As the playoff picture begins to take shape in the final stretch of the high school football regular season, one Chatham County team maintained its good standing for the postseason while two others saw their playoff chances slip in week eight.
Northwood was the only county team to head into the weekend with a victory for the second week in a row as Chatham Central and Seaforth once again fell short.
In the RPI rankings, the Hawks and the Bears sit outside of the playoff field in addition to Jordan-Matthews, which had a bye Friday. All three teams will need a strong finish to the regular season to possibly revive their playoff hopes, but it won’t be an easy task with tough games left to play.
As the county teams continue their late-season pushes to the postseason, here’s a recap of Friday’s football action, a preview of next week for each county team, conference standings and the latest football power rankings:
Northwood
Northwood (5-3, 5-1) won its fourth straight conference game with a 69-2 home victory over Graham (1-6, 5-1) Friday.
Junior running back Robert Tripp led the way with 126 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries. Junior quarterback Grayson Cox also had a successful night, completing eight of nine pass attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns to sophomore Raje Torres and senior Isaiah Blair.
The Chargers also got two special teams scores, including a punt return from Torres and a kickoff return from senior Antoine Brewington.
The third-place Chargers will travel to second-place Cummings (6-1, 5-0) Friday at 7 p.m. for a huge Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference showdown. Northwood will have a chance to take the second-place spot in the conference which comes with an automatic bid to the playoffs and a likely boost in the RPI rankings, where it now sits at the No. 23 spot in 2A East.
If the Chargers want to improve their playoff situation, they’ll have to contain Cummings’ rushing attack from a group of rushers led by juniors Devin Witherspoon and Jaidyn Briskey. Those two have combined for over 250 rushing yards four times this season, the Cavaliers have size and play with great physicality. Especially up front where Northwood has been solid this season, the Chargers will have to match the physical play on both sides of the ball.
Chatham Central
Chatham Central (1-7, 0-6) fell victim to Witherspoon and Briskey in a 56-0 loss to Cummings Friday.
The Bears gave up 185 yards rushing on just 12 total carries (15.4 yards per carry) with Witherspoon (three rushing touchdowns) and Briskey (two rushing touchdowns) combining for 153 yards.
Senior receiver Ja’Kway Robertson also had an explosive night, hauling in three receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown.
The Bears sit at the No. 33 spot in the 1A East RPI rankings, which is just outside of the playoff picture.
Chatham Central will have a bye Friday before travelling to Northwood on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.
Seaforth
Following a second-straight loss at the hands of North Moore, Seaforth (2-4, 2-3) will face off against first-place Southeast Alamance (7-0, 5-0) at their place Friday at 7 p.m.
Southeast Alamance has given up just 12 total points in conference play, shutting out their last two opponents Jordan-Matthews and Bartlett Yancey.
The Stallions have found success both running and throwing the ball this season, playing like a team that can cause damage in a variety of ways.
Against a complete and explosive team like Southeast Alamance, Seaforth will need to cut down on crucial turnovers and execute its time-consuming possessions with touchdowns. Wearing out the Stallions’ defense with the rushing attack of Duncan Parker and Evan Minor could help Seaforth control the pace of the game, should they be able to consistently get positive gains.
Jordan-Matthews
Jordan-Matthews (2-5, 1-4) will host Bartlett Yancey Friday at 7 p.m.
Both teams are in the midst of three-game losing streaks, but the Jets, dealing with many key injuries, are coming off a much-needed bye.
For Jordan-Matthews, this game could be an opportunity to bounce back from three brutal losses and make a closer game than recent weeks. With many young guys filling in for their injured teammates, this game will also add to the younger group’s growing experience on the varsity level.
Power Rankings
Last week: 1. Northwood; 2. Seaforth; 3. Chatham Central; 4. Jordan-Matthews
This week’s rankings: 1. Northwood; 2. Seaforth; 3. Chatham Central; 4. Jordan-Matthews
Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings: 1. Southeast Alamance (7-0, 5-0); 2. Cummings (6-1, 5-0); 3. Northwood (5-3, 5-1); 4. North Moore (3-4, 3-2); 5. Seaforth (2-4, 2-3); 6. Bartlett Yancey (2-6, 2-4); 7. Jordan-Matthews (2-5, 1-4); 8. Graham (1-6, 1-4); 9. Chatham Central (1-7, 0-6)