Two fabulous finishes highlight Raleigh-area high school football playoff slate

While many of Friday night’s high school football playoff games posted lopsided results, perennial contender Rolesville and Apex Friendship battled for every yard they got Friday on their way to a rare early-round overtime result.

And who else to win it for the battle-tested Rams?

Amir Brown scored his second rushing touchdown of the night in overtime Friday, lifting Rolesville to a 14-7 win over Apex Friendship.

Brown put the Rams on the board first, capping a late-first-quarter drive with a 20-yard rushing touchdown. The extra point put Rolesville in front, 7-0.

Apex Friendship responded with a fumble return for a touchdown with about four minutes to play in the first half to even the score at 7-7. The Patriots were driving again in the final minute of the half before a Derion Newborn interception gave the Rams the ball back before the buzzer.

Apex Friendship drove into the red zone midway through the third quarter, stalled, and missed a go-ahead field goal and had to hand the ball back to the Rams. That was as close as either team got to breaking the deadlock until overtime.

Other Raleigh area scores

8A

No. 3 Jordan 28, No. 6 Leesville Road 24 — Late-game heroics gave Leesville Road an improbable lead in the final minute of its game against Jordan on Friday. Later-game heroics lifted Jordan to the win.

Michael Young scooped up his own team’s fumble with time ticking down in the fourth quarter to power the Falcons to a 28-24 win over the Pride.

After the Pride scored in the first quarter to take a quick lead, Jordan responded in the second when Landon Melton chugged into the end zone from 6 yards out to even things at 7-7. Melton then got things done in the air late in the first half, completing 30-yard pass to Duece Sumpter to push the Falcons out to a 14-7 halftime advantage.

Damacio Cueto responded in the third quarter for Leesville Road to even the score at 14-14.

Jordan found the end zone after a missed Leesville Road field goal to go in front 21-14. The Pride rallied for a field goal in the fourth to pull within four at 21-17 before briefly taking a lead in the final minute, 24-21.

No. 2 Millbrook 65, No. 7 Panther Creek 0 — Millbrook raced out to a 49-point lead at halftime and cruised to a 65-0 win in the second round of the NCHSAA 8A playoffs on Friday. The Panthers will host Leesville Road in Round 3 next week.

7A

No. 1 Cardinal Gibbons 52, No. 17 Fuquay-Varina 8 — Cardinal Gibbons posted three touchdowns in the first quarter and cruised home from there, posting a 52-8 win over Fuquay-Varina on Friday to reach the third round, where the Crusaders will face Hillside next Friday at home.

No. 4 Garner 37, No. 13 Wake Forest 24 — Garner raced out to a 20-point halftime lead and held on to post a 37-24 win over Wake Forest on Friday. The Trojans will host Cape Fear next week, which beat Sanderson, 47-7, on Friday.

No. 3 Clayton 29, No. 14 New Hanover 0 — Fresh off an emotional regular-season finale, Clayton continued its stout defensive play on Friday, earning a 29-0 win over New Hanover to advance to the third week of the NCHSAA 7A playoffs.

Nate Lunger put Clayton on the board first with a field goal early in the second quarter. TJ Campbell converted a pass from Aiden Smalls into a touchdown later in the second to widen the lead to 10-0, and Smalls ran it in himself for a score in the third quarter to push the lead to 16-0. Noah Smith added a 59-yard scamper early in the fourth, and Smalls a 93-yard trot in the closing minutes to round out the scoring.

The Comets will face D.H. Conley, which toppled Southern Durham on Friday, in the next round.

No. 7 Southeast Raleigh 62, No. 10 New Bern 28 — New Bern scored first, but Southeast Raleigh responded quickly and often, running away with a 62-28 win. That opening Bears’ score came on the opening kickoff, which they returned for a touchdown.

The Bulldogs replied with their own kick return for a touchdown, and then piled on rushing scores of 1, 22 and 98 yards, and a passing touchdown from 28 yards out, to take a 35-7 lead. The teams traded touchdowns in the final minute of the half, as well, as Southeast Raleigh took a 42-14 lead into the break.

No. 2 Cleveland 55, No. 18 South Garner 3 — Cleveland ran over South Garner, 55-3, on Friday to advance to the third round of the NCHSAA 7A playoffs. the Rams will host Southeast Raleigh next week.

This story was originally published November 14, 2025 at 11:38 PM.