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Three Stanly County football squads have qualified for the 2024 NCHSAA state playoffs, with one team hosting Friday night and the other two playing on the road.

1A Playoffs

South Stanly

The South Stanly Rebel Bulls, who finished 5-4 in the regular season and won the 1A playoff spot from the Yadkin Valley Conference, will have the team’s first home playoff game in five seasons.

South is the No. 8 seed in the western region of the 1A playoffs and hosts No. 25 Avery County (2-7).

The visiting Vikings were outscored by the opposition this season 303 to 145. Avery’s two wins came against Rosman, 50-0, and Mitchell in the final week of the regular season last Friday, 25-21.

Friday’s game will be the first home playoff game since the Bulls hosted county rival North Stanly in the first round of the 1A playoffs in 2019.

Albemarle

The 3-7 Bulldogs will be on the road Friday in the opening round of the 1A playoffs.

Albemarle is the No. 23 seed in the West and will travel to No. 10 East Wilkes (8-2).

The Cardinals lost this season at Mount Airy, 28-13, and at Starmount, 35-20, finishing third in the Northwest 1A conference behind both schools, respectively.

2A Playoffs

North Stanly

The Comets finished the regular season as Stanly Cup Champions with a 6-4 overall record. Losing to the other 2A school in the split 1A/2A YVC, Mount Pleasant, put the Comets into the playoffs as an at-large bid.

North is the No. 19 seed and will face another set of Bulldogs this week traveling to the No. 14 Burns Bulldogs in Lawndale.

Burns (7-3) finished second in the 1A/2A Southern Piedmont Conference to Shelby, losing to the Golden Lions, 27-14. The host Bulldogs have outscored opponents this season 403-142.