Staff report

Football playoff pairings were released on Saturday.

There’s no 2AA and 2A to worry about this year, as the four classifications no longer are being divided into bigger and smaller schools for separate state championships.

Carson’s football team did make it into the 3A state playoffs with its late surge of three straight victories.

As expected, Salisbury and West Rowan did not fare well with a new seeding formula (RPI) that is based largely on strength of schedule.

North Rowan landed about where it was expected to be and did get a first-round home game.

Carson (4-5) is seeded 29th in the 3A West and will travel to the Boiling Springs/Shelby area to take on fourth-seeded Crest (7-2) in the first round.

Salisbury, a defending state champ, has overwhelmed nine straight opponents by lopsided scores, but is seeded sixth in the 2A West bracket and will take on No. 27 North Forsyth (5-5) in the first round.

The only three things that matter with the RPI rankings are  your winning percentage, your opponents’ winning percentage and the winning percentage of your opponents’ opponents.

The winning percentage of Salisbury’s opponents is not strong, as East Rowan, South Rowan, Lexington, West Davidson and South Davidson did not win often.

Shelby, East Surry, Maiden, Reidsville and Hendersonville are conference champions with higher RPI rankings than the Hornets, so they are seeded ahead of them.

The Hornets will get two home games as the 6 seed, but it’s conceivable that Salisbury would have to win at Maiden, at East Surry and at Shelby (or Reidsville) just to get to the 2A state championship game.

West Rowan (6-3) takes a similiar strength of schedule hit as the Hornets.  The Falcons played in a conference that had seven teams. Five had losing records.

While West was a conference runner-up, that carries zero impact in the RPI rankings. After the conference champions, everyone is treated the same. It doesn’t matter if you were second, third or fourth in your league.

West Rowan will be on the road right away as the No. 20 seed and will play at No. 13 North Lincoln (8-2) in the first round of the 3A West bracket.

North Rowan is the No. 12 seed in the 1A West bracket. The Cavaliers (6-3) will be at home against No. 21 Bessemer City (2-8) in the first round.

Bessemer City is in because just about everyone makes it in the 1A West as there are 34 teams and a 32-team bracket. There are even some winless teams in the field.

Davie (6-4) is seeded 24th in the 4A West bracket and plays at No. 9 Asheville (8-2) in the first round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playoff pairings

1A 

East

#1 Tarboro (9-1), BYE

#16 Southeast Halifax (4-6) vs. #17 Weldon (3-4)

#8 Perquimans (6-2) vs. #25 Northwest Halifax (2-6)

#9 Riverside-Martin (5-3) vs. #24 Chatham Central (1-7)

#5 Rosewood (5-2), BYE

#12 North Edgecombe (5-5) vs. #21 East Columbus (3-5)

#13 Pamlico County (3-6) vs. #20 Warren County (3-6)

#4 Northampton County (8-2), BYE

#3 North Moore (9-1), BYE

#14 Gates County (3-4) vs. #19 North Duplin (3-6)

#6 Pender (6-3) vs. #27 Lejeune (0-10)

#11 West Columbus (4-5) vs. #22 Bertie (1-6)

#7 Southside (9-1) vs. #26 South Creek (0-10)

#10 KIPP Pride (5-3) vs. #23 Jones Senior (2-7)

#15 Hobbton (4-6) vs. #18 Lakewood (4-6)

#2 Northside-Pinetown (9-1), BYE

1A West

#1 Eastern Randolph (9-0), BYE

#16 Draughn (5-5) vs. #17 Elkin (3-6)

#8 Mountain Heritage (7-2) vs. #25 Albemarle (2-7)

#9 Murphy (6-4) vs. #24 Alleghany (2-7)

#5 Thomas Jefferson (6-3) vs. #28 Avery County (1-9)

#12 North Rowan (6-3) vs. #21 Bessemer City (2-8)

#13 Cherokee (5-4) vs. #20 Cherryville (3-7)

#4 Robbinsville (6-3) vs. #29 Winston-Salem Prep (1-8)

#3 Mitchell (8-2) vs. #30 South Davidson (1-8)

#14 Swain County (4-5) vs. #19 Hayesville (3-7)

#6 Thomasville (7-2) vs. #27 Highland Tech (0-9)

#11 South Stokes (5-4) vs. #22 Christ the King (3-7)

#7 Starmount (6-4) vs. #26 South Stanly (2-7)

#10 Andrews (6-3) vs. #23 Bishop McGuinness (2-7)

#15 East Wilkes (4-6) vs. #18 North Stokes (4-6)

#2 Mount Airy (10-0) vs. #31 Union Academy (0-10)

2A East

#1 Princeton (9-0) vs. #32 Bunn (3-7)

#16 Eastern Wayne (8-2) vs. #17 Kinston (7-3)

#8 Nash Central (5-5) vs. #25 Southwest Onslow (2-7)

#9 South Granville (4-6) vs. #24 Midway (6-4)

#5 St. Pauls (8-0) vs. #28 Goldsboro (4-6)

#12 Roanoke Rapids (6-4) vs. #21 Bartlett Yancey (6-3)

#13 James Kenan (5-3) vs. #20 East Bladen (4-6)

#4 Whiteville (9-0) vs. #29 Camden County (4-6)

#3 Northeastern (9-0) vs. #30 East Carteret (4-5)

#14 John A. Holmes (7-2) vs. #19 North Pitt (7-3)

#6 Cummings (8-1-1) vs. #27 Greene Central (4-6)

#11 Washington (9-0) vs. #22 South Columbus (3-4)

#7 West Craven (5-3) vs. #26 North Lenoir (4-5)

#10 Wallace-Rose Hill (8-2) vs. #23 SouthWest Edgecombe (3-6)

#15 Clinton (7-2) vs. #18 Hertford County (7-3)

#2 East Duplin (9-1) vs. #31 West Bladen (3-5)

2A West

#1 Shelby (9-1) vs. #32 Owen (4-6)

#16 Southwestern Randolph (8-2) vs. #17 Polk County (6-3)

#8 Providence Grove (8-2) vs. #25 Forest Hills (6-4)

#9 Community School of Davidson (8-2) vs. #24 East Gaston (6-4)

#5 Hendersonville (8-1) vs. #28 West Stanly (3-5)

#12 Burns (7-3) vs. #21 McMichael (7-3)

#13 Chase (9-1) vs. #20 Pine Lake Prep (6-3)

#4 Reidsville (9-0) vs. #29 Randleman (4-6)

#3 Maiden (10-0) vs. #30 Mount Pleasant (6-4)

#14 West Lincoln (8-2) vs. #19 Surry Central (6-4)

#6 Salisbury (9-0) vs. #27 North Forsyth (5-5)

#11 Bunker Hill (9-1) vs. #22 East Davidson (6-4)

#7 Monroe (6-1) vs. #26 Lincolnton (4-6)

#10 J.M. Robinson (9-1) vs. #23 West Stokes (5-4)

#15 Forbush (7-3) vs. #18 North Surry (5-4)

#2 East Surry (9-0) vs. #31 Newton-Conover (3-6)

3A East

#1 Eastern Alamance (7-1) vs. #32 East Wake (3-7)

#16 Havelock (6-3) vs. #17 Rocky Mount (5-5)

#8 Westover (8-1) vs. #25 Vance County (7-2)

#9 North Brunswick (6-4) vs. #24 South Brunswick (6-4)

#5 Lee County (7-3) vs. #28 West Johnston (5-5)

#12 Southern Nash (8-1) vs. #21 White Oak (8-2)

#13 Jacksonville (7-2) vs. #20 Western Alamance (4-5-1)

#4 Hunt (8-2) vs. #29 Franklinton (4-6)

#3 Seventy-First (10-0) vs. #30 West Brunswick (3-6)

#14 Fike (7-2) vs. #19 Williams (6-4)

#6 J.H. Rose (6-4) vs. #27 Croatan (4-6)

#11 Currituck County (5-5) vs. #22 Terry Sanford (6-3)

#7 West Carteret (7-2) vs. #26 Cape Fear (6-3)

#10 Southern Durham (6-4) vs. #23 Scotland County (5-4)

#15 Smithfield-Selma (7-3) vs. #18 South Johnston (8-2)

#2 Northern Nash (9-1) vs. #31 Northwood (4-5)

3A West

#1 Pisgah (9-1) vs. #32 Southern Guilford (4-6)

#16 South Point (7-3) vs. #17 Eastern Guilford (7-2)

#8 Erwin (6-4) vs. #25 Forestview (5-5)

#9 Parkwood (5-2) vs. #24 Rockingham County (5-4)

#5 North Davidson (6-3) vs. #28 West Henderson (3-7)

#12 Smoky Mountain (7-2) vs. #21 Hickory (6-4)

#13 North Lincoln (8-2) vs. #20 West Rowan (6-3)

#4 Crest (7-2) vs. #29 Jesse Carson (4-5)

#3 Dudley (9-1) vs. #30 North Henderson (4-6)

#14 Ledford (7-3) vs. #19 Central Davidson (7-2)

#6 West Charlotte (6-3) vs. #27 Stuart Cramer (5-5)

#11 Kings Mountain (8-2) vs. #22 Franklin (6-4)

#7 Hibriten (6-3) vs. #26 Freedom (5-4)

#10 Concord (6-3) vs. #23 Tuscola (6-4)

#15 Oak Grove (7-2) vs. #18 East Lincoln (7-3)

#2 Statesville (9-0) vs. #31 Enka (4-6)

  4A  East

#1 Richmond County (9-1) vs. #32 Jack Britt (4-5)

#16 Leesville Road (7-2) vs. #17 Holly Springs (7-3)

#8 Middle Creek (8-2) vs. #25 Knightdale (4-5)

#9 Pine Forest (9-1) vs. #24 Jordan (4-4)

#5 Hillside (7-2) vs. #28 D.H. Conley (4-6)

#12 Millbrook (9-1) vs. #21 Garner (4-4)

#13 Pinecrest (8-2) vs. #20 Rolesville (5-5)

#4 New Bern (9-1) vs. #29 Wakefield (4-6)

#3 Cleveland (9-0) vs. #30 Chapel Hill (7-3)

#14 Fuquay-Varina (7-3) vs. #19 Laney (8-2)

#6 Cardinal Gibbons (8-2) vs. #27 New Hanover (5-5)

#11 Heritage (9-1) vs. #22 Clayton (5-5)

#7 Hoggard (9-1) vs. #26 Corinth Holders (4-5)

#10 South View (8-2) vs. #23 Sanderson (5-3)

#15 Southern Alamance (8-2) vs. #18 Panther Creek (7-3)

#2 Wake Forest (7-3) vs. #31 Hoke County (4-6)

4A West

#1 Hough (10-0) vs. #32 Page (4-6)

#16 South Mecklenburg (8-2) vs. #17 West Forsyth (5-4)

#8 Butler (7-2) vs. #25 Mallard Creek (4-4)

#9 Asheville (8-2) vs. #24 Davie (6-4)

#5 Glenn (7-2) vs. #28 Providence (6-4)

#12 Myers Park (7-3) vs. #21 Mooresville (6-4)

#13 East Forsyth (8-1) vs. #21 Southeast Guilford (7-3)

#4 Ardrey Kell (7-2) vs. #29 Northwest Guilford (5-5)

#3 Weddington (9-1) vs. #30 North Mecklenburg (5-4)

#14 Marvin Ridge (7-2) vs. #19 Charlotte Catholic (7-2)

#6 Watauga (8-2) vs. #27 Cuthbertson (4-6)

#11 Northern Guilford (9-1) vs. #22 Lake Norman (7-3)

#7 Hickory Ridge (8-2) vs. #26 A.C. Reynolds (7-3)

#10 Julius Chambers (9-1) vs. #23 South Caldwell (7-2)

#15 Reagan (7-3) vs. #18 Porter Ridge (6-2)

#2 Grimsley (10-0) vs. #31 Cox Mill (5-5)