Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A Final Matchday's Best Players

The final matchday of <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/soccer/24-25/conference/piedmont-athletic-1a-2a/?leagueid=e3d1403f-6815-4bc6-93cb-8e8ef66c36f9">this conference</a> was an exciting and action-packed one. With the conference title still on the line, <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/randleman/randleman-tigers/soccer/">Randleman</a> had to visit <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/trinity/trinity-bulldogs/soccer/">Trinity</a> while <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/asheboro/southwestern-randolph-cougars/soccer/">Southwestern Randolph</a> received <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/asheboro/uwharrie-charter-eagles/soccer/schedule/">Uwharrie Charter</a> on their last matchday (besides Trinity). Randleman took the conference title after winning 3-1, despite Southwestern Randolph's 10-1 win. Trinity beat <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/ramseur/eastern-randolph-wildcats/soccer/schedule/">Eastern Randolph</a> 7-2, and <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/franklinville/providence-grove-patriots/soccer/schedule/">Providence Grove</a> beat <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/trinity/wheatmore-warriors/soccer/schedule/">Wheatmore</a> 2-1. The following were the best performers of this final matchday.    Dilan proves himself to be a goalkeeping prospect more and more. Even in a high-stakes match, Dilan grows with the occasion. He's a goalkeeper who owns his box and has a fantastic spirit of camaraderie with his defenders. When the going gets tough, he becomes the leader of the team. Talking more specifically about his goalkeeping, his reaction time is remarkable considering his age. He knows how to move and anticipates the opposing attacker's movements frequently.     Owen shows new attributes to his game every week. His versatility was something that I had noted before, but it's important to emphasize how versatile he actually is. He seamlessly switches positions with his attacking partners and with great results too. He not only adapts to a different position but also to the occasion. The pressure of having the result against him does not phase him in his decision-making.     Aaron proves how he can be dangerous if given even just an inch of space. If the defender backs off of him, he'll take advantage of the space created to create danger. Having a creative midfielder playing in passes for him helps him exploit spaces in behind the defender with his pace. On the ball he's confident and off it, he knows where to position himself. Many strikers his age feel buckle under the pressure of being one-on-one with the keeper, but he doesn't. His size might not be ideal for the modern striker, but his talent makes up for it.     Riley has already shown how much of an attacking leader he is, but his defensive capabilities are noteworthy. Naturally being a physically imposing player helps him when defending. His long legs help win the ball back with ease. His work rate is remarkable considering the amount of running his team has to do in certain matches. Defending isn't only a physical ordeal, but a mental one too. He can get into the minds of the opposing team's attackers with simple provocations. He doesn't react when his opponents get flustered by his actions which makes him a great provocateur.     Saul is a similar player to Aaron Avina without the support behind him. The freshman is the leader of a poor Providence Grove attack, and he takes that responsibility proudly. He's a fast player who will exploit spaces easily whenever his team produces a proper pass. He'll take any chance inside the box comfortably as well. Another aspect in his game is how he'll drop back to help in the build-up. Despite clearly being the most talented player on the team, he's a team player who isn't selfish about it at all.    With this conference being wrapped up, I will be writing two more articles. One will be on the <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/11/best-player-per-piedmont-athletic-1a-2a-conference-team/">best player of each team</a>, and another will be on the Team of the Season.

The final matchday of this conference was an exciting and action-packed one. With the conference title still on the line, Randleman had to visit Trinity while Southwestern Randolph received Uwharrie Charter on their last matchday (besides Trinity). Randleman took the conference title after winning 3-1, despite Southwestern Randolph's 10-1 win. Trinity beat Eastern Randolph 7-2, and Providence Grove beat Wheatmore 2-1. The following were the best performers of this final matchday.