Surprises of this fall sports season promise to continue

I like surprises. Who doesn't? It's a good thing, too. We've had plenty of them over the course of this fall sports season. I have a feeling we might have a few more. Here are some highlights of the more impressive shockers this season and who's in line to deliver the next surprise:

Surprised - Greenbrier's last-minute football win over Evans on Sept. 22. No one expected Greenbrier to make that kind of comeback by driving 56 yards in 52 seconds. Believe me, I've heard at least three stories of shocked Greenbrier fans who left early to beat the traffic only to discover later what they had missed.

Will surprise - Lakeside softball. Don't let their record fool you. The Lady Panthers have lost to Evans twice, but by only one run each time. Against Greenbrier, it was a 2-0 loss. The upcoming region tournament at Patriots Park would be the perfect setting for a Lady Panthers upset against one of the other county schools.

Surprised - The volleyball state rankings. How long did it take for them to realize that Evans exists? After playing 22 matches with only one loss, the Lady Knights finally got some state recognition with a No. 10 ranking in this past week's poll - a well-deserved and much overdue ranking.

Will surprise - Augusta Christian football. Sure, it's no surprise that the defending state champions are strong again this season. However, the Lions (4-1 entering Friday's game) are ranked No. 2 in SCISA behind undefeated Hammond. Circle the calendar for Oct. 27, when Augusta Christian travels to Hammond for a region game and what probably will be a No. 1 vs. No. 2 SCISA matchup.

Surprised - Harlem volleyball. They narrowly missed the state playoffs last year but are shoo-ins this season with a 10-0 Area 3B-AAA record.

Will surprise - Greenbrier volleyball. Compared with past seasons, it's a down year for the Lady Wolfpack. Then again, their schedule has been brutal compared with other county schools'. They have the potential for a deep run in the area tournament Oct. 14.