Vipers, Eagles prep for NCHSAA playoffs

Nov. 2—HENDERSON — With the regular season in the rearview, the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association state football playoffs will get under way on Friday, with both Vance and Warren County in action.

The Vipers' scheduled regular season finale against J.F. Webb was canceled on Friday, while the Eagles were on their bye week after playing 10 games in 10 weeks.

As the calendar has turned to the month of November, Vance County will compete in its second consecutive road game and Warren County will host a state playoff game for the first time since 2007.

V

ance County (6-3) at West Carteret (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.

After playing in just nine regular season games, Vance County will look to match last year's win total when it travels to Morehead City to face West Carteret.

The Vipers, who now come off an unintended bye week, ended their regular season with a heartbreaking defeat to Southern Durham but earned a share of the Northern Lakes Athletic Conference title under first-year head coach Aaron Elliott.

Entering the postseason, Vance County has a balanced attack on offense, accumulating over 1,700 yards through the air and more than 900 on the ground.

Quarterback Naz Garrett tallied 1,774 passing yards for a career-high 21 touchdowns and a 55% completion rate. Israel Terry's 32 receptions for 489 yards and nine touchdowns highlights the connection with Garrett, while fellow wideout Antrel Gibson provided a boost by hauling in 25 passes for 383 yards.

Out of the backfield, five different Vipers amassed 90 rushing yards or more, led by senior Shamar Foster with a team-high 47 carries and 228 yards. As a unit, the running game reached the end zone 12 times with five different members finding pay dirt.

Perhaps the most impressive facet of the Vance County roster is the continued growth and success of their defense. It held opponents to 20 points or less in seven games on the year, including two shutouts in conference play.

Twenty-five sacks and 25 forced turnovers were a product of the talent and growth at all three levels, as the Vipers hope to carry their success to Morehead City on Friday night.

Awaiting them will be the West Carteret Patriots, who are on a three-game winning streak and are winners of five of their last six games.

Their offense, which has numbers similar to Vance County, has produced 1,975 passing yards and 21 touchdowns from the arm of Jaylen Hewitt. Wideouts Adam Cummings and Justice DadeEl are tied for the team lead with 35 receptions, as Cummings has recorded 638 yards and nine touchdowns and DadeEl 571 yards and four scores.

Junior Keegan Callahan controls the Patriot ground game, rushing for a team-high 298 yards and five touchdowns on 54 carries.

Callahan is a star on both sides of the ball and is the most productive West Carteret defender with 113 tackles, four interceptions, and three fumble recoveries.

Forcing 30 takeaways will cause the Vipers to be more careful with the ball, but the Patriots do struggle getting to the quarterback.

In 10 games, West Carteret recorded just seven sacks, which bodes well for Garrett and company.

As the two programs meet with a spot in the second round on the line, expect a fast-paced contest with the defenses being the key to a victory.

Lakewood (5-5) at Warren County (6-4), Friday, 7 p.m.

For the first time since 2007, Warren County High School will be the site of a NCHSAA state playoff game. After a 6-4 regular season in which the Eagles earned five conference wins, they now turn their attention toward the Lakewood Leopards.

Guiding Warren County into the postseason will be quarterback Najah Williams, a dual-threat signal caller who threw for 896 yards and 10 touchdowns. Wideout Devin Hawkins was a key beneficiary of Williams' success, as he led the Eagles in every receiving category, tallying 20 receptions for 505 yards and five scores.

With a run-heavy offense, Warren County rushed for 2,144 yards in just 10 contests, including 494 yards and 10 touchdowns from Williams.

The two most impressive backs for the Eagles are the ones who paced their running game throughout the entire season: Joel Bryant and Noah Dortch.

Bryant was a workhorse out of the backfield, using 100 rushes to garner 653 yards and three touchdowns. Not to be outdone, Dortch tied Williams for the team lead with 10 rushing scores, as he gained 594 and reached the end zone on about 13% of his carries.

Looking to stop the Eagles ground-and-pound style offense is a Lakewood defense that has allowed 20 or more points in five of the last six contests.

With just 12 sacks on the season, getting to the quarterback can be an issue, but Lakewood's 14 forced fumbles should be a point of emphasis for the Warren County rushing attack.

Offensively, the programs are constructed similarly, rushing for over 2,000 yards and amassing close to 900 through the air.

Quarterback Colin Hunter has thrown for 965 yards and 12 touchdowns, with four different Leopards recording 100 or more receiving yards.

On the ground, Hunter leads the way with 94 rushing attempts, while seniors Tony Freeman (648 yards) and Bobby Henry (590 yards) stabilize the run game.

Twenty-seven rushing scores and four different runners with over 300 yards emphasizes a successful ground-and-pound game similar to Warren County.

In a contest where both offenses are similar to one another, the production from the front seven of each defense will be crucial to come out victorious.