Midseason 5A Check-In: Teams, Storylines To Watch Before Playoffs

The regular season is reaching its climax, and a lot has changed from the preseason, but not everything. Here, I'm looking back at our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/prep-redzone-preseason-5a-all-state-team/">preseason 5A All-State Team</a> and predictions to see what we've gotten right and what we've gotten wrong. Plus, I'm looking ahead to the playoffs, giving fans an idea of who they should pay attention to down the stretch.   Here's our 5A Midseason Check-In.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5A Midseason Check-In</h2>   Just recently, we dropped our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/north-carolina/team-database/?team_name=&class%5B%5D=5A">Power Scores</a>, an independent algorithm-based ranking of the teams across the state. We as scouts don't touch these, meaning we're free to agree or disagree with them as we wish. They do a great job of anchoring us and giving us an idea of which teams might be near the top.   However, when I refer to any rankings, unless otherwise specified, I'll use my own opinion.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">5A Overview</h3>   5A is the only classification without an undefeated team, not because the class is weaker than the others, but because it has arguably the most parity. There are 10 5A teams with one loss, and several think they have a real chance to not just make a run, but to win a state title this season. I'll break down some of the top teams and storylines below.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5A Favorites</h2>   Again, using my opinion, I'll break down a few of the favorites to win a title here.   East Lincoln: Despite a loss last week after being the final undefeated team in the class, East Lincoln is among the class favorites. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1671861' first='Grant' last='Lawless'] has been immaculate with 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions in nine games. Tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1607779' first='Jaxon' last='Dollar'] is averaging over 100 yards a game, needing just 31 yards in the regular season finale to eclipse the 1000-yard mark. He's our top-ranked 2027 prospect.   While the offense turns heads, the defense has been solid as well. If there's anything going against the Mustangs, it's that loss to Hickory. While I don't have the seeding algorithm on hand, that could cost the Mustangs a one-seed and potentially make a Hickory rematch a road game for East Lincoln.   Hickory: Speaking of the Red Tornadoes, they've rebounded from a tight opening week loss to South Point to rattle off eight-straight wins and clinch a title in the Western Foothills 4A/5A Conference. The defensive backfield is one of the best in the state, led by Dorian Medley and [player_tooltip player_id='1454280' first='Brett' last='Rowland'], and it helped hold East Lincoln to a season low in points last week. Jaheem Jenkins has been the primary offensive threat, controlling the clock on a team that has allowed less than 14 points a game.   Crest: Our Power Scores algorithm has the Chargers ranked 10th in the class, but if we had a composite talent rankings, Crest would be at the top of the 5A class. From ACC commits [player_tooltip player_id='1144640' first='Ely' last='Hamrick'], Lyrik Potts, and [player_tooltip player_id='1032738' first='D'various' last='Surratt'] to younger players like [player_tooltip player_id='1154024' first='Namajay' last='Thompson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1607884' first='Paxton' last='Dobbins'], the Chargers are loaded with talent.   The Chargers' only loss is to 7A Weddington, and both sides of the ball performed as well as could be expected in that game. If I had to call it right now, Crest is my favorite to win it all.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Other 5A Favorites</h3>   St. Paul's   South Point   Jay M. Robinson   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5A Surprises</h2>   Those are most of the favorites, and aside from St. Paul's (who I had in my personal preseason top 10), all of them were in Matt Morrow's group of expected favorites. What's made the 5A classification so fun this year, however, is the sheer amount of surprisingly strong teams.   Northside-Jacksonville: We have to start with the Monarchs. We launched Prep Redzone North Carolina in 2020. Between then and 2024, the Monarchs went 6-45 with one conference win. In 2025, they've gone 7-1 and are undefeated in Coastal 5A/6A play. And they're a young team! Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1687459' first='Reginald' last='Gray'] III is just a sophomore, while 97.6% of the receiving yardage and 99% of the rushing yardage has come from underclassmen, many from the 2028 and 2029 classes.   Defensively, the story is the same, with six of their eight leading tacklers in the 2027 class. Defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1607071' first='Matthew' last='Smoot'] has a case for 5A Defensive Player of the Year with five interceptions and 61 tackles.   It's not unreasonable to take a wait-and-see approach with the lack of playoff experience, but the Monarchs are true contenders and return a bunch of production next season.   Croatan: Outside of a two-point loss to Northside, the Cougars have been blowing teams out left and right. In fact, they've only allowed 65 points all season. A balanced defense has created 63 tackles for loss and 23 sacks this season, while running back [player_tooltip player_id='1705645' first='Andrew' last='Boucher'] has been almost impossible to tackle on a balanced offensive attack.   Forest Hills: The Yellow Jackets have been a reasonably solid team in recent seasons, but the move to 5A has been huge for them. The emergence of [player_tooltip player_id='1678618' first='Kylan' last='Polk'] as a key playmaker has been huge, as the Yellow Jackets have worn opponents down with a lot of runs to the boundary. Led by [player_tooltip player_id='1146633' first='Christopher' last='Baker'], they have a strong defense that creates a ton of havoc, with 14 takeaways on the year. They've won some close games this year, so there may be a bit of luck involved, but either way, being conference title contenders at this point in the season is huge for the Yellow Jackets.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Playoff X-Factors</h2>   Here, I'm looking at a couple of players who could throw a wrinkle in things come playoff time. It might be a guy who has the talent to help his team pull off an upset, or players will be key down the stretch.   [player_tooltip player_id='1604514' first='JJ' last='Gulat'], RB, Dixon   There isn't a player in 5A, or perhaps the whole state, playing better than Gulat. The senior is averaging over 275 yards a game and has 27 touchdowns on the year. Dixon has lost three games by two scores or less, all high-scoring shootouts. Dixon should be in the playoffs, and Gulat has the individual talent to wreck a top team, if a few things break the right way.   [player_tooltip player_id='1709591' first='Yoshua' last='McBryde'], RB, St. Paul's   McBryde has taken his game to the next level, and St. Paul's has the defense to stay in games. He's also stayed fresh this year, with just 130 carries through eight games. Expect those per game totals to tick up as the playoffs roll around. He has the home run ability to break a game open from anywhere on the field.   [player_tooltip player_id='1368142' first='Jeremiah' last='Deese'], DB, Northeast Guilford   Northeast Guilford is one of a number of teams with the talent to make a playoff run and if they do, the Old Dominion commit may be the reason. He's been fantastic this year, making stop after stop and forcing four turnovers. Teams can't avoid him and haven't really been able to scheme around him, making him a key guy.   We'll continue to have content and stories about the teams and players in a fun 5A classification. Keep me updated on Twitter (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>) with stats, film, and thoughts.

The regular season is reaching its climax, and a lot has changed from the preseason, but not everything. Here, I'm looking back at our preseason 5A All-State Team and predictions to see what we've gotten right and what we've gotten wrong. Plus, I'm looking ahead to the playoffs, giving fans an idea of who they should pay attention to down the stretch.