Cleveland Football 2026 Preview, Players and Schedule | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Teams to Know Season Preview: Cleveland (NC)
A 1,969-yard passer, a 932-yard runner give Cleveland a clear foundation under Coach Codi Vick.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/18/20265 min read
Cleveland starts 2026 with a new head coach and a veteran backfield. The Rams finished 10-2, scored 529 points and advanced to the third round of the Class 7A playoffs after a first-round bye and one postseason win. Southeast Raleigh ended the season 49-37.
Codi Vick takes over after Scott Riley left for Swain County. Riley went 130-27 in 12 seasons at Cleveland and built a 61-game regular-season winning streak before Clayton ended it in 2025. Vick inherits six returning starters on offense, six on defense and two seniors who combined for 3,159 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Team Snapshot
Team: Cleveland Rams
Location: Clayton, North Carolina
Classification: NCHSAA Class 7A
Head coach: Codi Vick
2025 record: 10-2
2025 playoffs: Advanced to Round 3 after a first-round bye and one playoff win
Returning starters: Six on offense, six on defense
First game: Aug. 21 vs. Pinecrest
The Backfield Gives Vick a Starting Point
Senior quarterback Owen Hulbert completed 152 of 239 passes for 1,969 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He added 258 rushing yards and eight scores, accounting for 2,227 total yards and 25 touchdowns in his first full season directing the offense.
Senior running back Kaleb Ferrell rushed 168 times for 932 yards and 18 touchdowns. Together, Hulbert and Ferrell produced 3,159 yards and 43 touchdowns. That production gives Cleveland a clear offensive identity while Vick determines how the remaining six returning starters fit his system.
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The Rams averaged 44.1 points and scored at least 42 in nine of their first 10 games. The outlier was the 20-3 loss to Clayton. Cleveland’s offense does not need reinvention; it needs to carry its weekly efficiency into the games against the strongest defenses on the schedule.
The Defense Has Experience and a Clear Assignment
Cleveland allowed 210 points across 12 games, but 69 came in the two losses to Clayton and Southeast Raleigh. Six defensive starters return, including coach-selected defenders Markus Medley and Kaden Blake. The task is not simply lowering an already manageable season average. It is creating more stops in the two matchups that decided the conference race and the playoff exit.
Vick’s message in the questionnaire was direct: “Average is the enemy!” His stated goal was for the Rams to be the best version of themselves. With 12 returning starters, that standard means improving the high-leverage games rather than treating the coaching change as permission for a reset.
Coach-Selected Players to Know
Owen Hulbert, QB, Sr. (2027): The 6-foot-3 quarterback passed for 1,969 yards and added 258 on the ground. His public offer is from Mississippi Delta Community College, a junior-college program.
Kaleb Ferrell, RB, Sr. (2027): Ferrell’s 932 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns make him the proven volume runner beside Hulbert.
Markus Medley, DB, Sr. (2027): The coach identified Medley as one of the returning defenders to feature. His experience matters most in the late-season games against Southeast Raleigh and Clayton.
Kaden Blake, LB, Sr. (2027): Blake is another coach-selected returner in the six-starter defensive group and gives Cleveland continuity at linebacker.
Brody Barnes, K/P, Sr. (2027): Coach-supplied totals list Barnes at 66-for-68 on extra points and 6-for-8 on field goals, with 84 kicking points, 37 touchbacks and a 37.4-yard punting average.
Schedule Breakdown
Cleveland opens at home against Pinecrest before road games at Corinth Holders and Northern Nash. The Northern Nash game is Thursday, Sept. 3, followed by a home date with New Bern and an open week before conference play.
The last three games carry the most weight. Southeast Raleigh visits Oct. 16 after ending Cleveland’s 2025 season, and Clayton comes to Cleveland on Oct. 30 after snapping the Rams’ regular-season streak. A road game at Smithfield-Selma separates them. Those two home dates will show whether the experienced roster has changed the results that defined last season.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 21: vs. Pinecrest
Aug. 28: at Corinth Holders
Sept. 3: at Northern Nash
Sept. 11: vs. New Bern
Sept. 25: vs. South Garner
Oct. 2: at Fuquay-Varina
Oct. 9: at Garner
Oct. 16: vs. Southeast Raleigh
Oct. 23: at Smithfield-Selma
Oct. 30: vs. Clayton
Biggest Question
Can Cleveland’s returning core preserve the offense while producing different results against Southeast Raleigh and Clayton?
The coaching transition is manageable because Hulbert, Ferrell and 10 other starters return. The harder issue is the gap exposed in the two losses. Cleveland scored three points against Clayton and allowed 49 to Southeast Raleigh. A conference title and deeper playoff run require improvement in both versions of that matchup.
Bottom Line
Cleveland does not need to be projected from a recruiting count. It has a 1,969-yard passer, a 932-yard runner, 12 returning starters and veterans in the secondary, linebacker unit and kicking game. Vick inherits enough continuity to win immediately; the season will be judged by whether that continuity holds up in the final three weeks.
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I have Cleveland finishing 9-1 and returning to the Class 7A playoffs but this time reaching the semi-finals. The Hulbert-Ferrell backfield should keep the offense productive, but Southeast Raleigh and Clayton remain the two games most likely to decide whether Cleveland can win the conference.
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