RALEIGH — Mark Gottfried wanted to play a tough schedule, wanted to test his N.C. State team early in the season.
The new Wolfpack coach got a challenge, and then some, from Princeton on Wednesday.
The Wolfpack got pushed by Princeton and then pushed back for a 60-58 win over the Tigers at the RBC Center.
Princeton and Corinth Holders both picked up their first boys soccer playoff victories in school history Wednesday night. They're just two of the four Johnston County teams who will play second round matches later this week.
The NCHSAA boys soccer playoffs begin this week with matches set for tonight and Wednesday. The schedule with start times that have been announced.
1-A
Martin Riverside at Princeton, 6 p.m on Wednesday
2-A
Corinth Holders at Graham, 6 p.m. on Wednsday
North Johnston at Greene Central
3-A
Greenville D.H. Conley at South Johnston, 7 p.m. on Wednesday
4-A
Garner at Wilmington Laney, 6 p.m. on Tuesday
West Johnston at New Bern, 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday
Clayton at Fayetteville Terry Sanford, 6 p.m. on Wednesday
The NCHSAA boys soccer playoffs begin this week, with most matches likely set for Wednesday. Here are the matches involving area teams in the Garner and Johnston County area. North Johnston, whose status was in limbo at the end of the regular season, is in as a wild card team.
We'll update with match times as soon as we know.
The NCHSAA's preliminary football playoff brackets are out. Remember, this is just the first try so these could change later today when they become official. We'll update things after that. ...
Princeton (21-2) will host Lakewood (22-3) at 4 p.m. on Saturday in an eastern regional semifinal NCHSAA volleyball playoff match. The Bulldogs defeated Holly Ridge Dixon in four sets on Thursday night.
Three rounds down, three more to go.
The NCHSAA volleyball playoffs are in the fourth round this Saturday, with each bracket down to eight teams in all and just four on the eastern half of the bracket.
We've posted what's left of the 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A East brackets below. The host team is on top.
Who's still alive? Green Hope, Riverside, Cardinal Gibbons, Chapel Hill, South Granville, N.C. Science & Math and Princeton.
Princeton dropped its opening game against Pamlico County Tuesday night but came back with three straight set wins to advance to the third round of the 1A volleyball playoffs. The Bulldogs (20-2) will travel to Holly Ridge Dixon (14-6) for a third round match Thursday night.
Garner (20-4) fell to Southern Pines Pinecrest in the 4A playoffs on Tuesday falling in five sets. South Johnston took a three-set loss to Greenville D.H. Conley in the 3A ranks.
The third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association volleyball playoffs will be played Thursday night. Below show who is left in the 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A East brackets. In cases where teams have the same seed from different conferences, we've placed the host team on top.
There are several intriguing match-ups left in each area.
