Best Player per Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A Conference Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/soccer/24-25/conference/piedmont-athletic-1a-2a/?leagueid=e3d1403f-6815-4bc6-93cb-8e8ef66c36f9">Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A Conference</a> coming to an end, highlighting the outstanding talent on display is a must. The seven teams involved each had their own highs and lows. For some teams, their highs are the few talents at their disposal, and for others, it's the sheer amount of talent at theirs. Therefore the lows for some was the lack of talent, and for the others it'll be the talent that will not be highlighted. Going from last place to first, these are the best players per team this 2024 fall season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">7. Wheatmore High School</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The worst team this season, <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/trinity/wheatmore-warriors/soccer/">Wheatmore</a> didn't register a single win all season. Unfortunately, there wasn't much talent to look forward to whenever they played. They scored only 12 goals all season and conceded 63. Carter Queen was the only standout player on this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Carter Queen","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"103","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Wheatmore High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672c4f476e109"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Carter is an interesting striker who adapts to the context of his team as best as he can. When he's on the ball, he has enough flair to move his team forward. His vision is pretty good, playing difficult passes not only because of the defenders but also his own teammates. He leads his team forward vocally too, asking them to do more to help him out. With a year out until his graduation, it'll be interesting to see if he can lead his team more next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">6. Uwharrie Charter</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/asheboro/uwharrie-charter-eagles/soccer/">Uwharrie Charter</a> was an interesting team to follow this season. They had their ups and downs, with more downs. However, there are a couple of players worth keeping an eye on. Two of them were very promising in my opinion, and leaving one out feels unfair. Victor Nino, the goalkeeper, deserves the honorable mention since he was in charge of preventing some horrendous scorelines. His importance is noticeable and should be noted, but Jaydon DeMamur was their difference-maker this season and just sneaks past him as Uwharrie's best player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Jaydon DeNamur","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"103","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Uwharrie Charter","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672c4f476e198"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Jaydon is a winger who loves to dictate how to move an attack forward out wide. He can play on either wing but plays his best as out on the left. When he receives the ball, he beats his defender with a quick burst of pace. He also always looks to start the play wide and bring it in, where he becomes a goal-creating machine. Whether it be through assists or goals, once he's in the channels he'll provide danger. He's not a passive attacker either, with his determination to win every ball being very notable. He was one of the better players in the conference this season and deserves a good look at.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Eastern Randolph High School</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/ramseur/eastern-randolph-wildcats/soccer/">Eastern Randolph High School</a> finishes the season as the fourth-highest-scoring team. However, that was not enough to get them the results to pull them out of the bottom half of the table. Despite the underwhelming results, there were a couple of interesting talents. Of said talents, the one that stood out the most to me was Danilo Perez.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Danilo Perez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"102","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Eastern Randolph High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672ef4b649f1b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Danilo can play as a 9 or a 10. Personally, I believe he is better suited for the 10 role. Regardless of where he plays though, he's a talented and technical player. One of the main characteristics of his style of play is his ability to pivot on his axis. Even though he seems to be stocky, his movement is smooth. Besides his agility, he also knows how to delicately and effectively pick out a pass. In the box, he's also quite effective, being his team's top scorer. With one more year, he still has space to grow which may be exciting to follow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Providence Grove High School</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/franklinville/providence-grove-patriots/soccer/">Providence Grove High School</a> had a similar season to Eastern Randolph, pipping them to 4th with a draw. However, their play was not as attractive which made for more of a challenge to choose a player. That doesn't mean that there weren't talented players though. There were a couple of players on the shortlist but the one I chose was Saul Cortes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Saul Cortes","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"103","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Providence Grove High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672ef4b649f8f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Saul is a talented striker, who leads his team in the final third. Being such a young leader may be daunting for some players, but not for him. His movement in the final third is crucial in generating chances, whether it's him creating or finishing. Out of the box, he knows how to pick out passes, while in the box he has an eye for goal. Technically gifted strikers are not too common today, but if he can polish his talent he'll be a unique talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Trinity High School</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/trinity/trinity-bulldogs/soccer/">Trinity High School</a> proved to be a solid team with a very effective roster. Even though they lost their matches against the top 2 teams, they were not pushovers. The most notable aspect of this team was the teamwork rather than individual brilliance. Even so, there were some players who stood out which made the final selection difficult. My pick ends up being Gilly Torres, but a very well-earned honorable mention must go to Riley Foster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Gilly Torres","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Trinity High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672ef4b649ffd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Gilly is a proper modern center-back, who can also adapt into a holding midfield role. Defenders his age typically hoof the ball forward to feel safe, but he does not. He will always look to play the ball to the feet of either his midfielders or attackers, even if it seems tight. "Playmaking center-back" is a descriptor that describes his role well. Not only is he a great playmaker, but his defensive skills are remarkable too. He's an average-height player, which for defenders may not be the most ideal. However, he knows how to use his body to anticipate attackers. He's a physical player who does not shy away from tackles, and one to keep tabs on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Trinity High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672ef4b64a06a"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Southwestern Randolph High School</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/asheboro/southwestern-randolph-cougars/soccer/">Southwestern Randolph High School</a> was monstrous this season, making it a habit of getting insane results. A team with such a high volume of attack with such talented midfielders and attackers made for a goalscoring machine. Many players on this team have promising futures that naming just one honorable mention would be unfair. Aaron Avina, Yael Rebollar Ortiz, Jonathan Lopez Degollado, and Braydon Tyl are just some of the talented players who miss out on being chosen over Fernando Hernandez.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Fernando Hernandez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"102","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Southwestern Randolph High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672ef4b64a0d6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Fernando is the architect responsible for what happens in the final third. Statistically, he's not only a leader in the conference, but of the entire state. But numbers don't tell the full story, even if they're as impressive as his. Just like his teammates, whenever Fernando hits his stride in a match, it feels unfair to watch. His ability to create chances for his strikers almost feels like bullying for opposing defenses. His goalscoring ability is unreal, especially for a midfielder. The goals he scores aren't simple tap-ins in the box, but rather they're wonderful ones. On the ball, he feels no pressure, as if the opposing defenders are just minor inconveniences. If he continues on this route he can be a truly special player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Randleman High School</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the conference champions, <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/randleman/randleman-tigers/soccer/">Randleman</a> was the most effective team this season. Not only were they effective, but they also played fantastically. Everybody understands their role to perfection, which helps to not rely on individual brilliance. That's not to say, however, that this team lacks such brilliance, the opposite is true actually. With players like Erick Delgado, Chris Lopez, Francisco Vences, Mitchell Carranza, or Dilan Chavero, Randleman has individual brilliance in abundance. But even with all the extraordinary talent mentioned, the outstanding player this season has been Owen Leonard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Owen Leonard","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"103","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Randleman High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672ef4b64a144"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Owen is primarily a right-winger, who doesn't feel uncomfortable playing anywhere across the attack. Extremely technically gifted, his dribbling brings opposing defenders to a point of annoyance, a feeling they can't do much about. He makes getting past defenders look very easy. But his dribbling is only one of many factors that are annoying for defenders. Firstly, his ambidexterity makes him very unpredictable. He cuts in on his left and takes penalties on his right, and both seem natural to him. Secondly, his pace is overwhelming for opposing defenders. His team typically doesn't need to play into space since they control the ball. However, whenever he needs to run into space, he is frighteningly quick and will never be caught. Finally, his effectiveness leaves a sense of hopelessness when he beats his defender. Goals and assists come to him easily, and he'll always make them look world-class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These were the best players for each team in the conference. Choosing only one player for most of these teams felt unfair, and there was so much talent left out. This is why I will also be doing a "Best XI" article, in order to highlight some of the talent that didn't get their own evaluation in this article.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->