Coastal Preps Fall 2024 Midseason Award Nominees

We’ve reached the midway point of the season in boys soccer, football and volleyball, and numerous area players and coaches are off to a fantastic start. It’s now up to you to decide the best of the best in several categories.

A link to vote for the honors is at at the bottom of the post. Voting will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Sunday and results will be posted the following day.

BOYS SOCCER

Offensive Player of the Year

Senior forward AJ Acree, Laney: Through 12 games, Acree leads the Buccaneers with 30 points on 10 goals and 10 assists.

Senior forward Fisher Batts, Topsail: Has scored 11 goals and dished out five assists through the team’s first 12 games. 

Senior midfielder Council Lancaster, Cape Fear Academy: Leads the Hurricanes in points through 15 matches with 47 by scoring 21 goals and handing out five assists.

Defensive Player of the Year

Junior goalkeeper Will Kaplan, Cape Fear Academy: Is averaging 3.5 saves per match (46 saves in 13 matches) and has a 1.52 goals against average (15 goals against in 788 minutes).

Junior defender Clark Marriott, Ashley: In addition to being one of the Screaming Eagles’ top defenders, Marriott also has six goals and one assist. 

Sophomore goalkeeper Layton Ohmer, North Brunswick: Ohmer is averaging 7.3 saves per match (73 in 10 matches) and has a goals against average of 1.51 (14 goals against in 740 minutes). 

Newcomer of the Year

Freshman forward Ishaq Algozy, East Bladen: Leads the team with 22 points on seven goals and eight assists through nine matches. 

Freshman midfielder Harrison Dyer, Hoggard: In his first year of high school competition, Dyer has five goals and five assists through nine games. He also takes most of the Vikings’ set pieces. 

Junior goalkeeper Andy McIntosh, New Hanover: Has conceded only 13 goals in 845 minutes for a goals against average of 1.23.

Coach of the Year

Dwight Findlay, Hoggard: The two-time defending Mideastern Conference champions are off to another great start at 8-1 overall and 3-0 in league play. Hoggard has outscored its opponents 38-11.

Nick Gigliotti, Ashley: Gigliotti’s Screaming Eagles are 10-2 overall and 2-1 in the Mideastern Conference. Ashley has outscored its opponents 31-11. 

Meade McFarlane, Cape Fear Academy: The Hurricanes have been explosive offensively with 74 goals and excellent on defense with 16 goals allowed through 15 matches. CFA is 11-3-1 overall and 7-0 in the Coastal Plain Independent Conference. 

FOOTBALL

Offensive Player of the Year

Sophomore quarterback Matthew Boring, Hoggard: In his first year as the starter, Boring has completed 67 percent of his passes (76-for-114) for 988 yards and 12 touchdowns with no interceptions through five games. 

Senior running back Jaelan Brewington, Ashley: Is averaging 9.1 yards per carry and 151.8 per game. Through four games, Brewington has 67 carries for 607 yards and seven TDs.

Senior running back Jeremiah Johnson, Pender: Leads all area players with 897 rushing yards on 81 carries and 12 touchdowns through five games. 

Defensive Player of the Year

Senior linebacker Jack Earley, South Brunswick: Is averaging an area-best 17.7 tackles per game (53 tackles in three games). He has four tackles for loss and one sack.

Senior safety Kamar Fulton, Hoggard: Through five games, Fulton has 20 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for a 95-yard touchdown. 

Senior linebacker Ryder Willcox, Topsail: Has 33 tackles, including 10 for loss, through four games. Willcox leads the team with 3.5 sacks and has two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Newcomer of the Year

Sophomore defensive lineman Marshall Chalk, Hoggard: Has recorded 22 tackles, one sack and a team-high five quarterback hurries through five contests. Chalk has also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

Sophomore linebacker Allex Jenkins, New Hanover: Jenkins has 21 tackles, including four for loss, through three games. He is also tied for a team-high with two sacks.  

Sophomore running back Jaiden Young, Trask: Helped the Titans get off the the first 5-0 start in school history by carrying the ball 82 times for 867 yards (10.6 per carry) and eight touchdowns. 

Coach of the Year

Russell Dove, South Columbus: With a 5-1 record, Dove has already guided the Stallions to the most victories since going 12-1 in 2018. South Columbus went 3-6 a season ago. 

JP Price, Whiteville: The Wolfpack are 4-1 with their only loss coming by a score of 21-20 in overtime to unbeaten James Kenan. Whiteville has outscored its opponents 194-49.

Craig Underwood, Hoggard: After dropping their season opener by a score of 35-32 against unbeaten Cleveland, the Vikings have reeled off four consecutive wins by an average of 35.3 points. 

VOLLEYBALL

Offensive Player of the Year

Senior hitter Ryan Lambert, Topsail: The LSU beach commit his hitting .298 with 179 kills and 45 aces through 46 sets for the 14-1 Pirates. 

Senior hitter Addie Norman, Hoggard: James Madison commit is hitting .322 with 141 kills and 15 aces through 48 sets. 

Senior hitter Elsa Southerland, Coastal Christian: Has put down 184 kills while hitting .259 and also has 28 aces through 52 sets. 

Defensive Player of the Year

Senior libero Keira Anderson, North Brunswick: Leads all area players with 281 digs in 53 sets (5.3 per set and 20.1 per match) and has also served 47 aces.

Junior middle Payton Jones, Hoggard: Has been a force in the middle for the Mideastern Conference leaders with 32 blocks in 59 sets.

Senior libero Caroline Prease, Wilmington Christian Academy: Has come up with 221 digs in 57 sets (3.9 per set) for the Patriots, who have yet to lose a conference match. 

Newcomer of the Year

Sophomore setter Lila Hammer, Cape Fear Academy: Through 49 sets, Hammer has 293 assists, 150 digs and 18 aces. 

Sophomore hitter Ellie Keene, Hoggard: Is hitting .259 with 74 kills, 61 digs, 30 aces and 22 blocks in 59 sets in her first season at the varsity level.

Freshman setter Maille Smith, New Hanover: The youngster has dished out 212 assists to go along with 158 digs, 52 kills and 38 aces in 47 sets. 

Coach of the Year

Emily Coleman, Hoggard: The Vikings are 15-5 overall and 8-0 in the Mideastern Conference, which has increased their league winning streak to 24 matches dating back to 2022.

Chelsea Graham, East Columbus: The first-year coach has the Gators rolling with a 9-1 overall record and a 6-0 clip in Waccamaw Conference play. East Columbus last won a league title in 2009.

Loma Siegel, Topsail: In her first season in Hampstead, Siegel has guided the Pirates to a 14-1 overall record and a 9-1 mark in Mideastern Conference Play. Topsail has won 43 sets and dropped only three.

***VOTE HERE***