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South Iredell is back in the Observer’s Sweet 16 football poll.
The Vikings were preseason No. 16, but the 2A school lost its second game to then-unranked 3A Statesville.
Statesville is No. 6 in the Sweet 16 now and will host No. 3 Charlotte Catholic on Friday in the N.C. 3AA Western Regional final.
After losing to Statesville, South Iredell won seven straight before falling 31-21 to Newton-Conover. After that, however, the Vikings have been on a roll, winning four straight and scoring at least 45 points in three of them.
Friday, South Iredell will play at Salisbury (11-2) for the N.C. 2AA Western Regional championship.
The top of the poll didn’t change much. South Point dipped from No. 3 to eighth after losing its unbeaten season at home last week to Statesville. Butler and Mallard Creek are Nos. 1 and 2, the way they began the season, and the national powers will meet Friday in the state semifinals at Memorial Stadium.
Note: No. 4 Northwestern will play Bluffton after a S.C. High School League ruling Monday that puts Goose Creek back out of the playoffs because of an ineligible player.
SWEET 16
| School (No. 1 votes)Cl | Rec | Pts | Prv | |
| 1. Butler (3) | 4A | 13-0 | 48 | 1 |
| 2. Mallard Creek | 4A | 12-1 | 45 | 2 |
| 3. Charlotte Catholic | 3A | 12-1 | 40 | 3 |
| T4. Rock Hill Northwestern | 4A | 11-2 | 37 | 5 |
| T4. Rock Hill South Pointe | 4A | 12-1 | 37 | 6 |
| 6. Statesville | 3A | 13-1 | 35 | 7 |
| 7. Porter Ridge | 4A | 12-1 | 31 | 8 |
| 8. South Point | 3A | 12-1 | 27 | 3 |
| T9. East Lincoln | 2A | 14-0 | 20 | 9 |
| T9. Independence | 4A | 10-3 | 20 | 9 |
| 11. Crest | 3A | 10-3 | 19 | 11 |
| 12. Charlotte Christian | IND | 9-3 | 15 | 12 |
| 13. Concord | 3A | 12-2 | 11 | 16 |
| 14. Albemarle | 1A | 13-1 | 8 | 14 |
| 15. York, S.C. | 4A | 10-3 | 6 | 13 |
| 16. South Iredell | 2A | 12-2 | 5 | NR |
Dropped Out: Sun Valley (4A, 9-4). Also receiving votes: Sun Valley (4A, 9-4). For rules on the poll and eligible teams, visit charlotteobserver.com/preps; a three-man panel of Observer sportswriters voted.
