Tuesday night's opening round of the Forsyth County Middle Schools Football Playoffs featured fast starts from the top and middle of the bracket, the postseason's first shutout and a No. 7 seed knocking out one of the tournament favorites.
When it was over, Liberty, Vickery Creek, North Forsyth and Little Mill had punched their tickets to the semifinals.
Liberty Starts Fast, Advances Past Otwell
Liberty wasted little time showing why it entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
The Patriots jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead, putting Otwell in a deep hole before the Bulldogs found some momentum after the break.
Otwell responded with 21 second-half points and outscored Liberty 21-6 over the final two quarters, but the Patriots' dominant first half provided more than enough cushion for a 33-21 victory.
Liberty moves on and remains the highest seed left in the field.
Little Mill Knocks Out No. 2 Hendricks
The biggest surprise of the opening round came from the bottom of the bracket.
Little Mill took an 8-0 lead into halftime and never surrendered it, holding Hendricks to six points in a 20-6 victory.
The result sends the No. 7 seed into the semifinals and ends the season for a Hendricks team that entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed.
Little Mill is now the lowest-seeded team remaining — and the Mustangs are still playing.
Vickery Creek Defense Shuts Down South Forsyth
Vickery Creek and South Forsyth played the tightest game of the opening round through the first half.
The Vipers led just 7-0 at halftime, but South Forsyth never found the score it needed to change the game.
Vickery Creek added another touchdown after the break and finished off a 14-0 victory, recording the only shutout of the first round.
The No. 3 seed advances to the semifinals.
North Forsyth Erupts for 60
The 4-5 matchup was the closest pairing by seed.
It wasn't close for long.
North Forsyth exploded for 44 points in the first half and carried a 44-12 advantage into halftime. The Wildcats added 16 more after the break to finish with a first-round-high 60 points in a 60-18 victory.
North Forsyth advances after one of its biggest offensive performances of the season.
The quarterfinals cut the playoff field from eight teams to four, and the remaining seeds stretch from No. 1 all the way to No. 7.
No. 1 Liberty will face No. 4 North Forsyth, while No. 3 Vickery Creek will meet No. 7 Little Mill.
Liberty is the last of the top two seeds standing. Little Mill is trying to continue its run from the No. 7 spot. Vickery Creek enters after a shutout, while North Forsyth comes in after putting 60 on the board.
Four teams remain. Two will earn a chance to play for the 2026 FCMS Football Championship.
