Greg Bailey | Bring it on

Greg Bailey NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

The table is set for Butler and Independence, aka the biggest game in the history of football. Alright, it's only the biggest game of the year in Charlotte and that's enough.

This Patriots team might be one of Indy's vintage teams with so many weapons that you can't really scheme to stop all of them. Carrothers and Blythe and a fleet of receivers all capable of lightning strikes from anywhere on the field. Some will say Butler will counter with a confidence that they haven't had in this rivalry - the confidence that they have beaten Indy before. But I'm not so sure the carry over is really there. How will Christian LeMay respond when it gets wild? Christian is already a great quaterback, but he's never faced anything like he'll see on Friday. And that's not a knock on him. You don't know until you've been there.

This feels like one of those big time match ups where one team has a little bit of a veteran advantage. Plus, we've said all year Indy has something to prove.

I feel awful for everybody at Mallard Creek. The Mavericks biggest sin might have been timing. This really was a procedural type error and maybe in other years the outcome could have been different. But not when CMS has ordered up the "get tough" style crack down at the beginning of the year. CMS officials really had no choice. I hope someday the students understand that administrators did the right thing by turning themselves in. Long after they have stopped playing football the Mavericks will walk away with their integrity in tact. I know that seems silly now, but it's also very true. The record book can not take away the great season the Mavericks had on the field. Coach Palmieri is building something special, and I hope that, given time, that will sink in for everybody.

Speaking of great coaching jobs, Aaron Brand, we have noticed what you have done with that program at West Charlotte. Imagine what he walked into with forfeits and the loss of a popular and successful coach. Sometimes the toughest thing is getting your players to understand that the old coach is no longer there. I'll bet they believe in Coach Brand and have embraced him now. What a surge to close the season. And a great job from the players to hold on to their end of the rope with Vance next week to close out the season.

Posted by WCNC  at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)