Both East Bladen teams will open the N.C. High School Athletic Association basketball playoffs at home Tuesday while the West Bladen boys barely missed out on hosting a first-round game.
Pairing for the 64-team brackets in four classifications were released Saturday by the state organization.
West Bladen (18-7), which shared the Southeastern Athletic Conference regular-season title with East Bladen, was seeded No. 17 in 2-A East and will play at No. 16 North Johnston (19-6) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The top 16 seeds will open the state playoffs at home.
North Johnston finished third in the Neuse 6 Conference behind Goldsboro and Princeton.
The winner between the Knights and North Johnston will advance to the second round either at No. 1 Farmville Central (24-1) or home against No. 32 Fairmont (7-17).
The East Bladen boys (19-6) are seeded No. 7 in 2-A East and will host No. 26 North Lenoir (14-12) on Tuesday. North Lenoir finished third in the East Central Conference behind Kinston and Southwest Onslow. The Hawks had won six straight before losing to Kinston on Friday in the conference tournament finals.
The Eagles, who lost to St. Pauls 41-38 in overtime Friday in the Southeastern tournament championship, also would play at home Thursday if they win Tuesday against the winner between No. 10 Franklin Academy (17-10) and No. 23 Eastern Wayne (10-15).
The boys’ game will tip about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday following the girls’ game, which begins at 6 p.m. Admission will be $8 per person. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m.
The East Bladen girls (18-7), which finished third in the conference during the regular season but won the league’s postseason tournament, is the No. 14 seed in 2-A East and will host Southeastern Conference member Red Springs (13-13), the No. 19 seed, on Tuesday.
East Bladen and Red Springs split its regular season meetings with the Eagles winning 48-33 in Elizabethtown on Feb. 7 and the Red Devils capturing a 44-40 decision Jan. 17 in Red Springs.
If the Eagles win, they will either play at No. 3 seed Elizabeth City Northeastern (24-1) or host No. 30 Princeton (11-12) on Thursday.
Third-round games are scheduled Saturday.
Here are other pairings involving area teams:
2-A BOYS
No. 30 Midway at No. 3 Hertford County
No. 19 Red Springs at No. 14 Elizabeth City Northeastern
No. 18 Burlington Cummings at No. 15 St. Pauls
No. 27 Wallace-Rose Hill at No. 6 Heide Trask
1-A BOYS
No. 24 Hobbton at No. 9 West Columbus
No. 29 East Columbus at No. 4 Neuse Charter
2-A GIRLS
No. 25 Midway at No. 8 NCSSM-Durham
No. 24 North Lenoir at No. 9 Whiteville
No. 29 Kinston at No. 4 St. Pauls
No. 22 North Johnston at No. 11 Fairmont
1-A GIRLS
No. 25 Lakewood at No. 8 East Columbus
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