Instant Analysis: Playoffs Round 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The playoffs are upon us, and though most of the state's top teams were on a bye, there were still plenty of fireworks across the state. There will be plenty of time to break down film, top performers, and any other most specific topics early next week. Here, I'm simply reacting to the night's events, giving my instant reaction to the games across the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Playoffs Round 1 Instant Analysis</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most of the top teams in their respective classes earned byes, but there was still plenty of action. Here, I'm going in-depth on a few results, with a few more noted below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">7A 15-Seeds Cruise Into Conference Rematches</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 7A bracket is interesting, given its depth, and two impressive 15-seeds cruised into Round 2, where they'll face conference rivals. In the east, <strong>South Garner</strong> cruised to a 62-14 victory behind its running game. With some quarterback injuries, the Titans have been forced to turn almost one-dimensional, and <strong>Alijah Clarke</strong> has stepped up. They'll advance to take on <strong>Cleveland</strong>. The defensive line, led by <strong>Ebeneazer Ewetade</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='863025' first='Bobby' last='Conyers']</strong>, and two-way lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615340' first='Ekene' last='Ogboko']</strong>, has the power to slow Cleveland's potent offense and the Rams will need to be at the top of their game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the western side, <strong>Marvin Ridge</strong> rolled through <strong>Chapel Hill</strong>, after a ferocious second quarter. I didn't get much from this game, but I'm told <strong>Levi Kerr</strong> played his best game of the season, and <strong>Levi Haines</strong> had a long touchdown. The Mavericks will play rival <strong>Weddington</strong> next week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">3A Hopefuls Make Statements</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3A is the deepest class in terms of seeds that can win the championship. In fact, my state title pick, <strong>Shelby</strong>, had to play Friday as a 10-seed. The Golden Lions, along with East No. 14 <strong>Kinston</strong> and No. 9 <strong>Ayden-Grifton,</strong> made quick work of their opponents to move on to Round 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ayden-Grifton</strong> got big games from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704839' first='EJ' last='Ruffin']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704843' first='Loyalty' last='Fuller']</strong>. <strong>Shelby</strong> and <strong>Kinston</strong> both actually trailed early before each winning big. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1905611' first='Jonas' last='Woods']</strong>, <strong>Lorenzo Roseboro</strong>, and <strong>Jaylen Tate</strong> each scored multiple touchdowns, while QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1099168' first='Lan' last='Farmer']</strong> threw four touchdowns in a 70-14 win. After falling behind 7-0, <strong>Kinston</strong> scored 53 straight to win easily.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We should probably throw <strong>Princeton</strong> into this group, as the Bulldogs rolled in Round 1 behind two passing and four rushing touchdowns for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616304' first='Teo' last='McPhatter']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Major Upsets in 4A and 5A</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There weren't a ton of huge upsets across the state, but there were a couple in the middle classifications that caught my eye. It's been a rough season for <strong>West Stanly</strong>, but the 1-9 Colts went to Davidson County and knocked off 4A West No. 9 <strong>Lexington Senior</strong>. I don't have a ton of information from that one, but I'm willing to bet <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678619' first='Dominik' last='Danzy']</strong> and/or <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1671725' first='Carter' last='Yow']</strong> had a big game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In 5A, there were a few fairly large upsets, (including No. 20 <strong>Seaforth</strong> winning on a touchdown in the waning seconds), but none bigger than No. 23 <strong>South Granville</strong> over No. 10 <strong>Western Alamance</strong>. The Viking defense was fantastic, controlling the game while the offense limited possessions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Other News And Notes</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Thomasville</strong>'s defense had a fantastic game, forcing multiple turnovers and a safety in a 14-7 win over <strong>Chase</strong>.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>There was a big upset in 7A, as 24-seed <strong>Ashley</strong> beat No. 9 <strong>Cary</strong>, 14-13, to end Cary's dream season. Cary QB <strong>Nick Grena</strong> had two touchdowns and appeared to throw the game-winner until it was ruled an incomplete pass.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Palisades</strong> allowed a season-high (in regulation) 32 points to <strong>South Mecklenburg</strong>, but still found a way to win after building a 22-point third-quarter lead. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='525514' first='Cole' last='Hough']</strong> hit two long touchdown passes, one to <strong>Clarence Drakeford</strong> and the other to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='718315' first='Hudson' last='Nolden']</strong>.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604514' first='JJ' last='Gulat']</strong> continued his absurd season, leading <strong>Dixon</strong> to a comeback, double-overtime win over <strong>Rockingham County</strong>. Gulat scored all 36 of Dixon's second-half and overtime points, scoring twice in regulation after the Bulldogs. I don't have an exact yardage total for Gulat, but with Dixon advancing, he's almost certain to go over 3,000 yards on the season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>We'll have plenty more info, including stats, players of the week, and Round 2 previews throughout the next week. Want to vote Gulat (or someone else) your state player of the year? <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/who-is-the-2025-prznc-player-of-the-year/">Vote here</a>!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->