Laney, New Hanover & Whiteville advance in soccer state playoffs

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Whiteville, Laney and New Hanover all won second round state playoff soccer games on Monday night. All three schools will hit the soccer pitch again on Wednesday for third round state playoff action. On our sports on Monday we had game coverage from the Laney-Hoggard playoff tilt and the New Hanover-Cape Fear playoff affair.

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Monday High School Scoreboard

Boys Soccer Playoffs

Whiteville 2
Lakewood 1 in OT
Lionel Baltazar scored twice for the Wolfpack
Whiteville will travel to Manteo for round 3 of state playoffs

Laney 2 **Click icon above to see video
Hoggard 1
David Dailey scored twice for Laney
Laney will host Holly Springs for round 3 of state playoffs

New Hanover 4 **Click icon above to see video
Cape Fear 1
New Hanover will host Green Hope for round 3 of state playoffs

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RALEIGH, NC (NC STATE) — NC State used a combination of strong defense and special teams play, along with timely Pack offensive drives, to come away with a 24-17 ACC road win at Syracuse. Down 14-9, NC State’s DE Pharoah McKever returned an INT 82 yards for the go-ahead score and changed the momentum of the game, as the Pack defense caused three second-half turnovers and had eight sacks on the day to secure the win.

WOLFPACK DRIVE OF THE GAME – 1st Half
9 plays, 52 yard FG drive to open the game.

NC State came out and took the game’s opening kickoff down the field for a field goal. The Pack put together a 9-play, 52-yard drive, resulting in Niklas Sade’s first field goal of the game (43 yards). On the drive, Jacoby Brissett was 5-of-6 for 47 yards.

WOLFPACK DRIVE OF THE GAME – 2nd Half
5 plays, 35-yard TD drive in fourth quarter.

Rodman Noel caused a Syracuse fumble at the Orange 35-yard line, and then NC State went 35 yards in five plays to seal the road victory. Jacoby Brissett found Shadrach Thornton on third down, and Thornton’s 18-yard scamper put the Pack up two scores.

MOMENT OF THE GAME
DE Pharoah McKever’s 82-yard interception return for a TD in the third quarter.

With the Pack down 14-9 and Syracuse driving for a score for its third straight possession, DE McKever dropped into coverage and into the path of a A.J. Long pass and returned it 82 yards for the Pack’s first TD of the day. After a two-point conversion, NC State held a 17-14 lead.

The INT return was the first since last year’s Central Michigan game (D.J. Greene), and the sixth-longest INT return in school history (and the longest since a 2001 Marcus Hudson 100-yard return at Duke).