The 2026 NCHSAA 7A football playoffs move into the second round Friday, Nov. 13, with 32 teams remaining in one of North Carolina’s most competitive postseason brackets.
Weddington, the No. 1 seed in the West, and Cleveland, the East’s top seed, begin their playoff runs after receiving first-round byes. The field includes six teams from the final NC Football News Fabulous 15 composite rankings: Weddington (No. 3), Grimsley (No. 4), Lake Norman (No. 6), Garner (No. 9), Reagan (No. 11) and Cleveland (tied for No. 14).
The West features a potential regional final showdown between Weddington and defending champion Grimsley, two teams that have spent much of the season nearly even in the statewide rankings. Meanwhile, Greater Neuse River Conference rivals Cleveland, Garner and Clayton occupy the top three seeds in the East.
Follow the complete 7A playoff bracket, second-round matchups, schedules, scores and results below as teams battle toward December’s state championship game.
🔄 Last Updated: November 13, 2026 11:33 pm
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📅 Second-Round 7A Matchups | Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
7A East
New Bern 35, Ashley 0
D.H. Conley 28, Cape Fear 21
Southern Durham 35, Holly Springs 0
Garner 49, North Brunswick 0
Clayton 35, Sanderson 8
Wake Forest 49, South Garner 29
Cardinal Gibbons 37, Southeast Raleigh 6
Cleveland 38, Topsail 24
7A West
Grimsley 48, Butler 6
Davie County 17, Page 14
East Forsyth 24, Hickory Ridge 7
Reagan 49, Jack Britt 8
Marvin Ridge 21, Mooresville 17
Weddington 56, Porter Ridge 7
Lake Norman 50, Richmond Senior 13
A.L. Brown 22, West Cabarrus 18
⏪ First-Round 7A Matchups | Thursday & Friday, Nov. 5-6, 2026
7A East
D.H. Conley 63, East Wake 32 (Thursday)
Sanderson 41 South Central 28 (Thursday)
Southeast Raleigh 41, New Hanover 7 (Thursday)
South Garner 20, Hillside 16 (Thursday)
Ashley 38, Pine Forest 7
Holly Springs 42, Overhills 10
North Brunswick 28, Heritage 15
Topsail 34, Fuquay-Varina 7
Byes: (1) Cleveland, (2) Garner, (3) Clayton, (4) Southern Durham, (5) New Bern, (6) Wake Forest, (7) Cardinal Gibbons, (8) Cape Fear
7A West
Butler 30, Independence 14
Davie County 50, Lumberton 23
Hickory Ridge 59, Chapel Hill 0
Jack Britt 42, RJ Reynolds 7
Mooresville 42, South Iredell 13
Porter Ridge 23, Hopewell 8
Richmond 35, Ballantyne Ridge 27
West Cabarrus 31, Parkland 19
Byes: (1) Weddington, (2) Grimsley, (3) Lake Norman, (4) Reagan, 5) A.L. Brown, 6) Marvin Ridge, 7) Page, 8) East Forsyth
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🏆 2026 NCHSAA 7A Football Playoff Bracket
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2026 NCHSAA Football 7A📄 Official NCHSAA Bracket (PDF)
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🔎 2026 NCHSAA 7A Playoff Bracket: What to Know
- Loaded with ranked teams: Six teams from the final NC Football News Fabulous 15 are competing in 7A: Weddington (No. 3), Grimsley (No. 4), Lake Norman (No. 6), Garner (No. 9), Reagan (No. 11) and Cleveland (T-14). All six received first-round byes and begin postseason play Friday.
- Grimsley’s title defense begins: The Whirlies, the 2025 champion and seeded second in the West, open their playoff run against Butler, which defeated Independence 30-14 in the first round. Grimsley and top-seeded Weddington remain on a potential collision course for the West regional championship.
- A rematch with a memorable finish: No. 7 East seed Cardinal Gibbons hosts Southeast Raleigh in a rematch of a September thriller. The Crusaders won the first meeting 23-21 on a late 45-yard field goal by Tucker Toland. Southeast Raleigh advanced out of the first round with a 41-7 victory over New Hanover.
- Lake Norman faces a traditional power: The West’s No. 3 seed opens its postseason against Richmond, which defeated Ballantyne Ridge 35-27 in the first round. Lake Norman enters the playoffs ranked sixth in the Fabulous 15.
- Another intriguing West matchup: No. 6 Marvin Ridge hosts Mooresville, which rolled past South Iredell 42-13 in the opening round. Both programs will be looking to advance into the final 16.
- Greater Neuse River trio leads the East: Cleveland, Garner and Clayton hold the region’s top three seeds after battling through the same conference during the regular season. Cleveland hosts Topsail, Garner welcomes North Brunswick and Clayton faces Sanderson in their playoff openers.
- South Garner still alive: The highest seed left in the 7A bracket is No. 22 South Garner, which defeated No. 11 Hillside 20-16 last week. No. 19 Sanderson and No. 18 also advanced against lower-seeded foes in the East. Chalk almost held in the 7A West, with No. 17 Porter Ridge topping No. 16 Hopewell in the game where a higher-seeded team won.
🥇 Defending 7A State Champion: Grimsley
Grimsley continued its championship run in 2025, defeating Clayton 24-14 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill to capture the inaugural NCHSAA 7A football title. The Whirlies, who also won the final 4A championship under the previous classification system in 2024, extended their winning streak to 31 games and claimed their third state championship since the 2020 season.
Championship game MVP Faizon Brandon, a Tennessee signee, threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another score, while Maki Yon returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown in the second half. Grimsley’s defense forced three third-quarter turnovers to turn back a Clayton team making its first championship appearance in nearly four decades.
Looking back: View the complete 2025 NCHSAA 7A 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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