The 2026 NCHSAA 3A football playoffs move into the second round Friday, Nov. 13, with defending champion Shelby, three unbeaten contenders and several of North Carolina’s most accomplished small-school programs among the 32 remaining teams.
Shelby (9-1), the West’s No. 2 seed and top-ranked team in the NC Football News Small-School Super Six, begins its title defense against West Lincoln. The Golden Lions won last year’s championship with a record-setting 84-41 victory over Kinston and have lost only to defending 5A champion Crest in double overtime this season.
Unbeaten North Stanly (10-0) holds the West’s No. 1 seed, while Hendersonville (10-0) and Whiteville (9-0) also enter the second round with perfect records. In the East, top-seeded Northeastern (9-1) leads a field featuring Midway, James Kenan, Eastern Randolph and other contenders.
The first round brought an early exit for 2025 runner-up Kinston, which fell to Northwood 34-30. Follow the complete 3A playoff bracket, second-round matchups, schedules, scores and results below as teams pursue a trip to December’s state championship game.
🔄 Last Updated: November 13, 2026 11:57 pm
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📅 Second-Round 3A Matchups | Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
3A East
Eastern Randolph 35, Providence Grove 10
Hertford County 56, Farmville Central 48
James Kenan 42, Louisburg 7
Martin County 61, South Columbus 26
Midway 75, Princeton 73
Northeastern 54, Greene Central 28
Wallace-Rose Hill 28, Pasquotank County 14
Whiteville 42, Northwood 18
3A West
Hendersonville 38, East Surry 12
Lincolnton 35, Mountain Heritage 30
North Stanly 56, North Wilkes 7
Walkertown 51, Polk County 8
Mount Airy 50, Union Academy 22
Thomasville 24, West Davidson 14
Shelby 41, West Lincoln 13
West Wilkes 41, CHASE 34
⏪ First-Round 3A Matchups | Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5-6, 2026
3A East
Farmville Central 49, Heide Trask 6 (Thursday)
Greene Central 42, Wake Prep 6
Louisburg 20, Ayden-Grifton 15 (Thursday)
Northwood 34, Kinston 30
Princeton 58, Pender 26
Providence Grove 35, South Lenoir 6
South Columbus 58, McMichael 6
Wallace-Rose Hill 68, Trinity 0 (Thursday)
Byes: (1) Northeastern, (2) Whiteville, (3) Midway, (4) James Kenan, (5) Martin County, (6) Eastern Randolph, (7) Hertford County, (8) Pasquotank County
3A West
East Surry 46, Wheatmore 36
Mountain Heritage 52, Bessemer City 14
North Wilkes 60, Pine Lake Prep 22
Polk County 28, Owen 22
Union Academy 19, Patton 14
West Davidson 41, East Davidson 0
West Lincoln 61, East Rutherford 40
West Wilkes 41, Draughn 12
Byes: (1) North Stanly, (2) Shelby, (3) Hendersonville, (4) Walkertown, (5) Thomasville, (6) Mount Airy, (7) Chase, (8) Lincolnton
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🏆 2026 NCHSAA 3A Football Playoff Bracket
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2026 NCHSAA Football 3A📄 Official NCHSAA Bracket (PDF)
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🔎 2026 NCHSAA 3A Playoff Bracket: What to Know
- Shelby’s title defense begins: The defending 3A champion Golden Lions (9-1) open postseason play against No. 18 West Lincoln, which defeated East Rutherford 61-40 in the first round. Shelby, seeded second in the West, is ranked No. 1 in the NC Football News Small-School Super Six and has lost only to defending 5A champion Crest in double overtime.
- Three unbeaten contenders: North Stanly (10-0), Hendersonville (10-0) and Whiteville (9-0) begin their postseason runs after first-round byes. North Stanly holds the West’s top seed, Hendersonville is third in the West and Whiteville is second in the East.
- Northwood stages a remarkable comeback: The No. 15 East seed rallied from a 30-6 second-half deficit to defeat 2025 state runner-up Kinston 34-30. Quarterback Finn Sullivan threw five touchdown passes, including three to Campbell Parks. Northwood now visits unbeaten No. 2 Whiteville.
- Four Small-School Super Six teams: Shelby, North Stanly, Northeastern and Hendersonville are all represented in the final NC Football News Small-School Super Six. Northeastern (9-1), the East’s No. 1 seed, opens its postseason against Greene Central, which defeated Wake Prep Academy 42-6.
- Traditional powers fill the West: Shelby, Mount Airy, Thomasville and East Surry are among the established programs pursuing another deep playoff run. Thomasville (9-1), the West’s No. 5 seed, hosts West Davidson, while No. 6 Mount Airy welcomes Union Academy.
- Upsets create new opportunities: No. 20 Polk County edged No. 13 Owen 28-22 in the West and now visits No. 4 Walkertown. Meanwhile, No. 18 West Lincoln’s 61-40 victory over No. 15 East Rutherford earned the Rebels a second-round trip to Shelby.
🥇 Defending 3A State Champion: Shelby
Shelby capped a remarkable turnaround in 2025, defeating Kinston 84-41 in the highest-scoring championship game in North Carolina high school football history. The Lions claimed their 13th state football title at Durham County Memorial Stadium after overcoming an 0-2 start to the season and entering the playoffs as a No. 10 seed.
Championship game MVP Lan Farmer delivered a record-setting performance, completing 20 of 27 passes for 459 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for two more scores. Kinston receiver Tyreek Copper also made history, finishing with 229 receiving yards and three touchdowns while setting state single-season records for receiving yards and touchdown catches.
Looking back: View the complete 2025 NCHSAA 3A 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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