Statewide NC high school football polls: Cardinal Gibbons of Raleigh slides up to No. 5
Crest High School got an impressive win over S.C. power Gaffney Friday and the Chargers jumped over Cleveland County rival Kings Mountain to take the top spot in the N.C. 3A poll.
Elsewhere:
▪ In the 4A poll, Weddington jumped three spots to No. 2 after a blowout win over Cox Mill. Independence, preseason No. 3, dropped out after a 28-14 upset to Mallard Creek. Mallard Creek jumped six spots to No. 4.
▪ Rolesville’s impressive win over Butler has it solidly in the Top 10, just behind perennial powers Cardinal Gibbons and Cleveland.
▪ East Forsyth jumped four spots in the 4A poll to third.
▪ Chris 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.
NC Top 10 Polls
NCHSAA 4A
| Rank | School | Record |
| 1 | Grimsley | (1-0) |
| 2 | Weddington | (1-0) |
| 3 | East Forsyth | (1-0) |
| 4 | Mallard Creek | (1-0) |
| 5 | Cardinal Gibbons | (1-0) |
| 6 | Cleveland | (1-0) |
| 7 | Rolesville | (1-0) |
| 8 | Chambers | (0-0) |
| 9 | Pinecrest | (1-0) |
| 10 | Hough | (0-1) |
NCHSAA 3A
| Rank | School | Record |
| 1 | Crest | (1-0) |
| 2 | Kings Mountain | (1-0) |
| 3 | Seventy-First | (1-0) |
| 4 | Dudley | (1-0) |
| 5 | East Lincoln | (1-0) |
| 6 | Northern Nash | (1-0) |
| 7 | West Charlotte | (1-0) |
| 8 | Havelock | (1-0) |
| 9 | North Brunswick | (1-0) |
| 10 | Scotland | (1-0) |
NCHSAA 2A
| Rank | School | Record |
| 1 | Clinton | (1-0) |
| 2 | Monroe | (1-0) |
| 3 | Wallace-Rose Hill | (0-1) |
| 4 | Salisbury | (1-0) |
| 5 | Whiteville | (1-0) |
| 6 | West Craven | (1-0) |
| 7 | Reidsville | (1-0) |
| 8 | Burns | (1-0) |
| 9 | Forest Hills | (1-0) |
| 10 | Princeton | (1-0) |
NCHSAA 1A
| Rank | School | Record |
| 1 | Mount Airy | (1-0) |
| 2 | Tarboro | (1-0) |
| 3 | Robbinsville | (1-0) |
| 4 | Murphy | (1-0) |
| 5 | Mitchell | (1-0) |
| 6 | Northampton County | (1-0) |
| 7 | North Rowan | (1-0) |
| 8 | Mountain Heritage | (0-1) |
| 9 | West Columbus | (1-0) |
| 10 | North Moore | (1-0) |
NCISAA
| Rank | School | Record |
| 1. | Providence Day | (1-0) |
| 2. | Rabun Gap | (1-0) |
| 3. | Charlotte Christian | (1-0) |
| 4. | Asheville School | (0-0) |
| 5. | Christ School | (0-1) |
| 6. | Ravenscroft | (1-0) |
| 7. | Cannon School | (1-0) |
| 8. | Metrolina Christian | (1-0) |
| 9. | Harrells Christian | (1-0) |
| 10. | Covenant Day | (0-1) |