Hough is set to begin the high school football playoffs in North Carolina on Friday night. It was cleared of wrongdoing from an investigation into eligibility violations on the night before the postseason.
The Huskies completely dismantled the attempted whistleblower’s allegations.
Whomever it was that tried to destroy the best high school football team in the state failed in his or her efforts. The train rolls on.
Hough is the top-ranked high school football team in North Carolina.
William Amos Hough High School is located in Cornelius, North Carolina, a northern suburb of Charlotte. Opened in 2010, it enrolls more than 2,500 students in Grades 9-12. The Huskies compete in Class 8A of the NCHSAA as members of the Greater Charlotte Athletic Conference. Their high school football team is ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 15 in the country after the conclusion of the regular season.
It will begin the postseason on Friday night at home against Palisades.
Hough finished the regular season undefeated at 10-0 by a combined score of 421-33. Only three of its 10 opponents score a touchdown. Only four of its 10 opponents scored a single point. Six of the 10 games were shutouts.
Starting quarterback Ethan Royal is committed to play at Marshall. Star wide receiver Mason Pearsall-Brown is already ranked as a four-star prospect in the recruiting Class of 2029. Multiple senior players on the defense are committed to Division I schools.
Needless to say, the Huskies are the overwhelming favorite to win the Class 8A state championship. They won their first-ever state championship at 14-0 last season and are expected to repeat at 14-0.
On the day before Hough’s first playoff game, Langston Wertz Jr. of The Charlotte Observer released the findings of an investigation that most people did not know existed. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association investigated the Huskies for a “potential rules violation concerning student-athlete eligibility on the team.”
No violations were found!
An investigation into alleged eligibility violations concluded with no findings of wrongdoing.
The investigation, which was referred to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, is complete. Spokesperson Tom Miner released the following statement:
“As appropriate, the school has taken proactive steps to verify residency information and ensure compliance with all applicable requirements. The questions raised in the recent correspondence are not supported by the information available to the school. Further, CMS is not aware of any active investigation involving Hough High School related to the claims described in the correspondence. Questions regarding student residency or athletic eligibility that have been brought to the district’s attention have been reviewed through the appropriate channels, including CMS Student Placement, and addressed in accordance with established procedures.”
Hough rosters 64 players. 29 are seniors, 22 are juniors, 11 are sophomores and two are freshman. 16 of those 64 players are transfers, including a five-star defensive back. Miner confirmed that they are all properly enrolled at the high school.
“At this time, there are no known residency or eligibility concerns involving Hough High School student-athletes that have not been thoroughly reviewed through the appropriate district channels. All concerns brought to the school’s attention have been addressed in coordination with the relevant CMS departments and resolved in accordance with established procedures.”
It is unclear as to how this investigation came to exist. However, these kinds of things typically stem from a tip. A whistleblower often raises concerns to the governing body of high school sports, which is required to look into the claims. Regardless of who blew the whistle, the attempt to sabotage the best high school football team in the state right before the playoffs was unsuccessful.