3 Games With Massive Playoff Implications

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amidst our myriad of 2030 rankings content, we still want to cover, you know, the actual games on the field. We're just one week out from the start of the NCHSAA Playoffs. Keeping up with every game across the state is a daunting task. But fear not! I'm here to help. Here are three games to follow this week with massive playoff implications.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Which Week 11 Games Have the Biggest Playoff Implications?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Clayton @ Cleveland</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game has maybe 3% less intrigue after Garner came back to beat the Comets (and likely win the Greater Neuse River 7A Conference) last week. Still, it's massive for seeding and homefield advantage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Currently, Cleveland is the No. 1 seed in the 7A East, just ahead of Garner and Clayton. A home Cleveland win over its rival would essentially lock up the top seed for the Rams. But, a Clayton win could move the Comets up to second (or even first) in the East. That seeding would determine home-field advantage in a potential quarterfinal rematch between two of these three teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm interested to see if Cleveland's front seven can limit Clayton running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='561878' first='Terris' last='Hobbs']</strong>. The senior is averaging over nine yards per carry, supplemented by the legs of quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2137702' first='Damacio' last='Cueto']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland defensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2423772' first='Jackson' last='Fox']</strong> is undersized, but he's lived in the backfield. How does the Cleveland defensive line, including Fox and edge rusher [player_tooltip player_id='2467410' first='Colt' last='Robinson'], match up against a strong Clayton offensive line, especially on the left side (<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1650574' first='Brayden' last='Tant']</strong>, <strong>Nicolas Capozzi</strong>)?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other side, I want to know if Cleveland gets enough out of the passing game to be balanced. Can <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2100335' first='Jamil' last='Johnson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2147404' first='Wyatt' last='Caldwell']</strong> at receiver create separation against the best secondary they've faced all year (<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='366314' first='AK' last='Crumel']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1661632' first='Ta'Shaun' last='Walker']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1715912' first='Daniel' last='Lovelace-Davis']</strong>)? Prep Redzone may be at this one on Friday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">West Charlotte @ North Mecklenburg</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North Mecklenburg is currently the "last in" for the 7A class. A week ago, things felt bleak, but an 8-7 win over Independence put the Vikings in the mix. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings' opponents' win percentage and opponents' opponents' win percentages should improve this week against the Mighty Lions. A win wouldn't just guarantee a playoff berth, but could lead to a fairly dramatic change in seeding.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a must-win for West Charlotte, too, as a win would ensure the Mighty Lions get a home game in Round 1 and (likely) dodge one of the top-2 seeds in Round 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There aren't many games with more young talent on display on Friday than this one. West Charlotte quarterback <strong>Devereus Hill Jr.</strong> looks comfortable after being thrown into the fire in the non-conference. Defensively, freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2211795' first='Shiloh' last='Rhodes']</strong> looks like a top edge rusher.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='897764' first='Bryant' last='White']</strong> on both sides of the ball, come in as underdogs. A win would do wonders for the trajectory of the program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Monroe @ Forest Hills</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Forest Hills and Monroe sit 11th and 12th in RPI, respectively. That puts the Union County rivals just above the cutline for a first-round bye. The winner will almost certainly earn that bye, and perhaps push towards home-field advantage in Round 3. Thanks to a logjam behind them, the loser could be at risk of having to play next Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The main storyline I'm tracking is a multi-faceted Monroe running game against a stout Forest Hills front. Redhawks' running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2206332' first='Jamir' last='Jackson']</strong> is averaging over 160 yards per game on the ground. He's the workhorse, but former Forest Hills RB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678618' first='Kylan' last='Polk']</strong> is the backup. Could he get some run against his old team?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Forest Hills' defense has been one of the fun surprises of the year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623018' first='Kai' last='Phinazee']</strong> is one of the most underrated interior defensive linemen in the state, a guy with game-wrecking potential. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2264830' first='Landon' last='Blakeney']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1146633' first='Christopher' last='Baker']</strong> each play the run well. If the Yellow Jackets can make Monroe one-dimensional, they have the talent this year to beat their rivals, something that hasn't even been a possibility in recent years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When Forest Hills is on offense, look for quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2264843' first='Makhi' last='Massey']</strong> to use his legs more than he has in recent weeks. He's been effective throwing the football, but his bread and butter is the running game. Baker and freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2155645' first='Cedric' last='Ford']</strong> add a tough, between-the-tackles component to the ground game. This game may come down to which defense can get off the field more easily.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>We'll have more coverage from around the state heading into the playoffs. <em>Want to get in front of our Prep Redzone scouts? Sign up for our <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2586/register/stock-up-showcase-carolinas">Stock Up Showcase</a>. Use code <strong>SUHelms25OFF</strong> for 25% off registration</em>.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->