Led by a senior frontcourt, the Hoggard High School boys’ basketball team has started the season off strong as it seeks to repeat as conference champions and make another run in the state tournament.
Hoggard High improved to 5-1 Tuesday, Dec. 15 after defeating Topsail 55-30 in the Mideastern Conference opener.
On Friday, Dec. 11, the Vikings won their fourth game of the season when they used a decisive second-half performance to push past Jacksonville 56-46 at James Hebbe Gym on Hoggard’s campus.
Against Jacksonville, Hoggard built a lead of as large as 19 points in the second half after being up by four over the Cardinals at the half. Senior center A.J. Frye led the Vikings with 20 points while senior forward Xavier Johnson added nine points in their win over the Cardinals, which came into the game ranked seventh in the state’s MaxPreps 3A power ranking.
The Vikings are led by their sizable frontcourt, with the 6-foot, 4-inch Frye leading the team with 16.4 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game while the rangy 6-foot, 7-inch Johnson adds 8.6 points per game and 4.8 points per game. Frye has been named the team’s player of the game three times this season.
“We have some big guys,” head coach Brett Queen said after the Jacksonville game. “We try to take advantage of that and get the ball inside to them. I thought they were really good tonight.”
The Vikings are also getting significant help from their guard play, with senior guard Jack Bagley contributing 10.2 points per game and junior guard Robert Wilkerson adding 5.4 points per game.
Hoggard is looking to repeat on its recent success, including its 2015 Mideastern Conference regular season and tournament championship, and its run to the Sweet 16 in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A tournament. Hoggard also advanced to the regional quarterfinals in 2013, 2009, 2008 and 2007.
Queen said he was pleased with the team’s early season play and was optimistic since some players were joining the team following the end of football season.
“Our football guys missed a lot of practice at the beginning of the year, so we’re trying to get everybody on the same foot,” Queen said after the Jacksonville game. “I like where we’re headed. I’m really pleased at how they played tonight.”
The Vikings have some close wins early this season, including the overtime win against Coastal Christian in the season opener. Frye hit a basket with 1.1 seconds left to give the Vikings the win, while Johnson scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and Bagley added 10. The win was the Vikings 14th straight season winning their home opener.
The Vikings got a late surge from senior guards Bagley and Walker Bateman, who combined for 11 points in the fourth quarter, as Hoggard edged Rocky Point’s Heide Trask High 47-45 on Dec. 8 for the team’s first home win of the season.
Hoggard cruised to a 70-50 win over North Brunswick on Dec. 2, with Frye leading the way with 16 points and junior forward Patrick Morrison adding 15 points. Bagley went four for five from three-point range to add another 12 points for the Vikings.
Following that win, the 4A Vikings fell in their home opener against the 2015 1A state champions East Carteret, who were also the state runner-up in 2014. Down by one point at the half and five at the end of the third quarter, the Vikings couldn’t keep pace with the Mariners, who outpaced Hoggard by nine points in the fourth quarter for the 71-58 win. Bagley led the Vikings with 16 points.
The Vikings’ next scheduled game will be against Ashley at Hoggard’s James Hebbe Gym on Friday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
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