Hoggard boys soccer receives championship rings

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — The ultimate prize for winning it all has finally been given to the Hoggard boys soccer team.

Vikings players and coaches received their championship rings on Thursday. This comes after winning the Class 8A state title in November, which is also the first in program history.

(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)

Despite having their names engraved on the rings, the honor is by no means individual. Head Coach Dwight Findlay and the athletes made clear throughout the ceremony that the achievement is for all the players that paved the way for them as opposed to just the 2025 squad.

“It’s more beautiful than I thought they would be,” Findlay said. “I knew they were going to be exciting, fun to look at. We wanted to make sure it was something the boys would be excited about. A lot of community support went into making this a special moment that the boys would remember.”

(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)

“It’s really a symbol for everything that we’ve been building,” senior Adler Sauer said. “All the guys before us had built a legacy here. They’ve left it just for us to complete it. A lot of teams have gotten so far and they’ve fallen short, but we’re here to complete it. It’s really not just us that are winning the rings, it’s everyone that came before us.”

This is the first state title in a major team sport won by a Carolina Coast school since New Hanover won the boys soccer title in 2021.

(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)