Friday Night Football playoff bracket released

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Nearly 20 area high schools will compete in this yearâ€™s football state playoffs.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association released the playoff bracket for all eight classifications on Sunday afternoon. Postseason games kick off this Friday, Nov. 7, with championship games played Dec. 11-13 at neutral sites.

Two local schools earned No. 1 seeds: Hoggard, the top team in the 8A East bracket, and James Kenan, the one seed in the 3A East. Both schools also earned first-round byes, along with East Bladen, East Columbus, Whiteville, Pender and East Duplin.

Last year, Whiteville was the only area school to advance past the fourth round, ultimately losing in the regional championship game. Two years ago, Hoggard played in the state title game.

The Vikings enter this yearâ€™s postseason undefeated. If Laney beats Willow Spring on Friday, the Buccaneers will play at Hoggard in the second round. The Vikings beat the Bucs 28-14 on Oct. 17.

New Hanover, South Columbus, South Brunswick and West Brunswick are other notable schools opening the playoffs at home. The Stallions host West Bladen after a narrow win over Whiteville last Friday that helped them clinch a share of the Southeastern Conference title.

After a close 28-21 win over their rivals last week, James Kenan could face Wallace-Rose Hill at home again in the second round if the Bulldogs can beat 17th-seeded Greene Central in Teachey on Friday. In a third-round thriller last November, the Tigers topped the Bulldogs 14-13 in overtime.

Hereâ€™s a list of all local schools that qualified for the playoffs, along with their first-round matchups and seeding:

1A West

(5) East Columbus â€“ BYE

2A East

(17) West Columbus at (16) Camden County

(4) East Bladen â€“ BYE

3A East

(1) James Kenan â€“ BYE

(16) Wallace-Rose Hill vs (17) Greene Central

(8) Whiteville â€“ BYE

(20) Trask at (13) Farmville Central

(10) South Columbus vs (23) West Bladen