Which Fayetteville high school football teams are fighting for a playoff spot?
Fayetteville-area high school football teams have two weeks remaining in the regular season, with several squads making a push to earn a spot in the NCHSAA playoffs.
Pine Forest and Seventy-First appear to be Fayetteville’s best teams as they continue to pace their conference championship races.
The Falcons (8-0, 5-0) are undefeated atop the United 8 Conference and the Trojans (6-2, 5-0) have a perfect record in All American Conference games.
As was the case in 2021, the NCHSAA’s RPI formula will determine the 64-team playoff brackets in the four classifications. League champions and the top 3A and 4A finishers in the All American and United 8 Conferences will make the playoffs.
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Wild card berths and seeding are determined by the RPI rankings. Playoff brackets are scheduled to be released on Saturday, Oct. 29 and first-round games are set for Friday, Nov. 4.
Some squads appear to be safe to earn a postseason berth and others have work to do before the calendar flips to November. Here’s a look at where teams stand in both conferences ahead of Week 10.
All American Conference
Three Fayetteville teams in the AAC are in the mix for a playoff berth, led by Pine Forest.
The Trojans are No. 17 in the latest 4-A East RPI rankings. With games remaining against Harnett Central (2-6, 2-3) and Overhills (6-2, 4-1), a pair of wins would ensure a home playoff game for a team closing in on back-to-back conference titles.
Terry Sanford (6-2, 4-1) is holding down the top 3-A spot in the league. The Bulldogs are 10th in the 3-A East rankings and – with games remaining against Western Harnett (1-7, 1-4) and E.E. Smith (1-7, 0-5) – remain in solid shape to host in the playoffs.
The next three teams in the standings provide the most intrigue.
Overhills leads the group at 25th in the 4-A East rankings, but the Jaguars have the toughest remaining schedule with games against Triton (4-4, 3-2) and Pine Forest.
Westover (4-4, 1-4) and the Hawks are on the 3-A East bubble at Nos. 29 and 30. The Wolverines carry a three-game losing streak into their Week 10 matchup against Western Harnett before closing the season with Smith.
With a strong finish, Westover can put its players’ minds at ease on selection Saturday.
United 8 Conference
Seventy-First remains Cumberland County’s best chance to host multiple playoff games as the third-ranked team in the 3-A East RPI.
With games remaining against Lumberton (0-8, 0-5) and Douglas Byrd (2-6, 1-4), the Falcons are in good shape to finish with a bang as back-to-back United 8 champions.
Four more county squads are in the mix for a postseason berth.
Cape Fear (5-3, 3-2) is the lone 3-A squad, at No. 21 in the rankings. Jack Britt (5-3, 4-1) is holding down a 4-A spot at No. 22, but Gray’s Creek (6-2, 3-2) and South View (4-4, 4-1) will have a chance to shake things up.
The Bears, who sit at No. 24 in the rankings, close the season against the Bucs and Colts.
South View is on the outside looking in as the 35th-ranked team in 4-A East, but the Tigers are among the hottest teams in the county as winners of four straight.
South View hosts Cape Fear before traveling to Jack Britt for the regular-season finale. A pair of wins would put a bow on an incredible bounce-back run for the Tigers and likely include a spot in the playoffs.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NCHSAA football: Fayetteville playoff picture entering Week 10
