North Carolina has a strong tradition of producing top high school athletes across a variety of sports.
Many of the state's best have gone on to professional careers or shined on the Olympic stage.
MaxPreps is looking back at the best North Carolina has produced this century, beginning with the graduating class of 2001. Selections were based primarily off high school resumes.
1. Kendre Harrison, ReidsvilleClass: 2026 Sports: Football, basketball
The 2023-24 MaxPreps National Athlete of the Year is regarded as a five-star tight end prospect in football as well as a four-star forward prospect in basketball. He has helped the Rams go 86-1 with a pair of state titles during his three-year basketball career with averages of 18.8 points, 14.4 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots per game. On the gridiron, Harrison has hauled in 112 passes for 1,758 yards and 29 touchdowns in three seasons with the Rams.
Class: 2022 Sport: Swimming
Curzan
was the Most Outstanding Swimmer for three of her four years she
competed in the state championship meet. She broke multiple NFHS national records in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke after
becoming the first female to go under 50 seconds in each of the events
in NCHSAA history. Curzan also qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics at
age 16.
Class: 2017 Sport: Football, basketball
After
attending East Lincoln his first three seasons, he
transferred to Lincolnton for his senior year. The talented two-sport
athlete was an all-conference selection in both basketball and football
all four years. Surratt broke state records for career receptions with
336, career receiving yards with 5,926 and career touchdown receptions
with 80. In basketball, he finished as the second-leading scorer in
state history with 2,951 career points.
Class: 2018 Sports: Baseball, football
The No. 17 pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, Adams earned 2017-18 MaxPreps National Athlete of the Year honors after an impressive senior campaign on the diamond and gridiron. Adams hit for a .453 average with 29 runs and 31 stolen bases as a senior and was also regarded as a top 60 football recruit after hauling in 54 catches for 1,060 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final season at Green Hope.
Class: 2014 Sport: Football
One of the most decorated quarterbacks in state history, Grier broke the national record with 837 passing yards in a 104-80 victory in the state semifinals during his junior year. As a senior, he threw for 4,989 passing yards with a state record 77 touchdowns and also rushed for 1,251 yards and 13 more scores. Grier accounted for 14,565 passing yards, 195 passing touchdowns, 2,955 rushing yards and 31 rushing TDs in his career.
Class: 2024 Sports: Softball, volleyball, basketball
A true three-sport standout, Clarke was an all-state selection in volleyball during her junior and senior seasons and finished her career with 935 kills after piling up 391 as a senior. In basketball, she was an all-conference selection as a senior after helping her team to a record of 31-0 and the Class 3A state title. In her main sport, softball, she finished her career with 43 home runs and 154 RBI.
Class: 2021 Sports: Football, basketball
Maye could have been higher on the list had COVID-19 not wiped out his senior campaign in both football and basketball. His junior season was impressive in both sports nonetheless. In what ended up being his final year of high school football, Maye threw for a school-record 3,512 yards with 50 touchdowns. He also averaged 16.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists on the hardwood.
Class: 2003 Sports: Football, basketball
A top grid-hoops athlete in the early 2000s, Williamson finished his career with 9,736 career passing yards and 116 career touchdown passes after piling up 3,118 yards and 38 touchdowns during an impressive senior campaign. He also racked up over 2,000 career points in basketball and was named MVP of the Class 2A state championship game as a senior.
Class: 2016 Sport: Basketball
Before transferring to High Point Christian Academy for his senior year, Adebayo had a junior campaign for the record books with averages of 32.2 points, 21.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots per contest to guide Northside (Pinetown) to the Class A state semifinals. As a senior, he averaged 18.9 points and 13.0 rebounds per contest against a stiff national schedule to earn North Carolina Mr. Basketball honors.
Class: 2018 Sport: Basketball
White is the all-time leading scorer in the state, ending his career with 3,573 points. As a senior, he earned first team MaxPreps All-America honors after tallying 30.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists per contest to guide Greenfield to the Class 1A state title game. White led the U18 USA national team to the gold medal at the 2018 FIBA Championship the summer after his senior year as the team's leading scorer.
