Recapping the best year to date for Mideastern conference athletics

There was only one team state champ, but many successful teams making deep playoff runs to the championship

LELAND, N.C. (WWAY) – 11 Eastern Regional champs, five state runner ups, eight East runner ups, one team state champion and three individual state champions. That’s how much the Mideastern conference dominated 4A and 3A athletics in North Carolina this calendar academic year.

The Hoggard Viking football team set the tone. After a week one loss to Cleveland, the boys on Shipyard rattled off 14 straight wins on the road to Raleigh for the state championship game.

Joining the Viking football team with fall success was both Viking boys and girls cross country teams. The boys won the East and the girls were runner up. The Hoggard girls golf team was the East champion and the New Hanover girls tennis team won the East.

Into the winter, two basketball teams stole the show: The New Hanover boys and the Hoggard girls. The Wildcats were 32-0 entering the state championship game, while the Vikings finally broke through to the final four.

Laney collected a lot of attention for its wrestling program, most notably a dual team East champion, an individual East champion, and an East runner up. South Brunswick was the East runner up in boys swimming.

Then in spring, we finally got a team state champion. The South Brunswick softball team swept the state championship series to win the 3A championship. The Ashley baseball team advanced to the same stage but came up short. New Hanover and Hoggard boys golf tied for East runner up, and South Brunswick was also runner up.

The Hoggard and Ashley girls soccer teams produced one of the more memorable games in New Hanover County sports history with the Vikings and Screaming Eagles squaring off in the East final, with Ashley advancing to state.