1Carteret: Students. Sports. Success.

Sports Shorts

Border Clash: Sure, the Mighty Mariners proved victorious in the “Cross County Clash.” But now the Cougars and Patriots are looking for respect as they both cross the borders to battle Swansboro and Havelock, respectively. New Coachcasts from Coach Kiefer, Coach Turner, and Coach Perry are available.

Titans of the Pitch: Morehead Middle Minute(wo)men soccer looks poised to repeat as champions. They are undefeated with only a few games remaining. Check the scores and standings.

The Long and Winding Path: Still unclear how W-L records are reported in Cross Country, but the WCHS Patriot Boys and Girls Cross Country have a combined record of 37-7. The storied tradition continues…

Net Gain: Keep an eye on Croatan Cougar Volleyball. The varsity is posting a 10-4 record so far this season, lime green socks notwithstanding.

Middle School Gridiron: NMS, MMS and Downeast all posted victories in the first week of conference play.

The 1-2 Punch

Newport Middle unveiled some potent offensive weaponry in their 24-22 victory against a worthy Havelock Middle football team (9/20/06).  It is the classic 1-2 punch of power and speed.

The NMS Eagle attack features a fluid and shifty scat back (#22) and a stuff-of-legends fullback (#5).  I watched the flyer break off a 70-yard TD almost immediately; I was equally impressed when the man-sized fullback burled in for the extra points as if the defense were not even on the field.

This story is greater than sports.  The fullback is finding academic success during the day at our alternative school, where the smaller setting is more conducive to his learning needs.  (In fact, his Bridges Alternative guidance counselor and athletic “point of contact” were both in the NMS stands cheering him on.)

NMS has its 1-2 punch in the backfield.  But Carteret County Schools has put together its own 1-2 punch (in this case, NMS and Bridges) to help students who just don’t fit into traditional boxes.

That’s what I call a winning combination.

The Sports Ticker

Make sure we get this right, team. The middle school scores and standings are on-line. So are the Varsity Football CoachCasts for this week. Ready, break!

ECHS: Clear-Cut County Football Champion

The East Carteret Mariners solidified their reign as county champs with a 52-7 thrashing of Croatan in Friday night football. But that conclusion was far from foregone as the charging Cougar defense stuffed East for a 25-yard loss on the last play of the first half. Halftime score: East Carteret 14 Croatan 7.

Much to the delight of the Croatan home crowd, the Cougars opened the contest with their best half of football so far this season. This is a game of two halves, however. And much to the delight of the significant ECHS following, the mighty Mariners were able to refocus in the second half on their core business—explosive, big play football. East Carteret rallied for 38 unanswered points in the second half to claim the Cubbies Battle of the Bear trophy

…and unlimited cheeseburgers and hot dogs after the game at Cubbies.
So, the county varsity football showdowns for 2006 break like this…

• Mullet Bucket: ECHS 42 WCHS 20 (Post-game meal courtesy of Brian Watson and McDonalds of Cypress Bay Plaza)
• Golden Corral Shootout: WCHS 42 CHS 16 (Post-game meal courtesy of Jackie Jarrett and Golden Corral of Morehead City)
• Battle of the Bear: ECHS 52 CHS 7 (Post-game meal courtesy of D. A. Ballou and Neal Rowland, proprietors of Cubbies Restaurants in Morehead City and Beaufort.

Girls Rule!!!

Over the last two days, I attended a high school girls volleyball match and a middle school girls soccer match. Approximately 60 girls particpated in these venues. Who won? They all did. Simply by committing time and energy to a team, every participating athlete wins. They learn valuable life skills like teamwork, dedication, sacrifice, grace, humility, and commitment.

The volleyball matchup was a classic cross-county rivalry: East Carteret HS v. West Carteret HS. In a nail-biter, West won in 5. It was the first defeat of the season for the formidable ECHS Mariners whose star spiker was sidelined with a sprained ankle.

The Broad Creek MS v Morehead MS girls soccer game was another thrilling cross-county contest. The Bulldogs of Broad Creek brought it all to the pitch, but the relentless attack of the Morehead Minute(wo)men proved too much. MMS wins 2-0.

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Friday (9/8) marks the final cross county football contest, as the East Carteret Mariners defend their trophy against the Croatan Cougars in the Cubbies “Battle of the Bear.” Cubbies burgers for the victors immediately following the fourth quarter.

Hear CHS Coach Perry’s thoughts on the game

Hear ECHS Coach Kiefer’s thoughts on the game

West-ern Shootout

The Patriots struck like a sidewinder in this year’s Golden Corral Shootout between West Carteret and Croatan. Final score: West 42 Croatan 16. The cross county football rivalries culminate this Friday night with the Battle of the Bear-–Croatan High School v. East Carteret High School.
Catch the action of CCS Athletics