Talking Preps: High school rankings, vaping and coaches’ pay

A new episode of The Observer’s Talking Preps is out. This week’s topics include high school football rankings, vaping among student-athletes and coaches’ compensation.

Also on tap:

▪ Chris Hughes previews the state’s top games.

▪ A review of the latest statewide rankings.

▪ A breakdown of Charlotte-area games including: West Charlotte at Chambers, Northwest Cabarrus at JM Robinson, High Point Christian at Hickory Grove and Shelby at East Gaston.

▪ Jonathan Grice breaks down the state’s game of the week: Rabun Gap (GA) at Providence Day.

▪ And in the “Coach vs Coach” segment, Gary Richmond and Sam Greiner debate RPI rankings and if they should be used for playoff seedings. They also offer solutions to improving compensation for prep coaches.

Langston Wertz Jr.

The Charlotte Observer

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Langston Wertz Jr. is an award-winning sports journalist who has worked at the Observer since 1988. He’s covered everything from Final Fours and NFL to video games and Britney Spears. Wertz -- a West Charlotte High and UNC grad -- is the rare person who can answer “Charlotte,” when you ask, “What city are you from.” Support my work with a digital subscription