3rd round high school football state playoffs preview

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — If you’re playing high school football in early December it’s a sign of a really good season. We have a handful of teams who fit that bill this year. They all get to prove themselves on the field once again on Friday.

A slow start to the season may be the best way to describe the Hoggard Vikings in 2016, but it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish and the Vikings find themselves in round 3 of the state football playoffs. Hoggard will face perennial power Scotland County Friday night in Laurinburg. The Scots are undefeated. Hoggard is 8-5 overall. Craig Underwood is the Hoggard head football coach. “we are excited for the opportunity to go to their place to play,” Underwood told WWAY. “No matter who you are facing you have to execute in all phases to win in the third round of the state playoffs.” Hoggard senior Patrick Morrison added “We have been working on getting off the bus. It’ll be another long bus ride this week, but I think the past two weeks have been good practice and hopefully we can come out strong.”

South Columbus has one of the best rushing attacks in the state with Dennis Leggett and Trequan Bellamy. They are dynamic with a capital duo, but East Bladen may be just as potent on offense. The Eagles also like to keep the ball on the ground with Ethan Hines getting most of the workload. “Everybody feeds off of him, East Bladen head coach Robby Priest said. “One big play out of him sparks our team. Each time he’s had a big performance we’ve responded as a team.”

For East Bladen it’s just a short trip to South Columbus, but it’s a long bus ride to Mount Airy for the Whiteville Wolfpack. Ironically Mount Airy was the team that ended Whiteville’s playoff state title dream last season. Mount Airy will host Whiteville on Friday. “Mount Airy put us out last year,” Whiteville head coach Luke Little told WWAY. “They are a very well coached team. I’ve coached against Coach Holder before. It’ll be my third or fourth time. They’ll be fundamentally sound with tough kids.”

• Friday’s Third Round Football Schedule

1-AA East
Wallace Rose Hill at Lakewood

1-AA West
Whiteville at Mount Airy

2-A East
East Bladen at South Columbus

2-AA East
Hertford County at East Duplin
Northside at Clinton

3-AA East
Jacksonville at Lee County

4-A East
Hoggard at Scotland County