Hough High remains the unanimous No. 1 team in the NC Football News Fabulous 15 statewide rankings following the opening week of the 2026 North Carolina high school football season.
The Huskies held off Northwestern (S.C.) 15-10 in their opener. Northwestern is ranked No. 2 in South Carolina by MaxPreps.
Grimsley moved into a tie with Providence Day for No. 2 after shutting out West Charlotte 24-0, while Lake Norman made the week’s biggest jump, climbing eight spots to No. 9 following a 41-0 victory over Sun Valley.
The Fabulous 15 combines statewide rankings of both human and computer sources, using the latest rankings from HighSchoolOT and the Charlotte Observer “Super 25” along with the MaxPreps and Massey computer rankings.
👉 Fabulous 15 Central: See the latest rankings, previous polls and more at our North Carolina High School Football Fabulous 15 hub.
This Week’s NC High School Fabulous 15
| Rank | Team | Class | Avg. | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hough (1-0) | 8A | 1.00 | — |
| T-2 | Grimsley (1-0) | 7A | 2.75 | â–²1 |
| T-2 | Providence Day (1-0) | Ind. | 2.75 | — |
| 4 | Weddington (1-0) | 7A | 5.25 | — |
| 5 | Mallard Creek (1-0) | 8A | 6.00 | â–²2 |
| 6 | Millbrook (1-0) | 8A | 6.50 | â–¼1 |
| 7 | Cardinal Gibbons (1-0) | 7A | 7.50 | â–¼1 |
| 8 | Hoggard (1-0) | 8A | 9.75 | — |
| 9 | Lake Norman (1-0) | 7A | 12.75 | â–²8 |
| 10 | West Forsyth (1-0) | 8A | 13.50 | — |
| 11 | Reagan (1-0) | 7A | 13.75 | â–²5 |
| 12 | Clayton (1-0) | 7A | 15.50 | â–²3 |
| 13 | West Charlotte (0-1) | 8A | 16.50 | â–¼4 |
| 14 | Southeast Raleigh (1-0) | 7A | 17.00 | â–¼2 |
| 15 | Crest (1-0) | 5A | 18.25 | â–¼3 |
Computer models still high on West Charlotte
The biggest disagreement between the human polls and computer rankings remains West Charlotte.
The Lions fell four spots to No. 13 after their 24-0 loss to Grimsley. Neither HighSchoolOT nor the Charlotte Observer has West Charlotte in its statewide top 25, but the computers remain bullish: Massey ranks the Lions No. 8 and MaxPreps has them No. 6.
The Next Ten
Four teams are new to the expanded top 25 this week: Chambers, Jacksonville, Charlotte Catholic and Page.
- Rolesville (0-1) — ▼5
- Independence (0-1) — ▼3
T-18. Chambers (1-0) — NEW
T-18. Cleveland (1-0) — ▼1 - Mooresville (0-1) — —
- Myers Park (0-1) — ▼3
- Jacksonville (1-0) — NEW
- East Forsyth (1-0) — —
T-24. Charlotte Catholic (1-0) — NEW
T-24. Page (1-0) — NEW
Dropped out of the top 25: Garner (21), Charlotte Christian (22), Sun Valley (24), Richmond (25).
Big Games Ahead in Week 2
The rankings could get another significant shakeup this week with several Fabulous 15 teams going head-to-head.
No. 1 Hough faces No. 7 Cardinal Gibbons on Saturday in the Carolina Panthers’ Keep Pounding High School Classic. No. 10 West Forsyth visits No. 2 Grimsley, No. 16 Rolesville travels to No. 2 Providence Day and No. 4 Weddington visits No. 21 Myers Park.
Weather could again play a role in the Week 2 schedule, with some schools already moving games to Thursday ahead of forecast storms and rain.
Small-School Super Six
Each week, we rank who we believe are the top football teams in the state competing at the 1A, 2A and 3A levels (schools with roughly 800 students or less). Here is this week’s Super Six:
- Tarboro (1-0)
- Shelby (1-0)
- Lincolnton (1-0)
- Hendersonville (1-0)
- Northeastern (1-0)
- Corvian Community (1-0)
Honorable Mention: Starmount, James Kenan, Whiteville, Warren County, Robbinsville.
Tarboro defeated regional rival Rocky Mount to stay on top. Shelby has a huge rivalry game on tap against Crest this week. Both teams won state championships a year ago.
Starmount knocked off Mount Airy for the first time since 2019. Corvian Community extended its home winning streak to eight in a row with a win over Asheville School.
👉 More Fabulous 15: Follow the rankings throughout the 2026 season on our Fabulous 15 rankings hub.
👉 Check the Scores: The latest 2026 North Carolina high school scores and schedules can be found at our High School Scoreboard Hub.
