North Carolina’s largest high schools aren’t the only ones playing great football. Each week, NC Football News ranks 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).
We call our rankings the Small-School Super Six.
Two teams have stood atop our Super Six much of the season – Shelby and Tarboro. Both are defending state champions and both look tough to unseat in this year’s 3A and 2A playoffs, respectively. But they certainly aren’t alone in producing notable results in 2026.
There was fierce competition to make the Super Six, as shown by the long list of candidates worthy of honorable mention.
Without further ado, here is our final regular season edition of the Small-School Super Six, with final records and NCHSAA classification:
👉 We also publish weekly statewide all-classifications high school rankings. View the latest Fabulous 15 and Next Ten as we close the regular season.
NC High School Football Rankings 2026
Small-School Super Six: Regular-Season Final
1. Shelby (9-1, 3A)
The Golden Lions have made a compelling case as the state’s top small-school team. Their only loss came in overtime, 27-24, against defending 5A state champion Crest, which is ranked 10th in the statewide all-classifications Fabulous 15.
Shelby closed the regular season with a 36-35 victory over Burns, a 7-3 team seeded fourth in the 4A West playoff bracket. Interestingly, Shelby isn’t the No. 1 seed in the 3A West bracket, however. That distinction belongs to another Super Six team (see No. 3).
2. Tarboro (9-1, 2A)
The Vikings have been a war machine for years and are chasing an 11th state championship after winning their 10th last season with a victory over Murphy. Tarboro’s only loss this fall came 35-32 against Wilson Hunt, a 9-1 program seeded third in the 5A East playoffs. Tarboro enters the postseason following a commanding 48-12 victory over Kinston.
🚨🏆 EASTERN PLAINS CONFERENCE CHAMPS! 💜💛 ⚔️ TARBORO VIKINGS 💪 9-1 Record 🔥 8 Straight Wins The standard is the standard! 😤 The job ain’t finished! PLAYOFF TIME! 🔥 ⚔️ VICTORY FOR VALHALLA! #TarboroFootball #VikingNation https://t.co/tM3ykgQy9j — Tarboro Football (@TarboroFootball) October 31, 2026
3. North Stanly (10-0, 3A)
The Comets completed a perfect regular season with a 49-6 victory over Union Academy. North Stanly is ranked 59th statewide by MaxPreps and 78th by Massey, giving the Comets one of the strongest computer-rating profiles among the smaller classifications.
North Stanly earned the No. 1 seed for the 3A West playoffs so a date with Shelby awaits in the regional final if chalk holds. We’re here for it.
4. Corvian Community (9-1, 2A)
The Cardinals closed the regular season with a 47-0 shutout of Bradford Prep. Corvian ranks 51st statewide by MaxPreps and 74th by Massey, with both systems placing the Cardinals ahead of unbeaten North Stanly.
5. Northeastern (9-1, 3A)
The Eagles climb one position from last week after closing the regular season with a 34-28 victory over Pasquotank County. Northeastern enters the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the 3A East bracket, continuing a strong run that included a state championship game appearance in 2024 and a trip to the 3A quarterfinals last season.
6. Hendersonville (10-0, 3A)
The Bearcats slip one position this week despite completing an undefeated regular season with a 48-13 victory over Polk County. Hendersonville enters the playoffs with a perfect record, although its statewide computer rankings (103rd Massey, 109th MaxPreps) trail the other five Super Six teams. Not that computers decide everything, but the numbers were hard to overlook.
Honorable Mention
- Warren County (2A, 10-0) — Defeated Northwest Halifax 55-0
- Whiteville (3A, 9-0) — Defeated South Columbus 48-12
- Lincolnton (3A, 7-3) — Defeated West Lincoln 47-7
- Northside-Pinetown (1A, 10-0) — Defeated Jones Senior 42-0
- Chatham Central (1A, 10-0) — Defeated South Davidson 42-28
- James Kenan (3A, 8-1) — Defeated Wallace-Rose Hill 13-10
- Midway (3A, 8-1) — Defeated Goldsboro 55-0
- Starmount (2A, 9-1) — Defeated Ashe County 53-0
- Murphy (2A, 8-2) — Defeated Swain County 49-7
- Thomasville (3A, 9-1) — Defeated Providence Grove 50-3
- Walkertown (3A, 9-1) — Defeated Morehead 33-6
- Holmes (2A, 8-1) — Defeated Manteo 56-22
- Eastern Randolph (3A, 7-3) — Defeated Jordan-Matthews 59-6
- Community School of Davidson (2A, 7-3) — Defeated Pine Lake Prep 39-7
- Mount Airy (3A, 7-3) — Defeated East Surry 35-20
What’s Next for North Carolina High School Football?
The state playoffs get underway this Friday, Nov. 6 for the 1A, 2A and 3A classifications. Some teams have first-round byes. The NCHSAA state tournament will conclude in mid-December with champions crowned across eight classifications.
We’ll be back after the season concludes to crown our final Small-School Super Six.
Here are ways you can follow the NCHSAA 1A, 2A and 3A playoff action all the way through championship weekend:
- View 3A Bracket
- View 2A Bracket
- View 1A Bracket
- NCHSAA Playoff Bracket Hub
- North Carolina High School Football Scoreboard
