Polk County head football coach Jamie Thompson would surely love an extra day or two of preparation for undefeated Mitchell.
But he’s just as happy hosting the Mountaineers in the first televised high school football game in Western North Carolina history.
“I think it’s a great deal,” Thompson said of Thursday’s 7 p.m. kickoff with Mitchell, which will be shown live on WMYA-TV (My40). “We’re the first school to host this, and it’s bringing a lot of attention to ourselves. It’s a chance to showcase our school.
The kitchen you keep redrawing on a napkin? Skytop Cabinets can build it.
“It’s a big deal for the kids. They’re living the dream, playing on TV, kids from both schools.”
Thompson hopes that dream doesn’t dissolve into a nightmare against the 6-0 Mountaineers, who enter ranked sixth in this week’s Associated Press state 1A poll and are beginning to generate state championship buzz. Mitchell has already defeated a team in each classification – 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A – and has averaged more than 50 points per game in those six wins.
The Mountaineers come to Columbus looking to remain atop the Western Highlands Conference standings; Polk County knows it needs a win to keep its conference title hopes alive after last week’s loss to Mountain Heritage. Thus, TV cameras or not, this ranks as a most important game for the Wolverines.
“If we win out, we’re probably conference champions,” Thompson said. “Mitchell is the favorite as far as the prognosticators go, so this is a great opportunity for us to show that we are still very much in the running.
“In years past we’ve been in games near the end of the season that have been important to the conference championship. This is an opportunity to keep that tradition rolling.”
Behind one of the area’s largest and best offensive lines, Mitchell rushes for 300 yards per game while throwing for another 160. Sophomore quarterback Ben Young will likely surpass the 1,000-yard mark passing for the season on Thursday. Seniors Dalton Beaver (51-454-6) and Cy Thomas (40-390-4) lead the ground game.
“They run the ball well,” Thompson said. “They’ve got big tackles. Their offensive tackles are huge. They’ve got a big tight end. They enjoy running the football, but they can throw the ball well, too.
“Defensively, they’re a good team. They’re aggressive in getting to the football.”
With the stakes high, the hoopla around the TV broadcast could be viewed as an unwelcome distraction for Polk County. But Thompson thinks just the opposite.
“I don’t look at is as a distraction,” he said. “I think our kids we’ll be even more focused. You know people all across the area are going to be watching you, and you want to play your best.”
MITCHELL AT POLK COUNTY
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
TV: WMYA (My40Sports).
Records: Mitchell 6-0, 1-0; Polk County 3-4, 1-1.
Series history: Polk County leads 8-4.
Last meeting: Jason Chupp caught four touchdown passes to lead Polk County to a 40-14 win at Mitchell.
Players To Watch: Ben Young has thrown for 956 yards with an outstanding 69.2 percent completion rate. Young is 54-of-78 with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. . . Mitchell is averaging 8.6 yards per rush this season, with Beaver, Thomas and senior Peyton Greene (20-284-4) the leaders. . . Beaver’s 61 tackles leads the Mitchell defense. . . Tre Carson has punted just four times this season.
