The final week of the 2025 NCHSAA high school football season has arrived, and teams in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties are getting in formation ahead of anticipated playoff runs.

With that said, it’s time to survey where area squads may land in their respective playoff brackets.

Following the move to eight classifications, the state playoffs will have a new look this fall. Classes 1A-7A will feature a 48-team bracket, with the top 16 seeds receiving a first-round bye. As for Class 8A, 24 of its 32 programs will earn a postseason bid, with the top eight teams receiving a pass through the first round.

Unlike previous seasons where conference finish aided the seeding process, the NCHSAA is solely utilizing its RPI system to build playoff brackets. After establishing each classifica

See Full Page