The NCHSAA football postseason has arrived and eight of Fayetteville’s 10 public school teams are in the mix with first-round games slated for Friday after everyone had a week off to get healthy.
Seventy-First, Jack Britt, Terry Sanford and Cape Fear will play at home while South View, Pine Forest, Gray’s Creek and Westover hit the road.
The Falcons are looking to take a step beyond last year’s state 3A runner-up finish after winning a fourth straight conference title with a fourth straight undefeated regular season: That’s 40 regular-season games without a loss for Seventy-First. But the focus now is squarely on playoffs, where the Falcons hold the No. 2 seed and home-field advantage through the fourth round.
Terry Sanford is Fayetteville’s second-highest-seeded team with a No. 8 on the other side of the 3A East bracket after ending Pine Forest’s three-year hold on the All American Conference championship.
Here’s a look at Cumberland County teams in playoff action this week with The Fayetteville Observer’s picks and predictions.
Croatan is the fourth of six teams out of the Carolina 3A Conference in the state playoff field and two of them are playing at home as higher seeds, so the Cougars have seen tough competition — but not like Seventy-First. A respectable first-round opponent, Croatan just won’t be able to keep up with a loaded Falcons offense that averages 440.5 yards and 44.0 points per game. Xaiveon Gear and Anthony Wilson-Bethea lead Seventy-First with three picks apiece this season, and cornerback Kalen Lucas is a menace in the secondary where Croatan could test coverage behind senior QB Coleman Davis, who likes to toss it. He’ll need to against a score-at-will offense led by senior DeAndre Nance, who led the United 8 Conference with 2,047 total yards (1,000 rushing, 1,047 passing).
The pick: Seventy-First
All but one team from South Central’s Big Carolina 3A/4A Conference made state playoffs, and two are 4A squads. The Falcons’ ugly 1-5 league record is balanced by a 4-0 run through nonconference games that included a win over No. 11 seed Currituck. Add the weight of strength-of-schedule against league opponents including top overall seed Havelock, and South Central gets into playoffs at .500 on a five-game losing streak. That means the Falcons are playing with house money — and Terry Sanford knows how well underdog status and last-game energy go together as upset winners of several recent playoff matchups. Expect slick quarterback Jacob Moore to keep it moving for the Bulldogs, though.
The pick: Terry Sanford
Both teams put up around 35 points per game but Cape Fear has the edge on defense, allowing less than half the points Southern Alamance gave up this season. The Colts will need to slow down Justin Donley, who ranks in the top five in the 3A East in points (126) and TDs (21) for the Patriots, who finished second in the Central 3A Conference behind No. 5 seed Williams. Cape Fear is up to the assignment. The Colts have given up just one touchdown in their last five wins.
The pick: Cape Fear
The Wolverines squeak in as the lowest seed in the 3A East field, and they’ll take it after sitting out last season. Unfortunately, on the other end of that low ranking is top-seeded Havelock — a three-time state champion and nine-time finalist who reached Round 4 last season. The Rams double up Westover’s offensive production, with 422 points scored this season compared to the Wolverines’ 210, and they’ve allowed 39 fewer points. Senior quarterback Jaylen Hewitt is No. 1 in the state with 3,174 passing yards for Havelock.
The pick: Havelock
Third behind No. 5-seeded Rolesville and No. 11-seeded Millbrook in the Northern 4A Conference, the Cougars were just dealt back-to-back shutout losses by both those teams to end the regular season. They’ll be hungry, but the Bucs eat in the Boneyard. Jack Britt closed the season with a win over South View that clinched the top 4A seed out of the United 8 Conference. Look for that momentum to carry into the program’s eighth straight playoff berth to get the Bucs their first postseason win since 2019. Britt has the statistical advantage on offense and defense, and this group has already put together a special season that included a one-point win over Scotland. It’s not over yet.
The pick: Jack Britt
Millbrook’s only loss this year came in Northern 4A Conference play to league champ and fifth-seeded Rolesville. The Wildcats haven’t given up more than two touchdowns in a game this season, and they’ve only done that once. Three of their last four wins were shutouts. Millbrook’s defense is led by sophomore middle linebacker Quinton Cypher, who holds offers from Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, NC State, Ohio State, UNC, ECU, Duke, Wisconsin and more. He’ll be looking to slow down Rashad Dockery, who tied a single-game state record with eight rushing touchdowns against Gray’s Creek on Oct. 18 — the last time the Tigers won.
The pick: Millbrook
Apex Friendship went undefeated in the 4A Southeast Wake Conference for a second straight league title. The Patriots’ only loss this season came in the opener at Millbrook (South View’s opponent), 17-13. Senior running back Jaden Avery provides most of their offense, and that’s probably good news for a Trojans team that gave up 744 passing yards in their last two games — league losses to Harnett Central and Overhills. Pine Forest can score with anybody on any given night, averaging 35.5 points per game behind senior Latrell Carter. He’s ranked in the top 10 in the 4A East in points (No. 3; 132 points), touchdowns (No. 4; 20 TDs) and rushing yards (No. 7; 1,235 yards). This isn’t likely to be one of those nights, though.
The pick: Apex Friendship
In a battle of Bears, New Bern comes into playoffs as the Big Carolina’s top 4A seed behind 3A No. 1 Havelock. Gray’s Creek backs in after three straight losses, two of them shutouts. The fifth team out of the United 8 in the playoff field, Gray’s Creek is making a second straight postseason appearance after a three-year drought. New Bern is rebounding from its vacated 2022 state championship, which would have been the program’s fourth overall and first since 2014 if not for a self-reported violation regarding an ineligible player allowed to participate. This year’s squad is led by dual-threat QB Terrance McCormick and an offense averaging 35.3 points. Gray’s Creek has a brutal three-back rushing attack out of the Wing-T and averages 28.9 points.
The pick: New Bern
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