Sunday, December 3, 2023
By Outer Banks Voice on November 15, 2023
The emotions were flowing Tuesday night as the top-ranked First Flight men’s soccer team took the field against No. 2 seed Greenville Rose with a trip to the state championship game on the line. Screaming, crying, chanting, cheering, cow bells ringing, jumping up and down in the packed stands – and then the celebration at the end of a dominant 2-0 Nighthawk victory.
“We were all crying at the end because we have accomplished so much and we have never made it so far together and it really just felt great,” senior Curren Breiholz said.
In the Nighthawks’ toughest challenge yet in the playoffs, Breiholz led the offensive attack that kept up the pressure the entire game. After several corner kicks and other good opportunities, First Flight finally broke through in the 30th minute when senior Ben Stamp sent a perfect through ball to streaking senior Cam Summerton, who made one move on the charging keeper and then fired the ball into the right side of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Midway through the second half, Breiholz got dragged down in the box on a great run, and senior Kai Reece converted the penalty kick for an important insurance goal. The Nighthawks kept up the pressure throughout and Rose only had a few good scoring chances.
“It feels amazing being a leader. I was super locked in and super focused,” Breiholz said. “There were no nerves in my body. During the middle of the game we were all confident and super ready, but we knew that we couldn’t get cocky because they are a really great team.”
Senior keeper Colin Rhodes made several key saves and the defense sparked by juniors Lucas Cook, Seth Albright and Taylor Summerton and sophomores Sam Baldwin and Marvin Hernandez prevented Rose from having many good chances.
It all set up a huge celebration from the packed stands, with the night ending with the NCHSAA 3A Eastern Regional Championship trophy presentation. Now the Nighthawks are one win away from the ultimate prize.
“I had all the confidence in the world that if we play the game that we have been playing, we have been teaching them, that we can make it all the way,” coach Juan Ramirez said. “I feel very fortunate to have made it this far and to be able to coach these kids because they are a team, but really, they are a family. I love our student section. They make our games better and I feel like they help our players play to show off and leave everything on the field. I feel like a lot of people are going to show up for the championship game because they are so supportive.”
Wednesday morning, the NCHSAA announced the schedule for this weekend’s championships, with the 3A game taking place Saturday at 11 a.m. The 3A championship will feature both No. 1 seeds – the only one of the four brackets in which the top teams made it through to the finals at the Bryan Park Truist Soccer Complex just north of Greensboro. The Hickory High Red Tornadoes topped Enka 1-0 in Tuesday’s western regional final and come in with a record of 23-2-2. Hickory is the defending 3A champ, knocking off Jacksonville 2-1 last year after losing 1-0 to Western Alamance in the 2021 title game. Hickory won its first men’s soccer championship in 2001.
First Flight (21-0-1) will appear in the men’s title game for the fifth year, losing 2A titles in 2013, 2014 and 2017 and bringing home its lone state championship in 2016 with a 4-0 win against Chase at NC State. The Nighthawks’ seasons were ended the last two years by the teams that ended up facing Hickory in the finals.
The only team FFHS failed to beat this year was Manteo. After beating their conference rival 1-0 at home in double-overtime on Sept. 13., the Nighthawks tied 1-1 in double-OT at Manteo on Oct. 9. For the year, FFHS has scored 101 goals and allowed just six.
Hickory has scored 108 goals this year and allowed 18, but has only been scored on once in the playoffs. The Red Tornadoes started the year 4-2-2 before winning their last 19 games in a row, losing to Charlotte Catholic and Swansboro and tying Hibriten and Hough in the first few weeks of the season.
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Bid Location and Time: Bid opening will be held in the Barnhill Contracting Rocky Mount Training & GPS Technology Room: 800 Tiffany Bvld, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. Time is as follows: January 09, 2024 at 10:00am and 2:00pm. Times per packages to be given on via addendum #01.
Barnhill Contracting Company will receive, open, and read publicly all bids received in person in the Training & GPS Technology Room at the main office and listed with the virtual viewing at the link to be posted on Barnhill’s Plan Room.
Bids will not be accepted from bidders that are not pre-qualified. No facsimile or email submissions are permitted. Sealed bids are to be hand delivered to the bid opening location noted above or mailed Sealed Bids can be delivered before 9:00am the day of the bid to the Barnhill Contracting Company Office at 800 Tiffany Blvd., Suite 200 Rocky Mount, NC 27804. Attention “Clint Hardison.”
The pre-bid meeting will be held in Person & Zoom Meeting on December 06, 2023 at 10:00 am at the Barnhill Contracting’s Rocky Mount Main Conference Room: 800 Tiffany Bvld, Rocky Mount, NC 27804.
The pre-bid meeting link can be located on Barnhill’s online Building Division Plan Room ( https://app.buildingconnected.com/public/54da832ce3edb5050017438b) and below. A preferred brand alternates meeting will be held via the same link at the end of the Prebid meeting.
Bid Documents can be viewed or downloaded through Barnhill’s online Building Division Plan Room (https://app.buildingconnected.com/public/54da832ce3edb5050017438b) after 12/04/2023.
All Bidders are strongly encouraged to include opportunities for HUB participation wherever possible in their respective Bid submission. HUB participation is a part of this contract and must comply with all requirements set forth in the Bid Documents.
The Construction Manager and Owner reserve the right to add pre-qualified bidders. The Construction Manager and Owner reserve the right to reject any and all bids. Should you require additional direction, please call Barnhill Contracting Company, (Clint Hardison – 252-802-0740).
Clint Hardison is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Dare EMS – Phase 2 Pre-Bid Conference
Time: Dec 6, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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