By Chatham Journal staff
Seaforth and Chatham Central retained the top two places in the Chatham County high school football power rankings after extending their combined record to 13-1, but the week’s most consequential result belonged to Northwood. One week after being shut out by Eastern Randolph, the Chargers produced 670 yards of offense and defeated Jordan-Matthews 56-22 on the road, reversing last week’s movement at the bottom of the rankings.
Seaforth maintained the top spot after routing Cedar Ridge 71-0 for its third consecutive shutout. Undefeated Chatham Central remained second after handling The College Prep & Leadership Academy 43-6.
The rankings use last week’s order as the baseline and consider overall résumé, opponent strength, head-to-head results, recent form and notable individual performances.
Chatham County football rankings at a glance
| Rank | Team | Record | Prior rank | Movement | Week’s result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seaforth | 6-1 | 1 | – | Defeated Cedar Ridge, 71-0 |
| 2 | Chatham Central | 7-0 | 2 | – | Defeated College Prep, 43-6 |
| 3 | Northwood | 3-4 | 4 | ▲ 1 | Defeated Jordan-Matthews, 56-22 |
| 4 | Jordan-Matthews | 4-4 | 3 | ▼ 1 | Lost to Northwood, 56-22 |
1. Seaforth Hawks – 6-1
Previous ranking: No. 1
Movement: No change
Conference record: 2-0
Week’s result: Defeated Cedar Ridge 71-0
Seaforth has turned its hold on the county’s top ranking into something close to a weekly landslide.
The Hawks scored a season-high 71 points against Cedar Ridge while recording their third consecutive shutout. They have outscored North Moore, Orange and Cedar Ridge by a combined 169-0 during that stretch.
Cedar Ridge was not a strong opponent. The Fighting Red Wolves fell to 0-5 and had already lost 54-0 to South Granville one week earlier. That context limits how much résumé value Seaforth earns from the victory.
The performance was nevertheless overwhelming enough to reinforce what the Hawks have demonstrated throughout their five-game winning streak: When Seaforth has the superior roster, it does not merely survive. It separates quickly and decisively.
The Hawks finished with 389 passing yards and 165 rushing yards, generating 554 total yards. Senior quarterback Duncan Parker completed 17 of 24 passes for 389 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 67 rushing yards on three carries, giving him 456 total yards.
Parker averaged 22.9 yards per completion and 16.2 yards per passing attempt. On his three rushing attempts, he averaged 22.3 yards. Those numbers illustrate an offense producing explosive gains through both designed passes and quarterback runs.
M. Hinchman led the reported receivers with six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. The Hawks’ depth is reflected in the fact that Parker threw six touchdown passes while the leading receiver accounted for only one of them.
The result continued Parker’s remarkable run. One week earlier, he threw for 404 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 86 yards and another score in a 48-0 victory at Orange. Across the two conference games, Parker has accounted for 946 yards and 12 touchdowns while throwing no interceptions.
For the season, Parker has 2,060 passing yards and 418 rushing yards. He is averaging 59.7 rushing yards per game, while Noah Fuller leads the receiving corps at 94.3 yards per game.
The offense naturally receives attention because of the passing numbers and large scores, but Seaforth’s defensive progression may be more important to its championship prospects.
Princeton scored 56 points in Seaforth’s 70-56 victory Sept. 3. Since then, the Hawks have allowed 15 total points in four games: seven to Northwood and none to North Moore, Orange or Cedar Ridge.
Cedar Ridge managed 111 passing yards, eight net rushing yards from quarterback Matthew Asay and no points. Seaforth did not give the Fighting Red Wolves even a cosmetic fourth-quarter touchdown after the outcome had been decided.
The opponent adjustment remains important. North Moore and Cedar Ridge are winless, while Orange is 2-4. Seaforth has not produced its recent margins against the strongest teams in the state. The Hawks are doing exactly what a top local team should do against an overmatched opponent, however, and the defensive consistency cannot simply be dismissed.
Seaforth’s statewide standing provides another point of separation. The Hawks rose to No. 121 in North Carolina in the latest MaxPreps ratings. Chatham Central is No. 284, Northwood is No. 253 and Jordan-Matthews is No. 368.
Computer ratings are supporting evidence rather than the sole basis for the rankings. In Seaforth’s case, the rating aligns with the game results. The Hawks own a 22-15 victory over Northwood, have the county’s most productive passing offense and have posted increasingly dominant margins.
The next game will carry considerably more weight. Seaforth travels to 5-2 South Granville, which defeated Cedar Ridge 54-0 and Carrboro 42-6. A road victory there would add the stronger opponent-adjusted result that is missing from the Hawks’ recent run.
Ranking verdict: Seaforth remains No. 1 by a clear margin. The opponent was weak, but a 71-point victory, a third consecutive shutout and another six-touchdown performance from Parker leave no basis for a change at the top.
2. Chatham Central Bears – 7-0
Previous ranking: No. 2
Movement: No change
Conference record: 3-0
Week’s result: Defeated College Prep & Leadership Academy 43-6
Chatham Central continues to make the most straightforward argument possible for the top ranking: The Bears have played seven games and won all seven.
They returned from an open week and defeated The College Prep & Leadership Academy 43-6, improving to 3-0 in conference play. The Bears led by enough to produce a 37-point final margin and limited the Royals to one touchdown.
As with Seaforth, opponent quality must be included in the evaluation. College Prep fell to 1-6 and is ranked well below the stronger teams on Chatham Central’s upcoming schedule. The Royals had lost 31-6 to South Davidson and 36-18 to South Stokes in their previous two games.
The result therefore does not carry the same value that a 37-point win over a winning opponent would. It does show that Chatham Central remained sharp following its open date and continued beating inferior teams without allowing them to stay close.
The Bears have now scored at least 29 points in five of their seven victories. Their two lower-scoring wins were both shutouts: 14-0 over East Columbus and 35-0 over North Stokes.
Chatham Central’s defense has allowed 87 points, an average of 12.4 per game. It has surrendered more than 24 points only once, when North Moore scored 28 in a 54-28 Bears victory.
The individual season leaders reveal the two-way nature of the team. Gavin Williams averages 10.8 tackles per game and has seven total touchdowns. Wilson Hinshaw leads the pass rush with four sacks, while Tyler Congrove has three interceptions.
That ability to produce points or field-position changes on defense has helped Chatham Central maintain its unbeaten start without requiring a Seaforth-style offensive explosion every week.
The Bears also retain decisive head-to-head leverage over Jordan-Matthews. Chatham Central beat the Jets 29-8 in August, a result that has grown more meaningful as Jordan-Matthews has reached .500.
The debate between Chatham Central and Seaforth is more complicated.
Chatham Central owns the better record and remains the only undefeated county team. The Bears are also rated fourth in the state’s 1A classification. Seaforth has the better statewide rating, the more challenging résumé and the more explosive offense.
The power rankings favor Seaforth because they measure the quality of performance rather than simply arranging teams by record. The Hawks’ victory over Northwood gives them a better win than anything currently on Chatham Central’s résumé. Seaforth also beat common opponent North Moore 50-0, while Chatham Central beat the Mustangs 54-28.
Chatham Central’s path to No. 1 remains open. The Bears will face Bishop McGuinness, which enters at 3-5 after beating North Stokes 41-18. A convincing performance would carry more weight than the victory over College Prep, although Bishop’s losing record means the Bears may still need help from South Granville to overtake Seaforth.
The larger objective for Chatham Central is not winning an October power ranking. It is preserving the unbeaten record and positioning itself for a favorable postseason path.
Seven consecutive wins have already established the Bears as one of the stronger 1A teams in the state. Their No. 4 classification ranking reflects that, even though their overall statewide rating is lower because of schedule strength.
Ranking verdict: Chatham Central remains comfortably at No. 2. The Bears did what was expected against a 1-6 opponent and improved to 7-0, but the result was not strong enough to displace a Seaforth team that won 71-0.
3. Northwood Chargers – 3-4
Previous ranking: No. 4
Movement: ▲ 1
Conference record: 1-1
Week’s result: Defeated Jordan-Matthews 56-22
Northwood’s response to its worst performance of the season produced its best.
Seven days after gaining only 89 total yards in a 42-0 loss to Eastern Randolph, the Chargers erupted for 670 yards in a 56-22 victory at Jordan-Matthews. The 34-point road victory immediately reversed the movement at the bottom of last week’s rankings.
Northwood’s return to No. 3 is not based merely on Jordan-Matthews losing. It is based on a direct and decisive head-to-head result.
The Chargers led 15-8 after the first quarter and 28-22 at halftime. At that point, Jordan-Matthews remained within one possession and had demonstrated that its passing game could keep the contest competitive.
Northwood then took complete control. The Chargers outscored the Jets 21-0 in the third quarter and 7-0 in the fourth, finishing the game with 28 unanswered second-half points.
The second-half shutout is particularly notable because Jordan-Matthews entered with offensive momentum. Khalil Sherrod had thrown five touchdown passes in the previous week’s 36-8 victory over North Moore. Northwood allowed Sherrod to pass for 250 yards and two touchdowns but intercepted him twice and eliminated the Jets’ running game.
Jordan-Matthews finished with minus-9 rushing yards. That statistic represents the most revealing measure of Northwood’s defensive control. The Jets were forced into a one-dimensional offense, allowing the Chargers to attack the quarterback and create turnover opportunities.
Northwood’s offense was balanced and punishing. The Chargers recorded 291 passing yards and 379 rushing yards, reaching 670 total yards.
Senior quarterback Finn Sullivan completed 13 of 18 passes for 284 yards and four touchdowns. He threw one interception but otherwise delivered efficient production, averaging 15.8 yards per attempt and 21.8 yards per completion.
Running back A. Girard gave Northwood its finishing power. He rushed 13 times for 122 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 9.4 yards per carry.
Raje Torres provided the leading receiving performance with three catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. Torres now leads the Chargers with 400 receiving yards and four total touchdowns.
The seven combined touchdowns from Sullivan and Girard account for how Northwood turned productive drives into a 56-point night rather than settling for field goals or stalling near the goal line.
The opponent adjustment adds value to the victory. Jordan-Matthews was 4-3, had won two consecutive games and was playing at home. This was not a win over one of the winless teams on the county schedule. Northwood entered from the wrong direction and changed the game after halftime.
That does not erase the Eastern Randolph result. The gap between Northwood’s best and worst performances remains substantial. The Chargers have been held to seven points or fewer by Harnett Central, Asheboro and Eastern Randolph, but they have scored at least 42 in victories over Bartlett Yancey and Jordan-Matthews.
The ability to produce 670 yards suggests that the offense’s ceiling is higher than the 3-4 record indicates. Consistency will determine whether the Chargers can turn that potential into a winning season.
Northwood also owns a higher statewide rating than Chatham Central despite having four more losses, a reflection of schedule difficulty. The Chargers’ losses include Seaforth, Harnett Central, Asheboro and Eastern Randolph. Their victories include North Surry and Jordan-Matthews, giving them the county’s second-best collection of wins behind Seaforth.
The overall record prevents Northwood from challenging the top two. Chatham Central has earned an insurmountable advantage for this week by going 7-0, and Seaforth owns a head-to-head victory over the Chargers.
Northwood has nevertheless created clear separation from Jordan-Matthews. A 56-22 head-to-head victory is more meaningful than comparing margins against separate opponents or debating computer rankings.
Ranking verdict: Northwood returns to No. 3 after producing the county’s best opponent-adjusted result of the week. The Chargers’ 670-yard performance and second-half shutout of Jordan-Matthews answered the questions raised by the Eastern Randolph loss.
4. Jordan-Matthews Jets – 4-4
Previous ranking: No. 3
Movement: ▼ 1
Conference record: 1-1
Week’s result: Lost to Northwood 56-22
Jordan-Matthews’ stay at No. 3 lasted one week because the Jets received the clearest possible test of that ranking and did not pass it.
The final score does not entirely describe the competitiveness of the first half. Jordan-Matthews trailed Northwood 28-22 at the break and had demonstrated enough passing production to remain in position for a fourth consecutive victory.
The second half changed the evaluation. The Jets were outscored 28-0, generated almost nothing on the ground and committed two interceptions.
Sherrod completed 13 of 29 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. His 44.8% completion rate was a steep decline from the 85.7% performance he produced against North Moore.
Jaden Fisher continued to emerge as Jordan-Matthews’ most dangerous receiving target, catching three passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Fisher leads the Jets with 325 receiving yards and five receiving scores.
The inability to run the ball was decisive. Jordan-Matthews finished at minus-9 rushing yards after entering the week with Lennox Mordecai averaging more than 70 yards per game.
Without a credible rushing threat, the Jets could not slow Northwood’s pass rush, control the clock or protect their defense. Northwood’s offense repeatedly returned to the field and eventually wore down the Jordan-Matthews defense.
The defeat also exposed the limits of the Jets’ three-game improvement. Their consecutive wins over East Chapel Hill and North Moore came against teams with a combined record of 1-10 following those games. Northwood represented a stronger and more balanced opponent.
Jordan-Matthews remains improved from the team that lost 58-20 to Wheatmore and 45-6 to Providence Grove. The Jets have developed a viable passing combination with Sherrod and Fisher, and four victories represent meaningful progress.
The résumé, however, lacks a win over a team with a winning record. Carrboro, North Stokes, East Chapel Hill and North Moore are the four defeated opponents. Chatham Central and Northwood have now beaten Jordan-Matthews by a combined 55 points.
The Jets will have an opportunity to change that assessment immediately. Southwestern Randolph enters Friday’s game at 5-2, giving Jordan-Matthews a chance to earn its best victory of the season.
Ranking verdict: Jordan-Matthews falls to No. 4 because of the 34-point head-to-head loss. The Jets have enough passing talent to remain dangerous, but they must restore offensive balance and improve defensively against stronger opponents.
Chatham County Player of the Week
Finn Sullivan, Northwood quarterback
Sullivan earns Player of the Week after directing Northwood’s dramatic turnaround and producing four touchdown passes in a 56-22 road victory over Jordan-Matthews.
His final line:
- 13 completions on 18 attempts
- 284 passing yards
- Four touchdown passes
- One interception
- 72.2% completion rate
- 15.8 yards per attempt
- 21.8 yards per completion
Duncan Parker produced the larger raw numbers for Seaforth, throwing for 389 yards and six touchdowns against Cedar Ridge. Parker would be a defensible repeat selection after winning last week’s award.
Opponent strength breaks the tie.
Cedar Ridge entered 0-4 and had lost its previous game 54-0. Jordan-Matthews entered 4-3, had won two consecutive games and was hosting a conference rival. Sullivan’s performance came in the more competitive setting and followed a week in which Northwood was shut out.
Sullivan also helped Northwood respond after Jordan-Matthews scored 22 first-half points. He directed an offense that scored 28 unanswered points after halftime and finished with 670 yards.
The selection recognizes performance, context and consequence. Parker’s numbers were extraordinary; Sullivan’s performance did more to change his team’s season and the county rankings.
Honorable mentions
Duncan Parker, Seaforth: Completed 17 of 24 passes for 389 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 67 yards in a 71-0 victory.
A. Girard, Northwood: Rushed 13 times for 122 yards and three touchdowns against Jordan-Matthews.
M. Hinchman, Seaforth: Caught six passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Jaden Fisher, Jordan-Matthews: Produced 100 receiving yards and a touchdown despite the Jets’ loss.
What the rankings say entering the stretch run
Two tiers have emerged.
Seaforth and Chatham Central are a combined 13-1 and lead their respective conferences. Northwood and Jordan-Matthews are a combined 7-8 and must win consistently over the closing weeks to strengthen their postseason positions.
Seaforth owns the highest ceiling. The Hawks have scored 119 points in their last two games, and Parker has thrown 11 touchdown passes during that span. Their defense has gone three games without allowing a point.
Chatham Central owns the best record. The Bears have answered every challenge, and their 7-0 mark cannot be minimized simply because their schedule has not been as difficult.
Northwood remains the county’s wild card. The Chargers have played a more demanding schedule than Chatham Central or Jordan-Matthews and have now shown that they can produce 56 points and 670 yards against a .500-level opponent.
Jordan-Matthews possesses an improving passing attack but needs a credible win over a stronger opponent. Friday’s trip to Southwestern Randolph provides that opportunity.
Next key matchups
1. Seaforth at South Granville
Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m., in Creedmoor
This is the week’s most important county game and Seaforth’s strongest conference test to date.
South Granville is 5-2 and enters after defeating Carrboro 42-6. The Vikings also beat Cedar Ridge 54-0 one week before Seaforth’s 71-0 victory over the same opponent. 10/09/2026
The common-opponent scores suggest Seaforth should be favored, but South Granville presents a much different challenge than North Moore, Orange or Cedar Ridge. A road victory would strengthen Seaforth’s No. 1 ranking and its position in the Big Seven 4A/5A race.
The primary matchup will be Parker and Seaforth’s passing game against a South Granville defense that has recorded consecutive dominant conference performances.
2. Jordan-Matthews at Southwestern Randolph
Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m., in Asheboro
Jordan-Matthews faces the most important rebound opportunity of the week.
Southwestern Randolph is 5-2 but enters after losing 28-7 to Eastern Randolph. The Cougars will be trying to protect their position in the Four Rivers 3A/4A standings, while the Jets need a quality victory to rebuild momentum. 10/09/2026
Jordan-Matthews must find a running game after finishing with minus-9 yards against Northwood. Asking Sherrod to throw nearly 30 times without complementary rushing production is unlikely to be a sustainable formula against another winning opponent.
A Jets victory would be their best of the season and could reopen the No. 3 discussion.
3. Bishop McGuinness at Chatham Central
Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m., in Bear Creek
Chatham Central will try to improve to 8-0 against a Bishop McGuinness team that is better than its 3-5 record might initially suggest.
The Villains are coming off a 41-18 victory over North Stokes and should provide more resistance than College Prep. 10/09/2026
The Bears’ priorities will be familiar: avoid turnovers, establish field position and let their defense create pressure. Chatham Central does not need to match Seaforth’s enormous offensive numbers. It needs to continue winning conference games and preserve its unbeaten record.
4. North Moore at Northwood
Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m., in Pittsboro
Northwood should be heavily favored against 0-7 North Moore.
The Mustangs lost 50-0 to Seaforth, 54-28 to Chatham Central and 36-8 to Jordan-Matthews. Those results create a useful county comparison, although Northwood’s primary concern should be avoiding a letdown after its emotional road victory. maxpreps.com
A convincing victory would bring the Chargers to 4-4 and give them consecutive conference wins. Anything less would surrender much of the momentum created at Jordan-Matthews.
Final takeaway
Seaforth and Chatham Central remain firmly in place after extending their dominant seasons. The Hawks own the county’s most explosive offense and have not allowed a point in three games. The Bears own the county’s only perfect record and are 7-0 for the first time in this ranking cycle.
The major change comes below them.
Northwood’s 56-22 victory was the kind of head-to-head result that power rankings are designed to recognize. The Chargers did not edge Jordan-Matthews or rely on a late turnover. They gained 670 yards, erased the Jets’ running game and outscored them 28-0 after halftime.
That earns Northwood a return to No. 3 and makes Sullivan the Player of the Week.
Next Friday should reveal even more. Seaforth and Jordan-Matthews face winning opponents on the road, Chatham Central puts its unbeaten record on the line, and Northwood tries to convert one emphatic victory into sustained momentum.