NCHSAA releases final NC high school football playoff pairings
The N.C. high school football playoffs begin Friday.
The N.C. Independent Schools released its playoff brackets on Saturday and the N.C. High School Athletic Association put out its pairings on Sunday.
The NCHSAA playoffs will run for six weeks, finishing with state championship games Dec. 11-13 at UNC, Lenoir-Rhyne and Durham County Memorial Stadium.
Six of the classes will play each of the six weeks. The 1A and 8A classes will have a bye week on Dec. 5, which will be the regional championship, or state semifinal round, for the other classes. The 1A and 8A classes have fewer teams.
Last year, NCHSAA member schools voted to increase from four to eight classifications, doubling the number of state champions from a year ago.
Note: Reigning NCHSAA champions are Grimsley (4A), West Charlotte (3A), Monroe (2A) and Tarboro (1A).
NCHSAA PAIRINGS
These are Friday’s first-round games.
CLASS 8A
West
Ardrey Kell (6-4) at Providence (7-3)
Chambers (4-6) at Pinecrest (8-2)
Northwest Guilford (3-7) at West Forsyth (8-2)
Palisades (7-3) at South Mecklenburg (7-3)
(First-round byes: Hough, 10-0; Mallard Creek, 7-3; Myers Park, 8-2; West Charlotte, 8-2)
East
Broughton (5-5) at Leesville Road (7-3)
Enloe (6-4) at Panther Creek (6-4)
Green Hope (6-4) at Rolesville (7-3)
Willow Spring (5-5) at Laney (6-4)
(First-round byes: Apex Friendship, 9-1’; Hoggard, 10-0; Jordan, 10-0; Millbrook, 10-0)
CLASS 7A
West
Chapel Hill (6-4) at Marvin Ridge (5-5)
Cuthbertson (3-7) at Porter Ridge (6-4)
Hopewell (4-6) at Butler (4-6)
McDowell (5-5) at Page (7-3)
Purnell Swett (3-7) at East Forsyth (6-4)
South Iredell (3-7) at A.L. Brown (7-3)
West Cabarrus (5-5) at R.J. Reynolds (6-4)
West Mecklenburg (1-9) at Davie County (6-4)
(First-round byes: Grimsley, 10-0; Independence, 8-2; Jack Britt, 6-4; Lake Norman, 7-3; Mooresville, 8-2; Reagan, 8-2; Richmond Senior, 8-2; Weddington, 9-1)
East
Ashley (3-7) at Cary (7-2)
East Wake (3-7) at Sanderson (6-4)
Fuquay-Varina (4-6) at Holly Springs (4-6)
Heritage (4-6) at New Hanover (5-5)
Lumberton (3-6) at Southern Durham (6-4)
North Brunswick (3-7) at Wake Forest (6-4)
Overhills (3-7) at New Bern (5-5)
South Garner (4-6) at South Central (4-6)
(First-round byes: Cape Fear, 9-1; Cardinal Gibbons, 9-1; Clayton, 8-2; Cleveland, 9-1; D.H. Conley, 7-3; Garner, 7-3; Hillside, 8-2; Southeast Raleigh, 7-3)
CLASS 6A
West
Alexander Central (3-7) at Statesville (7-3)
Ben Smith (2-7) at Kings Mountain (6-4)
Central Cabarrus (4-6) at Southeast Guilford (6-4)
Glenn (4-6) at Dudley (6-4)
Mount Tabor (5-5) at St. Stephens (5-5)
Ragsdale (3-7) at Olympic (8-2)
South Caldwell (2-8) at A.C. Reynolds (6-4)
Western Guilford (5-5) at Asheville (5-5)
(First-round byes: Ashbrook, 10-0; Asheboro, 7-3; Charlotte Catholic, 6-4; Freedom, 9-1; Northern Guilford, 9-1; Sun Valley, 7-3; T.C. Roberson, 7-3; Watauga, 10-0)
East
E.E. Smith (3-7) at Terry Sanford (7-3)
Gray’s Creek (4-6) at Franklinton (7-3)
South View (5-5) at Harnett Central (6-4)
Triton (3-7) at J.H. Rose (5-5)
Vance County (2-8) at South Johnston (7-3)
West Johnston (4-6) at West Brunswick (6-4)
Westover (3-7) at Lee County (6-4)
White Oak (4-6) at Eastern Guilford (4-6)
(First-round byes: Jacksonville, 10-0; Middle Creek, 7-2; Northern Nash, 9-1; Scotland County, 7-3; Seventy-First, 8-2; Southern Alamance, 7-3; Union Pines, 9-1; Williams, 9-1)
CLASS 5A
West
Clyde Erwin (3-7) at Hunter Huss (5-5)
East Rowan (4-6) at West Henderson (6-4)
Forestview (3-7) at Concord (6-4)
Montgomery Central (4-6) at Jesse Carson (5-5)
North Henderson (4-6) at North Davidson (6-4)
North Lincoln (2-8) at Oak Grove (7-3)
Smoky Mountain (3-7) at Forest Hills (8-2)
Southern Guilford (2-8) at West Rowan (6-4)
(First-round byes: Crest, 8-2; East Lincoln, 9-1; Franklin, 8-2; Hickory, 9-1; Jay M. Robinson, 9-1; Monroe, 6-3; Northwest Cabarrus, 7-3; South Point, 8-2)
East
C.B. Aycock (3-7) at West Carteret (6-4)
Dixon (5-5) at Rockingham County (5-4)
Fike (4-6) at Eastern Alamance (4-6)
Orange (3-7) at Southeast Alamance (7-3)
Person (4-6) at J.F. Webb (7-3)
Richlands (3-7) at Havelock (5-5)
Seaforth (5-5) at South Brunswick (7-3)
South Granville (4-6) at Western Alamance (7-3)
(First-round byes: Croatan, 9-1; Currituck County, 8-2; Hunt, 8-2; Jacksonville Northside, 8-2; Northeast Guilford, 8-2; Rocky Mount, 7-3; St. Pauls, 9-1; Southern Nash, 6-4)
CLASS 4A
West
Ashe County (3-7) at West Iredell (5-5)
East Burke (4-6) at Tuscola (5-5)
Forbush (5-5) at West Stokes (4-6)
Lake Norman Charter (5-5) at Fred T. Foard (4-6)
R-S Central (5-5) at Wilkes Central (5-5)
Salisbury (2-8) at North Surry (6-4)
South Rowan (3-7) at Bandys (5-5)
West Stanly (1-9) at Lexington (6-4)
(First-round byes: Brevard, 10-0; Burns, 6-4; Hibriten, 9-1; Maiden, 6-4; Mount Pleasant, 7-3; Newton-Conover, 7-3; Pisgah, 7-3; Stuart Cramer, 8-2)
East
Anson County (2-8) at Eastern Wayne (6-3)
Cummings (3-7) at North Pitt (5-5)
Ledford (2-8) at Clinton (5-5)
Morehead (2-8) at Carver (6-4)
Red Springs (4-6) at Jordan-Matthews (5-5)
Roanoke Rapids (2-8) at Nash Central (3-7)
Southwest Onslow (2-7) at SouthWest Edgecombe (5-5)
Washington (2-8) at North Johnston (5-5)
(First-round byes: Bunn, 8-2; Central Davidson, 9-1; East Duplin, 8-2; Randleman, 7-3; Reidsville, 8-2; Southwestern Randolph, 7-3; T.W. Andrews, 8-2; West Craven, 9-1)
CLASS 3A
West
Chase (5-5) at Thomasville (5-5)
East Davidson (1-9) at Hendersonville (8-2)
Madison (4-6) at West Davidson (7-3)
McMichael (2-8) at Shelby (7-3)
North Wilkes (4-6) at West Lincoln (5-5)
Polk County (3-7) at East Surry (4-6)
Union Academy (4-6) at C.D. Owen (5-5)
Wheatmore (2-8) at West Wilkes (7-3)
(First-round byes: East Rutherford, 9-1; Eastern Randolph, 8-2; Lincolnton, 8-2; Mount Airy, 8-2; Mountain Heritage, 9-1; North Stanly, 9-1; Providence Grove, 8-2; Walkertown, 8-1)
East
Bartlett Yancey (3-7) at Wake Prep (6-3)
Beddingfield (1-9) at Princeton (6-4)
Greene Central (5-5) at Wallace-Rose Hill (5-5)
Heide Trask (3-7) at Farmville Central (5-5)
North Moore (3-7) at Kinston (6-4)
Northwood (3-7) at Hertford County (5-5)
South Lenoir (5-5) at Ayden-Grifton (6-4)
West Bladen (2-8) at South Columbus (6-4)
(First-round byes: James Kenan, 9-1; Louisburg, 8-2; Martin County, 7-3; Midway, 8-2; Northeastern, 7-3; Pasquotank County, 7-3; Pender, 9-1; Whiteville, 7-3)
CLASS 2A
West
Avery County (1-9) at North Rowan (6-4)
Cherokee (3-7) at Albemarle (4-6)
Elkin (2-8) at Mountain Island Charter (5-5)
Highland Tech (1-9) at Hayesville (6-4)
Langtree Charter (1-9) at Mitchell (6-4)
South Stokes (4-6) at Cherryville (5-5)
(First-round byes: Alleghany, 8-2; Bishop McGuinness, 9-1; Christ the King, 7-3; Community School of Davidson, 6-4; Corvian Community, 8-1; East Wilkes, 7-3; Murphy, 8-2; South Stanly, 8-2; Starmount, 8-2; Swain County, 6-4)
East
Lejeune (1-9) at Northampton County (3-7)
Pamlico County (2-8) at Southside (4-6)
Rosewood (2-8) at American Leadership/Johnston (4-6)
Union (2-8) at Northwest Halifax (4-6)
West Columbus (3-7) at Camden County (3-7)
(First-round byes: East Bladen, 7-3; East Carteret, 5-3; Gates County, 5-5; Hobbton, 6-4; Holmes, 6-4; Lakewood, 6-4; Manteo, 6-3; North Duplin, 9-1; Perquimans, 5-5; Tarboro, 10-0; Warren County, 8-2)
CLASS 1A
West
Andrews (1-9) at College Prep and Leadership (1-8)
Bonnie Cone Leadership (0-10) at Rosman (2-8)
Chatham Central (1-9) at Winston-Salem Prep (2-8)
(First-round byes: East Columbus, 2-8; North Stokes, 4-6; Robbinsville, 7-3; South Davidson, 9-1; Thomas Jefferson Academy, 4-6)
East
Columbia (1-6) at Sallie B. Howard (4-6)
North Edgecombe (1-9) at Washington County (5-4)
Weldon (0-7) at Hobgood Charter (3-5)
(First-round byes: Bear Grass Charter, 8-0; KIPP Pride, 10-0; Pinetown Northside, 10-0; Southeast Collegiate Prep, 6-4; Wilson Prep, 5-5)
Tap here to view or find below
NCISAA SCHEDULE
NCISAA playoffs will run for three weeks in two divisions. Schools with enrollment of 375 or more are Division I; 374 or less are Division II.
The championship games will be held at the home of the higher-seeded team on Nov. 21.
The reigning champions are Rabun Gap (Division I) and Asheville School (Division II).
DIVISION I PAIRINGS
No. 8 North Raleigh Christian (6-4) at No. 1 Providence Day (10-0)
No. 5 Cannon School (6-4) at No. 4 Charlotte Latin (7-3)
No. 6 Charlotte Country Day (6-3) at No. 3 Charlotte Christian (5-5)
No. 7 Christ School (3-7) at No. 2 Rabun Gap (5-4)
DIVISION II PAIRINGS
No. 1 High Point Christian (10-0), bye
No. 5 Hickory Grove (6-3) at No. 4 Harrells Christian (8-2)
No. 6 SouthLake Christian (3-7) at No. 3 Trinity Christian (7-2)
No. 7 Wayne Christian (4-6) at No. 2 Asheville School (5-2-1)
This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 2:44 PM.
