CHAPEL HILL — High school football playoff brackets released Saturday morning have become final this afternoon.
In 2-A, East No. 8 seed East Bladen will host No. 9 seed Beddingfield from Wilson. The Eagles are 9-2 and runner-up from the Three Rivers Conference. Beddingfield finished 8-2 and second in the Eastern Plains Conference.
The winner will either travel to No. 1 seed Elizabeth City Northeastern or host No. 16 seed Fairmont.
The other games in the Eagles’ quadrant of the bracket match No. 5 Clinton with No. 12 James Kenan, and No. 4 Kinston with No. 13 Ayden-Grifton. Each of those games match teams from the same league; Clinton and Kenan played Friday night.
The better seeds host games each round; East Bladen, if victorious, would benefit from wins by James Kenan and Ayden-Grifton.
East Bladen lost to South Columbus 28-13 in a battle for the Three Rivers title on Friday night. The Stallions (11-0) went on to take the No. 3 seed and host Greene Central. That winner will face either No. 6 Southwest Onslow or No. 11 Bertie.
The rest of the Stallions’ side of the bracket has No. 7 Wallace-Rose Hill hosting No. 10 Whiteville, and No. 2 South Granville hosting No. 15 Goldsboro.