Southern Piedmont NC Conference Best Performers: Part 1

The southern Piedmont region is, in my opinion, the most talented region of the state. In this region, we find Charlotte as the main city. We also find big towns such as Concord, Kannapolis, and Gastonia. This series of articles follows the same guidelines as the <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/10/north-piedmont-nc-conference-best-performers-part-1/">northern Piedmont</a> series. These four players start us off in covering this region.    David is a forward who thrives deeper down the field. His role is distinct from forwards in his age group because of where he fits tactically. However, this is exactly what makes him such a talent. His fantastic vision is what sets him apart from his teammates. Whether he's deep or high up the pitch, he knows exactly where to place the ball. One thing is to have vision as great as his, but he combines it with his precision. These passes are zeroed in perfectly for the receiving teammate. Not only do these passes look great, but they're also extremely useful in attack. His strongest form of passes are long passes, pinging the ball from wing to wing or end to end easily.     Joshua is a striker whose style of play is inspired by strikers such as Haaland. He loves to play on the shoulder of defenders, forcing them to be extra aware of his positioning. When the ball gets played to him, whether he receives it at his feet or in the air, he uses his physicality to win possession. This is where he most looks like Haaland, shoving players off him cleanly to get a clearer chance on goal. Unlike Haaland, however, his finishing relies mostly on placement rather than power. Though he absolutely can score powerful shots, he prefers to secure a shot on target. His link-up play is great, too. In situations where he needs to lay off the ball, he'll do so calmly and effectively.    .    Ryan is a very promising right winger who proves to be the determining player for his team. He keeps his width fantastically, allowing his team more space in the channels. Opening those spaces also allows him to go more centrally when he plays the ball in. In these positions, he gets to show how clinical he can be in the box. His finishing is great, remaining composed in crucial positions. Though his goalscoring is a very strong asset, it's not his most impressive. His vision, chance creation, and playmaking are all superb. Whether from out wide or centrally, he'll make something amazing happen. His through balls are incisive, placing them in the path of a well-positioned teammate. His crosses are just as precise, creating chances constantly from out wide.     Matthew is a talented striker who has the characteristics a striker needs to excel in today's game. Tall and physical, he makes it difficult to get the ball off of him. He constantly goes in for duels and comes out on top. This ability to keep defenders away from the ball not only allows him to control it for himself, but also to link up with his teammates. He plays passes to teammates running forward to generate chances for either him or his team. His determination, both in and out the box, is remarkable, never giving anything less than 100% to win the ball. This allows his team to press high and create big chances from recoveries almost immediately. His finishing is magnificent as well. The composure and accuracy he demonstrates is that of a confident striker whose mind is solely on scoring goals.

The southern Piedmont region is, in my opinion, the most talented region of the state. In this region, we find Charlotte as the main city. We also find big towns such as Concord, Kannapolis, and Gastonia. This series of articles follows the same guidelines as the northern Piedmont series. These four players start us off in covering this region.