The Rest of The Best In CMS

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are 21 football teams in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg High School system, and we're going to recap the rest of the teams in CMS very briefly with a key player who was instrumental in their success this season. We may replicate this format for some other areas close to Charlotte as well to bring some closure to another fun year of high school football in the 704/980! This article will be done in the order of a ranking I do on a weekly basis during the regular season called the CMS Best To Last. We'll start at the top, and then work our way through these ten teams. The previous ten were featured in a recent article, which you can see here: <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/the-2025-charlotte-mecklenburg-schools-top-ten-teams/">https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/the-2025-charlotte-mecklenburg-schools-top-ten-teams/</a>. Ok, here we go.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>11. Butler Bulldogs - Head Coach Brian Hales' return had some ups and downs as he dealt with a smaller roster than he normally had during his first tenure with the Bulldogs. However, he found a way to make this team competitive and advance to the 2nd round of the state playoffs before losing to Mooresville. The key player for them was undoubtedly RB <strong>Da'mourion Thomas-Wright</strong>, who looks like one of the best returning backs in the Charlotte Metro Area next season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12. Ardrey Kell Knights - Losing twice to rival Providence in a de facto conference championship game and then in the first round of the playoffs had to sting a lot for this competitive bunch. The Knights had several talented players on both sides of the ball, but WR <strong>Khy'lieb Rodriguez</strong> really came into his own as a playmaker on the outside, and I'm excited to see what plays he can make returning for his senior season next year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>13. Hopewell Titans - First-year Head Coach Brandon Sneed got the Titans back in the state playoffs, and his team played well before losing a tough first-round game to Butler. But there is a lot to build on for the Hopewell program. Several players stepped up in key positions, and defensively, the Titans will return a number of key players. Young linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1896558' first='Naiel' last='Brooks']</strong> is a talent, and I'm excited to watch him grow this offseason and get better for his sophomore year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>14. North Mecklenburg Vikings - North Meck I thought was a team that was good enough to make the state playoffs, but they fell just short, playing in probably the toughest conference top to bottom in the state of North Carolina. This team really leaned on their defense and running game, and ATH <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='897764' first='Bryant' last='White']</strong> is a dynamic playmaker on the defensive side of the ball who probably will show more of his offensive abilities next season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15. Ballantyne Ridge Wolves - Head Coach Tyson Fernandez made some progress with this second-year program, getting them into the win column a couple of times and building some positive momentum going into next season. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they could compete for a playoff spot with so many returning players. Young WR <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1870841' first='Zion' last='Caesar'], </strong>I think<strong>,</strong> is a special talent that is only going to get much better as time goes on. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16. East Mecklenburg Eagles - Head Coach Lennie Sanders had one of the better seasons the Eagles have seen in a while, but they just barely missed qualifying for the state playoffs, which would have been a nice achievement for them. Of course, do-it-all ATH <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1600218' first='James' last='Bailey']</strong> was the Eagles' best player, and they are going to miss him tremendously. The opportunity for playmakers to step up and fill those shoes will be tremendous for their skill players next season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17. Rocky River Ravens - The Ravens had some bright moments last season, but they would tell you that missing the playoffs is a bit of a disappointment for their program. Some of their players have been picking up some steam on the recruiting front, and OL <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2001422' first='Mykie' last='Anderson']</strong> is one of those guys. He has great physical size and nice athleticism, and even with the recruiting challenges going on for most high school seniors, he is a good bet to find himself on a college football roster sooner rather than later. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18. Harding Rams - The Rams made some steps in a positive direction, picking up a win over their big rival and being competitive in a number of games against playoff teams this past season. They have a rising star in LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1970950' first='Trenton' last='Bynum']</strong>, who appears to be a tackling machine for the Rams for the next couple of years. Head Coach Terence Cunningham has made some strong coaching staff hires this offseason, and Harding appears to be going in the right direction. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>19. West Mecklenburg Hawks - The Hawks recently hired a new Head Coach in Randall Ingram, who is a Charlotte native<strong> </strong>and knows there is talent at every school in Charlotte, including West Mecklenburg. Expect Ingram, who coached under former Vance/Chambers Head Coach Aaron Brand, to employ some of those same traits in the Hawks<strong>,</strong> physical football that highlights their talented players in space. Of course, DL <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687735' first='Antonio' last='Flowers']</strong> would be one of the main guys people point to for the Hawks that could be a major difference-maker for them next year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>20. Berry Cardinals - I have said before that Berry is probably the toughest job in CMS, mainly because in the transfer era we live in now, kids can transfer out, but they are subject to a 365-day transfer-in rule because they are a full magnet school. Hopefully, something could be done about that one day, but there is still talent in the halls here. Defensively, I thought they had some bright moments last year, and LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1638169' first='Khelijah' last='Ellis']</strong> is a tough player who was their leading tackler last year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>21. Garinger Wildcats - Head Coach Jupiter Wilson did a really good job of changing the narrative around the Wildcats and publishing a lot of positive press around the program. It was good that they ended their losing streak, and they got better as the season went along. Their best player was probably running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1953797' first='Zy' last='Pharr']</strong>, who showed some nice ability in the open field with the football in his hands. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->