Top Players at Each Position Eliminated in the Regional Finals

<p>It's Championship week, and we have <em>plenty</em> of content on the 2025 NCHSAA Championships, but we also want to acknowledge the stars whose teams lost last week. In this piece, I'm going position by position to look at the best player at each position who was eliminated one game before the state championship game.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Players Eliminated in the Regional Finals</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quarterback: [player_tooltip player_id='690769' first='Gannon' last='Jones'], Cardinal Gibbons</h3>   <p>Cardinal Gibbons was upset by Clayton, but Jones had a phenomenal finish to his high school career in his return from injury. The Wake Forest commit threw for 117 yards and ran for 118, with two total touchdowns, in his first action in nearly three months.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='948088' first='DJ' last='Davis']</strong>, West Craven</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Running Back: [player_tooltip player_id='1122961' first='Shannon' last='Wingate Jr']., Maiden</h3>   <p>Wingate transferred into Maiden for his senior season, and it's hard to think that could have gone better for the No. 8 running back in our 2026 rankings. Wingate ran for over 1,700 yards and scored 26 touchdowns for a Maiden team that made the Regional Finals.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1291000' first='Anthony' last='Barrino']</strong>, Weddington; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='534079' first='Rahlai' last='Anderson']</strong>, Northside-Jacksonville; <strong>Amare Pearson</strong>, Jacksonville</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wide Receiver: [player_tooltip player_id='1421082' first='RJ' last='Lynch'], Lincolnton</h3>   <p>A jitterbug of a receiver, Lynch was phenomenal this season for Lincolnton. Lynch had over 1,600 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns, also throwing a touchdown for the Wolves. He's a top 5 receiver in the 2028 class.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704986' first='Jonathan' last='Manley']</strong>, Weddington</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Line: [player_tooltip player_id='415457' first='Bryce' last='Johnson'], Weddington</h3>   <p>The top-ranked offensive lineman in our 2027 rankings, Johnson, anchored a talented offensive line for one of the best power running teams in the state. He's a potential Power Four recruit and has another year as the Warriors chase another state title next season.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1395230' first='Baylor' last='Duncan']</strong>, Maiden; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1110030' first='Rahshad' last='Swinton']</strong>, Hickory</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Interior Defensive Line: [player_tooltip player_id='823700' first='Aiden' last='Harris'], Weddington</h3>   <p>As we switch to the defensive side of the ball, we'll see plenty of highly-rated players who don't get the nod, as there are some loaded defensive units that went home last week. A South Carolina signee, Harris was unblockable against Grimsley, with several tackles for loss and two sacks. He racked up 11 sacks in his senior season.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='901324' first='Mekhi' last='Chavis']</strong>, Warren County; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='327284' first='Miles' last='Funderburk']</strong>, Weddington</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Edge Rusher: [player_tooltip player_id='951444' first='Andrew' last='Harris'], Weddington</h3>   <p>I might be cheating a bit here by putting Harris at edge rusher, since he split time between there and off-ball linebacker, a position he'll play more in college, but I wanted to open some linebacker spots. Harris had a monster game against Grimsley's talented offensive line, combining with his brother for several tackles for loss.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1699333' first='Emmanuel' last='Miller']</strong>, West Craven</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quarterback: [player_tooltip player_id='690769' first='Gannon' last='Jones'], Cardinal Gibbons</h3>   <p>Cardinal Gibbons was upset by Clayton, but Jones had a phenomenal finish to his high school career in his return from injury. The Wake Forest commit threw for 117 yards and ran for 118, with two total touchdowns, in his first action in nearly three months.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='948088' first='DJ' last='Davis']</strong>, West Craven; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1908004' first='Corey' last='Armstrong']</strong>, Starmount</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Linebacker: [player_tooltip player_id='1678635' first='Jalaythan' last='Mayfield'], Lincolnton</h3>   <p>Mayfield highlights a ridiculous group of linebackers. He had over 100 tackles, including 26 for loss and forced six fumbles for the Wolves. His first step and downhill speed are elite, and he's a future star at the Power Four level.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1044292' first='Skylar' last='Alston']</strong>, Cardinal Gibbons; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='284098' first='Thomas' last='Davis Jr.']</strong>, Weddington; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='451403' first='Cody' last='Hernandez']</strong>, Starmount</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cornerback: [player_tooltip player_id='320308' first='Xavier' last='Hasan'], Cardinal Gibbons</h3>   <p>The top-ranked corner in our 2027 rankings, Hasan's year was modest from a statistical standpoint, as opponents mostly avoided his side of the field. He still finished with three interceptions. He's a high Power Four recruit who could challenge for the top overall spot in the rankings.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='887866' first='Domonic' last='Williams Jr'].</strong>, Jacksonville</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Safety: [player_tooltip player_id='775970' first='Braylon' last='Peebles'], Cardinal Gibbons</h3>   <p>A box safety with excellent coverage upside, Peebles finished second behind Alston in tackles for Cardinal Gibbons. Though a bit undersized, he plays with plenty of power and length, and he signed with Furman during the early signing period.</p>   <p><strong>Others Considered:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1732008' first='Dorrian' last='Medley']</strong>, Hickory</p>   <p><em>Follow Prep Redzone for more high-quality coverage throughout the playoffs and offseason. </em></p>

It's Championship week, and we have plenty of content on the 2025 NCHSAA Championships, but we also want to acknowledge the stars whose teams lost last week. In this piece, I'm going position by position to look at the best player at each position who was eliminated one game before the state championship game.