If you happened to watch the Sportswriters' Roundtable segment on augustachronicle.com last week, you might have seen me on camera trying to break down the early weeks of football season.
There's a reason my thoughts appear in ink, I guess. There's little time to think when speaking to the camera, and those words you scribbled down beforehand as an outline magically scram come crunch time, like my little brother used to do when it was time to do dishes.
I might have better success explaining myself here.
The first question was whether Harlem-Greenbrier had the makings of a long-term rivalry. It does.
The Sept. 5 meeting had it all. There was a comeback, a touchdown on both special teams and defense, and plenty of offense, especially in the third quarter.
The Greenbrier crowd chanted for Harlem to go home, and it did. But not before putting a scare into the home fans by tying the game early in the third quarter.
The rivalry is already established in other sports, most notably baseball. The only ingredient for a successful rivalry in Columbia County is to get two teams on the field. The question is why it took so long for the teams to meet on the football field.
Next question: Is Evans still the team to beat in Columbia County?
Two things about the first couple of weeks of the season: 1. Evans again appears to be the best team in the county. 2. The county's other teams are much improved.
Greenbrier probably should have put points on the board in a 7-0 loss to its rival in the opening week, and without two turnovers inside the 10, the Wolfpack might have won.
But Evans proved it was the more-experienced team, winning with defense and no turnovers of its own. After facing a stiff test against upstart Lakeside, the Knights scored three times in the second half.
Greenbrier has a good offensive scheme under first-year head coach Brian Smith. Running backs Bryan Andrews, T.D. Davis, Kendrick Wilson and D.J. Tyson provide plenty of depth, and quarterback Blake Ross has shown the ability to run the spread.
Lakeside is loaded at the skill positions and has a couple of players to fear on the defensive side.
But Evans has the most-complete package, at least as it appears to this point.
The last topic was what to look forward to for the upcoming Friday, which has now passed. So I'll look ahead to this week, when Lakeside coach Jody Grooms returns from a two-game suspension Friday, as the Panthers play host to Glenn Hills.
I expect to be there.
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