Garner (center) and Fuquay-Varina (right) made the postseason - Staff Photo by Johnny Johnson
Wake Forest-Rolesville is the top-ranked softball team in the N&O area and starts postseason play this Friday against Lee County in the 4A N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs. Undefeated South Granville hosts Providence Grove in 2A softball.
The format has changed in this year's playoffs. Now, instead of the four state semifinalists advancing to a double-elimination, four-team tournament to decide a state title, the semifinals and finals will each be a best-of-three and held on separate weeks. It's currently how the NCHSAA baseball playoffs operate.
Holly Springs, last year's 4A East champ, opens at home with Northern Durham. The 4A East runner-up, Clayton, is at Wilmington Ashley.
Softball
4A East
East Wake at Wilmington Laney; Knightdale at Fayetteville Britt; New Hanover at Garner; Fayetteville Cape Fear at Richmond County; Green Hope at Hope Mills South View; Clayton at Wilmington Ashley; Fayetteville Pine Forest at Pembroke Swett; Greenville Rose at West Johnston
Heritage at Person; Wakefield at Apex; Lee County at Wake Forest-Rolesville; Middle Creek at East Chapel Hill; Northern Durham at Holly Springs; Scotland at Millbrook; Fuquay-Varina at Riverside; Southern Pines Pinecrest at Leesville Road
3A East
West Carteret at Pikeville Aycock; Wilson Fike at Currituck; Triton at Greenville Conley; Washington at Southern Nash; Cleveland at Nash Central; Fayetteville Byrd at Havelock; Winterville South Central at West Brunswick; Northern Nash at South Johnston
Asheboro at Eden Morehead; Gray's Creek at South Brunswick; Southern Vance at Cameron Union Pines; Orange at Southwestern Randolph; Northern Guilford at Ledford; Norhtern Vance at Western Alamance; Southern Lee at Oxford Webb; Eastern Alamance at Western Harnett
2A East
Edenton Holmes at Bertie; Bunn at Cedar Ridge; Pasquotank at North Johnston; Roanoke Rapids at Eastern Randolph; Providence Grove at South Granville; Granville Central at Elizabeth City Northeastern; Northwood at Bartlett-Yancey; Jordan-Matthews at Corinth Holders
Farmville Central at Topsail; East Duplin at Whiteville; Croatan at Wilson Beddingfield; North Brunswick at Fairmont; Richlands at West Bladen; North Pitt at Swansboro; South Columbus at St. Pauls; South Lenior at SW Edgecombe
1A East
Clinton Union at River Mill Academy; Camden at KIPP Pride; N.C. Science & Math at Gates County; Northampton-East at Roxboro Community School; North Edgecombe at Southside Jacksonville; Riverside-Martin at Columbia; Mattamuskeet at Creswell; SW Onslow at South Creek; Ayden Grifton at Pamlico
Pender at Rosewood; Dixon at Princeton; Perquimans at East Carteret; Red Springs at Hobbton; Midway at South Robeson; James Kenan at East Columbus; North Duplin at Heide Trask
