North Carolina High School Basketball Playoffs Begin
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) basketball playoffs are underway, with several teams from the Wilmington area kicking off their postseason journeys on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
The John T. Hoggard High School Vikings are entering the playoffs as top seeds in both the men’s and women’s brackets. Both Hoggard teams received byes in the first round and will advance directly to the second round. The Vikings women’s team, boasting a 25-1 record, will face the winner of the first-round matchup between Green Level and Millbrook. The Hoggard men’s team, with a 20-6 overall record, will play the winner of the contest between Wakefield and Millbrook.
Beyond Hoggard, several other area high schools secured first-round byes. The New Hanover High School men’s team (Class 7A) is a 5th seed, while East Columbus’s women’s team earned a 5th seed in Class 1A. Wallace-Rose Hill’s women’s team is seeded 8th in Class 3A and South Brunswick’s women’s team is also an 8th seed, competing in Class 5A.
First Round Matchups – February 24
Here’s a look at the first-round games played on Tuesday:
Men’s 1A
23) Hobgood Charter @ 10) East Columbus
Men’s 2A
20) Research Triangle @ 13) West Columbus
18) Lejeune @ 15) East Bladen
Men’s 3A
24) South Columbus @ 9) Wallace-Rose Hill
18) Ayden-Grifton @ 15) Whiteville
Men’s 5A
19) Rockingham County @ 14) South Brunswick
23) Dixon @ 10) Seaforth
Men’s 6A
23) Scotland County @ 10) West Brunswick
Men’s 7A
21) Cape Fear @ 12) North Brunswick
Men’s 8A
1) Hoggard – Bye (20-6)
11) Enloe @ 9) Laney
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Women’s 3A
17) Whiteville @ 16) Heide Trask
22) West Bladen @ 11) Louisburg
22) South Columbus @ 10) Farmville Central
Women’s 6A
22) West Brunswick @ 11) J.H. Rose
Women’s 7A
19) Fuquay-Varina @ 14) New Hanover
23) East Wake @ 10) Topsail
18) Pine Forest @ 15) Ashley
Women’s 8A
10) Apex @ 7) Laney
Second-round games are scheduled for Thursday, February 26, and the third round will take place on Saturday, February 28. The NCHSAA has implemented a new format this year, with the semifinals and state championships being held at a single neutral site – Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem – creating a “Final Four” style event. This format was approved by the NCHSAA Board of Directors in 2023.
Fans interested in following the NCHSAA basketball playoffs can visit the NCHSAA website for complete brackets and more information.
