Top 10 Games of the 2025 North Carolina High School Football Season

We continue our look at the top games of the 2025 season with a tour of North Carolina high school football, where some of the best football on the East Coast is played. From programs like Grimsley, Mallard Creek and others dotting the state landscape, we compiled what we believe are the best games being played in the Tar Heel State this fall.

1. West Charlotte vs. Grimsley, Aug. 22

The 2025 Keep Pounding Classic hosted by the NFL’s Carolina Panthers will feature two games on Aug. 22 to open up the high school football season in the Tar Heel State and this is one of them. Two state champions clashing at Bank of America Stadium in downtown Charlotte really raising the stakes. Both teams won state championships last season, Grimsley in 4A and West Charlotte in 3A. There’s really not much of a better game and way to start the 2025 campaign, in our humble opinion.

2. Rolesville at Mallard Creek, Aug. 22

Let’s throw the Power 4 prospects and out-of-state opponents out the window. This is a strong, all-North Carolina high school football game. Not saying these teams are just above average by any means as they are a couple of the best when it comes to the state’s Class 4A classification. Rolesville made a run all the way to the state championship, just coming up short against Grimsley at the end. If history tells us anything, this matchup could be the regular season opener that tops them all.

3. East Forsyth at Grimsley, Sept. 5

Two North Carolina state powers collide when the Whirlies welcome East Forsyth into town just a couple weeks into the season. Grimsley features one of the top high school quarterbacks in the country in Faizon Brandon, who threw for 2,814 yards, 35 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 2024. Brandon, a Tennessee commitment, will look to lead the Whirlies against a Eagles bunch that reached the 4A’s fourth round of the playoffs last season. This should be a slobberknocker of a game.  

4. South Pointe (S.C.) vs. William Amos Hough, Aug. 22

Another game that will be taking place in the Carolina Panthers’ Keep Pounding Classic is this one between the two neighboring state powerhouses. The Huskies came just a touchdown away from upending last year’s 4A champs, Grimsley, in the postseason. Hough brings back a slew of key returners, including 4-star Texas commitment Samari Matthews at cornerback.

5. Mooresville at Weddington, Aug. 22

There’s so many great regular season openers and we just couldn’t leave this one off as we hit the midway point of our Top 10 list. Weddington lost in the 4A state semifinals, but brings back plenty of talent to make another run. A lot of answers, especially defensively, will be answered for the Warriors when they go head-to-head with Mooresville, led by Temple commitment Brady Norman (2,543 yards, 25 touchdowns in 2024) under center.

6. Providence Day at Rolesville, Aug. 29

If you want a game loaded with prospects, you might not go too much farther than when the Chargers travel to take on the Rams in Week 2. Chad Grier’s Providence Day crew is loaded with talent, esepcially on the offense side of the ball, led by a pair of Clemson commitments in offensive lineman Leo Delaney and wide receiver Gordon Sellars. They will be countered by a defensive front seven that’s led by Power 4 EDGE’s in 2026 Zavion Griffin-Haynes and 2027 Jayden Broadie.

7. Varina (VA) at Grimsley, Oct. 3

Yes, we have Grimsley on our list for a third time and rightfully so. They will head into the regular season as a national power and whenever Brandon is under center, it’s an opportunity to see one of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks. They will face off against one of Virginia’s top programs in Varina, who feature West Virginia commitment SirPaul Cheeks at running back. We think this game has plenty of potential behind it to be a good one.

8. Mallard Creek at Independence, Oct. 17

Mallard Creek makes a second appearance on our list as we mark this contest off as another one we feel folks should hop in their vehicles to go check out. These teams did not meet last season, but with the kind of talent each club brings back, this could certainly bring some flare as the programs head into the final weeks. Independence has some solid talent on defense, including Notre Dame commit Nick Reddish at safety and Virginia commitment Dallas Brannon at linebacker.

9. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Ga.) at Providence Day, Sept. 19

Last time the Chargers faced Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, they narrowly lost to the Eagles in a 42-39 shootout in the NCISAA Division I playoffs. Though Providence Day lost both meetings in the 2024 season, we feel like this one has been eating at the Chargers all off-season. Not many times that teams can get the best of them twice in one campaign. Easily one of the better middle of the season matchups in the state.

10. Maury (VA) at Cardinal Gibbons, Aug. 29

Last, but certainly not least is a second Virginia-North Carolina tilt on our list. Maury enters the season as the top-ranked team in Virginia and they’ll take on a Cardinal Gibbons club that went 12-2 last fall in a challenging 4A classification. The Crusaders return a number of starters on both sides of the ball, including 2026 3-star quarterback Gannon Jones (Wake Forest commit), who completed 201 of 294 passes for 3,194 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2024.