Carolina Gridiron ranks the top fifteen teams in each classification weekly during the football regular season. Teams are ranked based on a number of factors including strength of schedule, wins, and quality losses. Interact with us on Twitter (@NCGridiron and @NCGridironNews) and let us know your thoughts using the hashtag #CGTop15.

	Team	Record	LW
1	East Lincoln	(4-0)	1
2	Shelby	(5-0)	2
3	Monroe	(5-0)	3
4	East Bladen	(4-0)	5
5	SouthWest Edgecombe	(5-0)	6
6	Clinton	(3-1)	4
7	Lincolnton	(4-1)	10
8	Kinston	(5-0)	13
9	Northeastern	(3-2)	7
10	Greene Central	(5-0)	NR
11	Forest Hills	(4-1)	NR
12	Carver	(3-2)	8
13	Newton-Conover	(3-1)	15
14	Northside-Jacksonville	(3-2)	9
15	Reidsville	(3-2)	11

Carolina Gridiron ranks the top fifteen teams in each classification weekly during the football regular season. Teams are ranked based on a number of factors including strength of schedule, wins, and quality losses. Interact with us on Twitter (@NCGridiron and @NCGridironNews) and let us know your thoughts using the hashtag #CGTop15.

	Week 5 Rankings	Record	LW
1	East Lincoln	(4-0)	1
2	Shelby	(4-0)	2
3	Monroe	(4-0)	6
4	Clinton	(3-0)	3
5	East Bladen	(3-0)	7
6	SouthWest Edgecombe	(4-0)	8
7	Northeastern	(3-1)	4
8	Carver	(3-1)	10
9	Northside-Jacksonville	(3-1)	9
10	Lincolnton	(3-1)	12
11	Reidsville	(3-1)	5
12	Franklin	(2-1)	13
13	Kinston	(4-0)	15
14	Maiden	(3-0)	NR
15	Newton-Conover	(2-1)	14

Carolina Gridiron ranks the top fifteen teams in each classification weekly during the football regular season. Teams are ranked based on a number of factors including strength of schedule, wins, and quality losses. Interact with us on Twitter (@NCGridiron and @NCGridironNews) and let us know your thoughts using the hashtag #CGTop15.

	Team	Record	LW
1	East Lincoln	(2-0)	1
2	Shelby	(2-0)	2
3	Clinton	(2-0)	3
4	Northeastern	(2-0)	4
5	Reidsville	(2-0)	5
6	Monroe	(2-0)	6
7	East Bladen	(2-0)	8
8	SouthWest Edgecombe	(2-0)	10
9	Northside-Jacksonville	(1-1)	7
10	Carver	(1-1)	NR
11	Mount Pleasant	(1-1)	12
12	Lincolnton	(1-1)	9
13	Franklin	(1-1)	NR
14	Newton-Conover	(1-1)	13
15	Maiden	(2-0)	NR

Carolina Gridiron ranks the top fifteen teams in each classification weekly during the football regular season. Teams are ranked based on a number of factors including strength of schedule, wins, and quality losses. Interact with us on Twitter (@NCGridiron and @NCGridironNews) and let us know your thoughts using the hashtag #CGTop15.

Carolina Gridiron Preseason 2A Top 15

1. East Lincoln

2. Shelby

3. Clinton

4. Mount Pleasant

5. Reidsville

6. Northeastern

7. Monroe

8. Washington

9. Northside-Jacksonville

10. Franklin

11. Lincolnton

12. East Bladen

13. Carver

14. SouthWest Edgecombe

15. Southwest Onslow

2014 Carolina Gridiron Preseason 2A Top 15

	#1 Shelby
	#2 North Rowan
	#3 Monroe
	#4 Southwest Onslow
	#5 T.W. Andrews
	#6 Reidsville
	#7 East Lincoln
	#8 Lincolnton
	#9 Northeastern
	#10 Washington
	#11 Carver
	#12 Franklin
	#13 Northside
	#14 Currituck
	#15 Owen

Playing football in December is something special. Teams that have made it this far can truly be proud of their accomplishments. Each of the teams have fought hard to get to this point. Nothing says good football like the first Friday in December. This week's games are for the regional championship and a chance to play for a state championship next week.

Carolina Gridiron's Game of the Week

We're going back to the 2A bracket with the regional championship game. After much deliberation and gridlocked voting the past few days, Winston-Salem Carver at Lincolnton has been voted the game of the week.

Carver is coming into this game riding an eight game winning streak. Last week, Carver surprised a lot of people by knocking off Burlington Cummings on the road by a score of 47-14. Carolina Gridiron had picked the Cavaliers in a close one, but the Carver Yellow Jackets exploded on offense and defense to pick up an impressive 33 point win. Carver, coached by Melvin Palmer, is averaging 37 points a game on offense while only giving up 15 points on defense. Carver is 6-1 on the road this year, losing only to powerhouse Dudley 6-2 in the first week.

Coaches Corner - Have not received Carver response yet


Coach Scott Cloninger's Lincolnton Wolves come into this week's contest at a perfect 14-0 with playoff wins over Mountain Heritage, Brevard, and Polk County. In the regular season, Lincolnton knocked off traditional powers Shelby and Maiden by a combined score of 59-7 while also taking out defending 3AA champion South Point in a 43-42 shootout. Lincolnton has been beating opponents by an average of 27 points, scoring 42 a game on offense while giving up 15.

Coaches Corner - Coach Scott Cloninger feels like his players are excited yet very focused for this week's game. Although they are still a young team with many juniors playing on both sides of the ball, Coach Cloninger feels like they are having a great season. "Anytime your team is playing this late in the year you have to be happy with that" is what Coach Cloninger had to say when asked his feelings about the season so far. Key players for Friday night's game include QB Brandon Wilson, RB Dee Littlejohn, and OG Brandon Carpenter on offense and DL Jamie Stamper and DB Jonathan Sherrill on defense for the 14-0 Wolves. Thanks Coach Cloninger for providing this information.


Both teams have won state titles in the past; Carver won the 3A title in 1998 and 2002, while Lincolnton won the 2A crown in 1993 and 2007. This game is a rematch of last year's barnburner in the second round of the 2A playoffs with Lincolnton winning 16-14.

The simulations came back virtually tied, so we went with home field advantage for this week's pick. Follow our updates on Twitter, @NCGridiron.



The official CGI pick: Lincolnton 33 Carver 32



(Helmets appear courtesy of mghelmets.com and are not the property of Carolina Gridiron)

It's nearing the end of November and that can only mean two things....turkey and high school playoffs. This week's games are the sectional championships and will determine which schools will represent their "pods" in the regional championship.

Carolina Gridiron's Game of the Week

From the 2A Midwest bracket, Winston-Salem Carver at Burlington Cummings has been voted the game of the week.

Cummings is coming into the matchup with a record of 12-1 including impressive victories over Western Alamance and Eastern Randolph. Cummings also had the distinction of knocking off Reidsville in Week 9, ending the Rams' then nation best 55 game winning streak. The Cavaliers have outscored their opponents by the average score of 41-14.



Carver is entering sectional play at 11-2 with those two losses coming to 4A powerhouse programs Dudley and Mount Tabor. Carver knocked off perennial powerhouse Thomasville in the district round last week. Carver averages 36 points a game while only giving up 15.




Both schools have won championships in this decade with Cummings winning the 2A title in 2002 and 2006 and Carver winning the 3A title in 2002.


The official CGI pick: Cummings 31 Carver 27.


(Helmets courtesy of mghelmets.com and are not the property of Carolina Gridiron)

The North Carolina High School Athletic Conference served for many years as the athletic organization for historically black high schools. The NCHSAC conducted classified state championships in several sports, certified officials and administered its athletic program. Dr. Army Armstrong of Rocky Mount served as its commissioner for many years.

Members of the old NCHSAC, which numbered over 100 at one point, joined the NCHSAA when the Conference merged with the Association. The NCHSAC actually disbanded in 1969.

Class	YEAR	CHAMPION		RUNNER - UP
Open	1928	Oxford Mary Potter	42	W-Salem Columbia Heights	0
Open	1930	Henderson Institute
Open	1931	Raleigh Washington	6	Gastonia Highland	0
Open	1932	Raleigh Washington
Open	1933	Henderson Institute	14	Belmont Reid	6
Open	1934	Henderson Institute	32	Gastonia Highland	13
Open	1935	Wilmington Williston
Open	1936	not listed
Open	1937	not listed
Open	1938	not listed
Open	1939	not listed
Open	1940	Gastonia Price
Open	1941	High Point William Penn	14	Raleigh Washington	6
Open	1942	Asheville Stephens-Lee	13	Durham Hillside	12
Open	1943	Durham Hillside
Open	1944	Durham Hillside
Open	1945	Raleigh Washington	20	Gastonia Highland	0
Open	1946	Gastonia Highland	7	Raleigh Washington	6
Open	1947	Wilmington Williston	12	Lexington Dunbar	0
Open	1949	Raleigh Washington	2	Gastonia Highland	0
Open	1950	Raleigh Washington	14	Salisbury Price	0
AAA	1951	Greensboro Dudley	13	Durham Hillside	6
AAA	1952	Kinston Adkin	7	Greensboro Dudley	0
AAA	1953	Winston-Salem Atkins	45	New Bern West Street	6
AAA	1954	West Charlotte	14	Kinston Adkins	6
AAA	1955	Wilmington Williston	13	Winston-Salem Carver	7
AAA	1956	New Bern Barber	13	High Point William Penn	12
AAA	1957	Asheville Stephens-Lee	25	Rocky Mount Washington	6
AAA	1958	Rocky Mount Washington	34	Winston-Salem Carver	6
AAA	1959	Winston-Salem Atkins	50	Durham Hillside	0
AAA	1960	High Point William Penn	12	Durham Hillside	8
AAA	1961	Rocky Mount Washington	18	Winston-Salem Carver	0
AAA	1962	Winston-Salem Carver	34	Fayetteville E.E. Smith	2
AAAA	1963	Charlotte Second Ward	28	Raleigh Ligon	14
AAAA	1964	Wilson Darden	14	Winston-Salem Carver	12
AAAA	1965	Elizabeth City P.W. Moore	36	Winston-Salem Carver	0
AAAA	1966	Greensboro Dudley	6	New Bern Barber	6
AAAA	1967	Fayetteville E.E. Smith	6	Winston-Salem Paisley	0
AAAA	1968	Fayetteville E.E. Smith	12	Elizabeth City P.W. Moore	12
AAAA	1969	Tarboro Patillo	14	Kinston Adkin	0
AAA	1963	Winston-Salem Anderson	30	Chapel Hill Lincoln	15
AAA	1964	Durham Merrick-Moore	37	Winston-Salem Anderson	14
AAA	1965	Durham Merrick-Moore	8	Lexington Dunbar	0
AAA	1966	Williamston E.J. Hayes	60	Winston-Salem Anderson	12
AAA	1967	Winston-Salem Anderson	20	Durham Merrick-Moore	19
AAA	1968	Williamston E.J. Hayes	33	Edenton Walker	0
AA	1950	Hickory Ridgeview
AA	1951	Nash County Training School	7	Hickory Ridgeview	6
AA	1952	Salisbury Price	13	Tarboro Patillo	7
AA	1953	Tarboro Patillo	42	Belmont	0
AA	1954	Nash County Training School	19	Burlington Jordan Sellars	12
AA	1956	Lexington Dunbar	6	Chapel Hill Lincoln	6
AA	1957	Chapel Hill Lincoln	7	Lexington Dunbar	6
AA	1958	Lexington Dunbar	32	Chapel Hill Lincoln	6
AA	1959	Lexington Dunbar	20	Clinton	6
AA	1960	Chapel Hill Lincoln	38	Hickory Ridgeview	8
AA	1961	Chapel Hill Lincoln	22	Hickory Ridgeview	0
AA	1962	Hickory Ridgeview	19	Edenton Walker	8
AA	1963	Lexington Dunbar	24	Ahoskie R.L. Vann	6
AA	1964	Hickory Ridgeview	16	Hamlet Monroe Avenue	0
AA	1965	Perquimans County Union	34	Kannapolis Carver	0
AA	1966	Trenton Jones	8	Kannapolis Carver	6
AA	1967	not listed
AA	1968	Wake Forest DuBois	6	Sampson	6