High school football first round preview
Nov. 2—FIRST RD 1A EAST-WACCAMAW
EAST COLUMBUS V PERQUIMANS
LAKE WACCAMAW-The 23rd seeded East Columbus Gators take on the #10 Perquimans Pirates in the first round of the NCHSAA 1A State playoffs this Friday. The Gators were able to sneak their way into the playoffs after a 2-8 overall regular season and a fifth place finish in the Waccamaw 1A/2A Conference. They'll face stiff competition when they hit the road against the top-seeded Pirates on Friday.
The Pirates finished their regular season with an overall record of 6-3 and they finished second in the Four Rivers 1A/2A conference. They've averaged over 28.4 ppg in the regular season and they go up against a defense that's one of the worst in their conference. The Gators have played some tough opponents and some not so good ones for a balanced regular-season schedule.
PENDER V WARREN COUNTY
BURGAW-The 18th-seeded Pender Patriots travel to the 15th-seeded Warren County Eagles in the first round of the NCHSAA 1A State playoffs. Pender finished their regular season on a three-game skid but still had enough wins to make it into the playoffs. Warren County finished their year with a 5-5 overall record and they finished fourth in the Tar Roanoke 1A Conference.
The Patriots have a high-octane offense that is capable of scoring plenty of points in a hurry and they go against a defense that allows an average of 20.2 ppg. The game should be competitive with two evenly matched teams going head-to-head but the Eagles have an undefeated record at home.
FIRST RD 2A EAST-SAC 6/WACCAMAW
KINSTON V CLINTON
CLINTON-The number-one seeded Clinton Darkhorses open their postseason campaign against the 32nd-seeded Kinston Vikings in the first round of the NCHSAA 2A State Playoffs this Friday. The Darkhorses is ranked amongst the top teams in the state for all classification with a perfect overall record of 10-0 and they'll face a 4-6 team to start their journey to silverware. Kinston's record might be under .500 but they've played plenty of playoff caliber teams throughout the regular season.
They'll enter Friday's game off a 66-42 win against North Lenoir to give them a bit of confidence before facing the juggernaut that is Clinton. The Darkhorses' have stars on both sides of the ball and they'll be hungry to get back to the top of the mountain after 33-years without a state title.
HEIDE TRASK V CUMMINGS
ROCKY POINT-The 25th-seeded Heide Trask Titans will travel away to the number-eight seeded Cummings Cavaliers in the first round of the NCHSAA 2A State Playoffs. The Cavaliers ran through their regular season schedule and finished with an overall record of 7-1 to claim the eighth seed. Their offense is led by senior running-back Johnathan Paylor, who's scored 32 total touchdowns over 10 games and he averaged 213 yards per game in the regular season.
Heide Trask finished their regular season with three straight wins to give them some added confidence going into Friday's game. The Titans will have to slow down their opponents high-powered run game if they want to stand a chance in this one.
RED SPRINGS V SOUTHWEST EDGECOMBE
RED SPRINGS-The 30th-seeded Red Springs Red Devils will travel to the number-three seeded Southwest Edgecombe Cougars this Friday in the first round of the NCHSAA 2A State Playoffs. The Red Devils were able to get into the playoffs after beating West Bladen in their final game to claim the last bubble spot in the postseason.
They'll go up against an 8-2 team that is capable of putting up plenty of points on the scoreboard. Red Springs may lack talent at certain positions but they're a team that doesn't shy away from physicality.
ST. PAULS V HERTFORD COUNTY
ST. PAULS-The 21st-seeded St. Pauls Bulldogs take the long trip to the 12th-seeded Hertford County Bears this Friday in the first round of NCHSAA 2A State Playoffs. The Bulldogs are fully capable of surprises with athletes all around the field that can make plays happen. Junior quarterback Theo Setzer will be key to the Bulldogs offense and his arm could be the deciding factor come Friday night.
The Bears finished their season with an overall record of 8-2 and they're a balanced team across the board. They can score points on the offensive side and they can frustrate their opponents with a stout defense.
SOUTH GRANVILLE V WHITEVILLE
WHITEVILLE-The number-six seeded Whiteville Wolfpack will host the South Granville Vikings for their first round match-up this Friday. The Vikings finished their regular season with an overall record of 5-5 and they entered the postseason on a three game unbeaten run. Whiteville is highly touted as one of the best teams in the state and they've proved it with wins against some quality opponents.
Whiteville senior quarterback Luk Odham and senior running-back Amari Best have been key to their teams offensive success this season. South Granville has played a tough regular season schedule so they should be more than prepared to give their opponents a game.
HOLMES V MIDWAY
NEWTON GROVE-The 15th-seeded Midway Raiders will host the 18th-seeded Holmes Aces for their first round match-up this Friday. Midway senior quarterback Tripp Westbrook will be an x-factor for the offense if they want to get past a stout defense. Holmes finished their regular season with an overall record of 6-4 and they will enter the postseason on a loss.