The Wrap: Thursday’s NC high school football scores, Friday’s schedule
Thursday night, Independence beat previously unbeaten Olympic 55-6, advancing to the third round of the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.
Patriots QB Justin Little threw for 277 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, Joe Reddish defended three passes, had four tackles and an interception.
Many games in North Carolina, particularly in the East, were moved up one day to Thursday, though the bulk of the Charlotte-area schedule will be played Friday, when heavier rains from the remnants of a Tropical Storm are due to arrive.
Get all of Thursday’s scores statewide below, as well as previews for Friday’s games and Friday’s complete statewide schedule.
Featured upcoming games
(Observer’s Sweet 16 rankings are included)
Mecklenburg County
No. 6 Butler (9-2) at No. 14 Mooresville (10-1), 4A playoffs, 7:30 p.m. Friday – Butler’s defense had some problems stopping Charlotte Catholic and Hickory Ridge on the ground this season, and the Bulldogs will have to tighten up this week. Mooresville RB Jawarn Howell, who carried for 218 yards and three touchdowns last week, leads a powerful Blue Devil rushing attack. But Butler also has enjoyed success this season wearing down opponents with its ground game, led by RB D.J. Horton (141 yards, mostly in the second half, last week). A possible wild card: Can Butler sophomore QB Zach Lawrence can throw the home-run ball but must avoid mistakes against the tough Mooresville defense.
No. 4 Chambers (9-2) at A.C. Reynolds (10-1), 4A playoffs, 7:30 p.m. Friday – RB Max Guest is a sophomore who has rushed for more than 1,500 yards this season and gives A.C. Reynolds a reliable offense and a way to eat up the clock. This week, he’ll meet a Chambers defense that has grown stronger as the season has progressed. T.J. McGill had eight tackles and two interceptions last week for the Cougars. QB Bubba Camp continued his efficient play for Chambers last Friday, completing 16-of-23 passes for 241 yards and four touchdowns.
No. 9 Charlotte Catholic (9-2) at Grimsley (11-0), 4A playoffs, 7:30 p.m. Friday – The Cougars face a team ranked No. 1 in several polls. Whirlies’ QB Ryan Stephens has passed for 1,555 yards and 15 touchdowns and run for 748 yards and 16 more scores. RB Mitchell Summers has 1,496 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Georgia commit Jah Jarrett, a 345-pound DT, leads Grimsley’s rugged defense.
Charlotte Catholic is known for its efficient ground game, and the Whirlies probably will focus on stopping Cougars’ RB Griffin Sovine, a 1,000-yard rusher. But Charlotte Catholic QB Sean Boyle has thrown for 1,654 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’s only been intercepted twice.
No. 8 Charlotte Christian (9-2) at Rabun Gap School (8-3), NCISAA Division 1 semifinals, 6 p.m. Friday – The Knights travel to northeast Georgia for a rematch of a Sept. 29 game that Rabun Gap won 24-10. Charlotte Christian’s objective this week is obvious: Avoid the mistakes of their first meeting. Rabun Gap converted an interception into its first touchdown, a blocked punt into its second score, and a fumble recovery into a closing field goal. The Knights also will want to slow down Rabun Gap’s ground game, which totaled 205 yards in that Sept. 29 contest.
Christ School (6-5) at No. 2 Providence Day (10-1), NCISAA Division 1 semifinals, 7 p.m. Saturday – On paper, this looks like a potential rout. Providence Day pummeled the Greenies 42-0 in a Sept. 23 meeting, with QB Jadyn Davis completing 25-of-29 passes for 319 yards and five touchdowns. Christ School will need to find an answer for the Providence Day defense, which sacked two Greenies’ quarterbacks six times in that game. Christ School totaled only 190 yards of offense in the Sept. 23 game.
Hibriten (6-5) vs. West Charlotte (6-5), at West Mecklenburg, 3A playoffs, 7 p.m. Friday – Hibriten started the season 1-4 but has gone 5-1 since. The Panthers’ defense has been shaky at times, but their ground game is powerful. Hibriten averages 311 rushing yards per game, led by RB Coby Wilson (104.3 per game). West Charlotte’s rugged defense, with standouts like Julian Carmichael (three interceptions, two tackles for loss last week) will get a test.
No. 11 Mallard Creek (8-3) at No. 3 Hough (9-2), 4A playoffs, 7:30 p.m. Friday – So, how much do we make of the teams’ first meeting, when Mallard Creek beat Hough 13-9 last month and there wasn’t an offensive touchdown in the game? Maverick defenders Miles Chambers and Elijah McCoy scored on interceptions, while Nolan Hauser’s three field goals supplied Hough’s points.
Hough QB Tad Hudson, a UNC commit, will have to play like he did last week, when he completed 13-of-15 passes for 260 yards. Hough’s defense shut down the Mallard Creek offense in their first meeting, but the Huskies must avoid mistakes if they want to reverse the outcome.
Talking Preps High School Picks
NCHSAA Football Schedule
(all kickoffs at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted)
FOOTBALL
Class 4A
Thursday’s second round
West
Independence 55, Olympic 6
Weddington 30, Cox Mill 0
East
Hillside 46, Apex 43
Pine Forest 16, Holly Springs 10
Millbrook 42, Cardinal Gibbons 30
Southern Alamance 38, New Hanover 32 (OT)
Wake Forest 45, Leesville Road 21
Jordan 32, Pinecrest 28
New Bern 21, Hoggard 0
Friday’s second round
West
Charlotte Catholic (9-2) at Grimsley (11-0), 7:30
Mallard Creek (8-3) at Hough (9-2), 7:30
Mount Tabor (9-2) at East Forsyth (11-0), 7
Northwest Guilford (9-2) at Watauga (10-1), 7:30
Chambers (9-2) at A.C. Reynolds (10-1), 7:30
Butler (9-2) at Mooresville (10-1), 7:30
East
Rolesville (8-3) at Cleveland (11-0), 7:30
Class 3A
Thursday’s second round
West
Ledford 42, Northwest Cabarrus 28
East Lincoln 35, Tuscola 7
Crest 42, Oak Grove 15
South Point 74, Dudley 41
Eastern Guilford 62, Clyde Erwin 42
East
Northern Nash 27, Southern Nash 12
Southern Durham 27, Vance County 7
Triton 35, Hunt 16
Jacksonville 49, Havelock 42
Seventy First 28, J.H. Rose 20
Terry Sanford 59, Scotland County 55
Eastern Alamance 27, Williams 24
Friday’s second round
West
Smoky Mountain (7-4) at Kings Mountain (11-0), 7:30
Hibriten (6-5) vs. West Charlotte (6-5), at West Mecklenburg, 7
West Rowan (9-2) at West Henderson (11-0), 7:30
Saturday’s second round
East
Lee County (8-3) at North Brunswick (10-1), 6:30
Class 2A
Thursday’s second round
West
Reidsville 51, Providence Grove 25
Chase 35, Jay M. Robinson 14
Bunker Hill 41, Community School of Davidson 40
Burns 42, Shelby 0
Salisbury 48, Pine Lake Prep 13
Monroe 55, Lincolnton 7
East Surry 21, Hendersonville 16
East
Princeton 71, Heide Trask 34
Cummings 42, Midway 7
Wallace-Rose Hill 35, Northeastern 31
Nash Central 36, Greene Central 28
Whiteville 42, John A. Holmes 35
Hertford County 44, West Craven 43 (OT)
Clinton 26, South Granville 0
East Duplin 31, James Kenan 17
Friday’s second round
West
Mount Pleasant (8-3) at Maiden (10-1), 7:30
Class 1A
Thursday’s second round
West
Eastern Randolph 28, Mountain Heritage 14
Robbinsville 39, Cherokee 12
Hayesville 14, Christ the King 13
Mount Airy 57, North Rowan 7
Thomasville 21, Swain County 0
Murphy 38, East Wilkes 34
Andrews 35, Mountain Island Charter 0
East
Tarboro 48, Southeast Halifax 0
Martin Riverside 44, North Edgecombe 14
Northampton County 28, Pinetown Northside 20
Rosewood 49, Warren County 16
Perquimans 48, East Columbus 14
Hobbton 42, Southside 34
North Moore 13, Pender County 12
Friday’s second round
West
Mitchell County (8-3) at Draughn (10-1), 7
Saturday’s second round
East
Washington County (4-7) at West Columbus (8-3), 7:30
NCISAA Semifinals
Division 1
Friday’s semifinals
Charlotte Christian (9-2) at Rabun Gap School (8-3), 6
Saturday’s semifinals
Christ School (6-5) at Providence Day (10-1), 7
Division 2
Thursday’s semifinals
Trinity Christian (6-4) vs. Covenant Day (7-3), at Matthews SportsPlex, 6
Friday’s semifinals
High Point Christian (5-6) at Asheville School (6-3), 7
8-man football
Thursday’s semifinals
Cary Christian (5-3) at Arendell Parrott Academy (9-1), 7
Rocky Mount Academy (6-3) at John Paul II Catholic (10-1), 7
This story was originally published November 10, 2022 at 6:00 AM.