The top of the NC Football News Fabulous 15 remains remarkably stable as the 2026 high school football season moves deeper into October and toward the playoffs.
Hough continues to hold the unanimous No. 1 ranking, occupying the top spot in all four statewide ranking systems used in our composite. Providence Day remains second, followed by Grimsley and Weddington in a tie for third for the second week in a row.
The top six teams are unchanged from last week. All are undefeated except for Providence Day, whose only loss came to Hough.
There is considerably more movement further down the rankings. Undefeated Clayton makes a five-spot jump to No. 8, while Crest climbs six positions to No. 12 after knocking off previously unbeaten South Point, the biggest improvement among Fabulous 15 teams.
Reagan moves up two spots to No. 7, while Millbrook slips two positions to No. 9 despite shutting out Leesville Road 28-0. Cardinal Gibbons drops four places to No. 11, just outside the Top 10. The Crusaders also won big Friday.
In the Next Ten, Southeast Raleigh falls seven positions to No. 20 after losing to Clayton 21-16, while unbeaten J.H. Rose and Northside-Jacksonville enter the rankings in a tie for No. 23.
What is the Fabulous 15 and Next Ten?
Our Fabulous 15 and Next Ten rankings are a little different than everyone else’s. Our method is to use a composite of four of the most trusted ranking systems already out there.
Two of those systems employ human voters – HighSchoolOT’s Statewide 25 and the NC Super 25 from the Charlotte Observer/News & Observer. The other two use computer models – MaxPreps and Massey Ratings.
We take an average of where each school shows up in those four rankings and then create a composite list based on the best numbers – presto, the best 25 teams land in the Fabulous 15 and Next Ten!
Here is the latest list:
NC High School Football Rankings
After Week 7 games (Oct. 2). Each team’s composite score is included along with movement from last week’s rankings.
The Fabulous 15
1. Hough (6-0) – 1.00
2. Providence Day (5-1) – 2.50
T-3. Grimsley (6-0) – 3.25
T-3. Weddington (7-0) – 3.25
5. Lake Norman (6-0) – 6.00
6. Chambers (6-0) – 7.25
7. Reagan (5-1) – 9.00 ▲2
8. Clayton (7-0) – 10.50 ▲5
9. Millbrook (5-0-1) – 11.00 ▼2
10. West Forsyth (11.25) – 11.25
11. Cardinal Gibbons (4.2) – 12.25 ▼4
12. Crest (5-1) – 13.50 ▲6
13. Cleveland (6-0) – 14.50 ▲2
14. Mallard Creek (5-2) – 15.75 ▼3
15. Myers Park (4-2) – 18.25 ▲2
The Next Ten
16. Hoggard (5-1) – 19.75 ▲3
17. Rolesville (3-2-1) – 20.50 ▲3
18. Palisades (5-1) – 20.75 ▼2
19. Jay M. Robinson (6-0) – 21.25 ▲2
20. Southeast Raleigh (5-2) – 21.75 ▼7
21. Garner (4-2) – 22.50 ▲1
22. West Charlotte (4-3) – 22.75 ▲1
T-23. J.H. Rose (6-0) – 23.00 – NEW
T-23. Northside – Jacksonville (6-0) – 23.00 – NEW
T-25. Ambassador Christian (6-1) – 24.50
T-25. East Forsyth (3-3) – 24.50 ▼1
👉 Want to see where each team stands in all four ranking systems? Visit our Fabulous 15 Hub for the complete HighSchoolOT, Charlotte Observer, MaxPreps and Massey rankings.
Raise More for Your Football Program or Sports Team
Need to raise money for your team? Hour-A-Thon helps high school athletic programs raise funds through a simple, one-hour event built around players connecting with family, friends and supporters. No products to sell and no weeks-long fundraiser to manage. Learn more about Hour-A-Thon and what it can do for your program.
Games to Watch This Week
- Providence Day faced Ambassador Christian on Thursday night, winning 51-14
- Top-ranked Hough will visit Garinger on Friday night
- Weddington will be home against Cuthbertson
- Grimsley goes on the road to Ragsdale
- Rolesville plays a regional rival Wakefield at home
- Reagan hosts a 4-2 R.J. Reynolds team
- Clayton puts its 7-0 record on the line at South Garner (3-3)
Small-School Super Six
North Carolina’s largest high schools aren’t the only ones playing great football. 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 fewer). Here is this week’s Super Six, with last week’s results:
1. Shelby (5-1) – did not play
2. Tarboro (4-1) – beat Greene Central 42-28
3. Corvian Community (5-1) – beat Pine Lake Prep 45-14
4. Lincolnton (6-1) – beat Bessemer City 68-0
5. Hendersonville (6-0) – beat Madison 42-7
6. North Stanly (5-0) – beat Albemarle 55-0
Honorable Mention:
- Whiteville (6-0) – did not play Friday
- Warren County (6-0) – beat SCPA 38-0
- Northside-Pinetown (6-0) – beat Lejeune 45-7
- Chatham Central (6-0) – did not play Friday
- James Kenan (4-1) – beat Midway 29-22
- Martin County (5-1) – beat Rosewood 51-7
- Midway (5-1) – lost to James Kenan 29-22
- Starmount (5-1) – lost to East Wilkes 50-44
The top schools are entrenching themselves in the Super Six. Winning will do that, and so for the second week in a row we’re not moving anyone off the top six lines. Shelby didn’t play this week and hasn’t lost since falling to 5A Crest in late August. Tarboro’s game was the only one remotely close on the scoreboard.
Among last week’s honorable mention squads, Midway and Starmount both suffered losses but that was it. Chatham Central and Whiteville did not play. We’ll put James Kenan (4-1) in our honorable mention group this week after they pinned the first loss on Midway.
Some other teams we’re keeping our eyes on: Northeastern (3A), Mount Airy (3A), Murphy (2A), Mitchell (2A), Robbinsville (1A).
More North Carolina High School Football
Follow NC Football News high school coverage throughout the 2026 season:
- North Carolina High School Football Scores & Schedules — Find this week’s statewide schedule, scores and results.
- Fabulous 15 Rankings Hub — See the complete composite rankings, including how HighSchoolOT, the Charlotte Observer/News & Observer, Massey Ratings and MaxPreps rank each team.
- NCHSAA Playoff Brackets Hub — The state playoffs will be here before you know it. Get up to date on the latest bracket information.
- North Carolina High School Football News — Catch up on the latest rankings, scores, schedules and stories from around the state.
