The Sweet 16: 2 new teams, 1 controversy, 1 new reader vote: Who do you think is No. 1?
Who’s really No. 1 in the Sweet 16?
Mallard Creek remains No. 1 in this week’s Charlotte Observer high school football poll and Myers Park holds steady at No. 2.
But the Mustangs are No. 1 in the Associated Press state poll.
Readers tell us they are confused by that.
The AP poll is a vote of media members from around the state, many of whom are intimately familiar with their coverage areas, but not so much so outside of it. The Sweet 16 is put together by the Observer’s sports staff and only ranks the 140 or so football playing schools in the newspaper’s coverage zone.
Still, with so many calls and emails inciting debate, we decided to let you, the reader, vote to see who readers thought should be No. 1 — Myers Park, Mallard Creek or someone else. The reader voting poll is below.
▪ Elsewhere, there are two new teams in the poll this week: Harrisburg’s Hickory Ridge is in for the first time this season. The Ragin’ Bulls, under new coach Jupiter Wilson, have won two straight games.
Joining them are the Knights of Ardrey Kell High School, who have won five straight since a season-opening loss to No. 5 Weddington.
Dropping out of the poll this week are 3A Charlotte Catholic (2-3) and 4A Indian Trail Porter Ridge (4-2). Catholic lost 45-0 to Weddington Friday, suffering its third loss in four weeks.
Porter Ridge lost 35-14 to Butler.
| Rk. | School (Class) | Rec. | Prvs |
| 1. | Mallard Creek (4A) | 5-0-1 | 1 |
| 2. | Myers Park (4A) | 6-0 | 2 |
| 3. | Vance (4A) | 4-1 | 3 |
| 4. | RIchmond Senior. (4A) | 6-0 | 4 |
| 5. | Weddington (3A) | 6-0 | 5 |
| 6. | Kings Mountain (3A) | 7-0 | 6 |
| 7. | Rock Hill South Pointe (4A) | 6-0 | 8 |
| 8. | Butler (4A) | 4-2 | 9 |
| 9. | Northwest Cabarrus (3A) | 6-0 | 10 |
| 10. | Shelby (2A) | 5-1 | 11 |
| 11. | Chester, SC (3A) | 6-1 | 12 |
| 12. | Clover, SC (5A) | 6-0 | 14 |
| 13. | Statesville (3A) | 6-0 | 15 |
| 14. | Harrisburg Hickory RIdge (4A) | 5-1 | NR |
| 15. | Ardrey Kell (4A) | 5-1 | NR |
| 16. | Providence Day (IND) | 5-1 | 13 |
Dropped Out: Charlotte Catholic (3A, 2-3); Indian Trail Porter Ridge (4A, 4-2). Also receiving consideration: Watauga (3A, 6-1); Monroe Parkwood (3A, 5-1); Gastonia Huss (3A, 4-1); Kannapolis Brown (3A, 4-1); Salisbury (2A, 6-0); East Lincoln (2A, 6-0); West Stanly (2A, 6-0); Thomas Jefferson (1A, 6-0)
If you can see the voting poll, click here
This story was originally published October 7, 2019 at 12:09 PM.