Faces of The Fall. Our ‘Sweet 16’ list of non-football teams and stars in the region
High school football kicks off Thursday in the Charlotte region, but non-football sports also begin this week.
Here is the Observer’s annual look at 16 area teams and players to watch this fall.
Drew Brown, Gaston Day, Volleyball, Sr.: The Spartans’ senior outside hitter is back to lead a Gaston Day team that went 11-1, finishing as NCISAA 2A state runner-up last season.
Brown, a four-time all-conference and three-time all-state performer, had 155 kills, 98 digs, 32 aces and four blocks last year.
Brown, a Lehigh University commit, looks to help Gaston Day win its third straight Metrolina Athletic conference title, and Gaston Day won the last two MAC crowns without losing a set in league play.
In a varsity career that began in eighth grade, Brown has 1,110 kills, 990 digs and 237 aces.
Kasey Cone, Charlotte Country Day Cross Country: The Buccaneers’ sophomore exploded onto the high school scene, winning the NCISAA 4A state title in a personal-best 18:46.10, in her first season. Cone also led the Country Day girls’ team to a state runner-up finish at the same meet, the best finish in school history.
Cone followed that up by finishing fifth in the 1,600-meter run at the NCISAA 4A outdoor state championships last spring.
Cone -- who also qualified for nationals in Eugene, OR in the distance medley relay -- looks to be even faster in 2021.
Katie Cruise, Providence Volleyball, Sr.: The Appalachian State commit had a junior year to remember: 523 assists, 122 digs and 48 aces while leading Providence (18-1) to a 4A state runner-up finish, with their first and only loss coming to Green Hope in the 4A state championship match.
Cruise is the reigning SoMeck 4A conference player of the year. She’s also a three-time, all-conference performer with 2,221 career assists.
Mary Bonner Dalton, Myers Park Cross Country, So.: The Mustangs’ sophomore had a breakout freshman year for Myers Park in cross country and outdoor track.
Dalton won the Southwestern 4A conference title in cross country, running a personal-best 18:52.
But she kept getting better as her first high school season progressed, finishing as runner-up in the 1,600-meter run outdoors, running the fastest time for a freshman in state history (4:50.94). Dalton also won the 4A state title in the 3,200-meter run, running the second-fastest time in state history for a freshman (10:32.90)
Dalton also excelled this summer winning the freshman mile-run at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, OR, while also finishing as runner-up in the freshman two-mile at the same event to earn All-American honors.
Eugenio de la Parra Polina, Hough soccer, Sr.: The Huskies’ all-region, all-conference forward is the leading returning player in both goals (10) and assists for a Hough team that went 9-3-1 last season, including a perfect 7-0 to win the I-Meck 4A Conference title for the 10th straight year.
This season, de la Parra Polina, who works two jobs, goes to school full-time and plays soccer, will play a lead role as Hough tries to make it 11 straight league titles in the new Queen City Athletic Conference.
Maggie Gehrig/Ava Tan, Charlotte Catholic Tennis, Sr.: The Charlotte Catholic senior duo has dominated their competition, going a combined 226-5 in their varsity tennis careers over the past three years. Their Charlotte Catholic teams have also won 80 of their past 81 matches.
This year, Gehrig will look to win another state singles’ title, moving up to the more difficult 4A class. Gehrig is 111-2 in Catholic career with only losses coming to former teammate, Rose Kenny.
Tan is the reigning 3A doubles’ state champion (with teammate Kaitlyn Tozzi) and is 115-3 in her Cougars’ career.
Gehrig and Tan will also look to help their Charlotte Catholic team contend for a 4A state title with the Cougars having won the last three N.C. 3A state championships (2017, 2018, 2019). No team championships were held last spring.
Carter Laatsch, Davidson Day Soccer: The Patriots’ all-state senior forward has proven he can make big plays in his Davidson Day career (32 goals, 27 assists), including 14 goals and 10 assists last year as a junior in 13 games. This season, Laatsch will play a lead role on a Davidson Day team (6-7 last year) looking to get back above .500 for the first time since 2017.
Laatsch, who plays club soccer for Charlotte Soccer Academy and is a college soccer recruit, is also a key member of the NCISAA 2A state champion Davidson Day, cross country team. He finished 24th (individually) at states.
Nicole Nash, Ardrey Kell Golf: The reigning SoMeck 4A conference player of the year returns to defend her title after a breakout sophomore season where she averaged 36.0 per nine holes last spring.
Nash, who was medalist in six different matches, also finished thirrd at the 4A West Regionals and 28th overall at the 4A state championship at Pinehurst No. 1.
This year, the Knights’ junior will look to help her Ardrey Kell team, which was undefeated last regular season, improve after finishing as 4A West Regional runner-up and fourth at the state championships.
Nash is also one of top junior golfers in the state, ranked No. 17, according to the Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA).
Griffin Nixdorf, Pine Lake Prep Soccer: The Pride’s all-state midfielder is one of top playmakers in the state (14 goals, 19 assists last spring).
This season, Nixdorf will try to help Pine Lake defend its 1A state championship, which was the school’s first ever. And eight of the 11 starters, including Nixdorf, return.
Nixdorf, who has 31 goals and 56 assists in his Pine Lake Prep career, has plenty of help from classmates like midfielders Declan Finnin and Sutherland Fox Tran and defender Andrew Kuechler.
North Iredell Volleyball Team: The Raiders return the core of a team that went 14-1 last winter with their only loss coming in a second round playoff loss to Marvin Ridge.
Reigning North Piedmont conference coach of the year Dave Markland has four all-conference juniors back in the lineup, including libero Tilley Collins, setter Aliena Mykins, middle blocker Emma Norris and outside hitter Madeline Sigmon.
The Raiders won 42 of the 48 games they played in last winter, claiming the NPC regular season and tournament titles.
This year, North Iredell takes on a new challenge in the Western Foothills’ Athletic (3A) conference.
Alyssa Preisano, Cuthbertson Cross Country, Jr.: The Cavaliers’ junior is back to lead a team that has won that last three 3A state championships and returns six of the top seven runners from a season ago.
Preisano, the 3A state cross country runner-up, had a banner season across the board, also winning both the 800 and 1,600-meter run (3A state record, 4:57) state titles outdoors. She was also a part of relay team (with teammates Charlotte Bell, Lily Nasta and Justine Preisano) that ran in Nike Outdoor Nationals in June, setting a state record by running a 20:57 to finish seventh.
Providence Day Boys’ Cross Country Team/Morgan Boonshaft, Providence Day Cross Country: Providence Day’s boys have won 21 straight CISAA conference titles, and four straight NCISAA 4A state championships, including 12 of the past 16 state events.
But this year, the Chargers have a young team led sophomores Zach Makemson (18th at states as a freshman) and Anderson Shirey (22nd at states as a freshman).
Meanwhile, Providence Day girls sophomore Morgan Boonshaft looks to keep running into the record books after a record-breaking freshman year on the course.
Boonshaft, who ran a freshman school-record 17:56.90 to finish as runner-up at the Hare and Hounds’ Invitational, also won the CISAA conference title, before missing the state championships with an injury.
Boonshaft who won the 1,600 and 3,200-meter state titles outdoors.
Providence Day Field Hockey Team: The Chargers had a dream season in 2020, going 12-0 to win their first ever NCISAA state title in dominant fashion, outscoring their opponents 50-4 overall. This fall, Providence Day has the pieces to do it all again.
Coach Miki Osherow returns nine starters, including five players being recruited at the Division I level. The Chargers have 12 different players being recruited by college teams overall.
Providence Day will be led by seniors Leah Horowitz (two goals, assists, all-state), Emily Ritchie (12 goals, two assists) and Katie Teates (led state in defensive saves) along with juniors Katie Longo (two goals, all-state), Virginia Olin (all-state), Lucy Osherow (four goals, five assists, all-state) and Elizabeth Tegeler (goalkeeper).
Tyler Scott, South Mecklenburg Soccer: The Sabres’ senior captain and center back returns to lead a South Mecklenburg team that is 29-6-1 in the last two seasons, winning back-to-back SoMeck7 conference titles.
Scott, who also had four goals and one assist last season, has helped South Mecklenburg to the 4A state quarterfinals in each of last two seasons.
South Mecklenburg coach Eric White believes Scott has a good chance to earn conference player of the year and all-state honors as a senior.
Scott is also a standout in the classroom, where he boasts a 4.5 grade-point average.
Mary Schleusner, Charlotte Latin Cross Country: The Hawks’ senior captain returns to lead the defending NCISAA 4A state champions, after finishing the 2020 cross country season by running a personal-best 19:14.10 to finish fourth individual at the state meet. She ran the sixth fastest time in school history.
The three-time all-state cross country performer is one of the most versatile athletes at Charlotte Latin as she is also a key member of the Hawks’ varsity basketball team, where she averaged seven points, nine rebounds last year, and girls’ soccer team, where she scored four goals to go with nine assists.
Caden Townshend, Weddington Cross Country: The 3A state cross country runner-up also posted the top time (15:29.40) among the runners returning in the state in class 4A. Weddington will moving up to 4A this season.
Townshend also had a strong outdoor track season last spring, finishing third in the state in the 3,200-meter run while helping Weddington to a state runner-up finish as a team.
