Of all the ways to describe Ashley football's 2026 season through nine weeks of action, consistency hasn't been one of them.
But after some turbulence in the first half of the season, the Screaming Eagles appear to have found their footing at just the right time.
Ashley continued its most consistent stretch of 2026 on Friday, Oct. 16, shutting out Wilmington rival New Hanover 27-0 at home to secure its third consecutive victory.
Ashley (5-3, 3-1 Carolina Coast) opened the season with a pair of comeback victories before stumbling to a 2-3 record by Week 5.
Those early struggles, which included an overtime loss to Laney and a blowout defeat in Hampstead, tested
a team still finding its identity under first-year coach Adam Purzitza.
The win over New Hanover is Ashley's fourth in program history. Three of those victories have come in the last four seasons, a remarkable turnaround in a rivalry long dominated by the Wildcats.
Friday's victory carries significance well beyond bragging rights.
With Laney falling to Hoggard on Friday night, Ashley now sits in second place in the Carolina Coast Conference outright, putting the Screaming Eagles in position to make a run at something the program has never accomplished.
A conference championship.
The path won't be easy. Ashley will need two perfect games to close the regular season with at least a share of the conference crown.
But for a team that was sitting below .500 just a few weeks ago, the possibility of winning the first conference title in program history is no longer a distant ambition.
It's an opportunity sitting squarely in front of the Screaming Eagles.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Ashley football recaptures consistency in dominant win over New Hanover
