No easy road in Mideast, Midwest 1-AA playoff pods

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on November 13, 2013 1:50 PM

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rhanchett@newsargus.com

You can't argue with geography.

The N.C. High School Athletic Association football playoffs are a perfect example of how different the state's four regions are with respect to the quality of teams in each bracket.

The most glaring case of "pod disparity" is in the 1-AA (large-school) playoffs where the middle of the state has produced the toughest route to the state championship. The Mideast and Midwest pods are no easy stroll.

In the Mideast, top-seeded and unbeaten James Kenan anchors an eight-team pod that includes Whiteville, Louisburg, Princeton, Granville Central and Lakewood. All of those teams have winning records.

The two remaining teams are Rosewood and Union, which have had respectable seasons and are perennial playoff participants.

"We certainly have a tough road to get where we want to go," James Kenan head coach Ken Avent Jr. said. "Every team is a quality team once the playoffs start, so all you can do as a coach is take it one week at a time and not get caught looking ahead."

The combined record of the teams in the Mideast is 56-31.

"When we looked at the numbers between the 1-A and the 1-AA we were hoping to be in the small 1-A bracket," Rosewood head coach Robert Britt said. "But as it worked out we are over the line by five students and that put us in the 1-AA pod we are in."

Not to be outdone, the Midwest pod features powerhouses West Montgomery, Mount Airy, East Surry, Bishop McGuiness, Walkertown and North Stanly. Throw in North Moore and East Montgomery, and the combined record for those schools is 58-30.

In the East pod, anchored by Tarboro and Wallace-Rose Hill, the combined record of the eight playoff teams is 48-40. The West pod is by far the weakest on paper. The eight teams are a combined 38-53.

"The great thing about making the playoffs is that it gives us one more chance to play our best game," Britt said. "It's all about getting the kids to have faith in what they are doing and faith in each other. If that happens, maybe we can make our game competitive and give ourselves a chance for an upset."