Recaps from the first round of the football playoffs

4AA EAST

1E-Wake Forest 56, 8ME-Panther Creek 0: The Cougars (12-0) will host Laney in the second round. By the time the Catamounts gained their first first down in the game, late in the first quarter, the Cougars already had a 21-0 lead.

Wake Forest scored touchdowns on its first six possessions to take a 42-0 lead at halftime. The two teams opened the season with Wake Forest winning that game 49-6 after leading 49-0 at halftime.

David Justice

5E-Laney 41, 4ME-Fuquay-Varina 19: Laney workhorse Imeek Watkins rushed for 246 yards on 35 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead the fifth-seeded Buccaneers to a 41-19 victory over fourth-seeded Fuquay-Varina in the first round of the Class 4AA playoffs. Laney (8-4) advanced to a game at top-seeded Wake Forest next week.

Fuquay-Varina (8-4) scored on the first play from scrimmage on a 61-yard pass from Brycen Braswell to Michael Roberson. Braswell also had 29-yard touchdown pass to Roberson in the second quarter and finished with 182 yards passing.

Bill Woodward

3E-Heritage 17, 6ME-Holly Springs 14: The Huskies captured the school’s first playoff victory in four tries by soundly defeating the Golden Hawks. Quarterback Gunnar Holmberg, a Duke commit, completed 15 of 21 passes for 75 yards and a 7-yard touchdown pass to receiver Zach Gemmell with 6:09 left in the game to give Heritage (10-2) the win.

The East No. 3 seed Huskies will travel to Mideast No. 2 Pinecrest, a winner over East No. 7 Leesville Road in the second round.

Hawks (7-5) running back Broderick Taylor had 139 yards and two touchdowns. Heritage’s Austin Dowler stuffed Taylor inches from the goal line on the last play of the first half to preserve a 10-7 Huskies’ lead.

Randy Jones

2ME-Pinecrest 42, 7E-Leesville Road 21: The Patriots (10-2) jumped out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead to put away the red-hot Pride (6-6), which had won four of its last five. On the first play from scrimmage, Nik Pry found Chris Owens for an 80-yard touchdown pass. Later in the quarter, J.T. Adams returned an interception 36 yards for another score, which was followed later with an 18-yard Malyke Justice run and, 11 seconds later, a 23-yard fumble return by Shymeik Reeves.

Landon Choboy had seven catches for 104 yards in the loss.

1ME-Middle Creek 42, 8E-Wakefield 0: Middle Creek kept its undefeated streak alive, downing a Matt McKay-less Wakefield (the N.C. State recruit was out with injuries). The Mustangs got off to a quick start as John Singleton returned an interception 33 yards on the first play of the game.

From there, the Middle Creek’s offense took care of business as Dominique Shoffner improved to 26-1 as Middle Creek’s starting quarterback, throwing for 308 yards and two scores.

Ian Pierno

4E-Sanderson 34, 5ME-South View 0: In their first home football playoff game ever, Sanderson (9-3) defeated South View (7-5) as Trent Pennix rushed for 210 yards on 19 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead the Spartans.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Spartans broke it open with their ground attack. Sanderson led 14-0 at the half.

Alim McNeill ran for a 1-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and Pennix scored his third rushing touchdown of the night, running for a 60-yard score three minutes later. Vincent Thomas Jr. intercepted a Donovan Brewington pass late in the quarter and McNeill scored on a 62-yard fumble recovery to secure the shutout and seal the victory for Sanderson.

The Spartans will travel to Middle Creek in the second round.

Eric Puskar

3ME-Richmond County 28, 6E-Millbrook 14: Millbrook (7-5) was able to find the end zone twice, but turned the ball over five times (three fumbles, two interceptions) in the road loss.

Quarterback Ford Werness completed 13 passes for 95 yards and carried the ball twice for 16 yards and a score. Senior running back Larry Rountree III led the Wildcats’ ground game, rushing for 92 yards on 25 carries.

Richmond (9-3) was led by quarterback Leon Zeigler (246 passing yards, 3 TDs) and wide receiver Bobby Terry (5 catches, 108 yards, 2 TDs). Defensive back Steven Jones returned an interception 60 yards for the Raiders’ first score.

2E-Garner 51, 7ME-Green Hope 0: Garner held visiting Green Hope to minus-8 yards of total offense and just one first down. Garner (11-1), the No. 2 seed out of the East bracket, will host Richmond County in next week’s second round. The seventh-seeded Falcons ended their season at 6-6.

The Trojans defense asserted itself right from Green Hope’s first play, when Marcus Davis pounced on the first of his two fumble recoveries after a sack of Falcons quarterback Jake Walker.

Green Hope was forced into seven punts (six of them coming on three-and-out drives) and two lost fumbles while running just 29 plays from scrimmage. The Falcons also fumbled away a punt return and yielded an onside kick recovery to Garner on the opening kickoff.

That same Garner defense has been on display for much of the season and has surrendered just 20 points over the past eight games with five shutouts.

Collin Eaddy rushed for 110 yards on just 16 carries, with four of those runs culminating in the end zone. Quarterback Braxton Brokenborough, Anthony Stephenson and Dwayne Holloway each added rushing touchdowns for Garner, which totaled 282 yards of offense.

Christian Worstell

4A EAST

1E-New Hanover 45, 8ME-Northern Durham 3: Wiz Vaughn had 107 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns to lead New Hanover (8-4) by Northern. The Wildcats led 17-3 at halftime. A 7-yard touchdown run from Vaughn on the opening series of the second half pushed the lead to 21 and the rout was on.

Northern Durham (5-7) quarterback Luke Fenlon returned from injury and finished 8-for-22 for 101 yards.

4ME-Cardinal Gibbons 70, 5E-D.H. Conley 42: Quarterback Holton Ahlers (35-of-51, 451 yards passing; 157 rushing), as usual, accounted for all of Conley’s scores – three rushing and three passing.

However, the Vikings (8-4) couldn’t stop the Crusaders (11-1). Gibbons quarterback Anton Stoneking passed for 303 yards (12-of-15 passing), and Grayson Lemon scored on a kickoff return.

Dalen Spruill added three rushing touchdowns (20 carries, 133 yards), and Jack Biestek ran five time for 120 yards. In the loss, Duce Fuller caught 19 passes for 304 yards.

Ahlers’ 608 yards of total offense tied for second most in NCHSAA history behind himself from earlier this year. Fuller’s 304 yards are fourth-most in a single game. His 19 catches are tied for third-most.

J. Mike Blake

3E-West Johnston 28, 6ME-Pine Forest 0: The Wildcats (10-1) got all they could handle from visiting Pine Forest (7-5) but pulled away from the Trojans in the second half.

Tony Mack ran for 191 yards on 21 carries and helped West Johnston get into good field position several times in the opening half only to have a formidable Pine Forest defense make enough big plays to hold the Wildcats off the scoreboard until late in the second quarter.

Alex Brewington made the necessary breakthrough for the East’s No. 3 seed in the final minute of the opening half after Zack Lassiter got his hands on a Caleb Ryan punt and Brewington scooped it up and ran back 29 yards for the opening half’s only score.

The West Johnston defense was stout all night in pitching its fourth shutout of the season, forcing eight punts and creating four turnovers, two of which turned into Tony Mack touchdown runs in the third quarter to stretch the lead that stood just at 7-0 at halftime.

West Johnston will travel to take on Mid-South Conference champion and undefeated Cape Fear next week.

Michael Held

2ME-Cape Fear vs 7E-Clayton: The Comets (6-6) trailed 7-3 in the first quarter after 36-yard field goal by Andrew Souter but could get no closer to the Colts (12-0).

Clayton was just 2-of-10 passing as a team, both catches going to 1,000-yard receiver Devin Carter for 39 yards. Cape Fear star quarterback Justice Galloway-Velazquez completed three touchdowns in just 10 attempts (6-of-10 passing, 170 yards).

1ME-Scotland County 47 8E-New Bern 7: The Scots (12-0) will host Southeast Raleigh in the next round.

4E-Southeast Raleigh 21, 5ME-Seventy-First 14: Southeast Raleigh (9-3) had two huge interceptions from defensive linemen in the fourth quarter to hold off Fayetteville Seventy-First (9-3). The first fourth-quarter interception was returned 41 yards for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 21-7. The Falcons countered quickly with a touchdown drive that ended in a touchdown run by quarterback Kyler Davis. Southeast ended the game with an interception of a screen pass on fourth down with 11 seconds left for the 21-14 victory.

Southeast Raleigh used a balanced attack behind quarterback Maurice Nelson, running back Jeff Onyegbule, and wide receiver Tyler Williams. A blocked punt in the first quarter set the Bulldogs up for the first of two scoring connections between Nelson and Williams. The Falcons based their attack behind the running power of Elijah McFadyen, who had 27 touches overall.

Matt Purdy

6E-Hoggard 38, 3ME-Hillside 34: Hoggard quarterback Josh Jones completed 21 of 27 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Vikings to an upset. Jones also rushed for Hoggard’s first score of the game, and the Vikings never trailed.

Trailing 31-21 heading into the fourth quarter, Hillside (9-2) trimmed the lead to three after QB Randy Trice hit wide receiver Myles Dillion for 35 yards. After change of possessions by both teams, Jones then led the Vikings (7-5) on a time-consuming 11-play, 64-yard drive that was kept alive on a Hillside pass interference penalty. RB Tony Allen skipped in from the 4 to put Hoggard back ahead by 10 with 2:11 left.

The Hornets drove 69 yards down field and capped off the drive with RB Jeaven Curry’s 1-yard plunge. Hillside recovered the onside kick but Hoggard’s defense held on downs.

Bonitta Best

2E-J.H. Rose 49, 7ME-Person 6: The Rampants (7-4) will host Hoggard next week after ending the season for the Rockets (7-5). Dontavies Harris ran 16 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns while Ryan Goodwin was 9 of 12 for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Rose led 42-6 at halftime.

The Rockets were led by Justin Obie’s five catches for 70 yards and Tyrique Wright’s 11 carries for 69 yards to go with three catches for 64 yards with a TD.

3AA EAST

1E-West Brunswick 35, 8ME-Northern Guilford 21: The Trojans will host Jacksonville in the next round.

5E-Jacksonville 35, 4ME-Westover 34: Jacksonville will play at West Brunswick in the next round.

3E-Terry Sanford 44, 6ME-Northwood 21: The Chargers (6-6) ended their season with Tyrell Baldwin rushing for 109 yards in the loss. Northwood had trouble stopping Terry Sanford, which threw for 207 yards and ran for 286, as well as passing against its defense – 8-of-25 for 92 yards. The Bulldogs visit conference foe Lee County next.

2ME-Lee County 48, 7E-Topsail 6: Without leading rusher Jahmir Smith, quarterback Jory Perkins threw for 201 yards (15-of-20) as Lee County moved on. The Yellow Jackets had 174 yards on 30 carries and four touchdowns, 159 by J.L. Ledbetter and Jordan Terrell, as they led 20-0 at the break. Linebacker Jake Thomas returned a tipped punt 21 yards for touchdown as part of a 21-point third quarter.

1ME-Eastern Guilford 55, 8E-Corinth Holders 20: The Pirates (3-9) were unable to stop the unbeaten Wildcats (12-0) from repeatedly reaching the end zone. Eastern Guilford quarterback Dominique Graves threw four touchdowns and ran for another.

Andrew Holtzclaw led Corinth Holders with 202 yards passing and three touchdowns, two of them to Jonathan Neal, who led the Pirates with 180 receiving yards. Mike Darden added 51 rushing yards for Corinth Holders, who fell behind 35-0 in the first half.

Dave Malenick

5ME-Asheboro 31, 4E-Triton 14: The Hawks (8-4) were undone by Asheboro (9-3) in the first round for the second straight year. Da’John Williams and Rudy Tapia had the lone rushing scores for Triton, which could only complete 1 of 8 passes for 15 yards.

Asheboro gashed the Hawks for big runs, totaling 285 yards between Desmond Trogdon and Malik Brady. The Blue Comets will face Eastern Guilford in the next round.

3ME-Western Alamance 21, 6E-Southern Durham 16: Southern Durham (7-5) fell behind 21-9 at halftime and couldn’t pull off the upset as Western Alamance (10-2) held the Spartans to minus-10 yards rushing. In his last high school game, Jalen Greene completed 26 of 54 passes for 379 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Southern outgained the Warriors 442-284 despite the loss.

Taron Beauford had Southern’s other passing score, a 73-yard wide receiver pass to fellow wideout Montreal Cooper, who had seven catches for 227 yards. Western Alamance will visit Cleveland on Friday.

2E-Cleveland 56, 7ME-Union Pines 42: Rams quarterback Caiden Norman threw for 277 yards and totaled six scores, and Tyson Dew ran for 234 yards and a score in the win. The Rams (9-3) will advance to play at Western Alamance next week.

Norman led Cleveland down the field on the game’s opening drive, finishing with a 28-yard strike to Jacob Scott, who finished with 189 receiving yards. The Rams recovered the ensuing onside kick before Norman hit Jake Mason for a quick 17-yard strike to lead 14-0 before Union Pines’ offense took a snap.

Josh Polidori brought the Vikings back with 268 yards through the air and three touchdowns. Polidori hit Jack Tercheria for 62-yard and 2-yard touchdown passes spanning the second and third quarters to tie the score at 21 apiece midway through the third quarter. Justin Eberhart’s first of three touchdown runs with four minutes left in the third gave the Vikings their first lead.

Entering the fourth quarter tied at 28, the Rams scored three times in a three-minute span to take a 49-35 lead with seven minutes left. Union Pines made it a one-possession game again after Kalon Green’s 1-yard touchdown run with 3:25 showing on the clock. Following a failed onside kick, Eberhart iced the game with a 22-yard run with under two minutes left in the game.

Cale Colosimo

3A EAST

1E-West Craven 55, 8ME-Northeast Guilford 7: The undefeated Eagles (12-0) will get Eastern Alamance next week.

4ME-Eastern Alamance 35, 5E-Nash Central, 21: The Eagles (10-2) defeated the Bulldogs (7-5) by jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Nash Central looked like it was going to climb back into the game, but Eastern Alamance blocked a Bulldogs field-goal attempt, and Timothy Grate picked it up and ran it to the 20. On the very next play, Kendrell Ruffin scored a touchdown on a 20-yard TD catch from quarterback Hayden Mann. The easy score put the Eagles up 21-0 heading into the half.

Nash Central made a comeback in the second period. They cut the Eagles’ lead down to 28-21 after three straight touchdowns. But Eastern Alamance’s Mann quickly scored an insurance touchdown on a 10-yard run to put his team up 35-21.

Vernon Whitaker finished with 111 yards on 23-yard carries for Nash Central.

John Baumann

3E-Havelock 42, 6ME-Williams 14: The state-power Rams will visit Orange next week in an incredible second-round matchup.

2ME-Orange 48, 7E-Fike 7: Orange quarterback Jackson Schmid threw for 146 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers defeated Fike at Auman Stadium.

In the first half, the Panthers turned three Golden Demons turnovers into touchdowns. After Milton Purcell recovered a Fike fumble, Marvante Beasley scored on a 14-yard run to put Orange ahead 14-0. On the next drive, Morgan Paschall raced 73 yards for a touchdown. Later, Purcell returned an interception 51 yards to put the Panthers ahead 21-0.

Schmid threw two touchdown passes to Payton Wilson, including the opening score from 43 yards with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter. Schmid threw to Wilson again for a 28 yard touchdown with :42 remaining in the first half.

The Golden Demons were held to 92 yards total offense, the 10th time this year that Orange held an opponent under 100 yards. Quarterback Jaelynn Melton scored on a 40-yard zone read run in the second quarter, only the fourth touchdown the Panthers defense has given up this year.

Jeff Hamlin

1ME-Southern Nash 30, 8E-Northern Nash 15: Northern Nash jumped out to first-quarter leads of 8-0 and 15-6, but unbeaten Southern Nash (12-0) overwhelmed the Knights behind the 1-2 running punch of Kendrick Bell and Zonovan Knight.

Bell finished with 18 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns and Knight 14 rushes for 95 yards and one score. Northern Nash’s Raymond Bulluck returned an interception 51 yards for the 8-0 lead.

Tom Shanahan

4E-Rocky Mount 30, 5ME-Southern Lee 28: The Gryphons erased a 14-point, third-quarter deficit to work their way past Southern Lee. The Gryphons (10-2), the East’s No. 4 seed, will next face top-seeded Southern Nash, who beat Northern Nash 30-15.

Trailing 21-7 with 5:52 left in the third quarter, Rocky Mount opened the ensuing drive with a 49-yard run by Charlie Williams and capped the march with a 1-yard plunge by B.J. Sanders. Following a three-and-out, the Gryphons embarked on a 69-yard drive, capped by a 15-yard touchdown run by Sanders.

Chase Miller kicked a 25-yard field goal to put Rocky Mount ahead for good, and DeAngelo Collins added a crucial insurance score. Southern Lee (8-4) got a late touchdown in the last minute, but the Gryphons recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Sanders rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Terhune finished 29-for-46 passing for 264 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Gabe Cornwall

3ME-Southern Guilford 37, 6E-West Carteret 0: The Storm will welcome South Johnston next week.

7ME-South Johnston 52, 2E-Eastern Wayne 7: South Johnston amassed 280 rushing yards on the way to a 52-7 road win over Eastern Wayne that will send the Trojans to Greensboro to take on Southern Guilford next week.

South Johnston’s Fabian McDonald took the opening kickoff 66 yards for a touchdown, and Jaequan Wells added his first score of the game on the next possession. Junious Tyson took the ensuing kickoff back 66 yards for Eastern Wayne (4-7) to make it 14-7 before the Trojans (6-6) scored 38 unanswered points to close out the game.

Trojan quarterback Deparis Patterson completed 7 of 12 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 109 yards and had a 42-yard rushing score. Wells finished with 115 rushing yards.

Ty Johnson

2AA EAST

1E-East Duplin 77, 8ME-Graham 0: The Panthers will host Roanoke Rapids next.

5E-Roanoke Rapids 44, 4ME-East Davidson 34: The Yellow Jackets travel to East Duplin next.

3E-Hertford County 46, 6ME-Franklinton 18: Despite touchdown runs from Tavion Jefferies and Tyreese Williams, sixth-seeded Franklinton saw its season end with a road loss at No. 3 seed Hertford County in first-round 2AA State Playoff action in Ahoskie. The Red Rams, who also received a field goal from Jordan Vitale, finished at 6-6. The Bears (8-4) outscored Franklinton 20-3 in the opening period.

Geoff Neville

2ME-T.W. Andrews 27 7E-North Brunswick 7: The Red Raiders will host Hertford County next.

1ME-Clinton 36, 8E-North Lenoir 13: The Dark Horses will host South Granville next.

5ME-South Granville 24, 4E-SouthWest Edgecombe 20: The Vikings (8-4) got a last-minute drive to take the lead for good as quarterback Tucker Brown ran in a 5-yard touchdown with 24 seconds to go to beat the Panthers (5-7). South Granville scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for its first road playoff win since 2007. Spencer Allen led the Vikings in yards rushing (81) and receiving (76).

6E-Northside (Jacksonville) 41, 3ME-Randleman 6: The Monarchs travel to Bunn next.

2E-Bunn 49, 7ME-St. Pauls 12: The Wildcats (11-1) spotted the Bulldogs the first touchdown but rolled the rest of the way. Bunn rushed for 408 yards as Chris Bumpers (160) and Jacoby Rogers (100) both eclipsed the century mark. The Wildcats took the lead for good at 14-6 courtesy of DeAundra Moses’ 18-yard touchdown run and D.J. Jones’ ensuing 2-point conversion with nine seconds remaining in the first period. By halftime, the Wildcats had increased their cushion to 21-6. Bunn, which reached the state finals last season, will host Northside (Jacksonville) next Friday.

Geoff Neville

2A EAST

1E-Northeastern 48, 8ME-Midway 12: The Eagles rolled into the second round and will host Southwest Onslow.

5E-Southwest Onslow 29, 4ME-North Johnston 12: Jakoby Johnson rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns to help the Stallions (7-5) as they held the Panthers scoreless after halftime to earn the right to visit Northeastern, a 48-12 winner over Midway, in round two.

North Johnston (7-5), playing without its starting quarterback Trey Whitley, scored its lone touchdown on a 19-yard pass from Camden Aycock to Gavin Suttles.

Randy Capps

3E-Edenton Holmes 45, 6ME-Beddingfield 22: It ended up being Tyrone Johnson’s final game as Bruins head coach. Johnson announced he would retire after this year, and this season the Bruins ended with a 6-6 overall record. Beddingfield was close to leading at halftime, but Holmes scored with 12 seconds left in the second quarter to take an 18-14 lead into the locker room. It was all Aces in the second half as the Bruins could only muster a fourth-quarter score.

The Aces will host Kinston in the next round.

7E-Kinston 33, 2ME-Greene Central 25: The Vikings upset the Rams one week after losing to them in the season finale.

1ME-South Columbus 42, 8E-Bertie 26: The Stallions will host league foe Fairmont in the next round.

5ME-Fairmont 50, 4E-First Flight 42: The Golden Tornadoes will visit South Columbus in the next round.

3ME-East Bladen 62, 6E-Farmville Central 42: The Jaguars (6-6) fought to keep up with East Bladen on the road. Farmville trailed just 28-21 at halftime and 41-35 early in the fourth quarter.

However, an avalanche of touchdowns by the Eagles helped them pull away from coach Scott Gardner’s team.

2E-Ayden-Grifton 46, 7ME-Red Springs 32: Modica Whitehurst scored four touchdowns while Brandon Hardy added two more as Ayden-Grifton held off Red Springs.

Hardy led all rushers with 220 yards on 13 carries and Whitehurst had 149 yards on 19 hauls to lead the Eastern Carolina 2A champion Chargers (9-3) into next week’s second round, where they’ll host East Bladen (8-4), which defeated Farmville Central in the first round.

The Red Devils ended their season with a 6-6 record; they were led by senior quarterback Toddrick Lockhart, who threw for 279 yards and also ran for 43 more.

Bryan Hanks

1AA EAST

1E-East Carteret 85, 8ME-Rosewood 0: Rosewood (3-9) was the underdog going into Friday, but even this was a surprise. The Eagles were routed by the Mariners by 85 points despite the state’s running clock that starts after a 42-point lead in the second half. Rosewood finished the year

5E-Gates County 34, 4ME-Louisburg 17: The fifth-seeded Red Barons advanced by Louisburg. The host Warriors trailed 27-17 late, but a drive was stalled by an interception.

Robert Walker then sealed the victory for Gates County (8-4) with a 7-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Quamon Person and Terry Allen scored touchdowns for Louisburg (6-5), which also received a field goal from Reed Wheless. The Red Barons will travel to No. 1 seed East Carteret next Friday.

Geoff Neville

3E-Tarboro 46, 6ME-James Kenan 12: The Vikings will visit Granville Central in the next round.

2ME-Granville Central 48, 7E-Camden County 21: The Panthers (6-6) led 27-14 at halftime and used a strong second-half effort to down the Bruins. Next up for Granville Central, which won the top seed from the Tar-Roanoke Athletic Conference on a random draw after sharing the title with Louisburg and Southeast Halifax, get state powerhouse Tarboro at home in the next round. Tarboro has a better record but was behind two other teams in the East, which gave it a 3-seed and Granville Central was one of just two conference champs in the Mideast, which gave it the 2-seed almost by default.

1ME-Lakewood 42, 8E-Spring Creek 0: The Gators (3-9) ended their year at conference foe Lakewood, falling behind 35-0 at halftime. Spring Creek had lost 29-0 during the regular season to the co-conference champs of the Carolina 1A. The rematch didn’t net more points. Lakewood has another round of a pseudo-conference tournament on Friday as it hosts fellow co-champ Princeton. North Duplin, the other co-champ in the three-way tie, is in the 1A West bracket.

5ME-Princeton 70, 4E-Riverside (Williamston) 64 (4OT): The Bulldogs and Knights went back and forth and back and forth before Princeton intercepted Riverside in the end zone to end the fourth overtime. Princeton needed to score and convert the two-point conversion with 27 seconds left to force the first overtime at 44-all.

3ME-Union 41, 6E-Trask 14: The Spartans topped conference foe Trask and will visit another conference foe, Wallace-Rose Hill, in the next round.

2E-Wallace-Rose Hill 63, 7ME-Pender 7: The Bulldogs topped conference foe Pender and will host another conference foe, Union, in the next round.

1AA WEST

3W-Bessemer City 26, 6MW-North Moore 13: The Mustangs (7-5) were picked off three times in a first-round loss at Bessemer City, but things looked close early as the two teams went into halftime tied 0-0. A late pick-six for Bessemer City sealed the win with under seven minutes to play.

1A EAST

1E-Plymouth 62, 8ME-Weldon 6: The Vikings will host Jones in the next round.

4ME-Jones 38, 5E-Manteo 30: The Trojans will visit Plymouth in the next round.

3E-Northside (Pinetown) 61, 6ME-Rocky Mount Prep 12: Jackson Midgette scored four touchdowns for Northside as the Panthers won their first postseason win since 2004 and the Jaguars (3-9) lost in their playoff debut.

Chris Slade drew first blood with a 10-yard touchdown run that gave Northside a 7-0 lead with 6:44 left in the first quarter. The hosts scored four times in the second quarter to take a hefty 40-6 advantage into the intermission.

Racquel Whitehead scored a pair of touchdowns for the Jaguars, but the one-man offensive engine wasn’t enough to overcome the onslaught.

2ME-North Edgecombe 44, 7E-Columbia 0: The Warriors had no trouble with the Wildcats and will host Northside (Pinetown) next.

1ME-Southeast Halifax 46, 8E-Pamlico County 6: The Trojans will host Northampton County in the next round.

5ME-Northampton County 58, 4E-Perquimans 48: The Jaguars will visit Southeast Halifax in the next round.

3ME-KIPP Pride 56, 6E-Mattamuskeet 14: The Panthers will travel to Southside in the next round.

2E-Southside 8, 7ME-South Creek 0: The Seahawks will host KIPP Pride in the next round.

1A WEST

2W-Mitchell County 66, 7MW-Chatham Central 12: The Bears (3-9) took a positive step in coach Sherman Howze’s first year. However, Chatham Central was no match for Mitchell County, falling behind 59-6 at halftime. Josh Williams and D.J. Fuller had rushing touchdowns for the Bears in the loss.

This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 11:18 PM with the headline "Recaps from the first round of the football playoffs."