3 Things We Learned in Week 4

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After four weeks, we're nearly to conference play, and some strong scheduling has helped set up the back half of the season. With more cross-classification matchups this season, I feel like we have a decent understanding of which teams could be knocking on the door at the end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a weekly "big-picture" piece. We're always player-focused, but occasionally, we look through the lens of the team, highlighting the players in the process. After taking time to watch some film, review results, and hit some stat pages, here are three things I learned in Week 4.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Three Things We Learned</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. The Return of Elite Defense</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the past few years, we've seen games dictated more by the prowess of the offenses (or lack thereof) than the dominance of defenses, but we may be witnessing a shift. A few teams are riding elite defenses to low-scoring victories. Whether or not that can continue into the conference slate and beyond remains to be seen, but there are some teams worth noting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Iredell is 4-0, having allowed just eight points all season, and is coming off its second shutout, a 19-point win over North Lincoln in which it held the Knights under 150 yards and scored a defensive touchdown. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1332232' first='Ex-Avier' last='Peet']</strong> is off to a strong start this year, playing in a hybrid safety/linebacker role this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I previewed the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/07/predicting-every-teams-mvp-central-piedmont-7a-8a/">Central Piedmont 7A/8A Conference</a>, I expected Reagan to run through its offense. But while there have been some strong individual performances on that side of the ball, everything is going through the Raiders' defense, a unit that has allowed just 26 points this season. Even in a 20-10 loss last week, the Raiders had 12 tackles for loss and three forced turnovers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Raiders have a consistent and disciplined defense with a star at each level. Edge <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1617737' first='King' last='Kalama']</strong> has lived up to the hype this season, with 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1644205' first='Leo' last='Housel-Rajacich']</strong> has been elite, both as a tackler and a blitzer, helping the Raiders create plenty of havoc. On the back end, <strong>Antonio Kelly</strong> leads the team with six pass breakups, has an interception, and has blocked a kick.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Matt Morrow had some <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/09/palisades-at-chambers-defensive-standouts/">great coverage from Palisades-Chambers</a> last Friday, a 14-7 win for the Pumas. They've been fantastic all season, even as the offense has struggled to find consistency.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1321132' first='Dru' last='Drakeford']</strong> leads a strong defense from his linebacker position, as it looks like he's taken a step forward as a senior. <strong>Kyle Byrnes</strong> is the star as an FBS commit, and he's lived up to the expectations. We're really impressed with edge rusher <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1079991' first='Joshua' last='Watts']</strong>, a high-IQ pass-rusher whose numbers don't always tell the full story of his impact. Defense will carry the Pumas, a true playoff contender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Hoggard Stands Out</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hoggard has traditionally been one of the stronger teams, but it doesn't always get the recognition it deserves. However, I'm thoroughly impressed with the Vikings after a dominant defensive outing against Panther Creek. While the Catamounts have had their share of offensive struggles, I was highly impressed with Hoggard's defense and an offense now averaging nearly 40 points per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678657' first='Matthew' last='Boring']</strong> has been excellent this year, commanding the offense and delivering with elite accuracy. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1865522' first='Desyn' last='Durand']</strong> has been his favorite target and had another huge game on Friday, going over 100 yards with a touchdown. He's doing that game in and game out. The Vikings are a team I want to see in person because the 8A classification looks wide open, and Hoggard could make a deep playoff run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Maybe the Schedule Influences Perception</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The eight-classification system and computer rankings component of playoff seeding really impacted non-conference scheduling for the better. Still, it led to some misleading early-season results, especially in the lower classifications. We had a few games on Friday that indicated that perhaps a few teams haven't taken a step back after all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shelby started 0-2, losing close games to Cleveland County foes. Since? The Golden Lions won 90-0 and blew out a solid West Lincoln team 49-14. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1099168' first='Lan' last='Farmer']</strong> is back after an injury scare, and receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='483642' first='Immanuel' last='Collins']</strong> is averaging over 22 yards a catch. On top of that, the Golden Lions have one of the best young defensive line tandems in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687752' first='Tyson' last='Williams']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687745' first='Tee' last='Hollifield']</strong>. Just like that, it looks like Shelby is back. Maybe the first two losses say more about 5A Crest and 6A Kings Mountain than 3A Shelby.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The same can be said about 4A Reidsville, which has losses to 6A Northern Guilford and 7A Reagan. We'll see how good the Rams are as they <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/09/top-3-triad-games-in-week-5/">face a strong 3A Walkertown team</a> on Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'll add one more to this list. Asheville is 2-2 with losses to Crest and a 6A school from Tennessee. For a team looking for another winning season, the early results are promising, behind talented running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1852696' first='Clement' last='Davidson']</strong> and efficient sophomore passer <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1572028' first='Tay' last='Williams']</strong>. The Cougars are coming off a great win over NCISAA Asheville School and could be poised for a conference run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some other teams with a chance to outplay their early records? How about 1A Wilson Prep with four losses to teams near the top of their classes, all in 3A or higher? Or 2A Murphy, with losses to an undefeated team from Georgia and 6A A.C. Reynolds? The bottom line is that we'll see some teams with three or four non-conference wins who end up near .500 for the year and others currently sitting at 2-2 or worse who could run the table in conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>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>)</em>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->