Matthews, NC – The 2024 Men’s Soccer Championships were filled with exciting endings and first-time championships for soccer.
Mount Airy outlasts Hobbton for first title
Box Score
The Mount Airy Granite Bears survived a two-goal comeback from the Hobbton Wildcats and claimed a 4-3 win on Saturday afternoon at the Mecklenburg Sportsplex to win the school’s first-ever NCHSAA Men’s Soccer Championship.
The teams battled to a 1-1 tie in the first half thanks to goals from Hobbton senior Henry Garcia and Mount Airy senior Angel Ortiz-Osorno. In the second half, the Granite Bears built a two-goal lead as Ortiz-Osorno added his second goal, and Jonathan Valadez also found the net in the 55th minute.
The Wildcats refused to accept that fate, and 10 minutes later, they pulled one back as Ever Reyes converted on a penalty kick. Garcia netted his second to tie the score in the 72nd minute.
But Ortiz-Osorno, who was named Most Valuable Player of the Championship, completed his hattrick and headed home the game-winner off a cross from Barack Galloway in the 74th minute. Ortiz-Osorno was the Granite Bears leading scorer this season and finished the year with 29 goals and 20 assists.
Mount Airy outshot the Wildcats 25-12 (12-6 on target), earned more corners (7-1), and controlled 58 percent of the possession in the match.
Mount Airy finished the season 24-3 and is now 1-0 in NCHSAA Championship Matches. The Hobbton Wildcats ended the year 23-5-2 and finished as NCHSAA Runner-up for the second year in a row after falling 3-1 in the title match last year to Gray Stone Day.
The NCHSAA is committed to recognizing outstanding sportsmanship in each of our State Championship events. The Association has partnered with the North Carolina Farm Bureau to award a pair of Sportsmanship Awards at each championship event, recognizing players who have demonstrated the ideals of outstanding character and sportsmanship throughout the 2024 season. The winners of the 1A Men’s Soccer NC Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Awards were David Garcia from Mount Airy and Jonathan Salazar from Hobbton.
Clinton holds off Southwestern Randolph in 2A Championship Match
Box Score
The Clinton Darkhorses won the program’s second North Carolina High School Athletic Association Men’s Soccer Championship on Friday night with a 3-1 win against the Southwestern Randolph Cougars at the Mecklenburg Sportsplex.
The Darkhorses took the lead in the 17th minute, as Holden Spell scored the opening goal off an assist from Chris Zeleya. However, the Cougars quickly leveled the score thanks to a goal from Fernando Hernandez just 27 seconds later. Jonathan Lopez-Degollado supplied the assist for the equalizer.
In the 37th minute, Clinton’s Brandt Sumner slotted one into the bottom left corner to give the Darkhorses the lead going into halftime. Sumner, a junior midfielder, was named the Most Valuable Player for his efforts on the night.
Eight minutes into the second half, Clinton senior David Paz gave his team a two-goal lead as he gathered a ball in the middle of the box and fired it past Cougar keeper Jonathan Perez-Dominguez. Perez-Dominguez had a solid night in goal despite the loss as he tallied nine saves.
Clinton ended the night with a slight edge in possession, 53-47, and had five more shots on target than the Cougars. Though slightly off target, Hernandez had two great looks in the second half as the Cougars attempted to rally, but he rattled the crossbar on both attempts.
The Darkhorses, who finished the season 28-2, are now 2-1 all-time in NCHSAA Championship matches and avenged a loss in penalty kicks to Charles D. Owen in the 2022 title game in Greensboro.
Southwestern Randolph finished the year 25-3 and made their debut in the NCHSAA Championship match.
The NCHSAA is committed to recognizing outstanding sportsmanship in each of our State Championship events. The Association has partnered with the North Carolina Farm Bureau to award a pair of Sportsmanship Awards at each championship event, recognizing players who have demonstrated the ideals of outstanding character and sportsmanship throughout the 2024 season. The winners of the 2A Men’s Soccer NC Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Awards were Ryan Freeman from Clinton and Daniel Arellano from Southwestern Randolph.
Western Alamance makes major comeback; wins 3A title in OT
Box Score
The Western Alamance Warriors avenged an early season loss, erased a 3-0 deficit, and won the program’s second North Carolina High School Athletic Association Men’s Soccer Championship with a 4-3 overtime win against Asheboro on Saturday night at the Mecklenburg Sportsplex.
Asheboro, who defeated Western Alamance 4-3 on August 19, built a 3-0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from Cam Letterlough, Ozmar Martinez, and Diego Bustamente. The goal for Letterlough was his 78th of the year, which leads the nation, according to MaxPreps.
The Warriors came out of halftime revitalized and scored a goal in the first 40 seconds of the second half. Noah Barrett scored Western Alamance’s opening goal and went on to score two goals in the match, including the equalizer in the 77th minute and the game-winner in the second minute of overtime.
Barrett was named the Most Valuable Player of the Championship for his efforts.
Western Alamance’s other goal was scored by Grant Bacchus. Bacchus’ older brother Ian scored the game-winning goal for Western Alamance in the 2021 Championship match.
The Warriors outshot the Blue Comets 22-14 (10-7 on target) and controlled the possession 54-46.
The Warriors are now 2-1 all in NCHSAA Championship matches and finished the 2024 season with a record of 25-1, while Asheboro ended the season 27-3 and made its Championship match debut on Saturday.
The NCHSAA is committed to recognizing outstanding sportsmanship in each of our State Championship events. The Association has partnered with the North Carolina Farm Bureau to award a pair of Sportsmanship Awards at each championship event, recognizing players who have demonstrated the ideals of outstanding character and sportsmanship throughout the 2024 season. The winners of the 3A Men’s Soccer NC Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Awards were Seamus McCoy from Western Alamance and Daniel Gutierrez.
Wakefield edges Marvin Ridge for first Championship
Box Score
The Wakefield Wolverines earned the program’s first North Carolina High School Athletic Association Men’s Soccer Championship with a dramatic 3-2 win against Marvin Ridge on Saturday at the Mecklenburg Sportsplex.
Wakefield built a 2-0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from Diego Vasquez and Santiago Londono-Palomino. Londono-Palomino assisted the first goal and Ibra Ndiaye supplied the assist on the second.
After halftime, the Mavericks applied more pressure and worked their way back into the match. Collin McKee put Marvin Ridge on the board in the 47th minute off an assist from Cassias, and in the 68th minute, Brady Lloyd converted on a penalty kick to tie the score. Lloyd attempted a penalty kick in the first half, just seconds after Vasquez’s opening goal but it was saved by Wakefield keeper Davidson Sauls.
With just six minutes remaining in the contest, Zayd Dahir floated a shot into the corner of the goal to retake the lead for Wakefield. Ndiaye provided the assist again, and he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Championship for his performance.
Despite a furious effort from the Mavericks in the closing minutes, the Wolverines held on for the win. Sauls finished the afternoon with eight saves.
Marvin Ridge led in most of the statistical categories except for the final score as they outshot the Wolverines 18-10, had more shots on target (11-4), earned more corners (8-3) and had a 55-45 edge in possession.
The Wolverines are now 1-0 in NCHSAA Championship Matches while Marvin Ridge is now 3-2 with its last title coming in 2016. Wakefield finished the season 24-4 while the Mavericks wrapped up 2024 18-4-3.
The NCHSAA is committed to recognizing outstanding sportsmanship in each of our State Championship events. The Association has partnered with the North Carolina Farm Bureau to award a pair of Sportsmanship Awards at each championship event, recognizing players who have demonstrated the ideals of outstanding character and sportsmanship throughout the 2024 season. The winners of the 4A Men’s Soccer NC Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Awards were Will Palmer from Marvin Ridge and Gabriel Riehle from Wakefield.
