The Hoggard Vikings will be headed to Winston-Salem on Friday in pursuit of their first ever State Championship on Satuday.  Kickoff is set for 3:00. 

Hoggard will have a “walk-through” at Wake Forest on Friday to check out the field turf, more than anything else, as it will be a change for the Vikings who are used to playing on grass.  After practice, they will try to find a Chick-fil-A.  Hey, if you’d won fourteen in a row eating the same thing every Friday night, you’d be looking for a grilled chicken sandwich too!

Last Friday’s win over Southern Durham in the Eastern North Carolina Championship improved their record to 14-0.  Their fifteenth win will be the toughest, yet most rewarding if they can get it.

The Hoggard coaching staff has been busy this week preparing their team for Mt. Tabor, the West Champion.  Head Coach Scott Braswell told the CFSR, “They are real athletic.  They fly to the ball and have great team speed.  They get after you on D.”  He also complemented their offensive line saying, “They come off the ball real well.”

Mt. Tabor’s feature back Tony Furr rushed for over 1,600 yards this season and the Vikes defense will need to slow him down if they are to capture the state title.  They run a lot of jet sweeps, allowing their team speed to work to their advantage, and unconventional sets..

For Hoggard, quarterback Mark Crecco has been nursing a back injury, but Coach Braswell expects him to play on Saturday.  In preparation, Hoggard focused on picking up the blitz this week at practice in hopes of getting the passing game back on track.   Defensively, the Vikings have been trying to prepare for the array of offensive sets they will see on Saturday.  They will need to come up with one more big performance to accomplish their ultimate goal.  State Champs!