NC high school football NCHSAA rankings: Round 2 of playoffs features top matchups

After a relatively mundane first round of the playoffs, buckle up for Round 2.

And it bears repeating here: Given the way the NCHSAA compiles its rankings, and that so many top teams don’t face one another in the regular season, there are bound to be discrepancies in the way things are seeded in the playoffs compare to our humble weekly rankings.

And while that didn’t appear to affect much in Round 1, in which nearly every favored team won, it’s most certainly going to affect things moving forward. Case in point: Grimsley, the top seed in the West bracket per the NCHSAA, will face another statewide Top 10 team in Charlotte Catholic in Round 2. Catholic is ranked only No. 17 in the NCHSAA West bracket.

Another bit statewide Top 10 matchup will see Hough and Mallard Creek battle in Round 2, as well.

In the East, a similar scenario, where defending state champion Cardinal Gibbons and state title contender Millbrook will clash. In the Triangle Sweet 16, both of those teams are among the top 4.

Here are our full top-10 rankings:

The Observer/News & Observer NCHSAA Football Polls

4A

3A

2A

1A

This story was originally published November 9, 2022 at 5:00 AM.