Only one reigning state champion remains alive in the 2022 NCHSAA football playoffs

The NCHSAA seedings and resulting games this season have offered a rare. cruel reality for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: No school system member school will host a game the Friday before Thanksgiving. CMS’ state championships dominance throughout the 21st century rendered this idea unthinkable for two-plus decades.

Three CMS schools are still competing in the 4A bracket. No. 8 Independence will travel to No. 1 Grimsley, while No. 5 Hough will visit No. 4 East Forsyth. Butler, seeded 15th, will become the second CMS school in as many weeks to visit No. 7 A.C. Reynolds, which stopped 10th-seeded Chambers 17-16 last Friday.

Among the 3A bracket, No. 8 West Charlotte will visit No. 1 Kings Mountain.

NORTHERN ATHLETIC POWER

The Northern Athletic 4A Conference flexed its perennial strength, again, in Millbrook’s 42-30 win Friday at Cardinal Gibbons, last fall’s 4A state champion.

Cardinal Gibbons’ last two state playoffs losses before Thanksgiving came against current Northern Athletic schools. In 2017, visiting Heritage defeated the Crusaders 34-6 in a November 17 second round game.

Wake Forest, a 24-20 winner at conference rival Rolesville on October 21, will host Friday’s rematch with the Rams, last season’s 4A state semifinalists.

HILLSIDE KEEPS GOING

Hillside extended its undefeated campaign with Friday’s 46-43 home win over Apex. Hornets running back Jimmyll Williams surpassed 2,000 ground yards for the season with 201 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns in the win. Williams, among 2,007 total rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, has averaged nearly 12 yards per carry and tallied 10 100-yard games.

Hillside will welcome Pine Forest for Friday’s third round.

JORDAN ON AIR

Jordan evened its season record at 6-6 with Friday’s 32-28 win at Pinecrest. The Falcons, seeded 23rd, will travel to New Bern for Friday’s third round game.

Jordan’s postseason run is fueled by underclassmen. Falcons quarterback Addison Vondy is a junior, while leading rusher Amareon Blue and leading receiver Omaris McMiller, Jr. are sophomores. Blue has surpassed 2,000 rushing yards, while averaging 9+ yards per carry. He has scored 26 touchdowns and turned in 10+ 100-yards games.

Jordan has scored 23 or more points in 11 of 12 games.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN ROADS

Three of four Smoky Mountain Conference teams will play 1A playoffs games on the road Friday, with one intraleague matchup.

Murphy, seeded seventh, will have a chance to avenge its lone conference loss when it visits undefeated No. 2 Andrews. The homesteading Bulldogs fell 42-12 in the schools’ October 28 regular season finale.

No. 8 Robbinsville and No. 12 Hayesville will visit top seed Eastern Randolph and fourth seed Mount Airy, respectively.

TARBORO STANDS ALONE

Tarboro is the lone remaining 2021 N.C. state champion after two rounds. The Vikings defeated Southeast Halifax, 48-0.

Tarboro sophomore running back Mason Satterfield reached 1,000 ground yards in the win. Vikings freshman Kamerin McDowell has 890 rushing yards, while averaging 12 yards per carry, and 16 touchdowns (like Satterfield).

Shelby, last fall’s 2A state champion, fell 42-0 at Burns. Dudley, the most recent 3A state champion, was stopped 74-41 by visiting South Point.

PROVIDENCE DAY-CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN REMATCH SET

In NCISAA Division I play, No. 1 Providence Day beat visiting Christ School 51-14, while fellow CISAA rival Charlotte Christian, seeded third, won 33-31 at Rabun Gap last Friday. These outcomes set a second Chargers-Knights meeting for this Friday at Providence Day, with the state championship at stake. Charlotte Christian handed the visiting Chargers their lone loss in 12 starts — 38-37 on October 14.

Providence Day junior quarterback Jadyn Davis is completing 70+ percent of his passes this season with a 6-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.