Sweet 16 Week 3, Explained.
This past week, there were 34 games that included at least one Wake County team. We’re still in the early part of the year, so every result will have a heavier impact now than it will in a month or two. Like last week, you can see the rankings in the tweet below.
Tier One
Holly Springs (5-1)
The Hawks beat rivals Fuquay-Varina and Middle Creek by a combined 53 points this past week. This type of dominance is what keeps them in the top spot. They have the most balanced attack in the county and their defense has only gotten better since the start of the season. Because of Millbrook’s much stronger SOS, the Hawks will have to continue to dominate the opponents in front of them to hold the top spot and with games against Apex Friendship and Cary this week, they have the chance to do just that.
Millbrook (5-1)
Millbrook beat Garner in a game that was much closer than the final score suggested, with the Wildcats leading by just 9 with 3 minutes remaining in the game. This team has played (and will continue to play) the toughest schedule of any Wake County team. A sloppy win on the road against Hillside raises the slightest of concerns about their ability to win away from home, but with a road game against Broughton scheduled for this Monday, they have every chance to dispell those concerns.
Tier Two
Enloe (8-0)
Enloe has been making a legit case for the best team in Wake County and this past week furthered that belief. Ethan Montague has been a top 3 player in the county so far and he’s only getting better the more he plays. The Eagles have a chance to get a signature win against a tough Garner team on Monday night. A 2-0 week could very well see them jump into the top tier along side Holly Springs and Millbrook.
Panther Creek (4-0)
This Panther Creek roster is the deepest in the county and might be the deepest in the state, with 11 guys that could feasibly start. Chris Uwayo put up 37 in a blowout win over Apex on Friday night and is now averaging almost 20 PPG. Caleb Surgers is one of the most recruitable players in the area, combining size, mobility, and skill. Their closest win is by 10 against the machine that is the Jordan Falcons. They have the pieces, the coaching, and the top end stars to be the best team in the area. With a game against Leesville Road this week, they have another chance at a signature win that could push them into that top tier of teams.
Leesville Road (5-1)
In what was the most exciting game of maybe the whole season, the Pride blew a 24 point lead against Wake Forest, just to win in overtime thanks to Hayes Oxendine’s 43 point performance. The Pride lack size but their guard play is extremely high level, with Grady Whitt and Hayes Oxendine making up a top 3-5 backcourt in the county. Mentioned above, Leesville Road plays Panther Creek in a game that gives both teams a chance to add another signature win to their resumes.
Green Level (5-0)
Every year there’s a young team that makes a deep run and is really exciting to watch while they do it. This Green Level team is this years young and fun squad. Led by sophomore Isaac Ericksen, the Gators have won five games with the closest being by 12 points. They play three games this week, headlined by a Saturday matchup against Wake Forest. The Gators have the potential to really take off this season and this week will let us know if they’re capable of it.
Wake Forest (4-2)
The Cougars took two tough losses on back to back nights by four points each. They played two overtime games this week and I think a little bit of fatigue set in towards the end. Despite the excuses they may have, going 1-2 in a week is never ideal for a top team. The top six of their rotation is truly as good as anyone in the east, with Jaevian Alston, AJ Smalls, Dashaun Grant, and Nigel Lucas making up arguably the best big four in the county. They have three high level games this week and they’ll need to be on top of their game to avoid a loss.
Garner (3-1)
Garner took a tough 25 point loss to Millbrook on Friday night in a game, like we stated above, that was much closer than the final score suggested. They have the best 2025 class in the county and that youth will turn into valuable experience at some point this season. They have the rare four game week this week, with matchups against Enloe, Willow Spring, Fuquay-Varina, and Cardinal Gibbons. All four of these games provide a certain level of intrigue but the Fuquay-Varina matchup will be especially interesting given the GNRC implications it has.
Tier Three
Sanderson (7-0)
Sanderson continues to win in impressive fashion as they remain undefeated through Week 3. The main concern with them is their weak SOS, as they haven’t played any teams that have been ranked outside of Knightdale. The emergence of guys like Jay Peterson, Tommy Lyon, and Patrick Dalton have been really encouraging and if they continue to produce like they have been, then Sanderson could jump up into the second tier. Also want to note that Nathan Fife has been solidifying himself as the best 2025 guard in the county with his play thus far.
Wakefield (4-3)
Wakefield has one of the better SOSs in the county with three very quality losses so far. They went 3-0 this past week to get over .500 for the first time this year. The duo of Jalen Yancey and Khi Benjiman have been as solid as any, with Cameron Spencer, Caleb Hardy, and Syncere Burnette shining in supporting roles. Their team averages of over 18 turnover/game is a cause for concern, as there are a handful of teams that are equipped to take advantage of that. They play Box Elder (UT) and Pinecrest this week and going 2-0 would solidify this team as an early season success.
Fuquay-Varina (3-2)
The Bengals went 0-1 on the week, losing to Holly Springs by 38 points at home. With both of their losses this season coming to the top team in the county and many other teams failing to capitalize on their chances last week, Fuquay-Varina was able to avoid a steep drop. They have three games in Week 4, with one of them being against conference rival Garner. A 3-0 week would see this team shoot up the rankings.
Broughton (5-2)
Broughton had been getting away with close wins to start the season and their luck finally ran out this past week. Going 1-2 and narrowly avoiding a winless week with a close win over South Garner. Their record is still strong, but this past week was disappointing for the Caps. They have as tough a Week 4 as anyone, with games against Millbrook and Woodberry Forest, one of the top teams in Virginia.
Cardinal Gibbons (2-4)
Cardinal Gibbons turned it around after a disastrous 0-4 start, winning a revenge game against Clayton and a tough road contest against SE Raleigh. Freshman Aiden Smalls has been exceptional to start the season and senior Elijah Omar is a leading candidate for breakout player of the year. This team has a great chance to get to 4-4 with games against Pinecrest and Garner in Week 4. The Crusaders stumbled out of the game but it looks as if they may have hit their stride this past week and once Xavier DeBerry returns from injury, they are going to be a force.
Tier Four
The way that games broke this past week left this tier of teams in an interesting predicament. The difference between 14th and 24th is minuscule and you can argue any of them deserve these last three spots in our rankings. As more games are played, this type of huge tie will sort itself out but for now we have a 10 team tier.
Knightdale (3-4)
With the strength of teams 14 through 24 being so similar, Knightdale got the edge because of their ability to beat the teams they’re supposed to beat. A close loss to Franklinton hurts this aspect of it but beating Green Hope and South Garner (twice) makes them the only team from 14 to 26 that has actually won most of the games they were supposed to win. As the season goes on, this will matter less and less, but with a seven game sample size it is all we have to work with.
Rolesville (1-6)
Like we mentioned above, the difference between 14th and 24th is incredibly small and Rolesville was ranked, even with their rough 1-6 record, because of their talent level in relation to the other teams. They have a great backcourt in Isaac Tatum and Michael Downing and they have a lot of young, talented pieces that give the roster a lot of future upside. Whether that future is now, next month, or next season is still TBD. They have two huge games against Northern Nash and Leesville Road that will determine if they stay ranked in next weeks edition.
East Wake (1-3)
East Wake has a similar situation to Rolesville but instead of going off of their rosters upside, we went off of their resume. With an OT loss to Wake Forest and another close loss to Rolesville, East Wake has a much better resume in relation to the other 10 teams around them. They will need to start putting wins together soon as their SOS gets much easier as the season goes on and thus their losses will look worse in relation to the 4A teams around them.
Outside Teams To Monitor
The Bottom of the SWAC
With only three teams ranked in what is usually one of the tougher conferences in the state, the SWAC has largely underperformed to start the year. All five teams have shown reasons for optimism, despite their struggles. There will be at least one team that emerges from this pack to secure a playoff berth. Sam Martin (Apex), Drew Weschler (Apex Friendship), Brishawn Haywood (Cary), Bence Koloszar (Green Hope), and Brandon Ihle (Middle Creek) are all leading promising rosters and making All-Conference campaigns for themselves.