The North Carolina high school football playoffs only get more intense in Round 3 on Friday, Nov. 21.

Two Wilmington-area teams are left as Hoggard (11-0) and Pender (10-1) fight to extend their seasons one more week Friday.

The top-seeded Vikings host fifth-seeded Rolesville for a chance at an NCHSAA 8A East regional championship berth. The two teams have only played once in recent memory, a Rams victory in 2020.

In Burgaw, what could be one of the state's most underrated postseason games is going down as Pender hosts Northeastern in the 3A bracket. The Eagles (9-3) were North Carolina's highest scoring team a season ago, while Pender finished third in the state in total points. The teams have opposite offensive approaches, so a shootout of epic proportions could be coming our wa

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