North Carolina High School Football Top 25 State Rankings - Nov. 4, 2025

Cleveland falls five spots after an upset loss to Clayton; Most of the Top 25 enjoys a bye this week as the state playoffs get underway

Mike Duprez | Nov 4, 2025

Images from Ashbrook's 50-7 win over East Gaston in North Carolina high school football on Sept. 12, 2024. / Joe L. Hughes II / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The North Carolina High School Football Top 25 remained largely unchanged, as almost every team in our Top 25 (with exception of two), enjoy a bye this week as the state playoffs are set to get underway.

One team on the move in this week's rankings, in a negative direction unfortunately, is Cleveland, which dropped several spots, from No. 4 to No. 9, after an upset loss to Clayton. This opened the door for five teams – Cardinal Gibbons, Weddington, Jacksonville, Hoggard and Tarboro – to each climb one spot inside the Top 10.

Everyone else in the Top 25 won or had a bye which allowed them to hold their ground in this week's Top 25.

1. Grimsley (10-0)

Previous rank: 1

Defeated Ben L. Smith 45-8; next idle

2. Providence Day (10-0)

Previous rank: 2

Defeated Charlotte Country Day 49-0; next vs. North Raleigh Christian

3. Hough (10-0)

Previous rank: 3

Defeated Hopewell 56-0; next idle

4. Cardinal Gibbons (9-1)

Previous rank: 5

Defeated Cary 46-0; next idle

5. Weddington (9-1)

Previous rank: 6

Idle; next idle

6. Jacksonville (9-0)

Previous rank: 7

Defeated White Oak; next idle

7. Hoggard (10-0)

Previous rank: 8

Defeated Ashley 38-8; next idle

8. Tarboro (10-0)

Previous rank: 9

Defeated Kinston 42-35; next idle

9. Cleveland (9-1)

Previous rank: 4

Lost 20-3 to Clayton; next idle

10. Seventy-First

Previous rank: 10

Defeated South View 46-22; next idle

11. Ashbrook (10-0)

Previous rank: 11

Defeated Huss 16-0; next idle

12. West Charlotte (8-2)

Previous rank: 12

Defeated North Mecklenburg 43-0; next idle

13. Watauga (10-0)

Previous rank: 13

Defeated St. Stephens 28-18; next idle

14. Jordan (10-0)

Previous rank: 14

Defeated Willow Spring 43-3; next idle

15. Hickory (9-1)

Previous rank: 15

Defeated Bandys 47-45 in OT; next idle

16. Millbrook (10-0)

Previous rank: 16

Defeated Corinth Holders 25-0; next idle

17. Independence (8-2)

Previous rank: 17

Defeated Butler 40-7; next idle

18. Northern Guilford (9-1)

Previous rank: 18

Defeated Eastern Guilford 35-0; next idle

19. Myers Park (8-2)

Previous rank: 19

Defeated South Mecklenburg 40-14; next idle

20. Crest (8-2)

Previous rank: 20

Defeated Kings Mountain 70-0; next idle

21. Stuart Cramer (8-2)

Previous rank: 21

Defeated East Gaston 30-7; next idle

22. Reidsville (8-2)

Previous rank: 23

Defeated McMichael 69-12; next idle

23. East Lincoln (9-1)

Previous rank: 23

Idle; next idle

24. Freedom (9-1)

Previous rank: 24

Defeated McDowell 41-0; next idle

25. West Forsyth (8-2)

Previous rank: 25

Defeated Parkland 53-0; next vs. Northwest Guilford

Published Nov 4, 2025

MIKE DUPREZ

Mike Duprez became a freelance sports journalist for Scorebooklive.com several months after retiring from the newspaper business. A native of Oakland, California, Duprez moved around as a child due to his father’s service in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. Duprez, who lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had 30 years of experience in newspapers as well as other endeavors before retiring at the end of 2021. He covers stories in both North Carolina and South Carolina for Scorebooklive.com.