CHARLOTTE – The 2017 season has not been good to the Charlotte 49ers. In 2016, the 49ers went 3-5 in Conference USA play and hopes were high that this was the year that Charlotte would turn the corner and possibly secure the program's first-ever bowl bid. One of the teams that Charlotte defeated in 2016 was Florida Atlantic. The Owls, looking for a new direction, hired former Tennessee and USC coach Lane Kiffin and the results were exactly what the FAU fans were hoping for. So, when the 1-10 Forty-Niners and 8-3 Owls met up Saturday at Charlotte's Jerry Richardson Stadium, it was a tale of two teams heading in polar opposite directions and the scoreboard indicated so throughout the afternoon. By the final whistle, Florida Atlantic completed its undefeated conference slate with a 31-12 win over Charlotte and the 49ers were packing up equipment and looking towards the offseason.

Photo Credit: Ed Conway

Florida Atlantic opened the scoring with a first quarter, 6-yard run by Devin Singletary, the first of his two scores of the day. A Greg Joseph field goal and 20-yard pass from Jason Driskel to Kamrin Solomon saw the visitors with a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

Charlotte tried to respond with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Hasaan Klugh to Benny LeMay, but a quick 41-yard strike from Driskel to Willie Wright shut down any chance at Charlotte keeping the momentum before the half. After Singletary's second touchdown of the day, Hasaan Klugh led Charlotte on the final scoring drive of the season and scored with a 6-yard run.

Notable North Carolinians

Benny LeMay (So., Butler) – scored the 49ers' first touchdown of the day, finished the season with 732 yards rushing
Hasaan Klugh (RS-Jr., Central Cabarrus) – ran for the 49ers' last touchdown of the 2017 season, finished the season with nine rushing TDs, ten passing TDs, and 1529 passing yards
Jeff Gemmell (RS-So., Heritage) – had thirteen tackles on the day, making it six straight games with double-digit tackles.

What the Coaches are Saying

Charlotte coach Brad Lambert

I told the seniors thank you, they believed when no else did. I really appreciate all they have done, how hard they've worked. This week in practice was a good a week as we've had, getting ready for a good football team that just won our division. We had some opportunities to win some games. We've got to look at what we're doing in the offseason because the one that that really hurt was untimely penalties. Those are drive killers for us. I like where we are. I don't like our record, though. There's 25 guys in the junior class who are coming back. I challenged them this week. This game means a lot for 2018. Every game is meaningful and all wins count.

Worth Noting

Charlotte celebrated senior day at today's game. The 2017 class include the program's all-time leading punter, all-time leading kick returner, a pair of all-time games played record holders and a 1500-yard receiver

Next Week

Florida Atlantic will host North Texas in the Conference USA championship game while Charlotte has completed its 2017 season.

THIRD ROUND SCORES

1A
East
#1 North Duplin 42, #5 Pamlico 14
#6 Plymouth 14, #2 Northampton 8
West
#1 Mitchell 45, #5 Robbinsville 25
#2 Cherokee 47, #3 Thomas Jefferson 20

1AA
East
#1 Tarboro 48, #5 West Montgomery 3
#2 Edenton Holmes 49, #6 Lakewood 7
West
#1 Mount Airy 38, #4 Bessemer City 16
#6 Murphy 49, #7 East Surry 27


2A
East
#5 Wallace-Rose Hill 63, #1 Northeastern 52
#3 Southwest Onslow 30, #2 East Bladen 13
West
#1 Reidsville 28, #4 South Columbus 0
#2 Mountain Heritage 30, #3 Hendersonville 20


2AA
East
#1 East Duplin 21, #4 Randleman 13
#2 North Davidson 35, #3 South Granville 19
West
#8 Shelby 7, #4 Mount Pleasant 0
#2 Hibriten 37, #3 Franklin 7


3A
East
#1 Western Alamance 38, #5 Jacksonville 7
#2 Havelock 49, #3 Southern Nash 39
West
#1 Charlotte Catholic 42, #5 Weddington 7
#3 Jay M. Robinson 47, #2 Kings Mountain 46 (OT)


3AA
East
#4 Eastern Guilford 38, #1 Clayton 31
#2 New Hanover 41, #11 Cape Fear 38
West
#12 Sun Valley 27, #1 Mount Tabor 20
#2 A.C. Reynolds 17, #3 South Iredell 7


4A
East
#1 Scotland 74, #4 South Central 34
#2 Hoggard 20, #6 Heritage 8
West
#1 Harding University 36, #5 East Forsyth 7
#6 Vance 49, #7 Hickory Ridge 21


4AA
East
#1 Wake Forest 35, #4 Sanderson 7
#3 Garner 56, #2 Green Hope 39
West
#1 Mallard Creek 9, #4 Page 5
#7 Hough 39, #6 Myers Park 17

REGIONAL FINALS

1A
East
#1 North Duplin vs. #6 Plymouth
West
#1 Mitchell vs. #2 Cherokee

1AA
East
#1 Tarboro vs. #2 Edenton Holmes
West
#1 Mount Airy vs. #6 Murphy

2A
East
#3 Southwest Onslow vs. #5 Wallace-Rose Hill
West
#1 Reidsville vs. #2 Mountain Heritage

2AA
East
#1 East Duplin vs. #2 North Davidson
West
#2 Hibriten vs. #8 Shelby

3A
East
#1 Western Alamance vs. #2 Havelock
West
#1 Charlotte Catholic vs. #3 Jay M. Robinson

3AA
East
#2 New Hanover vs. #4 Eastern Guilford
West
#2 A.C. Reynolds vs. #12 Sun Valley

4A
East
#1 Scotland vs. #2 Hoggard
West
#1 Harding University vs. #6 Vance

4AA
East
#1 Wake Forest vs. #3 Garner
West
#1 Mallard Creek vs. #7 Hough

ECU will officially close out the 2017 season when it faces Memphis in an American Athletic Conference contest at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Pirates will try to finish league play in the same manner it started (win at UConn) when they square off against the West Division champion Tigers. Memphis has won six straight, including a 66-45 decision over SMU last week. ECU, which posted a 48-20 triumph over Cincinnati in its last outing, will also look to capture back-to-back victories for the second time in the Scottie Montgomery era.

Last Meeting

Sophomore Shane Carden passed for 308 yards and five touchdowns while the Pirate defense limited Memphis to only 148 total yards in the first three quarters as ECU posted a 41-7 Conference USA victory over the Tigers

Players to Watch

Gardner Minshew – in November, the junior quarterback tops all passers nationally in completions, stands fourth in passing yards and eighth in touchdowns
Austin Barnes – extended his streak of recording at least one punt of 50-plus yards to all 11 games this season; in all, 17 of his 50 punts in 2017 have traveled that distance and he’s placed 16 inside opponents’ 20-yard line
Darius Pinnix – has led ECU in rushing in three of the last six games; career-best 93 yards at UCF included a personal-long run of 57-yards in the first quarter (which remains ECU’s longest rush from scrimmage this season)

What the Coaches are Saying

ECU Coach Scotty Montgomery

“Memphis is a very, very talented football team that’s also coached well. We’ve been against speed before and this team is a fast team as well. This is probably the most skilled football team. We talk about speed a whole lot; this team has done a good job. Coach [Mike] Norvell has done a good job putting together a team that is skilled on offense. When you look at what [Riley] Ferguson is able to do with his arm, he extends plays and he has probably one of the more exciting players at receiver [Anthony] Miller. On tape he can stretch the field with speed, run exceptional routes, catch the quicks and make people miss. So we’ll have our hands full with him and we’re looking forward to the challenge." 

“They’ve done a really good job on defense of making sure that their offense always has the chance to keep the pressure on the team that they’re playing against. I think throughout the year you can see that they are playing with fewer returners on defense than they are on offense and they are continuing to get better. I see coach working both sides of the ball to play new people. But this is a football team that has played well, played with skill and will continue to get better. This is a team that you look at and from a skill standpoint, you have to get to this level to be able to compete for championships in this league and they’ve done a really, really good job at it.”

Worth Mentioning

In addition to 11 contests against the Tigers, ECU has visited Memphis on four other occasions for participation in the annual Liberty Bowl.
1994 St. Jude Liberty Bowl; Illinois 30, ECU 0 (Dec. 31, 1994)
1995 St. Jude Liberty Bowl; ECU 19, Stanford 13 (Dec. 30, 1995)
2009 AutoZone Liberty Bowl; Kentucky 25, ECU 19 (Jan. 2, 2009)
2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl; Arkansas 20, ECU 17/OT (Jan. 2, 2010)

The Tar Heels and Wolfpack collide for the 107th time when North Carolina travels to NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. The Tar Heels hold an overall edge in the series 66-34-6, but the Wolfpack have won seven of the last 10 meetings between the arch-rivals, including a 28-21 win last year in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have won the last two meetings in Raleigh, including a 45-34 decision two years ago that wrapped up an unbeaten regular season in ACC play. UNC leads 35-29 in all-time ACC meetings and is 29-15-4 versus NC State in Raleigh. The series began with a home-and-home set in 1894, and the teams have met every year since joining the ACC as fellow charter members in 1953.

Carter-Finley Stadium

Last Year

NC State jumped out to a 21-0 lead in last year’s game and never allowed UNC to pull even. The Wolfpack was led by versatile Jaylen Samuels, who ran for one touchdown and threw for another on a trick play, and earned bowl eligibility with the road win.

Players to Watch

North Carolina
Anthony Ratliff-Williams – sophomore wide receiver has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns this season; threw a TD pass, scored on a kickoff return, and caught a receiving TD against Pitt two weeks ago

NC State
Bradley Chubb – defensive end ranks second in the nation in tackles for loss, averaging 2.2 per game. He is also seventh nationally in quarterback sacks, averaging 0.91 per game; named a player of Interest for the 2017 Walter Camp National Player of the Year award.

What the Coaches are Saying

Larry Fedora (43-33 in sixth season at North Carolina; 77-52 in 10th season overall)

“I think what our team has done, under the circumstances, is play extremely hard. We’re starting to make fewer mistakes. I think a lot of the young guys who are playing are making fewer mistakes, and we’re able to overcome the ones we are (making). So, we’re playing better as a football team right now. And I do like the way we’re playing at this point going into this last game.”

Dave Doeren (32-30 in fifth season at NC State; 56-33 in seventh season overall)

“Last home game for a great group of seniors, a very special group of young men and 20 guys we get to honor on senior day this week… A special group of young men, it’s been fun and rewarding to be a part of the journey with them. As much as it is rivalry week, to us as a staff and a football team it’s senior week, which is huge for these young men. It’s a chance for them to come out of the tunnel in Carter-Finley Stadium one more time and see their loved ones on the 50-yard line. All of that is very special to me and these players, we look forward to doing everything we can to play our best football in this game."

North Carolina (3-8, 1-6 ACC) at NC State (7-4, 5-2 ACC)

Carter Finley Stadium (Raleigh, NC)
3:30 pm

In the second-oldest gridiron series in the ACC, Duke and Wake Forest meet for the 98th time, when the Blue Devils travel to BB&T Stadium in Winston-Salem. Wake Forest’s 24-14 win in Durham last year snapped a four-game Blue Devil winning streak in the series, but from 2000-2011 Wake won 12 straight games. That matches the longest streak in the series, which began with a neutral site meeting in Raleigh in 1889. Duke also won 12 straight from 1952 through 1963 (and led 14-0-1 in a stretch of 15 games from 1927 through 1941). The Blue Devils hold a 34-28-1 all-time lead in ACC games and a 22-14-1 lead in games played in Winston-Salem.

BB&T Field

Last Year

Freshman Cade Carney rushed for 108 yards and three touchdowns in the Demon Deacons’ 24-14 win. Carney became the first Wake Forest freshman since Chris Barclay in 2002 to post a three-touchdown game.

Players to Watch

Wake Forest
John Wolford – quarterback leads the ACC and is seventh nationally in pass efficiency (163.5) and became the first ever Wake Forest player to amass 8,000 career passing yards and 1,000 career rushing yards.
Cam Serigne – tight end now holds ACC records for most career receptions and receiving yards by a tight end and is tied for most touchdown receptions. Serigne has 155 catches for 1,941 yards and 20 TDs. He is tied with Virginia Tech’s Bucky Hodges and Virginia’s Heath Miller for the ACC touchdown record.

Duke
Shaun Wilson – running back ranks second in the conference in all-purpose yards per game (135.5) and sits just nine yards shy of becoming the first player in Duke history to post multiple seasons with 1,500+ all-purpose yards
T.J. Rahming – wide receiver is 44 receiving yards shy of becoming the 10th player in school history to reach the 2,000-yard plateau

What the Coaches are Saying

David Cutcliffe (57-67 in 10th season at Duke; 101-96 in 17th season overall)

“Wake Forest has a multitude of reasons they’re successful. One, they’ve got talent. Two, they’re well coached. Three, it’s all phases. They’re effective in the kicking game. They’re effective on defense. They’re certainly effective on offense. They have a quarterback playing as well as maybe any quarterback in the country. He’s just consistent. He’s a pure playmaker and he has good players around him.”

Dave Clawson (20-27 in fourth season at Wake Forest; 110-107 in 18th season overall)

“Duke accomplished something we didn’t in beating Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech beat us by two scores. Duke completely outplayed them in the second half. Duke’s a good football team. They beat Northwestern, who might finish the season 9-3 and nationally ranked. These are two teams where the talent level is somewhat equal. Duke has lost a number of heartbreaking, one-score games. They lost to Army in a one-score game, Pitt in a one-score game, Florida State in a one-score game and we’ve been fortunate that we’ve found ways to win those games. The margin of winning and losing is very small. They were 4-0 like we were and they lost some really heartbreaking games. We found a way to win some of those.”

Duke (5-6, 2-5 ACC) at Wake Forest (7-4, 4-3 ACC)

BB&T Field (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Kickoff: 12:30

ELON – Senior Day at Rhodes Stadium was a sunny, yet chilly one that celebrated ten departing Elon football players. The Phoenix, thriving this season under new coach Curt Cignetti, were taking on the defending conference and national champions in the James Madison Dukes. Elon was looking for its first win against James Madison in a game where the winner would hoist the Colonial Athletic Association football championship trophy. Elon (8-3, 6-2) did not emerge victorious, however, as the Dukes (11-0, 8-0) won 31-3 to clinch at least a share of the CAA title for the third year in a row.


The first quarter was filled with mistimed passes and muffled runs for both teams. James Madison had a good drive, but it ended when Connor Christiansen stepped in front of a pass at the 4-yard line. As was the case for most of the day, Elon couldn't move the ball against a stout JMU defense. It took an Ethan Ratke 19-yard field goal to break the tie late in the first quarter.

The second and third quarters were the Bryan Schor show for James Madison. The senior quarterback was able to move the chains with his arms and legs, throwing for over 120 yards and rushing for two scores. The Dukes' defense wanted in on the scoring action, and when D'Angelo Amos blocked an Elon punt and returned it to the house, James Madison had a commanding 24-0 lead.

Elon finally got on the board early in the fourth quarter with a 30-yard Owen Johnson field goal, but it was too little, too late as Schor added another touchdown, his third of the day, to close out the scoring and the visiting Dukes left Elon with a twenty-eight point victory.

Notable North Carolinians

Trai Sharp (Jr., Carrboro) ran for 68 yards for the Dukes and caught three passes for 15 yards
Chris Blair (Sr., East Forsyth) led Elon with nine tackles and was a presence in the defensive backfield
McAllister Ingram (Fr., Ledford) had eight tackles and had a big hit on a punt return

Next Week

Both schools are waiting to see for the FCS playoff brackets to be released. James Madison has the auto-bid from the CAA while Elon is hoping for an at-large bid.

SECOND ROUND SCORES

1A  
East  
#1 North Duplin 35, #8 Southside 6
#5 Pamlico County 53, #4 Columbia 8
#6 Plymouth 38, #3 South Robeson 14
#2 Northampton County 20, #7 Southeast Halifax 0
West  
#1 Mitchell 67, #9 Community School of Davidson 21
#5 Robbinsville 46, #4 Mountain Island Charter 34
#3 Thomas Jefferson 55, #6 Elkin 34
#2 Cherokee 58, #7 Union Academy 35

1AA  
East  
#1 Tarboro 56, #8 Riverside-Martin 7
#5 West Montgomery 45, #4 Granville Central 0
#6 Lakewood 41, #3 East Carteret 40
#2 John A. Holmes 42, #7 Manteo 13
West  
#1 Mount Airy 42, #8 Polk County 20
#4 Bessemer City 26, #5 Swain County 21
#6 Murphy 49, #3 North Stanly 35
#7 East Surry 49, #2 East Wilkes 36

2A  
East  
#1 Northeastern 35, #9 Clinton 0
#5 Wallace-Rose Hill 56, #4 Beddingfield 0
#3 Southwest Onslow 63, #6 SouthWest Edgecombe 28
#2 East Bladen 68, #10 Greene Central 28
West  
#1 Reidsville 39, #9 East Montgomery 17
#4 South Columbus 47, #12 Lincolnton 14
#3 Hendersonville 56, #11 Red Springs 14
#2 Mountain Heritage 52, #7 Whiteville 44

2AA  
East  
#1 East Duplin 49, #9 West Stokes 14
#4 Randleman 57, #5 Nash Central 19
#3 South Granville 50, #6 West Craven 12
#2 North Davidson 17, #7 Ledford 10
West  
#8 Shelby 33, #1 South Point 23
#4 Mount Pleasant 28, #12 Fred T. Foard 14
#3 Franklin 14, #11 Pisgah 7
#2 Hibriten 35, #10 Patton 0

3A  
East  
#1 Western Alamance 45, #8 Fike 14
#5 Jacksonville 42, #4 Terry Sanford 41
#3 Southern Nash 62, #6 Eastern Alamance 20
#2 Havelock 56, #7 E.E. Smith 7
West  
#1 Charlotte Catholic 42, #8 Stuart Cramer 7
#5 Weddington 31, #4 Hunter Huss 13
#3 Jay M. Robinson 24, #6 Crest 21
#2 Kings Mountain 53, #7 Rockingham County 7

3AA  
East  
#1 Clayton 40, #8 Cleveland 35
#4 Eastern Guilford 44, #5 D.H. Conley 29
#11 Cape Fear 24, #3 Lee County 7
#2 New Hanover 38, #10 Dudley 21
West   
#1 Mount Tabor 21, #8 Watauga 14
#12 Sun Valley 49, #13 Cuthbertson 14
#3 South Iredell 41, #6 A.L. Brown 21
#2 A.C. Reynolds 21, #7 Southwest Guilford 7

4A  
East  
#1 Scotland County 63, #9 Seventy-First 26
#4 South Central 64, #12 Knightdale 36
#6 Heritage 34, #3 Cardinal Gibbons 6
#2 Hoggard 63, #10 South View 20
West  
#1 Harding University 17, #8 Porter Ridge 10
#5 East Forsyth 23, #4 West Mecklenburg 20
#6 Vance 35, #3 Glenn 34
#7 Hickory Ridge 55, #2 South Caldwell 28

4AA  
East  
#1 Wake Forest 51, #9 Millbrook 13
#4 Sanderson 40, #5 Middle Creek 20
#3 Garner 31, #6 Pinecrest 21
#2 Green Hope 42, #7 Leesville Road 23
West  
#1 Mallard Creek 41, #9 North Mecklenburg 33
#4 Page 41, #5 Providence 16
#6 Myers Park 28, #3 Butler 24
#7 Hough 41, #2 West Forsyth 34

THIRD ROUND MATCHUPS

Indianapolis – The NCAA Division II Football Committee announced today the field of 28 teams for the 2017 NCAA Division II Football Championship. South Atlantic Conference champion Wingate University (9-1 overall) qualifies for the NCAA post-season for the second time in school history. The Bulldogs will host the University of West Florida (7-3 overall) Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. The contest will be played at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field on the Wingate campus.

"We are very excited to be going back to the NCAA playoffs," Wingate head football coach Joe Reich says. "This is a great opportunity for our program. I want our guys to enjoy the moment and the experience."

Twelve first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions. In addition, one team per super regional has earned a first-round bye. The first-round winners will all advance to the second round with games on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Second-round winners will meet in the quarterfinals at various campus sites. Quarterfinal winners will advance to play in the semifinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Seven teams selected per super regional make up the field of 28 teams.

Tickets for the Wingate versus West Florida game will go on sale Monday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. Ticket prices will be announced on Monday at 11 a.m. Both general admission and reserved seating will be available for purchase at this link.

The first-round dates, sites, and pairings are:

November 18 at Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Findlay (9-2) at Shepherd (10-0)

November 18 at Worcester, Massachusetts
California (Pennsylvania) (9-2) at Assumption (9-1)

November 18 at Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
West Chester (8-3) at Shippensburg (10-1)

November 18 at Petersburg, Virginia
West Georgia (8-3) at Virginia State (9-0)

November 18 at Wingate, North Carolina
West Florida (7-3) at Wingate (9-1)

November 18 at Bowie State
Delta State (8-3) at Bowie State (9-1)

November 18 at Indianapolis, Indiana
Harding (8-3) at UIndy (11-0)

November 18 at Ashland, Ohio
Northwest Missouri State (9-2) at Ashland (10-1)

November 18 at Big Rapids, Michigan
Ouachita Baptist (9-2) at Ferris State (9-1)

November 18 at Mankato, Minnesota
Colorado State-Pueblo (9-2) at Minnesota State Mankato (11-0)

November 18 at Wichita Falls, Texas
Sioux Falls (9-2) at Midwestern State (9-0)

November 18 at Winona, Minnesota
Texas A&M-Commerce (9-1) at Winona State (10-1)

All contests are slated to start at 1 p.m. local time. Other times may be established if approved by the committee. Northwest Missouri State defeated North Alabama 29-3 in the 2016 national championship game. The 2017 championship game will be played December 16, at 6 in Kansas City, Kansas and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 HD/ESPN3.com.

Much has been said about the inclusion of MaxPreps rankings in playoff qualification and seeding this year in North Carolina high school football. From across the state, my inbox was filled with questions about what is in the formula, why the NCHSAA was using MaxPreps, and whether or not I thought it was a good idea. I can answer these three questions easily: (a.) no, (b.) I don't know, and (c.) not in its current form.

We don't know what is in the MaxPreps formula and this has caused much concern for coaches and athletic directors. "Absolute nonsense" and "this isn't right for a public-school league to be using a private company to seed playoffs" is how an athletic director (who spoke on condition of anonymity) explained this year's playoff seeding process this past week. Not knowing what was in the formula led to questions about the validity of the data involved.

According to the MaxPreps website, they "do not poll coaches, sportswriters, or fans. Nor does our staff make any judgments on the merits of any individual team. Prior season history, school size, and comments on message boards are not considered in the MaxPreps Computer Rankings." The prior season history phrase here stands out for multiple reasons. One thing that I noticed when looking at MaxPreps rankings this year is that there were ratings for schools that are not playing football this year (e.g. Davidson Day), or ever (e.g. Fayetteville Academy). Davidson Day, for example, currently has a rating of 36.6, good for 25th in the state. There's one little problem, though. Davidson Day did not play football during the 2017 season, yet they have a rating that is good for 25th in the state. Where did MaxPreps get the data to establish this 36.6 rating? No one is willing to answer this question.



Yes, Davidson Day is not a NCHSAA school, so it did not affect the playoff qualifications or seedings. But, the larger question surrounds the formula and did it contribute to a school like Trask, who finished 8-3 and third in their conference, not making the playoffs. Davidson Day was a great NCISAA school a few years ago and won the private schools state championship and I'm sure if they were playing football this season they would have a high ranking. But, their absence of a team puts a dark cloud over the validity of the MaxPreps formula.

Regarding why the NCHSAA is going with MaxPreps, this is something that was agreed to at a previous meeting under the idea that it was a one year trial. MaxPreps has been used by the NCHSAA before to break ties. With the outcry, it would seem reasonable for the Association to avoid this type of controversy in the future, but it's looking like that may not happen after all.

In my opinion, there are a few options for how to fix the playoff mess we are seeing this year, and yes, it can include MaxPreps or any other ranking system (*cough* FAIR Rankings *cough) that is available.

Option 1 – Keep MaxPreps, but get rid of protected seeding lines for conference finishes
This is the option that I think can be the longest-lasting solution to a few of the issues with the current system. Right now, every conference champion is seeded before any runners-up or wild cards. This leads to a situation like a Heritage or a Marvin Ridge finishing with a record of 10-1, losing only to the top team in their classification during the final week of the season receiving a seed that places them behind teams even though they are ranked higher. Also, due to split conferences, situations like 1-10 South Caldwell not only getting an automatic bid, but a #2 seed and a bye will happen from time to time like this year.

If conferences were used to automatically qualify a berth into the playoffs, but not a section on the seed line, this could help alleviate many of the concerns. Depending on conference size, a certain number of teams would qualify for the playoffs and then be seeded by MaxPreps rankings (or FAIR Rankings). Yes, 1-10 South Caldwell still makes the playoffs, but they are most likely a 16-seed and more deserving team will earn a bye or better draw in the first round. Seeding the entire bracket by MaxPreps rankings (or other systems) will allow a team like Shelby to be higher than the #8 seed they were given this season.

Option 2 – Get rid of MaxPreps rankings altogether.
This is the knee-jerk reaction of many people in the state who are unhappy with the system being used this year. While I agree that it is difficult to stand behind a rating system where the formula is unknown, there can be a place for MaxPreps as long as the entire process is transparent.

Getting rid of MaxPreps leaves two possible options: seeding by total wins (as it was done from the 1990s until recently) or having specific conference matchups (as it was done in the late 80s to early 90s). With the expanded playoffs and A/AA split, the specific conference matchups is not really an option. This goes back to the seeding by overall wins. While I appreciate how this rewards winning, it can lead to some schools with a weak strength-of-schedule getting higher seeds than they really earned. It does ensure that a school like 8-3 Trask makes the playoffs while a 3-7 James Kenan will have to see if there are enough open spots to qualify.

Option 3 – Seed by committee (like the NCAA Tournament)
This is one of the most intriguing options. There's plenty of subjectivity involved, but it's at least open and upfront about it. If seeding all eight brackets is too much for the Association to turn around in the day or so that they use for seeding now, they can turn it over to the schools involved. Teams can qualify by whatever process the NCHSAA determines (conference AQs, overall record, etc.) The A/AA and East/West splits can be done by the Association and then the schools in each region (e.g. 3AA East) can meet and rank the teams. An open discussion can be had about why certain teams are ranked like they are, but by the time the meeting is over seeds 1-16 (or 1-12 if 1A or 4A) can be voted on and agreed upon.

Personally, I like Option 1 because it results in a more accurate seeding of teams. No matter what happens, what we do know is that the current system may not be viable in the long run. Nonconference schedules are arranged ahead of time and often on two-year contracts. Whatever the next step is, transparency needs to be the rule of the game.

I look forward to your comments about this on Facebook, Twitter, or by e-mail.


~Justin Jones, Managing Editor of CarolinaGridiron.com

The FAIR rankings are based on the following criteria.

Fresh start - All teams in a particular class start the season with identical ratings, or none at all.
All games weighted equally - There is no distinction made between conference and non-conference games, and a week one endowment game counts just as much as a week twelve contest.
Ignore non-NCHSAA games - Because the quality of opponents outside the NCHSAA can vary widely and can be difficult to judge, only NCHSAA games will be counted. Any contests against NCISAA or out-of-state opponents will be treated the same as an open date.
Reproducible - The formulas used should be transparent and simple enough that coaches and members of the media can verify the calculations for a particular team.

Congratulations to Mallard Creek, Charlotte Catholic, East Duplin, and Mount Airy for finishing #1 in their classifications.

Class 4A FAIR Rankings
#1 Mallard Creek (11-0) 110.0/11 + 614.00/118 = 15.203
#2 Wake Forest (11-0) 108.0/11 + 615.00/120 = 14.943
#3 West Forsyth (11-0) 106.0/11 + 569.00/121 = 14.339
#4 Cardinal Gibbons (11-0) 107.0/11 + 503.00/120 = 13.919
#5 Scotland (9-1) 90.0/10 + 523.00/108 = 13.843
#6 Hoggard (10-0) 94.0/10 + 449.00/106 = 13.636
#7 Page (10-1) 97.0/11 + 515.00/121 = 13.074
#8 Harding (9-1) 90.0/10 + 432.00/108 = 13.000
#9 Myers Park (9-1) 90.0/10 + 421.00/107 = 12.935
#10 Heritage (10-1) 100.0/11 + 447.50/120 = 12.820
#11 Butler (8-2) 80.0/10 + 503.00/108 = 12.657
#12 Glenn (10-1) 91.0/11 + 459.50/120 = 12.102
#13 Green Hope (9-2) 90.0/11 + 465.50/121 = 12.029
#14 Sanderson (8-3) 80.0/11 + 531.50/121 = 11.665
#15 Hough (8-3) 79.0/11 + 536.00/120 = 11.648
#16 Hickory Ridge (9-2) 86.0/11 + 441.50/118 = 11.560
#17 Providence (8-3) 80.0/11 + 497.00/116 = 11.557
#18 Seventy-First (8-3) 77.0/11 + 487.00/118 = 11.127
#19 North Mecklenburg (8-3) 79.0/11 + 414.50/120 = 10.636
#20 Garner (7-4) 70.0/11 + 497.00/121 = 10.471
#21 West Mecklenburg (8-3) 80.0/11 + 367.00/116 = 10.437
#22 Middle Creek (8-3) 79.0/11 + 390.00/120 = 10.432
#23 Vance (8-3) 79.0/11 + 365.00/120 = 10.223
#24 South Central (9-2) 78.0/11 + 375.00/120 = 10.216
#25 South View (8-3) 76.0/11 + 392.50/120 = 10.180
#26 Porter Ridge (7-4) 68.0/11 + 446.50/117 = 9.998
#27 East Forsyth (7-4) 66.0/11 + 463.50/121 = 9.831
#28 Richmond (7-4) 70.0/11 + 405.50/118 = 9.800
#29 Pinecrest (7-4) 69.0/11 + 403.50/118 = 9.692
#30 Overhills (8-3) 74.0/11 + 353.50/121 = 9.649
#31 Fuquay-Varina (7-4) 68.0/11 + 413.00/121 = 9.595
#32 Leesville Road (7-4) 70.0/11 + 389.00/121 = 9.579
#33 Athens Drive (7-4) 69.0/11 + 378.00/121 = 9.397
#34 Laney (7-4) 64.0/11 + 397.00/117 = 9.211
#35 Jordan (6-5) 58.0/11 + 453.00/119 = 9.079
#36 Ragsdale (7-4) 63.0/11 + 398.00/121 = 9.017
#37 Jack Britt (6-5) 58.0/11 + 395.50/119 = 8.596
#38 Knightdale (6-5) 59.0/11 + 364.50/120 = 8.401
#39 Davie (5-6) 48.0/11 + 487.50/121 = 8.393
#40 Hillside (5-5) 46.0/10 + 347.50/104 = 7.941
#41 RJ Reynolds (6-5) 51.0/11 + 379.00/117 = 7.876
#42 Millbrook (5-6) 50.0/11 + 398.00/121 = 7.835
#43 Apex Friendship (6-5) 58.0/11 + 300.50/120 = 7.777
#44 East Mecklenburg (5-6) 49.0/11 + 331.50/117 = 7.288
#45 Purnell Swett (5-6) 49.0/11 + 319.00/118 = 7.158
#46 Rolesville (4-7) 39.0/11 + 414.50/119 = 7.029
#47 Enloe (4-7) 39.0/11 + 421.00/121 = 7.025
#48 High Point Central (5-6) 44.0/11 + 360.00/121 = 6.975
#49 Mooresville (4-7) 38.0/11 + 420.50/121 = 6.930
#50 New Bern (5-6) 45.0/11 + 337.00/119 = 6.923
#51 Grimsley (4-7) 38.0/11 + 383.50/121 = 6.624
#52 West Charlotte (4-7) 40.0/11 + 329.00/120 = 6.378
#53 Pine Forest (4-7) 36.0/11 + 363.00/121 = 6.273
#54 Southeast Raleigh (4-7) 37.0/11 + 337.00/121 = 6.149
#55 Ardrey Kell (3-8) 30.0/11 + 379.50/115 = 6.027
#56 Riverside (4-7) 36.0/11 + 298.00/118 = 5.798
#57 Cary (4-7) 40.0/11 + 257.00/121 = 5.760
#58 Northwest Guilford (3-8) 27.0/11 + 389.50/120 = 5.700
#59 Ashley (4-7) 35.0/11 + 291.50/117 = 5.673
#60 Lake Norman (3-8) 29.0/11 + 366.00/121 = 5.661
#61 Reagan (3-8) 26.0/11 + 388.00/121 = 5.570
#62 Corinth Holders (3-7) 28.0/10 + 293.00/110 = 5.464
#63 Olympic (3-7) 30.0/10 + 255.50/107 = 5.388
#64 South Mecklenburg (2-8) 20.0/10 + 352.00/105 = 5.352
#65 Apex (3-8) 30.0/11 + 317.50/121 = 5.351
#66 Holly Springs (2-9) 20.0/11 + 385.00/120 = 5.027
#67 Lumberton (2-8) 19.0/10 + 300.50/107 = 4.708
#68 Rocky River (2-9) 20.0/11 + 339.50/118 = 4.695
#69 Broughton (2-9) 20.0/11 + 343.50/121 = 4.657
#70 Independence (2-8) 20.0/10 + 259.50/107 = 4.425
#71 South Caldwell (1-9) 10.0/10 + 312.00/110 = 3.836
#72 McDowell (2-9) 14.0/11 + 289.00/116 = 3.764
#73 Berry (1-10) 10.0/11 + 307.50/118 = 3.515
#74 Garinger (1-10) 8.0/11 + 311.50/117 = 3.390
#75 Wakefield (0-11) 0.0/11 + 365.00/119 = 3.067
#76 Hoke (0-11) 0.0/11 + 343.50/119 = 2.887
#77 Panther Creek (0-11) 0.0/11 + 325.00/121 = 2.686
#78 Hopewell (0-11) 0.0/11 + 316.00/119 = 2.655

Class 3A FAIR Rankings
#1 Charlotte Catholic (9-0) 83.0/9 + 409.00/96 = 13.483
#2 Clayton (11-0) 103.0/11 + 445.00/120 = 13.072
#3 Terry Sanford (10-1) 95.0/11 + 536.00/121 = 13.066
#4 New Hanover (10-1) 93.0/11 + 473.50/117 = 12.502
#5 Western Alamance (11-0) 95.0/11 + 429.00/116 = 12.335
#6 Marvin Ridge (10-1) 92.0/11 + 454.50/116 = 12.282
#7 Southern Nash (10-1) 89.0/11 + 482.00/120 = 12.108
#8 Havelock (10-1) 90.0/11 + 464.00/119 = 12.081
#9 Lee County (11-0) 101.0/11 + 341.00/120 = 12.023
#10 Mount Tabor (9-2) 81.0/11 + 527.50/121 = 11.723
#11 Kings Mountain (10-1) 90.0/11 + 391.00/114 = 11.612
#12 Conley (10-1) 90.0/11 + 394.00/117 = 11.549
#13 Dudley (9-2) 82.0/11 + 484.00/120 = 11.488
#14 Alexander Central (10-1) 88.0/11 + 405.00/119 = 11.403
#15 AC Reynolds (10-1) 89.0/11 + 376.00/116 = 11.332
#16 Brown (9-2) 84.0/11 + 444.00/121 = 11.306
#17 Robinson (9-2) 78.0/11 + 493.50/118 = 11.273
#18 Jacksonville (9-2) 78.0/11 + 475.00/119 = 11.083
#19 Eastern Guilford (9-2) 82.0/11 + 423.00/121 = 10.950
#20 Cape Fear (8-3) 74.0/11 + 491.50/120 = 10.823
#21 Northern Durham (8-2) 75.0/10 + 336.00/104 = 10.731
#22 Weddington (8-3) 75.0/11 + 457.50/117 = 10.728
#23 Orange (8-2) 75.0/10 + 328.00/104 = 10.654
#24 Southeast Guilford (9-2) 82.0/11 + 385.00/121 = 10.636
#25 Eastern Alamance (9-2) 77.0/11 + 420.50/116 = 10.625
#26 Sun Valley (8-3) 72.0/11 + 446.00/113 = 10.492
#27 South Iredell (9-2) 82.0/11 + 360.00/120 = 10.455
#28 EE Smith (8-3) 74.0/11 + 430.00/121 = 10.281
#29 Watauga (9-2) 77.0/11 + 387.00/119 = 10.252
#30 Fike (8-3) 71.0/11 + 446.00/119 = 10.202
#31 Statesville (9-2) 79.0/11 + 316.50/118 = 9.864
#32 Southwest Guilford (8-3) 72.0/11 + 382.50/121 = 9.707
#33 West Carteret (8-3) 67.0/11 + 435.50/121 = 9.690
#34 Hunter Huss (7-3) 61.0/10 + 384.00/107 = 9.689
#35 Asheville (7-3) 63.0/10 + 361.50/107 = 9.679
#36 Cleveland (7-4) 66.0/11 + 436.50/120 = 9.638
#37 Rockingham County (8-3) 68.0/11 + 364.50/116 = 9.324
#38 Crest (7-4) 62.0/11 + 407.00/115 = 9.175
#39 Freedom (7-4) 62.0/11 + 405.00/119 = 9.040
#40 Northwood (7-3) 62.0/10 + 254.00/105 = 8.619
#41 Northeast Guilford (7-4) 62.0/11 + 346.00/117 = 8.594
#42 Erwin (6-4) 54.0/10 + 326.00/105 = 8.505
#43 Triton (6-5) 55.0/11 + 415.00/121 = 8.430
#44 Northern Guilford (6-5) 53.0/11 + 406.00/117 = 8.288
#45 Hickory (6-5) 54.0/11 + 390.50/119 = 8.191
#46 South Johnston (7-4) 63.0/11 + 289.00/118 = 8.176
#47 Tuscola (7-4) 59.0/11 + 318.50/117 = 8.086
#48 Stuart Cramer (7-4) 57.0/11 + 327.50/113 = 8.080
#49 Northside-Jax (6-5) 48.0/11 + 408.50/118 = 7.826
#50 Eastern Wayne (6-4) 53.0/10 + 266.50/110 = 7.723
#51 Northwest Cabarrus (6-5) 50.0/11 + 382.00/121 = 7.702
#52 Forestview (4-5) 34.0/9 + 348.50/96 = 7.408
#53 West Brunswick (4-5) 37.0/9 + 316.00/96 = 7.403
#54 Concord (5-6) 46.0/11 + 384.50/121 = 7.360
#55 West Henderson (6-5) 52.0/11 + 300.50/118 = 7.274
#56 West Rowan (6-5) 50.0/11 + 328.50/121 = 7.260
#57 Union Pines (6-5) 49.0/11 + 336.50/120 = 7.259
#58 St. Stephens (5-6) 46.0/11 + 361.50/120 = 7.194
#59 Rocky Mount (4-6) 35.0/10 + 403.50/110 = 7.168
#60 Williams (5-6) 43.0/11 + 390.50/120 = 7.163
#61 Monroe (5-6) 44.0/11 + 353.50/114 = 7.101
#62 Cuthbertson (4-6) 35.0/10 + 357.00/105 = 6.900
#63 Ben Smith (5-6) 43.0/11 + 346.00/121 = 6.769
#64 Parkland (6-5) 48.0/11 + 267.50/118 = 6.631
#65 Southern Lee (5-6) 45.0/11 + 273.00/120 = 6.366
#66 Topsail (5-6) 40.0/11 + 314.50/116 = 6.348
#67 Ashbrook (4-6) 34.0/10 + 308.50/106 = 6.310
#68 Southern Alamance (5-6) 43.0/11 + 285.50/120 = 6.288
#69 Swansboro (5-6) 34.0/11 + 333.50/117 = 5.941
#70 Central Cabarrus (4-7) 36.0/11 + 311.50/120 = 5.869
#71 Southwestern Randolph (4-7) 33.0/11 + 334.00/119 = 5.807
#72 Westover (4-7) 38.0/11 + 281.00/120 = 5.796
#73 Southern Durham (3-7) 28.0/10 + 278.00/105 = 5.448
#74 Southern Guilford (3-8) 27.0/11 + 351.00/121 = 5.355
#75 East Wake (3-8) 26.0/11 + 344.50/120 = 5.234
#76 Franklinton (4-7) 31.0/11 + 283.50/119 = 5.201
#77 Cox Mill (3-8) 26.0/11 + 335.00/119 = 5.179
#78 Roberson (3-8) 27.0/11 + 322.00/119 = 5.160
#79 South Brunswick (3-8) 27.0/11 + 313.00/117 = 5.130
#80 Rose (3-8) 27.0/11 + 315.50/120 = 5.084
#81 Hunt (3-8) 26.0/11 + 319.00/119 = 5.044
#82 Carson (3-8) 26.0/11 + 294.50/120 = 4.818
#83 Piedmont (3-8) 25.0/11 + 285.50/116 = 4.734
#84 East Rowan (3-8) 25.0/11 + 296.50/121 = 4.723
#85 Enka (3-8) 26.0/11 + 238.50/113 = 4.474
#86 Person (2-8) 16.0/10 + 284.50/105 = 4.310
#87 White Oak (2-9) 17.0/11 + 332.50/121 = 4.293
#88 West Johnston (2-9) 18.0/11 + 296.00/120 = 4.103
#89 Asheboro (2-9) 17.0/11 + 301.50/119 = 4.079
#90 North Gaston (2-9) 16.0/11 + 296.50/115 = 4.033
#91 Parkwood (2-8) 16.0/10 + 251.00/106 = 3.968
#92 Harnett Central (2-9) 18.0/11 + 280.50/121 = 3.955
#93 North Henderson (2-9) 14.0/11 + 290.50/117 = 3.756
#94 Aycock (2-9) 15.0/11 + 281.00/118 = 3.745
#95 North Brunswick (1-9) 9.0/10 + 303.00/107 = 3.732
#96 Northern Nash (1-10) 9.0/11 + 339.50/117 = 3.720
#97 Gray's Creek (1-10) 9.0/11 + 319.50/121 = 3.459
#98 Cedar Ridge (1-10) 8.0/11 + 301.00/114 = 3.368
#99 Chapel Hill (1-9) 9.0/10 + 239.50/104 = 3.203
#100 North Buncombe (1-10) 9.0/11 + 256.50/116 = 3.029
#101 Smithfield-Selma (1-10) 6.0/11 + 247.50/119 = 2.625
#102 Byrd (0-11) 0.0/11 + 313.50/120 = 2.613
#103 Western Harnett (0-11) 0.0/11 + 308.50/120 = 2.571
#104 North Iredell (0-11) 0.0/11 + 280.00/120 = 2.333
#105 Western Guilford (0-11) 0.0/11 + 267.00/120 = 2.225
#106 Southern Wayne (0-11) 0.0/11 + 263.50/119 = 2.214

Class 2A FAIR Rankings
#1 East Duplin (11-0) 91.0/11 + 505.00/117 = 12.589
#2 South Point (10-0) 84.0/10 + 401.00/104 = 12.256
#3 Hibriten (11-0) 91.0/11 + 435.00/119 = 11.928
#4 Franklin (9-0) 69.0/9 + 374.00/91 = 11.777
#5 Shelby (9-1) 76.0/10 + 437.50/107 = 11.689
#6 Maiden (11-0) 89.0/11 + 393.00/119 = 11.393
#7 Wallace-Rose Hill (9-1) 74.0/10 + 421.50/106 = 11.376
#8 North Davidson (10-1) 83.0/11 + 422.50/115 = 11.219
#9 Northeastern (9-0) 70.0/9 + 326.00/95 = 11.209
#10 Reidsville (10-0) 85.0/10 + 284.00/105 = 11.205
#11 South Granville (10-0) 76.0/10 + 351.00/108 = 10.850
#12 Mountain Heritage (10-0) 71.0/10 + 336.00/97 = 10.564
#13 Randleman (9-1) 75.0/10 + 323.00/108 = 10.491
#14 Newton-Conover (9-2) 73.0/11 + 397.50/119 = 9.977
#15 Whiteville (10-1) 76.0/11 + 331.50/114 = 9.817
#16 Mount Pleasant (9-2) 76.0/11 + 343.00/118 = 9.816
#17 East Bladen (10-1) 75.0/11 + 340.50/115 = 9.779
#18 Ledford (8-2) 64.0/10 + 345.00/105 = 9.686
#19 Hendersonville (8-2) 66.0/10 + 322.00/105 = 9.667
#20 SouthWest Edgecombe (9-2) 73.0/11 + 358.00/119 = 9.645
#21 Nash Central (9-2) 73.0/11 + 342.00/119 = 9.510
#22 South Columbus (9-1) 67.0/10 + 276.50/107 = 9.284
#23 North Surry (10-1) 74.0/11 + 289.00/120 = 9.136
#24 Wheatmore (9-2) 74.0/11 + 273.50/118 = 9.045
#25 Kinston (9-2) 72.0/11 + 296.00/121 = 8.992
#26 Wilkes Central (9-2) 65.0/11 + 368.50/120 = 8.980
#27 East Montgomery (9-2) 67.0/11 + 334.00/117 = 8.946
#28 Patton (8-3) 66.0/11 + 334.00/118 = 8.831
#29 Salisbury (7-3) 57.0/10 + 318.50/106 = 8.705
#30 Foard (8-3) 65.0/11 + 319.00/119 = 8.590
#31 Pisgah (6-4) 48.0/10 + 388.00/103 = 8.567
#32 Southwest Onslow (8-3) 59.0/11 + 370.50/119 = 8.477
#33 West Stokes (8-3) 60.0/11 + 332.00/119 = 8.244
#34 Bunn (8-3) 58.0/11 + 351.00/119 = 8.222
#35 West Craven (6-5) 50.0/11 + 420.50/121 = 8.021
#36 Red Springs (8-3) 59.0/11 + 302.00/117 = 7.945
#37 Greene Central (7-4) 58.0/11 + 314.00/120 = 7.889
#38 Richlands (8-3) 59.0/11 + 288.00/120 = 7.764
#39 West Caldwell (6-5) 52.0/11 + 349.00/119 = 7.660
#40 Beddingfield (7-4) 57.0/11 + 298.00/121 = 7.645
#41 East Rutherford (6-4) 45.0/10 + 306.50/106 = 7.392
#42 North Wilkes (8-3) 54.0/11 + 280.50/117 = 7.307
#43 Roanoke Rapids (8-3) 52.0/11 + 299.00/116 = 7.305
#44 Clinton (5-5) 41.0/10 + 339.00/107 = 7.268
#45 First Flight (5-4) 36.0/9 + 292.00/94 = 7.106
#46 Lexington (6-4) 48.0/10 + 231.50/106 = 6.984
#47 Ayden-Grifton (6-5) 46.0/11 + 333.00/121 = 6.934
#48 Trask (8-3) 55.0/11 + 229.00/119 = 6.924
#49 Hertford (6-5) 47.0/11 + 298.50/115 = 6.868
#50 Farmville Central (5-6) 38.0/11 + 406.50/120 = 6.842
#51 East Lincoln (6-5) 48.0/11 + 262.00/115 = 6.642
#52 East Davidson (6-5) 48.0/11 + 250.00/116 = 6.519
#53 Goldsboro (6-5) 48.0/11 + 246.00/116 = 6.484
#54 Anson (4-5) 32.0/9 + 286.50/98 = 6.479
#55 Southern Vance (6-5) 44.0/11 + 276.00/119 = 6.319
#56 Brevard (6-5) 46.0/11 + 231.50/114 = 6.213
#57 Bandys (5-6) 41.0/11 + 294.50/119 = 6.202
#58 Lincolnton (5-6) 40.0/11 + 293.50/117 = 6.145
#59 North Lenoir (5-6) 39.0/11 + 305.00/121 = 6.066
#60 High Point Andrews (4-7) 32.0/11 + 371.50/118 = 6.057
#61 Smoky Mountain (5-6) 39.0/11 + 262.50/109 = 5.954
#62 Washington (4-7) 30.0/11 + 371.00/121 = 5.793
#63 Trinity (5-5) 36.0/10 + 222.50/108 = 5.660
#64 West Iredell (4-6) 33.0/10 + 255.50/110 = 5.623
#65 Saint Pauls (5-6) 34.0/11 + 288.00/117 = 5.552
#66 R-S Central (4-7) 36.0/11 + 251.00/111 = 5.534
#67 North Johnston (5-6) 38.0/11 + 232.00/118 = 5.421
#68 Bertie (4-7) 30.0/11 + 301.50/115 = 5.349
#69 West Bladen (5-6) 35.0/11 + 238.00/117 = 5.216
#70 Fairmont (5-6) 35.0/11 + 226.00/117 = 5.113
#71 West Lincoln (4-7) 30.0/11 + 278.00/119 = 5.063
#72 Providence Grove (4-7) 33.0/11 + 233.50/118 = 4.979
#73 West Wilkes (5-6) 34.0/11 + 220.50/117 = 4.976
#74 James Kenan (3-7) 25.0/10 + 259.50/106 = 4.948
#75 Currituck (4-6) 28.0/10 + 221.00/105 = 4.905
#76 East Henderson (4-7) 30.0/11 + 249.00/115 = 4.892
#77 Carver (3-8) 24.0/11 + 326.00/121 = 4.876
#78 Cummings (3-8) 25.0/11 + 307.00/118 = 4.874
#79 Burns (2-9) 17.0/11 + 376.00/114 = 4.844
#80 Forbush (4-7) 33.0/11 + 221.00/121 = 4.826
#81 McMichael (2-7) 17.0/9 + 275.00/96 = 4.753
#82 Croatan (4-7) 26.0/11 + 281.50/120 = 4.709
#83 Forest Hills (3-7) 25.0/10 + 222.00/107 = 4.575
#84 Madison (4-7) 29.0/11 + 203.50/113 = 4.437
#85 Ashe County (3-8) 20.0/11 + 301.50/119 = 4.352
#86 East Burke (2-9) 16.0/11 + 346.00/120 = 4.338
#87 Atkins (4-7) 30.0/11 + 180.50/119 = 4.244
#88 West Stanly (3-8) 20.0/11 + 285.50/118 = 4.238
#89 Eastern Randolph (3-8) 22.0/11 + 266.00/119 = 4.235
#90 South Rowan (3-8) 24.0/11 + 230.50/116 = 4.169
#91 Graham (2-8) 16.0/10 + 263.00/106 = 4.081
#92 East Gaston (2-8) 17.0/10 + 242.00/107 = 3.962
#93 Midway (3-8) 20.0/11 + 246.00/115 = 3.957
#94 Surry Central (2-9) 16.0/11 + 280.00/121 = 3.769
#95 Carrboro (3-7) 25.0/10 + 133.50/107 = 3.748
#96 Lake Norman Charter (3-7) 18.0/10 + 200.50/103 = 3.747
#97 West Davidson (2-8) 14.0/10 + 243.00/105 = 3.714
#98 Thomasville (2-8) 16.0/10 + 219.00/106 = 3.666
#99 Spring Creek (3-7) 20.0/10 + 173.50/106 = 3.637
#100 Pasquotank (3-8) 18.0/11 + 212.00/113 = 3.512
#101 Morehead (1-9) 9.0/10 + 273.50/106 = 3.480
#102 North Lincoln (1-9) 8.0/10 + 288.00/109 = 3.442
#103 North Forsyth (1-10) 9.0/11 + 317.00/121 = 3.438
#104 Webb (2-9) 14.0/11 + 244.50/118 = 3.345
#105 Draughn (2-9) 14.0/11 + 242.50/119 = 3.311
#106 Bartlett Yancey (2-9) 14.0/11 + 230.00/114 = 3.290
#107 Northern Vance (2-9) 14.0/11 + 232.00/119 = 3.222
#108 Owen (1-9) 6.0/10 + 264.50/101 = 3.219
#109 North Pitt (1-10) 6.0/11 + 320.00/121 = 3.190
#110 Bunker Hill (1-10) 8.0/11 + 292.00/120 = 3.161
#111 Dixon (2-9) 15.0/11 + 208.50/120 = 3.101
#112 South Lenoir (1-10) 6.0/11 + 239.00/119 = 2.554
#113 Jordan Matthews (1-10) 6.0/11 + 231.50/116 = 2.541
#114 Walkertown (0-11) 0.0/11 + 284.50/120 = 2.371
#115 Chase (0-11) 0.0/11 + 245.00/115 = 2.130
#116 Central Davidson (0-11) 0.0/11 + 228.50/116 = 1.970
#117 Central Academy (0-11) 0.0/11 + 197.00/114 = 1.728

Class 1A FAIR Rankings
#1 Mount Airy (11-0) 74.0/11 + 343.00/114 = 9.736
#2 Mitchell (7-1) 55.0/8 + 236.50/83 = 9.724
#3 Tarboro (11-0) 73.0/11 + 350.00/120 = 9.553
#4 Holmes (9-1) 62.0/10 + 295.00/105 = 9.010
#5 East Wilkes (9-2) 66.0/11 + 314.50/120 = 8.621
#6 North Duplin (11-0) 68.0/11 + 268.00/118 = 8.453
#7 North Stanly (10-1) 67.0/11 + 279.00/119 = 8.435
#8 Northampton (10-1) 62.0/11 + 278.00/112 = 8.119
#9 Bessemer City (10-1) 66.0/11 + 208.00/105 = 7.981
#10 North Rowan (8-3) 55.0/11 + 343.50/117 = 7.936
#11 Cherokee (7-1) 47.0/8 + 144.00/71 = 7.903
#12 West Montgomery (9-2) 60.0/11 + 258.00/118 = 7.641
#13 Murphy (6-2) 38.0/8 + 193.50/68 = 7.596
#14 Thomas Jefferson (7-1) 42.0/8 + 171.00/76 = 7.500
#15 Lakewood (9-2) 59.0/11 + 208.50/115 = 7.177
#16 Starmount (6-5) 44.0/11 + 381.00/120 = 7.175
#17 Polk (6-4) 46.0/10 + 262.00/102 = 7.169
#18 Manteo (8-3) 52.0/11 + 265.00/115 = 7.032
#19 East Carteret (7-4) 51.0/11 + 280.50/120 = 6.974
#20 East Surry (7-4) 46.0/11 + 301.50/115 = 6.804
#21 Mountain Island (6-3) 38.0/9 + 215.50/86 = 6.728
#22 Bear Grass (8-2) 50.0/10 + 146.00/91 = 6.604
#23 Princeton (6-4) 43.0/10 + 247.00/108 = 6.587
#24 Warren County (7-4) 48.0/11 + 250.00/116 = 6.519
#25 Swain County (6-4) 38.0/10 + 203.00/89 = 6.081
#26 Columbia (5-2) 30.0/7 + 114.00/67 = 5.987
#27 Pamlico (7-4) 42.0/11 + 256.50/119 = 5.974
#28 Gates County (6-5) 42.0/11 + 258.50/120 = 5.972
#29 Robbinsville (4-3) 27.0/7 + 124.50/61 = 5.898
#30 Southside (6-5) 40.0/11 + 272.50/121 = 5.888
#31 Elkin (5-6) 34.0/11 + 333.50/120 = 5.870
#32 Union Academy (5-3) 32.0/8 + 143.00/77 = 5.857
#33 Plymouth (6-5) 36.0/11 + 273.50/116 = 5.630
#34 Granville Central (5-6) 36.0/11 + 271.00/118 = 5.569
#35 Southeast Halifax (7-4) 42.0/11 + 187.00/110 = 5.518
#36 CS of Davidson (5-5) 30.0/10 + 236.00/96 = 5.458
#37 Riverside-Martin (6-5) 36.0/11 + 261.50/121 = 5.434
#38 Rosewood (5-5) 36.0/10 + 187.50/106 = 5.369
#39 South Stokes (5-6) 34.0/11 + 242.00/113 = 5.233
#40 Northside (5-6) 30.0/11 + 262.50/117 = 4.971
#41 South Stanly (5-6) 32.0/11 + 212.00/118 = 4.706
#42 Pender (4-6) 26.0/10 + 216.00/108 = 4.600
#43 South Creek (5-6) 30.0/11 + 206.50/120 = 4.448
#44 North Edgecombe (4-6) 24.0/10 + 206.50/102 = 4.425
#45 Bishop McGuinness (3-7) 20.0/10 + 221.00/103 = 4.146
#46 Cherryville (4-7) 28.0/11 + 169.00/107 = 4.125
#47 Albemarle (4-7) 26.0/11 + 204.50/118 = 4.097
#48 Hayesville (2-5) 12.0/7 + 140.00/60 = 4.048
#49 Alleghany (3-7) 18.0/10 + 212.50/107 = 3.786
#50 North Moore (3-8) 18.0/11 + 238.00/115 = 3.706
#51 Union (3-7) 18.0/10 + 169.50/107 = 3.384
#52 Avery (2-8) 16.0/10 + 176.00/104 = 3.292
#53 Rocky Mount Prep (2-7) 12.0/9 + 167.50/90 = 3.194
#54 South Robeson (2-8) 12.0/10 + 205.50/106 = 3.139
#55 Creswell (2-6) 12.0/8 + 104.00/74 = 2.905
#56 East Columbus (1-8) 6.0/9 + 214.00/97 = 2.873
#57 Weldon (2-6) 12.0/8 + 111.00/82 = 2.854
#58 KIPP Pride (2-8) 12.0/10 + 160.00/103 = 2.753
#59 South Davidson (2-8) 12.0/10 + 154.00/106 = 2.653
#60 Perquimans (2-9) 12.0/11 + 172.00/118 = 2.549
#61 Rosman (1-9) 6.0/10 + 169.00/90 = 2.478
#62 Winston-Salem Prep (1-7) 6.0/8 + 143.50/85 = 2.438
#63 Louisburg (1-9) 6.0/10 + 198.50/108 = 2.438
#64 Pine Lake Prep (1-7) 6.0/8 + 127.00/76 = 2.421
#65 Camden (1-10) 6.0/11 + 208.00/112 = 2.403
#66 West Columbus (0-11) 0.0/11 + 261.00/117 = 2.231
#67 Chatham Central (1-9) 6.0/10 + 159.00/106 = 2.100
#68 Lejeune (0-11) 0.0/11 + 244.00/118 = 2.068
#69 Jones (0-11) 0.0/11 + 223.00/120 = 1.858
#70 Mattamuskeet (0-10) 0.0/10 + 170.00/93 = 1.828
#71 Andrews (0-7) 0.0/7 + 103.50/61 = 1.697
#72 North Stokes (0-9) 0.0/9 + 152.00/94 = 1.617
#73 Highland Tech (0-9) 0.0/9 + 136.00/85 = 1.600
#74 Hobbton (0-11) 0.0/11 + 181.00/116 = 1.560
#75 Northwest Halifax (0-9) 0.0/9 + 136.00/92 = 1.478

CHARLOTTE – The air was brisk at Charlotte's Jerry Richardson Stadium as the Forty-Niners hosted Middle Tennessee State in Conference USA action. The Blue Raiders had been Charlotte's first-ever opponent in Conference USA play when the Niners joined in 2015 and the Charlotte faithful was hoping for the 49ers' first victory in three tries against Middle Tennessee, but it was the Blue Raiders who moved to 3-0 in the overall series as the Blue Raiders defeated the Charlotte 49ers, 35-21.

Charlotte came into the game off a tough defensive battle at Old Dominion in which the 49ers lost 6-0 and was looking to find the same spark as in Charlotte's previous home game, a memorable 25-24 win over UAB in overtime.

Charlotte started off the game well, forcing a three-and-out on the first drive of the game. After taking possession, the Charlotte offense marched down the field, scoring on a 16-yard Benny LeMay run, giving the home team a 7-0 lead.

MTSU RB Tavares Thomas ran for 195 yards (Photo Credit: Ed Conway)

From there, it was all Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raider scored 28 unanswered points with two touchdown runs from Tavares Thomas (who finished with 195 yards on the day) and two passes from Brandon Stockstill. Stockstill finished the game with 255 yards passing and three touchdowns.

Charlotte tried to get back in the game with a Mark Quattlebaum touchdown reception in the third quarter and a Trent Bostick touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough for the 49ers as they fell to 1-5 in conference play.

Worth Noting

With the 49ers and the college football community celebrating Veterans' Day, it is worth noting that Charlotte offensive lineman Jean Eason is a three-year Army veteran who served from 2009 to 2012 and served a tour in Afghanistan. At 27, he is the oldest member of the 49ers roster.

Notable North Carolinians

Benny LeMay (So., Butler) scored the opening touchdown of the game on a 16-yard run.

Jeff Gemmell (R-So., Heritage) led the defense in total tackles with 10, including 4 solo.

Hasaan Klugh (R-Jr., Central Cabarrus) passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns.

Next Week

Charlotte (1-9, 1-5) travels to Hattiesburg, Mississippi next Saturday to take on Southern Miss (5-4, 3-2) while Middle Tennessee (5-5, 3-3) will face Western Kentucky (5-4, 3-2) on Friday night in a bid to become bowl eligible for the sixth straight season.

BUIES CREEK – Drake scored on its first five drives of the second half and defeated Campbell 45-10 Saturday at Barker-Lane Stadium.

Grant Kraemer threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulldogs (6-4, 5-2), who broke open 14-3 halftime edge in the season finale for Campbell (6-5, 5-3), which matched school modern era records for overall and conference wins.

Kraemer completed 17-of-20 passes –hitting eight different receivers in the process, and the Bulldogs took over possession of second place in the Pioneer Football League. Drake ran up 547 yards of total offense yards, scoring on three plays of 54 yards or more.

A crowd of 4,261 witnessed Campbell’s final PFL game at Barker-Lane Stadium. Campbell will join the Big South Conference in football beginning with the 2018 season.

For the second-straight year, Campbell set season average (5,546) and total (33,276) attendance records at 5,500-seat Barker-Lane Stadium. Campbell is seventh among all FCS schools in attendance percentage (105.5).

Campbell entered the game as the PFL leader in total offense, averaging nearly 450 yards per game, but Drake held the Camels to 327 yards on the day and just one touchdown.

Darius Barnes hit career highs for rushing attempts (24) and yards (96) for the Camels. Daniel Smith completed 10-of-22 for 147 yards in the air and added 81 on the ground. Aaron Blockmon led CU with four receptions for 66 yards.

Campbell RB Darius Barnes (Photo Credit: Campbell Sports Information)

Smith, who entered the game leading the nation in rushing yards per attempt (9.98) and total yards on the ground, was held to 4.1 per carry. A red-shirt freshman from Leesburg, Va., Smith finished the season with school Division I era (since 2008) records for total offense (3164) and rushing yards (1272).

Junior linebacker Jack Ryan had 15 total tackles Saturday and set a new Campbell school record with 103 stops on the season. Senior safety Carlos Merritt set a new school mark with 50 solo tackles.

Kraemer logged his fourth 300-yard passing performance of the season for Drake. Drew Lauer led the Bulldogs on the ground with 79 yards on 10 carries. Steven Doran had 170 receiving yards on just four catches, two of which went for scores.

Sean Lynch and Kieran Severa led Drake with 11 tackles, while Nathan Clayberg added 10 stops.

Two big plays spurred Drake to a 14-3 halftime lead. Kraemer connected with Cole Neary on a 37-yard completion to give the Bulldogs a first down on the Campbell nine. Brock Reichardt ran in from the two and Danny Donley’s PAT put Drake ahead 7-0 with 4:12 left in the first quarter.

Kraemer’s 68-yard scoring pass to Doran increased the margin to 14-0 with 4:20 to go in the half.

Campbell drove 54 yards to set up Colin Gary’s 30-yard field goal with 1:20 to play in the second quarter.

Lauer burst up the middle for a 54-yard TD run and gave Drake a 21-3 lead with 9:49 left in the third quarter.

Kraemer again hooked up with Doran for a 57-yard catch and run to extend the margin to 28-3 with 7:32 to play in the third. Kraemer’s third TD toss of the game – a 12-yard hook-up with Zach DeLeon – pushed the lead to 35-3 with 4:06 left in the third quarter.

Daniel Smith ran in from three-yards on fourth down to cap an 8-play, 67-yard drive and cut the margin to 31-10 with 0:40 left in the third quarter. Smith’s completion to Blockmon accounted for 41 yards in the march.

Notable North Carolinians

Darius Barnes (So., Hunt) rushed for 96 yards on 24 attempts
Aaron Blockman (R-Jr, Southern Lee) had four receptions for 66 yards
Jack Ryan (R-Jr, Weddington) had 15 tackles on the day, setting the single-season school record for tackles with 103.

Next Week

Drake concludes its season at home next Saturday (Nov. 18) against Jacksonville in a 1:00 p.m. (CST) kick-off.




Campbell Sports Information contributed to this story.

FIRST ROUND SCORES

1A
East
#8 Southside 20, #9 Northside-Pinetown 0
#5 Pamlico County 40, #12 Albemarle 8
#6 Plymouth 38, #11 North Edgecombe 8
#7 Southeast Halifax 14, #10 South Creek 7
West
#9 Community School of Davidson 29, #8 South Stokes 22
#5 Robbinsville 57, #12 Rosman 16
#6 Elkin 50, #11 Hayesville 7
#7 Union Academy 42, #10 Alleghany 14

1AA
East
#8 Riverside-Martin 70, #9 Princeton 51
#5 West Montgomery 48, #12 Rosewood 0
#6 Lakewood 34, #11 Pender 0
#7 Manteo 35, #10 Gates County 13
West
#8 Polk County 30, #9 North Rowan 22
#5 Swain County 42, #12 Cherryville 14
#6 Murphy 44, #11 South Stanly 13
#7 East Surry 21, #10 Starmount 14

2A
East
#1 Northeastern 55, #16 Bertie 0
#9 Clinton 21, #8 First Flight 15
#5 Wallace-Rose Hill 42, #12 Ayden-Grifton 3
#4 Beddingfield 23, #13 Farmville Central 12
#3 Southwest Onslow 35, #14 Goldsboro 6
#6 SouthWest Edgecombe 34, #11 Hertford County 13
#10 Greene Central 28, #7 Kinston 6
#2 East Bladen 39, #15 James Kenan 33
West
#1 Reidsville 51, #16 West Lincoln 0
#9 East Montgomery 30, #8 East Rutherford 7
#12 Lincolnton 39, #5 Graham 19
#4 South Columbus 14, #13 Wheatmore 0
#3 Hendersonville 49, #14 Brevard 0
#11 Red Springs 19, #6 Salisbury 7
#7 Whiteville 45, #10 North Wilkes 13
#2 Mountain Heritage 50, #15 Lexington 28

2AA
East
#1 East Duplin 54, #16 St. Pauls 14
#9 West Stokes 24, #8 Bunn 19
#5 Nash Central 41, #12 T.W. Andrews 7
#4 Randleman 43, #13 Roanoke Rapids 7
#3 South Granville 41, #14 Washington 21
#6 West Craven 28, #11 Richlands 7
#7 Ledford 21, #10 Anson 14
#2 North Davidson 52, #15 Forest Hills 18
West
#1 South Point 48, #16 West Iredell 0
#8 Shelby 49, #9 Newton-Conover 20
#12 Fred T. Foard 16, #5 Maiden 0
#4 Mount Pleasant 35, #13 East Lincoln 0
#3 Franklin 52, #14 Smoky Mountain 27
#11 Pisgah 34, #6 Wilkes Central 20
#10 Patton 26, #7 North Surry 10
#2 Hibriten 57, #15 Bandys 6

3A
East
#1 Western Alamance 59, #16 Eastern Wayne 20
#8 Fike 30, #9 Triton 14
#5 Jacksonville 56, #12 Northside-Jacksonville 22
#4 Terry Sanford 36, #13 Rocky Mount 16
#3 Southern Nash 76, #14 Westover 12
#6 Eastern Alamance 20, #11 Northeast Guilford 13
#7 E.E. Smith 44, #10 West Carteret 14
#2 Havelock 56, #15 Williams 7
West
#1 Charlotte Catholic 43, #16 West Caldwell 7
#8 Stuart Cramer 21, #9 Concord 20
#5 Weddington 55, #12 Hickory 14
#4 Hunter Huss 34, #13 West Rowan 14
#3 Jay M. Robinson 69, #14 Tuscola 41
#6 Crest 49, #11 Monroe 20
#7 Rockingham County 47, #10 Freedom 29
#2 Kings Mountain 48, #15 Forestview 13

3AA
East
#1 Clayton 42, #16 Northwood 10
#8 Cleveland 53, #9 Northern Durham 10
#5 D.H. Conley 59, #12 Northern Guilford 7
#4 Eastern Guilford 31, #13 Hillside 12
#3 Lee County 40, #14 Ben L. Smith 0
#11 Cape Fear 44, #6 Orange 6
#10 Dudley 21, #7 Southeast Guilford 13
#2 New Hanover 55, #15 West Brunswick 21
West
#1 Mount Tabor 34, #16 Ashbrook 6
#8 Watauga 21, #9 Asheville 9
#12 Sun Valley 45, #5 Marvin Ridge 35
#13 Cuthbertson 35, #4 Alexander Central 28
#3 South Iredell 44, #14 Northwest Cabarrus 34
#6 A.L. Brown 44, #11 Clyde A. Erwin 34
#7 Southwest Guilford 48, #10 Statesville 0
#2 A.C. Reynolds 52, #15 Parkland 6

4A
East
#9 Seventy-First 23, #8 Jordan 13
#12 Knightdale 20, #5 Overhills 18
#6 Heritage 34, #11 Purnell Swett 13
#10 South View 38, #7 Ragsdale 35
West
#8 Porter Ridge 49, #9 Davie County 27
#5 East Forsyth 35, #12 Mooresville 6
#6 Vance 34, #11 R.J. Reynolds 6
#7 Hickory Ridge 41, #10 West Charlotte 0

4AA
East
#9 Millbrook 27, #8 Jack Britt 14
#5 Middle Creek 43, #12 Laney 6
#6 Pinecrest 50, #11 Athens Drive 19
#7 Leesville Road 42, #10 Fuquay-Varina 14
West
#9 North Mecklenburg 27, #8 Richmond County 23
#5 Providence 54, #12 South Mecklenburg 18
#6 Myers Park 28, #11 East Mecklenburg 6
#7 Hough 41, #10 Ardrey Kell 16

SECOND ROUND MATCHUPS

1A
East
#1 North Duplin vs. #8 Southside
#4 Columbia vs. #5 Pamlico County
#3 South Robeson vs. #6 Plymouth
#2 Northampton County vs. #7 Southeast Halifax
West
#1 Mitchell vs. #9 Community School of Davidson
#4 Mountain Island Charter vs. #5 Robbinsville
#3 Thomas Jefferson vs. #6 Elkin
#2 Cherokee vs. #7 Union Academy

1AA
East
#1 Tarboro vs. #8 Riverside-Martin
#4 Granville Central vs. #5 West Montgomery
#3 East Carteret vs. #6 Lakewood
#2 John A. Holmes vs. #7 Manteo
West
#1 Mount Airy vs. #8 Polk County
#4 Bessemer City vs. #5 Swain County
#3 North Stanly vs. #6 Murphy
#2 East Wilkes vs. #7 East Surry

2A
East
#1 Northeastern vs. #9 Clinton
#4 Beddingfield vs. #5 Wallace-Rose Hill
#3 Southwest Onslow vs. #6 SouthWest Edgecombe
#2 East Bladen vs. #10 Greene Central
West
#1 Reidsville vs. #9 East Montgomery
#4 South Columbus vs. #12 Lincolnton
#3 Hendersonville vs. #11 Red Springs
#7 Whiteville vs. #2 Mountain Heritage

2AA
East
#1 East Duplin vs. #9 West Stokes
#4 Randleman vs. #5 Nash Central
#3 South Granville vs. #6 West Craven
#2 North Davidson vs. #7 Ledford
West
#1 South Point vs. #8 Shelby
#4 Mount Pleasant vs. #12 Fred T. Foard
#3 Franklin vs. #11 Pisgah
#2 Hibriten vs. #10 Patton

3A
East
#1 Western Alamance vs. #8 Fike
#4 Terry Sanford vs. #5 Jacksonville
#3 Southern Nash vs. #6 Eastern Alamance
#2 Havelock vs. #7 E.E. Smith
West
#1 Charlotte Catholic vs. #8 Stuart Cramer
#4 Hunter Huss vs. #5 Weddington
#3 Jay M. Robinson vs. #6 Crest
#2 Kings Mountain vs. #7 Rockingham County

3AA
East
#1 Clayton vs. #8 Cleveland
#4 Eastern Guilford vs. #5 D.H. Conley
#3 Lee County vs. #11 Cape Fear
#2 New Hanover vs. #10 Dudley
West
#1 Mount Tabor vs. #8 Watauga
#12 Sun Valley vs. #13 Cuthbertson
#3 South Iredell vs. #6 A.L. Brown
#2 A.C. Reynolds vs. #7 Southwest Guilford

4A
East
#1 Scotland County vs. #9 Seventy-First
#4 South Central vs. #12 Knightdale
#3 Cardinal Gibbons vs. #6 Heritage
#2 Hoggard vs. #10 South View
West
#1 Harding University vs. #8 Porter Ridge
#4 West Mecklenburg vs. #5 East Forsyth
#3 Glenn vs. #6 Vance
#2 South Caldwell vs. #7 Hickory Ridge

4AA
East
#1 Wake Forest vs. #9 Millbrook
#4 Sanderson vs. #5 Middle Creek
#3 Garner vs. #6 Pinecrest
#2 Green Hope vs. #7 Leesville Road
West
#1 Mallard Creek vs. #9 North Mecklenburg
#4 Page vs. #5 Providence
#3 Butler vs. #6 Myers Park
#2 West Forsyth vs. #7 Hough