Chris Hughes

Nicknamed the 'Guru of High School Football' by Charlotte Observer columnist Langston Wertz, Jr., Chris Hughes is the Founder and Managing Editor of CarolinaPreps.com. A lifelong fan of the game, Chris grew up in Kannapolis and has devoted most of his life to covering the sport. Before starting CarolinaPreps, he spent time as a coach at multiple schools and is a U.S. Army veteran.

Top 25 Roundup: Week 1

The High School Football season kicked off across the Carolinas last night.  Here is how the teams ranked in the CarolinaPreps.com Top-25 fared during Week 1. 4A Classification Rank School Record Result 1 Grimsley (1-0) Def. Mount Tabor 30-7 2 Hough (0-0) Byrnes (Saturday) 3 Independence (0-1) Lost to Mallard …

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Inside the locker room: Pregame at A.L. Brown

Here is a look inside the locker room at A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis.  New head football coach Justin Hardin gives his team some last-minute motivation before heading out to face West Rowan in the opening game of the 2023 season. The Wonders second-half surge secured a 38-27 victory …

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2023 Preseason Football Rankings

Today is the release of the 2023 CarolinaPreps – Red Zone Strength Top-25 Preseason Power Rankings.   4A Classification   Rank School 2022 Record 1 Grimsley (15-1) 2 Hough (11-3) 3 Independence (11-2) 4 Butler (10-3) 5 Weddington (13-2) 6 Cardinal Gibbons (9-3) 7 East Forsyth (12-1) 8 Cleveland (11-1) …

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Stadium Tour: Montgomery Central

After a few unsuccessful attempts in recent years, I was finally able to get some great photos at today’s visit to Montgomery Central High School in Troy.  The school, which opened in 2019 has some of the best athletic facilities I’ve seen in North Carolina. While the stadium was built …

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Stadium Tour: Mount Pleasant

As I like to do on most spring and summer weekends, I made a couple of stops on the #CPStadiumTour today.  My first stop was in Cabarrus County at Mount Pleasant High School.  Athletic Director Jody Barbee gave me a guided tour of the football stadium and I came away …

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Stadium Tour: Mitchell Memorial Stadium

Situated high above the campus of Mitchell High School, Mitchell Memorial Stadium has recently been upgraded with a new turf field. This stadium has always been very high on my list of favorites in the state, and with the new turf field, the place really pops with color and amazing …

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Could Hendersonville be on the verge of a breakout?

As I was making my rounds through the Western part of North Carolina today, I stopped by and visited with Hendersonville head football coach Kirron Ward to see how the Bearcats were looking for the upcoming 2023 season. Fresh off of a 9-3 campaign, Ward couldn’t be more excited about …

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