Previewing the high school football state playoffs

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — “Sometimes you make a mistake here and it’ll cost you. Things catch up with you.” Those are the words of North Brunswick head football coach Larry Brock, and if you make too many mistakes in the state playoffs you’re out. North Brunswick will face High Point Andrews on the road on Friday.

Whiteville High has the luxury of playing at home. The Wolfpack will host Cherryville in round one. “Nobody can match the schedule we have played in 1-A this year,” Whiteville head coach Luke Little told WWAY earlier this week. “We played 3 1-A schools all year. Everybody else was 2-A or 3-A. We feel it’s going to be an advantage going into the playoffs.” If Whiteville wins, they’ll get to keep playing at home for awhile. “We got a good bracket,” Little said. “I thought we had a good bracket last year though and we lost in the first round.”

South Columbus will get to stay at home for a weeks if they keep winning. “We’re going to work our butts off like we always do,” South Columbus head coach Russell Dove said. “We’re going to get prepared and ready and play as hard as we can on Friday night.”

4-AA East
Laney (7-4) at Fuquay-Varina (8-3)

4A East
Northern Durham (5-6) at New Hanover (7-4)
Hoggard (6-5) at Durham Hillside (9-1)

3-AA East
Northern Guilford (4-7) at West Brunswick (8-3)
Topsail (4-7) at Lee County (10-1)

2-AA East
North Brunswick (7-4) at High Point Andrews (7-4)
North Lenoir (6-5) at Clinton (11-0)

2-A East
Bertie (5-6) at South Columbus (9-2)
Farmville Central (6-5) at East Bladen (7-4)

1-AA East
James Kenan (4-6) at Tarboro (9-2)
Trask (7-4) at Union (7-4)
Pender (4-7) at Wallace-Rose Hill (10-1)

1-A West
Cherryville (3-8) at Whiteville (6-5)