The 2026 NCHSAA 5A football playoffs move into the second round Friday, Nov. 13, with 32 teams remaining and the championship favorites still firmly in contention.
Defending state champion Crest (9-1), the West’s No. 1 seed, begins its title defense against Parkwood after receiving a first-round bye. The Chargers remain the only 5A program in the NC Football News Fabulous 15 composite rankings, with their only loss coming against 8A powerhouse Weddington.
The East features unbeaten Southeast Alamance and Northside-Jacksonville, along with 2025 state runner-up Hunt. Meanwhile, Franklin and Jay M. Robinson bring perfect records into the West bracket. All four undefeated teams received first-round byes and begin postseason play this week.
The opening round produced only one upset by seeding, with No. 21 North Lincoln defeating No. 12 Northwest Cabarrus 50-44 in the West. Follow the complete 5A playoff bracket, second-round matchups, schedules, scores and results below as teams battle toward December’s state championship game.
🔄 Last Updated: November 13, 2026 11:47 pm
🏈 Quick Links
This Week’s Matchups | Jump to Full 5A Bracket | What to Know
🏈 Explore Other 2026 NCHSAA Brackets
1A | 2A | 3A | 4A | 5A | 6A | 7A | 8A
📅 Second-Round 5A Matchups | Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
5A East
Croatan 42, Western Alamance 22
Eastern Alamance 42, Orange 21
Fike 28, St. Paul’s 17
Havelock 43, Rocky Mount 6
Hunt 39, Montgomery Central 34
Northside-Jacksonville 43, Southern Nash 35
Seaforth 35, South Granville 28
Southeast Alamance 49, West Carteret 21
5A West
Crest 42, Parkwood 14
East Lincoln 49, Forest Hills 16
Franklin 42, West Henderson 21
Jay M. Robinson 40, North Davidson 7
Monroe 56, North Lincoln 13
Oak Grove 25, Hickory 3
South Point 40, Smoky Mountain 0
West Rowan 41, Enka 33
⏪ First-Round 5A Matchups | Thursday & Friday, Nov. 5-6, 2026
5A East
Montgomery Central 48, J.F. Webb 7
Orange 35, Richlands 21
Rocky Mount 38, C.B. Aycock (Thursday)
Southern Nash 41, Rockingham County 25 (Thursday)
South Granville 31, South Brunswick 29
St. Pauls 33, Person 32
West Carteret 21, Currituck County 14 (Thursday)
Western Alamance 56, Southern Wayne 0
Byes: (1) Southeast Alamance, (2) Northside-Jacksonville, (3) Hunt, (4) Croatan, (5) Seaforth, (6) Fike, (7) Eastern Alamance, (8) Havelock
5A West
Parkwood 42, Erwin 27
Hickory 56, Hunter Huss 14
North Lincoln 50, Northwest Cabarrus 44
Smoky Mountain 58, North Buncombe 34
North Davidson 50, East Rowan 7
Enka 30, North Henderson 15
Forest Hills 28, Forestview 13
West Henderson 56, Carson 27
Byes: (1) Crest, (2) Franklin, (3) Jay M. Robinson, (4) South Point, (5) Monroe, (6) West Rowan, (7) East Lincoln, (8) Oak Grove
Raise More for Your Football Program or Sports Team
Need to raise money for your team? Hour-A-Thon helps high school athletic programs raise funds through a simple, one-hour event built around players connecting with family, friends and supporters. No products to sell and no weeks-long fundraiser to manage. Learn how Hour-A-Thon can help your program raise more.
🏆 2026 NCHSAA 5A Football Playoff Bracket
Powered by MaxPreps
2026 NCHSAA Football 5A📄 Official NCHSAA Bracket (PDF)
Prefer the original printable bracket? VIEW OFFICIAL NCHSAA BRACKETS released in PDF form.
🔎 2026 NCHSAA 5A Playoff Bracket: What to Know
- Crest begins its title defense: The defending 5A champion Chargers (9-1) open postseason play against Parkwood after receiving a first-round bye. Crest is the classification’s only representative in the NC Football News Fabulous 15, with its lone loss coming against 8A West No. 1 seed Weddington, 35-21.
- Four undefeated contenders: Southeast Alamance, Northside-Jacksonville, Franklin and Jay M. Robinson all enter the second round with 10-0 records. Southeast Alamance, the East’s top seed, averaged 47.5 points per game during the regular season, while Franklin and Robinson occupy the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the West.
- Hunt seeks another championship opportunity: The Warriors (9-1) begin their postseason against Montgomery Central after reaching last year’s state championship game, where they lost to Crest 31-14. Hunt’s only regular-season defeat this season came against 6A contender Northern Nash.
- First-round bracket holds almost entirely: All 16 higher-seeded teams advanced in the East, including the eight that received byes. The only upset across the entire 5A bracket came in the West, where No. 21 North Lincoln defeated No. 12 Northwest Cabarrus 50-44. North Lincoln now visits No. 5 Monroe.
- Strong Alamance County presence: Southeast Alamance, Western Alamance and Eastern Alamance remain in the East bracket, along with nearby Orange and other central North Carolina contenders. Southeast Alamance hosts West Carteret, Western Alamance travels to Croatan and Eastern Alamance welcomes Orange.
- Hickory remains a dangerous challenger: The West’s No. 9 seed reached the regional final last season and won the 2023 state championship. The Red Tornadoes opened this postseason with a 56-14 victory over Hunter Huss and now visit No. 8 Oak Grove. A victory could set up a third-round matchup with top-seeded Crest.
🥇 Defending 5A State Champion: Crest
Crest returned to championship glory in 2025, defeating Wilson Hunt 31-14 at Durham County Memorial Stadium to capture its seventh state football title and first in a decade. The Chargers (13-2) also became the first champions of the NCHSAA’s new 5A classification, completing a remarkable day for Cleveland County football after neighboring Shelby won the 3A championship earlier in the day.
Championship game MVP Ely Hamrick, a Virginia signee, rushed for two touchdowns while directing a Crest offense that amassed 555 total yards. Michael Edwards added 95 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while the Chargers’ defense held Hunt well below its season scoring average.
Looking back: View the complete 2025 NCHSAA 5A 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
Explore Other 2026 NCHSAA Brackets
1A | 2A | 3A | 4A | 5A | 6A | 7A | 8A
