The 2026 NCHSAA 2A football playoffs move into the second round Friday, Nov. 13, with defending state champion Tarboro, unbeaten Warren County and several traditional small-school powers among the 32 remaining teams.
Tarboro (9-1), the East’s No. 1 seed, begins its pursuit of a third consecutive championship against Rosewood. The Vikings have won 10 state titles, including six since 2017, and their only regular-season loss in 2026 came against 5A contender Hunt.
The West features two familiar Tarboro championship opponents. Top-seeded Corvian Community (9-1) fell to the Vikings in the 2024 1A championship game, while No. 3 Murphy lost to Tarboro 22-0 in last year’s 2A final. Warren County (10-0), the East’s No. 3 seed, is the only undefeated team remaining in the classification.
The first round went almost entirely according to seed, with No. 19 South Stanly’s victory over No. 14 South Stokes producing the only upset. Follow the complete 2A playoff bracket, second-round matchups, schedules, scores and results below as teams battle toward December’s state championship game.
🔄 Last Updated: November 14, 2026 12:01 am
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📅 Second-Round 2A Matchups | Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
2A East
East Bladen 49, Bertie 18
Gates County 20, North Duplin 12
Holmes 42, Hobbton 6
Lakewood 57, Northwest Halifax Collegiate 0
Manteo 24, Camden County 16
Tarboro 49, Rosewood 7
Warren County 59, East Carteret 8
West Columbus 50, Southside 33
2A West
Cherryville 35, Alleghany 28
Community School of Davidson 38, Albemarle 6
Corvian Community 56, Langtree Charter 13
East Wilkes 51, Christ The King 13
Mitchell 14, Mountain Island Charter 7
Murphy 63, South Stanly 0
North Rowan 35, Cherokee 34
Starmount 49, Swain County 7
⏪ First-Round 2A Matchups | Friday, Nov. 6, 2026
2A East
Bertie def. Triangle Math & Science, forfeit (Thursday)
Camden County 40, American Leadership Academy Johnston 13 (Thursday)
East Carteret 36, Union 6 (Thursday)
Hobbton 56, Northampton County 12 (Thursday)
Northwest Halifax 32, Lejeune 8
Rosewood 36, Pamlico County 16 (Thursday)
2A West
Albemarle 38, Bradford Prep 19
Cherokee 39, Hayesville 12
Cherryville 63, Elkin 0
Langtree Charter 44, Avery County 28
South Stanly 56, South Stokes 28
Swain County 49, Bishop McGuinness 43
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🏆 2026 NCHSAA 2A Football Playoff Bracket
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2026 NCHSAA Football 2A📄 Official NCHSAA Bracket (PDF)
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🔎 2026 NCHSAA 2A Playoff Bracket: What to Know
- Tarboro’s dynasty continues: The defending 2A champion Vikings (9-1) begin their pursuit of a third consecutive state championship against Rosewood. Tarboro owns 10 state titles, including six since 2017, and has lost only to 5A contender Hunt this season.
- Unbeaten Warren County: The Eagles (10-0) are the only undefeated team remaining in the 2A bracket. Seeded third in the East, Warren County opens postseason play against East Carteret, which defeated Union 36-6 in the first round.
- Familiar championship opponents: West No. 1 Corvian Community and No. 3 Murphy have both lost to Tarboro in recent championship games. Corvian fell in the 2024 1A final, while Murphy was shut out 22-0 in last year’s 2A championship. Both remain potential opponents for the Vikings in December should Tarboro return to the title game.
- First round follows the seeds: The East produced no upsets, while No. 19 South Stanly delivered the only seeding upset in the West, defeating No. 14 South Stokes 56-28. South Stanly now travels to third-seeded Murphy.
- West features traditional powers: Murphy, Swain County, Cherokee and Starmount are among the programs looking to make a deep postseason run. Swain County advanced with a 49-43 victory over Bishop McGuinness and now travels to No. 2 Starmount, while Cherokee visits No. 6 North Rowan.
- Corvian seeks another title opportunity: The Cardinals (9-1) enter as the West’s top seed after losing only to 8A contender Chambers during the regular season. Corvian, which reached the 2024 1A championship game, opens postseason play against Langtree Charter.
🥇 Defending 2A State Champion: Tarboro
Tarboro continued its remarkable run of postseason success in 2025, defeating Murphy 22-0 at Lenoir-Rhyne’s Moretz Stadium to capture its second consecutive NCHSAA football state championship and 10th overall.
The Vikings (15-0) made their ninth consecutive appearance in a state championship game, extending their own NCHSAA record. After a scoreless first half, championship game MVP Kamerin McDowell-Moore broke loose for a 70-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and finished with 190 rushing yards, three touchdowns and 15 tackles.
Looking back: View the complete 2025 NCHSAA 2A 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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