3 Things We Learned in Week 2

The second week of the North Carolina high school football season is in the books, and we're getting a clearer picture of which teams had fluky outcomes in Week 1 and which teams seem to be consistent. We'll have plenty of coverage on breakout players, top performers, and specific position groups and classifications throughout the week.   But in this piece, I like to step back and look at the big picture. Which storylines are developing, and what new information was gained? Here are three things I learned in Week 2.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Three Things We Learned in Week 2</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. The Out-of-State Success Continued</h3>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/3-things-we-learned-in-week-1/">Last week</a>, North Carolina took it to South Carolina, winning four of five cross-state games. This week, Virginia fell victim as six teams from the Tar Heel state beat teams from the Commonwealth. The takeaway here is that there's a ton of talent in North Carolina, and here are some top performers from a few of those games.   [player_tooltip player_id='1149961' first='Braxton' last='Johnson'] was back under center for Reidsville, completing 10 of 12 passes for just under 200 yards and four touchdowns against George Washington (VA). [player_tooltip player_id='953008' first='Kendre' last='Harrison'] and Diontae Neal unsurprisingly did most of the damage, catching nine of those 10 throws. Johnson's emergence as not just a competent but a high-level starter allows Neal to stay at wideout, where he can have the biggest impact. Derek Lyons also had a huge game, with a long rushing touchdown and an interception.   I was impressed with how Cardinal Gibbons didn't have to rely on big plays to beat Maury. The Crusaders averaged only about four yards a play, but [player_tooltip player_id='690769' first='Gannon' last='Jones'] and the offense were lethal in the red zone, as he completed 14 of 18 passes and they scored two short touchdowns on catches from Connor McGeehan and Jeremiah Glass. The defense did a lot of the heavy lifting as well, as Drake Stone had two picks. This is a really good team, and a dark horse in what has become a wide-open 8A classification.   Alleghany ran all over Grayson County in a 28-20 win to move to 2-0. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1865147' first='Aiden' last='Love'] had a career-high 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The star linebacker is back to playing some running back after staying primarily on defense last year, and this team looks like a Mountain Valley 2A contender.   Finally, Mallard Creek backed up its Week 1 win over Rolesville with a 3-0 win over Warwick. The Mavericks won an intense defensive battle on the foot of Ashton Blevins, who hit a short field goal to end the third quarter. I'd imagine some defensive players excelled, though I'm still waiting on more information from this one. Regardless, it's a good win.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Don't Sleep on the Southeastern Part of the State</h3>   I talk about it a lot. Fans, media, and college coaches are quick to focus on RDU, Charlotte, Greensboro, and even some in the Mountains, but often forget about the Southeastern part of the state. For whatever reason, players in the Fayetteville and Wilmington areas slip through the cracks more often than players elsewhere.   So, you may not know that there have been some incredible early-season matchups that way. Friday, Jack Britt and Hoggard played a fantastic game, with the Buccaneers mounting a furious comeback that fell just short.   Jack Britt's [player_tooltip player_id='1855413' first='Eric' last='Payne'] continued his strong start to the season, with three total touchdowns, and quarterback Gavin Stokes had another efficient game. [player_tooltip player_id='402288' first='Javonte' last='Brooks'] had over 35 yards a catch while Emorrian Towns had a late fumble return for a touchdown in a 44-40 loss.   Hoggard's a team I haven't seen much of, but I saw that [player_tooltip player_id='1678657' first='Matthew' last='Boring'] had another strong game, with five total touchdowns on 71% completion. He's now completed 75% of his passes, for almost 500 yards and eight total touchdowns through two games. [player_tooltip player_id='1865522' first='Desyn' last='Durand'] has officially arrived. The junior is one catch away from the 16 he had all of last season, and he had 173 total yards Friday, more than double his previous career-high (which he set in Week 1). He's elite after the catch, a guy college coaches need to take a long look at.   Both David Hunter and Micah Hunter have added explosive elements to the offense, one of the state's most potent passing attacks. Micah had a 70-yard punt return on Friday, as well.   Elsewhere on the coast, [player_tooltip player_id='1705645' first='Andrew' last='Boucher'] (Croatan), [player_tooltip player_id='1865542' first='Chris' last='Rowell'] (New Hanover), and Jaquell Davis (West Brunswick) are just a few of the guys excelling early.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Middle of 7A Rising?</h3>   We thought the 7A class might be the deepest in the state, and so far, that's proving true. I'm not so focused on the top of the class, as every class has top-end talent. I'm most focused on the middle of the class, the teams that could turn the playoffs upside down if they play their best.   South Garner scored 69 points in an impressive win over Southern Lee. The defense has always had talent, but if the offense stays hot, the Titans will be huge threats.   Friday, Alijah Clarke had over 200 yards on just 14 carries, with five touchdowns. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='651090' first='Devin' last='Shoulars'] was efficient and accurate, two things we've been hoping to see from him, as he completed nine of 11 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id='1701341' first='Chase' last='Hardy'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1607095' first='Randolph' last='Ross'] continue to prove themselves a threatening receiving tandem, and the Titans could make some noise in one of the hardest conferences in the state.   South Central has played two smaller schools, but has two great wins on its resume. Sophomore running back Kaden Smith has looked good early, and the defense has been strong.   Reagan has a talented offense that hasn't really gotten going yet, but the defense has allowed just six total points through two games. Led by Leo Housel-Rajcich and [player_tooltip player_id='1617737' first='King' last='Kalama'], the Raiders have offenses in a whirlwind.   Finally, 7A favorites Grimsley were without [player_tooltip player_id='284090' first='Faizon' last='Brandon'] on Friday. True freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1048930' first='Brody' last='Lowe'] made his first career start, throwing for 344 yards, becoming the first Grimsley quarterback in five years to throw for 300 yards in a game.   7A is loaded and we're anticipating some surprising results throughout the year.   We'll have more throughout the week. What did we miss? Who needs to be highlighted? Help us help players and let me know on Twitter, (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>)

The second week of the North Carolina high school football season is in the books, and we're getting a clearer picture of which teams had fluky outcomes in Week 1 and which teams seem to be consistent. We'll have plenty of coverage on breakout players, top performers, and specific position groups and classifications throughout the week.