North Meck's Offense Strong Against Ardrey Kell

August 29, 2009

By S R of North Mecklenburg High School

North Meck's offense is surprisingly strong

By Langston Wertz Jr.
lwertz@charlotteobserver.com Posted: Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009

(08.28.2009)--North Mecklenburg wide receiver Donshae Joyce (6) tries to find room to run in the second quarter against Ardrey Kell at Ardrey Kell High School on Friday, August 28, 2009. - YALONDA M. JAMES - yjames@charlotteobserver.com

The biggest surprise of the 2009 high school football season, at least in Mecklenburg County, is the offensive explosion at North Mecklenburg.

The Vikings, almost always a grind-it-out run team, have more than 1,000 yards and 92 points in two weeks. This is how that happened.

When he got the job earlier this year, new Vikings coach Mike Bradley took a congratulatory call from former Independence offensive coordinator Jon Strong, who had coached some of the best offenses in N.C. history while working for Tom Knotts. Bradley started chatting up Strong for offensive tips. Strong told Bradley he didn't plan to go back to Independence because of the long drive from his Mooresville home.

And Bradley just happened to have an opening for an offensive coordinator.

"Now," Bradley said, "we're doing a lot of the things that Independence did. It's a lot different from what we've done."

Quarterback Brad Clay has thrown for 462 yards and six touchdowns in two weeks, while rushing for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Scary part is, his primary target, Chris Moon, hasn't played this season and isn't expected until late September from an injury.

Tailback Xavier Joplin, who rushed for 238 yards and two touchdowns in a 51-21 win over Ardrey Kell Friday, is well on his way to a third straight 1,000-yard season. And the Vikings appear headed to their eighth straight playoff appearance and the fifth 10-win season in school history.

All of a sudden, an I-Meck conference race that looked like it would be all about Mallard Creek and West Charlotte now is three teams deep.

Your leader in the clubhouse for early season coach of the year? That's Bradley, the only Viking teacher/coach who returned from last season.

"It's a group effort," said Bradley, who has former Davidson assistant Curt Williams as defensive coordinator. "We've got coachable kids, a good scheme and sometimes change is good. Change has been good for the kids, just like it was good for (former North coach) Glen (Padgett, now at Concord)."