WADESBORO — The Anson County High football Bearcats will kick off the 2019 regular season on Friday when they travel to face Monroe High.
Last season, Anson finished 1-3 in the Rocky River Conference and 4-7 overall. The high-scoring Bearcats put up a total of 388 points (35.3 points per game) but the defense gave up 366 points (33.3 points per game). The roster shows 28 players, with 12 seniors and 16 juniors.
On Friday, the Bearcats will be looking to turn the tables after they dropped last year’s season-opener to Monroe, 49-22.
Rising senior Wesley Lear — who passed for 1,300 yards and 16 TDs last season — will lead the Bearcats under center on offense, and Anson returns experienced running backs in rising seniors Dequan Sturdivant (1,502 yards rushing with 12 TDs), Isaiah Sturdivant and Jaylen Johnson, as well as rising seniors Jalen Marshall (21 catches with eight TDs) and Tyrek Hardison at wide receiver/running back.
On defense, Anson looks to be young and light, with rising junior defensive end Jadyn Dickens, 6-0 and 242, along with rising junior lineman Trey Davis, 5-11 and 236 pounds, leading the way.
The Bearcats’ non-conference schedule with continue on Aug. 30 with a home opener against Class 4A Richmond County, followed by a road game at Cuthbertson in Waxhaw (51-44 win in 2018) on Sept. 6; a home game against Chesterfield, S.C., (a 49-33 win last season) on Sept. 13; a home game against Jay M. Robinson (a 47-27 loss in 2018) on Sept. 20; a road game against Lee County in Sanford on Sept. 27; and an open date on Oct. 4.
Anson’s Rocky River Conference schedule will open Oct. 11 with a home game against Montgomery Central, followed by a road game at Mount Pleasant (a 28-23 loss last season) on Oct. 18; an open date on Oct. 25; a road game at West Stanly in Oakboro (a 35-34 loss last season) on Nov. 1; and a road game at Forest Hills (a 47-22loss in 2018) in Marshville on Nov. 8.
All games are slated to begin at 7:30 p.m.