It may still be Week 3 in North Carolina, but Friday night brings a matchup that already looks like a measuring stick for the whole state.
When Hough hosts Providence Day, two reigning state champions will be on the same field, and the winner can make a strong case in the early argument over which program sits atop North Carolina high school football. Hough, the defending NCHSAA Class 8A champion, is ranked No. 19 nationally by High School On SI. Providence Day, last year’s NCISAA Division I champ, has been a familiar name in national rankings for years.
There’s no postseason sequel waiting down the road, either. Because the schools compete in different governing bodies, this one stands on its own: public vs. private, champion vs. champion, with bragging rights in the state on the line.
Providence Day has built its reputation under coach Chad Grier, who has won eight NCISAA state titles - four at Providence Day and four at Davidson Day. The Chargers have also kept pushing themselves with schedules that bring in some of the region’s best programs, and this fall’s early run includes Myers Park, Rolesville and Hough.
Hough, though, has answered the bell through two games and looked every bit like a team that belongs in the national conversation.
The Huskies opened with a 15-10 road win over defending South Carolina state champion Northwestern, getting two touchdown passes from Marshall quarterback commit Ethan Royal. Hough’s defense controlled that game too, holding Northwestern to 195 total yards.
Then came an even cleaner performance against Cardinal Gibbons. Hough rolled 35-10 and smothered the Crusaders, allowing just 85 yards of offense. Royal was sharp throughout, going 15 of 19 for 285 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers.
Providence Day has been just as loud to start the season. The Chargers opened with a 49-13 win over Myers Park, with new quarterback Cam Cater throwing for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Tre Geathers also chipped in a 26-yard pick six, and the game was effectively finished by halftime with Providence Day up 42-6.
They followed that with a 34-0 rout of Rolesville. Cater was even hotter in that one, piling up 330 passing yards and four more touchdowns. Division I recruits Braylen Clark and Ethan Dempsey each caught two scoring passes.
The talent on both sidelines is obvious. Providence Day’s Division I recruits include Griff Galloway, Moses Poku-Kankam, Steele Fletcher, Dempsey, Cooper Hodson, Caleb Cooper, Brennan Drummond, Geathers, Clark and Nate Dollard. Hough’s list is just as loaded, headlined by Joshua Dobson, Davion Jones, Royal, Moreno Fisher and Treveon Pegues.
The matchup is set for Friday, Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m. and will be streamed live on the NFHS Network.
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