NC high school football polls: 1 new team, another new No. 1 in the 3A rankings
There’s only one new team in this week’s N.C. high school football rankings from The Charlotte Observer and the News & Observer of Raleigh.
But we’ve got a new No. 1 team.
In the 3A poll, Greensboro Dudley (6-0) retakes the top spot from Boiling Springs Crest (6-0).
Crest had to rally to beat South Point 61-49 Friday. Dudley beat Greensboro’s Ben L. Smith High School 77-6.
▪ The one new team in the polls? In 3A, West Henderson (7-0) is in at No. 10. West Henderson has outscored opponents 324-67 this season, including Friday’s 28-13 win over Smoky Mountain.
NC Statewide rankings
NCHSAA 4A
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Grimsley | (6-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Butler | (6-1) | 2 |
| 3 | Weddington | (5-1) | 3 |
| 4 | Rolesville | (5-1) | 4 |
| 5 | Hough | (5-1) | 5 |
| 6 | Mooresville | (6-0) | 7 |
| 7 | Cleveland | (6-0) | 6 |
| 8 | Hoggard | (5-1) | 8 |
| 9 | Watauga | (6-0) | 9 |
| 10 | Chambers | (4-2) | 10 |
NCHSAA 3A
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Dudley | (6-0) | 2 |
| 2 | Crest | (6-0) | 1 |
| 3 | West Charlotte | (5-0) | 3 |
| 4 | Seventy-First | (6-0) | 5 |
| 5 | Kings Mountain | (6-0) | 4 |
| 6 | Northern Nash | (6-0) | 6 |
| 7 | Scotland | (7-0) | 7 |
| 8 | Hickory | (6-0) | 10 |
| 9 | Jacksonville | (5-0) | 9 |
| 10 | West Henderson | (7-0) | NR |
NCHSAA 2A
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Clinton | (6-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Monroe | (5-1) | 2 |
| 3 | Northeastern | (6-0) | 3 |
| 4 | East Duplin | (6-0) | 4 |
| 5 | Salisbury | (7-0) | 5 |
| 6 | Reidsville | (5-1) | 7 |
| 7 | Bunker Hill | (6-0) | 9 |
| 8 | Burns | (4-2) | 10 |
| 9 | Forest Hills | (4-1) | 6 |
| 10 | West Lincoln | (5-1) | 8 |
NCHSAA 1A
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Mount Airy | (7-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Tarboro | (5-0) | 2 |
| 3 | Robbinsville | (5-1) | 3 |
| 5 | Swain County | (6-0) | 5 |
| 4 | Draughn | (6-1) | 4 |
| 6 | Murphy | (5-1) | 6 |
| 9 | Eastern Randolph | (5-1) | 9 |
| 7 | Mitchell | (6-1) | 7 |
| 8 | North Rowan | (6-1) | 8 |
| 10 | Starmount | (6-1) | 10 |
Note: The NC polls are 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.
This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
