3A Matchups To Watch: Round 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Round 1 of the 3A playoff bracket went largely as expected, with just two lower seeds winning. Now, the byes are the bracket is wide open. Here, we're breaking down three 3A matchups to watch on Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3A Playoff Matchups to Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 16 Wallace-Rose Hill @ No. 1 James Kenan</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're being treated to one of the premier running back matchups of the year this weekend, as <strong>James Kenan's</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1925414' first='Jeremiah' last='Hall']</strong> faces off against <strong>Wallace-Rose Hill</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1600181' first='Jamarae' last='Lamb']</strong>. Both game-breakers, Hall and Lamb are talented enough to turn a matchup all on their own.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hall has gone over 1,300 yards this year on just 104 carries, averaging an astonishing 13.6 yards a touch. Lamb has been a bit more of a workhorse, with over 250 touches on the year for nearly 2,500 yards in 11 games. When these teams met just two weeks ago, the Tigers snuck by, overcoming Lamb's 234 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 13 Farmville Central @ No. 4 Louisburg</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The new playoff seeding makes it so some strong teams with tough schedules drop in the rankings. <strong>Farmville Central</strong> finished the regular season 5-5 with multiple losses to teams in larger classifications. Now, the 13-seed goes on the road to a strong <strong>Louisburg</strong> team, though one that is coming off back-to-back losses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisburg QB <strong>Micah McKnight</strong> has been impressive as a passer and is one of two Warriors averaging over 100 rushing yards per game. Farmville Central QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704814' first='Benjamin' last='Gardner']</strong> has college size and arm talent, but more than that, he's a workhorse in the running game, with over 230 carries, 1,150 rushing yards, and 21 touchdowns. Jaguar linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704820' first='Cameron' last='Hall']</strong> may be the key as he and the defense try to keep Louisburg off balance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 10 Shelby @ No. 7 East Rutherford</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This may be the best No. 10 vs. No. 7 matchup in the history of the state playoffs, in terms of each team's aspirations to win a state title. <strong>Shelby </strong>loaded the front end of the schedule, losing twice in close in-county matchups, plus an overtime loss to <strong>Lincolnton</strong> as the only blemishes. <strong>East Rutherford</strong>'s only loss was in August against 6A <strong>Asheville</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams have elite offenses, getting there in different ways. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1099168' first='Lan' last='Farmer']</strong> leads one of the state's most prolific passing offenses, combining with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2044437' first='JJ' last='Williams']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='483642' first='Immanuel' last='Collins']</strong> down the field. The Golden Lions' three leading receivers all average over 17 yards a catch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Rutherford has one of the top rushing attacks in the state, but don't underestimate QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1206967' first='Landon' last='Flynn']'s</strong> ability to push the ball down the field. He averaged over 16 yards a completion on over 65% accuracy in the regular season and the Cavaliers have four guys with at least 17 catches. Of course, that's in addition to RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1706156' first='Brandon' last='Pinkerton']</strong> and his nearly 200 rushing yards a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both defenses create a ton of havoc, so don't be surprised if somebody makes a game-changing defensive play, whether that's Shelby's <strong>Noah Gartner</strong>, East Rutherford's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1706350' first='Jason' last='Arrowood']</strong>, or someone else.</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. <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 <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/who-is-the-2025-prznc-player-of-the-year/">PRZNC Player of the Year</a>.</em> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->