While football is commanding much of the attention from high school sports fans, other sports seasons are in full swing — boys’ soccer, cross country, girls’ tennis, girls’ golf, field hockey and volleyball.
Here are athletes and teams to watch this fall in the Charlotte region:
Isaac Arcos, Providence, senior: The Panthers’ senior forward (six goals, 12 assists) will play a big role in the attack this season with fellow senior forward Nathan Bird, returning after spending a year training at Steven Gerrard Academy in England. Meanwhile, senior Walker Gray will lead the Providence defense.
Cole Freeman, Ardrey Kell, senior: The Knights’ senior all-state goalkeeper, a three-year starter, is back to lead the defense after allowing just three goals and recording 79 saves and 13 shutouts for the reigning 4A state semifinalists (19-3-5). While Freeman leads the Knights’ offense, senior forward Reed Shunkwiler is back to spark the offense after scoring nine goals and dishing out eight assists last season.
Judah Heis, Pine Lake Prep, junior: The Pride all-state junior goalkeeper anchors the defense, having recorded nine shutouts and allowed just 18 goals in 22 games last season. Meanwhile, fellow junior Jack Ramanata, an all-state forward, is back to lead the offense after scoring nine goals and dishing out 14 assists last year.
Lyric Kopera, Independence, senior: The Patriots’ senior goalkeeper (Southwestern 4A conference goalkeeper of the year) is captain and leader of a team that won 18 games last season and is looking for more this year with six starters back, also featuring seniors in midfielder Nei Hmo and defender Brayden Madden.
Phillip Preslar, Charlotte Country Day, senior: The Buccaneers’ all-region, all-conference forward/midfielder scored 12 goals and had 10 assists as a junior. Now he takes on a bigger role for a team that returns eight starters from a squad that was co-CISAA champion and made it to the 4A state semifinals.
Bryan Portillo, Harding, junior: The Rams’ junior attacking midfielder, who scored 16 goals and had eight assists last year, helped Harding become one of the most improved teams in the state, going 6-11-1 with a playoff berth, after not winning a game in 2022.
Parker Rubinacci, Charlotte Latin, senior: The Hawks’ senior forward rejoins Charlotte Latin after sitting out last season with club soccer conflicts. Rubinacci, who had nine goals and six assists as a sophomore, will be a key player on a team that should be much improved (6-13-1) this year with eight starters returning.
Dominic Sanchez, Lincolnton, junior: The Wolves’ all-Catawba Valley 2A conference junior forward had a breakout sophomore season with 17 assists and seven goals. Now he looks to play a bigger role as Lincolnton looks to contend for league supremacy (conference runner-up last year) and more in the postseason.
William Schmitt, Metrolina Christian, junior: The 6-foot-3 junior goalkeeper has recorded 303 saves in the last two years combined, including 161 saves last season, to lead the Warriors, who matched their best win total (9-12) since 2009.
Capy Suarez, Hough, senior: The Huskies’ senior all-region forward looks to build on his junior year, where he scored 16 goals and had nine assists. Suarez is part of a veteran Hough team with 10 seniors.
— Jay Edwards
Karsyn Baylog, Marvin Ridge, senior: A 5-10 setter who is a right-side specialist, Baylog had 146 kills (37.4 percent success rate) and kept 95.1 percent of her serves in bounds. She teams with Kiley Petras, a 6-1 senior blocker, to give the Mavericks a state title-contending team. Baylog and Petras each earned all-region honors last fall.
Anne Bradley Bing, Gaston Day, senior: It seems as if Bing has been leading the Spartans for a decade. This 5-7 standout had 703 kills in her sophomore and junior seasons, and 23 percent of her serves a year ago were aces.
Megyn Gaither, North Iredell, senior: The Warriors went 29-2 last season, and Gaither, a 5-6 setter who earned all-state honors, was a big reason. She is among the state’s leading returnees in assists.
Ryan Hunter, Cox Mill, senior: An all-state selection on last year’s 4A state runner-up, Hunter had 387 kills (a 50 percent average), along with 51 blocks and an average of 6.5 digs per match. The Chargers lost several other top players from their 2023 team and will lean on Hunter this fall.
Layla King, Ardrey Kell, senior: The Knights lost three all-region players from a year ago, but coach Zoe Bell will have a standout returning in King. She had 239 kills and 209 digs (7.7 per match) in 2023.
Anya Lee, Myers Park, junior: A 6-1 blocker, Lee won all-region honors a year ago. She had a 45 percent rate on kills, along with 109 blocks (3.9 per match).
Sanaa Mohammed, Charlotte Country Day, sophomore: An outside hitter, she could be the key to the Buccaneers’ hopes of winning an N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association state title. She has averaged 12 kills per match in the early going this season.
Julianna Nzambele, Nation Ford, junior: A 5-10 outside hitter, Nzambele had a staggering 358 kills (38.4 percent) last fall.
Annabel Shumpert, Rock Hill, senior: A middle blocker, Shumpert totaled 144 kills and 74 digs on a team that went 26-7 and was a 4A state quarterfinalists in 2023.
Olivia Thorne, Christ the King, junior: Thorne will be a leader on a Crusaders’ team with 1A state title aspirations. She had 322 kills and 42 service aces and averaged 7.5 digs per match.
— Steve Lyttle
Hunter Bates, Weddington, junior: The Warriors’ junior looks to build on a breakout sophomore season on all surfaces, running a personal-best 15:59 to finish fourth at the Union County Cross Country Championships. He also won a 4A state indoors in the 1,000-meter run and finished third in the state outdoors in the 800-meter run.
Isaac Campbell, Fort Mill, senior: The Yellow Jackets’ senior finished seventh at the 5A state championships last season, leading the Fort Mill team to a state runner-up finish. And he ran a personal-best 15:31.69 at the Starlight Run.
Max Conetta, Catawba Ridge, senior: The Region III 4A champion also finished seventh at the 4A state championships, and ran a personal-best 16:32.47 at the Starlight Run.
Matthew Doty, Davidson Day, senior: The Patriots’ senior is already a two-time, NCISAA 2A all-state performer and the defending Foothills’ Athletic conference runner-up. He ran a personal-best 17:30.18 at Wilmington Beach Blast.
David Firestone, Marvin Ridge, senior: The Mavericks’ all-state senior (ninth in 4A last fall) is back to lead a deep squad — along with senior David Rivlin and junior Michael Rivlin, as they look to repeat as 4A state champions (team). Firestone also ran a personal-best 15:39.50 last season.
Gavin Jansen, Central Academy, senior: The Cougars’ senior has established himself among the area’s top distance runners in any class. He is defending Rocky River 2A-3A champion, finished sixth at the 3A Midwest Regional, was 11th at the 3A state championships, and ran a personal-best 15:57.50 to earn runner-up honors at the Union County Championships.
Bryant Moore, West Iredell, sophomore: The Warriors’ standout wasted no time proving himself as a freshman, winning the Iredell County Championship. Moore finished as Western Foothills’ Athletic conference runner-up, while running a personal-best 16:20.50 at the Freedom Invitational, and looks to even faster this fall.
Blake Nicholson, Christ the King, senior: The defending 1A state champion also ran a personal-best 15:03.29 to win the 1A West Regional title, look to repeat in both events in his final high school season. Nicholson is a three-time all-state performer.
Joey Wells, Ardrey Kell, senior: Wells looks to build on a breakout junior season, where he ran a personal-best 15:53.41 to finish as 4A West Regional runner-up. He also was SoMeck 4A conference runner-up and finished 22nd at the 4A state championships.
Hunter Wilkerson, Charlotte Country Day, senior: The Buccaneers’ all-stater also ran a personal-best 16:33.90 to finish as an all-CISAA conference runner (sixth) on a team that looks to build on its NCISAA 4A state runner-up finish.
— Jay Edwards
Nicole Alfers, Christ the King, senior: The Crusader senior looks to defend her 1A state title this season. The three-time all-state performer also ran a personal-best 17:58.83 to earn 1A West Regional runner-up last year.
Molly Barber, Myers Park, junior: Barber, the 4A West Regional runner-up (19th at 4A states), gives Myers Park two legitimate, state title contenders with classmate Kate Willette (Charlotte Christian transfer). Willette ran sixth at the NCISAA 4A state championships in 2023. Barber ran a personal-best 18:28.31, while Willette ran a personal-record 18:29.26 last season.
Caitlin Kasten, Covenant Day, sophomore: Kasten is looking to build on a breakout freshman campaign, where she finished as CISAA conference runner-up and third at the NCISAA 4A state championships. She also ran a personal-best 17:39.80 at the Great American Cross Country Festival. This past spring, Kasten continued her success outdoors with state runner-up finishes in the 1600, 3200 and 300-meter hurdles, and now looks to prove she can be even faster.
Alivia Cleveland, Fort Mill, junior: The Yellow Jackets’ standout has won the last two 5A state championships and looks to three-peat. Cleveland, who also ran a personal-best 17:53.88 at the Starlight Run (last season), will have plenty of help with all-state sophomore Kaylee Rovenstine and juniors Sara Davis, Mia Zook and sophomore Avery Moriarty, to try and repeat as 5A state team champions, too.
Kasey Dingman, Lake Norman, junior: She is the reigning, Greater Metro 4A conference champion and finished ninth at the 4A state championships, before running a personal-best 17:43.22 to finished 22nd at the Foot Locker South Regionals.
Alyssa Houston, South Iredell, junior: Houston ran a personal-best 19:09.07 (10 seconds off school record) to finish fifth at the Foot Locker South Regional. She was also Greater Metro 4A conference runner-up and Iredell County runner-up to Dingman and looks to be even faster this season.
Abby Kerrins, Charlotte Country Day, senior: Kerrins was slowed by an injury before the state championships last year but is looking to prove she can again be among the CISAA conferences’ best on her way to earning all-state honors (projected top three in state) with junior Sam Vanderhave, who earned all-state honors last season. Kerrins is being recruited by Liberty, Michigan Stae, Cornell, Pennsylvania, Brown and Boston University, according to Charlotte Country Day coach Matthew Elliott.
Blane McElroy, Providence Day, senior: The Chargers’ senior back finished fifth at the NCISAA 4A state championships last year in a season-best 18:36.50, and now look to help Providence Day repeat as state team champion. McElroy, a Purdue University soccer commit, was also the N.C. Gatorade player of the year for the state champion girls’ soccer team last year.
Annie Miller, Metrolina Christian, senior: The two-time defending 4A state runner-up and a Furman University commit, Miller looks to finish on top in her final high school season. Miller, a four-time all-state performer in cross country, will also try to win her sixth straight Metrolina Athletic Conference title, and repeat as Union County champion, where she ran a personal-best 17:57.60.
Josie Schihl, Cuthbertson, junior: The Cavaliers’ junior looks to build on her 12th-place finish at the 4A state championships last season. She was also a part of the national championship relay (4 X Mile) that set a national record at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in Boston in March.
— Jay Edwards
Paisley Freda, Pine Lake Prep, sophomore: Freda won the 1A/2A regional championship and finished second in last year’s state tournament – all while helping lead the Pride to the state team championship.
Malerie Lague, Christ the King, senior: Lague dominated last year’s 1A/2A state championship tournament, winning by nine strokes.
Xinyan Li, Marvin Ridge, junior: She had a pair of top-five finishes in junior tournaments in the spring, after a fourth-place finish in last November’s 4A state tournament.
Brooke Mehlhouse, Catawba Ridge, grade 8: She flashed on the golf scene last fall, finishing fifth in the S.C. 4A state tournament and helping lead the Copperheads to a second-place team finish. She is ranked in the top 20 among S.C. junior players.
Madison Park, Myers Park, junior: While teammate Elizabeth Rudisill gets much of the attention, Park quickly is climbing the ranks in junior golf. She finished 10th in the 4A state tournament a year ago and played a tough junior circuit schedule in the spring and summer.
Madison Pruden, South Point, junior: Pruden finished seventh in the 3A state tournament last fall and has played well since then on the junior circuit. She recently finished 10th in the regional qualifier for the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ National.
Elizabeth Rudisill, Myers Park, senior: A Vanderbilt commit, Rudisill is ranked eighth in her age group by the American Junior Golfers Association. She was 4A regional champion and state runner-up a year ago.
Kelsey Sciacca, Charlotte Latin, junior: Sciacca finished second in the CISAA and eighth in the state last fall. She finished 15th in the Carolinas Girls Junior PGA Championship in July.
Chloe Scofield, Charlotte Christian, junior: The defending CISAA champion, she finished fifth in last year’s N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association state tournament.
Gracie Song, Cuthbertson, junior: She is coming off a summer of competition in high-level junior tournaments, after finishing second in the 4A regional and sixth in the state tournament last fall.
— Steve Lyttle
Ann Randolph Brown, Covenant Day, sophomore: The Lions’ standout midfield/forward will play a bigger role in the offense as the leading returning scorer with three goals and one assist as a freshman.
Libby Castle, Marvin Ridge, junior: The Mavericks’ second-team all-state junior midfielder (seven goals, 15 assists last year) is back to lead a team that returns eight starters . Meanwhile, all-conference senior Karli Shulken (four goal line saves), returns to lead the Mavericks’ defense.
Lucy Curtis, Myers Park, senior: Curtis, an Ohio State commit, all-state goalkeeper, and Charlotte Metro defensive player of the year, had 11 shutouts and allowed just 16 goals in 20 games for the NCFHA state runner-up last season. Meanwhile, senior all-state forward Kemp Walters (Charlotte Metro conference offensive player of the year), who scored 27 goals and had 10 assists, is back to lead the offense. Both hope to help the reigning 4A state runner-up Mustangs (16-4) get back on top with eight starters back.
Tina Garofoli, Providence Day, junior: The Chargers’ standout looks to build on her 10-goal, 10-assist season from a year ago, ranked in top 150 in the country in the class of 2026, by maxpreps.com.
Grayson Anne McCurdy, Charlotte Country Day, senior: McCurdy, who earned all-state honors as a junior, is leading returning scorer (eight goals) and playmaker (six assists) for the defending, NCISAA state champions. She is a James Madison lacrosse commit.
Lucy Pigg, Providence, junior: A second-team all-state goalkeeper, she looks to build on her sophomore season, where she had 124 saves
Meg Tebben, Charlotte Catholic, junior: Tebben, a forward, is a two-time, all-state pick with 24 goals, 13 assists last year, 44 goals, 27 assists in her Cougar career. Tebben looks to lead the Cougars back to state championship contention, after a state semifinal run last season.
Melanie Watson, Ardrey Kell, senior: An all-state defender (three defensive saves), she will team with sophomore goalkeeper Avery Steele (205 saves) to anchor an Ardrey Kell defense that earned five shutouts.
Kate Yenichek, Hough, senior: The Huskies’ standout midfielder is the “heartbeat of our team with her unselfish play and stout defense,” according to Hough coach Allison Mashburn. She was an all-conference pick.
— Jay Edwards
Arwa Al Ansari and Caroline Cerminara, Davidson Day: Last year, they compiled a 6-3 doubles record on a state championship team. And they did it against more experienced competition, as Al Ansari was a sophomore and Cerminara a seventh-grader. With another year playing together, they are primed for a big season.
Emma Carver, North Lincoln, junior: Carver plays No. 1 singles for the Knights and got off to a 3-0 start, after finishing 25-2 last fall.
Madison Darnell, Highland Tech, junior: Darnell won the 1A state singles championship last season and is off to a 2-0 start against 3A competition this year.
Ainslee Falls, Lake Norman Charter, senior: She teamed with Eleina Moon last year to win the 3A regional doubles championship. This year, she is teaming with her younger sister, Luci (see below).
Luci Falls, Lake Norman Charter, junior: She is coming off a 28-1 season in which she won the regional championship, reached the state singles semifinals, and helped lead her team to a 24-0 record.
Sophia Harris, Charlotte Christian, senior: Harris is a three-time state singles champion in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association and is coming off a 13-0 season. She is ranked among the top 10 juniors in the state.
Eleiri Pratiknjo, Marvin Ridge, sophomore: A year ago, she teamed with her now-graduated sister, Jeslyn, to reach the 4A state doubles quarterfinals. She also went 12-4 as a freshman in singles.
Teagan Reilly, Myers Park, junior: The Observer’s Player of the Year in 2023, Reilly finished 30-1 and is 59-3 in her career. She reached the 4A semifinals a year ago, is rated by most scouting services as a four-star recruit, and is ranked among the top 10 juniors in the state.
Karsyn Sink, East Lincoln, junior: Sink compiled a 15-5 record last fall and reached the 3A state singles quarterfinals.
Faith Valentine, Lake Norman, senior: Valentine finished 12-2 a year ago, won the regional championship, and reached the state singles quarterfinals.
— Steve Lyttle
