High School Playoffs: Brackets, Matchups Set Nationwide

High school football playoff brackets and opening‑round matchups were released nationwide for games beginning Friday, Nov. 7, with state and regional schedules now posted across multiple markets. Kansas will play a 72‑game Regional Round with championship games beginning Nov. 28, and Michigan set 8‑Man Regional Finals and 11‑Man District Finals with championships scheduled for Nov. 22 and Nov. 30. Section IV in New York published first‑round sites and times for Nov. 7–8 (e.g., Ithaca at Corning‑Painted Post), while Central Illinois and other outlets have posted opening‑round scores and plan updated highlights. North Carolina’s NCHSAA released brackets for all eight classifications with postseason starting Nov. 7 and state championships set for Dec. 11–13; local No. 1 seeds such as Hoggard (8A East) and James Kenan (3A East) earned first‑round byes. In South Carolina’s Midland region, Nov. 7 first‑round Class 5A games were set with the top four seeds receiving byes (matchups include Spring Valley at Rock Hill and Blythewood at Clover), with winners to meet top seeds on Nov. 14. California’s Central Section brackets were reshaped by a new “25% rule,” keeping Clovis East in Division 1‑AA and producing TRAC‑heavy pairings such as Clovis North at Buchanan and Clovis East at Central East; college HBCU coverage also continues into the 2025 season, highlighted by North Carolina Central’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge win and weekly HBCU player awards.