DATE: Friday, November 14, 1997             TAG: 9711140661

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   77 lines

4 ALBEMARLE AREA TEAMS WIN THEIR WAY INTO PLAYOFFS STARTING TODAY

Three conference champions and one other Albemarle area team will enter the second season today as the North Carolina High School Athletic Association football playoffs get under way.

Perhaps the biggest story of the post-season is the rise of Hertford County. The Bears, which haven't made the playoffs since 1994, rose from the ashes of a 4-7 1996 season to win the tough Big Eight Conference with a 7-0 record.

Hertford County, second seed in the 3A tournament, will host East Chapel Hill (5-6), the third place team in the Triad Conference and the 15th seed. The Wildcats had some eligibility problems early in the season and had to forfeit two games. Hertford County head coach Daryl Allen is treating the game as though East Chapel Hill was really 7-4.

With the second seed, Hertford County will have three home games if it continues to win.

Allen, in his second stint as head coach of the Bears after a 20-year association with the team, is no stranger to playoff football. His teams reached the state championship in 1974, 1979, 1986 and 1988. As an assistant coach, he was part of the Ahoskie (the school's former name) team that won the state championship in 1970.

``We've had good success. We've won 70 percent of our games after we made the playoffs,'' Allen said. ``We know what it is to be there. If we can just convince our youngsters and tell them what to expect. It's a different atmosphere than the regular season. Even if their (East Chapel Hill) record is not that great, they played in a real tough league. There are no easy games in the playoffs, and every round gets tougher and tougher.''

If the Bears get past the first round, they could face Big Eight Conference rival Wilson Hunt in the second round. The Bears beat Hunt 35-28 during the regular season. The win over Hunt was a confidence builder for Hertford County.

Camden County, winner of the Tobacco Belt Conference, will open the 1A playoffs with a home game against Northampton West at 7:30 p.m. It took 25 years for the Bruins to win a conference championship. With its undefeated season (11-0), Camden earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Region. If they keep winning, Camden will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Bruins are no strangers to Northampton West, a team they played in the old Albemarle Conference four straight years. West (8-3) now plays in the Tar-Roanoke Conference, arguably the toughest 1A conference in the east. Although the Hurricanes are the 16th seed in the region, coach Scott Jones is not taking them lightly.

``They're big. They're athletic. They've got all three running backs from last year. They run the wishbone and they're a power team. They'll beat you by running over you,'' Jones said.

After four straight losing seasons under Jones, the Bruins went two rounds deep in the playoffs in 1996 and hosted their first-ever postseason game. Jones said last year's playoff experience was beneficial for this year's run.

``It was very important. All the kids are back and we went two rounds deep last year, so it can only help us,'' Jones said. ``

Also in the 1A playoffs, Gates County (5-6), the second place team in the Tobacco Belt Conference, will play on the road at Northside at 7:30 p.m. The Red Barons are seeded 12th in the tournament.

Edenton-Holmes, the champion of the Northeastern-Albemarle Conference, will host South Columbus in the 2A playoffs at 7:30 p.m. The Aces are riding a six-game winning streak into the post-season.

Edenton is seeded sixth and South Columbus is seeded 11th. Despite the seeding, South Columbus has a tradition of quality football. The Stallions, the third-place team in the Waccamaw Conference, went to the 2A Eastern Regional title game last year before falling to Clinton.

``They have a new coach, but they continued the winning tradition they have down there,'' said Edenton head coach Jay Swicegood.

The Aces have made their annual late season push. Having overcome injuries sustained during the nonconference portion of their schedule, the Aces (8-3) rolled over the Northeastern-Albemarle Conference with a 6-0 record.

``Our kids played pretty good together the last six ball games,'' Swicegood said. ``We had the potential to build an offensive line. Once we got them back (from injuries), we thought we could fare well in the conference.''

Defense has also been a key. Swicegood said his defense was questionable at the beginning of the season, but during the conference schedule, Edenton allowed just one touchdown per game.

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