The 2023 high school football season has concluded in North Carolina. We will provide extensive summaries in the upcoming days and weeks. For now, let’s preview next season with a speculative edition of the HSOT Top 25 statewide rankings.

This enjoyable thought experiment is not an official submission for the HSOT Top 25. These are solely my personal views. The official HSOT Top 25 rankings are determined by a consensus among the staff at HighSchoolOT.

If you didn’t see it, here are the final official rankings for the top 25 HSOT and area codes for the 2023 football season.

According to the early Top 25 rankings, Rolesville has claimed the top spot in the state following their successful 2023 season with a 12-2 record. Despite losing by a touchdown in a rematch against Cardinal Gibbons in the fourth round, Rolesville is poised for a strong comeback with 17 of their 22 starters returning, including standout players quarterback Braden Atkinson and running back De’Von Thomas, who will both be seniors next year.

Hickory is ranked second on the list. In 2023, the Red Tornadoes emerged as the champions of the 3A state championship with a score of 33-26 against Seventy-First. Half of Hickory’s starters will be returning, including the quarterback Brady Stober who was named MVP of the state championship and running back Isaiah Lackey who was recognized as the most outstanding offensive player. Additionally, Hickory’s JV team was one of the top teams in North Carolina, boasting a 10-0 record and outscoring opponents 456-104.

Out of all the teams that competed in last week’s state championships, only Clinton, Hoggard, and Tarboro are not included in this Top 25.

Below is an early version of the Top 25 rankings. Each team is listed with its record from the year 2023.

1. Rolesville (12-2)
2. Hickory (16-0 3A state champ)

3. Runner-up in the 4A West division with a record of 11 wins and 4 losses.

4. Seventy-First (15-1 3A state runner-up)

5. Weddington, the state champion in the 4A division with a record of 14 wins and 2 losses.

6. East Forsyth (10-2)
7. Havelock (13-1)
8. Butler (12-2)

9. Providence Day, the reigning 12-1 champion of the NCISAA DI state championship.

10. Cardinal Gibbons was the runner-up in the 4A East division with a record of 12-3.

11. Reidsville, the winner of the 2A state championship with a record of 15-1.

12. Hough (11-2)

13. Dudley High School finished as the runner-up in the 3A West division with a record of 14 wins and 1 loss.

14. Grimsley (13-1)
15. Watauga (12-1)
16. Mount Tabor (8-5)
17. Cleveland (13-1)
18. Mallard Creek (7-5)
19. Chambers (8-4)
20. Pinecrest (11-1)
21. Southern Durham (7-5)
22. Jacksonville (9-2)
23. Laney (10-3)

24. Northeastern was the runner-up in the 2A East division with a record of 14 wins and 1 loss.

25. Mount Airy (16-0 1A state champ)

Source: highschoolot.com