The 2026 NCHSAA 1A football playoffs move into the second round Friday, Nov. 13, with 16 teams remaining in North Carolina’s smallest-school classification and two remarkable first-round stories already in the books.
Unbeaten Northside-Pinetown (10-0) and Chatham Central (10-0) hold the No. 1 seeds in the East and West, respectively. Defending state champion Wilson Prep, seeded second in the West, is also back in pursuit of another title after winning the school’s first championship last December.
The opening round produced two unlikely winners: North Stokes and Weldon STEM both entered the playoffs without a victory but earned their first wins of the season. Meanwhile, 2025 runner-up Robbinsville, seeded third in the West, remains a dangerous contender despite a 5-5 regular-season record against a challenging schedule.
Follow the complete 1A playoff bracket, second-round matchups, schedules, scores and results below as teams battle toward December’s state championship game.
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🔄 Last Updated: November 14, 2026 12:05 am
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📅 Second-Round 1A Matchups | Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
1A East
Sallie B. Howard 29, KIPP Pride 0
North Edgecombe 20, Southeast Halifax Collegiate 8
Northside-Pinetown 56, Washington County 6
Hobgood Charter 48, Weldon STEM 6
1A West
Chatham Central 40, College Prep and Leadership 0
East Columbus 20, Winston-Salem Prep 14
Robbinsville 61, North Stokes 6
Wilson Prep Academy 40, Rosman 28
⏪ First-Round 1A Matchups | Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5-6, 2026
1A East
Washington County 46, Columbia 8 (Monday)
KIPP Pride 15, Jones Senior 12 (Thursday)
Weldon STEM 16, Rocky Mount Prep 8 (Thursday)
1A West
The College Prep and Leadership Academy 16, Bonnie Cone 0 (Thursday)
North Stokes 21, South Davidson 12
Rosman 50, Andrews 0
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🏆 2026 NCHSAA 1A Football Playoff Bracket
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2026 NCHSAA Football 1A📄 Official NCHSAA Bracket (PDF)
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🔎 2026 NCHSAA 1A Playoff Bracket: What to Know
- Two teams get their first victories in the playoffs: North Stokes (0-10 in the regular season) defeated South Davidson 21-12 after losing to the same opponent 28-22 two weeks earlier. Weldon STEM (0-9) also avenged a regular-season defeat, beating Rocky Mount Prep 16-8 after falling to the Jaguars 26-18 in September. Both teams advance to the second round with 1-10 records.
- Two unbeaten teams lead the field: Northside-Pinetown and Chatham Central both enter the second round at 10-0 after receiving first-round byes. Northside-Pinetown, which reached last year’s semifinals, hosts Washington County in the East. Chatham Central welcomes The College Prep and Leadership Academy in the West.
- Wilson Prep begins its title defense: The defending 1A champion Tigers, seeded second in the West, open postseason play against Rosman. Wilson Prep (6-4) won its first state championship last December with a 9-8 victory over Robbinsville. All four regular-season losses came against larger schools, including 7A Clayton and 3A East No. 1 seed Northeastern.
- Robbinsville is better than its record suggests: Last year’s state runner-up started 0-4 against Tuscola (4A), Franklin (5A), Mountain Heritage (3A) and Mitchell (2A). The Black Knights then went 5-1 in Smoky Mountain Conference play, losing only to Murphy. Now seeded third in the West, Robbinsville (5-5) opens its postseason against North Stokes.
- A unique playoff field: The 1A classification features a mix of traditional public schools, charter schools and other smaller programs. With only 22 teams qualifying for the postseason, the bracket is already down to 16 after the opening round. Friday’s winners advance to the regional quarterfinals’ next stage, the regional semifinals.
- Last year’s finalists could meet again: Wilson Prep and Robbinsville competed in the 2025 state championship game but are both in the West this season. The teams could meet in the regional playoffs if they continue advancing, while Northside-Pinetown and Chatham Central lead the opposite sides of the championship picture.
🥇 Defending 1A State Champion: Wilson Prep
Wilson Prep captured its first football state championship in dramatic fashion on Dec. 11, 2025, edging Robbinsville 9-8 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Senior Ethan Nelson kicked a 28-yard field goal with 25 seconds remaining to deliver the victory and make Wilson Prep the first public charter school to win an NCHSAA football state title.
Championship game MVP Travon Usher rushed for 130 yards and recorded 17 tackles while playing with a broken foot.
Looking back: View the complete 2025 NCHSAA 1A playoff bracket, scores and results.
📅 2026 NCHSAA Football Playoff Schedule
- Oct. 30 – Final Friday night of the regular season around the state
- Oct. 31 – NCHSAA playoff brackets finalized and released
- Nov. 6 – First round (higher seeds host)
- Nov. 13 – Second round (higher seeds host)
- Nov. 20 – Third round (higher seeds host)
- Nov. 27 – Fourth round (higher seeds host)
- Dec. 4 – Regional finals (higher seeds host)
- Dec. 10-12 – State championships (neutral sites, TBA)
🏈 Related High School Football Playoff Coverage
NCHSAA Playoff Brackets Center | North Carolina High School Scoreboard | NCISAA Playoffs
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