3 Week 2 Winners

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Welcome back to Weekly Winners, where I pick teams, players, regions, or classes that "won" the week. I've already written extensively about Week 2, both <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/week-2-instant-analysis/">immediately after Friday's games</a> and on <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/monday-musings-week-2/">Monday morning</a>. Here, I'm focused on some of the teams I view more positively than I did a week ago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Winners From Week 2</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">1) Top Three Teams in the State</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In my&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/week-2-instant-analysis/">Instant Analysis</a>, I mentioned&nbsp;that this week began to erode my offseason thought that some of the "chasers" had closed the gap on several defending state champions. I want to expand on that here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've covered North Carolina high school football for over seven years, and I cannot recall a time when there has been this clear a separation between a small group of elite teams and every other good team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Honestly, it doesn't even feel like an in-state team could keep a game close against Grimsley, Providence Day, or Hough.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All 3-0, it's not like any of those teams have played an "easy" game yet. The only of those teams' six opponents yet to make an appearance in my Top 10 <a href="https://x.com/whelms21/status/2094823936911364408?s=20">class rankings</a> is South Carolina's Northwestern, obviously ineligible. This week, Hough dismantled a strong Cardinal Gibbons team. Grimsley won by 36 over a good West Forsyth team. Providence Day shut out Rolesville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I personally think some of the "second-tier" teams in the state got better this offseason. And yet, these three widened the gap.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All three have ridiculous defenses, loaded at all three levels. Grimsley's <strong>Andrew Rodgers</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2112036' first='Guy' last='Vann']</strong> are two of the top defensive linemen in the state, and the secondary has no weak link, with three Division I defensive backs (<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2111006' first='Ramir' last='Harris-Dupree']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1788066' first='Makai' last='Yon']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2110745' first='EJ' last='Davis']</strong>). It's not just the added talent; it's the development. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1815393' first='Ty' last='Shoemake']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2170655' first='Alex' last='Cooper']</strong> are each noticeably better than last season on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hough's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='254550' first='Ethan' last='Royal']</strong> has taken a massive forward step as a senior. He just put up a career high in total yardage and tied a career-best five total touchdowns against arguably one of the best defenses in the state. The emergence of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678655' first='Jahmere' last='Anderson']</strong> as a true star receiver. The Huskies haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2017, but Anderson is on pace for more than that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Obviously, the defense is elite, too, with multiple Power Four commits. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='378926' first='Davion' last='Jones']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422524' first='Josh' last='Dobson']</strong> lead one of the best secondaries in the country.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Providence Day has more Power Four commits than both of the other two combined, with four on the defense alone (<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1239187' first='Caleb' last='Cooper']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1608315' first='Moses' last='Poku-Kankam']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1029786' first='Griff' last='Galloway']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1610603' first='Tre' last='Geathers']</strong>). <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1610601' first='Cole' last='Cater']</strong>, though not the caliber of recruit as Royal, is playing fantastic ball, with over 600 total yards and eight touchdowns through two games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">2) I See You, Union County </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Union County is off to a hot start, and the wins have come from all over.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of course, Weddington tops the list. The new passing attack, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='915835' first='Jared' last='Street']</strong> at quarterback, has been refreshing. While the front seven lost a lot of talent, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1923076' first='Eric' last='Henriquez']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616163' first='Makai' last='Henriquez']</strong> have been excellent additions. The Warriors blew out Mooresville and Myers Park. They'll have an interesting test against Monroe on Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Redhawks might be 1-1, but I've been thoroughly impressed with how they've run the ball on bigger (both school and player size) teams. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2206332' first='Jamir' last='Jackson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678618' first='Kylan' last='Polk']</strong> have combined for nearly 175 yards per game against two 8A schools. That bodes well for their chances in 5A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Polk may have transferred from Forest Hills, but that hasn't stopped the Yellow Jackets from starting 2-0. Receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1818036' first='Kam' last='Myers']</strong> has brought an explosive element to the passing offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2264843' first='Makhi' last='Massey']</strong>'s legs have been a major factor, and he's ripped off several long runs from his quarterback position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, the Yellow Jackets' front seven has been ferocious. Nose tackle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623018' first='Kai' last='Phinazee']</strong> has been a monster on the interior, with 3.5 sacks and six tackles for loss at a position where guys are usually just there to eat up space. <strong>Chris Baker</strong> has been a factor against both the run and the pass, helping the Yellow Jackets down a talented Fairmont squad on the road.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marvin Ridge is rolling. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2198468' first='Levi' last='Kerr']</strong> is living up to the hype, with seven touchdowns and no interceptions through two games as the offense has scored 120 points. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1429533' first='Evan' last='Culicerto']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2370512' first='Elijah' last='King']</strong> have led the way defensively at linebacker, as the Mavericks have played complete football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sun Valley bounced back last week with a big win over Mooresville, while Parkwood is 2-0 for the first time since 2017.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">3) Southern Durham Spartans</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was <a href="https://x.com/whelms21/status/2087748766027653160?s=20">high on the Spartans</a> in the preseason, but even I didn't see them starting 2-0 on the road against quality teams, nor did I think they would beat Jordan by 37 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The offense has been both efficient and explosive, especially on the ground. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1217496' first='Jonathan' last='Dillon']</strong>, <strong>Akshay Barnes</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607878' first='Damien' last='Hayes']</strong> are all averaging over seven yards per carry, as the Spartans have rolled to nearly 275 yards per game on the ground against two quality defenses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Transfer linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1707958' first='Ja'Don' last='Lillie']</strong> has been the best player on a high-quality, star-studded defense. But the entire front seven has lived in the backfield, with 11 players combining for 22 tackles for loss. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2109373' first='Kye' last='Johnson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1942149' first='Ja'quez' last='Johnson']</strong> have combined for five sacks in two games, and the secondary has been predictably prickly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Spartans look like a legitimate 7A East contender, and I'm tracking them closely.</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 -->