used to making deep postseason runs in recent seasons, including last year when the Panthers won the state 2-A title.
Other squads such as Richlands and White Oak look to take the next step and win playoffs games while teams like Northside and Southwest look to return to prominence after being two of Onslow County’s upper echelon teams in the past.
Then there are teams such as Croatan, Dixon and Swansboro who want to surprise teams while Lejeune and Liberty Christian are trying to lay a strong fountain as they try to compete this season.
How will area teams do this season? Here is how The Daily News sports writer Chris Miller feels local teams will fare.
Croatan
Croatan replaced Havelock with Washington on the nonconference schedule, which could help the Cougars start 3-0 before hosting East Duplin.
Croatan closes the nonconference schedule at Beddingfield before opening Coastal 3-A Conference play at White Oak in what could be quite a showdown.
Prediction: 5-5, 2-3 Coastal Conference
Dixon
Dixon faces tough teams in East Duplin and Topsail to start before lining up against South Lenoir, Trask and North Duplin.
The Bulldogs open Coastal 3-A Conference play at home against West Carteret. Dixon looks for its first win since a 21-20 victory over Richlands in the 2021 season-finale.
Prediction: 1-9 overall, 0-5 Coastal Conference
East Duplin
East Duplin was picked by the coaches to finish third behind Wallace-Rose Hill and James Kenan in the East Central 2-A Conference. Before ECC play, the Panthers will be favored in games with Dixon, West Craven, Richlands and Croatan. Then East Duplin opens conference play against James Kenan, which the Panthers defeated twice last year.
Prediction: 8-2 overall, 4-2 in East Central Conference
Jacksonville
Jacksonville only has nine scheduled games for the third consecutive year, but that doesn’t mean the Cardinals are not without big clashes.
Picked by the coaches to finish third in the Big Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference, Jacksonville has big league games at J.H. Rose and Havelock and hosts defending state 4-A champion New Bern. The Cardinals should be favored to win nonconference games against Southwest, White Oak and West Carteret.
Prediction: 7-2 overall, 4-2 Big Carolina Conference
Lejeune
Lejeune opens with Pender then visits Spring Creek, a team the Devilpups only fell 28-26 to last year.
The Spring Creek contest will be the Devilpups’ best chance for a victory, but look for the team to continue improving throughout the season.
Prediction: 1-8 overall, 0-5 Coastal Plains 1-A/2-A Conference
Liberty Christian Academy
Liberty Christian Academy kicks off its inaugural eight-man season Sept. 1 at home against Faith Christian before hosting perennial eight-man power Arendell Parrott.
The Heat travels to Fayetteville to play Berean Baptist Academy, also fielding a team for the first time. Another possible win could be against Father Capodanno. Regardless of wins, expect Liberty to improve and lay a good foundation for the program going forward.
Prediction: 2-6 overall, 2-5 Big 8 Conference
Northside
Northside replaced Hoggard with Swansboro in its nonconference schedule, but still faces tough foes in Clinton and New Hanover. Then the Monarchs play a crosstown rivalry game with White Oak before kicking off Big Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference play.
The Monarchs are picked sixth out of seven teams in the conference as voted on by the coaches. Northside opens conference play at South Central, and if the Monarchs can win that game, it could give them momentum heading into a tough conference stretch.
Prediction: 4-6 overall, 2-4 Big Carolina Conference
Richlands
Richlands faces challenges from the start with toss-up nonconference games against South Brunswick, Southwest and Princeton and a home showdown with East Duplin. The Wildcats also have a game at South Lenoir that favors the them.
Richlands opens Coastal 3-A Conference play at home against Swansboro before games against Croatan, West Carteret and White Oak.
Prediction: 6-4 overall, 4-1 Coastal Conference
Southwest
Southwest could be 4-0 or 0-4 in its nonconference slate that consists of games with Jacksonville, Richlands, White Oak and Goldsboro.
The Stallions then open East Central 2-A Conference play at home against league favorite Wallace-Rose Hill before favorable games with North Lenoir, Kinston and South Lenoir before closing the regular season against James Kenan and East Duplin.
Prediction: 5-5, 3-3 East Central Conference
Swansboro
Swansboro’s faces tough teams to kick off the season with games against James Kenan, Northside, North Brunswick and Topsail.
The Pirates then visit Coastal 3-A Conference foe White Oak for a nonconference game before kicking off league play at Richlands.
Prediction: 1-9 overall, 1-4 Coastal Conference
White Oak
White Oak should be favored in four of its five nonconference games, including a non-league clash with Coastal 3-A Conference foe Swansboro. The most difficult nonconference game will be against Jacksonville.
The Vikings then begin their quest for an outright conference title at home against Croatan. On paper, White Oak should be the favorite in every conference game.
Prediction: 9-1 overall, 5-0 Coastal Conference
