The 2024 regular season is approaching its end. 48 NCHSAA football teams have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot in week ten, a whole week before most end the season.

Here is a look at every playoff or conference championship-clinching scenario this week.

Keep in mind the following intricacies:

• In single-classification conferences, the overall champion wins a trophy, gets to hang a banner, and is seeded with the other first place teams first in the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s state playoffs.
  • In the instances where there is a tie for first place, the teams will be considered co-conference champions. A head-to-head victory of one tied team over the other doesn’t matter when it comes to hanging a banner. While each team will get the trophy, only one can be seeded first with the other conference champions in the playoff brackets. Most often, this piece comes down to who won the head-to-head matchup.
    • For example: Team A & Team B finish tied for the conference championship in a 4A-only league. Team A & Team B will be considered co-conference champions. Team A beat Team B in their matchup, but Team A lost to Team C to force the tie with Team B. Since Team A has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Team B, Team A will be treated as the only conference championship when it comes to the playoff seeding process. All first place teams are seeded first in the process and will host a game in the first round.
• In split-classification conferences, the overall champion wins a trophy/hangs a banner, but the highest finishing conference opponent in the other classification will also be seeded as a top playoff seed in its separate playoff bracket, provided that that other team finishes with an overall win percentage of .500 or better OR finishes in the top three of the final overall conference standings. If the team does not meet this criteria, it’s still guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, but will be placed among the at-large teams in the RPI-based playoff seeding process.
  • For example: In a 3A/4A split classification conference, the top overall finisher/conference representative could be a 4A team, but the highest 3A team will also be considered a 1-seed in the 3A bracket, as long as the 3A team was .500 or better OR finished in the top three spots in the standings.
    • All top finishers out of a split classification will be seeded first with the 1-seeds from single-classification conferences, as long as they meet the criteria of finishing .500 or better OR in the top three of the conference standings.

Some teams have already clinched a playoff spot:

• West Charlotte has already clinched the top 3A seed from the Queen City 3A/4A Conference. The Lions have a two-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over West Mecklenburg with two weeks to go. West Charlotte has also won five games already, which guarantees a .500 finish.
• North Brunswick has already clinched the top 3A seed from the Mideastern 3A/4A Conference. The Scorpions have a two-game lead and head-to-head tiebreakers over South Brunswick and West Brunswick with two weeks to go. Additionally, North Brunswick has already won five games this season, which guarantees a .500 finish.
• Charlotte Catholic has already clinched the top seed out of the Southwestern 4A Conference. The Cougars are 5-0 in conference play with one game left on the schedule. They hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over the two teams that have just one loss, so they cannot be overtaken.
• Richmond has already clinched the top 4A seed out of the Sandhills 3A/4A Conference. Richmond is 5-0 in the league with only one game to play and has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Pinecrest, the only 4A team in the conference with one loss.
• Southern Durham has already clinched the top 3A seed out of the Northern Lakes 2A/3A Conference. Southern is 4-0 in the league with only one game left. The Spartans hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over Vance County, the only one-loss 3A in the conference.
• C.B. Aycock has clinched the top seed out of the Quad County 3A Conference. The Golden Falcons have two conference games to play, but they have a two-game lead on the teams tied for second place in the conference (Fike, Hunt, South Johnston, West Johnston) with a head-to-head tiebreaker over all four of those teams.
• Salisbury has clinched the top 2A seed out of the Central Carolina 1A/2A Conference. The Hornets have only one more game left to play and a one-game lead over a team that it holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over.
• North Rowan has clinched the top 1A seed out of the Central Carolina 1A/2A Conference. The Cavaliers are 4-0 and have a three-game lead over the other 1A teams in the league with just two games to play.
• Martin County is the only 2A in the Four Rivers 1A/2A and and has already passed the .500 overall record requirement to receive a top seed in the 2A East playoffs.
• Randleman has clinched the top 2A seed out of the Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A Conference. The Tigers have two games to play and have a two-game lead with a head-to-head tiebreaker over the rest of the 2A teams in the conference.
• Eastern Randolph is the only 1A football team in the Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A Conference and has already passed the .500 overall record requirement to receive a top seed in the 1A West playoffs.
• North Moore has already clinched the 1A portion of the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A Conference. The only other 1A team in the conference is Chatham Central, which is 0-6 in league play. To be seeded with the rest of the conference champions in the 1A East, North Moore needs to win one more game to clinch a .500 overall record. The Mustangs are currently 4-4 overall. North Moore plays Cummings (6-0) this week and Chatham Central (0-6) next week.

Some teams have already clinched a co-conference championship, but not a playoff spot yet:

• Palisades of the South Meck 4A is 5-0 with a bye this week and one more conference contest next week. Every other team in the league has at least one loss.

Now, let’s get to the clinching scenarios for all of the other conferences. All records in parentheses () are conference records.

4A Conferences

Cap-6

• Cardinal Gibbons (3-0) and Leesville Road (3-0) are tied for first place, but don’t play until next week. Neither team can clinch this week if the other loses, because they could still lose to that other team next week, and thus lose the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, a win by one team and a loss by the other would clinch a co-conference championship at minimum.

Central Piedmont

• This week, East Forysth (5-0) can clinch the 1-seed with a win over Glenn (0-5) AND a West Forsyth (4-1) loss to R.J. Reynolds (2-3). If that does not happen, East Forsyth and West Forsyth will play each other in week 11. The Eagles have the head-to-head advantage over Mount Tabor, the only other 1-loss team in the conference.
• Mount Tabor (4-1) could still clinch the 1-seed with help. The Spartans need to beat Reagan (3-2) this week AND Parkland (1-4) next week. They’ll also need East Forysth, which has the head-to-head over the Spartans, to lose out.
• If West Forsyth wins out, the Titans will take the top seed out of CPC and win a co-conference title with East Forsyth.

DAC

• Jordan (3-0) and Hillside (3-0) are tied for first place, but don’t play until next week. Neither team can clinch this week if the other loses, because they could still lose to that other team next week, and thus lose the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, a win by one team and a loss by the other would clinch a co-conference championship at minimum.
• If Chapel Hill beats Hillside this week AND beats East Chapel Hill next week AND Jordan loses out, the Tigers would win a co-conference championship and receive the top 4A seed out of the conference. Jordan has a head-to-head tiebreaker over Chapel Hill, so the Tigers must finish with more wins in conference play than the Falcons.

Greater Metro

• This week, Mooresville (4-0) can clinch the top seed out of this conference with a win over A.L. Brown (2-3) AND a South Iredell (3-1) win over Lake Norman (3-1). Mooresville holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over South Iredell, so while a Mooresville loss to Lake Norman next week could open the window for South Iredell to win a co-conference championship, Mooresville couldn’t be overtaken for playoff seeding purposes.
• If Lake Norman wins out, the Wildcats will clinch the 1-seed out of the GM4A. If Mooresville loses to A.L. Brown this week, Lake Norman could win the conference outright.
• South Iredell could win the conference/receive the top seed for the playoffs if the Vikings win out and Mooresville loses out.

Greater Neuse

• Clayton (5-0) and Cleveland (5-0) are tied for first place, but don’t play until next week. Neither team can clinch this week if the other loses, because they could still lose to that other team next week, and thus lose the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, a win by one team and a loss by the other would clinch a co-conference championship at minimum.
• If Garner (4-1) beats Cleveland (5-0) this week AND beats Corinth Holders (3-2) next week AND Clayton loses to Willow Spring (1-4) this week AND Clayton loses to Cleveland next week, Garner would receive the top overall seed out of this conference.

Metro

• Grimsley (5-0) and Northern Guilford (5-0) are tied for first place, but don’t play until next week. Neither team can clinch this week if the other loses, because they could still lose to that other team next week, and thus lose the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, a win by one team and a loss by the other would clinch a co-conference championship at minimum.

Northern Athletic

• This week, Rolesville (3-0) can clinch the top seed out of the NAC and a co-conference championship with a win over Wake Forest (3-0). That would give the Rams the head-to-head tiebreaker over both Wake Forest and Millbrook, the two teams with one conference loss, with only one game left in the season.
• This week, Wake Forest (3-0) can clinch the top seed out of the NAC and a co-conference championship with a win over Rolesville (3-0) AND a Millbrook (2-1) loss vs. Knightdale. If both Wake Forest and Millbrook win, the Millbrook at Wake Forest game in week 11 could determine the conference champion/top seed.
• Millbrook (2-1) needs to win out and for Rolesville to lose out to take the top seed out of the league. That would result in a co-conference championship between Millbrook and Wake Forest, but a 1-seed for Millbrook due to the win over Wake Forest.

South Meck

• This week, Palisades (5-0) is off this week, but the Pumas can clinch the top seed out of the So Meck with an Ardrey Kell (3-1) LOSS to Olympic (3-1). Palisades already holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Olympic, but plays Ardrey Kell next week. Even if Olympic wins out and Palisades loses to AK, the Pumas will be taken as the top team from this conference for playoff purposes.
• Ardrey Kell needs to win out to to clinch the top seed from this conference in the 4A West. Winning out would result in a co-conference championship with Palisades.

Southern Carolina

• This week, Weddington (2-0) can clinch the 1-seed from the Southern Carolina with a win over Cuthbertson (2-1) AND a Marvin Ridge (1-1) loss to Sun Valley (1-1). Weddington plays Marvin Ridge next week, so the Warriors can take care of it then if Marvin Ridge does not lose to Sun Valley.
• This week, Cuthbertson (2-1) can clinch the 1-seed with a win over Weddington AND a Sun Valley loss to Marvin Ridge. That would give Cuthbertson a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over Weddington in addition to its existing H2H tiebreaker over Marvin Ridge. Cuthbertson would finish 3-1 in conference play with a win. The Cavs play a non-conference game to wrap up their regular season next week.
• Marvin Ridge needs to win out to clinch the 1-seed from the Southern Carolina.
• Sun Valley needs to win out AND Weddington to lose out to clinch the 1-seed

Southwest Wake

• Apex Friendship (5-0) is facing off against Middle Creek (5-0) on the road to determine which team will clinch the top seed out of the SWAC. Every other team in the conference has two losses. Even if the winner of the Apex Friendship/Middle Creek game loses next week, they would have the necessary head-to-head tiebreaker to be seeded with the other 4A East conference champions in the playoffs. However, a win this week paired with a loss next week + a win by this week’s losing team would result in a co-conference championship.

Southwestern

• Charlotte Catholic (5-0) has already clinched the top playoff seed out of this conference. The Cougars can wrap up the overall conference championship with a win over East Mecklenburg (1-3). Catholic does not play next week.

3A/4A Conferences

All-American

• This week, Terry Sanford (5-0) can clinch the top 3A seed out of the All-American and a co-conference championship with a win over E.E. Smith (1-4) at home. The Bulldogs already have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Harnett Central, the only 3A team with one loss. Terry Sanford would clinch the overall championship with a win against Harnett Central next week OR a any one loss by Pine Forest/Harnett Central.
• This week, Pine Forest (4-1) can clinch the top 4A seed out of the All-American with a win over Harnett Central (4-1) OR a loss by Overhills (2-3) at Triton (2-3). If neither of those happen, Pine Forest and Overhills will play for the top 4A seed out of this conference in week 11 next Friday.
• Harnett Central needs to win out against Pine Forest and Triton AND Terry Sanford to lose out to win the overall conference championship. Because of the Terry Sanford head-to-head tiebreaker, Harnett Central must finish 6-1 in the conference and Terry Sanford must finish 5-2 for Harnett Central to get that top seed.
• Overhills needs to win out and Pine Forest to lose out to take the top 4A seed out of the conference.

Big Carolina

• For the overall crown purposes: Three teams have one loss – New Bern (4-1), Havelock (3-1), and Jacksonville (3-1). For any of these teams to take the league banner uncontested, they’ll need to win out and need both of the other teams to lose once. It’s not likely for any of these three teams to lose the rest of the way.
• This week, New Bern (4-1) can clinch the top 4A seed out of the league with a win over D.H. Conley (2-2), the other 4A team in the conference. If Conley beats New Bern, the Bears, which are off next week, would need Conley to lose to South Central (1-3) to earn that top 4A seed, because Conley would have the head-to-head tiebreaker.
• D.H. Conley (2-2) needs to win out to obtain the top 4A seed out of the Big Carolina.
• This week, Havelock (3-1) can clinch the 3A portion of the league with a win vs. Northside-Jacksonville (0-4) AND a Jacksonville (3-1) loss at South Central (1-3). If Jacksonville and Havelock finish with the same record (likely), Havelock will be the top 3A from the conference thanks to its head-to-head tiebreaker win over Jacksonville.
• Jacksonville (3-1) needs to win out AND Havelock to lose once to receive the top 3A seed out of the conference.

Mideastern

• This week, Hoggard (5-0) can clinch the top 4A seed and win the outright conference championship with a win over South Brunswick AND a New Hanover (3-1) loss to West Brunswick (0-5). Hoggard and New Hanover will play next week.
• North Brunswick (2-3) has clinched the top 3A seed, but it cannot win an overall conference championship.

Mountain

• Nothing can be clinched this week on the 3A side, 4A side, or an overall basis.

Northwestern

• Northing can be clinched this week on the 3A side, 4A side, or an overall basis.

Queen City

• This week, Hough (5-0) can clinch the top seed out of the 4A portion of the conference with a win over Harding (0-5). Neither Chambers (4-1) or Mallard Creek (4-1) would be able to catch Hough because the Huskies have the head-to-head tiebreaker over both. To win the league outright, Hough needs to win both of its final games OR win one game AND see Mallard Creek/Chambers both lose once.
• West Charlotte (3-2) has clinched the top 3A seed, but it cannot win an overall conference championship.

Sandhills

• Richmond (5-0) has already clinched the top 4A seed out of this conference and a co-championship, but the Raiders, who don’t play this week, can lock up the outright conference championship with a Pinecrest (3-1) loss at Hoke County (1-4) AND a Union Pines (3-1) loss at Southern Lee (0-4).
• This week, Union Pines (3-1) can clinch the top 3A seed out of this conference with a win over Southern Lee (0-4). Union Pines holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Scotland, the only 3A team that is within a game of the Vikings in the standings.
• For Scotland to take the top 3A seed out of the Sandhills, the Scots need wins over Lee County (1-3) and Richmond (5-0) over the final two weeks AND Union Pines to lose against Southern Lee (0-4) AND Pinecrest (3-1) over the last two weeks.
• Pinecrest can’t overtake Richmond for the top 4A seed due to its head-to-head loss to the Raiders, but it can force a co-conference championship with a win over Hoke (1-4) this week, a win over Union Pines (3-1) next week, AND a Richmond (5-0) loss to Scotland (2-2) next week.

United 8

• Seventy-First (5-0) can clinch the top 3A seed and a co-conference championship with a win at Lumberton (0-5) OR a Cape Fear (4-1) loss at South View (4-1).
• Cape Fear (4-1) needs to win out AND Seventy-First to lose out to clinch the top 3A seed out of the United. Thanks to Cape Fear’s head-to-head loss to Seventy-First, the Colts have to pass the Falcons in the final standings. This is not likely, as Seventy-First plays Lumberton (0-5) and Douglas Byrd (1-4).
• South View (4-1) can clinch the top 4A seed with a win over Cape Fear (4-1) AND a Jack Britt (3-2) loss at home against Gray’s Creek (3-2). Unless both things happen, South View will play Jack Britt next week to determine the top 4A team out of the United.
• Jack Britt needs to defeat Gray’s Creek (3-2) this week AND South View (4-1) next week to clinch the top 4A seed out of the United.
• Gray’s Creek needs to defeat Jack Britt (3-2) this week AND defeat Cape Fear (4-1) next week AND needs South View to Cape Fear this week AND lose to Jack Britt next week to clinch the top 4A seed out of the United.

3A Conferences

Big South

• With five teams with just one loss, nothing can be determined this week. Four of the one-loss teams (Kings Mountain & Crest) and (South Point & Huss) are scheduled to play in the newly-added week 12, which could further complicate things.
• There are two matchups between one-loss teams this week that will help narrow things down. Ashbrook (4-1) is at Kings Mountain (3-1) and Crest (3-1) is at Huss (3-1).
• Ashbrook has the easiest path forward to a co-conference championship or a clinch. The Greenwave have an extra win on the rest of the one-loss teams. A win this week would lower their magic number to one for next week. Since Ashbrook’s one loss is to Crest, it would be extra beneficial to the Greenwave if Crest loses to Huss. Ashbrook plays Huss next week.
• Despite South Point’s loss to Ashbrook next week, the Red Raiders still have an inside track at the top seed. If South Point can beat Forestview (1-4) this week and then North Gaston (0-4) next week, a win over Huss in the final week out wrap up that top seed as long as Ashbrook loses once. South Point has a huge head-to-head tiebreaker over Crest, the preseason favorite.

Central

• This week, Williams (4-0) can clinch the 1-seed out of the Central Conference with a win over Cedar Ridge (0-5). That would put Williams at 5-0 with just one game to play. The only two teams with one loss in the conference – Western Alamance and Southern Alamance – both lost the head-to-head matchup with Williams and would not win the tiebreaker. So, even if Williams loses to Person (2-2) next week, it won’t matter.
• Southern Alamance (3-1) and Western Alamance (3-1) need to win out and Williams to lose out to clinch the 1-seed out of the Central. Southern Alamance hosts Eastern Alamance (2-2) this week and Western Alamance travels to Person (2-2) this week. Eastern and Western play each other next week.

Coastal

• This week, Richlands (3-0) can clinch the top seed out of the Coastal and a co-conference championship with a home win over White Oak (3-0). Richlands and White Oak are the only teams in the conference with less than two losses. The winner of this week’s game would hold a one-game lead with one game left and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the other. Richlands would need to beat Dixon (1-2) next week to secure the outright conference championship.
• This week, White Oak (3-0) can clinch the top seed out of the Coastal and a co-conference championship with a road win over Richlands (3-0). Richlands and White Oak are the only teams in the conference with less than two losses. The winner of this week’s game would hold a one-game lead with one game left and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the other. White Oak would need to beat Swansboro (0-3) next week to secure the outright conference championship.

Mid-Piedmont

• Central Davidson (3-0) and Oak Grove (3-0) are tied for first place, but don’t play until next week. Neither team can clinch this week if the other loses, because they could still lose to that other team next week, and thus lose the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, a win by one team and a loss by the other would clinch a co-conference championship at minimum.

Mid-State

• Dudley (5-0) and Eastern Guilford (5-0) are tied for first place, but don’t play until next week. Neither team can clinch this week if the other loses, because they could still lose to that other team next week, and thus lose the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, a win by one team and a loss by the other would clinch a co-conference championship at minimum.

Mountain 7

• This conference will still have two full weeks of games to play after this week, so nothing will be clinched this week. However, the West Henderson (3-0) at Franklin (3-0) game on Friday will be massive. Those teams are tied for first place in the conference.

Quad County

• C.B. Aycock has clinched the top seed out of the Quad County 3A Conference. The Golden Falcons have two conference games to play, but have a two game lead on the teams tied for second place in the conference with a head-to-head tiebreaker over all four of those teams (Fike, Hunt, South Johnston, West Johnston). There is nothing the teams in that four-way tie can do. to secure the outright conference championship banner, C.B. Aycock needs to win one of the final two games: vs. Smithfield-Selma (1-4) OR at Southern Wayne (0-5).

South Piedmont

• This week, Jay M. Robinson (6-0) can clinch the top playoff seed and outright conference championship with a win over Northwest Cabarrus (5-0) on the road. It is the last conference game of the season for Robinson, which plays Mount Pleasant in non-conference to wrap up the regular season next week.
• This week, Northwest Cabarrus (5-0) can clinch the top playoff seed and a co-conference championship with a win over Jay M. Robinson (6-0) at home. That result would give Robinson a final South Piedmont record of 6-1 and NWC an updated South Piedmont record of 6-0. Even if Northwest Cabarrus was to lose to Central Cabarrus (1-4) in week 11, the Trojans would have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Robinson. Northwest Cabarrus would need to beat Central next week to win the title outright and hang a banner by itself.

Western Foothills

• This week, Hickory (5-0) can clinch the 1-seed out of the Western Foothills with a win at Foard (0-4) AND a Statesville (4-1) loss vs. St. Stephens (1-4). If both things don’t happen, it will be settled next week when Statesville travels to Hickory. A wn by Hickory would at least clinch a co-conference championship for the Red Tornadoes.
• Statesville needs to win out AND North Lincoln to lose a game to clinch the 1-seed out of the Western Foothills. If Statesville and Hickory both finish 6-1 in conference play because Statesville won, the Greyhounds would have the head-to-head. But if North Lincoln and Statesville finish tied, North Lincoln has the head-to-head over Statesville.

2A/3A Conferences

Big East

• 3As Northern Nash (4-0) and Rocky Mount (4-0) are tied for first overall in the conference. They will play next week, so neither side an clinch a top seed this week. Even if one loses this week, there will still be a chance to clinch the conference next week with a win against the other. However, if one team wins this week and the other loses, the winning team will at least clinch a co-conference championship. This week, Northern Nash hosts Southern Nash (3-1) and Rocky Mount hosts Franklinton (1-3).
• Southern Nash (3-1) is still in the race for the top 3A seed out of the Big East, but the loss to Rocky Mount last week hurts its chances. The Firebirds need to beat Northern Nash this week, beat Franklinton (1-3) next week, AND need Rocky Mount to lose out. Southern cannot end in a tie for first place with Rocky Mount because of that lost tiebreaker.
• The top 2A seed out of the conference cannot be clinched this week. Nash Central (2-3) leads the 2A teams in the standings but does not play this week. Roanoke Rapids (1-3) and Nash Central are set to play next week in a game that will decide the top 2A seed out of this conference. Even if Roanoke Rapids loses to Bunn (0-5) this week, it’ll still be a game out and can force a tie plus a head-to-head tiebreaker with a win over Nash Central next week.

Northeastern Coastal

• This week, Northeastern (5-0) can clinch the 2A half of the Northeastern Coastal with a win over Currituck County (4-1) at home OR a Pasquotank County (3-2) loss at First Flight (2-3). The Eagles currently hold a two-game lead over two 2A teams in the conference: Holmes and Pasquotank. Northeastern already has a head-to-head win over Holmes, so it doesn’t matter if Holmes finds a way to tie the Eagles. However, Northeastern plays Pasquotank next week and could theoretically lose that game. Getting either a win or loss by Pasquotank this week eliminates any threat.
• this week, Currituck County (3-0) can clinch the 3A half of the Northeastern Coastal with a win over Northeastern (5-0) on the road OR a First Flight (2-3) loss at home against Pasuotank County. The Knights currently hold a two-game lead over First Flight, the only other 3A team in the conference. Currituck is set to play First Flight next week and could theoretically lose that game and thus the tiebreaker for the top seed. Getting either a win or loss by First Flight this week eliminates any threat.

Northern Lakes

• Southern Durham (4-0) has already clinched the 3A side of the conference. The Spartans only have one game left and a head-to-head tiebreaker over Vance County, the only one-loss 3A in the conference.
• Louisburg (2-3) has completed its conference slate and currently leads the other 2A teams in the standings. This week, Louisburg can clinch the 2A side of the conference this week with a South Granville (1-3) loss at J.F. Webb (1-2). South Granville holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Louisburg after a 34-7 road win last week, so a win for South Granville would give the Vikings the 1-seed over Louisburg. Louisburg holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Webb, so Webb cannot overtake the Warriors even if they end in a tie.
• This week, South Granville (1-3) can clinch the 2A side side of the conference with a win over J.F. Webb (1-2) on the road. The Vikings hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Lousiburg, so a tie between the two teams at 2-3 would give the edge to South Granville. However, for South Granville to be seeded with the rest of the 2A East champions, the Vikings are required to find a way to a .500 overall record (they are 2-5 overall right now) or a top three finish in the final standings. South Granville needs Carroboro (1-2), which holds a head-to-head over the Vikings, to lose to Vance County (2-1) this week AND Southern Durham (4-0) next week OR the Vikings need to win out to get to 5-5 overall. After the Webb game this week, South Granville has non-conference games against Wake Prep in week 11 and Riverside in week 12.
• Theoretically speaking, J.F. Webb (1-2) could still clinch the 2A side of the conference. Webb would need to defeat South Granville (1-3) at home this week AND defeat Vance County (2-1) on the road next week. That would give Webb a final conference record of 3-2, Louisburg a final conference record of 2-3, and South Granville a final conference record of (1-4). Webb needs to finish a game ahead of Louisburg in the final standings because Louisburg holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Webb thanks to a 29-26 win in early October. This scenario would put Webb in the top three of the final conference standings and would allow them to be seeded with the rest of the 2A East conference champions at the top of the playoff pool, despite a 3-7 overall record. If Webb loses to South Granville and beats Vance County next week, it would create a three-way tie among Louisburg, South Granville, and Webb at 2-3. South Granville would come out of this tie breaker because it would have a head-to-head win over Louisburg and Webb.

Rocky River

• This week, Monroe (3-0) can clinch the 2A portion of the Rocky River with a win at home against Piedmont (0-3). The Redhawks have to play one more game after this week and the head-to-head tiebreaker over both Anson and Forest Hills, the only 2A teams in the conference that are one game out of Monroe.
• This week, Parkwood (1-2) can clinch the 3A portion of the Rocky River with a win against Forest Hills (2-1) AND a Piedmont (0-3) loss to Monroe (3-0) on the road. If both things don’t happen, Parkwood and Piedmont will play next week to decide the 3A portion of the league. Only Parkwood has a chance at being seeded with the other 3A West conference champions. It would require Anson or Forest Hills to lose out so that Parkwood could get into the top 3 of the final standings. With six losses already, Parkwood can’t achieve a .500 overall record.
• Anson and Forest Hills would need to win out and for Monroe to lose out in order to pass the Redhawks for a conference championship and the 1-seed in the 2A West playoffs.

2A Conferences

Catawba Valley

• This week, Maiden (4-1) can clinch the top seed out of this conference and a co-conference championship with a home win over Lincolnton (4-1), the team it is tied with at the top of the league, AND a Bunker Hill (3-1) home loss vs. Newton-Conover (1-3). The Blue Devils would have a one-game lead with one game to play over Lincolnton and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Wolves. Maiden holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Bunker Hill, but if Bunker Hill was to add another loss, it would shield Maiden from being impacted by a loss of its own next week. Bunker Hill has three games yet to play. The Bears play West Caldwell in the newly-added week 12. Theoretically, Bunker Hill could win out to finish 6-1 and Maiden could finish 5-2 if it beats Lincolnton and then loses to Newton-Conover in week 11.
• Lincolnton (4-1) needs to finish one game ahead of Bunker Hill (3-1) in the final standings to receiver the top seed out of this conference. This is because Bunker Hill has a head-to-head tiebreaker over Lincolnton. To secure the top seed, the Wolves need to either (A) win out against Maiden (4-1) AND West Lincoln (3-2) AND get one more loss from Bunker Hill OR (B) defeat Maiden AND get two more losses from Bunker Hill.
• Bunker Hill (3-1) suffered a crucial loss to Maiden last week, but the Bears can still find their way to the top seed. (A) Bunker Hill needs to beat Newton-Conover (1-3) this week, Bandys (2-2) next week, and West Caldwell (0-4) in week 12 AND get a loss from Maiden against either Lincolnton (4-1) this week or Newton-Conover (1-3) next week. Lincolnton is not a threat to Bunker Hill because the Bears hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. Even if Lincolnton and Bunker Hill tie for first place at 6-1, the Bears will get the top seed due to the tiebreaker.
• Believe it or not, West Lincoln (3-2) is not out of the race for a 1-seed or a co-conference championship. They need a bunch of things to happen. I can explain why for each of these things, but that will take too long, so I will just tell you what they are. (1) West Lincoln needs to win out against East Burke (0-3) AND Lincolnton (4-1), (2) West Lincoln needs Maiden (4-1) to lose to Lincolnton (4-1) this week OR Newton-Conover (1-3) next week, (3) West Lincoln needs Bunker Hill to lose two of the next three games against Newton-Conover (1-3) this week, Bandys (2-2) next week, OR West Caldwell (0-4), AND (4) West Lincoln needs Bandys to lose one game to West Caldwell (0-4), Bunker Hill (3-1), OR East Burke (0-3).

East Central

• This week, James Kenan (5-0) can clinch the conference’s automatic bid 1-seed with a win at home over Southwest Onslow (1-3) AND a Wallace-Rose Hill (3-1) loss to East Duplin (2-2). Wallace-Rose Hill and James Kenan are set to play next week, so if Wallace-Rose Hill can beat East Duplin, it will stay within one game’s striking distance and could beat James Kenan to force a co-conference championship while gaining a head-to-head tiebreaker for the automatic 1-seed into the 2A East playoffs.
• Wallace-Rose Hill (3-1) needs to win out to clinch the conference’s automatic 1-seed. Wallace-Rose Hill could win the conference outright with a James Kenan loss to Southwest Onslow this week and a win over James Kenan next week.

Eastern Plains

• This conference is insanely competitive. Four teams are still alive for a conference championship/1-seed in the 2A East playoffs: Ayden Grifton (4-1), North Pitt (3-1), Washington (2-2), and Farmville Central (2-2). Only Ayden-Grifton and North Pitt can win an outright conference title, but Washington and Farmville Central can win a co-conference title.
• Ayden Grifton, the current 1st place team in the standings, is off this week. The Chargers only have one more Eastern Plains Conference game on the schedule: at Washington (2-2) next week. Only having one game means left means that Ayden-Grifton could only reach two conference losses at worst. This fact rules out the remaining teams in the conference (Greene Central, West Craven, and SouthWest Edgecombe) because they each have three conference losses.
• The 2nd place team, North Pitt (3-1), plays West Craven (1-3) at home, but is both a game behind in the standings and on the wrong side of the head-to-head tiebreaker with Ayden-Grifton.
• In speaking of head-to-head tiebreakers, every single team in this conference has one to deal with. Each team has a win, and it just so happens that victories have stacked up into a perfect loop:
  • Ayden-Grifton beat North Pitt
  • North Pitt beat SouthWest Edgecombe
  • SouthWest Edgecombe beat Greene Central
  • Greene Central beat Washington
  • Washington beat West Craven
  • West Craven beat Farmville Central
  • Farmville Central beat Ayden-Grifton
• The conference standings, as I interpret them, are the following:
  1. Ayden-Grifton (4-1, tiebreaker over NP, GC, WCRA, SWE)
  2. North Pitt (3-1, tiebreaker over GC, SWE, WASH)
  3. Washington (2-2, tiebreaker over FC, WCRA)
  4. Farmville Central (2-2, tiebreaker over A-G, SWE)
  5. Greene Central (2-3, tiebreaker over WASH, WCRA)
  6. West Craven (1-3, tiebreaker for beating #4 FC)
  7. SouthWest Edgecombe (1-3, beat #5 GC)
• Despite the madness and being off this week, Ayden-Grifton (4-1) can clinch the top seed for the 2A East playoffs with a loss by Farmville Central (2-2) to Greene Central (2-3) AND a loss by North Pitt (3-1) to West Craven (1-3) AND a loss by Washington (2-2) to SouthWest Edgecombe (1-3). If not all of those three happen, a win over Washington (2-2) next week would do the trick. If Ayden-Grifton ends up in a 5-1 tie and a co-conference championship with North Pitt, the Chargers have the necessary head-to-head tiebreaker over the Panthers to obtain the 1-seed.
• In order for North Pitt (3-1) to get the top seed, the Panthers need to win the conference outright. North Pitt needs to beat West Craven this week AND beat Farmville Central (2-2) next week AND needs Ayden-Grifton to lose to Washington (2-2) next week to win the conference championship.
• In order for Washington to secure the 1-seed, the Pam Pack need to force a co-conference championship with Ayden-Grifton. Washington needs to beat SouthWest Edgeombe (1-3) this week AND beat Ayden-Grifton next week AND needs North Pitt to lose to West Craven (1-3) this week OR needs North Pitt to lose to Farmville Central next week. If Washington ends up in a three-way tie with Ayden-Grifton and Farmville Central at 4-2, Washington will get the top seed with its existing head-to-head tiebreaker over Farmville and its new head-to-head tiebreaker over Ayden-Grifton.
• In order for Farmville Central to secure the 1-seed, the Jaguars need to force a co-conference championship with Ayden-Grifton. Farmville Central needs to beat Greene Central (2-3) this week AND beat North Pitt (3-1) next week AND needs Washington to lose to SouthWest Edgecombe (1-3) this week AND needs Washington to beat Ayden-Grifton (4-1) next week. This would force a co-championship with Ayden-Grifton at 4-2. Even if North Pitt gets itself involved with a 4-2 final record, Farmville Central would have the head-to-head tiebreaker over both Ayden-Grifton and North Pitt. Farmville can’t afford Washington beating SouthWest Edgecombe to force a four-way tie for first place, because a tie that big would be broken by RPI.

Foothills

• North Surry (5-0) and East Surry (3-0) are tied for first place, but don’t play until next week. Neither team can clinch this week if the other loses, because they could still lose to that team next week. However, a win by North Surry and a loss by East Surry would clinch a co-conference championship for the Greyhounds at minimum. North Surry is off this week and East Surry has to play in each of the final weeks. So, there is a chance that North Surry could lose to East Surry next week and still win the conference because East Surry could lose to Surry Central (3-1) this week and West Wilkes (2-2) in week 12.

Mid-State

• This week, Reidsville (4-0) can clinch the top seed from the Mid-State with a win over T.W. Andrews (0-4) at home. The Rams have a one-game lead over West Stokes and Walkertown and have a head-to-head tiebreaker victory over both.
• Walkertown (3-1) needs to beat McMichael (0-4) this week AND beat West Stokes (4-1) next week AND needs Reidsville to lose to T.W. Andrews (0-4) this week AND needs Reidsville to lose to Morehead (2-2) next week to win the conference and receive the top seed in the state playoffs.
• West Stokes (4-1) does not play this week. The Wildcats need defeat Walkertown next week AND need Reidsville to lose to T.W. Andrews this week AND need Reidsville to lose to Morehead next week to win the conference and receive the top seed in the state playoffs.

Neuse

• This week, Eastern Wayne (3-0) can clinch the 1-seed from the Neuse with a win over North Johnston (3-0) on the road. Eastern Wayne would have a one-game lead over North Johnston/Princeton and a head-to-head tiebreaker over both.
• This week, North Johnston (3-0) can clinch the 1-seed from the Neuse with a win over Eastern Wayne (3-0) at home AND a Princeton (2-1) loss vs. Beddingfield (1-2). Princeton and North Johnston play next week, so a Princeton win this week would keep the Bulldogs within striking distance of North Johnston. Princeton could beat Norht Johnston to force a co-championship and grab the head-to-head tiebreaker.
• Princeton (2-1) needs to win against Beddingfield (1-2) this week AND needs to win against North Johnston (3-0) next week AND needs Eastern Wayne to lose against North Johnston this week AND needs Eastern Wayne to lose against Goldsboro (0-3) next week to force a co-conference championship with North Johnston and win the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Panthers to clinch the 1-seed.

Southeastern

• 1st place teams St. Pauls (3-0) and Midway (3-0) are set to play next week. Midway plays 3rd place team Red Springs (2-1) this week, which could create problems if Midway loses.
• St. Pauls cannot clinch with a win over Clinton (1-2) and a loss by Midway because Midway will still be a game out of the Bulldogs and can force a tie with a win over St. Pauls next week.
• A Midway win over Red Springs this week and a St. Pauls win over Clinton would set up a winner-take-all situation between the Bulldogs and Raiders next week.
• Red Springs, which has a head-to-head tiebreaker loss to St. Pauls, needs to win out and the Bulldogs to lose out to obtain the 1-seed out of the Southeastern. If St. Pauls loses to Clinton this week and then Midway next week, and Red Springs beats Midway this week, that would create a Midway and Red Springs co-conference championship at 4-1. Red Springs would have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Midway and thus get the top seed from the Southeastern.

1A/2A Conferences

Central Carolina

• Salisbury has clinched the top 2A seed out of the Central Carolina and a co-conference championship. The Hornets have only one more game left to play and a one-game lead over Lexington (3-1), a team that it holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over. Salisbury (5-0) will take on North Rowan (4-0) next week to determine the overall conference champion.
• North Rowan has clinched the top 1A seed out of the Central Carolina. The Cavaliers are 4-0 and have a three-game lead over the other 1A teams in the league with just two games to play. North Rowan (4-0) will take on Salisbury (5-0) next week to determine the overall conference champion.

Coastal Plains

• 1st place East Carteret (2-0) is the only 2A team in this conference, but it needs a win over Pamlico County (0-3) this week to secure a co-conference championship. East Carteret needs to finish in the top two in the final standings or with a .500 overall record to be seeded at the top with the other conference champions in the 2A East. The Mariners could use a win against Pamlico this week OR a win against Southside (1-1) next week to lock up both the .500 finish and a top two spot.
• Northside-Pinetown (2-1) does not play this week and can’t clinch the 1A portion of the conference until it plays Lejeune (1-1) next week. N-P has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Southside (1-1). Even if Southside defeats Lejeune this week, Lejeune will still be within a game of Northside and could force a tie next week when it the two play. A Southside win over Lejeune this week, a Southside loss to East Carteret next week, and a Lejeune win over Northside next week would force a three-way tie at 2-2 that would require an RPI split.
• If Southside (1-1) wins out against Lejeune (1-1) this week AND East Carteret (2-0) AND Lejeune defeats Northside-Pinetown next week (2-1), it will receive the 1A automatic bid.
• If Lejune (1-1) wins out against Southside (1-1) this week AND Northside-Pinetown (2-1) next week, it will receive the 1A automatic bid.

Football Only A

• This week, Community School of Davidson (4-1) can clinch the 2A portion of this conference with a win at Christ the King (3-2) OR a Pine Lake Prep (2-3) home loss to Corvian Community (5-0). Pine Lake Prep is the only other 2A team in the conference and either scenario would create an insurmountable lead.
• Pine Lake Prep needs to win against Corvian Community (5-0) this week AND beat Community School of Davidson (4-1) next week AND needs Community School of Davidson to lose at Christ the King (2-3) this week to grab the automatic 2A spot out of the conference. However, at 2-6 overall, Pine Lake Prep cannot achieve a .500 overall record this year so it must find its way into the top three of the final standings to be seeded fist with the rest of the 2A West champions. This would require the Pride to somehow pass two of Mountain Island Charter (3-2), Christ the King (3-2) and Bishop McGuinnes (2-3), which is not likely.
• This week, Corvian Community (5-0) can clinch the 1A portion of this conference with a win at Pine Lake Prep (2-3) OR a Mountain Island Charter (3-2) loss at home against Carver (1-4). Corvian and Mountain Island play next week. A lost by Corvian this week and a win by Mountain Island this week could put the Raptors in position to defeat the Cardinals and hold the necessary head-to-head tiebreaker over Corvian to be grab the automatic 1A bid from the conference.
• Mountain Island Charter needs to beat Carver (1-4) this week AND a Corvian loss to Pine Lake Prep (2-3) this week AND defeat Corvian next week to clinch the 1A automatic bid from this conference. Mountain Island does not have to worry about finishing in a three-way tie with Corvian and Christ the King, because it already has a head-to-head tiebreaker over CTK and would gain one over Corvian in this scenario.

Four Rivers

• Martin County (2-1) is the only 2A in the Four Rivers 1A/2A and has already reached its special requirement to receive an automatic bid and be seeded with the rest of the 2A East conference champions. Martin is required to finish with a .500 overall record or better or finish in the top two of the final standings. Martin is 6-2 overall with only two games to play.
• This week, Tarboro (3-0) can clinch the top 1A seed with a win at Gates County (2-1). Tarboro has a head-to-head tiebreaker victory over Perquimans, the other 1A team with one loss, so Perquimans would not be able to surpass Tarboro with one game to go on both schedules.
• Gates County (2-1) needs to beat Tarboro (3-0) this week AND beat Perquimans (2-1) next week to clinch the top 1A seed. In this scenario, if Tarboro loses to Washington County (0-3) next week, it would be an outright conference championship. If Tarboro beats Washington, it would be a co-conference championship with a Gates head-to-head tiebreaker.

Mid-Carolina

• 2As Cummings (6-0) and Southeast Alamance (6-0) are tied for first place, but don’t play until next week. Neither team can clinch this week if the other loses, because they could still lose to that other team next week, and thus lose the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, a win by one team and a loss by the other would clinch a co-conference championship at minimum.
• North Moore (4-2) has already clinched the 1A portion of the Mid-Carolina. The only other 1A team in the conference is Chatham Central, which is 0-6 in league play. To be seeded with the rest of the conference champions in the 1A East, North Moore needs to win one more game to clinch a .500 overall record. The Mustangs are currently 4-4 overall. North Moore plays Cummings (6-0) this week and Chatham Central (0-6) next week.

Mountain Foothills

• Brevard (2-0) currently leads the conference. Northing can be clinched this week as there are still two more weeks of full action for the Mountain Foothills following this week.
• Polk County is the only 1A team in the conference and is in trouble. Polk is required to get to .500 overall or finish in the top two of the final standings to get an automatic big into the 1A West playoffs. Polk has already lost five games and only has three left, so reaching .500 is impossible. Polk needs to defeat East Rutherford (1-1), Brevard (2-0) and Hendersonville (1-1) to try to get up into the top two in the standings.

Piedmont Athletic

• Eastern Randolph (3-0) is the only 1A football team in the conference and has already passed the .500 overall record requirement to receive a top seed in the 1A West playoffs.
• Randleman (3-0) has clinched the top 2A seed out of the Piedmont Athletic. The Tigers have two games to play and have a two-game lead with a head-to-head tiebreaker over the rest of the 2A teams in the conference.

Southern Piedmont

• 2As Shelby (4-0) and Burns (4-0) are tied for first place, but don’t play until next week. Neither team can clinch this week if the other loses, because they could still lose to that other team next week, and thus lose the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, a win by one team and a loss by the other would clinch a co-conference championship at minimum.
• Bessemer City (3-2) does not play this week and has no avenue to clinch this week. Cherryville (2-2) is the only 1A in the conference on the heels of Bessemer. Cherryville and Bessemer City are set to play next week. Even if Cherryville loses to Burns (4-0) this week, Cherryville would still be one game out. Cherryville could beat Bessemer City to force a tie and have the head-to-head tiebreaker to get the 1A automatic bid.
• If Cherryville wants to get the automatic 1A spot and be seeded with the other 1A West conference champions, the Ironmen need to beat Burns (4-0) this week and Bessemer City (3-2) next week to get to .500 overall on the season. Cherryville currently has a 3-5 overall record. Cherryville could also use losses by East Gaston (2-2) to Shelby (4-0) this week AND Highland Tech (0-4) next week to move up to 3rd place in the standings.

Waccamaw

• 2As South Columbus (5-0) and Whiteville (4-0) are set to face off next week, so nothing can be clinched this week. South Columbus is on a bye. Whiteville plays at home against East Bladen (3-2). Even if Whiteville loses to East Bladen this week, the Wolfpack could still beat South Columbus next week to force a tie and grab the head-to-head tiebreaker, and thus will receive the top 2A seed out of the Waccamaw.
• East Bladen (3-2) is currently in 1st place among the 1A teams, but has a potentially debilitating head-to-head loss to Pender (2-2). East Bladen plays at Whiteville (4-0) this week to conclude its regular season.
• This week, East Bladen (3-2) can clinch the 1-seed among the 1A teams with a win over Whiteville AND a Pender (2-2) loss at home against West Columbus (0-4).
• This week, Pender (2-2) can clinch the 1-seed among the 1A teams with a win over West Columbus (0-4) AND an East Bladen (3-2) loss at Whiteville (4-0). Even if Pender was to lose next week while East Bladen if off, both teams would finish 3-3 in conference play and Pender has the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Western Highlands

• With three full weeks of games to go, nothing can be clinched this week on either the 1A or 2A side.

Yadkin Valley

• This week, Mount Pleasant (3-0) can clinch the 2A portion of the Yadkin Valley with a win over North Stanly (2-0) on the road. Mount Pleasant would end its conference slate with a 4-0 record.
• This week, North Stanly (2-0) can clinch the 2A portion of the Yadkin Valley with a win over Mount Pleasant (3-0) at home. North Stanly could lose next week to Albemarle (0-3) but still have the necessary head-to-head tiebreaker over Mount Pleasant.
• None of the 1A teams can clinch this week. South Stanly is 1-2 while Albemarle and Union Academy are both 0-2. South Stanly’s win is over Albemarle. South Stanly plays a non-conference game this week while Albemarle and Union Academy will face off. No matter which team wins that game, South Stanly will be vulnerable to a loss to Union Academy next week that would force a tie at best. In the event of a three-way tie, it would come down to RPI. If Union Academy wins over Albemarle this week, the South Stanly vs. Union Academy game next week will be for the 1A automatic bid.

1A Conferences

Atlantic

• Only two 11-man teams compete out of this conference: Bear Grass Charter (4-0) and Hobgood Charter (2-2)
• This week, Bear Grass Charter (4-0) can clinch the top seed and a conference championship with a win over Columbia (2-3).
• Hobgood Charter needs to win out against Mattamuskeet (1-4) this week and against Bear Grass Charter (4-0) next week AND needs Bear Grass Charter to lose to Columbia (2-3) this week to force a tie for a co-conference championship. For the playoffs, this tie would be broken by RPI because Bear Grass and Hobgood would have split their meetings.

Carolina

• This week, North Duplin (2-0) can clinch the top 1-seed out of the Carolina Conference with a win at Rosewood (2-0). This would give North Duplin a one-game lead over Rosewood and Lakwood (2-1, off this week) with just one game to play. North Duplin would have the head-to-head victory tiebreaker over both, so even if North Duplin lost to Hobbton (0-2) next week, the winner of next week’s Lakewood-Rosewood game would not be able to surpass North Duplin for playoff purposes, but they would win a co-conference championship.
• Rosewood (2-0) needs to defeat North Duplin (2-0) this week AND defeat Lakewood (2-1) next week to win an sole conference championship and grab the 1-seed from the Carolina.
• Lakewood (2-1) needs North Duplin (2-0) to lose to Rosewood this week AND needs North Duplin to lose to Hobbton (0-2) next week AND needs to win the Lakewood-Rosewood game next week to force a co-conference championship with Rosewood that would break to Lakewood with thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker. If North Duplin loses to Rosewood but beats Hobbton, that could force a three-way tie between North Duplin, Rosewood, and Lakewood at 2-1 that would be broken by RPI.

Northwest

• This week, Mount Airy (4-0) can clinch the top seed out of this conference with a win over Elkin (2-2) at home AND an Alleghany (3-1) loss at home against East Wilkes (1-2). Alleghany and Mount Airy are scheduled to play next week, so if Alleghany is still one game out of Mount Airy this week, the Trojans could still beat Mount Airy to force a tie and get the head-to-head tiebreaker. If Mount Airy wins out, it has an outright conference championship.
• For Alleghany (3-1) to get the top seed, the Trojans need to beat East Wilkes (1-2) this week AND beat Mount Airy (4-0) next week AND needs Starmount (3-1) to lose to South Stokes (1-3) this week OR needs Starmount to lose to Elkin (2-2) next week. Starmount has a head-to-head tiebreaker over Alleghany, so the Trojans need to finish a game ahead of the Rams in the final standings. Alleghany can win the conference outright if it loses out and Starmount loses out.
• Starmount (3-1) has a head-to-head tiebreaker loss to Mount Airy (4-0), so the Rams need to win out AND need the Granite Bears to lose out to win the Northwest and get the top seed for the playoffs. Starmount plays South Stokes (1-3) on the road this week and plays Elkin (2-2) on the road next week. Mount Airy plays at Elkin this week and at home against Alleghany (3-1) next week. If Starmount and Alleghany end with a co-conference championship at 5-1, Starmount will get the top playoff seed because of its head-to-head win over the Trojans. If Alleghany loses to East Wilkes (1-2) this week before beating Mount Airy next week, Starmount would have an outright conference championship.

Smoky Mountain

• This week, Murphy (3-0) can clinch the 1-seed and an SMC co-conference championship with a win over Andrews (1-2) at home AND a Cherokee (2-1) loss at home vs. Swain County (0-3). Murphy has a head-to-head tiebreaker over Robbinsville, the other one-loss team in the SMC.
• Robbinsville (2-1) needs to win out against Hayesville (1-2) this week and Swain County (0-3) in two weeks AND needs Murphy (3-0) to lose to Andrews this week AND needs Murphy to lose to Cherokee (2-1) next week to clinch the 1-seed. Even if Cherokee ends the season 4-1 like Robbinsville, the Black Knights have an existing head-to-head tiebreaker that would give them the 1-seed.
• Cherokee (2-1) needs to win out against Swain County (0-3) this week and Murphy (3-0) next week AND needs Robbinsville to pick up a loss against Hayesville (1-2) this week OR needs Robbinsville to pick up a loss against Swain County (0-3) in two weeks to secure the 1-seed in the SMC. Cherokee needs to finish a game ahead of Robbinsville, which has the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Braves.

Tar-Roanoke

• This week, Wilson Prep (6-0) can clinch the top playoff spot with a win over Rocky Mount Prep (0-6) OR losses by Weldon (5-1) to Kipp Pride and Warren County (5-1) to Northwest Halifax (0-6). Wilson Prep has a one-game lead over Weldon and Warren with a head-to-head tiebreaker over both. If Wilson Prep wins, the Tigers can’t be caught. If all three lose, Wilson Prep can’t be caught.
• Warren County (5-1) needs to win against Northwest Hali

Source: highschoolot.com