With only three weeks left before public school brackets are finalized, I thought it would be a good time to start looking at where teams currently stand in the playoff picture, now looking at 2A. While this gives us good insight into how the season has shaped up and who the best teams are, a lot can change between now and February 24th when the brackets are finalized. No team has clinched their conference yet and many conferences are still wide-open, most of them coming down to the last week of the season. On top of that, there are a handful of teams still fighting for a playoff spot, with even more fighting for a favorable seed. Seeding was done exactly how the NCHSAA describes here and the RPI was used for games through 2/5.
2A East
Auto Bids
Big East: Roanoke Rapids
East Central: Kinston, Southwest Onslow
Eastern Plains: Farmville Central, Washington
Mid-Carolina: Northwood, Cummings
Neuse 6: Goldsboro, North Johnston
Northeastern Coastal: Hertford County, Northeastern
Northern Lakes: South Granville
Southeastern: West Bladen, Fairmont
Super Six: Franklin Academy
Waccamaw: Heide Trask
Projected Matchups
(1) Farmville Central
(32) Red Springs
(16) West Craven
(17) East Carteret
(8) Heide Trask
(25) South Columbus
(9) Franklin Academy
(24) Louisburg
(4) Northwood
(29) Eastern Wayne
(13) North Johnston
(20) Cummings
(5) South Granville
(28) Southwest Edgecombe
(12) Fairmont
(21) James Kenan
(2) Goldsboro
(31) Holmes
(15) Northeastern
(18) Southwest Onslow
(7) Hertford County
(26) Midway
(10) Roanoke Rapids
(23) Martin County
(3) West Bladen
(30) Ayden-Grifton
(14) Granville Central
(19) Beddingfield
(6) Kinston
(27) Greene Central
(11) Washington
(22) Southeast Alamance
2A West
Auto Bids
Catawba Shores: Pine Lake Prep
Catawba Valley: Newton-Conover, West Caldwell
Central Carolina: Salisbury
Foothills: North Surry, Surry Central
Mid-State: Reidsville, Morehead
Mountain Foothills: Patton, Hendersonville
Piedmont: Randleman
Rocky River: West Stanly
Southern Piedmont: Shelby
Western Highlands: Madison
Yadkin Valley: North Stanly
Projected Matchups
(1) Reidsville
(32) North Wilkes
(16) Lincoln Charter
(17) Hendersonville
(8) North Surry
(25) Brevard
(9) North Surry
(24) Trinity
(4) Pine Lake Prep
(29) Monroe
(13) West Caldwell
(20) Community School of Davidson
(5) Patton
(28) East Rutherford
(12) West Stokes
(21) Maiden
(2) Salisbury
(31) East Surry
(15) Surry Central
(18) Lincolnton
(7) Shelby
(26) East Gaston
(10) West Stanly
(23) Lexington
(3) Newton-Conover
(30) Burns
(14) Walkertown
(19) Bandys
(6) Randleman
(27) East Davidson
(11) Madison
(22) Morehead