2026 Central Piedmont 7A/8A Conference Football Preview: Storylines, Predictions, Players to Watch

Welcome to HighSchoolOT's 2026 football season preview for the Central Piedmont 7A/8A Conference. The league features East Forsyth, Northwest Guilford, Parkland, R.J. Reynolds, Reagan, and West Forsyth.

The conference is a combination of the past Central Piedmont 4A Conference and the past Metro 4A Conference.

There should be some battles in the league this season. Defending champion West Forsyth will once again be in the mix, as will Reagan. East Forsyth is looking to restore its program to 10+ wins this season and the Eagles have a new starting quarterback, Reidsville transfer Braxton Johnson, to help achieve that. R.J. Reynolds and Northwest Guilford are navigating big roster changes as they look to make another playoff push in 2026.

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East Forsyth Eagles

Players Who Will Be Missed From Last Season: Jai Richburg (WR), J.D. Fulp (QB), Cannen Rottweiler (RB), Craig McGhee (RB), Adrian Soloman Jr. (LB) Returning Players to Know: Chosen Hyman (senior DT), Cason Holder (senior OL), Christian Cepeda (junior WR), Easton Dean (senior RB), Brody Franco (senior TE), Zion Dobson (junior CB), Luke Vandergrift (junior DE), Damarco Boyles (junior CB), Rylan Harrison (sophomore ATH) New Faces to Look Out For: Thomas Werts (sophomore LB), Thomas Koltenicki (sophomore OT), Ahmad Francis (sophomore QB), Braxton Johnson (junior QB)

Last season marked the first time since the shortened 2020-21 season that East Forsyth finished with fewer than 10 wins. At 7-5 overall and 3-2 in league play, the Eagles still finished third in the Central Piedmont 7A/8A. But the performance wasn’t up to the lofty standards of a traditionally great program.

That’s why head coach Todd Willert said the biggest storyline for his team this year is “getting back to East football.”

What the Eagles are getting back is truly the key. Willert returns senior Chosen Hyman, an East Carolina commit. He also returns a flurry of players with college interest, including senior lineman Cason Holder, junior defensive end Luke Vandergrift, and junior corner Damarco Boyles.

For everything they bring back, East Forsyth certainly has a lot of production to replace in 2026. Perhaps the biggest question mark was at quarterback, at least at first. The Eagles graduated J.D. Fulp, who threw for 2,037 yards with a 64.4% completion rate in 2025. This offseason, East brought in multiple transfers to fill the QB void.

Junior Braxton Johnson comes to Kernersville after transferring from Reidsville. He began the 2025 season as QB1 for the eventual state champion Rams, completing 63.9% of his passes for 1,534 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions before losing his spot to midseason transfer Tyson Broadway. Interestingly, the Eagles open the season at Reidsville on Aug. 14.

In addition to Johnson, EFHS added Mount Airy transfer Ahmad Francis. The sophomore threw for 382 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions in limited time as a freshman.

The Eagles also lost leading receiver Jai Richburg to NC State. Without him, senior Christian Cepeda will be leaned on this year. Cepeda had 674 receiving yards on 45 receptions a year ago. The team also lost its top two rushers, so senior Mikah Fuller will step into a larger role in 2026.

Team outlook: Johnson has quarterback experience for a high level high school program, and that should translate well for East Forsyth. The Eagles should be a playoff lock and present a challenge to the conference’s other favorites: West Forsyth and Reagan.

Northwest Guilford Vikings

Players Who Will Be Missed From Last Season: Austin Jackson (SS), Rob Lange (DL), Ferell Price (QB) Returning Players to Know: Ziyon Manning (junior LT), Vince Wilson (senior LG), Matt Beal (junior RG), Hunter Tilley (junior QB), Jaydon Martin (junior DE), Chase Ackerman (junior LB), Adam Reavis (junior WR/RB) New Faces to Look Out For: Simeon Libby (senior RB), Jaylen Fulp (sophomore CB), Jon Osl (senior DB), Ocean Beal (freshman DE)

Last season was a departure from expectations for Northwest Guilford and former college coach Chris Rusiewicz.

After defeating Western Alamance in Week 1, the Vikings went on to lose seven straight. Ultimately, strength of schedule helped lift Northwest into the 8A playoffs, but once there, it lost convincingly to conference champion West Forsyth, 43-7.

The Viking defense was severely thinned by graduating seniors — including Furman signee Rob Lange. Developing a dependable starting unit could be amongst the team’s biggest challenges. Another challenge will be replacing former starting quarterback Ferrell Price, who transferred to Dudley.

Price threw for 1,784 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 56.1% completion rate. He will be succeeded by senior Hunter Tilley, who spent last season as a wide receiver, but will transition to QB. Rusiewicz said Tilley is a 6-foot-2 baseball player with a good arm.

Good news for Tilley is that the Vikings' offensive line has upgraded this season, increasing its average size considerably. The introduction of Simeon Libby should help offensively as well. Libby started his career at Western Guilford before moving to California for a year. Now he is back and transitioning from defense to running back for Northwest.

Team Outlook: A plethora of changes will be difficult to navigate for a program that already struggled at times a year ago. However, the Vikings can find ways to be competitive in the Central Piedmont if its defense comes together and Tilley’s transition to QB is successful.

Parkland Mustangs

Players Who Will Be Missed From Last Season: Jason Day Jr. (WR), Vernon Champion (RB), J’Mari Hand (DT), Ethan Bailey (QB), Keishaun Gregory (SS) Returning Players to Know: Ahmad Coleman (junior OL), Cyncere Moore (senior SS), Marsaun-Byrd McCoy (sophomore QB), Kaden Wilson (sophomore WR), Jamir Barrett (senior WR), Jesean Ross (senior OL), Jesean Ross (senior OL), Javon Long (sophomore RB) New Faces to Look Out For: Mason Shine (freshman WR)

Aside from its lone win of the season — a 46-0 victory vs. Atkins — Parkland didn’t score more than two touchdowns in any of its nine losses in 2025. In fact, the Mustangs gave up 50 or more points in 4-of-5 conference games.

It was a tough season for head coach Derrick Sharpe and company and the losses continued in the offseason. The Mustangs lost their most frequent quarterback from 2025, senior Ethan Bailey. He logged 447 yards with a 48.2% completion rate. Rising sophomore Marsaun-Byrd McCoy spent three games at QB as a freshman, throwing for 266 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions with a 62.5% completion rate. He will assume starting duties for Parkland to start this season.

Sharpe described his team as young but talented. Many of those inexperienced players will be leaned on this year.

The Mustangs also lost their lead rusher, Vernon Champion, and their leading receiver, Jason Day Jr. Parkland will have to replicate that production, and that means young players stepping into larger roles.

Team Outlook: Becoming younger after a season in which Parkland already struggled in CPC play likely means an uphill battle for the Mustangs.

R.J. Reynolds Demons

Players Who Will Be Missed From Last Season: Antonio Samuels (RB/DB), Ashton Simmons (DT), Brandon Bell (WR/DB), Tommy Elrod (QB), Deandre Charles (WR/CB) Returning Players to Know: Tim Martin (senior DL), Dereon Watson (junior ATH), Jaylen Wheeler (senior OL/DL), Ziaer Bennett (senior RB/LB), Nathan Gerardo (senior OL/DL), Deon Franklin (senior OL), Kevin Baker (senior WR/DB), Cory Crowder (junior OL/DL), Chris Grooms (junior DB), Denard Cunningham (junior RB/LB), Trumane Lee (senior WR/DB) New Faces to Look Out For: Chris Davis (junior ATH), Jekhi Austin (senior ATH), Stephen Olayinka (junior ATH), Cassidy Cockerham (freshman ATH), Jayden Cornish (senior RB/LB)

The Demons are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2018 and their first winning season since 2017. Head coach Joe Davidyock said R.J. Reynolds has over 100 players in its program and is looking to build off the success of 2026.

Reynolds was 6-5 last season and hosted a first round playoff game (a narrow loss to West Cabarrus in the No. 16 vs. No. 17 game in the 7A playoffs). If the Demons want to repeat that success and secure back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2008-2009, they will need production from their returnees.

First, they will need to fill the vacancies left by some of their most productive offensive players. The Demons lost senior quarterback Tommy Elrod, who threw for 1,891 yards and 15 touchdowns. They also lost leading rusher Antonio Samuels, who racked up 1,145 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. The team will have to replace the production of its top four receivers, too.

Ziaer Bennett will be depended upon as one of the team’s top running back options this year. Otherwise, the offense will be filled out by young players assuming larger roles and new faces to the team entirely.

Defensively, the returning core for Reynolds is strong. The majority of its starters return from a breakout team.

Team Outlook: Offensive production will be difficult to replace this season, but the Demons have momentum after last season’s turnaround. They may not host in the playoffs, but another trip to the postseason should be in the cards.

Reagan Raiders

Players Who Will Be Missed From Last Season: Jacob Smith (QB), Carson Bowman (WR), Gsiah Patterson (WR), Leo Housel-Rajacich (LB), Eisa Evans (OL), Harry Simpso (OL) Returning Players to Know: Elijah Davis (senior WR), King Kalama (senior DE), John Evans Jr. (junior RB), Seven Glover (senior DB), Alonzo McCoy (senior DL), Thomas Caldwell (senior OL), Davin Phillips (sophomore OL), Antonio Kelly Jr. (senior DB) New Faces to Look Out For: Jaikoda Harrington (junior QB), Ryan Brandon (senior LB), James McClung (senior WR)

Reagan’s 2024 season was tainted by the season-ending ACL tear of quarterback Jacob Smith. The NC State freshman’s return to the field in 2025 saw the return of the Raiders to the top of the pack.

Smith threw for 1,133 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions for Reagan as it reached the fourth round of the NCHSAA 7A state playoffs. With Smith gone, the Raiders must find a new quarterback to lead their Central Piedmont Conference title hopes.

Senior Brennen Bridgen spent time at QB last season. In five games, he threw for 28 yards in limited runs. The Raiders also bring in junior transfer Jaikoda Harrington from Statesville. In 2025, he threw for 1,383 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions with a 56.6% completion rate. According to Reagan head coach Josh McGee, the starting spot is still yet to be decided.

One of the biggest returners for Reagan is the league’s reigning co-offensive player of the year: John Evans Jr. The running back racked up an impressive 2,074 yards on 266 carries. He brought in 26 touchdowns as he led the Raider offense.

Evans Jr. is back, but the Raiders will have to tackle the losses of Division I talent with Smith and offensive lineman Eisa Evans (headed to Appalachian State) out the door. Despite the losses, Josh McGee will have plenty of returning talent in his 16th year as head coach in Pfafftown.

Amongst the returning faces is the team’s second leading rusher and receiver, senior Elijah Davis. As a junior, the 3-star running back / wide receiver pulled down 306 yards in the air and 242 on the ground.

Defensively, the Raiders return 6-foot-2, 265-pound defensive lineman and Duke commit King Kalama. Senior defensive back Seven Glover should also be a name to watch for the defense. However, the Raiders lost their leading tackler from 2025 in linebacker Leo Housel-Rajacich.

Team Outlook: The returning cast is strong, and Evans Jr. should be at the forefront of the conference POY discussion once again. Reagan is certainly in a position to contend for a conference title and should be a host in the first round of the state playoffs.

West Forsyth Titans

Players Who Will Be Missed From Last Season: Mozes Morris (RB), P.J. Dean (OL/DL), A.J. McCLoud (OL), Keith Foster (OL), Turtle Eldridge (DE), Keith Taylor (LB), Keenan Cuthrell (DL), Demarcus Simmons (DL), Haines Robitzer (QB) Returning Players to Know: Tylan Grimes (junior WR), Jailyn Moore (junior WR), Joziah Nicholson (senior DB/WR), Braylen Marrow (senior WR), Kam Higgins (senior LB), J.D. Miller (OL), A.J. Blue (junior DB), Daniel Bunker (senior DB), Zayden Wilson (senior DB), Cooper Chambers (junior TE), Levi Morales (sophomore QB), Ja'Mare Sheppard (junior RB) New Faces to Look Out For: Zayden Hairston (sophomore RB/LB), Graysen Barringer (junior DT)

The departure of co-CPC Offensive Player of the Year Mozes Morris will surely hurt West Forsyth’s CPC title defense, but that doesn’t mean the Titans won’t be squarely in the hunt once again.

The Titans lost starting quarterback Haines Robitzer to graduation. That leaves sophomore Levi Morales to step in as the starter. He saw action in six games for West Forsyth as a freshman, collecting 203 passing yards with a 65.2% completion rate.

Morris’ shoes won’t easily be filled at running back, but the Titans will rely more heavily on sophomore Ja’Mare Sheppard and transfer sophomore Zayden Hairston from Mount Tabor.

The Titans retained most of their receiving core, including Tylan Grimes, Jailyn Moore, Joziah Nicholson, and Braylen Morrow. Having veterans running routes should make the transition to starter easier for Morales at QB.

Team Outlook: The Titans have holes in some big spots after winning the CPC last year. Title defense won’t be easy, but they’re certainly still in the conversation.

Conference Superlatives

• Toughest Schedule: West Forsyth — The Titans have one of the state's toughest non-conference schedules. They host rival Davie, then travel to defending 7A champion Grimsley, host Porter Ridge, travel to Forsyth County rival Mount Tabor, and then host a 7A East contender in Richmond.
• Most Favorable Schedule: R.J. Reynolds — Of its five non-conference opponents, only Southeast Guilford finished the 2025 season with a .500 or better record.
• Breakout Team: East Forsyth — The arrival of Reidsville transfer quarterback Braxton Johnson could be just what the Eagles needed to get back to double-digit wins this season.
• Team With the Most Questions: Northwest Guilford — After a 3-8 season in 2025, the Vikings lost their starting quarterback and will transition a former wide receiver to the position. Finding its footing amongst a changing roster could prove difficult.
• Player of the Year Favorite: John Evans Jr., Reagan (junior RB)
• The Player Who Could Have the Biggest Breakout: Simeon Libby, Northwest Guilford (senior RB)

Standings Prediction

1. Reagan
2. East Forsyth
3. West Forsyth
4. R.J. Reynolds
5. Northwest Guilford
6. Parkland

Playoff Forecast

• Likely to Earn a Home Game: Reagan, West Forsyth, East Forsyth
• Likely to Make It: R.J. Reynolds
• On the Bubble: Northwest Guilford, Parkland