North Stokes Vikings 2026 Season Preview

<p><em>Not a subscriber? Promo code Helms30 will get you 30% off your first billing cycle. Coaches, if you want your team featured in a team preview, <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeB9YBH_he_sOP-lhvI26XRh0P9vobS8PsVJy_5QCJ4jQLTvQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=118251332469799088451">fill out our preseason survey</a>. </em></p>   <p>Now that it's July, we're around seven weeks away from the start of the North Carolina high school football season. Accordingly, we're going in depth on plenty of schools across the state. Here, we're breaking down a <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/03/1a-sleepers-in-2026/">potential 1A dark horse</a>. What can the North Stokes Vikings do in 2026?</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">North Stokes Vikings 2026 Season Preview</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Key Info</h3>   <p><strong>Head Coach: </strong>Kolt Bullington</p>   <p><strong>2025 Record:</strong> 4-7</p>   <p><strong>2026 Conference:</strong> Greater Triad 1A/2A</p>   <p><strong>Key Games: </strong>vs. South Davidson (10/23), @ South Stokes (9/18), @ Cherryville (8/21)</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Key Storyline</h3>   <p>The Vikings have several analytical indicators pointing in opposite directions this year. The question is which will prevail.</p>   <p>A couple of those point toward a regression. The Vikings won four one-score games, something that's hard to maintain year over year, while losing several blowouts to teams from larger classifications. Typically, those are more predictive.</p>   <p>However, the Vikings return an abnormally high percentage of their production from last season, while several other teams on the schedule do not. I'd expect North Stokes to be far more competitive in the majority of its games, especially given the strides in strength and conditioning.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Stars</h3>    <p class="text-gray-700">Shelton is one of the top quarterbacks in the 1A class. He split time behind center last season and only took over as the starter for a departing senior late in the year. In three games as the primary guy, he threw for nearly 900 yards, six touchdowns, and completed nearly 80 percent of his passes. The team is his this year, and he'll have the chance to get them off to a good start against a difficult non-conference stretch.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Bodenhamer is a two-way star for the Vikings, leading the team in both receiving and sacks last year. He caught nine touchdown passes, finishing among the leaders in the 1A class, and had 17 tackles for loss from his outside linebacker position. A bona fide 1A star, we expect him to finish among the best in the class this year.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Collins is one of the best defensive linemen in the state, full stop. An all-county selection last year, he can both two-gap, freeing his linebackers, and shoot gaps to blow up plays himself. He did a lot of the latter last year, actually leading the team in tackles as an interior defender. He plays both ways, too, and is one of the top college prospects in the entire 1A class.</p>    <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Biggest Losses</h3>   <p><strong>Aiden Bennett</strong> | WR: Bennett was Bodenhamer's running mate at receiver, also earning all-county honors. His departure leaves a void in the passing game that some of the younger receivers will need to fill.</p>   <p><strong>Gavin Hernandez</strong> | LB: North Stokes had several talented linebackers last year and gets most of them back. Still, Hernandez will be a big loss after finishing second on the team in tackles.</p>   <p><strong>Talon Cole</strong> | DB: Though undersized, Cole was a standout defensive back who wasn't afraid to be physical. He also had an interception, one of six the Vikings lost via these three departures.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Breakout Candidates</h3>    <p class="text-gray-700">Whitener played almost exclusively on defense last year, but graduations in the receiver room could thrust him into the starting rotation. I'd actually expect him to put up some of the best numbers in 1A among receivers. Given his size, speed, ball skills, and football I.Q., we really like the rising junior.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Harrison is one of the better young players in the state. He's already shown his abilities on both sides of the ball, with 14 catches at tight end and excellent play defensively. He's a guy who could stuff the stat sheet as a blitzer, in coverage, or in the running game.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Taitt's another guy the coaching staff expects to contribute on both sides of the ball. He was fifth in receptions on a pass-heavy offense last season, and should be relied upon even more heavily this year. He also racked up 22 tackles at linebacker and should start there this year.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">After starting last year at center, Umberger has had a strong offseason. He's attacked workouts and added weight, convincing the coaching staff that he will once again anchor the offensive line and also earn playing time on defense. If he starts the year the way he did in the offseason, he should take a considerable step forward.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Verdict</h2>   <p>Not all 4-7 records are identical, and North Stokes has to feel good about its 4-2 conference record last season. In fact, the Vikings had only won five conference games in the decade before last year. That's clear progress.</p>   <p>Given the losses some of the top teams in the conference will have to overcome this season, the Vikings should be right in the thick of it.</p>   <p>Bishop McGuinness will still be difficult to beat, but North Stokes should be one of the best in the conference. A winning season certainly doesn't seem out of the question, even with the difficult non-conference slate.</p>   <p><em>A special thanks to North Stokes head coach Kurt Bullington for sharing his prospect sheet and thoughts on his team.</em></p>

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