By BRIAN WOODSON
BLUEFIELD — With a 3-7 record, it might seem strange to see Narrows preparing for this week’s opening round of the Region C, Division 1 playoffs.
The Green Wave isn’t apologizing. They simply want to prove they belong.
“We have had some close games, especially early in the year, but we played a very tough schedule,” Narrows head coach Kelly Lowe said. “It’s one of those things where you wish you had a little bit better record, but we have played a really hard schedule and being 3-7 is not the record you want it to be.
“The way we look at it now, everybody has an 0-0 record. We’re going in to show that we are deserving of that spot and really try to make some things happen.”
Narrows (3-7), which has wins over Craig County (35-0), Auburn (26-0) and Bland County (14-12), is seeded six in the postseason, and will travel to play third-seeded Bath County (6-4) on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The last time the Green Wave played in Hot Springs was seven years ago, the final season as Narrows head coach for Lowe’s father, Don.
“It’s a long trip and it’s always cold at Bath County this time of the year,” Lowe said. “We’ve got to make sure we come to play football and not worry about the trip or anything else.”
Making its first playoff appearance in 2005, the Green Wave is part of the new regional format that has allowed six teams instead of four into the Region C postseason. Considering that five of Narrows 10 games were against Division 2 schools — which included close defeats to James Monroe (21-7) and Giles (21-16) — Lowe thinks the changes benefit the region’s smaller schools.
“I like it for Division 1, and for the simple fact that a lot of Division 1 teams have to play Division 2 or 3, Group AA teams,” Lowe said. “It gives us a chance to play the schedule we need to play and it gives us a chance to have a postseason chance.
“Out of our 10-team schedule, only half of them are Division 1 opponents. It’s just one of those things teams are bigger than us and we have to play up, but this gives us a chance to have a postseason and that’s what happened this year.”
Narrows, which was one of three Mountain Empire District teams with 3-7 mark, has been led all season at quarterback by junior Brock Lusk, who has thrown for 900 yards and run for another 150. The Green Wave also has a talented trio of backs in Tyler Conley, Hunter Light and Ryan Dunford.
“Brock has had a great year. He stepped in at the beginning of the year in his first time on the varsity level and he’s stood in there and given us toughness at quarterback,” Lowe said. “He’s been a great leader for us, he’s thrown the ball well and he’s just been a great leader for us on offense...
“(Those backs) have really stepped it up and done a good job for us carrying the football.”
Doing that against Bath County won be easy. The Chargers, which won state titles in 1995 and 2001, are always big, and have produced plenty of talent, including current Dallas Cowboys reserve tight end John Phillips.
“Bath County is very big up front. We really have to get down on them because they have a really big offensive line and defensive line,” Lowe said. “We’ve really got to neutralize them at the line. The game will be won there, with blocking and tackling, and we really have worked hard on blocking schemes.
“We’ve really gotten back to the fundamentals the last couple of days and worked hard on the fundamentals.”
Narrows, which has lost its last three games, has been hampered in recent weeks by second half turnovers that have turned close games into big losses. That has placed the Green Wave defensive unit into some difficult situations.
“We’ve been up and down, but our offense has put the defense in a bind a bunch of times with turnovers,” Lowe said. “It’s given the other team a short field to work with, and we’ve had trouble moving the ball at times.
“We’ve left the defense on the field too much, but all in all, our defense has been pretty solid for us this year...We’ve been bitten by the turnovers lately, we’ve got to get that cleaned up.”
That unit will be tested Friday against the bigger Chargers of head coach Will Fields. Bath County is run-oriented, led by senior J.P. Plecker and junior Dillon Fry, while 6-foot-3, 235-pound Derek Brinkley is solid on both sides of the ball.
The Chargers enter having lost two in a row, which had been preceded by a 2-2 start to the campaign, followed by a four-game win streak.
“They run a shotgun veer and they run it very effectively,” Lowe said. “They have an excellent quarterback, two really good running backs and they’re fundamentally sound. They really like to run the ball so we’ve got to be focused on stopping their running attack.”
Being successful against the Chargers mean the Green Wave will have to be fundamentally sound and avoid the mistakes.
“We can’t turn the ball over, this time of year the turnovers will kill you,” Lowe said. “We’ve got to be able to tackle and block and control the line of scrimmage.”
The playoffs have arrived. All the Green Wave wanted was a chance against schools their own size. That time has arrived. That record; it’s 0-0.
“Just give us a chance,” Lowe said. “Anything can happen now.”
—Contact Brian Woodson
at bwoodson@bdtonline.com
