Randleman and North Rowan will be carrying the banners Friday for the 2A PAC 7 Conference and the 1A Yadkin Valley Conference into the 3rd Round of the NCHSAA State Playoffs.
The two teams area all that will be left practicing on Thanksgiving Day as four other area league teams were eliminated last Friday night.
In the 1A West Bracket, Albemarle (5-8) out of the YVC was drubbed 40-0 up in Mooresboro by Thomas Jefferson Classical (11-1).
Also out of the YVC but in the 1AA East Bracket, North Stanly (7-6) was pummeled down in Edenton by Holmes (13-0) by a 49-7 count.
In the 1AA West, North Rowan (9-3) spotted Princeton (10-2) a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter before storming back for 26-14 victory to advance into the third round.
The Cavaliers, who started 0-3 on the season, will travel to No. 1 seed Tarboro (12-0) down in Edgecombe County on Friday evening. The Vikings have 42 in a row.
Against Princeton, Malcolm Wilson sparked the North Rowan rally from 14 points down in the opening period by racing 85 yards to paydirt for his 30th touchdown of the year to close the gap to 14-6. Jaydon Brooks had scored from 75 yards out for the visiting Wildcats before using a 25 yard reverse from Devontay Richardson for a score and its 14-0 lead.
Tyshon Sifford darted 20 yards on a bruising touchdown run with 1:48 left in the half and quarterback Kyree Sims pounded in on the two-point conversion to tie the score at the break at 14-all.
North Rowan wasted little time in taking the lead in the second half as Wilson returned the opening kickoff 37 yards to set up the Cavaliers at its own 40 yard line before Sims hit Sifford on a 45-yard gain to the Princeton 15. Two players later, Wilson sliced in from 11 yards out to send North Rowan into a 20-16 advantage, it’s first lead of the contest.
Princeton would drive to the 10 of North Rowan with just over five minutes remaining before fumbling the ball away.
With the momentum, the Cavaliers drove the entire distance with Wilson blasting in from three yards out late in the contest to put the finishing touches on the 26-14 triumph.
Wilson had 209 yards rushing on 19 carries in the win.
Tarboro destroyed Hobbton 64-0 in the second round.
In the 2A West out of the PAC 7, Eastern Randolph (10-3) saw West Stokes erase a 15-6 halftime lead with 20 straight unanswered points to send the Wildcats packing with a 26-21 victory.
Randleman (12-0), meanwhile, survived a tough tussle from East Duplin (7-6) by a 29-20 count up in Randolph County to advance on into the third round in the 2AA East.
Sophomore back Na’Hiem Lilly rushed for 251 yards and four touchdowns to spark the Tigers in the win.
Trailing 14-7 early in the third after East Duplin’s Russell Gabby pounded over from two yards out after a Randleman fumble, Lilly went to work. The sophomore capped an ensuing drive with an 18-yard run to paydirt to tie the game at 14-14 before score again from 14 yards out late in the third and going over for the two-point conversion to make the score 22-14.
Lilly, who now has 2,087 yards on the season and 30 touchdowns, scored from four yards out with 3:35 left to put the Tigers up 29-14.
East Duplin scored on a pass on the games final play to make the final 29-20.
Randleman will play host to South Granville (10-3) in the third round. The Vikings downed Currituck 20-13 to advance to battle the Tigers.