Cornelius's Hough Huskies are the No. 2 high school football team on the East Coast, according to USA TODAY Sports.

The defending North Carolina Class 8A state champions landed at No. 2 in the Super 15 East regional rankings released Monday, Sept. 28, trailing only St. Frances Academy of Baltimore (4-0). Hough also earned the No. 1 spot in North Carolina in USA TODAY's national Super 50 list, published Wednesday, Sept. 30.

The ranking follows a 44-0 shutout of West Mecklenburg on Friday, Sept. 25, that pushed head coach DeShawn Baker's squad to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in Greater Charlotte conference play. The Huskies had built a 37-point lead by the end of the third quarter.

Jamarion Morrison rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns against West Mecklenburg, his fourth straight game with at least one rushing score, according to MaxPreps. Ethan Royal, the senior quarterback committed to Marshall, added 30 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The win extended Hough's overall winning streak to 20 games, a run that includes last season's first-ever state championship.

Multiple national outlets have taken notice. MaxPreps ranks Hough No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 17 nationally. High School Football America slots the Huskies at No. 19 in its national 300. On3 also lists Hough as the top team in the state at the season's midway point.

Through the first five games of the season, Hough had outscored opponents 174-33, and the starting defense had allowed just two touchdowns, Lake Norman Publications reported after the Week 5 win over Green Run. The West Mecklenburg shutout only padded those numbers.

Season stat leaders through six games tell the story of a balanced roster. Morrison leads in rushing at 70.5 yards per game. Receiver Jahmere Anderson averages 46.7 receiving yards per game with five total touchdowns.

Linebacker Ryan Peterson anchors the defense at 6.0 tackles per game, Michael Griffin Jr. has piled up 8.0 sacks, and safety Sincere Daye has two interceptions.

After the 45-0 blowout of Green Run on Sept. 19, Baker told Lake Norman Publications the opponent's pregame attitude backfired: "They stepped off the bus all rowdy, talking junk to us and everything, so they just poked the bear."

That same intensity has carried into conference play. As we reported Sept. 29, Baker credited a family-first culture for keeping the Huskies focused through the unbeaten start.

Hough hosts Garinger on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. The remaining conference schedule: Friday, Oct. 16, at South Mecklenburg; Friday, Oct. 23, vs. Myers Park; Friday, Oct. 30, at Hopewell.