ROCKINGHAM — Richmond Senior took a tumble in the final regular season polls of the year following its loss to archrival Scotland.
The Raiders (9-1) fell from third to eighth in the Associated Press rankings. Despite the defeat and finishing second in the Southeastern Conference, they grabbed the top seed in the 4AA Mideast pod. Richmond will play host to Cary in the first round of the playoffs.
Butler remained atop the poll, earning all 13 first-place votes. The Bulldogs closed out their regular season with a perfect 10-0 mark with their 33-14 victory over Independence. Butler, the 4AA Midwest pod’s top seed, will open the postseason against West Forsyth.
New Bern also improved to 10-0 on the year with its 48-7 rout of Rose. The Bears are the No. 1 seed in the 4A East pod and will faceoff against Pine Forest. Mallard Creek (9-1) moved up a spot to third following its 28-3 win over Hough. The Mavericks grabbed the 4AA West’s No. 1 seed and will take on Lake Norman in the first round.
Garner also jumped up a position after cruising past Harnett Central 56-14 to improve to 11-0 on the year. The Trojans are the No. 1 seed in the 4AA East pod and will battle Athens Drive Friday night. East Forsyth (11-0) rounded out the top five with a 50-7 win over Glenn. The Eagles, the No. 2 seed in the 4AA Midwest pod, will play host to Providence in the opening round of the playoffs.
Scotland (9-1) moved to sixth with the win over Richmond and earned top billing in the 4A Mideast pod. The Fighting Scots will play East Chapel Hill Friday at Pate Stadium. North Davidson (11-0) stayed at No. 7 this week. The Knights snagged the No. 1 seed in the 4A Midwest pod and face Western Guilford in the first round.
Leesville Road (10-0) and Porter Ridge (9-1) rounded out the top 10. The Pride grabbed the third seed in the 4AA East pod and open the playoffs against Heritage. The Pirates will take on Watauga Friday as the No. 2 seed in the 4A West pod
The Raiders fell six spots in this week’s NCPreps.com poll, from third to ninth.
Butler stayed at No. 1, earning all nine first-place votes. The Bulldogs were followed by New Bern, Mallard Creek, East Forsyth, Garner, Scotland, North Davidson and Leesville Road.
New Hanover (9-1) held steady at No. 10. The Wildcats are the No. 2 seed in the 4A East pod and face Southeast Raleigh Friday night.
Just like in the AP rankings, Richmond slid to No. 8 in the CarolinaPreps.com poll.
Butler and New Bern remained first and second this week. Mallard Creek, East Forsyth, Scotland, Garner and North Davidson are ranked No. 3 to No. 7, respectively. New Hanover was ninth, followed by Leesville Road.
The Raiders dropped to sixth in the Maxpreps.com rankings this week.
Butler and New Bern were again atop the rankings, followed by East Forsyth, Mallard Creek and Scotland. North Davidson, New Hanover, Porter Ridge and Garner completed the top 10.
Unlike the other polls which tabulates votes from writers across the state, Maxpreps.com uses computer-based rankings. The program takes into consideration quality wins against other highly-ranked opponents as well as strength of schedule.
— Sports editor Shawn Stinson can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 14, or by email at sstinson@heartlandpublications.com.
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