HighSchoolOT Press Box

Guest Laieke Abebe ( https://x.com/StrikaNation24_) , Ben McCormick, and Joel Bryant recapped some of the most attention-grabbing coaching changes and player transfer announcements ahead of the 2026 high school football and high school basketball seasons. Get more coverage of North Carolina high school sports at HighSchoolOT.com on the free HighSchoolOT app -- available for all Apple and Android d...

The team discussed the NCHSAA's official calendar for the 2026-27 school year, including the first calendars for flag football and boys volleyball, the first eight-classification Wells Fargo Cup Awards, and the three former North Carolina high school basketball players who were drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft. Get more coverage of North Carolina high school sports at HighSchoolOT.com on the free Hig...

Appeals board overturns Mallard Creek track and field disqualification, naming the Mavericks co-champions with Jordan High School. You can read the full story here. Plus, the guys discuss the NCHSAA spring state championships after what was a crazy week with better than 30 championships decided in three days.  For more stories, news, photos and videos, visit HighSchoolOT.com

The viral Mallard Creek track disqualification is now being appealed to the NC State Board of Education's Independent Interscholastic Athletic Appeals Board. Ben McCormick and Joel Bryant, who witnessed the moment in person, share their view of the events, and J. Mike Blake helps to provide the larger context of what makes this situation different from other sports.

The team discussed a busy week of NCHSAA Board of Directors meetings, which resulted in the sanctioning of girls flag football/boys volleyball, the addition of the first non-diocesan private school to the association, and the rejection of proposals to implement a shot clock in basketball and reduce the playoff brackets from 48 to 32 teams.

J. Mike Blake and Joel Bryant jumped inside the HighSchoolOT Press Box to preview this week's NCHSAA Board of Directors meeting, which could lead to playoff system changes, new sanctioned sports girls flag football and boys volleyball, and new details on the next commissioner after Que Tucker's retirement. Read more on HighSchoolOT.com

Step inside the HighSchoolOT Press Box this week as Evan Moesta, and J. Mike Blake discuss the NCHSAA's new seeding rules and their 2025 fall sports state championship venues.

Step inside the HighSchoolOT Press Box this week as Evan Moesta, and J. Mike Blake discuss how the government shutdown affects Lejeune High School, the impact that homeschool programs are having on the statewide scene, which area codes are the best in the state in each sport, what the new NCHSAA playoff seeding looks like, and what purpose conference tournaments now hold.

Step inside the HighSchoolOT Press Box this week as Evan Moesta, and J. Mike Blake discuss solutions surrounding the increase in midseason high school transfers, how the NCHSAA can work around seeding date issues, and the impact that Hurricane Helene has had on Western NC over the last year.

Step inside the HighSchoolOT Press Box this week as Evan Moesta, and J. Mike Blake discuss the success of North Carolina high school football alumni in college and the NFL, what people can look for in Friday's big Millbrook vs. Rolesville football game, why the 704 area code is so strong in boys soccer, and what volleyball teams have staked their claim as state title contenders.

Step inside the HighSchoolOT Press Box this week as Evan Moesta, and J. Mike Blake discuss Dionte Neal's commitment to UNC-Greensboro, the state of fall playoff bracket projections, and the top impact athletes across NC through the first five weeks of the season.

Step inside the HighSchoolOT Press Box this week as Evan Moesta, and J. Mike Blake break down Shelby football's stunning 90-0 win over Highland Tech, what schools are surprise state title contenders this fall, and how to slow down the rise in ejections at NCHSAA athletic contests.

Step inside the HighSchoolOT Press Box this week as Evan Moesta, Joel Bryant, and J. Mike Blake look back on the first two weeks of the high school football season, why NC teams have dominated out of state opponents, where East/West lines will fall for the postseason, and why soccer and volleyball players have opted out of playing at the high school level.

Step inside the HighSchoolOT Press Box this week as Evan Moesta, Joel Bryant, and J. Mike Blake preview the top high school football games in each area code for week one. The team also dives into the NCHSAA's new state championship calendar and the rising concern around fan behavior at high school sporting events.

HighSchoolOT makes a stop in each region of the state to preview the 2025 high school volleyball season in North Carolina.  Hear from Ayden-Grifton head coach Nicole Waters, Gray's Creek head coach Amber Strickland, Kings Mountain head coach Heather Pasour, Cardinal Gibbons' Texas-bound Genevieve Harris, Reagan's Kentucky commit Elly Randolph, and Cherokee's Joscelyn Stamper.

What goes into determining HighSchoolOT's All-State baseball and softball teams? Who made HSOT's preseason statewide Top 25 rankings for football? What coaching changes stand out the most before the 2025-26 season?   Other topics include results from the NCCA East-West All-Star Games and the Los Angeles Chargers' signing of Garner alum Nyheim Hines.