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The memories will probably feel like an oncoming blitz when Scott Schwarzer stares across the field tomorrow.

The Southwest Guilford head coach will return for the first time to High Point Central, the school at which he began his career and met his wife, Meredith, on his first day. His father-in-law, Steve Johnson, is still an assistant on the Bison staff. They have dinner every week.

"He wishes nothing but the best for us," Schwarzer said, "but it'll be a little awkward this week."

Schwarzer spent 2003-06 with the Bison, including the 2004 team that finished undefeated in the regular season. The quarterback on that team was a sophomore named Stephen Johnson, who happens to be Schwarzer's brother-in-law.

"It was fun running an offense with him," Schwarzer said. "He was a special player."

He clearly had vision — it was Stephen who introduced Schwarzer to Meredith at his first practice.

"Definitely there was a spark," said Schwarzer, who keeps contact with several members of the Bison staff. "That's a tough place to leave. A tough decision, but I still feel like I made the right one."

To the non-marriage-bound, the game lost luster last week when High Point Central lost to Glenn and essentially fell out of the Piedmont Triad 4-A title race. But the Bison are still having their best season since that 2004 squad, and it's still a game the Cowboys must win to keep alive a playoff dream that seemed so promising after a 3-0 start. Southwest has lost all six games since then, each in a new but equally heartbreaking fashion.

"It's been a good year for us, despite the last few weeks," he said. "Woulda shoulda coulda, and we could be sitting 5-4 or even 6-3. It's frustrating. We've got to find a way to turn a corner."

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE: Western Guilford couldn't have picked a worse time to lose running back Aaron Jones. The Hornets' senior workhorse was suspended for last week's game against Dudley after leaping into the end zone to celebrate a touchdown.

After losing fellow playmaker Junior Hatfield to injury early in the game, the Hornets struggled to put up much fight against the Panthers' already formidable defense, managing three first downs through three quarters. Jones watched with anxiety from the sideline.

"He wanted that game," Hornets head coach Chris Causey said. "He wanted that challenge."

Although that loss dropped Western to 4-6, Causey rightly points out that the Hornets are 4-3 when Jones plays a whole game. A win against Southeast Friday would all but give Western third place in the Metro 4-A.

"I wouldn't want to draw us in the playoffs," Causey said.

SMITH KNOWS PLAYOFFS: We wrote last week that Smith's last trip to the playoffs was in 1999. Longtime Golden Eagles athletics staffer Hank Bullard called in to correct that 1999 was actually the start of a five-year playoff streak.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," said Bullard, who recalls driving to and from Havelock in one night, trading road wins with Clayton and a heartbreaking loss to Toney Baker-led Ragsdale.

Thanks for the correction.

Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com