Harrells Christian Academy saw its season come to a close Friday night in the NCISAA playoffs, falling 56-0 to an unbeaten High Point Christian Academy squad that showed why it has been one of the most dominant teams in the state this year. The Crusaders end their 2024 campaign with a strong 9-3 record, while the Cougars continue forward still perfect on the season.
High Point Christian set the tone early, putting up 14 points in the opening quarter and adding 21 more in the second to take full control by halftime. Harrells struggled to sustain drives against HPCA’s size, strength, and defensive discipline, finishing with just four first downs and 43 total plays. The Cougars, meanwhile, operated with efficiency on both sides of the ball, stacking up 18 first downs and staying in command throughout all four quarters.
Harrells head coach Clayton Hall reflected on both the loss and the year as a whole. He said the performance wasn’t what they hoped for, but the season’s broader trajectory tells a different, more encouraging story.
“Obviously we’re disappointed,” Hall said in a Monday phone interview. “We didn’t prepare well all week, and I told them it was going to be a fight, and we didn’t show up ready to fight. That’s on me. I have to fix that. Obviously, they’re a really good football team. Their strength in the entire state of North Carolina is well-documented by MaxPreps, but I told them at the end of the game that’s what we’re trying to be. We’ve got to get stronger. We’ve got to get bigger. Those teams possess all those qualities. That’s what it takes.”
Hall said High Point Christian didn’t surprise them with anything exotic, but executed their plan at a high level.
“They ran the same plays out of a few different formations,” Hall said. “They traded a lot as far as strength, which kind of caught us off guard, but offensively we weren’t able to score at all.”
Even with the tough finish, Hall emphasized that the future is bright for the Crusaders. Much of the young roster will return, giving HCA a strong foundation to build upon heading into 2025.
“We’re returning four offensive linemen and I think five offensive backs,” Hall pointed out. “There’s promise there, and that’s something we can build on. We still have some really explosive players. Both our linebackers are back, the majority of our secondary is back. The line is going to be a little thin, but we’ve got a lot to look forward to and a lot of work to do, so we have to put a lot of work in this offseason.”
As for the offseason, Hall said some players will shift immediately into the winter sports schedule, while the strength program becomes the top priority.
Hall also highlighted the impact of assistant coach Josh Rackley, who joined the staff this year and quickly connected with the team.
“Josh is doing great things,” Hall said. “He really relates to the kids. The kids have taken a liking to him. He’s doing a fantastic job and fits right in. We’re happy to have him; nothing but positive things to say.”
Looking back on the year as a whole, Hall said the 2025 Crusaders took another meaningful stride as a program.
“I’d say we took another step forward,” Hall said. “We were 6-4 last year, 9-3 this year, we had a chance to win a conference championship, and made the state semifinals. We definitely didn’t take a step back. We took a step forward.”
Harrells Christian Academy now turns the page to winter sports and offseason development, with much of its core returning and expectations already rising for 2026.