Mecklenburg's best: West Charlotte tops Magnificent Seven

HERBERT L. WHITE | THE CHARLOTTE POST

West Charlotte High, which won the North Carolina 3A football title, finished the season atop the Magnificent Seven rankings.

West Charlotte High was Mecklenburg County’s best football team when it mattered most.

The Lions, who won their first state title since the 1995 season, rolled to the 3A championship to finish first in the 2024 Magnificent Seven rankings. Hough, which won the Queen City 3A/4A title by two games over West Charlotte, finished second, while Southwestern 4A champ Charlotte Catholic finished third.

The Queen City 3A/4A again showed its strength at the top with Mallard Creek finishing fourth, followed by Independence, Palisades and Olympic. Palisades, a third-year program, went 8-4 for the school’s best result.

The final rankings:

1. West Charlotte (13-2). The Lions ran roughshod over the West Region, then took down Fayetteville Seventy-First 14-7 in the state 3A final. Coach Sam Greiner’s crusade to lead West Charlotte to state prominence is complete. The state title was the Lions’ first since the 1995 squad was the best in 4A.

2. Hough (12-2). The Huskies were Mecklenburg’s best team before coming up short in the 4A West final. Hough won 12 straight, including all seven Queen City 3A/4A conference games but couldn’t get over Greensboro Grimsley in a 35-28 loss.

3. Charlotte Catholic (9-3). The Cougars won the Southwestern 4A with an unbeaten 6-0 mark and advanced to the West Region 4A third round before losing to Greensboro Grimsley.

4. Mallard Creek (10-3). Two of the Mavericks’ three losses were to Hough by a combined 77-0, including 34-0 in the playoffs. That’s a wide gap to consider when they meet next year.

5. Independence (10-2). Lost to Hough 47-3 in the playoffs to end a season that started with state title expectations.

6. Palisades (8-4). The Pumas had a dream season by making the postseason for the first time and winning a playoff game.  There’s a bright outlook for 2025.

7. Olympic (8-3). Bowed out in the first round of the 4A postseason.

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