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Can you believe that we’ve played three weeks of the season thus far? To me, the seasons always seem to fly by, but this one seems to be going at warp speed. We’ve already begun to see a few teams establish themselves as early championship contenders, but in this odd pandemic-plagued time that we’re living in, we’ve also seen a handful of programs yet to kick off a game, and dozens of games are either canceled or rescheduled every week.
- 4A Class
In a clash of Top-15 powers played in Charlotte, we witnessed the Julius Chambers defense assert some dominance in a 30-6 win over Kernersville Glenn. This impressive victory further solidifies the Cougars’ hold on the top spot in the state and gives us no reason to doubt that they are the early-season frontrunners to win yet another state title.
Seven teams in the Top-25 had the week off, but in another clash of perennial contenders, Cardinal Gibbons outlasted Richmond County 30-22, playing on the road in Rockingham, which isn’t the easiest place to win a game. Steven Wright and his Crusaders are picking right back where they left off in the spring season and are just a six-point loss to Chambers from being undefeated. In the game, running back Donovan Shepard carried the ball a whopping 34 times for 178 yards and two touchdowns against the Raider defense.
In other big 4A games played last week, Weddington improved their season by knocking off West Forsyth 19-7, and Wake Forest also improved to 3-0 by defeating Wilmington Hoggard 23-8.
In a game played on Saturday, Matthews Butler fell 33-0 to national power St. John’s College. This was almost a forecasted loss for the Bulldogs against a foe with multiple top recruits, but Brian Hales’ team will have to recover fast as they have a big upcoming contest against a hungry Porter Ridge team.
- Moving Out
Marvin Ridge spent one week in the rankings but fell big to Ardrey Kell, 26-7. Ardrey Kell’s signal-caller Jack Curtis had a solid effort for the Knights. He connected on 20 of 34 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown.
- Moving Up
By virtue of an aggressive early-season schedule and an impressive 27-7 road win over South Point, Hickory Ridge takes a big leap forward this week. Raleigh Millbrook and Charlotte Mallard Creek also take big steps forward and land in the Top-25 this week following big wins.
- On the Radar
A few 4A teams to take note of that could work their way into the rankings soon are Cox Mill, winners of six-straight games; Davie County who continues to put up big offensive numbers; and Wake Forest Heritage who is steadily creeping their way into the picture.
- 3A Class
Quite a few teams did not play in the 3A ranks this week, but in a shocking loss, Greensboro Dudley fell big to Durham Hillside 30-14. This marks the third week in a row that our top-ranked 3A team has lost. However, with Dudley’s talent and strength-of-schedule, the Panthers didn’t fall far.
Coming off of a tough loss to 4A power Wilmington Hoggard, Scotland County powered through a tough Cary squad on Thursday and came away with a 40-6 win. In another rebound win, Lee County went on to win 38-0 over South Granville.
- Continuing to Impress
Wilson Hunt knocked off then top-ranked Greenville Rose back in week one, but the Warriors haven’t looked back and won big once again, topping SouthWest Edgecombe 42-0. Carrying much of the offensive load for head coach Juan Jackson’s squad has been the powerful senior running back C.J. Joyner, who has 477 yards in the first three games of the season.
- Moving up Fast
Following a huge win on Friday against cross-county rival Burns, Kings Mountain has shot back up into the Top-10. Pisgah, West Charlotte, and Central Davidson all continue to look strong in this early season.
- Just on the Edge
Expect Gastonia Forestview, West Mecklenburg, and North Lincoln to all come closer to jumping into the Top-25 in the coming weeks. We’ll also continue to keep an eye out for traditional powers Eastern Alamance and Western Alamance. In an uncharacteristic loss, Western was blanked 50-0 by Northern Guilford on Friday, a game that ended a 142-game scoring streak by the Warriors.
- 2A Class
Reidsville didn’t play this week, they’ll pick back up on Saturday against cross-county foe Rockingham County, but Elizabeth City Northeastern gave us some fireworks as they cruised by Greenville Rose 50-28 on Thursday. Antonio Moore’s stable of playmakers continues to impress in the state’s northeastern corner. Another northeastern team finally saw action as well this week as Paul Hoggard’s Edenton Holmes Aces knocked off Rocky Mount 27-16.
Salisbury cruised past East Rowan 65-0 while Hendersonville continued its early-season success by defeating East Henderson 65-0.
Last week’s number-two ranked Burns Bulldogs fell to Kings Mountain, and in another tight game, Brevard fell to Asheville 16-14.
- Moving on Up
Some Eastern NC teams that are moving up the ladder quickly are Wallace-Rose Hill, Whiteville, Princeton, and Kinston. In the western half of the state, keep a close eye on East Surry, Mount Pleasant, as well as the explosive Burlington Cummings. In East Surry’s 41-14 victory over East Wilkes, quarterback Folger Boaz completed 20 of 26 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns for the Cardinals.
- Lurking in the Weeds
They haven’t cracked the Top-25 yet this season, but Bartlett Yancey, Roanoke Rapids, Providence Grove, and Southwestern Randolph are some teams to keep on your radar as we advance towards the playoffs.
- 1A Class
It was business as usual for several of the top programs in the 1A, but Mitchell once again faced a tough 4A opponent, this time knocking off Watagua 34-23 in a very impressive win. Mountain Heritage was ranked fourth, but the Cougars fell to Canton Pisgah 19-2, and last week’s tenth-ranked Draughn Wildcats fell 37-13 to Hickory.
- Big Wins
North Rowan hasn’t had much success against North Stanly in recent years, but the Cavaliers were able to knock off the Comets 36-32 behind the incredible effort of receiver Amari McArthur. His five catches for 272 yards and three scores propelled his team to victory, and his effort puts him at 17th best in the state for most receiving yards in a single game.
North Moore cruised past Elkin 49-14 in a game that was put together late in the week by administrators. In the game, senior running back Justis Dorsett had 230 yards on 17 carries and tacked on another 91 yards and a touchdown as a kick returner.
- Worth Mentioning
Jadon Lee scored four times for Pender in their 48-44 loss to 2A power East Duplin. This Tom Eanes-coached Patriot team has the makings of a squad that can make a deep run in the Eastern playoffs, come November.
4A Classification
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Chambers | (3-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Hough | (2-0) | 2 |
| 3 | East Forsyth | (2-0) | 4 |
| 4 | Grimsley | (2-0) | 5 |
| 5 | Cardinal Gibbons | (2-1) | 9 |
| 6 | Cleveland | (2-0) | 6 |
| 7 | New Bern | (3-0) | 10 |
| 8 | Charlotte Catholic | (2-0) | 8 |
| 9 | Weddington | (3-0) | 14 |
| 10 | Richmond | (2-1) | 3 |
| 11 | Northern Guilford | (3-0) | 17 |
| 12 | Myers Park | (2-1) | 15 |
| 13 | Butler | (1-2) | 7 |
| 14 | Wake Forest | (3-0) | 13 |
| 15 | South View | (2-0) | 12 |
| 16 | South Mecklenburg | (2-1) | 19 |
| 17 | Hickory Ridge | (2-1) | 23 |
| 18 | Glenn | (1-1) | 11 |
| 19 | Mount Tabor | (1-1) | 16 |
| 20 | Ardrey Kell | (2-0) | 28 |
| 21 | Leesville Road | (2-0) | 22 |
| 22 | Pinecrest | (3-0) | 24 |
| 23 | Rolesville | (1-2) | 25 |
| 24 | Millbrook | (3-0) | 29 |
| 25 | Mallard Creek | (1-0) | 31 |
3A Classification
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Scotland | (2-1) | 2 |
| 2 | Lee County | (2-1) | 3 |
| 3 | Dudley | (2-1) | 1 |
| 4 | Havelock | (1-0) | 4 |
| 5 | Jacksonville | (2-0) | 5 |
| 6 | Kings Mountain | (2-1) | 14 |
| 7 | Seventy-First | (2-0) | 8 |
| 8 | South Point | (2-1) | 7 |
| 9 | Crest | (0-1) | 11 |
| 10 | J.B. Hunt | (3-0) | 12 |
| 11 | Northern Nash | (2-0) | 16 |
| 12 | Cape Fear | (2-0) | 13 |
| 13 | Oak Grove | (2-1) | 17 |
| 14 | West Charlotte | (2-0) | 19 |
| 15 | East Lincoln | (3-0) | 10 |
| 16 | Statesville | (2-0) | 15 |
| 17 | Rocky Mount | (1-2) | 9 |
| 18 | Fike | (1-0) | 18 |
| 19 | Central Davidson | (3-0) | 21 |
| 20 | Southern Nash | (2-0) | 27 |
| 21 | Pisgah | (2-0) | 28 |
| 22 | Southern Durham | (1-2) | 34 |
| 23 | Terry Sanford | (1-1) | 6 |
| 24 | Franklin | (2-0) | 20 |
| 25 | Hibriten | (2-1) | 22 |
2A Classification
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Reidsville | (2-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Northeastern | (2-0) | 3 |
| 3 | Salisbury | (2-0) | 4 |
| 4 | Hendersonville | (3-0) | 5 |
| 5 | Shelby | (2-0) | 6 |
| 6 | Maiden | (3-0) | 7 |
| 7 | Burns | (2-1) | 2 |
| 8 | Clinton | (1-0) | 8 |
| 9 | Washington | (2-0) | 9 |
| 10 | Wallace-Rose Hill | (2-0) | 11 |
| 11 | Whiteville | (2-0) | 12 |
| 12 | St. Pauls | 10 | |
| 13 | Princeton | (3-0) | 13 |
| 14 | John A. Holmes | (1-0) | 24 |
| 15 | Kinston | (3-0) | 18 |
| 16 | East Duplin | (2-1) | 14 |
| 17 | Monroe | (1-1) | 15 |
| 18 | East Surry | (2-0) | 22 |
| 19 | Chase | (3-0) | 17 |
| 20 | Bunker Hill | (2-0) | 19 |
| 21 | J.M. Robinson | (3-0) | 21 |
| 22 | Forbush | (3-0) | 20 |
| 23 | Mount Pleasant | (3-0) | 23 |
| 24 | Cummings | (2-0) | 27 |
| 25 | Brevard | (1-1) | 16 |
1A Classification
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Eastern Randolph | (2-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Tarboro | (2-1) | 2 |
| 3 | Mount Airy | (3-0) | 8 |
| 4 | Mitchell | (2-1) | 5 |
| 5 | Robbinsville | (1-1) | 3 |
| 6 | Mountain Heritage | (1-1) | 4 |
| 7 | Murphy | (1-1) | 6 |
| 8 | Thomasville | (2-0) | 16 |
| 9 | Thomas Jefferson | (2-0) | 7 |
| 10 | Rosewood | (2-1) | 13 |
| 11 | Northside | (2-1) | 12 |
| 12 | Perquimans | (2-0) | 11 |
| 13 | Swain County | (2-0) | 23 |
| 14 | North Rowan | (2-0) | 25 |
| 15 | Riverside Martin | (1-0) | 15 |
| 16 | Northampton County | (1-1) | 19 |
| 17 | East Wilkes | (2-1) | 14 |
| 18 | North Moore | (3-0) | 28 |
| 19 | Pender County | (1-1) | 20 |
| 20 | Mountain Island Charter | (2-0) | 17 |
| 21 | Andrews | (2-0) | 22 |
| 22 | Southside | (3-0) | 24 |
| 23 | Hobbton | (1-1) | 21 |
| 24 | Draughn | (0-2) | 10 |
| 25 | Elkin | (1-1) | 18 |
- Extended Football Rankings
Don’t forget that the Extended Football Rankings will come out tomorrow, so if your favorite team didn’t crack the Top-25, you can see where they are ranked then.
