Neuse News Sports · 2026 postseason

FALL PLAYOFF
CENTRAL

The road from the regular season to championship day.

Dates, official bracket sources and team coverage for Greene, Lenoir, Jones and Wayne counties, plus the programs already covered by Neuse News Sports.

Next on the calendar

October 19–24

Girls golf regionals Oct. 19–20; NCHSAA dual-team tennis rounds Oct. 19 and 21; volleyball rounds Oct. 20, 22 and 24. Individual tennis state championships Oct. 23–24. Separate association calendars appear below.

Read the status

Official calendar: association dates reported in the Neuse News Sports guide.

Projected: editorial rankings, picks and RPI discussion.

Confirmed: only a published official bracket or verified result establishes qualification or advancement.

Coverage updated Oct. 18, 2026. Read the 2026 Fall Sports Playoff Guide. Dates may change; check official game times and locations before traveling.

Public schools · NCHSAA only

Find your sport

These NCHSAA dates do not apply to NCISAA, NCCSA, CAA4SC or college competition.

NCHSAA · Official calendar

Volleyball

Oct. 17 → Oct. 31

Bracket / assignment: Oct. 15

Round-by-round dates

First round: Oct. 17
Second round: Oct. 20
Third round: Oct. 22
Fourth round: Oct. 24
Regional championships: Oct. 27
State championships: Oct. 30–31 · Campbell University

Official schedule and bracket information →

NCHSAA · Official calendar

Boys soccer

Nov. 2 → Nov. 21

Bracket / assignment: Oct. 29

Round-by-round dates

First round: Nov. 2
Second round: Nov. 5
Third round: Nov. 9
Fourth round: Nov. 12
Regional championships: Nov. 17
State championships: Nov. 19–21 · Durham County Memorial Stadium

Official schedule and bracket information →

NCHSAA · Official calendar

Football

Nov. 6 → Dec. 12

Bracket / assignment: Oct. 31

Round-by-round dates

First round: Nov. 6
Second round: Nov. 13
Third round: Nov. 20
Fourth round: Nov. 27
Regional championships: Dec. 4
State championships: Dec. 10–12 · UNC, Lenoir-Rhyne and Campbell; classification site assignments pending

Official schedule and bracket information →

NCHSAA · Official calendar

Girls tennis

Oct. 12 → Oct. 31

Bracket / assignment: Oct. 9 · Dual-team seeding

Round-by-round dates

Dual-team rounds: Oct. 12, 14, 19 and 21
Dual-team regional championships: Oct. 27
Dual-team state championships: Oct. 30–31
Individual regionals: Oct. 16–17
Individual state championships: Oct. 23–24

Official schedule and bracket information →

NCHSAA · Official calendar

Girls golf

Oct. 19 → Oct. 27

Bracket / assignment: Regional assignments from association

Round-by-round dates

Regionals: Oct. 19 or 20 · assigned regional determines date
State championships: Oct. 26–27

Official schedule and bracket information →

NCHSAA · Official calendar

Cross country

Oct. 30 → Nov. 7

Bracket / assignment: Regional assignments from association

Round-by-round dates

Regionals: Oct. 30–31
3A / 4A East regional: Oct. 30, 11 a.m. · Lenoir County Fairgrounds; South Lenoir hosts
State championships: Nov. 6–7

Official schedule and bracket information →

One region. Distinct calendars.

Private & charter associations

NCISAA · Separate calendar

Volleyball: Wayne Christian & Wayne Country Day

Fall team-sport seeding: Oct. 17.

Wayne Christian’s 3A and Wayne Country Day’s 1A classification schedules: rounds Oct. 20, 22 and 24; semifinals Oct. 30; championships Oct. 31.

Classification schedules do not establish qualification or advancement.

Official volleyball brackets →

NCISAA · Separate calendar

Boys soccer: two classification schedules

Wayne Country Day · 1A: first round Oct. 20; quarterfinals Oct. 23; semifinals Oct. 27; championship Oct. 31.

Wayne Christian · 3A: first round Oct. 20; second round Oct. 22; quarterfinals Oct. 24; semifinals Oct. 27; championship Oct. 31.

Qualification and advancement remain subject to the official brackets.

Official soccer brackets →

NCISAA · Separate calendar

Football, girls golf & cross country

Football: seeding Oct. 31; first round Nov. 6; semifinals Nov. 13; championships Nov. 20.

Girls golf: championships Oct. 26–27.

Cross country: championships Oct. 30.

Official NCISAA calendar →

NCCSA · Separate calendar

Bethel Christian (Kinston)

State soccer and volleyball tournaments: Oct. 22–24.

Bethel Christian swept Woodland in its playoff opener and hosts New Manna on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m.

Official tournament information →

NCCSA · Separate calendar

Cross country state meet

State meet: Oct. 27.

Follow the association’s entry requirements and published meet information for confirmed participants.

Official meet information →

CAA4SC · Separate calendar

Wayne Prep: CAA4SC

Cross country championships: Oct. 16.

Fall championship window: week of Oct. 19, with the preceding week available when needed.

Pending confirmation: exact sport-specific rounds and Wayne Prep football postseason arrangements. Do not apply NCHSAA dates to Wayne Prep.

CAA4SC information →

MACAA · Separate calendar

Faith Christian & Ambleside

Faith Christian Academy (Goldsboro) is listed in 2A North; Ambleside Prep (Kinston) is listed in 2A South. Association membership alone does not establish a postseason berth.

Official MACAA school directory →

Official brackets & confirmed results · Updated Oct. 18

Follow the bracket

2026 volleyball brackets: click here · Official tennis brackets and calendar

Volleyball: latest local results

North Lenoir 3, West Stokes 2: the Hawks advance to West Stanly on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m. Read the comeback recap.

Heide Trask 3, Greene Central 2: the Rams finish 12–12. Read the Greene Central recap.

South Lenoir defeated Northwood 3–0 and visits Farmville Central Oct. 20; time TBA. Jones Senior fell 3–1 to Oxford Prep; Rosewood fell 3–2 to Eno River.

Tuesday, October 20

NCHSAA volleyball: Eastern Alamance AT C.B. Aycock, 7 p.m.; Martin County AT Goldsboro, time TBA; North Lenoir AT West Stanly, 6 p.m.; South Lenoir AT Farmville Central, time TBA.

NCISAA volleyball: Cary Christian AT Wayne Christian and Oakwood AT Wayne Country Day; times TBA.

NCHSAA volleyball · NCISAA volleyball brackets

Tennis and golf

Monday, Oct. 19, dual-team tennis: Orange AT C.B. Aycock, 4 p.m.; Greene Central vs. Northwood — Oct. 19; start time and venue awaiting confirmation.

Girls golf regionals: C.B. Aycock competes at Wedgewood Oct. 19. Goldsboro and Spring Creek qualifiers compete at Seven Lakes Oct. 20.

Official girls golf regional information

All listed times are Eastern. TBA means no confirmed time is listed here. Verify with the host school before traveling. Results and qualification are separate from RPI projections.

Schedules · Rosters · Team coverage

Follow your school

Follow each school’s results and coverage. Faith Christian and Ambleside follow MACAA schedules; Lenoir CC volleyball postseason details remain TBA.

Greene · NCHSAA