Thursday football report: Big win for Mallard Creek; West Charlotte shut out
Mallard Creek opened the 2026 high school football season Thursday night with a statement victory.
But two other Charlotte schools suffered losses in games against Greensboro football powers.
Mallard Creek outscored perennial Raleigh-area power Rolesville 20-6 in the game’s final 13 minutes and trounced the Rams 45-25.
The news wasn’t so good for West Charlotte, which fell into an early hole and dropped a 24-0 decision to defending 7A state champion Greensboro Grimsley.
Also losing on the road was Charlotte Christian, which fell 56-23 to Greensboro Page.
West Charlotte and Charlotte Christian each were playing their first games under new head coaches.
Here is a look at Thursday’s games, followed by scores and the schedule for the rest of the weekend.
FEATURED MECKLENBURG GAMES
MALLARD CREEK 45, ROLESVILLE 25 – The Mavericks blew open a close game with a late surge.
Leading 25-19 at halftime, the Mavericks built their lead to 32-19 on a fourth-down pass from quarterback Cailen Napier to Devin Dukes.
Rolesville then drove to the Mallard Creek 30, but Isaiah Johnson’s fourth-down sack ended the Rams’ drive.
On the second play of Mallard Creek’s next possession, Xzavier Edmond ran 60 yards down the right sidelined to a touchdown, giving the Mavs a 39-19 lead.
Rolesville scored on a punt return, but the Mavericks rebuilt their lead on Joshua Person’s 5-yard touchdown run with 2:43 left. Person set up the score with a 37-yard run earlier in the drive.
GRIMSLEY 24, WEST CHARLOTTE 0 – The host Whirlies won their 32nd straight game and ruined the West Charlotte head coaching debut for D.J. McFadden.
Grimsley scored 21 points in the first quarter.
On the Whirlies’ second play from scrimmage, Brody Lowe fired a 75-yard pass to Alex Cooper for a touchdown.
Grimsley then blocked a West Charlotte punt and drove for another score, on Ty Shumate’s 1-yard run.
After an interception, Grimsley scored again, on a 45-yard pass from Lowe to Cooper.
PAGE 56, CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 23 – The Knights fell into an early hole and lost their opener in Greensboro. It was the Charlotte Christian head coaching debut of Jammie Deese, former head coach at Forest Hills.
OTHER MECKLENBURG GAMES
BERRY ACADEMY 19, WEST MECKLENBURG 13 – The host Cardinals scored on a run with three minutes left for the victory.
BRADFORD PREP 6, THOMAS JEFFERSON ACADEMY 0 – The Bears, playing their first varsity football game, went on the road and posted a shutout victory.
CHAMBERS 43, GRAY COLLEGIATE 21 – Coach Captain Munnerlyn’s team opened the season with a convincing win over Gray Collegiate, a Columbia charter school that is a traditional South Carolina power.
CHRIST THE KING 36, METROLINA CHRISTIAN 33 – The Crusaders went on the road and won a shootout.
GARINGER 28, WINSTON-SALEM PREP 22 – Garinger snapped a long winless streak last season by beating Winston-Salem Prep in its opener, and the Wildcats repeated the feat Thursday night.
INDIAN LAND (SC) 49, HARDING 0 – The host Warriors opened their season on a resounding note, taking a 42-0 halftime lead.
LAKE WYLIE (SC) 41, BALLANTYNE RIDGE 35 – Playing its first varsity game in school history, Lake Wylie scored the winning touchdown with 5:06 left, on a pass from Beckett Rudnick to Rhyan Watson.
Ballantyne Ridge’s Osazee Innah rushed for 304 yards and three touchdowns.
PROVIDENCE 24, HICKORY RIDGE 21 – Jamison Causey kicked a 30-yard field goal late in the third quarter for the winning Panther points. Hickory Ridge recovered a Providence fumble at the Panthers’ 31 late in the game but could not score.
Luke Meadow threw three touchdown passes for Providence. Chase Taylor connected with Otavio Oliveira on a 66-yard scoring toss for host Hickory Ridge.
OTHER AREA GAMES
A.L. BROWN 42, PORTER RIDGE 10 – The host Pirates took a 7-0 lead on Corbin Donahoo’s 70-yard touchdown pass to Noel Bryant, but A.L. Brown outscored the Pirates 42-3 the rest of the way.
A.J. Settles threw three touchdown passes, two to Ashton Chavis, and Lemar Grier ran for three touchdowns.
CENTRAL CABARRUS 21, MONTGOMERY CENTRAL 14 – Central Cabarrus rallied from a 14-7 deficit for this victory.
CHERRYVILLE 41, NORTH STOKES 6 – Cherryville scored three times in the second quarter and built a 34-0 halftime lead.
FOREST HILLS 49, SALISBURY 7 – Quarterback Makhi Massey ran for four touchdowns, including a 65-yarder, and threw for another score.
LAKE NORMAN 47, SUN VALLEY 0 – Lake Norman led only 6-0 after one quarter, but the Wildcats broke it open with three touchdowns in the first four minutes of the second quarter. Kaden Craft threw for three first-half touchdowns, and Thailan Bellamy returned an interception 65 yards for another first-half score.
MARVIN RIDGE 77, COX MILL 13 – Levi Kerr threw four touchdown passes, and Jake Robbins ran for four more scores in the Mavericks’ rout. Marvin Ridge led 35-0 after one quarter and 56-13 at halftime.
MONROE 38, HOKE COUNTY 6 – Kam Campbell ran for two touchdowns, and Cam Bolling scored on a 56-yard run for the Redhawks in this lopsided victory.
MOUNT PLEASANT 35, CONCORD 6 – Jeff Biles ran for three touchdowns, and the Tigers trounced their in-county foes.
PINE LAKE PREP 47, BESSEMER CITY 14 – The Pride led 47-0 after three quarters.
SOUTH POINT 34, HICKORY 28 – Down 28-21 after three quarters, the Raiders tied the game on Malakai Felician’s 3-yard run, then got the winning score on a 28-yard run by Kaveaun Pless.
SOUTH ROWAN 41, UNION ACADEMY 14 – Union Academy led 6-0 early, before South Rowan roared into the lead.
WILKES CENTRAL 63, NORTH IREDELL 0 – The Warriors fell behind 42-0 at the half and surrendered six rushing touchdowns.
THURSDAY’S SCORES
Mecklenburg nonconference
Berry Academy 19, West Mecklenburg 13
Bradford Prep 6, Thomas Jefferson Academy 0
Chambers 43, Gray Collegiate (SC) 21
Christ the King 36, Metrolina Christian 33
Garinger 28, Winston-Salem Prep 22
Greensboro Grimsley 24, West Charlotte 0
Greensboro Page 56, Charlotte Christian 23
Indian Land (SC) 49, Harding 0
Lake Wylie (SC) 41, Ballantyne Ridge 35
Mallard Creek 45, Rolesville 25
Providence 24, Hickory Ridge 21
Area nonconference
A.L. Brown 42, Porter Ridge 10
Anson County 42, Red Springs 0
Bunker Hill 47, Draughn 0
Central Cabarrus 21, Montgomery Central 14
Cherryville 41, North Stokes 6
East Gaston 34, North Gaston 8
Forest Hills 49, Salisbury 7
Fred T. Foard 26, West Wilkes 13
Lake Norman 47, Sun Valley 0
Marvin Ridge 77, Cox Mill 13
Monroe 28, Hoke County 6
Mount Pleasant 35, Concord 6
Northwest Cabarrus 35, West Cabarrus 20
Parkwood 47, Piedmont 32
Pine Lake Prep 47, Bessemer City 14
South Point 34, Hickory 28
South Rowan 41, Union Academy 14
Stuart Cramer 42, Forestview 6
T.C. Roberson 48, Hunter Huss 12
West Forsyth 42, Davie County 13
West Rowan 33, North Rowan 18
Wilkes Central 63, North Iredell 0
FRIDAY’S PREVIEWS
(won-loss records are from last season)
Butler (5-7) at Olympic (9-3), 7 p.m. – It’s the head coaching debut for Butler’s Donald Littlejohn, who was a highly-regarded assistant for more than a decade. RB Damourion Thomas Wright provides a powerful boost for the offense, and the Bulldogs have several returning defensive starters.
Olympic is always strong under head coach Brandon Thompson, and the Trojans have several returning all-conference defenders. It could be tough to score on Olympic this season.
Independence (10-3) at Duncan-SC Byrnes (8-4), 7:30 p.m. – This could be a tough spot for an Independence team with new faces at many key positions and playing for the first time under new head coach Robert Williams. Only three starters return from 2025.
Byrnes, a perennial S.C. power, has a powerful running game, featuring LSU commit Tre Segarra (nearly 1,500 rushing yards in 2025) and East Tennessee-bound Jacobi Fuller. WR Chu Harris is a Syracuse commit.
Myers Park (9-3) at Providence Day (13-0), 7 p.m. –New head coach Duke Howell and his Mustangs will have their hands full against the defending N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association’s state champion. Most of Myers Park’s key performers are sophomores and juniors, so there’ll be a learning curve this season.
Providence Day will have new faces at several offensive skilled positions, but nine starters return on defense. The defensive line – with Charles Ibe, Griff Galloway and Jace Goodwin – is especially strong.
South Mecklenburg (7-4) at Charlotte Catholic (7-5), 7 p.m. – Mixed in with all the matchups of big-name teams this week is an old-fashioned neighborhood rivalry. Of particular interest here is the return of Mike Brodowicz as Charlotte Catholic’s head coach. Brodowicz coached the Cougars to five state titles in his first tenure as coach, from 2014 to 2022.
Weddington (12-2) at Mooresville (9-3), 7 p.m. –Mooresville lost several key offensive performers from a year ago but landed a pair of standout transfers in QB Weston Michalak (from Ambassador Christian) and RB Zy Pharr (from Garinger).
Weddington suffered graduation losses, but the Warriors also benefited from several transfers, including QB Jared Street, who led Independence’s offense a year ago.
SATURDAY’S PREVIEW
Hough (14-0) at Northwestern-SC (13-1), 4 p.m. – It’s a meeting of defending state champions at Rock Hill’s District 3 Stadium, and this could be one of the Carolinas’ top games of the season. Northwestern’s talent starts with QB Xavier Means, who threw for more than 2,800 yards and rushing for more than 1,200 last season.
Means and Northwestern’s high-scoring offense faces a powerful Hough defense, featuring five-star DB Josh Dobson. QB Ethan Royal returns to lead the Huskies’ offense.
THE SCHEDULE
(all kickoffs at 7 pm, unless listed otherwise)
(won-loss records are from 2025)
Friday
Mecklenburg nonconference
Ambassador Christian (5-4-1) vs. Mountain View Prep-SC (10-2), at North Greenville Univ., 7:30 p.m.
Asheville School (7-3-1) at Corvian Community (10-2)
Bonnie Cone Academy (0-11) at Hickory Grove Christian(6-4)
Butler (5-7) at Olympic (9-3)
Cuthbertson (3-8) at Ardrey Kell (6-5)
Hopewell (4-7) at East Mecklenburg (3-7)
Independence (10-3) at Duncan Byrnes-SC (8-4), 7:30 pm
Jay M. Robinson (11-2) at Charlotte Country Day (6-4)
Mitchell County (9-5) at Charlotte Latin (7-4)
Myers Park (9-3) at Providence Day (13-0)
North Stanly (9-3) vs. Community School of Davidson (7-5), at Spartan Park in Huntersville
Palisades (8-4) at Ashbrook (12-1), 7:30 pm
Rocky River (3-7) at North Mecklenburg (3-7)
South Mecklenburg (7-4) at Charlotte Catholic (7-5)
SouthLake Christian (3-8) at Lake Norman Charter (5-6)
Area nonconference
Alexander Central (3-8) at Newton-Conover (9-3), 7:30 pm
Burns (7-5) at Crest (13-2), 7:30 pm
College Prep & Leadership (1-9) at Albemarle (5-7)
East Burke (4-7) at West Iredell (6-6)
East Lincoln (10-2) at South Iredell (3-8)
East Rowan (4-7) at Wheatmore (3-9)
East Surry (5-7) at Statesville (8-4)
High Point Christian (12-0) at Cannon School (7-5)
Jesse Carson (5-6) at Central Davidson (11-2)
Kings Mountain (8-5) at Shelby (13-3), 7:30 pm
Lincolnton (11-2) at Maiden (9-5), 7:30 pm
Mountain Island Charter (7-6) at Lincoln Charter (3-7)
North Lincoln (2-9) at West Lincoln (6-6)
Weddington (12-2) at Mooresville (9-3)
West Stanly (2-10) at South Stanly (9-3)
Saturday, Aug. 22
Mecklenburg nonconference
Hough (14-0) at Northwestern-SC (13-1), 4 pm
Trinity Christian (8-3) at Covenant Day (2-8), 6 pm
