High school teams in four states open football playoffs

High school football and flag football teams across several regions are entering postseason play, with first-round games beginning in late October and early November. In North Carolina, East Rowan and Salisbury qualified for the NCHSAA girls flag football playoffs, while A.L. Brown also made the 7A bracket; several other area teams missed the cut. Six Baldwin County, Alabama, girls flag football teams reached their state playoffs, including top-seeded St. Michael Catholic and bye recipients Daphne and Fairhope. Ohio Division VI and VII teams, including Versailles, Mechanicsburg and Covington, open regional play Friday, while Callaway County, Missouri, teams Fulton, South Callaway and North Callaway begin district games the same day. Coaches from other area football programs said their teams are eager to continue playing and believe they are improving, while recognizing that postseason competition will intensify.