Unsung Heroes: Central Piedmont 7A/8A Conference

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've been looking forward with plenty of content on our rankings updates, but we can also look back to the 2025 season. We've looked at several conferences already, and we're continuing by checking out the unsung heroes in the Central Piedmont 7A/8A Conference. There's plenty of talent in this area of the state, and we're hoping to introduce you to some players who may have flown under the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Unsung Central Piedmont Conference Heroes</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Editor's Note: While I may mention a couple of graduating seniors, I tried to limit my actual picks to underclassmen, giving fans players to look for this fall.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>East Forsyth | [player_tooltip player_id='2126976' first='Sam' last='Phillips'] | DB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While East Forysth has some talented—and well-known—recruits on both sides of the ball, its leading returning tackler is a guy who doesn't get much recognition. Phillips has excellent length and good size for the safety position, and he's not afraid to come down in the box and hit people. We think the ball production will come in the passing game, which should help bolster his resume.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Others Considered: [player_tooltip player_id='2111283' first='Christian' last='Cepeda'], WR | Julien Gerald, LB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Parkland | [player_tooltip player_id='2126984' first='Marsaun' last='Byrd-McCoy'] | QB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parkland struggled against a difficult schedule last season, but the future is bright. The Mustangs have a freshman quarterback to watch in the 6'6" Byrd-McCoy. He played in parts of four games on the varsity side of things and led the Mustangs in completion percentage and touchdowns. If the Mustangs want to build momentum, Byrd-McCoy is probably the guy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Others Considered: Cincere Moore, DB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RJ Reynolds | [player_tooltip player_id='2126991' first='De'reon' last='Watson'] | DB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Reynolds finished 6-5 in 2025 to record its first winning season since 2009, and the Demons are building momentum. It was the defense that kept them in games last season, and Watson was a big part of that, especially in the non-conference. He made tackle after tackle from the secondary, hitting 10 total tackles in three of his first six games, all wins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Others Considered: Ziaer Bennett, RB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Reagan | [player_tooltip player_id='2127005' first='Eli' last='Davis'] | RB/WR</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Reagan's game plan was simple: run the ball and play great defense. But teams can't simply expect their plan A to always work as expected, and that's where Davis came in. While stars like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1617737' first='King' last='Kalama']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616114' first='John' last='Evans Jr.']</strong> made headlines, it was often Davis who made key, underappreciated plays to extend drives and pick up tough yards. Without Davis, I'm not sure the Raiders would have made the Regional Semifinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Others Considered: [player_tooltip player_id='1644205' first='Leo' last='Housel-Rajacich']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Northwest Guilford | [player_tooltip player_id='2127017' first='Easton' last='Dean'] | RB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Northwest Guilford had some injury issues last season, which hurt a team that wants to throw the ball all over the field. Instead, Dean was called upon to work on the ground. He led the team in rushing and also caught 31 passes, mostly out of the backfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Others Considered: [player_tooltip player_id='1974721' first='Nick' last='Varga'], DB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Forsyth | Jailyn Moore | WR</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along with rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1636010' first='Tylan' last='Grimes']</strong> and rising junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1671114' first='Braylen' last='Marrow']</strong>, Moore was one-third of one of the best receiving trios in the state. Despite leading the team in receptions and yards, though, Moore got less notoriety last season. The group is among the best in the state, and all three should contribute at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Others Considered: [player_tooltip player_id='1671114' first='Braylen' last='Marrow'], WR | Kam Higgins, LB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>This is the time of year when we have the most time to dive into film, reevaluate prospects, and change our minds about players. Send your film on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>), so I can evaluate you. Want to share Prep Redzone with a friend? Promo Code Helms30 is good for 30% off your first billing cycle.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->