Staff report

SALISBURY — The NCHSAA announced the 32-team brackets for the state playoffs that begin on Tuesday.

The second round is on Friday.

The team with the better seeds hosts.

East Rowan didn’t get a home game in the 3A West bracket. The 18th-seeded Mustangs (21-6) instead got a tough road game at 15th-seeded Ledford (19-6). Both teams were better than their seed in the final RPI rankings, but there were teams lower in RPI that had to be seeded ahead of them as “conference champs” from the split 3A/4A and 2A/3A conferences.

East finished 16th in RPI in 3A West, but West Charlotte, 20th in RPI, and Parkwood, 30th in RPI, moved ahead of the Mustangs in the seeding and are seeded 9th and 10th as conference champs.

Ledford lost three places. Ledford was 12th in RPI, but dropped to 15th in the seeding below West Charlotte, Parkwood and Freedom. Freedom was 14th in RPI but needed to be seeded as a conference champ and got the No. 8 seed.

South Piedmont Conference regular season and tournament champ Robinson (23-4) is seeded fifth in 3A West and will host No. 29 Central Davidson (12-12). The Spartans will be a big underdog against the Bulldogs.

The other SPC teams in the 3A West bracket are Northwest Cabarrus, Lake Norman Charter and Central Cabarrus. The Trojans (20-5) are home against Rockingham County (23-3) in the 16 vs. 17 game. Lake Norman Charter (14-9) is seeded 27th and will have a challenging road trip to face No. 6 Ben L. Smith (22-3). Seeded 31st, Central Cabarrus (11-15) drew No. 2 seed Pisgah (22-3).

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Salisbury is seeded 26th in the 2A West bracket and will play Central Carolina Conference regular season and tournament champ Lexington for the fourth time. The Yellow Jackets (20-4) are the No. 7 seed.

Salisbury (13-10) lost in overtime at home to the Yellow Jackets earlier in the season, but Lexington won decisively in the two games played on its home court, as this one will be.

West Davidson (10-12) made the2A West  bracket as the No. 31 seed and plays at No. 2 seed East Burke (26-1).

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North Rowan (5-17) finished 40th in the final 1A West RPI rankings, but is in the 1A West bracket as the top 1A team from the 1A/2A CCC. The Cavaliers did not, however, meet the criteria to be seeded as a conference champ (that requires a top-three finish in the standings or a .500 overall record), so they’re the No. 32 seed in the bracket. They’ll play at No. 1 Bishop McGuinness (23-2).

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Two Greater Metro Conference teams will meet in the first round of the 4A West playoffs as No. 31 Cox Mill (11-14) plays at No. 2 Lake Norman (24-1). Hickory Ridge (19-8)  is seeded 13th and hosts No. 20 Ragsdale (16-9).