Rivalry Week was not kind. The picks resulted in a 1-2 record and brought down the overall record to 37-10 on the season. All five county schools made the playoffs this year. Clinton and Lakewood will both be at home this week, as the Dark Horses drew a 4 seed in the 2AA bracket and the Leopards drew a 7 seed in the 1AA bracket. Hobbton, Midway, and Union will play their first playoff games on the road this week. The Raiders got a 12 seed in the 2A bracket. Hobbton drew a 14 seed in the 1AA bracket, while Union was seeded 11.
The Clinton Dark Horses will host the North Brunswick Scorpions on Friday in the 1st Round of the NCHSAA 2AA State Playoffs. North Brunswick has played well on defense allowing less than 17 points a game, but has struggled at times offensively. Clinton’s explosive offense will be too much for the Scorpions defense to handle. Clinton will advance easily.
Final Score: Clinton- 35 North Brunswick- 14
Lakewood will host the Rosewood Eagles in the opening round of the playoffs. Both teams should be familiar with each other as Lakewood defeated the Eagles 47-17 earlier in the season. Rosewood has improved, but it will be tough to win on Lakewood’s home field. The Leopards have been strong defensively all year and should continue to improve in the playoffs. Look for the Leopards to get off to a good start and drop the Eagles for the second time this year.
Final Score: Lakewood- 28 Rosewood- 21
Midway will travel to Ahoskie to face the Hertford County Bears in the 2A playoffs. The Bears have relied on a stingy defense all year and it will be a tough matchup for the Raiders. Look for Midway to keep it close for a while, but the Bears will run away in the end.
Final Score: Midway- 20 Hertford County- 41
Union will travel to Riverside on Friday to play the Knights. Riverside is averaging 39 points a game so far and will present a tough challenge for Union’s defense. Union has exceeded expectations this year but will make an early exit from the playoffs.
Final Score: Union- 14 Riverside- 48
The Hobbton Wildcats travel to Kenansville to do battle with one of Duplin County’s powerhouses, James Kenan. This is the second meeting of the year between the Wildcats and Tigers. In the first meeting, James Kenan shut out Hobbton, 42-0. Hobbton has made steady improvements throughout the year, but will be no match for the mighty Tigers.
Final Score: Hobbton- 6 James Kenan- 56