High school football rankings: Chambers tops North Carolina Preseason MaxPreps Top 25

Top-ranked Cougars seek third straight state championship, fourth consecutive title game appearance.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Jordan Divens

By Jordan Divens

Aug 11, 2021, 11:00am

Junior Kaleena Smith scores 24 points to lead Knights to first state title and No. 1 in the final national ranking.

Kaleena Smith, Ontario Christian vs McKenna Woliczko, Archbishop Mitty was a BATTLE for the MaxPreps National Championship 742,747 views 1:46

The 2021 high school football season in North Carolina kicks off next week and MaxPreps has your look at the state's top teams. Coming off a 10-1 campaign last spring, Chambers owns the No. 1 spot in our preseason rankings.

The Cougars outscored opponents 435-125 en route to the Class 4AA state title last season. The program continued its trend of recent success, winning back-to-back state championships and reaching the title game for the third consecutive season. Chambers, formerly known as Vance High School, has compiled a record of 37-5 during that span.

Additional defending state champions include Grimsley (4A), Mount Tabor (3AA), Charlotte Catholic (3A), Salisbury (2AA), Reidsville (2A), Murphy (1A) and Tarboro (1AA). Four of those schools appear in the Preseason MaxPreps Top 25.

See the complete list below.

Celebrating a state title last March, Chambers (formerly known as Zebulon B. Vance High School) heads into the fall season as the team to beat in North Carolina.

Photo by Tom Masters

North Carolina Preseason MaxPreps Top 25

1. Chambers (Charlotte), 10-1 record in 2020

2. Rolesville (Rolesville), 8-1

3. Grimsley (Greensboro), 10-0

4. Mount Tabor (Winston-Salem), 11-0

5. Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh), 9-1

6. Cleveland (Clayton), 10-1

7. Hough (Cornelius), 8-1

8. Weddington (Matthews), 6-1

9. Richmond (Rockingham), 4-1

10. Lee County (Sanford), 8-1