Clinton, North Pitt, Washington, Greene Central, and Lejeune headline the East RPI picture, while North Lenoir, South Lenoir, East Duplin, and Jones Senior remain firmly in the playoff chase.

Local volleyball races are tightening as Ayden-Grifton, Farmville Central, North Lenoir, and East Duplin sit among the top seeds in the East RPI, while Greene Central, South Lenoir, and Jones Senior remain in the playoff mix.

Tarboro, Northside-Pinetown, Pender, and Eastern Wayne headline the East RPI race, while Greene Central, Kinston, and Ayden-Grifton sit firmly in playoff contention and South Lenoir, Farmville Central, and North Johnston battle on the bubble.

Check out this week’s schedule

The Martin County Gators shocked Greene Central on the road Friday night, using two blocked punts returned for touchdowns and a physical defensive effort to leave Snow Hill with a 38-14 upset victory.

In last week’s 46-6 win over Spring Creek, Wooten turned in his best performance yet. The junior quarterback completed 3-of-6 passes for 17 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing six times for 158 yards and a score. His highlight came on a 79-yard touchdown run that put the exclamation mark on the Blue Devils’ victory.

In a 3-0 sweep over Southside, Whaley turned in a standout performance with 19 service points and 17 digs, setting the tone on both ends of the court. Her consistency has been a driving force for Jones this fall, and the numbers speak for themselves.

Jones Senior will host Wayne Christian on Friday night with kickoff set for 7 p.m. in Trenton. The contest is also the Trojans’ annual Military Appreciation Game, where the school will recognize and honor those who have served and continue to serve our nation.

The NCHSAA released its latest Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) standings this week, the system that determines playoff seeding across football, volleyball and soccer. RPI is based on a team’s winning percentage, opponents’ winning percentage, and opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage — and it’s the only factor used when postseason brackets are set.

Check out the score from this week so far and the rest of the schedule this week!

South Lenoir volleyball sits at 2-8 overall and 0-2 in conference play at the midway point of the season.

The North Lenoir Hawks enter a new chapter this fall, stepping into an all-4A conference for the first time under the latest NCHSAA realignment. After a 10-13-1 campaign in 2024 that included a first-round playoff win at Midway, the Hawks are still learning and building with a roster that returned nearly intact — no major seniors departed last year.

Greene Central volleyball has positioned itself well through the first half of the season, entering mid-September with an 8-5 record and a 2-0 start in conference play. The Rams have shown balance, holding a 5-1 mark at home and battling to a 3-4 record on the road, while riding the confidence of a three-match winning streak.

Check out this week's sports schedule!

Greene Central stayed unbeaten at 4-0 with a 40-36 win over North Pitt, powered by Dejuan Cobb’s 187 rushing yards and Josh Cetnar’s four total touchdowns.

South Lenoir soccer is 4-2 in its first 3A season, ranked No. 13 in the state and No. 4 in the East RPI, with balanced scoring and sophomore goalkeeper Benjamin Gonzalez anchoring the defense with 40 saves.

North Lenoir volleyball sits at 9-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play, ranked No. 4 in the 4A East RPI and No. 14 in the state after six straight wins.