Top 4A Teams???

What teams are in your top 5?

 

SW4A

All of the SW4A teams certainly fit the bill. Just look at their winning percentages in the playoffs if you need more proof (documented in MINCMI's conference preview, which is better than most NCAA conference previews btw).

In addition I'd look to the north end of the Charlotte Metro region for the newly constructed IMeck Conference. Including Lake Norman and Mooresville with Hopewell, N Meck and rising Mallard Creek, creates a conference that could do some real damage in the western bracket come May.

 

Lake Norman is defending state 3A champs, and they return an awful lot, great coaching and very good JV team from last year,,, they gotta be up near the top.

 

lake norman could easily have one of the best pitching staffs in the state this year. Between lefty's Scottie Williams and Tyler Lewis and junior Taylor Thurber as their main 3. it will come down to how they hit the ball. they are also in a stacked conference as said above.

hopewell is hopewell and should be an obvious favorite in the I-MEC
north is always up there.
mooresville has a ton of seniors
and mallard creek with catch some people by surprise.

 

So is Lake Norman 4A now? If not, how does that work having them in a 4A conference?

 

Yep, Lake Norman's 4A this year, and from what I'm reading that doesn't bode well for teams in their conference. Sounds like they'll be loaded once again.

 

IMO, Lake Norman had the best "top 3" pitchers in the state last year. They lost 2 (Lomo and Whitley) to graduation, but their #3 man last year (Williams) would be most teams' ace. Thurber and Lewis are both quality pitchers that will again give LN an awful strong pitching staff. LN is well-coached, they hit, play defense and just never beat themselves. They may not win the 4A state title this year, but 4A teams will quickly find out about this bunch. Most definitely a favorite for "whatever" conference their in. No disrespect to the rest of the conference, my comment is based on how good LN is.

Btw, didn't Chet Greeson wind up coaching at Hopewell? If so, that will just make Hopewell that much stronger, Coach Greeson's teams are always sound from top to bottom.

 

Yep, Greeson's at Hopewell now. And if I remember correctly Thurber played at least one year of JV at Hopewell before moving to Lake Norman. Is Whitley playing in college? He was always fun to watch.

 

Whitley is at Catawba and did well this past Fall.

 

Thurber and several Hopewell players played together for years before high school. Some continue to play together in showcase for the CBC Diamond Rats. It should be fun having Lake Norman in the new I-Meck conference.