Charlotte high school football: Week 1 polls, top players, games of the week
High School Football Games of the week
No. 8 Butler (0-0) vs. No. 7 Hough (0-0) at Matthews Sportsplex, Thurs, 8 p.m.: Two teams with difficult starts to the season, which means winning this Week 1 showdown is a must. Butler plays at Sweet 16 No. 1 Mallard Creek and No. 4 Richmond Senior in the following two weeks. Hough has SoMECK contender Providence next week, followed by games against S.C. state power Duncan Byrnes and No. 2 Myers Park.
No. 1 Mallard Creek (0-0) at Dutch Fork, SC (0-0), Fri, 6 p.m.: This game is being televised nationally by ESPN2. Pitting a pair of nationally ranked state title favorites, this is a game some fans have waited a year for. The teams were scheduled to play at Memorial Stadium 12 months ago, but thunderstorms prevented the kickoff.
Ardrey Kell (0-0) at No. 6 Weddington (0-0), Fri, 7:30 p.m.: Ardrey Kell is threat to win the SoMECK 7 4A championship and Weddington is a real threat to repeat as state 3AA champions. This cross-county rivalry always draws a big crowd. Weddington leads the all-time series 9-4, but has only lost one time since 2013, when the teams began playing at the start of the season. Ardrey Kell last won in 2016, 30-27.
South Mecklenburg (0-0) at No. 5 Charlotte Catholic (0-0), Fri, 7:30: Two teams that are literally across the street from each other face off. It’s the debut of new Sabres coach Joe Evans, who quickly built competitive teams at Ardrey Kell and Independence. Catholic won the N.C. 3A state championship last year and appears ready for another run.
Click here for Friday’s complete schedule
Important news about next month’s Butler at Richmond Senior game
High School Football Players of the week
Wanyae Freeman, Carolina Bearcats: Threw for 200 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-13 win over Statesville Christian. He ran 30 yards for another score.
Angel Gonzalez, Metrolina Christian: Completed 15-of-19 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-0 win over SouthLake Christian.
Jake Helfrich, Charlotte Latin: Junior quarterback completed 14-of-21 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-0 win over Covenant Day Friday. He ran for two touchdowns.
Sweet 16 Poll
| Rk. | Team | Class |
| 1. | Mallard Creek | 4A |
| 2. | Myers Park | 4A |
| 3. | Vance | 4A |
| 4. | Richmond Senior | 4A |
| 5. | Charlotte Catholic | 3A |
| 6. | Weddington | 3A |
| 7. | Hough | 4A |
| 8. | Butler | 4A |
| 9. | Shelby | 2A |
| 10. | Chester (SC) | 3A |
| 11. | Kings Mountain | 3A |
| 12. | South Point | 2A |
| 13. | Charlotte Christian | IND |
| 14. | Northwest Cabarrus | 3A |
| 15. | Gastonia Huss | 3A |
| 16. | Rock Hill South Pointe | 4A |
This story was originally published August 19, 2019 at 4:19 PM.