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Weddington, Sun Valley open 2026 season in statewide football rankings

MaxPreps preseason rankings

Two Union County Public Schools football teams earned places in the preseason MaxPreps North Carolina Top 25.

Weddington leads the way at No. 4 after finishing the 2025 season with a 12-2 record. The Warriors are the highest-ranked team that did not win a state championship last fall, trailing only defending champions Hough, Grimsley and Providence Day.

Sun Valley is ranked No. 23 after completing a 9-4 campaign in 2025.

UCPS teams in the preseason MaxPreps Top 25:

  • No. 4 Weddington — 12-2 in 2025
  • No. 23 Sun Valley — 9-4

The rankings place Weddington among the leading championship contenders in North Carolina entering the 2026 season. The Warriors are one of only four teams from any classification ranked inside the statewide top five.

Sun Valley’s inclusion gives UCPS a second team receiving statewide recognition. Together, the Warriors and Spartans won 21 games last season as both programs established themselves among the state’s top teams.

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