Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 12 Grimsley Whirlies secured their second consecutive Class 7A State Championship, defeating the Clayton (N.C.) Comets, 24-14, on Friday at Kenan Stadium.
Grimsley overcame a slow start, trailing 7-0 after being held scoreless in the first quarter. Clayton’s initial score came on a 12-yard rushing touchdown by North Carolina State commit Aiden Smalls.
Five-star senior quarterback and future Tennessee Volunteer, Faizon Brandon, sparked the comeback. Grimsley tied the game in the second quarter when Brandon connected with senior Hudson Cooper for a 7-yard touchdown, Cooper’s 10th receiving score of the season.
Following a defensive stop, Brandon added a 1-yard rushing touchdown—his 24th career rushing score—giving the Whirlies a 14-7 lead just before halftime. Brandon finished the game with 118 yards passing and one touchdown, along with 53 yards rushing and one touchdown. He completed 12 of his 15 passes in the postseason victory.
The Whirlies’ defense took over in the third quarter. Junior Makai Yon intercepted his fourth pass of the season and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 21-7. Two more Clayton drives ended in turnovers with fumbles recovered by Cassius Bostic and Jaiden Wardlaw.
Grimsley’s lead grew to 24-7 late in the third quarter on a 22-yard field goal by Chase Huellmantel. Clayton cut the deficit to 24-14 early in the fourth quarter on a 61-yard scamper by Aiden Smalls, his second rushing score of the day, but it was not enough to overcome the Grimsley lead.
The state title marked an impressive end to Faizon Brandon’s career. The senior, rated as the No. 2 overall player in the Class of 2026, finished his Grimsley tenure with 114 total touchdowns and 8,952 yards.
He started 36 games and won 35 of them. His only loss was during the 2023 postseason (sophomore year). Since that loss, the Whirlies have gone 31-0 with two state championships. This season, Brandon missed nine games after suffering an injury during the first game.
Known for his ball security, Brandon attempted 633 passes in his career with only 10 interceptions, one of which came in the championship. He once threw 286 consecutive passes without a pick between September 1, 2023, and September 6, 2024.
Grimsley’s quarterback legacy appears to be in good hands, as freshman Brody Lowe went 9-0 as a starter this season, throwing for 2,241 yards, 23 touchdowns, and three interceptions, and is expected to start in 2026. The Whirlies’ great football tradition includes Alonza Barnett, the last state title-winning quarterback in 2020, who is now the starting quarterback at James Madison, and is set to play in the first round of the College Football Playoffs on December 20 at 7:30 p.m. on TNT.
