Best Players of the Top Ranked Teams: Holly Springs High School

<a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/holly-springs/holly-springs-golden-hawks/soccer/">Holly Springs High School</a> is the penultimate team in this series, having finished the season as the <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/soccer/rankings/1/?schoolid=8b01e3ef-fc95-4f9e-8ab8-5424348e4767">second-highest-ranked team in the state</a>. Holly Springs had a remarkable and solid season that was unfortunately cut just short in the regional semifinals, where even then they narrowly lost. Though they had 2 losses during the season, they sandwiched these with an astounding 23-game undefeated streak. This allowed for Holly Springs to win <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/nc/soccer/24-25/conference/southwest-wake-4a/?leagueid=cd6fda6c-53dd-4a83-8cd5-db1470223df4">their conference undefeated</a>. Finishing as top 2 in North Carolina and in the <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/soccer/rankings/1/?schoolid=8b01e3ef-fc95-4f9e-8ab8-5424348e4767">top 40 in the US</a> is no small feat. However, this achievement would've been impossible without the immense talent at their disposal, of which these are the most notable.    Jayson is an energetic right-winger who loves to progress play from the flank. Mostly, he plays more hugging the wing, creating space in the channels. He drives the ball forward constantly and seeks to end plays as effectively as possible. If he plays more wide, he will take the ball to the endline and play it back for an open teammate in the middle. If he's playing more in the channels, he'll either link up with a teammate or take the shot himself. His dribbling is good too, getting past players easily and simply. He's a no-frills winger, progressing play effectively without complicating himself.     Sean is a prolific striker who leads his team from the front brilliantly. One of his main attributes is his positioning since he always plays on the shoulder of defenders constantly. His ability to find spaces is impressive, and he always finds the right place to be in attacks. Being as fast as he is helps him beat defenders for pace when a pass gets played into him. Dynamism is a great attribute to have as a striker, which combined with finishing makes him deadly. He makes scoring look easy, regardless of where he shoots from. Another attribute of his is his dribbling which helps him skip past defenders with ease when he's on the ball, while also putting on a show.     Jacob is a midfielder who commands the entire midfield. Well-rounded somehow falls short when describing him since he excels in defense, playmaking, and attack. He's a brave player who goes in strong when tackling, whether it be a stand or slide tackle. It's also impressive that regardless of how strong the tackle is, it's very often clean. His work rate is remarkable, always accompanying any play from beginning to end. Offering himself as an option in build-up also helps his team to start plays from deep. He serves as an important piece in kickstarting attacks, in connecting defense and attack. In attack, he plays in crosses or key passes for fun, creating plenty of plays per match.     Fin is one of the two talented left-wingers on the team. He never gives up on any play and will fight back to win the ball back if he loses it. In build-up, he'll drop back to help construct plays from the left flank. When he receives the ball, he keeps his eyes forward looking at how to advance. He takes the ball to defenders with confidence as well, making him a constant threat out wide. The way he helps circulate the ball between the wing and the channels leaves his team in a prime position to score as well. One of his best attributes is winning fouls, constantly drawing them from anywhere.     Santiago is a multi-faceted player who mostly plays as a left-winger, being the other one on the team. Santiago has a similar profile to Fin but with some distinct attributes. He's very active, always looking for spaces to receive the ball in. Typically, he plays between the half-spaces and wings but can cut into the channels. He carries the ball fantastically, getting past defenders without too much of a fuss. Defensively, he offers lots of support as well. He drops deep to help out his left-back, often covering for him as well. His physicality not only makes it hard to get the ball off of but also makes it easy for him to win the ball back.

Holly Springs High School is the penultimate team in this series, having finished the season as the second-highest-ranked team in the state. Holly Springs had a remarkable and solid season that was unfortunately cut just short in the regional semifinals, where even then they narrowly lost. Though they had 2 losses during the season, they sandwiched these with an astounding 23-game undefeated streak. This allowed for Holly Springs to win their conference undefeated. Finishing as top 2 in North Carolina and in the top 40 in the US is no small feat. However, this achievement would've been impossible without the immense talent at their disposal, of which these are the most notable.