High school football rewind: NC playoff scores, how The Sweet 16 fared, schedule
Welcome to the playoffs.
We’ve got scores from the NCHSAA and NCISAA playoffs, next week’s schedules and complete Charlotte Observer coverage, including coverage from the first fan-picked game of the week.
Scroll down.
Hickory Ridge parts ways with Jupiter Wilson
Hickory Ridge High School is looking for a new head football coach after parting ways with coach Jupiter Wilson after six seasons.
Officials from the school posted announcement on social media Friday, after meeting with Wilson on Thursday.
“Everything hit real quick last night,” Wilson said Friday, “but I know I’ll eventually coach (football) again. But I’ll remember the relationships from all the sports I’ve coached (at Hickory Ridge): football, girls’ basketball, track and boys’ basketball my first year. It was a place where I was able to land on my feet and coach young men and young women after I left Virginia. I was grateful for the opportunity.”
Wilson, who played football at North Carolina, took over the team in 2019, replacing Sam Greiner, who coached there in 2018. Wilson was an assistant at Hickory Ridge in the 2018 season and before that was an assistant at Chambers and head coach in Virginia.
Wilson, 42, also coaches girls’ basketball at Hickory Ridge and said he plans to continue in that role this season. His girls’ basketball team is scheduled to open the 2024-25 season at Chambers.
“I enjoyed my time here,” Wilson said, “and you’ve got to make sure you keep winning games. That’s the bottom line.”
Wilson’s first four football teams at Hickory Ridge had winning records, including a 9-3 team in 2021 that nearly beat reigning 4AA state champion Chambers in a regular-season game on the road.
But in the past two seasons, Hickory Ridge has fallen back, going 3-8 in 2023 and 0-11 in 2024.
Quick links
No. 3 Hough routs South Iredell; Independence up next
No. 16 Sun Valley wins Observer game of the week, moves on
Rabun Gap stops Providence Day in NCISAA finals
Mallard Creek defense dominates Lake Norman
Roundup: Mooresville, West Charlotte, Weddington among area winners
Listen to the Talking Preps postgame show
How The Sweet 16 fared
Rank | School | Record | Friday |
1 | (10-0) | d. AL Brown 54-7 | |
2 | (10-0) | Bye | |
3 | (10-1) | d. South Iredell 59-0 | |
4 | (9-3) | lost 42-39 to Rabun Gap | |
5 | (9-2) | d. Porter Ridge 24-21 | |
6 | (10-1) | d. Mount Tabor 44-0 | |
7 | (9-2) | d. Lake Norman 34-9 | |
8 | (9-2) | d. Hunter Huss 47-0 | |
9 | (11-0) | d. Northeast Guilford 28-0 | |
10 | (10-0) | d. TW Andrews 69-0 | |
11 | (9-2) | d. Blue Ridge 70-0 | |
12 | (10-1) | d. Alexander Central 70-0 | |
13 | (9-1) | d. Montgomery Central 42-7 | |
14 | (10-1) | d. North Davidson 43-13 | |
15 | (9-2) | d. NW Cabarrus 24-7 | |
16 | (9-2) | d. TC Roberson 29-14 |
NCHSAA football playoff results
CLASS 4A
Friday’s first round
West
Charlotte Catholic 24, Porter Ridge 21
East Forsyth 38, Butler 35
Grimsley 63, Western Guilford 0
Hough 59, South Iredell 0
Independence 44, Mount Tabor 0
Mallard Creek 34, Lake Norman 9
Marvin Ridge 24, Asheville 10
Mooresville 70, Alexander Central 0
Northern Guilford 21, West Cabarrus 20
Northwest Guilford 21, Olympic 14
Palisades 14, Page 3
Southeast Guilford 46, Reagan 45
Sun Valley 29, T.C. Roberson 14
Watauga 43, Ragsdale 19
West Forsyth 10, Cuthbertson 3
Weddington 54, AL Brown 7
East
Apex Friendship 36, Pine Forest 20
Ashley 41, Laney 7
Cardinal Gibbons 60, Willow Spring 7
Clayton 48, Corinth Holders 17
Cleveland 24, Heritage 21
Garner 14, Southeast Raleigh 13
Hillside 39, Overhills 12
Hoggard 35, Broughton 13
Jordan 42, Enloe 14
Leesville Road 35, D.H. Conley 9
Millbrook 31, South View 0
New Bern 59, Gray’s Creek 27
Pinecrest 30, New Hanover 16
Richmond Senior 42, Topsail 6
Rolesville 57, Middle Creek 22
Wake Forest 21, Jack Britt 20
CLASS 3A
West
AC Reynolds 37, Central Davidson 7
Ashbrook 24, Northwest Cabarrus 7
Clyde Erwin 56, Parkwood 25
Crest 49, Eastern Guilford 10
Dudley 55, Asheboro 0
Hickory 53, Tuscola 0
Jay M. Robinson 28, Northeast Guilford 0
Kings Mountain 38, East Lincoln 28
North Lincoln 43, North Davidson 13
Oak Grove 49, North Iredell 13
Smoky Mountain 27, Pisgah 14
South Point 42, Montgomery Central 7
Statesville 15, Franklin 13
West Charlotte 47, Hunter Huss 0
West Henderson 27, South Rowan 12
West Rowan 21, Freedom 7
East
Cape Fear 31, Southern Alamance 0
CB Aycock 35, Eastern Alamance 9
Currituck County 25, West Johnston 6
Havelock 63, Westover 15
J.H. Rose 32, Northern Nash 25
Jacksonville 54, West Carteret 0
Lee County 34, White Oak 31
North Brunswick 24, Hunt 17
Rocky Mount 24, Richlands 7
Scotland County 28, Union Pines 14
Seventy-First 49, Croatan 0
Southern Durham 30, Fike 20
Southern Nash 56, Harnett Central 14
Terry Sanford 49, South Central 14
Western Alamance 36, Vance County 31
Williams 49, East Wake 21
CLASS 2A
West
Burns 24, North Stanly 10
Brevard 42, Anson County 6
Bunker Hill 55, Hendersonville 26
Community School of Davidson 42, Bandys 6
East Rutherford 35, North Surry 25
East Surry 19, Southwestern Randolph 7
Forest Hills 35, Lexington 12
Maiden 28, Lincolnton 23
Monroe 69, T.W. Andrews 0
Mount Pleasant 36, West Lincoln 35
Randleman 30, East Gaston 13
Reidsville 56, R-S Central 22
Salisbury 42, West Davidson 15
Shelby 49, Morehead 0
Walkertown 47, Surry Central 23
West Stokes 28, North Forsyth 10
East
Ayden-Grifton 45, North Lenoir 22
East Duplin 33, St. Pauls 13
Eastern Wayne 44, Northwood 14
Farmville Central 26, North Pitt 0
Greene Central 41, Midway 6
Holmes 20, South Granville 14
James Kenan 35, Roanoke Rapids 13
Kinston 38, South Columbus 29
Martin County 47, North Johnston 6
Northeastern 57, Hertford County 13
Princeton 55, East Carteret 18
Southeast Halifax 56, Heide Trask 21
SouthWest Edgecombe 40, Cummings 12
Wallace-Rose Hill 27, Washington 13
West Craven 65, Nash Central 34
Whiteville 34, Pasquotank County 20
CLASS 1A
West
Bessemer City 38, South Stokes 14
Cherokee 25, Carver 8
Christ the King 31, Alleghany 28
Corvian Community 49, Elkin 0
Eastern Randolph 49, Swain County 0
East Wilkes 49, Albemarle 28
Hayesville 37, Union Academy 35
Mitchell County 39, Draughn 28
Mountain Island Charter 36, Bishop McGuinness 27
Mount Airy 68, Thomas Jefferson 0
Mountain Heritage 57, North Stokes 7
Murphy 62, Highland Tech 6
North Rowan 41, Cherryville 34
Robbinsville 20, Thomasville 7
South Stanly 34, Avery County 7
Starmount 51, Andrews 0
East
Bertie 52, North Edgecombe 6
East Bladen 37, Southeast Halifax 12
Gates County 30, Washington County 22
KIPP Pride 30, West Columbus 14
Lakewood 56, Northampton County 6
North Moore 51, Union County 0
North Duplin, bye
Northside Pinetown d. East Columbus, forfeit
Pamlico County 50, Bear Grass Charter 34
Pender 76, Chatham Central 14
Perquimans 56, Northwest Halifax 8
Rosewood 48, Hobbton 21
Tarboro, bye
Warren County 46, Southside 0
Weldon 14, Lejeune 7
Wilson Prep, bye
NCISAA playoff schedule
Friday’s state championships
DIVISION 1
Rabun Gap (GA) 42, Providence Day 39
DIVISION 2
Asheville School 28, Trinity Christian 14
8-MAN FOOTBALL
Cary Christian 14, John Paul II Catholic 13
Area S.C. playoff games
(first round)
CLASS 5A / DIVISION 1
Upper State
Clover 31, Blythewood 28
First-round byes: Dutch Fork (9-0); Rock Hill (5-5); J.L. Mann (8-2); Spartanburg (7-2)
CLASS 5A / DIVISION 2
Upper State
Catawba Ridge 38, Woodmont 35
Hillcrest 48, Nation Ford 23
Indian Land 34, Eastside 7
CLASS 4A
Upper State
South Pointe 77, Blue Ridge 0
Wren 41, Lancaster 21
CLASS 2A
Upper State
Andrew Jackson 42, Liberty 17
Chester 44, Strom Thurmond 23
Pageland Central 36, Landrum 26
CLASS 1A
Upper State
Lewisville 60, Calhoun Falls Charter 0
Next week’s schedule
NCHSAA 4A
West
Independence (10-1) at Hough (10-1)
Mallard Creek (9-2) at Watauga (10-0)
Marvin Ridge (5-6) at Northern Guilford (10-1)
Northwest Guilford (9-2) at Mooresville (10-1)
Palisades (8-3) at Charlotte Catholic (8-2)
Southeast Guilford (7-4) at Grimsley (11-0)
Sun Valley (9-2) at Weddington (10-0)
West Forsyth (8-3) at East Forsyth (11-0)
East
Apex Friendship (10-1) at Jordan (9-2)
Ashley (9-2) at Cleveland (11-0)
Clayton (10-1) at Richmond Senior (9-2)
Garner (8-3) at Cardinal Gibbons (9-1)
Leesville Road (10-1) at Hoggard (10-1)
Millbrook (10-1) at New Bern (9-2)
Pinecrest (10-1) at Rolesville (10-1)
Wake Forest (5-6) at Hillside (6-5)
NCHSAA 3A
West
A.C. Reynolds (6-4) at Dudley (11-0)
Ashbrook (9-2) at South Point (9-1)
Crest (9-2) at Oak Grove (10-1)
Kings Mountain (9-2) at Jay M. Robinson (11-0)
North Lincoln (10-1) at West Henderson (8-3)
Smoky Mountain (8-2) at Clyde Erwin (9-1)
Statesville (9-2) at Hickory (11-0)
West Rowan (7-4) at West Charlotte (8-2)
East
Cape Fear (10-1) at C.B. Aycock (11-0)
Jacksonville (9-1) at Williams (10-1)
J.H. Rose (3-8) at Southern Nash (9-2)
Lee County (6-5) at North Brunswick (6-5)
Rocky Mount (7-4) at Seventy First (11-0)
Scotland County (5-6) at Terry Sanford (9-2)
Currituck County (6-5) at Southern Durham (9-2)
Western Alamance (8-3) at Havelock (10-1)
NCHSAA 2A
West
Brevard (8-2) at Bunker Hill (9-2)
Burns (8-3) at Monroe (10-0)
Community School of Davidson (8-3) at Mount Pleasant (9-2)
East Rutherford (7-3) at Reidsville (11-0)
Forest Hills (8-3) at Randleman (9-2)
Maiden (8-3) at Shelby (9-2)
Walkertown (8-3) at Salisbury (10-1)
West Stokes (9-2) at East Surry (9-2)
East
East Duplin (6-5) at West Craven (5-6)
Farmville Central (8-3) at Whiteville (10-1)
Greene Central (7-4) at Northeastern (11-0)
Holmes (7-4) at Ayden-Grifton (7-4)
James Kenan (10-1) at Martin County (8-3)
Kinston (7-4) at Southeast Halifax (11-0)
Princeton (7-4) at Eastern Wayne (9-2)
SouthWest Edgecombe (6-5) at Wallace-Rose Hill (8-3)
NCHSAA 1A
West
Cherokee (7-4) at Eastern Randolph (11-0)
Christ The King (5-6) at Murphy (10-1)
East Wilkes (9-2) at North Rowan (7-4)
Hayesville (4-7) at Mountain Heritage (9-0)
Mitchell County (7-3) at Corvian Community (11-0)
Mountain Island Charter (6-5) at Mount Airy (11-0)
Robbinsville (6-6) at Bessemer City (7-4)
Starmount (10-1) at South Stanly (6-4)
East
Bertie (5-6) at North Moore (6-5)
East Bladen (5-6) at North Duplin (9-0)
Gates County (7-4) at Pinetown Northside (7-3)
KIPP Pride (7-4) at Wilson Prep (9-1)
Lakewood (8-3) at Pamlico (2-9)
Rosewood (6-5) at Pender (8-3)
Warren County (9-2) at Perquimans (8-3)
Weldon (6-4) at Tarboro (9-1)
This story was originally published November 15, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
