Both Andrews and Murphy could host multiple playoff games this year, with a potential rematch coming in the third round.
Andrews (10-0 overall, 5-0 Smoky Mountain Conference) is the No. 2 seed in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A West and will host No. 31 seed Highland Tech (0-10) on Friday night. Murphy (7-3, 4-1) is the No. 7 seed and will host No. 26 Albemarle (3-7). If the two teams can win their respective first- and second-round games, they would meet again in the third round at Andrews.
Highland Tech played against 2A powers Burns and Shelby in Southern Piedmont conference play, though it likely won’t make much of a difference against the Wildcats. The Rams have scored just 48 points all season, and have been shut out four straight weeks. The last time they scored was in a 60-14 loss to Bessemer City on Sept. 23.
After having to travel more than 200 miles the past two years for eventual playoff losses at Elkin and Starmount, the Wildcats set a goal to get as many home games as possible at their end-of-season meeting last year. That focus led to an undefeated regular season, steamrolling opponents by an average of 32.1 points per game.
“They’re smart enough to know playing at home means a conference championship and undefeated if you can,” Andrews head coach James Phillips said. “And, man, they have embraced every goal that they set. They checked off another one in the season 2 box, and now it’s on to season 3.”
Murphy and Albemarle, which are both nicknamed the Bulldogs, met four times in the playoffs in five years from 2009-13. Albemarle took the 2009 matchup, while Murphy prevailed in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
The last three were in the 1A West Regional final, though Albemarle has fallen since. From 2001-2010, Albemarle won five state championships. Since losing to Murphy in 2013, Albemarle has not won more than five games in a season.
“This is the time where you really want to be at your best, and the time where you need to be striking on all cylinders,” Murphy head coach Joseph Watson said. “But you have to eliminate mistakes, you have to eliminate turnovers, you have to eliminate penalties. You have to do those things to keep advancing. Because you’re going to play teams that are dangerous.”