After 62 games, Hoggard-New Hanover football rivalry is dead even

After 58 years and 62 meetings, New Hanover County's oldest high school football rivalry is right back where it started: even. Hoggard (4-1, 1-0 Carolina Coast) and New Hanover (2-3, 1-1) will meet for the 63rd time Friday, Oct. 2, in Week 7 of the 2026 North Carolina high school football season, wi

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After 58 years and 62 meetings, New Hanover County's oldest high school football rivalry is right back where it started: even.

Hoggard (4-1, 1-0 Carolina Coast) and New Hanover (2-3, 1-1) will meet for the 63rd time Friday, Oct. 2, in Week 7 of the 2026 North Carolina high school football season, with the all-time series deadlocked at 31-31.

For the first time in rivalry history, the Vikings will enter the matchup with a chance to take the all-time series lead outright.

It’s a position Hoggard spent decades chasing.

Since 1996, the Vikings have won 27 of 34 meetings against the Wildcats, including a rivalry-record 17 consecutive victories from 1996 through 2010. Hoggard has won the past three entering Friday and will look to make it four while continuing

its pursuit of a fourth straight conference championship.

Here are the most up-to-date facts about New Hanover County’s longest-running high school football rivalry.

All-time record: Tied 31-31

New Hanover dominated this rivarly early, carrying a 24-4 record into the 1996 season. However, Hoggard has gone 27-7 in the last 34 meetings, tying the rivarly for the first time ever in 2025.

Record since 2000: Hoggard 23-7.
Points scored: Hoggard 1,062, New Hanover 1,024
Longest New Hanover win streak: 12
Longest Hoggard win streak: 17
Current Streak: Hoggard has won the last three meetings (2023-2025).
Last Hoggard win: Oct. 3, 2025 (34-0)
Last New Hanover win: Oct. 28, 2022 (10-7)
Hoggard: Craig Underwood is 8-4 (.667) against New Hanover since taking over as Hoggard’s interim head coach in 2014. On Friday, he could become the first coach in program history to lead the Vikings to an outright advantage in the all-time series.
New Hanover: The Wildcats won the first five games in the series before Hoggard earned its first win in 1973. New Hanover won 12 straight from 1976 to 1987.
Joe Miller: The winningest football coach in New Hanover history also owns the most victories in this rivalry, leading the Wildcats to a 17-1 record against Hoggard from 1977 to 1994.
Scott Braswell: Led Hoggard to an 18-4 record against New Hanover from 1997 to 2013, the most wins by a Hoggard coach in the rivalry.

Hoggard-New Hanover football rivarly history

Hoggard's #0 Kamar Fulton takes the ball for a few yards during a return as Hoggard took on New Hanover Friday night Nov. 1, 2024 at Legion Stadium. Hoggard beat New Hanover 39-13. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS

The first meeting was Oct. 11, 1968. New Hanover won 19-6.
The teams have met four times in the playoffs, all since 2003. Hoggard is 3-1 in those games.
There have been 14 shutouts (7 by New Hanover, 7 by Hoggard) all-time.
Of the 21 meetings decided by single digits, Hoggard has won 11 of those games.