6A Matchups to Watch: Round 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the week the playoffs fully get underway, as the top teams in the state emerge from their bye weeks to begin their state title quests. The first round of the 6A playoff bracket went largely as expected, with only two lower seeds winning. Here, we're breaking down three 6A matchups to watch in Round 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Round 2 Matchups to Watch: 6A</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 9 Terry Sanford @ No. 8 Scotland</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are some great 8-9 matchups this weekend between this one in the east and A.C. Reynolds-Charlotte Catholic in the west. Here, we have Scotland's elite rushing attack against Terry Sanford's dynamic passing attack. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dual-threat quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1851677' first='Jacob' last='Moore']</strong> has been one of the toughest players in the state. He's as much of a gamer at the quarterback position as you'll ever find, willing to put his body on the line for tough yards. Moore has led multiple game-winning touchdown drives, including in an August thriller against Seventy-First. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Scotland's rushing duo of senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1741609' first='Tyjurian' last='White']</strong> and freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1858055' first='Mike' last='McLean']</strong> has been outstanding this season, combining for over 1,800 yards and 34 touchdowns, but White recently got hurt, putting the burden on McLean. Both of those guys excel defensively, too, and I'm interested to see if the Fighting Scot defensive line, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1610592' first='Rasheme' last='Wilkerson']</strong> can get pressure.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moore and running back <strong>Isaiah Washington</strong> lead the way with a combined 170 rushing yards a game, and two-way receiver/defensive back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1671906' first='Gaven' last='Kraut']</strong> has been excellent, especially in the red zone. The team that can win up front will likely hold a massive advantage here, so an interior lineman like Scotland's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1610595' first='Jeremiah' last='Nichols']</strong> or some of Sanford's defensive linemen like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1815488' first='Kaiden' last='Womack']</strong> or <strong>Justice Clifton</strong> could make a difference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 10 Kings Mountain @ No. 7 T.C. Roberson</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two of the better teams in the western part of the state meet in an intriguing 7-10 matchup. Kings Mountain has had one of the weirder seasons in the state, in my opinion. They thoroughly thrashed Shelby, hung with Charlotte Catholic, then had three huge losses to some of the top teams in the area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They're a tough team to figure out, because when quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687753' first='KJ' last='Bell']</strong> and receivers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1600212' first='William' last='Vaughn']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616138' first='Xavier' last='Hutchens']</strong> are in sync, the Mountaineer offense is tough to stop, but the offense has occasionally struggled to finish drives.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other side, Roberson has a young, balanced offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1154553' first='Mookah' last='Simpson']</strong> has had a breakout season, especially during the back half, averaging over 90 rushing yards a game in his last three games. Defensively, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1953563' first='Tariq' last='Sibert']</strong> has 12 sacks and has been a force all over the field, while <strong>Kevion Holloway</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm looking for Kings Mountain's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687769' first='Christian' last='Jarrett']</strong> to have a big game. He got off to a hot start to the year, but hasn't been quite as disruptive in recent weeks. As the Mountaineers look to make a playoff run, he's the key for a streaky defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 12 Olympic @ No. 5 Sun Valley</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olympic has had a distinct shift in philosophy over the last few weeks of their nine-game winning streak. When <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1228977' first='Chance' last='Cato']</strong> took back over after missing the first two games of the year, the Trojans threw the ball around for about a month before establishing a potent ground game. Two-headed monster <strong>Bryce Nixon</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1909800' first='Zahir' last='Smith']</strong> have each averaged over 100 yards, coming on strong over the last month of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They'll go on the road to face an impressive Sun Valley team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a 12-5 matchup, and neither team has lost to a 6A team. Olympic lost its first two games to 8A Butler and Palisades (Without Cato) while Sun Valley has lost only to Lake Norman, Mooresville, and Weddington, three teams that earned byes in the 7A bracket. Both teams have shown the ability to win close games, and have looked excellent against like competition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sun Valley's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1169882' first='Zach' last='Cullen']</strong> is our highest ranked player in this game, a versatile running back with excellent vision and pad level. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1600380' first='Noah' last='Lineberry']</strong> has gotten better as the season has progressed. His numbers have dropped some from 2024 as he's faced stiffer competition, but the talent is there and he generally takes care of the football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2049170' first='Quasir' last='Williams']</strong> has led a budding Sun Valley secondary as a freshman and that unit against the Olympic passing game might be the matchup to watch. I don't have a feel for how this one will go, but don't be surprised if the winner makes a deep postseason run.</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></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->