The second round of the NCHSAA rugby playoffs was exciting and every team won. Here are five key points for Friday night:

Asheville is only minutes away from the group 4A upset against Mallard Creek.

The Cougars have taken the lead in almost all competitions in the first three quarters, after Caleb Madden returned from a big kick-off and scored a touchdown on the first drive. Until the end of the third quarter, quarterback Khalil Conley advanced his second touchdown of the night, and neither team scored again. 

But a failed late-point attempt (a blocked kick and an incomplete pass) meant that the Mavericks' door was still open.

After Mallard Creek's first touchdown, Asheville rewarded it with a blocked bonus, but for the home team, things went from dangerous to catastrophic. Due to an injury in the first quarter, Conley has played without linebacker Otis Walton Sacher. Conley also left the game in the fourth quarter, forcing coach Kotradford to rely on Tremecca. Greek as the starting quarterback.

The punt passed back a touchdown and a successful extra point to give Mallard Creek a 13-12 lead. Although McGahee attacked within the 30-yard line on the final blow, the 45-yard field goal attempt missed to the left and the Cougars kept an eye on one. .

You have to think that someone will at least slow down coach Jim Sotheby's team in the end, but Burns can't.

Faced with the toughest game since the beginning of September, the Bearcats buzzed as usual, responding to the Bulldogs' quick scoring with a kick-off return touchdown, and led by 16-7 at halftime. 

They went all out in the second half and won 38-13. Quarterback Gavin Gosnell had an 18-yard touchdown and a 51-yard touchdown pass to Lennard Benniefield, who also kicked off in the first quarter. 

Hendersonville, ranked No. 5, will face a match against three-time defending champion Ritzville. Retzville entered the third round with 31 consecutive victories. 

This was the hasty start of one of the three 1A second round matches between WNC teams. There were a total of five turnovers in the first half and the score was kept tight before the end of the half.

Mountain Heritage defensive guard Griffin Ray opened the scoring at No. 6, but Murphy quarterback Kellen Rumfelt had the last laugh. In the last 37 minutes of the game, the junior made touchdown shots to Cole Laney, Juan Allen and Payton McCracken, and scored 22 points without answer. Murphy's defense did not allow the Cougars to attack in a 22-8 victory. Score.

Next week, the Bulldogs will take a long bus trip and steep challenge on the roads of the undefeated and top seed East Randolph. Rumfelt and the passing game may need to eliminate the mistakes that plagued it early in order to pull the upsets.

The two highest seeds from the WNC 1A group respectively showed how they got these numbers on Friday.

Hosting Swain County in the second round, No. 3 Mitchell and quarterback Ty Turbyfill performed well again. Maroon Devils responded to Turbyfill's first touchdown, but he ran four more times in the next 25 minutes before the visitors were back on the board. 

The teenager rushed for 183 yards and scored 18 times, adding 78 yards and air touchdowns to a 49-14 victory. This is his second consecutive playoff game with total touchdowns. 

The Climbers not only defeated the team during the eight-game winning streak, but have been overwhelming them, with an average victory rate of 37.3 points.

Robbinsville has begun to retaliate against Cherokee. From the opening minutes, it is obvious that coach De Walsh's team has changed a lot since losing to the Braves in the regular season. Running back Cutler Adams was injured in the team's first meeting. He had 4 touchdowns and a landing distance of 161 yards, while the Black Cavaliers' total yardage almost doubled.

Both Mitchell and Robbinsville will be at home next week and are expected to advance to the quarterfinals. The Climbers play at home against No. 6 Thomasville (10-0), while the Black Cavaliers play against North Rowan (8-3).

No matter when the Wildcats’ next trip to Yadkin Valley is, it’s too early.

After losing to Elgin in the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the Wildcats took to the road against nearby Stamon and got closer to an away victory.

The Rams were in the lead for most of the game, leading 7-0 in the first game of the second quarter and extending the lead to 14-0 after halftime. But a 90-yard kick-off pass and a 56-yard touchdown gave the Wildcats a 20-12 lead, and their late touchdown once again forced overtime.

But Starmount got a defensive stop and then scored a touchdown in the first overtime round, ending the Wildcats season in the second round.