2A Playoff Best Teams' Best Players

<p>The <a href="https://www.nchsaa.org/bracket/2024-2a-mens-soccer-brackets/">2A playoff</a>s come to an end with a battle of the top-seeded teams of both East and West in <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/clinton/clinton-dark-horses/soccer/">Clinton High School</a> and <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/asheboro/southwestern-randolph-cougars/soccer/">Southwestern Randolph High School</a>, respectively. Clinton High School crowns themselves as the state champions after a hard-fought match. With such strong teams making the final, talents from other teams unfortunately get overshadowed. This list will include the best of 4 best-performing teams, but the overshadowed talent will undoubtedly get their own spotlight.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">State Champions</h2>   <p>Clinton High School won the state championship after an exciting final. A team that enjoys control of the match, they make it show not only with their play but with their results too. In the 14 regular season matches they played, they scored 52 goals and conceded only 4. Their organization in both defense and attack make them a solid unit, difficult to get past. Every player on the team plays his role exceptionally, but the following are the most impressive.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Holden is a fantastic right-winger who pushes his team forward. One of his greatest attributes is his pace, as he easily breezes past defenders before they notice. What he does with the pace is great as well, as he can change his direction pretty effectively. He's always looking for any play he's in charge of to finish near or in the box, which makes him a great headache for defenders. His insistence to either find a teammate or to finish the play himself also makes for his output to be remarkable. He also is comfortable either almost hugging the byline or coming in more centrally on the right side. He's great with both feet, which helps whenever he needs to play out on the left too. He's a great attacking leader and a great asset for any attack-minded team.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Jose is another fantastic winger, this time on the left-hand side of the attack. He's an agile winger who makes it difficult for a defender to take the ball off of him. Just like Holden, he always looks to finish plays around or in the box. On the ball, he's a fantastic dribbler. Skillful and brave, he goes into one-on-one situations with the mindset that he will come out on top. He loves to take the ball to defenders, almost as if he's daring them to stop him. This not only is a testament to his talent, but also how much he helps open up spaces for his teammates. His bravery makes defenders overcompensate, which leads to multiple players making runs into the box.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Ryan is a great defensive midfielder who helps control the team from deep. On the ball, he always has his head up looking for a teammate to build with. The great majority of his passes are progressive passes, and if they're not, he looks for someone who's able to play the progressive pass. Whether he's on or off the ball, he's also a fantastic vocal leader. He tells his team when to calm down and when to speed up, and his teammates respond accordingly. When defending, he never lets an opposing player breathe. He's a constant nuisance for them, which is very effective when it comes to winning the ball back. He can intercept just as good as he can tackle, which makes him a very well rounded defensive player.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">State Runner-Ups</h2>   <p>Southwestern Randolph finished runner-ups of the state after a tremendous season. A group of players who were forced to mature in a way no child should, they played with the memory of <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/11/piedmont-athletic-1a-2a-conference-best-xi-gk-and-defenders/">their fallen teammate</a> present in every match. Dominant performances are the norm for this team, reaching the final having scored a sublime 107 goals in 18 regular season matches. This group is extremely talented, but the following two stood out the most.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">The talent Aaron has is not just being discovered. He's been one of the most talented strikers at this level. His pace is a constant threat for any center-backs, who can't afford to give him an inch of space. He exploits spaces off the ball exceptionally well, making it easy for his midfielders to find him without needing to get the ball to his feet. When he does get the ball to his feet though, he still feels comfortable. A great dribbler with just as great skill, he skips past defenders for fun. His linkup play is wonderful too, looking to play either one-twos or picking out teammates to finish the play. His best attribute is finishing though. Scoring comes to him naturally, never feeling any fear when it comes to it.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Fernando is another talent who has been shining all season. Alongside Aaron, they make a scary effective attacking duo that is truly difficult to defend. Fernando is a great attacking midfielder who has bags of natural talent. His ability to make space is remarkable and helpful for his attackers. With the space he creates, he picks out precise passes for whoever exploits it. The passes he picks out are incredible, but the way he passes is also seriously impressive. Always perfectly weighted, he has the ability to play passes with the outside of his foot. His dribbling is also impressive, always gliding past players before playing a final pass or shooting. Shooting is the final remarkable attribute that can fit here. His long shots are fantastic and his finishing in the box even more so. If he ins't creating danger, he's finishing it. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Regional Finalists</h2>   <p><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/snow-hill/greene-central-rams/soccer/">Greene Central High School</a> and <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/lincolnton/lincolnton-wolves/soccer/">Lincolnton High School</a> both made the regional finals very deservedly. However, each's path was very different. Greene Central moved forward to the regional finals comfortably, being the third seed in their 2A region. Lincolnton had a tougher road, being the 14th seed in their region. They had to pull of some upsets to get to the regional finals. The following two players were the best players on each team in my opinion.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Miguel is primarily an attacking midfielder, but he can take up any attacking role. Sometimes he gets put up as a striker, others as a winger, but he always finds himself in the final third. His linkup play is great, looking for any teammate who is open to receive the ball. He keeps the ball in movement very well with it circulating calmly when he takes control of an attack. Off the ball, he's a player who always looks to get the ball. Either drifting into space to receive it, or pressing to win it back, he always has the desire to have the ball at his feet.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Dominic is the most complete central midfielder I've seen so far. His list of attributes is long, but the first thing to point out is his dribbling. He's extremely skillful and determined, using flashy skills and confidence to skip past players. Determination is his strongest attribute since it applies to the rest of his game. He helps out in defense massively, often winning the ball back through interceptions. Knowing how to use his body is an attribute that a player of his character needs to have, and he does. He knows when to use his body to win the ball back wherever he is on the pitch. His passes are also fantastic, always finding a teammate no matter how complicated the pass is. Another attribute is his set-piece ability, especially his penalties. He scores them calmly, as if he was a striker accustomed to the situation.</p>    <p>There is a recap for <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/12/1a-playoffs-best-teams-best-players/?itm_source=parsely-api">1A's best teams' best players</a> available as well to read after this one.</p>

The 2A playoffs come to an end with a battle of the top-seeded teams of both East and West in Clinton High School and Southwestern Randolph High School, respectively. Clinton High School crowns themselves as the state champions after a hard-fought match. With such strong teams making the final, talents from other teams unfortunately get overshadowed. This list will include the best of 4 best-performing teams, but the overshadowed talent will undoubtedly get their own spotlight.