By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
Previewing tonight’s first round 3A state football playoff games involving teams from the Northwestern 3A-4A (all seeds are in the West bracket and all statistical references are unofficial totals):
3A
No. 12 HICKORY (6-5) at No. 5 WEDDINGTON (8-3), 7:30 p.m.
The Red Tornadoes return to the state playoffs under first-year head coach Russell Stone, who is no stranger to the big games, after not advancing for three straight seasons.
Hickory, led by QB Derrien Phillips, goes for its first postseason win since beating Hibriten in 2012 and its first state playoff win on the road since a 63-0 victory in 2007 in Gastonia over Hunter Huss — a night a future NFLer, FB Austin Johnson, ran for four scores and RB Darrien Burch added three more rushing TDs.
With Phillips at the controls, the Red Tornadoes have shown they have the kind of offense that can keep them in any game.
Weddington — which finished third in the Southern Carolina 3A behind Charlotte Catholic and Marvin Ridge — has won two straight games by shutout – 45-0 over Cuthbertson and 34-0 over Monroe.
Crest was the team to stop Weddington after its 3-0 start, winning by a point at Crest.
Hickory goes in 18-25 overall in the state playoffs (since 1972) and makes its 26th postseason appearance in that same time span.
The Red Tornadoes are 6-13 in road games in the state playoffs in the modern era.
Next up: The winner plays No. 13 West Rowan or No. 4 Hunter Huss, going to Hunter Huss or playing at home against West Rowan.
No. 10 FREEDOM (7-4) at No. 7 ROCKINGHAM COUNTY (8-3), 7:30 p.m.
Freedom’s sixth straight postseason bid starts on the road, where the Patriots are 2-12 as part of their all-time 13-24 postseason record.
Both of those road wins came in 2012 (at Burns, at East Henderson).
A win tonight would give Freedom its 19th team in school history to win at least eight games, and QB Jayden Birchfield will be a key player for the Patriots as always.
Rockingham County, located in Wentworth, tied Eastern Alamance for second in the Mid-State 3A (Western Alamance won the league title).
Senior QB Christopher Shoemaker (127-221-10 for 1,755 yards, 17 TDs) leads an offense averaging 340 yards per game, and junior RB Anthony Sedeno has rushed for 1,232 yards and 17 scores.
Freedom is in the state playoffs for the 24th time (it had a bid in 2011 as well but was held out of the postseason because of having exceeded the limit of game ejections).
Next up: The winner battles No. 15 Forestview or No. 2 Kings Mountain. Kings Mountain would have a home game against the winner and Forestview would go to Morganton or Wentworth.
No. 16 WEST CALDWELL (6-5) at No. 1 CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC (11-0), 7:30 p.m.
It’s the third time to Charlotte for the Warriors to play the Cougars. They’re o-2 there, falling 42-6 in the 2003 state playoffs and 35-6, also in Charlotte, in the 2004 bracket.
West Caldwell’s 16th postseason bid since 1981 comes under the sixth different head coach, DeVore Holman, to guide them to the state playoffs.
Since 1981, the Warriors are 9-15 in the postseason, which includes 3-7 on the road.
Catholic won the Southern Carolina 3A title and has two sparkplugs on offense – junior QB Christopher Walton (56-81-2 for 1,114 yards, 6 TDs) and senior RB Malan Howard (130-1,521, 20 TDs).
West Caldwell’s most recent road playoff win was two seasons ago, 26-24 at Ashe County.
Next up: The winner faces No. 9 Concord or No. 8 Stuart Cramer. Catholic would be at home for the second round while West Caldwell would go to Concord or Cramer.