I left WWAY on my quest to cover the local high school sports action in town around 6:00.   Not only was it exciting trying to get John Rendleman footage worthy of his first sportscast in a few weeks, but it’s do or die time, and I love the state playoffs.

My first stop was Hoggard where I saw a short bus pull in, full of some team, and they were about to unload as I parked.  As I walked over to the softball field, Kelly Maultsby was in complete control on the mound.  The Vikings won the Mideastern Conference and appeared to be headed to round 2 of the playoffs when I had to leave to head up to Laney.

I made it up to BucTown around 7:00 and the softball team was up 2-0 in the fifth inning.  Lacy Wildeboer got out of a jam, an Laney then gave their ace some insurance runs as they pulled ahead 5-0.  

With the softball team looking good in the sixth, I strolled over to the baseball field where it was still scoreless.  After Terry Sanford balked in a run in the third, I decided to leave my center field perch and check back in on the softball game.

I could see the game was over, the scoreboard read 6-0.  That was win #1 on the night for the local teams.

It was getting dark, and the centerfield shot is hard to see at dusk… not to mention Rendle prefers the shot from right behind the plate.

As I cozied up along side the press box in front of the stands, I caught wind that Hoggard had won their softball game 4-0.  Local teams, two-for-two.

Justin Somers was cruising on the hill for Laney, but it was still just a one run lead entering the bottom of the fifth.  The Bucs are #2 in the state because of their pitching, not necessarily their hitting.  

But the Bucs broke through with a pair of runs in the frame as Raleigh Stoughton scored on a sacrifice fly and Somers then helped his own cause with a RBI single plating Ryan LaGrange.

Somers would continue to blank the Bulldogs and Laney prevailed 3-0, in win #3.  I dipped into the press box after the game to check out the scorebook. Somers wound up striking out 12 and allowed just 2 hits, while Ryan LaGrange was 2-2 with a walk as he reached base in all three plate appearances.  I also found out Greenville Rose was up comfortably, which would set up a #1 in the state vs. #2 match-up in the third round.

After hitting the drive through and shoveling some quick McDonald’s into my gullet, I arrived back at WWAY around 9:30.

I started editing the highlights for John, who was off covering a news story and two baseball games in Brunswick County himself, and the phone calls started coming in with scores from the out-of-town games.

CFSR ace photographer had been dreaming of a New Hanover at Hoggard match up in the girls soccer playoffs, and he got his wish.  I was concentrating on my editing mostly, but when Rendle got off the phone, I learned it was official, New Hanover and Pinecrest were tied 1-1 after OT, but the Wildcats came through in the penalty kicks that followed and Hoggard also advanced, posting a 2-0 win over New Bern.  Kristen Busby scored her 19th goal of the year while Hailey Piepmeyer scored just her second.

Hoggard, #6 in the state, will host New Hanover, #7 in the state, Thursday at 6:00.  These teams already have a big rivalry brewing… actually they don’t really like each other.  

Not only is their plenty of emotion, but these teams are pretty good too… together, they have outscored their opponents by a combined 151-31 margin.  This is the biggest girls’ soccer game in town since…

And speaking of New Hanover, the Lady Wildcat softball team didn’t spoil the perfect night, as they too posted a round one win by beating Scotland County 2-0.

And speaking of 2-0, that was the final as the Hoggard baseball team blanked South View by the same score.  I think I overhead Rendle saying something about David Coleman hitting a homerun, but I wasn’t paying attention as David Coleman going yard is as newsworthy as the sun coming up in the morning.  It may have been brother Scott… sorry for the poor journalism.  I do know Nicky Maulter picked up the win and while Coach St. Ledger has been worried about his pitching, Maulter is coming up big down the stretch.  He tossed a perfect-game against New Hanover to close out the regular season.  Coach St. Ledger was a guest on WWAY’s Coach’s Corner Sunday, you can check it out online.

When I first pulled into the parking lot at Hoggard, I had no idea what a big night the local teams would have.  Oh and the bus I saw, that was the now 18-3 Viking tennis team returning from their match.  

Of course they won… it was just that kind of night.

- Jesse Jones

Photo: Rodney Williams