Kickoff! The Charlotte Observer’s 2022 high school football preview
Welcome to The Charlotte Observer’s 2022 high school football preview. Please scroll down to see our preseason all-star teams, our annual “all name” team and peruse all of our preview content, rankings and schedules.
The Preseason All-Observer Team
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Jadyn Davis, Providence Day, 6-1, 194, Jr.
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Daevin Hobbs, Jay M. Robinson, 6-5, 265, Sr.
Offense
QB: Jadyn Davis, Providence Day, 6-1, 194, Jr.
RB: Marqies McCombs, Chase, 5-101, 186, Sr.
RB: Chris Peal, Providence Day, 6-2, 194, Sr.
RB: J.T. Smith, Hough, 5-11, 205, Sr.
WR: Kevin Concepcion, Julius Chambers, 6-1, 180, Sr.
WR: Chris Culliver, Maiden, 6-2, 185, Sr.
WR: Christian Hamilton, Hickory Ridge, 6-0, 180, Sr.
TE: Jack Larson, Charlotte Catholic, 6-3, 225, Jr.
OL: Sullivan Absher, South Point, 6-7, 300, Sr.
OL: Clint Barlow, Charlotte Catholic, 6-4, 315, Sr.
OL: Connor Drake, Providence, 6-6, 315, Sr.
OL: Reagan McCranie, Chase, 6-3, 315, Sr.
OL: Luke Rector, Draughn, 6-4, 290, Sr.
OL: Darion Rivers, West Charlotte, 6-7, 275, Sr.
ATH: Mike Geter, Salisbury, 6-1, 185, Sr.
ATH: Daylin Lee, Shelby, 6-4, 195, Sr.
Defense
DL: Daevin Hobbs, Jay M. Robinson, 6-5, 265, Sr.
DL: Eliyt Nairne, Olympic, 6-2, 275, Sr.
DL: Isaiah Shirley, Watauga, 6-4, 250, Sr.
DL: Rico Walker, Hickory, 6-4, 238, Sr.
DL/LB: Michael Short, Mallard Creek, 6-3, 235, Sr.
LB: Keyaan Abdul-Rahim, Providence Day, 5-11, 205, Sr.
LB: Ben Cutter, East Lincoln, 6-2, 210, Sr.
LB: Cahari Haynes, Burns, 6-3, 220, Sr.
LB: Jordan Thompson, Julius Chambers, 6-1, 195, Sr.
DB: Brody Barnhardt, Providence Day, 6-0, 182, Jr.
DB: Taivon Derisma, Chase, 6-0, 182, Sr.
DB: Darren James Hamilton, Mallard Creek, 5-11, 185, Sr.
DB: Will Ross, South Point, 6-0, 185, Sr.
DB: Joshua Switzer, Ardrey Kell, 5-10, 180, Sr.
DB: Keandre Walker, East Lincoln, 6-3, 180, Sr.
ATH: Mason Avery, West Lincoln, 6-1, 175, Sr.
ATH: Keegan Moose, Mount Pleasant, 5-10, 185, Sr.
Specialist
K/P: Jack Berkowitz, Shelby, 5-8, 150, Sr.
K/P: Nolan Hauser, Hough, 5-11, 165, Jr.
LS: Max Schmidly, Myers Park, 6-3, 185, Sr.
KR/PR: Izay Bridges, Shelby, 5-8, 160, Jr.
-- Team compiled by Jay Edwards
Jay’s Annual All-Name Team
Jay Edwards combs through preseason information forms each year and pulls the top names in the area
Offense
QB: Luke Hammer, Alexander Central, 6-0, 160, Sr.
RB: Wisdom Holmes, Parkwood, 5-8, 186, Sr.
RB: Marqies McCombs, Chase, 5-101, 186, Sr.
RB: Ray Jay Waters, Northwest Cabarrus, 5-10, 185, Jr.
WR: Neko Brown, West Mecklenburg, 6-0, 195, Sr.
WR: Nylon Fair-Steele, Concord, 5-7, 160, Sr.
WR: Markell Quick, Hough, 5-11, 170, Sr.
TE: Griffin Reimer, Weddington, 6-3, 230, Sr.
OL: Tai Buster, A.L. Brown, 6-3, 245, So.
OL: Christian Hercules, West Rowan, 6-2, 275, Sr.
OL: Umar Rockhead, Mallard Creek, 6-4, 240, Jr.
OL: Dane Steel, Covenant Day, 6-4, 250, Sr.
OL: Shameko Straight, Berry, 6-0, 265, Sr.
OL: Cash Topinka, Providence, 6-3, 318, Jr.
ATH: Tristan Stitt, Porter Ridge, 6-4, 195, Sr.
Defense
DL: Zairion Jackson-Bass, Julius Chambers, 6-4, 230, Sr.
DL: Power Mba, SouthLake Christian, 6-2, 260, Fr.
DL: Rico Walker, Hickory, 6-4, 238, Sr.
DL: D’Nas White, Jay M. Robinson, 6-4, 330, Jr.
LB: Keyaan Abdul-Rahim, Providence Day, 5-11, 205, Sr.
LB: Ben Cutter, East Lincoln, 6-2, 210, Sr.
LB: Cahari Haynes, Burns, 6-3, 220, Sr.
LB: Sacari Stevenson, South Iredell, 6-2, 225, Sr.
DB: Chancellor Bryant, Ardrey Kell, 5-10, 170, Jr.
DB: Major Leak, Lake Norman Charter, 5-7, 135, So.
DB: Amir Morocco, Cannon School, 5-10, 175, Jr.
DB: Kash Smith, A.L. Brown, 5-9, 160, Sr.
DB: Devine Stevenson, Piedmont, 6-0, 150, Sr.
ATH: Emerson Wall, Richmond Senior, 6-0, 181, Sr.
Specialist
K/P: Win Beverly, Myers Park, 6-3, 180, Sr.
KR/PR: Izay Bridges, Shelby, 5-8, 160, Jr.
Preseason Football Poll
People keep talking about what Chambers doesn’t have. Might be good to pay attention to what they do.
Chambers starts season No. 1 in The Observer’s Sweet 16
Top 25 Recruits
Nearly a dozen of the top 25 recruits in North Carolina are going to play in Raleigh or Chapel Hill.
View our annual list of the top 25 recruits in North Carolina
Sweet 16 Previews
(Profiles of each ranked team)
County Previews
(Team previews, conference predictions, preseason all-county teams)
Regional previews (Anson, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Richmond, Rowan, Watauga counties)
Etc
2022 High School Football Schedules
Maiden, the best little football town in the world, has another big star
Rocky RIver hires former App State star as head coach
Southwestern 4A media day: a long around the league
First-year Palisades kicks off season of no excuses with midnight madness
This story was originally published August 18, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
