Girl's High School Season Preview: 3A & 4A

<p>With the season starting this week, it's important to highlight the other levels of the high school game. These two levels tend to produce the most talent thanks to the talent pool. Just like the previous article, this article will focus on two teams per level as well as 2-3 players per level.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Teams to Watch: 3A Level</h2>   <p>The 3A level in North Carolina is the level for schools with large student bodies. As mentioned, the talent pool is bigger now and with that, we find schools with great projects. Choosing just two teams, in both levels, is a hard task. This can be proven by the fact that I have not included the current state champions, Jacksonville High School. However, I believe that these two teams will have a good season.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Western Alamance High School</h3>   <p>Western Alamance High School finished last season in the final four after not losing a single match in regular time. Their elimination came in a penalty shootout against eventual winners Jacksonville. Though a fair amount of players last season were seniors, many of the then-underclassmen gained valuable experience from such a great season. In fact, the key stat leaders will all play this season. After an undefeated season where they averaged 5 goals a match, this team has all the elements to grow more than what they did last season. In my opinion, they are the frontrunners to win the 3A state championship this season.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Lake Norman Charter</h3>   <p>Another team I believe can have a great season is Lake Norman Charter. After a season that saw them lose only one regular season match, this team should have gained the experience to take a step into the final four at least. Unlike most teams, Lake Norman was not reliant on seniors, only having 6 with only 3 of them registering over 800 minutes. The team was led by underclassmen, except in the goalkeeping area. This is the reason I chose Western Alamance over them to win the championship. But after a season where they scored 143 goals with a 20-game undefeated streak, they are strong contenders for the title as well.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players to Watch: 3A Level</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Isabella is an extremely talented player who produces constant moments of magic. From the looks of it, she doesn't have a club which makes her talent even more impressive. An attacking midfielder who can play as a winger too, she's electrifying on the ball. Her ball control is fantastic and mesmerizing, always keeping the ball near her. Combining her ball control with her agility and dribbling makes it impossible to take the ball off her. She can dribble entire defenses, even in their own box. Her passes are great too, pulling them off with both great weight and precision. She's also very active, constantly looking at how to get the ball, whether her team is in possession or not.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Callie is a very talented striker who has the potential to become a truly special player. Unbelievably fast, her runs into space are impossible to stop. Regardless of where defenders are positioned, catching her is a futile task. In the box, she's a natural-born killer, putting away chances for fun. The way she generates and finishes chances on her own makes her an unstoppable force up top. Physically, aside from being rapid, she is very strong, winning more duels than what she loses. Her physicality helps her start her runs as well, keeping the defenders behind her. Also, she has a rocket of a right food, generating powerful shots from seemingly nowhere.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Camden is a fantastic goalkeeper who leads her team from the back with her performances. A confident goalkeeper, she makes it a point to assert her dominance in her box. She often comes off her line to regain possession as well. She's clearly confident and that affects the opposing attacker mentally. If they find themselves with a goalscoring opportunity, she does not buckle under the pressure. She closes down spaces that many other goalkeepers her age don't protect nearly as well as she does. When it comes to distribution, she plays short passes very effectively. Off of goal kicks or if she regains possession, she plays it out to her defenders with ease so that they start plays.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Teams to Watch: 4A Level</h2>   <p>The final level of the North Carolina high school grouping, the 4A level is home to the schools with the largest student bodies in the state. Being the level with the most students made choosing both the teams and the players exceptionally hard. However, these are the teams to keep an eye on this season.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Charlotte Catholic High School</h3>   <p>Charlotte Catholic High School had a very solid and consistent season last season. With 127 goals scored and only 21 conceded, they had a knack for winning games with comfortable margins. Despite losing in the third round, their entire season, given their context, was fantastic. Unusually, Charlotte Catholic only had 3 seniors total on their squad. Unlike other teams I've mentioned, their key stats weren't simply led by underclassmen but rather the whole team period. Perhaps, the only problem they may have is in goal since last season's goalkeeper was one of the few seniors. However, with the foundations of last season still being present, Charlotte Catholic is definitely a favorite for the state title.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Holly Springs High School</h3>   <p>Holly Springs High School is one of my wildcards for this season. Last season, they didn't win any title to prove how good they were. They didn't score as much as other teams I've mentioned, didn't have the best defense, and had a decent senior pillar. However, they only lost 2 matches during the regular season all last season. These 2 losses just so happened to cost them their conference's title and a narrow loss in the third round of playoffs. Up until either loss, they were consistent and won matches neatly. The losses they suffered build character, especially knowing they weren't inferior to the teams they lost to. The new seniors as well as the underclassmen will know how to take on the crucial matches this season, and I believe that they can go the distance.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players to Watch: 4A Level </h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Savanna is a prospect as a striker who leads her team from the front. She's agile and very active, which makes her a constant headache for the opposing defense. On the ball, she can wiggle out of uncomfortable situations with little effort. When her team is on the ball, she moves across the final third into a position to receive the ball. She will either make runs in behind or drift wide, but wherever she goes she helps advance attacks. Her movements in the box cause confusion for the opposing defense, which plays in her favor. When she shoots, she manages to get a lot of power behind them regardless of where she shoots from.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">For Holly Springs, Allyssa plays as a wide midfielder and looks head and shoulders better than her opponents. Her talent is clearly at a professional level, even at her age. When she dribbles, she has the ball glued to her feet. Constantly cutting in from the wing, she causes constant danger when she shoots on her left. The power behind both her shots and crosses is far superior to the average player at this level. She's also very fast, making catching her more of a concept than a reality. Watching her play at this level feels almost unfair because she clearly has so much potential. Allyssa is not just a talent to keep an eye out for North Carolina but for the entire country.</p>

With the season starting this week, it's important to highlight the other levels of the high school game. These two levels tend to produce the most talent thanks to the talent pool. Just like the previous article, this article will focus on two teams per level as well as 2-3 players per level.