This Friday night, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) will host the 2023 Regional Championships, a tradition that has declared state champions in every classification since 1972. From 2001-2021, each classification had two champions. This year’s regional final games promise to be as thrilling as ever, with teams boasting impressive records and histories of regional appearances.

Teams to Watch

Shelby is making its 24th appearance, with a record of 16-7. They have been a regular participant since 1986, with their most recent appearances in 2019, 2021, and now 2023.

Robbinsville is making its 20th appearance, with a record of 13-6. They have been a strong contender since 1973, with their latest appearances in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023.

Clinton and Tarboro are both making their 17th appearances, with records of 10-6 and 13-3 respectively. Clinton has been a regular participant since 1974, while Tarboro started in 1984.

Reidsville is making its 16th appearance with a record of 10-5, and Dudley is making its 12th appearance with a record of 7-4. Independence, Mount Airy, Seventy-First, Hoggard, Northeastern, and Weddington are also teams to watch, each making multiple appearances in the regional finals.

Cardinal Gibbons, Northern Nash, Hickory, and West Columbus are the newcomers, with West Columbus making its first appearance this year.

Regional Rematches

There are several rematches to look forward to. Northern Nash and Seventy-First have met twice before in the East Regional Championship, with both games being closely contested. Shelby and Reidsville have only met once before in the Regional Final, with Shelby emerging victorious. Mount Airy and Robbinsville, and Northeastern and Clinton have also met once before in the Regional final.

Low Seeds and High Seeds

All eight No. 1 seeds reached the regional semifinals, but only five advanced to the regional finals. Both of the No. 1 seeds in the 3A bracket fell in the fourth round. A pair of double-digit seeds, Northern Nash and Independence, will compete for the regional title this week.

The stage is set for an exciting night of high school football. Best of luck to all the teams participating in the 2023 NCHSAA Regional Championships!

This week’s regional final games

4A West:
#1 Weddington vs. #23 Independence
 
4A East:
#3 Hoggard vs. #5 Cardinal Gibbons
 
3A West:
#2 Hickory vs. #4 Dudley
 
3A East:
#2 Seventy-First vs. #13 Northern Nash
 
2A West:
#1 Reidsville vs. #7 Shelby
 
2A East:
#1 Clinton vs. #2 Northeastern
 
1A West:
#1 Robbinsville vs. #2 Mount Airy
 
1A East:
#1 Tarboro vs. #2 West Columbus

x

The 4A West top-seeded Weddington Warriors outmaneuvered Grimsley, securing a 44-27 victory. Meanwhile, #23 Independence rode a strong defense to take down rival Butler with a score of 10-7. Out east, Cardinal Gibbons, the 5th seed, emerged victorious against top-seeded Rolesville, 28-21. On the other hand, #3 Hoggard took down #2 Cleveland on the road by two scores, 51-35.

Dudley, the #4 seed in the 3A West, triumphed over top-seeded Crest with a 46-34 win. In the other 3A West matchup, Hickory, the #2 seed, held off #3 West Henderson by a score of 28-16. In a surprising turn of events in the 3A East, Northern Nash, the 13th seed, broke open a 21-all halftime tie with three second-half scores to defeat top-seeded Havelock on the road. Meanwhile, Seventy-First, the #2 seed, secured a win against #3 Southern Alamance in a squeaker, 32-27.

In the 2A West, Top-seeded Reidsville overcame #4 Bunker Hill by a 41-26 margin. In the other 2A West game, #7 Shelby defeated #11 Forest Hills by a touchdown, 37-30. Clinton, the top seed in the east, ran away from Nash Central, the 4th seed, 55-32. In Elizabeth City, Northeastern, the #2 seed, narrowly defeated #6 Whiteville, 17-14.

Robbinsville, the top seed in the 1A West, outscored #4 North Rowan by thirty points to win 44-14. Meanwhile, Mount Airy, the 2nd seed, held serve against #3 Eastern Randolph, 42-21. In the 1A East, #1 Tarboro, used a third-quarter touchdown to edge past #13 East Bladen 20-13. In the southeastern corner of the state, #2 West Columbus held off #3 Wilson Prep, 21-16.

A Look Ahead at the Regional Finals

1A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REGIONAL FINALS 

EAST

#1 Tarboro (13-1) 35, #3 Rosewood (10-5) 7

WEST

#4 Mount Airy (14-1) 35, #6 Draughn (13-2) 6

2A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REGIONAL FINALS 

EAST

#2 East Duplin (14-1) 28, #12 Wallace-Rose Hill (12-3) 26

WEST

#1 Reidsville (14-1) 32, #3 Burns (13-2) 14

3A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REGIONAL FINALS 

EAST

#1 Northern Nash (15-0) 23, #3 Seventy-First (14-1) 22

WEST

#4 East Lincoln (15-0) 14, #11 South Point (13-2) 7

4A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REGIONAL FINALS 

EAST

#2 New Bern (15-0) 35, #12 Millbrook (13-2) 27

WEST

#1 Grimsley (15-0) 28, #6 Weddington (13-2) 27

1A

EAST

#1 Tarboro (13-1) 22, #6 Pender (9-4) 12

WEST

#3 Mitchell (13-2) 34, #4 Robbinsville (10-4) 21

2A

EAST

#10 Wallace-Rose Hill (13-2) 34, #1 Princeton (13-1) 25

WEST

#1 Shelby (14-1) 45, #2 East Surry (13-1) 13

3A

EAST

#6 J.H. Rose (11-4) 35, #13 Jacksonville (11-3) 28

WEST

#3 Dudley (14-1) 38, #16 South Point (11-4) 0

4A

EAST

#6 Cardinal Gibbons (13-2) 36, #20 Rolesville (9-6) 28

WEST

#10 Julius Chambers (14 -1) 35, #1 Hough (14-1) 21

1A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, December 11, 2021 - 12:00 p.m.

Kenan Stadium - University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC

#1 Tarboro Vikings (13-1) vs. #3 Mitchell Mountaineers (13-2)

2A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, December 11, 2021 - 3:00 p.m.

Carter-Finley Stadium - NC State University - Raleigh, NC

#10 Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs (13-2) vs. #1 Shelby Golden Lions (14-1)

3A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Friday, December 10, 2021 - 7:00 p.m.

Kenan Stadium - University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC

#6 J.H. Rose Rampants (11-4) vs. #3 Dudley Panthers (14-1)

4A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, December 11, 2021 - 7:00 p.m.

Carter-Finley Stadium - NC State University - Raleigh, NC

#6 Cardinal Gibbons Crusaders (13-2) vs. #10 Julius Chambers Cougars (14-1)