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Solomon Award: NCPreps unveils statewide Player of the Year chase, class by class

IMG_3283by: Trey Scott09/23/25TreyScott_NC
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NCPreps launches Solomon Award, a new statewide Player of the Year race sponsored by VTO Sports

RALEIGH – NCPreps is rolling out a new tradition in North Carolina high school football: the Solomon Award, a statewide, weekly race to honor the best players in each classification and crown one overall Player of the Year. The award is presented in partnership with VTO Sports.

The chase begins in Week 6 with the release of the Top 10 candidates per classification (1A–8A). From there, the lists will update weekly through Week 7, allowing players to move in or out of the rankings based on Friday night performances.

By Week 8, the field narrows to eight per class, and no new names can be added from that point forward. The pool is trimmed again to six in Week 9, and then to five finalists in Week 10.

At the end of Week 12, NCPreps will announce the class winners: Mr. 1A, Mr. 2A, Mr. 3A, Mr. 4A, Mr. 5A, Mr. 6A, Mr. 7A, and Mr. 8A. Each will stand as their classification’s top player.

All eight class winners then advance to one final pool. During Championship Week, NCPreps will name the overall Solomon Award winner, recognizing the single standout as the state’s Player of the Year.

NCPreps Solomon Award Rating Formula
The NCPreps Solomon Award ratings provide a clear, data-driven way to measure performance across all positions and classifications. Each player’s score is built on a 100-point scale that balances the full picture: 40% offensive production (with efficiency factored in), 40% defensive production, 15% special teams impact, and 5% team success (record + RPI). These ratings will be updated every week to reflect new stats and results. While the numbers set a strong baseline, final decisions on who stays or goes will also include logic and human voting to account for context you can’t always capture in stats. To give more players a fair shot early, the race will open with a Top 10 per classification in Week 6, then gradually cut down each week until we reach the finalists.

What matters most

  • Production: yards, touchdowns, tackles, impact plays, team success.
  • Context: quality of opponent, two-way or three-phase impact, and clutch performances.
  • Consistency: stacking big weeks is key to surviving the cutdowns.

Key dates at a glance

  • Week 6: Initial Top 10 per class announced
  • Week 8: Cut to Top 8 (names locked)
  • Week 9: Cut to Top 6
  • Week 10: Cut to Top 5 finalists
  • Week 12: Class winners announced (Mr. 1A–Mr. 8A)
  • Championship Week: Overall Solomon Award winner revealed

Sponsored by VTO Sports, the Solomon Award is designed to celebrate excellence, fuel statewide conversation, and spotlight the players who define North Carolina high school football.