You can call them superstitious, lucky or even overlooked. The Hoggard boys soccer team prefers something simpler. They call it historic.

The Vikings earned that word Thursday, Nov. 13, powering past Wilmington rival Laney 3-0 in the NCHSAA 8A East regional championship at Scott Braswell Stadium.

With the win, Hoggard (21-1-2) reaches a state title game for the first time in the program's history. The girls team made a run to a championship match in 2010, but on the boys side, this moment belonged to far more than the 11 players in blue.

"They're not just playing for their success. They're playing for the guys who were here before them," Hoggard coach Dwight Findlay said, voice shaking. "It feels absolutely amazing."

The victory stretches the Vikings' unbeaten streak to 22 games. The

See Full Page