Pigskin Preview: Jake Fonvielle returns to lead South Columbus Stallions Football
COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. -- South Columbus football is coming off a 7-5 season. The Stallions finished 4-1 in conference play and shared the league title.…
Pigskin Preview
Pigskin Preview: New head coach and new QB bring fresh energy to East Columbus Football
COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. — The East Columbus Gators are looking to build on a season that ended with a historic breakthrough.…
Pigskin Preview: West Columbus Vikings looking to turn lessons into playoff progress
COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. -- West Columbus is looking to take the next step this season after a 3-8 campaign last year. The Vikings came…
Pigskin Preview: West Brunswick Trojans look to take next step under familiar new head coach
SHALLOTTE, N.C. (WWAY) ... West Brunswick is entering the 2026 football season with a familiar face leading the program. Aaron Powell…
Pigskin Preview: Whiteville football brings energy and championship mindset into 2026 season
WHITEVILLE, N.C. (WWAY)-- The Whiteville Wolfpack are entering the 2026 season with plenty of energy and motivation after a year that ended sooner than…
Pigskin Preview: East Bladen reloads with more depth and key playmakers
ELIZABETHTOWN, N.C. (WWAY) — Even lightning could not keep East Bladen football from getting its work in, as the Eagles split practice between the gym…
Pigskin Preview: West Bladen Knights building toward a breakthrough
BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) —The roster is young, with just six seniors. Still, players believe last year’s experience can pay off this fall. “Winning, 'cause last year…
Pigskin Preview: New coach and returning talent bring optimism to Heide Trask
ROCKY POINT, NC (WWAY) — New expectations are building at Heide Trask as the Titans look to make a statement this season. After a…
Pigskin Preview: New coach brings new mindset to Topsail football
HAMSTEAD, NC (WWAY) --Topsail football is entering the 2026 season with a new head coach, a new system and a new mindset after a winless campaign…
Pigskin Preview: Pender Patriots build around experience after deep playoff run
PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) --Pender football did not waste much time making noise last season. The Patriots opened the year with eight straight wins, finished…
Pigskin Preview: New Hanover searching for its next leader at quarterback
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) --New Hanover enters the 2026 season looking to build on a six-win campaign and a trip to the second round of the…
Pigskin Preview: Laney begins new era under head coach Coraey Houser
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Laney is coming off a six-win season and a playoff appearance. But the biggest change heading into 2026 is a new face leading the program. The Buccaneers…
Pigskin Preview: South Brunswick Cougars look to build on winning season
South Brunswick football is coming off one of its best seasons in years. The Cougars finished 7-4, earned a share of the conference title and hosted a first-round playoff game in 2025, a major turnaround after going 0-10 the previous season.
Pigskin Preview: North Brunswick Scorpions look for better injury luck in 2026
After a season marked by injuries and narrow losses, North Brunswick enters the 2026 high school football season with a healthy roster and renewed optimism.
Pigskin Preview: Ashley football looks to new heights under first-year head coach
Ashley High School is entering the 2026 football season with a new head coach and a renewed focus on establishing the program's identity.
Pigskin Preview: Hoggard football opens practice with veteran roster and state title dreams
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- High school football teams across North Carolina officially opened fall practice this week, including Hoggard High School, where the…
WATCH: Pigskin Preview Special
Check out WWAY's Pigskin Preview Special, going over all of the football team's in the Cape Fear ahead of Week One.
Pigskin Preview: Pender looking to replace ground game production
After a trip to the state quarterfinals last season, Pender football hopes to repeat that success and then some.
Pigskin Preview: Ty Lovette takes over as Heide Trask's head coach
The Cape Fear has four new head football coaches in 2025, and only one of them is outside the Carolina Coast Conference.
Pigskin Preview: East Bladen looking to get back on track
East Bladen football has had 16 winning seasons over the last 20 years, but those four exceptions have all taken place since 2019.
Pigskin Preview: West Bladen excited for local rivalries
West Bladen football went 2-7 last season, but their new schedule has undergone perhaps the most drastic change of any team in the Cape Fear.
Pigskin Preview: East Columbus doesn't want to repeat winless season
East Columbus football does not want to relive or be reminded of their 2024 campaign, in which they did not win a single game.
Pigskin Preview: "Roller Coaster" West Columbus hopes to ride back up the standings
No football program in the area has been up and down in recent years the way West Columbus has.
Pigskin Preview: Stacked South Columbus squad ready to take next step
One of the most improved football teams in 2024, South Columbus is gearing up for what could be a special season.
Pigskin Preview: Whiteville determined to surpass last season's semifinal berth
Whiteville advanced further in the 2024 football playoffs than any school in the Cape Fear, but they are not satisfied.
Pigskin Preview: Winless last year, South Brunswick enters new conference in 2025
Last year did not go the way South Brunswick football would have liked, and they may have caught a break this season.
Pigskin Preview: West Brunswick brings back most starters in Carolina Coast
Reclassification means West Brunswick is officially the smallest school in the Carolina Coast Conference, but Trojan football doesn't care.
Pigskin Preview: North Brunswick's experienced offense looking for 5th straight winning season
Hoggard and Laney might come to mind as area football powerhouses, but North Brunswick is right there with them as programs with four consecutive winning seasons.
Pigskin Preview: New head coach Chris Schmidt sees long-term potential with Topsail
Topsail football has not had a winning record since 2020, but that really isn't their fault.
Pigskin Preview: John Fuller ready to lead New Hanover into a new era
Half of Wilmington's football teams have a new head coach for the 2025 season, but only one kept their hire in house.
Pigskin Preview: Steve Brooks enters 1st season as Laney's Head Coach
The newly formed Carolina Coast Conference has seven teams and three of them have brand new head coaches, but only one hired from outside the program to fill the role.
WWAY Pigskin Preview: Topsail
HAMPSTEAD, N.C. (WWAY) - The Topsail Pirates are in the midst of over hall. The coaching staff is finishing its first full off season with the team, and head coach Jack Teachey says the culture and unity is becoming the…
Pigskin Preview: Ashley aims to keep building off of historic 2024 campaign
The turnaround that Ashley football has had can not be understated.
Pigskin Preview: Hoggard set on winning another conference title
With a state quarterfinal berth and state championship appearance the last two years, Hoggard football has been a model of consistency.
WWAY PIGSKIN PREVIEW: East Bladen Eagles
The East Bladen Eagles are coming off a 8-6 season that ended with a 4th round trip to the 1A state championship.
WWAY Pigskin Preview: North Brunswick Scorpions
The Scorpions have consecutive seasons with playoff wins and have strong culture under Head Coach Bryan Davis. But with as much inexperience as they have right now, he feels it's like 'year one'.
WWAY Pigskin Preview: Topsail Pirates
The Topsail football programs had only six seniors find the field for significant playing time last season. That sets them up primely for 2024, given there's a lot of question marks for other top teams in the Mideastern Conference.
WWAY PIGSKIN PREVIEW: South Brunswick Cougars
A new head coach, quarterback, culture and an influx of underclassmen look to help South Brunswick compete in the Mideastern Conference.
WWAY PIGSKIN PREVIEW: Ashley Screaming Eagles
Last year's seven-win season for Ashley was the best ever in the history of the school. However, with 16 starters returning, this year's team thinks they can be even better.
WWAY PIGSKIN PREVIEW: Laney Buccaneers
The Laney Buccaneers think they can build off the success they've established. Last year's 10-win season brought them to the third round of the playoffs.
WWAY PIGSKIN PREVIEW: New Hanover Wildcats
The New Hanover Wildcats experienced many highs and lows during their 2023 campaign, which resulted in a 6-6 record and a playoff win.
WWAY PIGSKIN PREVIEW: Hoggard Vikings
The Hoggard Vikings football team had one of the best seasons in school history in 2023. But the past is the past - the team knows that those accomplishments won't help them this season, and that they need to work for this year's success.
WWAY Pigskin Preview: Whiteville
WHITEVILLE, N.C. (WWAY) - The Wolfpack had a magical win on their home field to advance to the 4th round for the first time under head coach JP Price to defeat Hertford County 25-24 when Grayson Creech sent a field…
WWAY Pigskin Preview: North Brunswick
LELAND, N.C. (WWAY) - In one of the strongest seasons in recent school history, the Scorpions had many firsts in 2022. The success of last season began way before last off season. "When I got here, we had lost to…
WWAY Pigskin Preview: Laney Buccaneers
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) - There's a new sheriff in Buctown. Ty Little, a two-time conference player of the year is being followed by his brother, Kolbe. The Laney Buccaneers had a step back in 2022 from 2021. 2 seasons ago,…
WWAY Pigskin Preview: Hoggard
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) - The Hoggard Vikings went 8-4 in 2022 and won a playoff game. That's a pretty good year for most high school football programs. The Vikings say their standard is different. THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED WITH…
WWAY Pigskin Preview: New Hanover
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) - New Hanover (10-2) left goals unaccomplished when they were upset in the second round of the playoffs by Southern Alamance in a game that the Wildcats allowed the Patriots to rush 51 times and complete zero…