2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 87 Weddington
Weddington pairs a Western Carolina quarterback commit with three other current Division I recruits while rebuilding the defense behind a 12-2 season.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/17/20265 min read
Weddington scored 497 points and allowed 101 in 2025, but its season ended one win short of the NCHSAA Class 7A championship game. Grimsley held the Warriors to one defensive touchdown in a 13-7 West regional final, closing a 12-2 season that included a 6-0 run through the Southern Carolina 6A/7A Conference.
The 2026 roster has a different shape. Coach Andy Capone has imported an experienced quarterback and retained three committed Division I seniors on offense. The defense, the unit that carried Weddington through November, must replace most of its established front-seven production.
Team Snapshot
2025 record: 12-2
2025 finish: NCHSAA Class 7A West regional finalist
2026 classification: NCHSAA Class 7A
Conference: Southern Carolina 6A/7A
Head coach: Andy Capone
2025 scoring: 497 points scored, 101 allowed
2026 Outlook
Jared Street changes the offense immediately. The Class of 2027 quarterback transferred from Independence after completing 144 of 227 passes for 2,317 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2025. He also ran for 511 yards and five scores. Street led Independence to a 10-3 record and the third round of the 7A playoffs before committing to Western Carolina in July.
Street will work behind East Carolina commit Bryce Johnson, the returning center from last year's 12-2 team. Wofford commit Matthew McCoy gives him a proven target at tight end after catching 17 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns as a junior. Anthony Barrino is the leading returning runner after producing 622 yards and five touchdowns on 65 carries, an average of 9.6 yards per attempt.
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The challenge is replacing the senior receivers and rebuilding a defense that controlled most of the 2025 schedule. Cornerback Ace Clements is the most established returning defender. Rex Conlon, Sam Wright, Jackson Newman, Major Clements and Beckett Powell also logged varsity snaps last season, but Weddington needs new answers at linebacker and along the defensive front.
Players to Know
Jared Street | QB | Class of 2027
Street is a Western Carolina commit and a proven dual-threat starter. His 2,828 total yards and 24 total touchdowns at Independence give Weddington experience at the position after Walker Powell's graduation.
Bryce Johnson | OL | Class of 2027
Johnson is committed to East Carolina. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound interior lineman started at center in 2025 and is the most important returning piece in Street's protection.
Matthew McCoy | TE/H-back | Class of 2027
McCoy committed to Wofford after earning his first Division I offer in May. He caught 17 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns last season and can help steady a rebuilt receiving group.
Anthony Barrino | RB | Class of 2027
Barrino turned limited volume into 622 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He owns a Delaware State offer and gives the Warriors a back who has averaged at least 7.6 yards per carry in each of the past two seasons.
Ace Clements | DB | Class of 2027
Clements recorded 44 tackles and 22 passes defended in 2025. His Division I offer list includes East Carolina, James Madison and Middle Tennessee, and his coverage experience is central to the defensive rebuild.
Rex Conlon | DL/TE | Class of 2027
Conlon made 35 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and eight quarterback hurries as a junior. Weddington needs his experience even more after losing the productive senior core that played in front of him.
Schedule Breakdown
Weddington opens with consecutive road games at Mooresville and Myers Park. The Myers Park trip is the immediate measuring stick because it is a rematch of the Warriors' only regular-season loss in 2025.
Monroe and Crest visit before conference play begins against Charlotte Catholic. The league schedule includes four home dates and three road dates, with Cuthbertson and Marvin Ridge coming to Weddington. The regular season ends with trips to Porter Ridge and Piedmont before an open week on Oct. 30.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 21: at Mooresville
Aug. 28: at Myers Park
Sept. 4: vs. Monroe
Sept. 10: vs. Crest
Sept. 18: vs. Charlotte Catholic
Sept. 25: at Sun Valley
Oct. 2: vs. Marvin Ridge
Oct. 9: vs. Cuthbertson
Oct. 16: at Porter Ridge
Oct. 23: at Piedmont
Oct. 30: Open
Biggest Question
Can the rebuilt front seven hold up against playoff-level opponents?
Weddington has the quarterback, offensive line anchor and skill players to score. The defense cannot depend only on Clements and an experienced secondary. New linemen and linebackers must stop the run and create pressure early enough for that offense to play from ahead.
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I have Weddington having a better regular season than last year, but the end result will be the same. Losing to Grimsley.
Bottom Line
Weddington does not have to search for an offensive identity. Street, Johnson, McCoy and Barrino form a strong senior core, and Capone's program has reached three consecutive West regional finals. The ceiling will be determined by how quickly the rebuilt defense becomes a playoff-caliber unit.
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