The 2025 nc 4a football playoffs didn’t just feel like a tournament. It felt like a tectonic shift in North Carolina sports history. We’ve all spent years getting used to the four-classification system. You know the drill: 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A. But 2025 was the year the NCHSAA blew the roof off the building and expanded to an eight-classification format.
Suddenly, being in 4A meant something entirely different.
Honestly, the energy was weird at first. Fans were checking their phones constantly, trying to figure out which bracket their team actually landed in. With 48 teams qualifying for the 4A bracket alone—and the top 16 getting a first-round bye—the stakes for the regular season were astronomical. You weren't just playing for a home-game advantage; you were playing for a week of rest that could save your season.
Reidsville and the 4A Dominance
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Reidsville.
They came into this postseason with 23 state titles already in the trophy case. That’s more than any other school in the state. People were skeptical when the reclassification put them at the top of the nc 4a football playoffs East bracket. Could they handle the step up?
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They didn't just handle it. They owned it.
Dionte Neal is a name you’re going to be hearing for a long time. The kid is basically a human highlight reel. In the championship game against Brevard at Lenoir-Rhyne’s Moretz Stadium, he was untouchable. Reidsville walked away with a 50-20 victory, securing their 24th state title. It wasn't even as close as the score looked.
Brevard had an incredible run as the No. 1 seed in the West, but they ran into a buzzsaw. Reidsville’s Tyson Broadway and Kendre Harrison played like men possessed. Broadway was the East Offensive Player of the Game, while Harrison took home Defensive honors. It was a masterclass in modern high school football.
The Chaos of the New Bracket System
The new 1A-8A format changed the math for everyone. In the old days, a 4A school was one of the biggest in the state. Now, the 4A classification sits right in the middle, creating a unique "sweet spot" of competition. You have historical powerhouses like Reidsville and Maiden competing against rising programs that finally have a path to a ring.
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Take Maiden, for instance. They ended the season with a 9-5 record. In a traditional 4A bracket from three years ago, they might have been a first-round exit or missed out entirely. In the 2025 nc 4a football playoffs, they fought their way into the fourth round. They eventually lost to Hibriten in a 29-28 heartbreaker, but that’s the point. The new system creates these incredible, gritty matchups between schools that actually belong on the same field.
It wasn't all sunshine and roses, though.
Some critics, like Nick Stevens from HighSchoolOT, argued that letting 80% of teams into the playoffs would water down the product. Kinda hard to argue with him when you see some of the early-round blowouts. But once you hit the third round? The quality was undeniable.
Key Moments You Might Have Missed
If you weren't glued to the NFHS Network every Friday night, you missed some absolute cinema.
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- The Pisgah vs. Mount Pleasant Thriller: An OT battle in the third round that had everyone in the West talking. Pisgah survived, though they eventually fell to Brevard in the next round.
- West Craven’s Surge: They finished the year 12-2 and looked like a legitimate threat to Reidsville for a minute there. They hit the fourth round with a head of steam but couldn't quite close the gap.
- Central Davidson's Consistency: They came in as the No. 4 seed in the East and proved that their 11-2 record wasn't a fluke. They finally hit the wall against Reidsville in the fourth round, losing 41-24.
The physical toll of this new format is something coaches are still figuring out. Five or six weeks of playoff football is a gauntlet. By the time the finals rolled around on December 13, depth was the only thing that mattered.
Why the 2025 Results Matter for 2026
If you’re looking ahead, the nc 4a football playoffs landscape is now firmly established. The "8-Class" era is here to stay, and the 4A division is arguably the most competitive because it’s where the most "football-first" towns in North Carolina seem to congregate.
Reidsville isn't going anywhere. Neither is Brevard.
But watch out for teams like West Craven and Maiden. They’ve tasted the deep postseason run now. They know exactly what it takes to get to Hickory or Chapel Hill. The gap between the "elites" and the "contenders" is shrinking, mostly because the new seeding rewards teams that play a tough schedule.
Actionable Steps for the Off-Season
- Audit the Rosters: Keep an eye on the transfer portal. Yes, it exists in high school now, effectively. Key players from the 4A ranks often get looks from bigger 7A or 8A programs, but staying in 4A often offers more playing time and a clearer path to a state title.
- Study the 1-16 Bye Strategy: If you’re a coach or a booster, the regular season just became 20% more important. Getting that first-round bye in November is the difference between a healthy roster in December and a decimated one.
- Follow the Recruiting Trail: Players like Faizon Brandon (who won the 7A title with Grimsley) set the bar, but the 4A stars like Dionte Neal are the ones scouts are watching for "undervalued" talent.
The 4A classification has found its identity. It’s no longer just a "mid-sized" category; it’s the home of North Carolina’s most historic football programs. If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that history still wins championships, but the new bracket ensures everyone has to sweat for it.
Check the NCHSAA archives for full box scores if you want to see the yardage totals—they're staggering. We'll see if anyone can knock Reidsville off the mountain next year.