Welcome teams from Union, Cabarrus counties into The Observer’s Sweet 16 football poll
Welcome Sun Valley and Northwest Cabarrus to The Observer’s Sweet 16 high school football poll.
Sun Valley (5-0) has outscored teams by a combined total of 215-54, and that includes a 34-33 win against Charlotte’s Myers Park. Sun Valley has shut out its previous two opponents, beating Parkwood 49-0 on Sept. 8 and Alexander Central 48-0 on Friday.
Sun Valley has not had a winning season in five years, when the team finished 10-3 in 2018 under coach Tad Baucom, when former UNC star Sam Howell was the quarterback. This is the first time Sun Valley has been 5-0 since 1978.
Sun Valley Football is 5-0, when was the last time they were 5-0? The last time was 1978, the first time.. 1966. SV Football is back & better than ever! Keep it up fellas! Thanks
Northwest Cabarrus (4-0) has beaten opponents by a combined total of 162-19, including Friday’s 63-0 win against South Rowan. In fact, only one team has scored against Northwest Cabarrus, which beat A.L. Brown 30-19 on Aug. 25.
▪ Elsewhere, Rock Hill’s Northwestern jumps six spots to No. 6 after beating S.C. 5A power Gaffney 49-24 on Friday.
Northwestern led 42-3 early in the third quarter and 49-10 at the start of the fourth against a Gaffney team that’s beaten two schools that have been ranked in The Sweet 16 for most of the season — Rock Hill’s South Pointe High and Mallard Creek. South Pointe is No. 9 this week and Mallard Creek dropped out after a 17-15 loss at home Friday to West Charlotte.
About the poll: The Sweet 16 is compiled by Chris Hughes, 47, who 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.
