Soccer championship picks, high first spherical video games, hardest roads

Welcome to a different version of our Huddle information and notes column.

The N.C. High School Athletic Association launched the 2025 soccer playoff brackets on Sunday.

Here are my bracket superlatives, new state championship picks, and extra reactions to the early matchups.

1st Down: Best First Round Matchups

Here are the perfect first-round matchups, with no less than one per class.

• 8A East – (9) Willow Spring @ (8) Laney
  • I really do not know who will win this recreation. Both groups have had ups and downs, and every has confronted just one actually elite crew in convention play. Combined, they’ve performed in eight one-score video games.
• 7A West – (17) West Cabarrus @ (16) R.J. Reynolds
  • Both applications are forward of schedule on their rebuilds, and the numbers couldn’t be nearer. They are ranked No. 35 and No. 36 in MaxPreps’ 7A pc rankings and have virtually an identical level differentials (222-256 vs. 213-251).
• 7A East – (18) South Garner @ (15) South Central
  • This is a enjoyable pairing of groups which have performed some robust opponents this yr. South Garner performed within the vaunted GNRC 7A, whereas South Central confronted the likes of Jacksonville, Conley, New Bern, and Northern Nash. Each facet can be prepared for a finest punch by the opposite.
• 6A West – (21) Ragsdale @ (12) Olympic
  • Ragsdale may be the most well liked 20-something seed within the playoffs, having ended the yr with three consecutive multi-score wins. The Tigers have additionally confronted a extra daunting schedule, together with Grimsley, East Forsyth, and Dudley.
• 5A East – (19) Person @ (14) J.F. Webb
  • Despite being in neighboring counties, Person and Webb don’t play recurrently. They’ve solely performed twice since 2012. This yr, they’re ranked inside a spot of one another within the MaxPreps 5A pc rankings.
• 4A West – (17) Forbush @ (16) West Stokes
  • Easy name right here. It’s a rematch from the Northwest 3A/4A Conference. The first assembly was a one-score win by Forbush.
• 3A East – (17) Greene Central @ (16) Wallace-Rose Hill
  • Greene Central has been by the ringer schedule-wise this yr because the Rams went by the Eastern Plains 2A/3A gauntlet and confronted Wilson Prep, North Pitt, and Martin County in non-conference. Wallace-Rose Hill doesn’t have the document you’re used to the Bulldogs having, however they simply went toe-to-toe with 1-seed James Kenan.
• 2A East – (18) Rosewood @ (15) ALA-Johnston
  • This is a matchup of groups from bordering counties which have by no means performed each other earlier than. Rosewood is ranked No. 347 within the state within the MaxPreps pc rankings, and ALA-Johnston is ranked No. 345.
• 1A West – (11) Chatham Central @ (6) Winston-Salem Prep
  • These groups simply confronted one another final week, and it’s all the time enjoyable once we get bracket quirks like that. Winston-Salem Prep gained 20-7, however Chatham Central left some performs that would have been made on the sector.

2nd Down: Toughest Roads for Top Seeds

Here are the hardest roads for any crew seeded 5 or larger.

• 7A West – (4) Mooresville
  • The Blue Devils should face the likes of Butler and Reagan earlier than even getting their shot at top-seeded Grimsley.
• 6A West – (1) Watauga
  • I don’t actually like this end result for the Pioneers. They’ll get both a convention rematch towards St. Stephens or a well-tested Mount Tabor crew within the second spherical, a historic Charlotte Catholic or A.C. Reynolds program within the third spherical, and both the incredibly-tested Sun Valley or maybe a convention rematch towards Freedom within the fourth spherical. And then there’s whoever comes out of the underside half of the bracket in regionals.
• 5A West – (5) East Lincoln
  • It’s a troublesome draw for the Mustangs, as they’ll need to face a powerful West Henderson crew within the second spherical and potential state favourite Crest within the third spherical. After that, it’s South Point after which Hickory or Robinson in regionals.
• 4A West – (5) Mount Pleasant
  • This will not be an optimum structure for Mount Pleasant, which might be challenged by Tuscola or East Burke within the second spherical earlier than having to journey to Pisgah within the third spherical. If they get by that, it’s probably a visit to Brevard within the fourth spherical.
• 4A East – (5) Randleman
  • This is a tough setup for the Tigers. Getting North Pitt within the second spherical will not be straightforward – the Panthers are properly examined and potent for a 12-seed. Then, they’d need to journey to a Central Davidson crew that they already misplaced to this yr. If they will get revenge on the Spartans, it is a journey to Reidsville in the way in which of the regional ultimate.
• 3A West – (1) Mountain Heritage
  • I don’t like this setup for Mountain Heritage. The West Lincoln-North Wilkes winner will current a crew that has confronted some good opponents this yr. In the third spherical, it is going to be a severe problem from Lincolnton or convention rival Hendersonville. With that stated, a fourth-round matchup could be a tad much less difficult than the third-round matchup.
• 3A West – (2) Mount Airy
  • It gained’t be straightforward for the Granite Bears to get again to a state championship prefer it has achieved a few instances this decade. The third spherical matchup can be towards both Shelby or East Rutherford. The fourth-round matchup can be Walkertown or Eastern Randolph. And then, you’re in all probability getting a Mountain Heritage crew in regionals that additionally would’ve emerged from some challenges.
• 3A East – (1) James Kenan
  • Brutal setup for the top-seeded Tigers within the East. In the second spherical, they’re getting a problem from both the well-tested Greene Central or their rival Wallace-Rose Hill, which they might solely beat by a landing final week. And then it is Ayden-Grifton or Whiteville in spherical three, with a examined Farmville Central or Martin County crew within the fourth spherical.
• 3A East – (3) Midway
  • Gosh, Midway is probably going going to face Kinston, the crew that simply went toe-to-toe with Tarboro, in its first playoff matchup. After that? Pasquotank, a breakout crew that simply beat Northeastern. In the fourth spherical? It’s Northeastern or a troublesome Pender crew.
• 2A West – (2) Starmount
  • The Rams will probably face a scary South Stanly squad within the third spherical after which will probably have a rematch towards Alleghany within the fourth spherical. In the primary assembly, Starmount beat Alleghany by one level in time beyond regulation.
• 1A East – (1) KIPP Pride
  • KIPP Pride having to take care of Wilson Prep earlier than a regional ultimate is brutal. If they will someway get by the Tigers, a powerful Northside-Pinetown crew is probably going ready for them in regionals.

third Down: Best Paths for Top Seeds

Here are the perfect bracket outcomes for any crew seeded 5 or larger.

• 8A West – (1) Hough
  • The Huskies can be favored by a number of scores towards Palisades or South Mecklenburg within the second spherical. For their third spherical matchup, they’ll both face Mallard Creek or West Forsyth, which can be powerful. But the principle cause they’re right here is that they are going to solely face one in every of West Charlotte or Myers Park.
• 8A East – (1) Hoggard
  • Hoggard’s greatest impediment in its half of the bracket is 5-seed Rolesville, which hasn’t proven the offensive consistency that this system turned identified for. The Vikings have probability at attending to the regional ultimate.
• 7A West – (1) Grimsley
  • Mooresville is the one actually constant crew in Grimsley’s half of the bracket, and the Whirlies wouldn’t need to face them till spherical 4.
• 7A East – (1) Cardinal Gibbons
  • This is the perfect that any 1-seed has made out this yr. Cardinal Gibbons has been spared from having to play the Cleveland, Clayton, or Southeast Raleigh till the regional ultimate. Garner or Cape Fear could be powerful within the fourth spherical, however any fourth-round recreation can be.
• 6A East – (4) Union Pines
  • The Vikings’ historic season might final some time – there’s a transparent path to the third spherical, the place they’d get a house recreation towards 5-seed Williams, which I don’t really feel has been fairly as examined as Union Pines.
• 5A West – (1) South Point
  • Agree with the Red Raiders getting the highest seed or not, they’ve a good path. Their quadrant gained’t present an excessive amount of resistance, with groups like Erwin and Monroe trying higher in preseason than they do now. South Point will solely need to face one in every of East Lincoln or Crest earlier than attending to the regional ultimate. However, whether it is Crest, that can be a troublesome one because the Chargers crushed the Raiders, 42-7, earlier within the yr.
• 5A East – (1) Hunt
  • The Warrior needs to be closely favored till a possible regional ultimate. Some of the most important threats on their facet of the bracket – Havelock, Southern Nash, Southeast Alamance – aren’t what they had been final yr. And the highest seeds within the different half of the bracket don’t have essentially the most elite profiles.
• 4A East – (2) West Craven
  • You actually have to love this path for the Eagles. The hardest problem they might face within the first three rounds could be Clinton, which remains to be successfully in a rebuild. It needs to be a easy trip for the Eagles till an enormous matchup with East Duplin within the fourth spherical.
• 2A East – (2) Warren County
  • The Eagles wouldn’t face an enormous risk till North Duplin or Holmes within the fourth spherical.

4th Down: Refreshed State Championship Picks

As a refresher, these had been my picks within the preseason:

• NCHSAA 8A: West Charlotte over Rolesville
  • West Regional: West Charlotte over Hough
  • East Regional: Rolesville over Jordan
• NCHSAA 7A: Grimsley over Cardinal Gibbons
  • West Regional: Grimsley over Weddington
  • East Regional: Cardinal Gibbons over Richmond
• NCHSAA 6A: Ashbrook over Seventy-First
  • West Regional: Ashbrook over Sun Valley
  • East Regional: Seventy-First over Northern Nash
• NCHSAA 5A: Crest over St. Pauls
  • West Regional: Crest over East Lincoln
  • East Regional: St. Pauls over Southeast Alamance
• NCHSAA 4A: Reidsville over Brevard
  • West Regional: Brevard over Maiden
  • East Regional: Reidsville over East Duplin
• NCHSAA 3A: Mount Airy over James Kenan
  • West Regional: Mount Airy over East Rutherford
  • East Regional: James Kenan over Kinston
• NCHSAA 2A: Tarboro over Murphy
  • West Regional: Murphy over South Stanly
  • East Regional: Tarboro over Holmes
• NCHSAA 1A: Wilson Prep over Robbinsville
  • West Regional: Robbinsville over Andrews
  • East Regional: Wilson Prep over Northside-Pinetown
• NCISAA Division I: Rabun Gap (GA) over Providence Day
• NCISAA Division II: Asheville School over High Point Christian Academy

Now listed here are my new picks going into the playoffs:

• NCHSAA 8A: West Charlotte over Millbrook
  • West Regional: West Charlotte over Hough
  • East Regional: Millbrook over Hoggard
• NCHSAA 7A: Grimsley over Cardinal Gibbons
  • West Regional: Grimsley over Weddington
  • East Regional: Cardinal Gibbons over Southeast Raleigh
• NCHSAA 6A: Ashbrook over Jacksonville
  • West Regional: Ashbrook over Sun Valley
  • East Regional: Jacksonville over Northern Nash
• NCHSAA 5A: Crest over Hunt
  • West Regional: Crest over Hickory
  • East Regional: Hunt over Rocky Mount
• NCHSAA 4A: Reidsville over Brevard
  • West Regional: Brevard over Maiden
  • East Regional: Reidsville over East Duplin
• NCHSAA 3A: James Kenan over Mountain Heritage
  • West Regional: Mountain Heritage over Mount Airy
  • East Regional: James Kenan over Kinston
• NCHSAA 2A: Tarboro over Murphy
  • West Regional: Murphy over South Stanly
  • East Regional: Tarboro over North Duplin
• NCHSAA 1A: Wilson Prep over Robbinsville
  • West Regional: Robbinsville over South Davidson
  • East Regional: Wilson Prep over Northside-Pinetown
• NCISAA Division I: Providence Day over Rabun Gap
• NCISAA Division II: High Point Christian Academy over Asheville School