“He’s got a great arm, and he’s a smart kid,” Wallace said. “He really works at it.” One of the quarterback’s targets will be Trent Cloud, a sophomore wide receiver who started as a freshman and has already received offers from Michigan State University, the University of South Alabama and UNC-Charlotte, Wallace said. Senior Jake Sowards returns as a two-year starter at tight end.
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Ballou takes over as starting quarterback.
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“Offensively, we’ll be young, but we’ve got some good pieces in place,” head coach Kevin Wallace said. “We’re ready for the season.”
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The Vikings kick off their fall season this Friday, Aug. 20, against East Forsyth High School after finishing 6-2 last season, which was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The team lost to Grimsley High School, which went on to win the state Class 4-A title in May, and Charlotte’s Myers Park High School in the first round of the state playoffs.
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NW GUILFORD – A front line of underclassmen will protect sophomore quarterback Tanner Ballou, illustrating how Northwest Guilford High School’s offense is going to depend upon youth.
Linus Lingle returns as the starting center while Walter Turner is back as a starter at tackle. Northwest’s defense is anchored by senior defensive end Xavier Simmons, one of the top-rated players in North Carolina. Recruited by more than 25 colleges, Simmons has signed with Virginia Tech and plans to enroll early, starting next January, according to Wallace. Simmons is “a great kid, quiet and very coachable on the field,” his coach said. “We’re proud of how he’s prepared himself over the past four years. He’s done a great job helping others, motivating others and challenging others in practice to be better.” The team is looking forward to playing in front of fans in the stands and hopes the surging Delta variant doesn’t prompt county officials to alter the plans. “Everybody is ready for a return to normalcy,” Wallace said. The young Vikings offense will be tested in a Sept. 24 rematch against Grimsley and its nationally ranked defensive lineman Travis Shaw. He is mulling offers from Clemson University, the University of Georgia, UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina A&T State University. Northwest travels to Northern Guilford High School Oct. 8 for their first match since 2019. Northern won that game 42-10. This season, Northern moves from 3A to 4A, putting the Nighthawks in the same conference as Northwest and
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Vikings football team young, but ‘coming together’ sy
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heightening the rivalry. It also gives the coach of the winning team even louder bragging rights over the other. Wallace and Northern coach Erik Westberg are such good friends that Westberg served as a groomsman in Wallace’s wedding in 2017. The two coached together at Greensboro College and the Apprentice School in
GO VIKINGS!
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Newport News, Virginia, before taking their jobs at Northwest and Northern.
“We know what they do and they know what we do,” Wallace said. “It’s quite interesting to have a friendship in a rivalry.”
NWHS Alumnus ‘79
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