For the second time in three years, Cape Fear High School has won the Patriot Athletic Conference Maxwell/Wells Fargo Cup for overall athletic excellence. The Colts took the cup back from last year’s winner, Terry Sanford, which finished second in this year’s chase for the honor.

The award is based on points awarded to each school for order of finish in official conference sports.

Cape Fear had 150.5 points to 145.5 for Terry Sanford.

The Colts used a strong finish in the spring sports season to wrap up the trophy. They shared the regular-season title in softball with Gray’s Creek and won boys golf while placing second in boys tennis and boys track. The Colts took third in baseball. Other championships won by Cape Fear this season were volleyball, girls golf, wrestling and boys and girls swimming.

Terry Sanford also had a strong spring, winning girls soccer, baseball and boys tennis, with a second-place finish in girls track.

Terry Sanford’s other championships this year were in boys soccer and girls tennis.

Pine Forest finished third with 132 points. The Trojans won conference titles this season in football and boys basketball.

The Trojans didn’t win any championships in the spring but took second in girls track, boys golf and girls soccer.

Other conference titles for the year were won by South View in boys and girls cross country and boys and girls track. E.E. Smith won girls basketball. Cape Fear and Gray’s Creek shared the conference regular-season title in softball.

Other point totals for the conference were Gray’s Creek 128.5, South View 125, Overhills 99, E.E. Smith 87.5, Westover 53.5 and Douglas Byrd 32.5.

Photo: Cape Fear athletic director Matt McLean arrives at Terry Sanford with a dolly to reclaim the Wells Fargo Cup.