After eight weeks of play, here’s what the NC high school athletic association boys soccer playoffs would look like in 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A.
In years past, this was too early for playoff projections. That’s not the case this year, the first in which MaxPreps.com’s computer rankings will play a major role in seeding the boys soccer playoffs.
Each conference gets a certain amount of automatic bids, based on the number of teams (1-4 teams = one bid; 5-8 teams = two bids; 9 or more = three bids). MaxPreps ranking is how the conference champions will be seeded, as well as the conference runner-ups and the third-place teams. A second-place team cannot be seeded higher than a 1-seed, a third-place team can’t be seeded higher than a runner-up and a wild-card can’t be seeded ahead of anything but other wild-cards.
Wild-card selections are done entirely based on MaxPreps ranking. If you’re a 4A or 1A bubble team, it’ll be important to stay about No. 48; if you’re in 2A or 3A, the number is No. 64 (though automatic bids could go to teams ranked lower, which would move the wild-card cutoff higher).
The brackets are divided into East and West based on geography. In the 48-team brackets of 4A and 1A, the top eight seeds in each bracket get a first-round bye.
The MaxPreps rankings are updated each Tuesday and Friday. This link will be updated on Tuesdays throughout the season right up until the field is announced on Oct. 30.
We’ll use MaxPreps rankings to project conference champions, runner-ups and, when necessary, third-place teams. This is an if-the-season-ended-today projection.
Last update: Last update: Wednesday, Oct. 11 1:45 p.m.
*-earning the overall seed in a split conference
**-earning an automatic bid, but will be seeded as a wild-card, not a 2-seed
1-Cardinal Gibbons vs BYE; 16-Laney vs 17-Millbrook
8-Enloe vs BYE; 9-Panther Creek vs 24-Riverside
4-Heritage vs BYE; 13-Cary vs 20-Leesville Road
5-Apex Friendship vs BYE; 12-Ashley vs 21-Sanderson
3-Hoggard vs BYE; 14-Broughton vs 19-Wakefield
6-New Bern vs BYE; 11-Wake Forest vs 22-Holly Springs
2-Green Hope vs BYE; 15-Athens Drive vs 18-Knightdale
7-Pine Forest vs BYE; 10-Apex vs 23-Corinth Holders
1-Hough vs BYE; 16-West Forsyth vs 17-Jordan
8-Reagan vs BYE; 9-Porter Ridge vs 24-Glenn
4-Myers Park vs BYE; 13-Lumberton vs 20-Ardrey Kell
5-Northwest Guilford vs BYE; 12-Mooresville vs 21-High Point Central
3-Providence vs BYE; 14-East Forsyth vs 19-Lake Norman
6-Pinecrest vs BYE; 11-Page vs 22-Mallard Creek
2-R. J. Reynolds vs BYE; 15-Independence vs 18-Butler
7-South Caldwell vs BYE; 10-South Mecklenburg vs 23-North Mecklenburg
1-Topsail vs 32-Southern Wayne; 16-Southern Lee vs 17-Southern Nash
8-Fike vs 25-J. H. Rose; 9-Gray’s Creek vs 24-Union Pines
4-Cleveland vs 29-West Brunswick; 13-Clayton vs 20-White Oak
5-C. B. Aycock vs 28-South Johnston; 12-Eastern Alamance vs 21-Asheboro
3-Lee County vs 30-Northside (Jacksonville); 14-East Chapel Hill vs 19-New Hanover
6-Northern Guilford vs 27-Hunt; 11-Williams vs 22-Orange
2-Jacksonville vs 31-Havelock; 15-D. H. Conley vs 18-Cape Fear
7-Chapel Hill vs 26-Northern Durham; 10-Swansboro vs 23-West Johnston
1-A. C. Reynolds vs 32-Kings Mountain; 16-North Gaston vs 17-Erwin
8-Forestview vs 25-Central Cabarrus; 9-Asheville vs 24-Piedmont
4-Southwestern Randolph vs 29-Parkwood; 13-Southwest Guilford vs 20-Tuscola
5-Cox Mill vs 28-Mount Tabor; 12-Hickory vs 21-Cuthbertson
3-Statesville vs 30-South Iredell; 14-Jay M. Robinson vs 19-T. C. Roberson
6-Parkland vs 27-St. Stephens; 11-A. L. Brown vs 22-Enka
2-Marvin Ridge vs 31-Northwest Cabarrus; 15-North Iredell vs 18-Charlotte Catholic
7-Watauga vs 26-West Henderson; 10-Weddington vs 23-North Forsyth
1-Wallace-Rose Hill vs 32-Eastern Randolph; 16-Whiteville vs 17-Farmville Central
8-North Johnston vs 25-Midway; 9-North Lenoir vs 24-Trinity
4-Carrboro vs 29-Southwest Onslow; 13-Currituck County vs 20-Clinton
5-Roanoke Rapids vs 28-Thomasville; 12-NCSSM vs 21-James Kenan
3-Dixon vs 30-Bunn; 14-Wheatmore vs 19-West Bladen
6-Jordan-Matthews vs 27-Spring Creek; 11-Richlands vs 22-Durham School of the Arts
2-First Flight vs 31-Northeastern; 15-Washington vs 18-Croatan
7-East Bladen vs 26-Trask; 10-East Duplin vs 23-Randleman
1-Newton-Conover vs 32-West Lincoln; 16-Franklin vs 17-East Montgomery
8-Owen vs 25-Maiden; 9-Forest Hills vs 24-Smoky Mountain
4-Central Davidson vs 29-Atkins; 13-South Point vs 20-East Lincoln
5-Shelby vs 28-North Surry; 12-Hendersonville vs 21-Lincolnton
3-Forbush vs 30-West Iredell; 14-Surry Central vs 19-Lexington
6-East Henderson vs 27-Bandys; 11-Lake Norman Charter vs 22-East Gaston
2-Patton vs 31-Chase; 15-Hibriten vs 18-Ashe County
7-Wilkes Central vs 26-Salisbury; 10-Ledford vs 23-Foard
1-Franklin Academy vs BYE; 16-Woods Charter vs 17-Oxford Prep
8-East Columbus vs BYE; 9-Cape Hatteras vs 24-Chatham Charter
4-Manteo vs BYE; 13-Southside vs 20-Henderson Collegiate
5-Hobbton vs BYE; 12-Voyager Academy vs 21-Camden County
3-Research Triangle vs BYE; 14-Edenton Holmes vs 19-Perquimans
6-Riverside (Williamston) vs BYE; 11-Raleigh Charter vs 22-Lakewood
2-Granville Central vs BYE; 15-Rosewood vs 18-Louisburg
7-Pender vs BYE; 10-KIPP Pride vs 23-North Duplin
1-Pine Lake Prep vs BYE; 16-Blue Ridge vs 17-West Montgomery
8-Bishop McGuinness vs BYE; 9-CSD vs 24-Murphy
4-Gray Stone Day vs BYE; 13-Avery County vs 20-Alleghany County
5-Lincoln Charter vs BYE; 12-Hayesville vs 21-Uwharrie Charter
3-Starmount vs BYE; 14-Queens Grant vs 19-Mountain Island Charter
6-Highlands vs BYE; 11-Thomas Jefferson vs 22-Highland Tech
2-Mount Airy vs BYE; 15-Union Academy vs 18-East Surry
7-Polk County vs BYE; 10-North Moore vs 23-East Wilkes
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