Editor’s note: Like all posts on our website, this story is copyrighted and can’t be reprinted or broadcast without crediting HobbsDailyReport.com’s research regarding state playoff bids, records, etc.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) list of all-time bids and wins goes only back to 1972 while our unofficial totals dip back into the 1960s.
To request a waiver of our copyright, e-mail chobbs001@att.net.
Maiden’s home battle with Mt. Pleasant
is its 100th postseason football game
Chris Hobbs, editor and content coordinator of HobbsDailyReport.com, is in his 47th year of covering prep sports in the Greater Hickory area.
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
Anticipating rainy weather on Friday, many schools in Eastern North Carolina and four of the seven area teams still alive in the postseason are moving their second-round state playoff games to Thursday night.
Locally, Bunker Hill, East Lincoln, Hibriten and Lincolnton announced Monday they are moving their games up by one night.
Still set for Friday are: No. 11 Mitchell County (8-3) at No. 6 Draughn (10-1) in 1A, No. 21 Mount Pleasant (8-3) at No. 5 Maiden (10-1) in 2A and No. 14 Northwest Guilford (9-2) at No. 3 Watauga (10-1).
Bunker Hill
The Bears (10-1, West No. 13 seed) will play their 30th state playoff game on Thursday at 7 p.m. , facing No. 5 Community School of Davidson (10-1) on the road.
Bunker Hill — in the second round for the third time in five years — is trying to get to the third round for the third time in school history and match what its 1985 (eliminated 33-8 at Lexington) and 1987 (eliminated 37-0 at Mount Airy) teams did.
At 26-4 since the spring of 2021, the Bears are a win away from matching their best-ever three-year run (27-8 from 1987-1989 under head coach Randy Faucette.
Faucette guided seven of Bunker Hill’s 22 teams that reached the postseason. They’re 7-21 in the state playoffs, including 3-17 on the road.
Bunker Hill’s three road wins in the postseason: 40-14, first round at South Stanly (1985), 54-12, first round at Mitchell County (1987) and 20-17, first round at Ashe County (2013).
Next: Home vs. No. 21 Mount Pleasant (8-3) or at No. 5 Maiden (10-1)
Draughn
The sixth-seeded Wildcats (10-1) have a home rematch with Western Highlands 1A-2A foe Mitchell County (8-3, No. 11 seed) on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Draughn defeated Mitchell County 56-21 at Draughn in the Wildcats’ seventh game of the season.
In its 14th football season, Draughn has reached the postseason for the fifth time and gets its third shot at going to the third round.
The 2011 team lost in the second round at Lincolnton and the 2021 team fell in the second round 55-20 at Eastern Randolph, both 2A games.
The Wildcats have won 28 of their last 42 games under head coach Chris Powell.
Draughn’s only three postseason wins in seven postseason games were home games (Madison in 2011, Elkin a year ago and Union Academy last Friday).
Next: Home vs. No. 14 Swain County (5-6) or at No. 3 Thomasville (10-1).
East Lincoln
The fourth-seeded Mustangs (11-0) — in the playoffs for the 17th time in 18 seasons and 26th time overall — welcome a visit from No. 13 Waynesville Tuscola (10-1) on Thursday at 7 p.m.
East Lincoln needs a win to get to 12 (or more) for the fifth time since since 2008 (14-2 in 2008, 15-0 and state champ in 2012, 16-0 and state champ in 2014 and 14-1 in 2015).
The Mustangs’ record from 2006 to 2016 was 126-31 and included four forfeit losses. They are 170-56 since 2006, cooling off a bit (44-25) in the last six seasons.
Next: Home vs. No. 12 Ledford (10-1) or No. 5 NW Cabarrus (10-1).
Hibriten
The Panthers (6-5, West No. 9) are a fixture in the postseason, making their 21st straight appearance and they’ll post a 16th consecutive non-losing season.
Hibriten plays at No. 8 West Charlotte (6-5), which has continued work on its football facility, and that moves the game to West Mecklenburg on Friday at 7 p.m.
The Panthers have never faced a Mecklenburg County School in the state football playoffs.
This will be the 60th postseason game for the Panthers (37-22), who are 31-10 in home playoff games but only 5-12 on the road (plus 1-0 on neutral fields).
Hibriten has not won an away game in the state playoff since an opening round victory over East Gaston the 2015 bracket. The other road wins: 31-0 at East Surry (1979), 25-22 at Hendersonville (1995), by an after-the-game forfeit by Hickory (2011) and 28-18 over Canton Pisgah (2013).
To put into context on how Hibriten built its program: Dating back to 1966, the Panthers earned a postseason bid three times over 35 seasons and then began its current postseason streak.
Next: Home vs. No. 17 Smoky Mountain (7-4) or at No. 1 Kings Mountain (11-0).
Lincolnton
The Wolves’ battle with No. 7 Monroe (10-1) will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday in Monroe.
Lincolnton (6-5) is enjoying its 35th state playoff bid since 1976 and battling to snap a string of six consecutive losing seasons.
At one point, the Wolves reached the postseason 18 straight times. They are 14-18 over the last three seasons and back in the state playoffs after missing them in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Next: At No. 15 Hendersonville (9-2) or at No. 2 East Surry (11-0).
Maiden
On Friday (7:30 p.m.) the Blue Devils — in their 47th state playoff appearance and 27th in a row — can get this team on a valuable Maiden list.
Maiden has indicated if rain becomes a factor on Friday, the game would move to Saturday with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
As they line up to face Mount Pleasant (8-3, West No. 21 seed) for the fifth time in a postseason game, the Blue Devils have had 16 previous teams win 11 or more games.
Maiden first met the Tigers in Newton-Conover’s Gurley Stadium in 1971 in the West 2A championship game (there were no state finals back then), winning 6-2.
Mount Pleasant visited Maiden in the first round in 1996, and the Blue Devils rolled 63-21.
In 2016, Mount Pleasant won a first-round game at Maiden 35-21, and the teams met in the first round in 2021 at Maiden (Blue Devils 37-29).
Unofficially, Maiden is 57-42 in state playoff games and especially effective in the old stadium and in the new stadium, both named after late head coach Tom Brown.
The Blue Devils are 39-18 in home postseason games with an opportunity to reach the third round for the 14th time; Maiden is 13-17 in its previous 30 shots at advancing to a third-round game.
Maiden has been at least three rounds deep at least once in every decade since the 1970s (1971, 1977, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2021). The late Brown guided 10 of those teams, his son Brian Brown was head coach in 2011 and Will Byrne got the Blue Devils into (and through) the third round a year ago.
Next: Home vs. No. 13 Bunker Hill (10-1) or at No. 4 Community School of Davidson (10-1).
Watauga
The third-seeded Pioneers (10-1) meet No. 14 Northwest Guilford (9-2) in Boone on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in a 4A game.
Watauga is making its 12th straight postseason appearance and has missed the state playoffs only once (2010) in the last 17 years.
Sine Ryan Habich became head coach in 2013, the Pioneers are 95-28 with five consecutive league crowns (unbeaten in the conference each time) and two second-places finishes and a tie for second place in the mix as well.
Next: Home vs. No. 6 Weddington (10-1) or No. 11 Cox Mill (9-2).
CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to indicate this is the fifth Mount Pleasant=Maiden postseason football game and also corrects the final score of the 2021 meeting.
