Sports Headlines

Port City Chargers Open 2008 Season With Win Over Charleston Snipers

Opening their second season, the Port City Chargers semi-pro football team got off on the right foot as they downed the Charleston Snipers 12-6 on Saturday.

The turning point of the game was a four down defensive stand from the 5 yard line and the Chargers’ subsequent 97 yard drive which they capped with a 25 yard halfback pass.

The Chargers’ have developmental football camps for children and are offering a new “Sideline Experience” this year. Kids can join the Chargers three hours before game time, go through pre-game warm-ups with the team, and then watch the game from the sidelines with the rest of the Chargers.

After a road game this coming Saturday, the Chargers will return home on May 24. For more information, log onto portcitychargers.com.

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT

Wilmington Hammerheads Fall To 0-3; Shutout By Baltimore Crystal Palace 2-0 On Saturday

With sixteen new members on this year's Wilmington Hammerheads USL Division 2 soccer team, it was hard to know what to expect coming out of the gates. Unfortunately, the Hammerheads have stumbled and fallen off the pace; with Saturday's 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace Baltimore, the Hammerheads are now 0-3 to start the 2008 season.

Gary Brooks got CPB on the board in the tenth minute making good on an assist from Bryan Harkin, and Matthew Mbuta's goal in the 23rd minute put the home team up 2-0. CPB is now 3-0 on the season and have yet to be scored upon. They have clearly taken advantage of the schedule which has not taken them away from their home turf at UMBC in the season's early stages.

The Hammers have lost both road games now by 2-0 scores. Their only home game was the team's best showing, as they fought back against the league's top ranked team, the Charlotte Eagles, before falling 3-2. On Saturday, the Hammerheads return home, looking for their first win of the season against the Harrisburg City Islanders (0-1-3), which are also looking for win #1. The Islanders are coming off a 1-0 loss to Charlotte, now 4-0, on Saturday.

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT

Hoggard and Laney lacrosse teams bounced from playoffs

The Hoggard boys' lacrosse team was able to defeat Wakefield, the eighth ranked team in the state, 14-8 in the opening round of the NCHSAA playoffs, but were bounced in round two by Greensboro Page. While the friendly confines of Hoggard Stadium helped in their first round win over Wakefield (15-4), the road proved to be a cruel place to play as the Vikings had their season ended by fifth ranked Page who improved to 13-2 with the win. Hoggard finishes the '08 campaign with a 17-5 mark.

Laney had their work cut out as they played the fourth ranked team in the state, East Chapel Hill, in the opening round. While the Buc defense played well and held ECH to seven goals after they posted 16 in their previous game, Laney couldn't generate much offense of their own as they fell 7-1. The Bucs finish the season at 9-8.

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT

Two Wilmington High Schools Advance In State Baseball Tourney

Hoggard 12 - Northern Durham 3

Things looked sketchy early on for Hoggard in their first round playoff match-up with Northern Durham, but a 3-2 deficit, became a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the second, and from there, the onslaught was on.

With runners on the corners, trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the second, Hoggard’s Luke Caldwell stole second and when the throw went into center field, Mark Crecco came in from third.

Adam Hunnicutt, left, was in a bit of trouble on the mound in the early innings and Hoggard’s defense was shaky, but a 1-6-3 double play in the third seemed to be the game turning play.

As Hunnicutt began to settle down, the Hoggard bats began to heat up. In the bottom of the fourth, the Vikings sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs on seven hits. Dan MacDonald had two hits in the inning including the crushing blow, a single with the bases juiced, that was misplayed by Northern Durham and wound up clearing the sacks.

Hunnicutt set Northern down 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth and the Vikings added two more runs on RBI’s from David Coleman and Scott Johnson in the bottom of the inning.

With the score 12-3 in the seventh, Will Holland came in to finish of the game on the hill for Hoggard who will next play at home on Tuesday.

Hoggard Skipper Jeep St. Ledger said he told his team they needed to hit line drives and he reported, “They kept to what we practiced.”

Hunnicutt, who is now 6-0, said “I was little nervous in the first, but the offense was a big help. You don’t get nervous when you have 12 runs on the board. Everybody was in the game tonight; sometimes if we’re soft, the coaches will tell us to ‘get it up’ in the dugout.” On Friday, that wasn’t a problem as the Vikings had momentum on their side from the bottom of the second, on.

Other Scores

Ashley 2 - Smithfield-Selma 1

Fuquay-Varina 5 - Laney 0

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT

Hoggard Rolls On, New Hanover's Dreams Dashed

Hoggard 6 - Southeast Raleigh 0

After shutting out Jordan 3-0 in the first round of the NCHSAA girls' soccer playoffs, the Hoggard Vikings put a licking on Southeast Raleigh Friday night as they cruised to a 6-0 win.

For Hoggard, currently ranked tenth in the state, Sheri Hoover opened up the scoring and just kept on going. The sophomore led the young and talented Vikings as she put them up 2-0, and then 3-0; turn out the lights. Hoover said of her hat trick, "It's exciting for a really big playoff game, but it is always about team work."

And with the Vikings, that seems to be an understatement. They've just got too many weapons. Coach Larry Cleveland, filling in for Coach Teller who was suspended after receiving two red cards during the season, said of the team "There are so many girls that can get the job done. There are too many of us to stop. One does it one game, someone else does it the next...It is what a team is supposed to be."

With just five seniors, Hoggard may be short on experience, but they are long on talent. Cleveland added of the well balanced Vikings, "Coach T has them prepared, it is just plug in and play."

Hoggard, now 18-2-3, will play the winner of Saturday's Apex / Terry Sanford game. The Vikings will play at Apex, or host Terry Sanford, on Tuesday.

East Chapel Hill 1 - New Hanover 0

The dream season for the Wildcats came to a heart-breaking close Friday night as they lost in penalty kicks (5-4) after playing the number one team in the state to a 0-0 tie.

East Chapel Hill came into the second round clash having lost just one time this season, 1-0 to the state's second ranked team Leesville Road, and was pushed to the brink. The Wildcats kept ECH off the board throughout regulation, and after a scoreless overtime, the teams went to PK's where New Hanover was edged 5-4.

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT

Perez-Narbon In Fourth, UNCW Women's Golf Team Thirteenth At NCAA Regionals

ATHENS, Ga. – UNC Wilmington sophomore Carmen Perez-Narbon carded an even-par 72 Friday and sits in a tie for fourth place after the second round of the 2008 NCAA Women’s Golf East Regional at the University of Georgia Golf Course.

Perez-Narbon (71-72) is deadlocked with host Georgia’s Krystie Caithness (70-73) with a 36-hole total of 143, five strokes behind South Carolina’s Benedicte Toumpsin, who leads the field with a six-under par total of 138 (68-70). Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst (68-73) and Louisville’s Sara-Maude Juneau (67-74) are tied for second at 141.

UNCW (312-302=614) carded a second-round 302 to move into a tie for 13th place with fellow CAA-member Georgia State (308-306=614). Florida (290-295=585) posted a second-round low 295 to overcome a five-shot deficit and build an three-stroke cushion over top-seed and three-time defending national champion Duke (285-303=588). South Carolina is in third place with a two-round total

UNCW will tee off the final round Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. The top six teams will open the final round at 8 a.m., while teams 7-12 will start at 9.

The top eight teams in the field and the top three individual finishers who are not members of those teams will advance to the NCAA Championships May 20-23 at the University of New Mexico Championship Course in Albuquerque, N.M.

UNCW Results: T-4) Carmen Perez-Narbon, 71-72=143; T-61) Stephanie Noser 79-77=156; T-61) Ashley Tait 78-78=156; T-83) Emily Klein 85-75=160; T-95) Liana Viljoen 84-79=163.

Team Leaderboard
Florida 290-295=585
Duke 285-303=588
South Carolina 291-303=594
Auburn 296-302=598
Georgia 299-300=599
Furman 292-307=599
Wake Forest 298-305=603
New Mexico 304-301=605
Virginia 296-310=606
Louisville 293-315=608
East Carolina 314-297=611
Vanderbilt 308-305=613
Georgia State 308-306=614
UNC Wilmington 312-302=614
Tennessee 311-311=622
Indiana 309-313=622
UCF 312-311=632
Charleston Southern 309-315=624
Missouri 305-320=625
Jacksonville State 327-315=642
Jackson State 338-333=671
- Courtesy UNCW Sports Information

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT

Former NHHS Baseball Star To Play For Wilmington Sharks In Coastal Plain League

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Leading off the Sharks' new signings, is 6-2, 210-pound right-handed pitcher Jarrad Miller out of Valparaiso. The freshman righty has had a solid rookie campaign closing ballgames for the 16-28 Crusaders, leading the team with six saves. Miller has appeared in 19 games, compiling a 3-1 record while posting a 5.96 ERA. He’s struck out 17 and walked eight in 25.2 innings pitched.

At Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Miller is a three-time letterwinner whose accolades include Honorable Mention All-State, First-Team All-Northeast Hoosier Conference, First-Team All-Area, and Team MVP in 2007 as a senior. Miller participated in the North-South All-Star Game during his senior season.

Miller is majoring in Education.

The Sharks continued to add solid arms to the pitching staff by bringing on Nebraska freshman Matt Freeman. The 6-1, 185-pound righty out of Omaha, Nebraska has seen limited but solid action so far in 2008 for the 36-8-1 Cornhuskers. Freeman has appeared in eight games, throwing 8.2 innings, striking out 10 and walking four while posting a 2.08 ERA.

At Elkhorn High School in Omaha, Freeman was named the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year and Louisville Slugger Player of the Year as a senior, earned First-Team All-State honors along with being named Honorary Captain of the World-Herald’s All-Nebraska team after compiling a 5-1 record with three saves while notching a 0.76 ERA also as a senior. Freeman helped lead Elkhorn to a Class A state title.

Head back east, the Sharks also signed Brad Mincey of East Carolina University. The 5-11, 173-pound freshman out of Wilmington, North Carolina has put together a solid debut season going 3-0 for the 36-13 Pirates, pitching primarily in relief. Mincey has made 19 appearances with two starts, throwing 44.1 innings, striking out 28, and walking 18 while posting a 5.08 ERA.

Mincey might be a familiar name around the community as he was standout for New Hanover High School. While at New Hanover, Mincey earned three varsity letters in baseball, meanwhile as a sophomore compiling 43 innings pitched with a 1.94 ERA, striking out 35, walking only nine. As a junior, Mincey improved on those numbers by throwing 73 innings, striking out 92 and walking 11. Mincey helped lead New Hanover to a Mid-Eastern Conference championship and a No. 9 ranking in the state in 2006. He earned Player-of-the-Year honors from the Wilmington Star-News, and also notched Mid-Eastern 4A All-Conference honors as a sophomore and junior. Mincey is a two-time participant of the N.C. State Games in 2005-06.

Mincey is currently majoring in Engineering and received the ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll award for the Fall 2007 semester.

The Wilmington Sharks are a member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 12th season, the Coastal Plain League features 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league Web site at www.coastalplain.com.

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT