ESPN High School Sports

For the first time in three years, there will be a new Class 4AA champion.

With two-time defending champ Butler up 20 points in its third-round matchup with Greensboro Page, it appeared most local fans would get what they wanted: a rematch between Butler and Mallard Creek in the next round. But the Bulldogs' dream matchup vanished after a nightmarish second half.

Page capitalized on the Bulldogs' penalties and five turnovers to reel off 34 unanswered points and secure a 40-26 win on Friday. The Pirates, who were led by QB James Summers' 248 total yards and five touchdowns, will face Mallard Creek in this week's 4AA state semifinals.

Summers scored twice on runs to open the second half and tie the game before a one-yard TD pass to Orlando Hatfield gave the Pirates the lead for good with 4:48 to play. Meanwhile, Butler junior QB Riley Ferguson threw three picks in the final 15 minutes to thwart the Bulldogs' chances for a comeback.

Needless to say, Butler dropped out of the latest POWERADE FAB 50, while Mallard Creek moved up to No. 13 in the national rankings.

Garner will take on Jack Britt in the other 4AA semifinal after both teams rode their rushing attacks to victory. Garner was led by tailback Juwan Moye's 285 total yards and three scores in a 42-21 win against previously undefeated Leesville Road. The Pride got 402 total yards from do-everything player Braxton Berrios, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Trojans' quick start.

Meanwhile, Jack Britt ran the ball 60 times for 333 yards to push past Middle Creek, 28-14. After starting 2-2, the Buccaneers have won nine straight, including four straight shutouts prior to last week's third-round win.

A new 4A champion will be crowned as well after top-ranked Scotland knocked off defending champ Hillside. The Fighting Scots' were paced by the three-headed monster of QB Kwashaun Quick and tailbacks Tony McRae and Caison Murphy, who accounted for all seven of the the team's scores in the 35-7 win. Next up will be New Bern, which downed New Hanover, 31-20.

On the other hand, West Rowan has bounced back from a slow start to make sure there won't be a new champion in the 3A ranks. The three-time defending champs have won their last six games by an average of nearly 20 points, but face quite the test in a 13-1 Burns squad that has similar success on the scoreboard of late.

Brandon Parker covers North Carolina for ESPNHS magazine and ESPNHIGHSCHOOL.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandoncparker or email him at brandon.c.parker@espn.com.

The third round of the playoffs is about to get underway, meaning the stakes are higher and competition is much more intense. Here are the games to watch:

Butler at Greensboro Page
Butler faces its biggest test since opening the season against Mallard Creek. Greensboro Page has been dominant all year behind dual-threat QB James Summers and tailback Drew Rogers. The Pirates' defense has also been impressive, giving up less than eight points per game. But of course, this unit will have its hands full with Butler's plethora of offensive weapons. Whichever team wins the turnover battle is likely to come out on top.
My pick: Butler 35, Greensboro Page 31

Leesville Road at Garner
One team will emerge with its first loss of the year and it's hard to tell who in this evenly-matched contest. Creating offense shouldn't be a problem for either team in this matchup, what with Garner averaging 48.1 points and Leesville Road averaging 54.1 points. In other words, simply one defensive stop could make the difference in this one.
My pick: Leesville Road 38, Garner 35

Hillside at Scotland
Hillside faces a major roadblock in its bid to repeat as champs when it faces Scotland tonight. The Fighting Scots have been unbeatable this season behind QB Kwashaun Quick and their athletic skill players. Hillside has obviously been here before, though, and boasts a star on both sides of the ball in RB Khris Francis and DL Jamal Marcus.
My pick: Scotland 27, Hillside 20

A.L. Brown at Charlotte Catholic
A.L. Brown enters this contest with hopes of proving its a viable contender, but as has been the case for five of the past seven years, Charlotte Catholic has plans of ending the Wonders' playoff run. Charlotte Catholic has gotten a surprise boost from sophomore tailback Elijah Hood this season, while the Wonders were routed in their one contest against a ranked team this year (41-13 loss to Porter Ridge).
My pick: Charlotte Catholic 34, A.L. Brown 21

Brandon Parker covers North Carolina for ESPNHS magazine and ESPNHIGHSCHOOL.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandoncparker or email him at brandon.c.parker@espn.com.

A weekend filled with rematches ended up as a major case of deja vu:

*Butler beat Independence for the fifth straight time, riding Riley Ferguson's four touchdowns to a 42-20 win.

*Leesville Road continued to light up the scoreboard, beating Cap 8 rival Wake Forest-Rolesville for the second time in three weeks. Braxton Berrios proved unstoppable, scoring six times in the 49-20 win. Next up: undefeated Garner.

*Middle Creek did it again, using a late charge to push past Fuquay-Varina, 34-20. For their second third-round trip in school history, the Mustangs will face Jack Britt, which has shut out its last four opponents.

*The second time was a bit easier for Asheville, as it beat rival Erwin, 26-7, to keep its undefeated season in tact. Brandon Williams led the way with 123 rushing yards and two scores. Next up: Crest.

This past weekend's outcomes sets up a juicy slate of third-round playoff matchups. Check back here Thursday to catch a preview.

Brandon Parker covers North Carolina for ESPNHS magazine and ESPNHIGHSCHOOL.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandoncparker or email him at brandon.c.parker@espn.com.

Second chances are often hard to come by in life, but for several North Carolina football teams, they will get just that in the second round of the playoffs this weekend.

Butler vs. Independence
Never mind that Butler has won the last four meetings with rival Independence, or even that he Bulldogs downed the Patriots, 36-26, just two weeks ago. Whenever these two teams meet in the playoffs, it's big — so big, that's it's been moved to the bigger stadium at Providence as was the case when they meet in 2009.

Mind you, the last time Butler lost in the playoffs, it was to Independence, a juggernaut that once won 109 games, has seven state titles to its name and is returning to prominence after last year's losing campaign.

Also be mindful that Butler is on a mission to reach its third straight title game in hopes of avenging their earlier loss to Mallard Creek and win its third consecutive 4AA crown. Lots of storylines and lots of potential for fireworks in this contest.
My pick: Butler 35, Independence 27

Wake Forest-Rolesville at Leesville Road
Two weeks ago, Leesville Road stopped the Cougars from having at least a share of the Cap 8 title for the first time in six years. But the night wasn't full of great memories for the Pride, as quarterback Austin Berrios tore his ACL. Still, the offense didn't miss a beat last week, scoring nine times and racking up 561 rushing yards in a win against Broughton. Wake Forest-Rolesville figures to make several defensive adjustments to slow the Pride's explosive offense, but the question is will it be enough?
My pick: Leesville Road 38, Wake Forest-Rolesville 35

Fuquay-Varina at Middle Creek
You remember the first time these two met this year, as Middle Creek overcame a 13-point deficit to win an overtime thriller. Since then, Fuquay-Varina has been flawless, winning eight straight games behind a solid running attack led by Carlton Bridges (195 yards, two scores last week). The Bengals' defensive effort could prove key, though, as QB David Salmon tore through the secondary for four scores in their last meeting.
My pick: Fuquay-Varina 31, Middle Creek 21

Erwin at Asheville
The door to the 3AA championship opened a bit wider for these two teams when Weddington upset South Point in the first round last weekend. And best believe that both Erwin and Asheville will do everything in their power to avoid being the next team to go home. During Asheville's undefeated regular season, Erwin gave the Cougars their toughest test before falling 21-20. Erwin will have to prove more stout against Asheville's powerful rushing attack behind Tysean Holloway and Deveron Roberts if it wants to pull off the next big upset.
My pick: Asheville 28, Erwin 24

Brandon Parker covers North Carolina for ESPNHS magazine and ESPNHIGHSCHOOL.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandoncparker or email him at brandon.c.parker@espn.com.

Believe it or not, it's been 11 weeks since Mallard Creek and Butler faced off in a makeshift championship game for the season opener. Now it's playoff time and plenty of teams have emerged with the Mavericks and Bulldogs as prime contenders the state crown.

Leesville Road and Havelock entered the final regular season rankings with dominant performances to cap their undefeated regular seasons. Leesville Road easily downed previously ranked Wake-Forest Rolesville to win the Cap 8 title, but it lost QB Austin Berrios to a knee injury on the game's opening kickoff, potentially making the road to a state title a bit tougher. Havelock, which beat Burns earlier this year for its signature win, appears to be the favorite in 3A after outscoring opponent by an average of 48.6 to 14.3.

The rankings will return after the postseason for one final evaluation of the season, but stay tuned to ESPNHS North Carolina for playoff updates.

Click here for a full playoff pairing list from the Charlotte Observer.

Nationally, Mallard Creek moved up to No. 20 while Butler stood pat at No. 32 in the POWERADE FAB 50.

Here are the final regular season rankings (last week's rankings are in parentheses):

1. Mallard Creek (Charlotte) 10-0 (1)
Jela Duncan scored five touchdowns as the Mavericks beat Hough, 51-14, and won their third straight I-MECK title. The No. 2 seeded Mavericks will begin the 4AA playoffs against South Mecklenburg.

2. Butler (Matthews) 9-1 (2)
The Bulldogs beat Independence, 38-26, to earn the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. They will host Hoke County this week in the 4AA playoffs.

3. Scotland 10-0 (3)
The Fighting Scots continued their dominance, beating previously ranked Richmond, 42-7. Top-seeded 4A squad will take on Harnett Central in first round of playoffs.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina football rankings

Some are looking ahead to the playoffs, but several regular-season finales will have a intense postseason feel with conference titles being on the line. Here are the games to look out for in Week 10 North Carolina football:

No. 9 Richmond at No. 3 Scotland
The SEC title and playoff implications will be on the line in this much-anticipated matchup between top-10 teams. The Fighting Scots enter the contest with great momentum, winning their last four games by nearly 30 points each. All four of those opponents (Purnell Swett, Pinecrest, Lumberton and Hoke County) are ones that Richmond has either lost to or barely defeated in the same span.

The firepower that characterized Richmond at the start of the season has faded some, but there's still playmaking ability in standouts like Steve Houston. The Raiders will have to focus on slowing down Scotland QB Kwashaun Quick, who has picked apart defenses with his dual threat ability.
My pick: Scotland 35, Richmond 24

No. 5 Charlotte Catholic at Olympic
After both teams topped a solid Berry Academy team, they now end the regular season with a makeshift MEGA-7 conference championship. The difference could be made on the defensive end, as Charlotte Catholic has allowed just 14.3 points per game. And when the Cougars D is clicking, it allows sophomore RB Elijah Hood to break big plays like he has all season.
My pick: Charlotte Catholic 27, Olympic 20

No. 7 Wake-Forest Rolesville (9-1) at Leesville Road (9-0)
Few teams in the nation, let alone the state, can score like Leesville Road. The Pride has put up 55.7 points per game and has racked up 63 or more points on three occasions. But they will face their stiffest competition yet this weekend when Wake Forest-Rolesville comes to town. The Cougars can light up the scoreboard, too, and continue to find emerging stars with each passing week. Defense could be at a minimum in this contest, but a big turnover could be the deciding factor.
My pick: Wake Forest-Rolesville 38, Leesville Road, 35

Crest at No. 10 South Point
After a slow start, Crest has emerged as the intimidating squad that most thought the Chargers would be, winning seven straight behind an evolving offense and defensive playmakers Rhaheim Ledbetter and Jonathan Bullard. This duo will be tested, though, by powerful fullback Troy Leeper, who has had his way against most defenses this season.
My pick: South Point 34, Crest 24

Brandon Parker covers North Carolina for ESPNHS magazine and ESPNHIGHSCHOOL.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandoncparker or email him at brandon.c.parker@espn.com.

It's time for the North Carolina All-State football stock watch, but from here on out, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Along with highlighting an All-State player who is ballin' out, we're going to hand out On The Rise (OTR) awards to players who didn't make the preseason list but are on their way to earning postseason recognition.

UP — Braxton Berrios, Leesville Road WR/DB
He may have a cool last name, but Berrios has been on fire for the high-powered Leesville Road offense. The senior has, who snags passes from his brother Austin, has 455 yards and four touchdowns on the season. With Berrios leading the way, the Pride are 7-0 and favorites to win the Cap 8 conference title.

OTR — Khris Francis, Hillside RB
Entering the season, most wondered how the Hornets would replace the incredible offensive impact of quarterback Vad Lee, who is now at Georgia Tech. Francis has answered the call, rushing for 1,171 yards and 23 touchdowns for Hillside. His emergence has helped the Hornets win six straight games after dropping their season opener and hit their stride as the playoffs loom.

Brandon Parker covers North Carolina for ESPNHS magazine and ESPNHIGHSCHOOL.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandoncparker or email him at brandon.c.parker@espn.com.

Several teams will walk away from the sixth week of North Carolina football with their first loss, making for some intriguing matchups.

The first such game went down Thursday, as Leesville Road (6-0) outlasted Wakefield (6-1) in a 67-58 shootout. Wolverines quarterback Connor Mitch threw for seven touchdowns and nearly 600 yards, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Pride's sibling tandem Austin and Braxton Berrios.

Here are a few other gridiron bouts to watch for this weekend:

Marvin Ridge (5-0) at No. 9 Porter Ridge (5-0)
This Union County matchup could be a shootout, as both teams can pile up points in a hurry. Before its week, Porter Ridge scored a season-low 10 points in a tight win against Providence, but with Lee McNeil at quarterback and a week's rest, the Pirates are poised to return to their high-scoring ways. Marvin Ridge, whose signature win came earlier in the season against a solid Ardrey Kell squad, has topped 30 points in each of its last three games.
My Pick: Porter Ridge 38, Marvin Ridge 31

Burns (5-1) at Chase (6-0)
Just a week after taking down previously undefeated Freedom, 27-26, Burns will look to hand another team its first loss in Chase. Bulldogs running back Darius Ramsey will be the focus for a Chase defense that's surrendered an average of 14.7 points per game this season.
My Pick: Burns 24, Chase 21

Laney (5-0) at Hoggard (5-0)
This crosstown rivalry has a little more spice this season with both Laney and Hoggard entering the contest without a loss. Hoggard has won nine of their last 10 meetings, but Laney has been lighting up the scoreboard this year, averaging more than 47 points per contest. Much of that production has come from Buccaneers quarterback Mike Sheehan, who has thrown for 963 yards, 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Hoggard DB Tevin Jackson (two interceptions) will have his eye on Sheehan and his favorite target, Tevin Clay (442 receiving yards and eight TDs).
My pick: Laney 42, Hoggard 28

Brandon Parker covers North Carolina for ESPNHS magazine and ESPNHIGHSCHOOL.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandoncparker or email him at brandon.c.parker@espn.com.

It's time for our weekly North Carolina All-State Football Stock Watch. This time around, we look at a sophomore tailback who plays like anything but an underclassman and another running back who kills opponents with his speed.

UP — Elijah Hood, Charlotte Catholic RB
The Cougars are surging up the state rankings and Hood is big reason why. The sophomore running back needed just six carries to rack up 145 rushing yards and three touchdowns in last Friday's 49-14 rout of Charlotte Latin.

DOWN — Phillip Williamson, Jordan LB
It's been a rough season for the Falcons' defense, which has given up an average of 33 points per contest during a 1-3 start. Some of that onus falls on Williamson, the unquestioned leader of the Jordan D. Should the Falcons turn things around, it will start with the UNC commit and his defensive teammates. But in fairness, Jordan's schedule has been tough, taking on No. 7 WF-Rolesville and a tough Leesville Road squad.

UP — Detrez Newsome, Hoke County RB
A stomach bug slowed Newsome in the Bucks' lone loss of the season, but since then, it's the Bucks' opponents who have had a hard time stomaching Newsome. The junior exploded in last week's 42-12 win against Sanderson, rushing for 210 yards and four touchdowns. Newsome showed his speed with two scores of 70 yards or more, boosting the Bucks to their 3-1 start.

Brandon Parker covers North Carolina for ESPNHS magazine and ESPNHIGHSCHOOL.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandoncparker or email him at brandon.c.parker@espn.com.