There are only three more weeks left in the 2026 North Carolina high school football regular season following Week 8.
Here are three takeaways from this week of WNC high school football, including Tuscola's defensive masterclass.
Hot start carries Asheville High to win over rival Reynolds
Asheville High coach Cort Radford was proud of how his team handled itself during a 40-17 win over Reynolds in Week 8.
Radford said there were plenty of potential distractions, including homecoming, a televised game, no school Monday and Tuesday, and the emotional high of a 23-21 win over rival Roberson the previous week.
But Asheville quickly built a big lead with several scores and three-and-outs before cruising to the
victory.
"I thought that was the biggest thing about tonight is that we started fast," Radford said. "We were very aggressive early. Defense played really good, got some three-and-outs and were able to score some."
Offensive line powers Enka to first win over Erwin since 2007
Enka entered Week 8 averaging 332 rushing yards. Coach Jim Beatty hadn't calculated the final stats from a 38-29 win over Erwin, but he believed the Jets may have rushed for 400 yards or more for a second straight week.
Beatty said it was another balanced offensive performance, with several running backs finding success, including Tommy McKinney, Jose Chavez, Levi Richards and CJ Dicus.
That production starts up front with the offensive line.
"We're clicking up front," Beatty said. "We're communicating well with each other. We know who we're supposed to work with on double teams. We can make adjustments at the sideline on different blocking schemes."
Tuscola shuts out Pisgah to earn first County Clash victory since 2023
Tuscola defeated Pisgah 21-0 in Week 8 to snap the Bears' two-game winning streak in the County Clash. It was the first shutout in the series since Pisgah blanked the Mountaineers in 2019.
The Mountaineers dominated all three phases, outgaining Pisgah 304-32, intercepting two passes and forcing and recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half.
"They played lights out," Tuscola coach Jonathan Crompton said. "Got a fourth down stop, interception, could have had a couple of more. Big plays here and there. Kids trust the system; they buy into it and play hard."
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Three takeaways from Week 8 WNC football, including Tuscola's defensive masterclass
