Best of Boys’ Class of 2026: Northern Piedmont

<p>Completing the coverage on the Piedmont region for the class of 2026 is the northern Piedmont region. Though starting in 2026, there will be no professional men's team in this region, that doesn't mean that the talent in this region isn't as promising. The following 23 players are the best of the region, detailed in the respective <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/12/best-of-girls-class-of-2026-northern-piedmont/">girls' article</a>.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Goalkeepers</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Name</strong></td><td><strong>School</strong></td><td><strong>Club</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='275712' first='Aiden' last='Temple']</td><td>Green Hope High School</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283516' first='Wake' last='FC']</td></tr><tr><td>Caiden Lee</td><td>Holly Springs High School</td><td>NCFC</td></tr><tr><td><em>Asael Guzman-Valiente</em></td><td><em>Bishop McGuinness High School</em></td><td><em>[program_tooltip program_id='283412' first='NC' last='Fusion']</em></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Asael is one of the best goalkeeping talents I've seen so far in the state. Though he still plays at the youth level, his talent seems as if he's been playing at the highest level for years. His dives are unbelievably fantastic. He manages to get great airtime and reach to lock down the goal. Regardless of the type of shot he has to deal with, he always makes himself big in between the sticks. He extends his arms as far as he possibly can if the shot is angled or from a long distance. If the shot is near, he either makes his body big or extends his legs. He has no issue with making saves with his feet if it comes to it. His reactions are also unreal, pulling off saves with little time to act. When it comes to building out from the back, he also helps out greatly. He's calm on the ball as well as having a strong and precise through.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defenders</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Name</strong></td><td><strong>School</strong></td><td><strong>Club</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Alexis Ocampo-Ayala</td><td>Reagan High School</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283516' first='Wake' last='FC']</td></tr><tr><td>Joshua Ruiz-Chavez</td><td>Statesville High School</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Kai Kishida</td><td>Mount Tabor</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283412' first='NC' last='Fusion']</td></tr><tr><td>Johnathan Lopez-Degollado</td><td>Southwestern Randolph High School</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283412' first='NC' last='Fusion']</td></tr><tr><td>Hayden Hemming</td><td>Wesleyan Christian Academy</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283412' first='NC' last='Fusion']</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='180462' first='Landon' last='Wilkinson']</td><td>Wakefield High School</td><td>NCFC</td></tr><tr><td><em>Matthew Lotchin</em></td><td><em>Cardinal Gibbons High School</em></td><td>NCFC</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Matthew is a magnificent, no-nonsense center back who can also play as a full-back on either side. His main attribute is his physicality. Proving to be an extremely strong player, he dispossesses attackers cleanly but aggressively. This clean aggressiveness is seen the most in his crunching slide tackles. He goes into them with admirable force yet never recklessly. He's responsible and reliable in the back, making for an unreal talent in the back. On the ball, he's very technically gifted, especially for a center-back. He keeps the ball close to his feet when he clears a path either centrally or out wide. His passing is also fantastic, especially his long passing. He can pick out a pass from his own half that leads to a chance for his team on the other end.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Midfielders</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Name</strong></td><td><strong>School</strong></td><td><strong>Club</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Mateo Biamby</td><td>Fike High School</td><td>NCFC</td></tr><tr><td>Braydon Tyl</td><td>Southwestern Randolph High School</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283412' first='NC' last='Fusion']</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='14142' first='Jackson' last='Campbell']</td><td>-</td><td>NCFC</td></tr><tr><td>Saabri Kaan Uckan</td><td>Willow Springs High School</td><td>Carolina Velocity</td></tr><tr><td>Guilherme Pedroso</td><td>Fuquay Varina High School</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283516' first='Wake' last='FC']</td></tr><tr><td>Jonah Ades</td><td>Voyager Academy High School</td><td>NCFC</td></tr><tr><td>Fernando Hernandez-Dominguez</td><td>Southwestern Randolph High School</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283412' first='NC' last='Fusion']</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">It's difficult to talk about Fernando without bringing up his ridiculous high school statistics. In his 4 years, where he played 87 matches, he racked up an extraordinary 243 goal contributions (165g/78a). These statistics are explained through his brilliance in the final third. With unbelievable intelligence and vision, he creates chances for fun wherever he finds space. He tends to find spaces to generate danger from, even if it's a small space. Whether great or tight, his ability to exploit spaces is felt in more than just chance creation. His eye for goal is unreal. With great accuracy and power, he makes the opposing goalkeepers work extra, all for nothing. On the ball, he skips past defenders with so much ease. He keeps the ball close to him at all times, knowing that he can work magic with it whenever he wants.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Attackers</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Name</strong></td><td><strong>School</strong></td><td><strong>Club</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Aaron Avina</td><td>Southwestern Randolph High School</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283412' first='NC' last='Fusion']</td></tr><tr><td>Cohen Muse</td><td>Northern Guilford High School</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283516' first='Wake' last='FC']</td></tr><tr><td>Owen Leonard</td><td>Randleman High School</td><td>Asheboro City Futbol Club</td></tr><tr><td>Ryan Bryant</td><td>Southwest Guilford High School</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='283412' first='NC' last='Fusion']</td></tr><tr><td>William Bonilla-Juarez</td><td>-</td><td>NCFC</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='14230' first='Kaleb' last='Wilburn']</td><td>Apex Friendship High School</td><td>NCFC</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Kaleb is a complete phenomenon of an attacker who can play on either wing. The most obvious attribute of his is his blistering pace. Whether on or off the ball, he flies across the pitch at unbelievable speeds. His acceleration is his most crucial aspect when it comes to his pace, allowing him the ability to anticipate in any context. If it's by winning the ball back, he pounces on loose balls quicker than the opposing players can react. If it's in attack, he'll fly past an oncoming defender before they can even reach him. This directness in attack leaves him in great positions to either create chances or finish plays himself. His passes, especially crosses, are played with incredible precision and danger. When he gets in the box to shoot, he tends to find the target with ease.</p>

Completing the coverage on the Piedmont region for the class of 2026 is the northern Piedmont region. Though starting in 2026, there will be no professional men's team in this region, that doesn't mean that the talent in this region isn't as promising. The following 23 players are the best of the region, detailed in the respective girls' article.