By By KEVIN TRAVIS
Sports Editor
Three area teams will be looking to advance as the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association state football playoffs kick off tonight.
The Williamston Tigers and Plymouth Vikings will be on the road, while the Creswell Tigers get to play at home.
WILLIAMSTON AT WALLACE-ROSE HILL
The No. 5 seed Williamston Tigers (10-2), a 60-18 winner over Southside, will visit the No. 4 seed Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs (10-2), a 46-0 winner over Northampton-East in the first round.
The Tigers, last year’s 1-A state runners-up, have won seven straight games.
After staring the season 2-2, Wallace-Rose Hill has rattled off eight consecutive wins.
Cedric Moody has been putting up big numbers all year for the Tigers. Moody has galloped for 1,864 yards on 190 carries (9.81 average) and 28 touchdowns, while adding 287 yards and three scores through the air.
Tiger quarterback Luke Matthews has connected on 100 of 187 (53.5 percent) passes for 1,328 yards, throwing 10 TD passes and 13 interceptions. Matthews has also rushed for 338 yards and eight scores.
Other to rushers for Williamston are Jermaine McGhee (450 yards, five TDs), Kenny Brown (367 yards, seven TDs) and Quinton Lawrence (349 yards, six TDs).
K.J. Brown (51 catches, 872 yards, seven TDs), Kenny Brown (24 catches, 279 yards, two scores) and McGhee (20 catches, 323 yards, four TDs) are Williamston’s top receivers.
Trevon Rodgers leads Williamston’s defense with seven pickoffs, while Lawrence has six and Laquan Speller has five. Walt Ange has three fumble recoveries.
Like Williamston, Wallace-Rose Hill can score in bunches.
Top rushers for the Bulldogs are Bobby Crawford (769 yards, six scores, Devonta Herring (661 yards, 10 scores), Omar Carr (482 yards, nine scores), Derrick Dunn (273 yards, three scores) and Dawan McKinzie (100 yards, three scores).
McKinzie is also 38 of 80 (47.5 percent) passing for 811 yards.
Bobby Crawford leads the team with nine catches for 259 yards and three touchdowns.
The winner plays the winner between Plymouth and Manteo in the third round.
PLYMOUTH AT MANTEO
The No. 9 seed Plymouth Vikings (8-4), a 37-6 winner over Jamesville in the first round, will face the Manteo Redskins for the second time this season in a battle of Four Rivers Conference teams. The Redskins blasted Mattamuskeet, 63-0, in the first round.
The top-seeded Redskins (12-0) took a 42-12 win over the Vikings in Manteo on Oct. 30.
Freshman Carl McCray, Elmer Cooper and Calvin Norman have run the ball effectively for the Vikings, while quarterback Kevin Purkett can throw the long ball.
C.J. Bailey leads the Hurricanes, running for 1,958 yards and 25 touchdowns on 169 carries (11.59 average).
Trey Govan has churned out 750 yards rushing and 13 scores on 60 attempts (12.50 average). Kwamere Bailey has added 727 rushing yards and nine TDs on 76 tries (9.57 average). Ja’reeze McClease has picked up 419 yards and seven touchdowns.
Levi Curles leads the defense with six interceptions.
The winner plays the winner between Williamston and Wallace-Rose Hill in the third round.
NORTH EDGECOMBE AT CRESWELL
The No. 2 Creswell Tigers (11-0), who held off No. 15 seed Northside, 30-29, in the first round, plays host to the No. 7 seed North Edgecombe Warriors (7-4) in the second round. North Edgecombe stormed past Columbia, 40-7, in the first round.
The Warriors, which finished second in the Tar-Roanoke Conference, started the season 1-3. However, North Edgecombe has won six of is last seven games.
Jaquan Bryant (929 yards rushing, 12 TDs) and Timell Sawyer (901 yards rushing, 10 TDs) have led the Creswell ground attack. Gary Blount has been effective running (444 yards, 7 TDs) and catching (25 for 510 yards, 9 TDs) the ball.
Quarterback Danvonta Phelps has completed 37 of 62 (59.7 percent) passes for 642 yards, throwing three touchdown passes and four picks. He’s added 197 yards rushing and three scores.
The defense is led by Timothy Roughton (109 tackles), Shaton Basnight (105 tackles), Xavier Owens (84 tackles, 15 sacks) and Justin Phelps (four interceptions).
North Edgecombe is led by the likes of Quentin Higgs and Johnnte Ward.
The winner plays the winner between Weldon and Jones Senior in the third round.
NCHSAA State Playoffs
Second Round
Class 1-A
No. 5 Williamston at No. 4 Wallace-Rose Hill
No. 9 Plymouth at No. 1 Manteo
No. 7 North Edgecombe at No. 2 Creswell