A big win has Sanderson climbing the Sweet 16, while the top teams stay steady
What does beating the No. 4 team in the area and earning a spot in a de facto conference championship game next weekend get you? A jump into the Top 10, and a lot of respect.
Sanderson, which took its time to get going this season, is rolling now, coming off a big Friday night victory over Leesville Road. The Spartans will play for their second conference title in school history next Friday.
“Why not us,” Sanderson coach Jeremy Buck said after his team won Friday.
And why not, indeed?
Meanwhile, the top teams continued to be the top teams, with a record-setting day at Cardinal Gibbons, and continued excellence from Cleveland.
Here’s how the area teams stack up with one week left in the regular season:
Triangle area Sweet 16
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. |
| 1 | Cleveland | (8-0) | 1 |
| 2 | Cardinal Gibbons | (7-2) | 2 |
| 3 | Wake Forest | (7-2) | 3 |
| 4 | Heritage | (8-1) | 5 |
| 5 | Millbrook | (8-1) | 6 |
| 6 | Princeton | (8-0) | 7 |
| 7 | Sanderson | (5-2) | 13 |
| 8 | Leesville Road | (6-2) | 4 |
| 9 | Middle Creek | (7-2) | 8 |
| 10 | Rolesville | (5-4) | 9 |
| 11 | Panther Creek | (7-2) | 10 |
| 12 | Hillside | (6-2) | 11 |
| 13 | Fuquay-Varina | (7-3) | 12 |
| 14 | South Johnston | (7-2) | 15 |
| 15 | Smithfield-Selma | (6-3) | 16 |
| 16 | Southern Durham | (5-4) | NR |
This story was originally published October 24, 2021 at 6:00 AM.