Wolverines earn top seed, first-round bye in state 1A boys soccer playoffs

Polk County will begin play in the state 1A boys soccer playoffs on Saturday as the Wolverines have earned a first-round bye.

Polk County is the top seed in the 1A West field according to official brackets released Monday by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

The Wolverines (19-2) are currently slated to face the winner of Wednesday’s first-round match between Union Academy and Langtree Charter.

Union Academy (9-9) enters as the 16th seed in the West and will host Wednesday’s match, with Langtree (12-10-1) entering as the 17th seed. The two teams are in the same conference and have already met twice this season, with Union Academy winning both contests.

The Wolverines earned a 2-1 win over Union Academy in the 2018 1A playoffs, hanging on for the win when Union missed a penalty kick in the final minute.

As the top seed in the West, Polk County is assured of being at home in every playoff match except the state championship. The Wolverines have won 19 straight home matches dating back to last season.

With a win Saturday, Polk County could host a third-round rematch with Community School of Davidson. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines 1-0 in last year’s Western Regional final.