WILMINGTON — Over the last decade, Coastal Christian High School has not only lived up to the expectations of providing excellence in education to its student body. The newest Wilmington high school, located off Carolina Beach Road in Monkey Junction, has also committed itself to giving student athletes a high-level experience through its growing facilities and athletic portfolio.
While the development of athletics programs at Coastal Christian began with the schools opening in 2006, things really started to take off when fundraising efforts got underway for a new $3.6 million building that now houses the Centurions’ basketball gymnasium, classrooms, science labs and library, which opened in 2012.
Since that time, Centurion athletics has grown leaps and bounds with one of the smoothest natural surfaces in New Hanover County for soccer-used for training through a partnership formed with professional soccer team Wilmington Hammerheads — while adding a new baseball diamond for its team that once played all road games because the program did not have a field on campus.
The progress seen at Coastal Christian is not only visible through its growing student population, but with the new home turf for its sports programs has come success. The Centurions are members of the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association and most recently joined the Coastal Rivers Conference creating a true crosstown rivalry with Cape Fear Academy.
On the court, the Centurions’ basketball program has made strides under Coach Craig Wheeler coming off a conference tournament title last season, in addition to hosting a jamboree type style event each summer featuring teams from across the area.
The Coastal Christian boys’ soccer team, led by Athletics Director Michael Scheffel, has also embarked on one of the most grueling tasks over the past five seasons. Centurion soccer has made a name for itself amongst a talented group of soccer programs within the Wilmington area, facing the likes of 4A schools New Hanover, Ashley, Hoggard and 3A program, Topsail.
Results against Ashley and more recently Hoggard in last year’s home opener to go along with a strong showing inside the conference has given the Centurions another building block in its ultimate goal, which is to provide excellence in athletics, while inspiring its student athletes to walk with strength and honor as they seek to discover God’s plan for their lives.
