The North Carolina Flag Football State Playoffs began on Wednesday with first and second round games played across the state.
61 schools are participating in the flag playoffs this season, representing 13 different school districts and one parochial school.
Among the schools participating is Ashley High School in Wilmington, the inaugural state champions last season. The Screaming Eagles will look to defend their title after advancing out of the second round on Wednesday.
First and second round action resumes on Thursday.
Winners of the second round games will advance to the third and fourth round matches on Nov. 19.
The state semifinals and state championship will be played on Nov. 22 at Durham County Memorial Stadium. Click here for more information.
First & Second Round Results
Cuthbertson advanced to the third round after a 12-6 win over Marvin Ridge in the second round. The Cavaliers opened the day with a 25-12 win over Piedmont, while Marvin Ridge had a first-round bye.
Eastern Guilford survived the first two rounds at T.W. Andrews on Wednesday night. Eastern Guilford beat Mount Tabor in a 7-6 thriller in the second round after opening the day with a 6-0 win over Ben L. Smith. Mount Tabor defeated T.W. Andrews in the first round, 14-2.
Southwest Guilford put up an impressive offensive performance in the first two rounds, beating Reagan 26-6 in the first round, then knocking out Page 32-6 in the second round to advance to next week’s third round. Page beat Western Guilford 6-0 in the first round.
Southern Nash will play in the third round of the playoffs in its first appearance in the flag playoffs. The Firebirds outscored their opponents 75-0 in the first two rounds, beating Knightdale 27-0 in the first round, then knocking off Hillside 48-0 in the second round. Hillside had beaten Cary 13-7 in the first round.
Southern Durham won two games on its home field on Wednesday night to advance to the third round. The Spartans opened the night with a 31-7 win over Athens Drive, then beat Grimsley 19-6 in the second round. The Whirlies defeated Enloe 28-6 in the first round.
Ashley has a chance to defend its state title from last season after advancing out of the second round on Wednesday. The Screaming Eagles beat North Johnston 33-20 in the first round, then beat South Johnston 25-0 in the second round. South Johnston advanced out of the first round with a 19-14 win over Hoggard.
Wakefield, which advanced to the state semifinals last season, will play in the third round next week. After a first-round bye, the Wolverines beat Panther Creek 33-0 in the second round. The Catamounts defeated Heritage 8-6 in the first round.
Corinth Holders won by forfeit in the first round against Southern Lee, then defeated Rocky Mount 13-6 in the second round to advance to next week’s action. The Gryphons beat Rolesville 31-0 in the first round.
Holly Springs won twice on its home field to advance to the third round. The Golden Hawks opened the day with a 44-6 win over Ragsdale, then shut out Green Hope 27-0 in the second round. The Falcons had previously beaten Fuquay-Varina 12-0 in the first round.
Willow Spring scored 54 points in the first two rounds en route to a third-round appearance. The Storm beat Garner 21-13 in the first round, then shut out Broughton 33-0 in the second round to advance. Broughton beat West Johnston 21-0 in the first round.
Northern Nash, in its first-ever appearance in the flag playoffs, has advanced to the third round of the playoffs. Northern Nash beat Beddingfield 28-6 in the first round, then defeated Vance County 1-0. The Vipers beat Hunt 26-6 in the first round.
Cardinal Gibbons advanced out of the first two rounds on Wednesday after a first-round bye and a 19-0 win over Apex Friendship in the second round. The Patriots defeated Southeast Raleigh 9-0 in the first round.
Thursday’s Games
More first and second round flag football games were held on Thursday.
Cox Mill advanced to the third round after wins over Northeast Guilford and West Cabarrus. Cox Mill didn’t give up a single point in the first two rounds, beating Northeast Guilford 21-0 in the first round, then knocking off West Cabarrus 20-0 in the second round. West Cabarrus had previously beaten Jay M. Robinson 12-0 in the first round.
Apex is headed to the third round of the playoffs after beating Franklinton 14-12 in the second round on Thursday. The Cougars opened the day with a 34-0 shutout win over Felton Grove. Franklinton beat Middle Creek 13-7 to advance to the second round.
Green Level advanced out of the pod hosted by South Garner. The Gators beat Riverside 19-7 in the first round, while South Garner beat Sanderson 20-0. When Green Level and South Garner met in the second round, neither team scored a single point in the regulation. The Gators managed to claim a 1-0 win with a one-point try in overtime to advance to the third round.
Leesville Road won twice at home on Thursday night to advance to the third round of the playoffs. The Pride beat Clayton 19-6 in the first round, then narrowly beat Cleveland 16-15 in the second round. The Rams won by forfeit over Durham School of the Arts in the first round.
Third Round Matchups
The locations for the third and fourth round games will be announced following the conclusion of the first and second rounds.
- Cuthbertson vs. Cox Mill
- Eastern Guilford vs. Southwest Guilford
- Southern Nash vs. Apex
- Southern Durham vs. Ashley
- Wakefield vs. Corinth Holders
- Holly Springs vs. Green Level
- Leesville Road vs. Willow Spring
- Northern Nash vs. Cardinal Gibbons