3 Storylines to Watch in Round 3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're down to the final 16 in 2A-7A and the final eight in 1A and 8A. While we're primarily a scouting service, I love looking at big-picture storylines, threads, and trends to watch, especially in the playoffs. We've previewed several games in a variety of ways, so if you want some breakdowns of individual matchups, check out my upset picks pieces for the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/lower-classification-upset-picks-round-3/">1A-4A</a> and <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/upper-classification-upset-picks-round-3/">5A-8A</a> classes. Here, I'm breaking down a few big-picture storylines to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Playoff Storylines to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Which Classifications Will Be Chalky, Which Will Be Wild?</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This isn't necessarily something about the players or individual teams, but is a larger-scale trend. As most people know, not only did the number of classifications change, but the way seeds are determined shifted away from conference standings and toward RPI.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That can lead to fairly predictable results (in some cases) and wild seedings in others. Take 3A, for example. Two true 3A contenders entered the playoffs with double-digit seedings, thanks to brutal non-conference scheduling. <strong>Shelby</strong> and its receiver combination of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='483642' first='Immanuel' last='Collins']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2044437' first='JJ' last='Williams']</strong> could get to over 3,500 passing yards this season, while <strong>Kinston's</strong> own receiver duo of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1539536' first='Brennan' last='Chambers']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1368098' first='Tyreek' last='Copper']</strong> is putting up big numbers as a 14 seed. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They're joined by <strong>West Davidson</strong> and <strong>Farmville Central</strong> as double-digit seeds in Round 3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Contrast that with 7A, in which the home team has won 29 of 33 games so far. There were three Round 1 "upsets," which, outside of the rare 24-over-8 win by <strong>Ashley</strong>, consisted of two 17 seeds and an 18 seed. The top 16 seeds advanced to the final 16.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Which eight classifications we should see where the seedings are right and wrong. But, that may happen at different points. I expect to see a few 7A upsets (I predicted a <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/7a-playoff-preview/">2-seed to win the championship</a>), but the top of the 7A class is clearly better than the middle and the bottom. That won't be the case everywhere.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As for Round 3, give me 5A (<strong>Havelock</strong> running backs <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1705638' first='Zyking' last='Patillo']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1665917' first='Jayden' last='Howard'],</strong> and <strong>St. Pauls</strong> RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1709591' first='Yoshua' last='McBryde']</strong> all have big games in road upsets) and 6A (<strong>Dudley</strong> DL <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1393063' first='Robert' last='McCollum']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1953561' first='Devin' last='Cotton'],</strong> and <strong>Seventy-First</strong> RBs <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1346327' first='Jayson' last='Franklin']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='653512' first='Shon' last='Pone Jr'].</strong> have big days in wins) as the classes that have multiple third-round upsets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">8A Bracket Heats Up</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last week, five of the 8A games were blowouts, while three finished within 10 points, with two coming down to the last play. This week, <strong>Hough</strong> might be the only team capable of winning by double-digits. That leaves <strong>Jordan-Millbrook</strong>, <strong>Hoggard-Rolesville</strong>, and <strong>Myers Park-West Charlotte</strong> as potential barn-burners.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I wish I'd had time to break these down in a separate piece, but I'll settle for one key matchup in each.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In Jordan-Millbrook, it's all about which quarterback feels the pressure the least. These teams are built from the line of scrimmage out, and the offensive line that plays better will probably win. If Jordan's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='321266' first='Noah' last='Clark']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607844' first='Xavier' last='Perkins']</strong> can affect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='485965' first='Bryson' last='Gray']</strong>, it'll be hard for the Millbrook quarterback to hit his receivers down the field. If <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1553113' first='Rashad' last='Streets']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1158999' first='Markez' last='Wilbert']</strong> can get after <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='735579' first='Landon' last='Melton']</strong>, can the Jordan quarterback protect the ball? </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To me, the story in Wilmington is whether either offense can hit some big plays. If this game ends up being a shootout, I'll be beyond shocked, so it'll be won and lost on the margins. Each of these defenses has allowed less than 15 points per game. Can <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1865522' first='Desyn' last='Durand']</strong> get loose on a big play or two for Hoggard? Can <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='832437' first='Gavin' last='Waddell']</strong> or <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1222913' first='Anthony' last='Roberts']</strong> find some sustained success in the passing game, or will this be another game where <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='378957' first='Amir' last='Brown']</strong> gets 25+ carries as Rolesville tries to grind it out on the strength of a defense that hasn't allowed over 155 yards in a game in nearly two months?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, Myers Park-West Charlotte is the big one. Two teams with state title aspirations. The question I have is about the game-script. Myers Park has been excellent throwing the ball in non-obvious passingn situations. But, when <strong>Hough</strong> shut down <strong>John Falzano Jr.</strong> a few weeks ago, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1953767' first='Ramir' last='Watson']</strong> and the passing game struggled for the first time all season. If West Charlotte scores a couple of early touchdowns, will the Lions' front seven, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1170182' first='Elijah' last='Littlejohn']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473951' first='Sam' last='Johnson']</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='949642' first='Michael' last='Griffin Jr'].</strong> simply have its way?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the flip side, can West Charlotte run consistently on the Myers Park front? I expect quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1321007' first='Jamouri' last='Nichols']</strong> to be highly involved in the running game in what could be a low-scoring game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Will a Favorite Go Down?</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Correct me if I'm wrong. Here's a list of teams I've penciled into their respective state championships:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2A</strong>: Tarboro (Penned in as state champions)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3A:</strong> Shelby</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>4A:</strong> Reidsville, Brevard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>6A:</strong> Watauga, Jacksonville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>8A:</strong> Hough</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That isn't to say other teams don't have a chance, just that this list of seven teams would be the group that I'd be shocked to see lose. 4A and 6A look like collision courses between the one seeds (and have all year), Hough is the best public school team in the state, and Shelby—despite its early-season struggles—looks like the team to beat in 3A. With all respect to the rest of 2A, I'm more curious about whether the Vikings will give up a point to a 2A team this season than whether they'll actually win a state title. After all, they went 8-0 against teams from higher classifications in the regular season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But, this is the time of the playoffs where we <em>could</em> start to see some scares. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shelby still has to play on the road throughout the playoffs, so that's a potential hazard, but I expect these teams to all reach their respective finals. Given the way things seem to go in the playoffs, however, it wouldn't be a surprise to see one of these teams go down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That also leaves 1A, 5A, and 7A. I think <strong>Wilson Prep</strong> and <strong>KIPP Pride</strong> are the two best teams in 1A, so the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/lower-classification-upset-picks-round-3/">winner of that game</a> could become the class favorite. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I think 5A and 7A have opposite problems when it comes to picking favorites. 5A is the only class without an undefeated team, and I don't see one dominant team. I could see <strong>Crest</strong> or <strong>East Lincoln's</strong> passing games (<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1144640' first='Ely' last='Hamrick']</strong> + <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1154024' first='Namajay' last='Thompson']</strong> for Crest and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1671861' first='Grant' last='Lawless']</strong> + <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607779' first='Jaxon' last='Dollar']</strong> for East Lincoln), <strong>South Point's </strong>running game (<strong>Kaveaun Pless</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607789' first='Cayden' last='Rumph']</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1277021' first='Patrick' last='Blee']</strong> all over seven yards per carry), Hunt's defense (<strong>CJ Dickerson</strong> + <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1610537' first='Randy' last='James']</strong> combining for over 20 sacks), or even <strong>Havelock's</strong> experience or <strong>Northside-Jacksonville's</strong> scrappiness getting to the championship. That doesn't even include <strong>Hickory</strong> or <strong>Jay M. Robinson</strong> who have the talent to reach the finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In 7A, it's that everyone is dominant. <strong>Cleveland</strong> is 11-1 with a loss to <strong>Clayton</strong>. <strong>Weddington</strong>, <strong>Grimsley</strong>, <strong>Independence</strong>, and <strong>Cardinal Gibbons</strong> are all undefeated against non-8A teams. There are at least five teams with the talent to beat anybody in the class, and it won't even take a poor game from the opposition to do it. <strong>Grimsley</strong> has <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='284090' first='Faizon' last='Brandon']</strong> back, which could turn the tide, but<strong> </strong>now that <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1157260' first='KD' last='Cotton']</strong> is settled in and featuring more prominently at Weddington, the Warriors have improved as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Follow Prep Redzone for more high-quality coverage throughout the playoffs and offseason. Want to get in front of our scouts this offseason? Our next PRZ Carolinas Stock-Up Showcase is Dec. 7.&nbsp;<a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2124/register/stock-up-showcase-carolinas">Register here</a>. Promo Code HelmsWinterPRZ will get you $10 off registration. And don't forget to vote for our&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/who-is-the-2025-prznc-player-of-the-year/">PRZNC Player of the Year</a>.</em><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->