Upper-level soccer revved up last weekend as local Classic and Challenge squads started their runs through the fall season.

Sandhills Youth Soccer has 18 teams rostered from U10 to U18. Over the next two months, teams compete at home on the Morganton Road fields and at sites across the state.

Sandhills Shock

Sandhills Shock jumped to a blazing start as it smothered the Sanford Bombers 8-0 in U10 Challenge play Sunday in Sanford.

Shock launched a five-point barrage in the first half with Hunter Hawes recording a pair of points and Kyle Corbett, Matthew Fedder and Nick Conti contributing goals toward a 5-0 halftime advantage.

Shock kept the wheels turning in the second stanza as Mitchell Casey, Corbett and Fedder found the net to run the tally to 8-0.

Jack Hoy, Conti, Hawes, Fedder and Corbett recorded assists for Shock.

Goalkeepers Hoy and Conti shared the shutout with four saves for the match.

Shock makes its home debut Sunday when it entertains the Scotland Claymores.

Sandhills Cobras

The Sandhills Cobras handily defeated Triangle Futbol Club Fusion 4-1 Sunday to start the U12 fall season on a strong note on the home pitch.

John Hasty took a right-to-left cross from Jacob Troutman for the first strike in the 15th minute.

Troutman set up a replay seven minutes later with Michael Vaughn collecting the goal to boost the lead to 2-0.

Graham Hawes capped the period with an unassisted goal in the 28th minute to give the Cobras a 3-0 edge at the break.

A second-half Fusion goal nixed the shutout, but the visitors offset the score with an own goal that left the Cobras on top 4-1 at the end of play.

Cobra keeper P.J. Schmittdiel had a busy day in the box with 20 saves.

The Cobras continue their home stand on Sunday when they entertain the Chatham Paladins at Morganton Road.

Sandhills Rush

Sandhills Rush opened the fall season in a high scoring fray with Carolina Challenge that ended in a 5-5 deadlock in a U11 Challenge contest Sunday at Morganton Road.

Matt Epley broke the ice with a corner shot that deflected off a Carolina player. Epley closed in for the return and chipped a high shot over the Carolina keepers' head for the score.

Garrett Peters marked one more for the Rush with a dash down the left side to the goal.

A pair of Carolina goals evened the score at 2-all at the intermission.

Rush worked both sides of the field as well as the penalty mark, in the second half to add three more goals, but Carolina matched them point for point to keep the match knotted.

William Griewe converted on an Epley delivery down the right sideline and Connor Hees struck one for Rush with help from Gerardo Martinex-Pineda's run down the left boundary.

Martinex-Pineda was on target from the penalty stripe to top out the scoring, but a Carolina PK, a keeper misstep at the goal, and another Carolina goal left the match tied in a 5-5 draw when time expired.

Rush hits the road this weekend, traveling to Holly Springs to take on Triangle Futbol Club Revolution.

Sandhills Vipers

The picture was in black-and-white for the Sandhills Vipers in a doubleheader played on the WRAL fields in Raleigh on Saturday, but the scores were the same as the Vipers came away with a pair of 2-2 draws against CASL Premier Black and CASL Premier White in U12 Classic action.

John Roger Moore notched his first goal of the season on a free kick deflected off a defender six minutes into the CASL Black match. A Premier Black point a minute later evened the match at the half.

Adam Howard's goal off the right wing with 10 minutes to go gave the Vipers what they hoped would be the game-winner, but a late shot from the CASL club voided the lead with eight seconds to go, sending the contest into a 2-2 final.

It was dj vu when the Vipers tangled with CASL White. The Vipers took the early lead on Jake Harbeck's breakaway in the seventh minute. A White goal in the eighth minute evened the score at 1-1.

Harbeck pulled the trigger again at the outset of the second period, hitting the mark on a cross from the right wing and a Drew Phillips assist. Once again the Vipers protected the one-point edge, but got nipped for the late goal when CASL White tucked a goal in with two minutes remaining.

The Vipers start the season at 0-0-2 and return to Southern Pines this weekend to take on Fayetteville Force U12 Premier.

This Weekend's Schedule

Classic (Saturday Games)

U12B Sandhills Vipers vs. FSC Force Premier, 12:00 noon; U12G Sandhills Emeralds at KSA Lady Comets, 3:00 pm; U13B Sandhills Storm vs. CASL United Black, 12:00 noon; U13G Sandhills Cyclones vs. FSC Force Premier, 4:00 pm; U14B Sandhills Ajax at TFC Green, 12:00 noon; U14G Sandhills Magic at GSO Twisters Gold, 4:00 pm; U15G Sandhills Heat at FSC Force Premier, 2:00 pm; U18G Sandhills Strikers at PSA Lady Stars, 12:00 noon.

Classic (Sunday Games)

U12G Sandhills Emeralds vs. Wilson Explosion Blue, 1:00 pm; U12G Sandhills Emeralds vs. Cape Fear Wave Blue, 5:30 pm; U13B Sandhills Storm at Cape Fear Breakers White, 3:30 pm; U14B Sandhills Ajax vs. BSC Cardinal, 3:00 pm; U15G Sandhills Heat vs. BSC Cardinal, 1:00 pm.

Challenge (Sunday Games)

U10B Sandhills Shock vs. Scotland Claymores, 2:30 pm; U10B SYSL Green vs. Sanford Bombers, 1:00 pm; U11B Sandhills Rush at TFC Revolution, 4:00 pm; U11G Sandhills Thunder vs. TUSA Ravens, 2:30 pm; U12B Sandhills Cobras vs. Chatham Paladins, 1:00 pm; U13B Sandhills Speed vs. Chatham Crushers, 4:00 pm; U13G Sandhills Chaos at East Wake Lady Jaguars, 1:00 pm;