Clash of the Champions

Hoggard vs New Bern is the biggest game in the state of North Carolina this year… at least until the playoffs role around.

The defending 4A champ Vikings and 4AA champ New Bern Bears will meet Friday night in a clash of the champions.

After leaving Wake Forest in early December after the state championship game, I yearned for more. I wanted to see New Bern and Hoggard play the next weekend for the ultimate state championship, 4A vs. 4AA. Hoggard had to be seen as the top team in the state in ‘07 as they not only won the 4A title, they dismantled the Bears 39-13 during the regular season, however that was early on, and I would have loved to see them settle it on the field in December.

Now, nine months later, the wish becomes reality. Better late than never, I suppose. But this is a new year and unlike ‘07, the teams meet in New Bern.

I haven’t been able to figure out when the last time the 4A and 4AA champs met, but it aint an everyday, make that every year, occurrence. Charlotte Independence was down last year and the top two teams in North Carolina come state championship Saturday, were the Vikings and Bears.

There are big games, and then there are BIG games. This, ladies and gentlemen, considering it is just the first game of the regular season, is clearly the latter. This one is special.

The Vikings will have questions to answer… can they run the ball, comes to mind. The defense should be solid again and quarterback Brad Busby has been impressive early on in scrimmages so far. There is still new personnel on both sides of the ball, so the Vikings will still be gelling in game one of the 2008 season.

According to Head Coach Scott Braswell, “New Bern will be great test and measurement of where we are in terms of state powers.” Coach Braswell went on to tell the Cape Fear Sports Report the key to the game will most likely be, “How we handle their team speed on both sides of the ball.”

- Jesse Jones

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT