NC High School Football Rankings: eight new teams join the polls this week
This week, eight new teams join the N.C. high school football statewide rankings.
Hosted by The Charlotte Observer and News & Observer of Raleigh, the rankings are divided by classification for public schools. The private schools are combined into one poll.
Some highlights:
▪ All five No. 1 teams remained at the top: Providence Day (private), Mount Airy (1A), Clinton (2A), Crest (3A) and Grimsley (4A).
▪ Unbeaten High Point Christian and Hickory Grove joined the private school poll at No. 6 and No. 7.
▪ Swain County and Mountain Island Charter moved into the 1A poll. Mountain Island beat 11-time private school state champion Charlotte Latin Friday.
▪ In 2A, East Duplin and John Holmes joined the poll. East Duplin moved in at No. 6. Holmes at 10.
▪ In 3A, there were no new teams, though Scotland County jumped two spots to No. 8.
▪ And in the 4A poll, Raleigh’s Leesville Road and Charlotte Catholic — both off to 2-0 starts — are in the rankings. Leesville Road comes in at No. 5. It’s beaten Wakefield and Panther Creek by a combined 91-28 score. Charlotte Catholic has been equally efficient with decisive wins over South Mecklenburg and Northern Durham, outscoring its two opponents 98-16.
Note: The rankings are compiled by The Observer’s Langston Wertz Jr. and correspondent Chris Hughes. Hughes, 47, has been going to N.C. high school football games since 1979. He began coaching high school football in 1998 and began covering the sport professionally in 2002 when he launched a statewide website. In 2007, he started CarolinaPreps.com, when he began to do football rankings. Hughes, who has also done color commentary for Shrine Bowl broadcasts, has visited every school stadium in North Carolina.
NCISAA
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1. | Providence Day | (2-0) | 1 |
| 2. | Rabun Gap | (2-0) | 2 |
| 3. | Charlotte Christian | (2-0) | 3 |
| 4. | Ravenscroft | (2-0) | 6 |
| 5. | Metrolina Christian | (2-0) | 8 |
| 6. | Cannon School | (2-0) | 7 |
| 7. | Hickory Grove | (2-0) | NR |
| 8. | High Point Christian | (2-0) | NR |
| 9. | Harrells Christian | (2-0) | 9 |
| 10. | Asheville School | (0-1) | 4 |
NCHSAA 1A
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Mount Airy | (2-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Tarboro | (2-0) | 2 |
| 3 | Robbinsville | (2-0) | 3 |
| 4 | Mitchell | (2-0) | 5 |
| 5 | Northampton County | (2-0) | 6 |
| 6 | Murphy | (1-1) | 4 |
| 7 | Swain County | (2-0) | NR |
| 8 | Mountain Heritage | (1-1) | 8 |
| 9 | Mountain Island Charter | (2-0) | NR |
| 10 | West Columbus | (2-0) | 9 |
NCHSAA 2A
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Clinton | (2-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Reidsville | (2-0) | 7 |
| 3 | Salisbury | (2-0) | 4 |
| 4 | Whiteville | (2-0) | 5 |
| 5 | Forest Hills | (2-0) | 9 |
| 6 | East Duplin | (2-0) | NR |
| 7 | Monroe | (1-1) | 2 |
| 8 | Princeton | (2-0) | 10 |
| 9 | Burns | (1-1) | 8 |
| 10 | John A. Holmes | (1-0) | NR |
NCHSAA 3A
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Crest | (2-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Dudley | (2-0) | 4 |
| 3 | Kings Mountain | (2-0) | 2 |
| 4 | Seventy-First | (2-0) | 3 |
| 5 | East Lincoln | (2-0) | 5 |
| 6 | West Charlotte | (2-0) | 7 |
| 7 | Northern Nash | (2-0) | 6 |
| 8 | Scotland | (2-0) | 10 |
| 9 | Havelock | (2-0) | 8 |
| 10 | North Brunswick | (2-0) | 9 |
NCHSAA 4A
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Grimsley | (2-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Weddington | (2-0) | 2 |
| 3 | East Forsyth | (2-0) | 3 |
| 4 | Mallard Creek | (1-1) | 4 |
| 5 | Leesville Road | (2-0) | NR |
| 6 | Pinecrest | (2-0) | 9 |
| 7 | Charlotte Catholic | (2-0) | NR |
| 8 | Cleveland | (2-0) | 6 |
| 9 | Cardinal Gibbons | (1-1) | 5 |
| 10 | Rolesville | (1-1) | 7 |
