NC high school state finals feature Ardrey Kell, Ashley girls’ soccer match
If you look simply at their matching No. 12 playoff seedings, Ardrey Kell High School of Charlotte and Ashley of Wilmington would appear to be upstart N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A girls’ soccer championship participants.
But their pedigrees speak volumes to the contrary: Ardrey Kell is making its sixth title game appearance, and Ashley its third straight.
Veteran Ardrey Kell coach Kim Montgomery said this week that her team has been getting ready to be on her sport’s biggest stage since before the season even began.
“Well, we prepare for this moment,” said Montgomery, in her 13th year as Knights’ head coach. “Nobody has a stronger schedule. We play everybody. We even played the two teams in the Eastern finals — Ashley and Millbrook (Raleigh).”
This is the final weekend of the 2024-25 N.C. high school sports season, weather permitting, and nine Charlotte-area teams, including Ardrey Kell, will play for state championships in four sports.
Softball, baseball, lacrosse titles up for grabs
▪ In softball, Union Academy (27-1) begins a best-of-3 series with Perquimans (26-2) for the 1A title. Union Academy has won six consecutive games since its only loss of the season, 3-2 to South Stanly on April 29. The team is led by catcher Taylor Surratt (.588 BA, 6 HR, 42 RBIs) and pitcher Avery Wilson (23-1, 0.88 ERA, 258 Ks).
▪ In baseball, North Lincoln (21-8) is in the 2A finals after winning 12 straight games. Once 9-8, the Knights will face Greenville’s JH Rose (27-4) in the finals.
▪ In girls’ lacrosse, Weddington (19-7) will face national power Cardinal Gibbons of Raleigh on Saturday. Weddington has won five straight, led by Gracie Webb, who has 104 goals this season. Gibbons is trying to win its seventh state championship since 2016, including the past two 4A championships. Weddington is playing for its first.
▪ In boys’ lacrosse, Lake Norman (20-4) will try to win its first state championship since 2018 Saturday and its third overall. Cardinal Gibbons (23-2) three-peated from 2014-16, won the 2019 4A title along with 4A titles in 2021 and 2023. Lake Norman lost in the 2024 state final to Green Level.
And in the 1A/2A/3A final, Lake Norman Charter’s boys will face Croatan (20-2) Friday. Lake Norman Charter is going for a fourth consecutive state title, led by senior Tyler Price who has 75 goals.
South Point, Pine Lake, MICS play for soccer titles
In the other three girls’ soccer games at the Metroplex at Matthews on Friday and Saturday, South Point (3A) and Pine Lake Prep (2A) seek to overcome state championship game heartbreak, while Mountain Island Charter (1A) is making its title game debut.
South Point coach Rich Lewandowski’s team lost 4-0 to Eastern Alamance in the 2023 final, then lost 3-2 on penalty kicks after a scoreless tie to Jacksonville in last year’s championship game.
“We’re excited for another shot at the championship,” said Lewandowski, whose team edged Lake Norman Charter 1-0 on a rainy Monday night Western 3A championship game.
Added senior Grace Maynor: “It’s a great feeling. I was hurt my sophomore year but my junior year I played in the states and now it’s my senior year.
“We’re extremely motivated. I want to get a state championship.”
Mackenzie Crill (24 goals, 8 assists), Phoebe Smith (20 goals, 13 assists) and Jyi’yanna Watkins (17 goals, 5 assists) led the Red Raiders’ offense.
▪ Like South Point, Pine Lake Prep suffered a penalty kick loss after scoreless tie in the state championship; Pittsboro Seaforth won 6-5 on penalty kicks.
This season, coach Paul Ebenhoeh’s Pride (20-2) has been led by high-scoring Sadie Peterson (53 goals, 24 assists) and Avery Garrett (32 goals, 41 assists)....
▪ Mountain Island Charter (19-3) coach Darren Johnson has guided the team to round-by-round improvement in the previous three seasons before winning the last 10 games this season entering the state final.
Harmoni Carter (31 goals, 6 assists), Cheyenne Painter (24 goals, 32 assists), Tiniyah Carter (15 goals, 13 assists), Mia Lor (13 goals, 25 goals), Eden Lewis (12 goals, 15 assists) and Rylan Breath (10 goals, 5 assists) lead the Raptors.
Ardrey Kell’s win streak
In the 4A girls’ soccer final, Ardrey Kell (22-3-4) brings the momentum of a 13-game winning streak that was capped by a miraculous comeback win over previously unbeaten Charlotte Catholic to advance to the state final.
“We have five state champions on this team,” Montgomery said of players who remain from the 2023 N.C. 4A state championship-winner. “That experience is important. I had alumni that taught those guys and now they’re teaching the younger players. And they play for each other.”
The seniors are led by what Montgomery calls “my captain and soul of the team” Ellie Riechman. Other seniors are Brooke Watts and Waleska Rugel Gonzalez with juniors Taylor Kleinschmidt and Anna Henkel also members of the 25-3-1 team in 2023 that brought home the school’s first girls soccer state title.
Ironically, that ‘23 victory came in Ashley’s first of now three consecutive trips to the final.
This year, early-season losses and ties ended up costing both teams a higher seed.
Ardrey Kell started out 8-3-4 with a 1-1 tie against Ashley on March 14, and losses to SoMeck 4A Conference rivals Myers Park and South Mecklenburg before winning its next 13 games, including four consecutive road victories.
Ashley (22-2-2) enters with an eight-game win streak after suffering midseason losses to Mideastern 3A/4A Conference rivals Topsail and Hoggard of Wilmington.
Ardrey Kell’s 2-1 overtime victory that clinched its spot in the final featured two goals from freshman Rhyan Winnek, one with 20.3 seconds left in regulation and another with 4:13 remaining in the first of two 10-minute overtime periods.
“All season, we’ve been working in practice on never giving up and working on plays that we’ll need at the end of the game,” Winnek said. “Today that showed, especially with 20 seconds left.”
Montgomery’s voice was hoarse after coaching the win during a steady rainfall in the second half and overtime.
“All my glory is to God,” she said. “I love this team. Now we’ve got to give it everything we’ve got to bring a state championship back to our school.”
NCHSAA finals schedule
BASEBALL
State championship best-of-3 series
CLASS 4A
(at Burlington Athletic Park)
TC Roberson (25-6) vs. Laney (25-5)
Game 1: 8 p.m. Friday
Game 2: 2 p.m. Saturday
Game 3 (if necessary): 8 p.m. Saturday
CLASS 3A
(at Ting Stadium, Holly Springs)
North Lincoln (21-8) vs. J.H. Rose (27-4)
Game 1: 5 p.m. Friday
Game 2: 11 a.m. Saturday
Game 3 (if necessary): 5 p.m. Saturday
CLASS 2A
(at Burlington Athletic Park)
East Rutherford (28-1) vs. South Lenoir (23-4)
Game 1: 5 p.m. Friday
Game 2: 11 a.m. Saturday
Game 3 (if necessary): 5 p.m. Saturday
CLASS 1A
(at Ting Stadium, Holly Springs)
Uwharrie Charter (18-11) vs. Perquimans (25-6)
Game 1: 8 p.m. Friday
Game 2: 2 p.m. Saturday
Game 3 (if necessary): 8 p.m. Saturday
SOFTBALL
State championship best-of-three series
CLASS 4A
(at Duke Softball Stadium, Durham)
South Caldwell (30-2) vs. D.H. Conley (23-5)
Game 1: 6 p.m. Friday
Game 2: 2 p.m. Saturday
Game 3 (if necessary): 8 p.m. Saturday
CLASS 3A
(at UNCG Softball Stadium, Greensboro)
Rockingham County (26-1) vs. Scotland County (32-1)
Game 1: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Game 2: 2 p.m. Saturday
Game 3 (if necessary): 8 p.m. Saturday
CLASS 2A
(at UNCG Softball Stadium, Greensboro)
West Wilkes (25-3) vs. North Lenoir (20-7)
Game 1: 5 p.m. Friday
Game 2: 11 a.m. Saturday
Game 3 (if necessary): 5 p.m. Saturday
CLASS 1A
(at Duke Softball Stadium, Durham)
Union Academy (27-1) vs. Perquimans County (27-4)
Game 1: 4 p.m. Friday
Game 2: 11 a.m. Saturday
Game 3 (if necessary): 5 p.m. Saturday
GIRLS’ SOCCER
CLASS 4A
Saturday’s state championship
(at Matthews Sportsplex)
Ardrey Kell (22-3-4) vs. Ashley (22-2-2), 6 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Friday’s state championship
(at Matthews Sportsplex)
South Point (21-3-2) vs. Western Alamance (23-0-1), 7 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Saturday’s state championship
(at Matthews Sportsplex)
Pine Lake Prep (20-2) vs. Franklin Academy (24-0), 2:30 p.m.
CLASS 1A
Saturday’s state championship
(at Matthews Sportsplex)
Mountain Island Charter (19-5) vs. Wake Prep (15-7-1), 11 a.m.
BOYS’ LACROSSE
State championship at Durham County Memorial Stadium
Lake Norman (20-4) vs. Cardinal Gibbons (23-2), Sat, 11 a.m.
CLASS 1A-2A-3A
State championship at Durham County Memorial Stadium
Lake Norman Charter (19-6) vs. Croatan (20-2), Fri, 8 p.m.
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
CLASS 4A
State championship at Durham County Memorial Stadium
Weddington (19-7) vs. Cardinal Gibbons (17-5), Sat, 2 p.m.
CLASS 1A-2A-3A
State championship at Durham County Memorial Stadium
Bishop McGuinness (20-3) vs. Union Pines (13-6), Fri, 5 p.m.
