The final weekend of the high school football season is here, and NSJ has a look at all eight state championship games that are set to be played this Friday and Saturday. The games will all be played in the Triangle at the football stadiums for Duke, NC State and North Carolina.
1A: Pamlico vs. Murphy
Dec. 15, 3 p.m.
Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham
How they got here
Pamlico (13-1): The Hurricanes coasted through their first two games in the playoffs, beating Southside and Gates County. Pamlico’s semifinal matchup with Rosewood —which knocked off top-seeded Northampton County the week before — was 16-12 at the half, and that’s how it ended. The Hurricanes only loss on the season came to undefeated Tarboro, who is in the 1AA final.
Murphy (12-1): The Bulldogs have won 12 straight after losing their season opener 15-8 to Pisgah way back on Aug. 17. The 2016 1A champs won all their regular season games by double digits — and only one was closer than 21 points. In the postseason, the Bulldogs thumped Alleghany and fended off Mitchell before they beat Robbinsville 28-6 for a berth in the title game.
1AA: Tarboro vs. East Surry
Dec. 15, 6 p.m.
Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh
How they got here
Tarboro (14-0): The Vikings had little problem reaching the title game, allowing just 52 points this season (3.7 per game). That includes wins over South Stanly (62-6), North Stanly (28-0) and John A. Holmes (48-7) in the playoffs. The defending 1AA champs last loss in the 2016 semifinals to eventual winners Wallace-Rose Hill.
East Surry (11-3): The Cardinals lost their regular season finale to Mount Airy but have won three straight playoff games to reach the final. That included a 40-point win over Bessemer City followed by a 40-0 revenge blanking of Mount Airy. East Surry then took the semifinal 44-27 over Starmount.
2A: Northeastern vs. Reidsville
Dec. 15, 11 a.m.
Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh
How they got here
Northeastern (14-0): The unbeaten and top-seeded Eagles didn’t face much of a challenge this season until the semifinals. Southwest Onslow got an early lead and stayed within a score most of the way, but Northeastern came away with a 47-36 win. The Eagles were eliminated last year by eventual champion Wallace-Rose Hill.
Reidsville (15-0): The 2016 2A champions are looking for their second title in three years. The Rams coasted through the regular season and won their first two playoff games by a combined 90-19 score. But the last two rounds were tighter, with Reidsville beating Mountain Heritage 21-14 on Nov. 30 and Brevard 24-21 last week.
2AA: North Davidson vs. Shelby
Dec. 15, 2:30 p.m.
Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh
How they got here
North Davidson (13-2): The Black Knights have been on a roll in the postseason, beating their four playoff opponents by a combined 191-54. That included knocking off the top seed (Ledford, 24-7 in the semifinals) and second seed (SouthWest Edgecombe, 56-28 in the quarterfinals) en route to a spot in the title game.
Shelby (12-3): After opening the season 1-3, the powerhouse Golden Lions have won 11 straight to earn a spot in the championship game. Shelby trailed by seven points entering the fourth quarter in its semifinal game against defending champion Hibriten, but scored to tie the game and then got the winning touchdown in the final minute to advance to its fifth title game in six years.
3A: Jacksonville vs. Charlotte Catholic
Dec. 15, 11 a.m.
Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill
How they got here
Jacksonville (11-1): The sixth-seeded Cardinals avenged their one loss on the season, a 45-28 defeat to Havelock on Nov. 2, by topping the previously unbeaten Rams 41-34 in the semifinals to advance to the championship game. It was Jacksonville’s first win over Havelock since 2007. Jacksonville has scored at least 40 points in seven straight.
Charlotte Catholic (14-1): The Cougars waltzed through their four postseason games, allowing just 21 total points, and beat Kings Mountain 30-7 to advance to the title game. Charlotte Catholic is looking for its third title in four seasons — it beat Havelock in last year’s 3A title game after losing to eventual champion Dudley in the 4A semifinals in 2016.
3AA: Southeast Guilford vs. Weddington
Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill
How they got here
Southeast Guilford (14-1): The Falcons clawed their way through the 3AA playoffs to reach the championship game. They opened the postseason with a 9-3 overtime win over Eastern Guilford, then avenged a playoff loss last year to Dudley with a 21-18 win to reach the semifinals. A 37-33 victory over Cleveland punched Southeast Guilford’s ticket to Chapel Hill.
Weddington (14-1): The Warriors have only one loss on the season (to 3A finalist Charlotte Catholic) and have made quick work of their four playoff opponents — most recently a 45-12 win over Mount Tabor last week — to extend their winning streak to nine. Weddington won the 3AA championship in 2016.
4A: Scotland vs. East Forsyth
Dec. 15, 7 p.m.
Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham
How they got here
Scotland (9-5): The Fighting Scots reached the title game last year, eventually losing to Harding University High, but have made a miraculous run to return in 2018. Scotland, a No. 10 seed, was just 5-5 in the regular season, but it advanced in the first two rounds of the playoffs with one-point wins over both Jordan and Cardinal Gibbons, then beat Pine Forest (27-21) and Seventy-First (28-0) to return to the championship game.
East Forsyth (14-0): The Eagles are undefeated and hoping to finish the job in Durham. East Forsyth has been knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual champion twice in the last three years, but it outscored its three playoff opponents by a combined 115-27 so far this postseason. The top-seeded Eagles defeated Porter Ridge 32-14 to earn a title game berth.
4AA: Wake Forest vs. Vance
Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham
How they got here
Wake Forest (13-0): The Cougars continue to be a powerhouse in the state. Wake Forest hasn’t lost since Nov. 20, 2015, winning the 4AA title each of the last two years. The Cougars haven’t been truly challenged this season, with their closest game coming in a 31-18 win over Leesville Road back in early September. They amended that in their first playoff game, beating the Pride 41-10.
Vance (14-1): The battle of the Cougars was set after Vance defeated Myers Park 21-13 in the semifinals to reach the title game. Vance had lost in the semifinals each of the last two years, missing out on a matchup each time with Wake Forest. The Cougars are riding a 10-game winning streak — their only loss was against Mallard Creek on Sept. 22.
