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There is a lot of movement at the top in this week’s CarolinaPreps.com Power Rankings presented by Red Zone Strength. It all started on Thursday when Rocky Mount shocked top-ranked Tarboro 12-0 in their season opener. Those shockwaves moved swiftly through the state as many fans were surprised to see the Vikings shut out for the first time in 194 games.
While the Gryphons provided the first blast of fireworks on Thursday with the win over Tarboro, perhaps the biggest shots in the 1A came on Friday night as Robbinsville caged the visiting 4A Asheville Cougars, Franklin stunned the defending state champion Murphy Bulldogs ruining new head coach Joseph Watson’s debut, and Burton Cates and Eastern Randolph served notice that there is a new sheriff in town with their blowout win over 3A power Eastern Alamance.
In the 2A ranks, Reidsville did what Reidsville does. They just win baby. The Rams steamrolled Western Alamance 35-14, and Shelby and Burns weathered the opening week storms by beating some tough 3A squads in Kings Mountain and Forestview. Several of the top-ranked teams were unable to play due to Covid-19 protocols, but a pair of Southeastern N.C. programs in Wallace-Rose Hill and East Duplin sent a message to their 2A counterparts, letting them all know that they’ll be a force to deal with come playoff time.
As if one major upset for Week 1 wasn’t enough, J.B. Hunt provided the next aftershock as they spoiled J.H. Rose’s season opener, giving the then top-ranked Rampants their first loss of the year. The Warriors put the 3A East on notice that they will be a force to be reckoned with in 2021. Richard Bailey and Scotland County also made it clear that teams trying to win a 3A championship would have to go through them, as they plastered Northern Durham 52-0 on Monday night.
While Julius Chambers remains the top team in the 4A class, Grimsley and Hough are close on their heels, and Pinecrest let everyone know that they are still a force as they defeated last year’s 4-AA runner-up Rolesville Rams in a tightly contested contest on Saturday night.
CarolinaPreps.com Top-25 Power Rankings Presented by Red Zone Strength
4A Classification
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Chambers | (1-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Hough | (1-0) | 2 |
| 3 | Grimsley | (1-0) | 3 |
| 4 | Butler | (1-0) | 4 |
| 5 | East Forsyth | (1-0) | 14 |
| 6 | Richmond | (1-0) | 7 |
| 7 | Cardinal Gibbons | (0-1) | 6 |
| 8 | Charlotte Catholic | (1-0) | 11 |
| 9 | Cleveland | (1-0) | 8 |
| 10 | New Bern | (1-0) | 10 |
| 11 | South View | (1-0) | 12 |
| 12 | Weddington | (1-0) | 18 |
| 13 | Myers Park | (0-1) | 9 |
| 14 | Providence | (1-0) | 16 |
| 15 | Glenn | 13 | |
| 16 | Mount Tabor | (0-1) | 17 |
| 17 | Hickory Ridge | (1-0) | 21 |
| 18 | Wake Forest | (1-0) | 15 |
| 19 | Northern Guilford | (1-0) | 19 |
| 20 | West Forsyth | (1-0) | 20 |
| 21 | South Mecklenburg | (0-1) | NR |
| 22 | Pinecrest | (1-0) | NR |
| 23 | Rolesville | (0-1) | 5 |
| 24 | Porter Ridge | (1-0) | NR |
| 25 | Panther Creek | (1-0) | 24 |
3A Classification
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Scotland County | (1-0) | 4 |
| 2 | Lee County | (1-0) | 2 |
| 3 | Dudley | (1-0) | 3 |
| 4 | Havelock | (1-0) | 5 |
| 5 | Crest | 7 | |
| 6 | Rocky Mount | (1-0) | 16 |
| 7 | Jacksonville | (1-0) | 8 |
| 8 | Terry Sanford | 10 | |
| 9 | East Lincoln | (1-0) | 14 |
| 10 | Northern Nash | (1-0) | 20 |
| 11 | J.B. Hunt | (1-0) | NR |
| 12 | J.H. Rose | (0-1) | 1 |
| 13 | South Point | (1-0) | 23 |
| 14 | Oak Grove | (1-0) | 11 |
| 15 | Statesville | (1-0) | 12 |
| 16 | Cape Fear | (1-0) | NR |
| 17 | Seventy-First | (1-0) | NR |
| 18 | Fike | (1-0) | 25 |
| 19 | Kings Mountain | (0-1) | 13 |
| 20 | West Charlotte | 18 | |
| 21 | Franklin | (1-0) | NR |
| 22 | Western Alamance | (0-1) | 15 |
| 23 | North Davidson | (0-1) | 9 |
| 24 | Eastern Alamance | (0-1) | 6 |
| 25 | Southern Nash | (1-0) | 24 |
2A Classification
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Reidsville | (1-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Shelby | (1-0) | 3 |
| 3 | Burns | (1-0) | 2 |
| 4 | Salisbury | 5 | |
| 5 | Northeastern | 6 | |
| 6 | Hendersonville | (1-0) | 10 |
| 7 | Clinton | (1-0) | 7 |
| 8 | St. Pauls | 8 | |
| 9 | Washington | (1-0) | 9 |
| 10 | Wallace-Rose Hill | (1-0) | 11 |
| 11 | East Duplin | (1-0) | 12 |
| 12 | Maiden | (1-0) | 15 |
| 13 | Whiteville | (1-0) | 17 |
| 14 | Monroe | (0-1) | 4 |
| 15 | West Craven | 13 | |
| 16 | Chase | (1-0) | 16 |
| 17 | J.M. Robinson | (1-0) | 18 |
| 18 | Mount Pleasant | (1-0) | 19 |
| 19 | Princeton | (1-0) | 23 |
| 20 | Polk County | (1-0) | 24 |
| 21 | Southwest Onslow | (0-1) | 14 |
| 22 | Brevard | 21 | |
| 23 | John A. Holmes | 25 | |
| 24 | East Surry | (1-0) | NR |
| 25 | Forbush | (1-0) | NR |
1A Classification
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Eastern Randolph | (1-0) | 4 |
| 2 | Tarboro | (0-1) | 1 |
| 3 | Robbinsville | (1-0) | 5 |
| 4 | Mountain Heritage | 2 | |
| 5 | Mitchell | (1-0) | 7 |
| 6 | Murphy | (0-1) | 3 |
| 7 | Thomas Jefferson | 6 | |
| 8 | Mount Airy | (1-0) | 8 |
| 9 | Winston-Salem Prep | 9 | |
| 10 | Draughn | 10 | |
| 11 | Perquimans | (1-0) | 11 |
| 12 | Northside | (1-0) | 12 |
| 13 | Rosewood | (1-0) | 14 |
| 14 | East Wilkes | (1-0) | 15 |
| 15 | Riverside Martin | (1-0) | 25 |
| 16 | Thomasville | (1-0) | 18 |
| 17 | Mountain Island Charter | (1-0) | 16 |
| 18 | Elkin | (1-0) | 17 |
| 19 | Northampton County | (0-1) | 13 |
| 20 | Pender County | (1-0) | 23 |
| 21 | Hobbton | (0-1) | 21 |
| 22 | Andrews | (1-0) | 24 |
| 23 | Swain County | (1-0) | NR |
| 24 | Southside | (1-0) | NR |
| 25 | North Rowan | 19 |
