Can New Hanover put away Hoggard? Bold predictions for Week 11 high school football

We have officially made it to the final week of the 2022 high school football season. While it might seem like just a few days ago that scrimmages and practices were kicking off, we have some intriguing final matchups of the regular season in Week 11.

In the Mideastern Conference, a three-way tie could be in the works based on Friday's results, and things aren't quite settled in the Waccamaw Conference either.

Here are five bold predictions for Week 11 of high school football in the Wilmington area.

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New Hanover goes undefeated in conference play

The most significant game in Week 11 comes in Wilmington's best rivalry game. Hoggard (7-2, 5-1 Mideastern) travels to Legion Stadium to take on a New Hanover team (8-1, 6-0) that hasn't lost since August.

The game doesn't just mean a lot to both teams; it has implications for the MEC title race. We'll have conference tri-champions if Hoggard wins and North Brunswick defeats last-place Ashley.

For Hoggard, offensive efficiency has primarily come from the backfield after quarterback Hudson Wilharm broke his collarbone earlier in the season. Junior M'Kell Bellamy has taken most of the workload, managing 144 yards on 14 carries last week against Laney.

But the real highlight for Hoggard in 2022 is its defense. The unit has allowed the fewest points (108) across the Wilmington area and has kept the Vikings in every game.

New Hanover is on an eight-game win streak that continued to flourish in a 42-26 win over West Brunswick in Week 10. The Wildcats have had some shifting around at quarterback, but Caleb Robles appears to be back to full speed after a Week 6 injury. 

Caden Morton has consistently led the New Hanover backfield, scoring four of the team's six touchdowns in Week 10. The senior has scored the second-most rushing touchdowns in the MEC and is the go-to option for the Wildcats offense.

In what should be one of the most intriguing matchups of the season, either team could walk away with a win. However, New Hanover's consistency on both sides of the ball all season long warrants respect and gives them a slight edge in this contest.

South Brunswick rebounds

After a gut-wrenching loss to North Brunswick in Week 10, the Cougars host West Brunswick. South Brunswick (4-5, 1-5) did all it could to beat the Scorpions last week but ultimately fell 35-34. Running back Ethan Overton had one of his best games of the season, and the Cougars' passing game was also efficient as quarterback Jameson Prince threw two touchdowns to wideout Jordan Davis.

The good news for South Brunswick is its only mistakes in Week 10 are fixable. Two missed field goals and a late-game fumble ultimately cost the Cougars the game.

West Brunswick (1-8, 1-5) couldn't keep up with New Hanover in Week 10, but it managed to keep the Wildcats in sight the whole way. Running back Kevon Daniels continues to excel as the primary source of production on offense, leading the MEC in rushing touchdowns.

This Brunswick County finale could be closer than some think, but expect South Brunswick to pull away.

North Brunswick makes things interesting

While this matchup likely won't be close, there is still a lot of intrigue. If North Brunswick (8-1, 6-1 Mideastern) takes care of business in its final game of the season against Ashley, it'll have the chance at a MEC title.

The Scorpions weren't particularly efficient on offense in Week 10, turning the ball over multiple times before rallying late. However, running back Eric Mosley carried the ball 22 times for 163 yards and one score. The senior's 1,195 rushing yards are the best in the MEC and have proved invaluable for North Brunswick.

Quarterback TT Green has had a back-and-forth season passing, but the junior has been impressive running the ball, scoring three times for the Scorpions in Week 10.

Ashley (1-8, 0-6) nearly outworked Topsail but ultimately fell 31-30 in Week 10. The Screaming Eagles have played ground-and-pound most of the season, and running back Tyjhere Crudup has seen results. The junior has only scored three times, but he's second in the MEC in rushing yards and first in carries.

Expect North Brunswick to jump to a quick lead in this matchup and secure its sixth straight win.

Laney cruises past Topsail

Laney (5-4, 3-3 Mideastern) has had a rough three-week span. After falling to New Hanover and Hoggard, the Buccaneers out of conference title consideration.

However, the Laney offense did manage a 45-0 win over South Brunswick in Week 8 and showed some promise against Hoggard last week. Topsail (5-4, 3-3 Mideastern) narrowly escaped Ashley in an exciting 31-30 Week 10 win. The Pirates struck gold on an Aquan Flemming kickoff return for a touchdown.

While Topsail does have an aggressive defense, Laney should be able to push past the Pirates for its sixth win of 2022.

Trask makes statement in win over Pender

A lot can change in a year, and no football team in the area knows that better than the Titans. Trask (6-3, 3-1 Waccamaw) lost 62-0 the last time it played Pender. However, a turnaround defensive season has put Trask on a completely different trajectory in 2022.

While the Titans fell to Whiteville 42-12 in Week 10, the team has won six of its last eight. Most impressively, Trask has allowed just 159 points in 2022, a stark contrast from the 511 it gave up in 2021.

Pender (5-4, 2-2) has had an up-and-down season. While the Patriots have won each of their five games by 40 points or more, they have also failed to win close contests with West Columbus and Lakewood. The productive offense that features quarterback A'Tavion Pickett and running back Kelvin Robinson was held to 22 points in a Week 10 loss to the Vikings.

In its most challenging task of the season, Trask will need a lot to go right to beat their county rival on the road. However, a lockdown defense and strong spirit could be enough to hoist the Titans to a win in this series for the first time since 2018.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Hoggard-New Hanover leads Week 11 high school football in Wilmington